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Gas vs Diesel: Building a Rig

gas diesel camper pop up camper ford chevy limited use

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#11 Foy

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Posted 21 September 2014 - 04:49 PM

I have a 1988 toyota xtra cab with 300,000 miles on it. The list of "wear parts" you have replaced would have made me get rid of it years ago. I have replaced one water pump. I took the starter off and had it worked over. It was working I just wanted to make sure it didn't leave me stranded. I had one alternator replaced. I had the timing chain replaced, and while they had it down that far I had new valves put in it. I had the breaks changed once, and the clutch done once.  It is my daily driver. 

 

 

I think it's possible to have a civil, intelligent conversation about truck maintenence and repair preferences, such as this one.  My own preferences run to maintenence in that, to a large degree, it doesn't involve roadside repairs.  The front wheel bearing assemblies on my Superduty are "non-servicable", as are, to the best of my knowledge, practically all domestic and imported wheel bearing assemblies.  Ditto the u-joints and carrier bearing in my 2-piece rear driveshaft (but the replacements are servicable, thank goodness). The front leaf springs got old, tired, and flat from supporting the 1,200 lb diesel, so I had a 4-Wheel Parts "leveling kit" installed, bringing with it new bushings for the new front leaf springs and the front sway bar.  With so many of "modern" truck suspension and driveline components designed to simply run until failure, replacing them from time to time, over a 13 year life and 244,000 miles, strikes me as entirely routine and doesn't chill me on the viability and usefulness of a paid-for truck which is sound in every way.  In fact, my own view is I'd much rather have replaced inexpensive wear parts than an alternator, timing chain, and valves.  To each, his own. 

 

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#12 craig333

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Posted 21 September 2014 - 06:26 PM

I've had to replace two unit bearings so far, both on the passenger side. I'd like to carry a spare even though they aren't considered user servicable. I figure if I was broke down out by Vya I'd figure out how to replace it. One alternator and one fuel pump are all thats gone wrong so far. Amazing durability in these trucks now. 


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#13 idahoron

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 01:08 AM

I think it's possible to have a civil, intelligent conversation about truck maintenence and repair preferences, such as this one.  My own preferences run to maintenence in that, to a large degree, it doesn't involve roadside repairs.  The front wheel bearing assemblies on my Superduty are "non-servicable", as are, to the best of my knowledge, practically all domestic and imported wheel bearing assemblies.  Ditto the u-joints and carrier bearing in my 2-piece rear driveshaft (but the replacements are servicable, thank goodness). The front leaf springs got old, tired, and flat from supporting the 1,200 lb diesel, so I had a 4-Wheel Parts "leveling kit" installed, bringing with it new bushings for the new front leaf springs and the front sway bar.  With so many of "modern" truck suspension and driveline components designed to simply run until failure, replacing them from time to time, over a 13 year life and 244,000 miles, strikes me as entirely routine and doesn't chill me on the viability and usefulness of a paid-for truck which is sound in every way.  In fact, my own view is I'd much rather have replaced inexpensive wear parts than an alternator, timing chain, and valves.  To each, his own. 

 

Foy

 

 

 

 

I have had mine for over 25 year. The things you have done to that ride would have put it up for sale for me.  I just can't have a vehicle that needs that many repairs. But that is just me. I don't like spending all my home time fixing a truck, then hoping that it makes it there and back. 


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#14 Foy

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 01:31 PM

I have had mine for over 25 year. The things you have done to that ride would have put it up for sale for me.  I just can't have a vehicle that needs that many repairs. But that is just me. I don't like spending all my home time fixing a truck, then hoping that it makes it there and back. 

 

I'm glad your's is working out for you.  Glad mine is working out for me, too. I'd have gotten rid of mine if it had needed a timing chain and valves by the young age of 13 years and with < 300,000 miles.

 

My maintenance items related to u-joints and bearings were all elective and based on realizing that nonservicable components are going to fail in due course.  The u-joints and carrier bearing were replaced immediately prior to back-to-back trips from NC to MT, ID, and UT in 2010/2011, at a time at which the truck had just under 200,000 miles on the clock.  Seemed like a good idea to be proactive and replace them at 9-10 years and that many miles rather than just let them let loose while on the road. Again, preventative maintenance, not repairs.  Bearings and bushings wear out.  They're supposed to. 

 

Foy


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#15 Kolockum

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Posted 22 September 2014 - 08:25 PM

At my job we have a 2012 F-350 gas and a 2013 F-350 diesel. Both are king cabs and have service bodies with similar canopies and the same amount of equipment on the truck. According to the on board computers the gas truck gets an average of 11.6 mpg and the diesel 12.8 mpg, which I found very surprising as I thought that there would be more than a 1.2 mpg difference between diesel and gas. 

 

Gas mileage aside when it comes to going up hills or on rough roads I prefer to drive the diesel due to the extra torque and power. 


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#16 ntsqd

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Posted 23 September 2014 - 12:42 AM

I look at it like those wear parts are my truck payment. If the monthly expense is less than what a truck payment would be then I'm happy. Usually. It is rare that once base-lined that any of my vehicles costs that much per month.

 

There is no guarantee that a new truck will be any more (or less) reliable than a well maintained older truck, and I'd much rather subject an older truck to off highway conditions than a new truck. Since I do most of my own work I feel like I have a fairly good understanding of what the truck's reliability is at any given time. There are always those unexpected failures, but those can happen to any vintage vehicle. Mr Murphy makes no distinction for age.


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Thom

Where does that road go?





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