Truck Shopping

[Rene]

Well, this TV shopping might be a bit more difficult than I thought.  Ford dealership only had 1 red (not one of my color choices) 2500 and said they are having a hard time finding them.  Almost an $80,000 price tag.  The Chevy dealership had 1 2500 Dodge that I just didn't care for and NO 2500 Chevy.  So, I went home and got on CarMax and found a few Chevy and Dodge possibilities, with no Ford options.  Mileage from 10-45k with price tags from $40-55,000.00.  With the price of trucks right now, might end up with new to me instead of brand new.  I did test drive the one 2500 Ford and was happy to see that I enjoyed driving it and will have no problem using it as my daily driver to work also.  My work is just down the street.  

[Rivernerd]

Given the sad experience you describe at your local dealerships, I recommend you consider a "fly and drive" possibility.  Search deals on the web, even if they are a long way from home.  If you can find a truck that works for you in, say, Texas, you can fly there and drive it home.  There are a few dealerships in the nation that are doing business that way.

If you read my post in the Tow Vehicle thread, you know that we still tow with our 2019 Tundra because right now is a really bad time to buy a truck.  I can wait because the Tundra works for us, just not optimally.  You can't wait.  So, if the "fly and drive" method doesn't pan out, you my need to pay the premium for a used truck.

Good luck! 

[Guest]

Shop out of your area if you can..  I have several Ford dealerships near me and I recently visited two of them when I was looking for a truck.  One had eight 250s, six of which were well optioned XLTs going for $62-64K (6.2 vs 7.3 being the difference).  I wound up finding the truck in my signature below.

[Steph and Dud B]

Doesn't have to be diesel, either. Our GMC 6.0 gasser tows our LE2 just fine. We've been from Tennessee up I-81 to mid state NY and points in between so far. While diesels are clearly the best for towing power there's a premium to be paid upfront and for maintenance.

[Katjo]

I know I’m going to age myself by saying this but I still can’t believe the prices of new trucks! It’s crazy! 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Katjo said:

I know I’m going to age myself by saying this but I still can’t believe the prices of new trucks! It’s crazy! 

It is!  But things are starting to soften, at least in my area.

[Ollie-Haus]

3 hours ago, Rene said:

Well, this TV shopping might be a bit more difficult than I thought.  Ford dealership only had 1 red (not one of my color choices) 2500 and said they are having a hard time finding them.  Almost an $80,000 price tag.  The Chevy dealership had 1 2500 Dodge that I just didn't care for and NO 2500 Chevy.  So, I went home and got on CarMax and found a few Chevy and Dodge possibilities, with no Ford options.  Mileage from 10-45k with price tags from $40-55,000.00.  With the price of trucks right now, might end up with new to me instead of brand new.  I did test drive the one 2500 Ford and was happy to see that I enjoyed driving it and will have no problem using it as my daily driver to work also.  My work is just down the street.  

I would use Autotrader.com and look nation wide. Only consider trucks that have the price listed. You shouldn't pay more than the sticker price. Some dealers are listing slightly below sticker occasionally. It'll take some work on your part but you can find a descent truck if you work at it.   

Here's an example of a nicely equipped F250 that would pull and LE2 with ease and no WD hitch required, and it's window sticker below with all included options on this truck. 

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=664480564&listingTypes=NEW&driveGroup=AWD4WD&startYear=2022&endYear=2022&makeCodeList=FORD&modelCodeList=F250&city=Greenfield&state=IN&zip=46140&searchRadius=0&trimCodeList=F250|Lariat&marketExtension=include&isNewSearch=false&showAccelerateBanner=false&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&numRecords=25&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fnew-cars%2Fawd-4wd%2F2022%2Fford%2Ff250%2Fgreenfield-in-46140%3FsearchRadius%3D0%26trimCodeList%3DF250%7CLariat%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse%26showAccelerateBanner%3Dfalse%26sortBy%3DderivedpriceASC%26numRecords%3D25&clickType=listing

 

https://www.windowsticker.forddirect.com/windowsticker.pdf?vin=1FT7W2BNXNEG40020

[Rivernerd]

FWIW, the Ford F250 available through the posted link above has NEARLY DOUBLE the payload capacity of our Tundra--2883 lbs. vs. 1460 lbs.  Payload is the single most important criterion for towing  safety.  That F250 would be a great tow vehicle for an Elite II.

 

[SNY SD UP]

I believe there is a very large dealership in the Midwest maybe Iowa?  They seem to have availability and reasonable prices.  it has been mentioned on the forum a few times. 

Maybe someone that remembers can chime in.

 

B-Out

 

[Patriot]

5 hours ago, SNY SD UP said:

I believe there is a very large dealership in the Midwest maybe Iowa?  They seem to have availability and reasonable prices.  it has been mentioned on the forum a few times. 

Maybe someone that remembers can chime in.

 

B-Out

 

 

Here -

https://www.grangerford.com
 

[Patriot]

Rene,

Ultimately the choice of what new TV you buy is yours. Regardless of what brand truck you decide to purchase you may really want to factor in how long your warranty is post sale. All trucks now are what I call rolling IPads jam packed full of very sensitive electronics. Like you have pointed out, purchase a truck that fits your needs and most of all your budget.

I think everyone would agree, the price of new trucks and cars has really gone up. All the more important to do your homework and not feel rushed to buy. It will all work out.

Patriot🇺🇸
 

 

[Patriot]

9 hours ago, Katjo said:

I know I’m going to age myself by saying this but I still can’t believe the prices of new trucks! It’s crazy! 

As is everything. For times such as these. 

[Ollie-Haus]

One thing to keep in mind regarding pickups. Regardless of 150/1500 series all the way up to 350/3500 series, the overall size or footprint of the truck is essentially the same. You will have small variations in overall length depending on the size of the bed and some cabs are slightly shorter or longer. Point being they are all full size trucks so regardless of capacity, they are all basically the same size.

Also as close as you can get as far as on board features when comparing, the prices are relatively close as well. A well equipped F150 with V8 engine and towing packages, will not be much less than an F250 with similar equipment and a gas engine. If payload is important to you, it's better to look the direction of the heavier series trucks as opposed to just getting by with a half ton and limited payload for nearly the same money in the end. 

Just trying to throw out thinking points since you are at the decision stage right now. You know your budget and comfort level best, but it's most economical as you know to do this once and get it right rather than revisit the TV purchase process a year into owning the Oliver. 

[Rene]

18 hours ago, Patriot said:

Rene,

Ultimately the choice of what new TV you buy is yours. Regardless of what brand truck you decide to purchase you may really want to factor in how long your warranty is post sale. All trucks now are what I call rolling IPads jam packed full of very sensitive electronics. Like you have pointed out, purchase a truck that fits your needs and most of all your budget.

I think everyone would agree, the price of new trucks and cars has really gone up. All the more important to do your homework and not feel rushed to buy. It will all work out.

Patriot🇺🇸
 

 

Patients is something I am trying hard to use a lot of.  Thank you for the reminder and words! 

[Rene]

15 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

One thing to keep in mind regarding pickups. Regardless of 150/1500 series all the way up to 350/3500 series, the overall size or footprint of the truck is essentially the same. You will have small variations in overall length depending on the size of the bed and some cabs are slightly shorter or longer. Point being they are all full size trucks so regardless of capacity, they are all basically the same size.

Also as close as you can get as far as on board features when comparing, the prices are relatively close as well. A well equipped F150 with V8 engine and towing packages, will not be much less than an F250 with similar equipment and a gas engine. If payload is important to you, it's better to look the direction of the heavier series trucks as opposed to just getting by with a half ton and limited payload for nearly the same money in the end. 

Just trying to throw out thinking points since you are at the decision stage right now. You know your budget and comfort level best, but it's most economical as you know to do this once and get it right rather than revisit the TV purchase process a year into owning the Oliver. 

Definitely planning on a 2500.  If I find a 3500, might consider, but most likely will go with the 2500, as it will also be my daily driver.  I am looking in both brand new and new to me markets.  I want to be as sure as I can that my TV is a great choice that I will use for the for seeable future but the better deal I find on the TV will make financially being able to move forward with my Oliver order sooner rather than later more doable.  I literally just discovered Olivers about a month ago, and it has absolutely change my entire plan, in a great way!  No changing my mind, just my strategy on how to pull it all together.  With that said, if it takes me another year to pull it all together, if I have to be that patient, I will, because I want to definitely do this right and once I have them both, life will be SWEET! 

[Ollie-Haus]

14 minutes ago, Rene said:

Definitely planning on a 2500.  If I find a 3500, might consider, but most likely will go with the 2500, as it will also be my daily driver.  I am looking in both brand new and new to me markets.  I want to be as sure as I can that my TV is a great choice that I will use for the for seeable future but the better deal I find on the TV will make financially being able to move forward with my Oliver order sooner rather than later more doable.  I literally just discovered Olivers about a month ago, and it has absolutely change my entire plan, in a great way!  No changing my mind, just my strategy on how to pull it all together.  With that said, if it takes me another year to pull it all together, if I have to be that patient, I will, because I want to definitely do this right and once I have them both, life will be SWEET! 

Hey Rene, I don't have any doubt you will pull it off with a flare. Patience is on your side. My wife and I knowing we were just a few years away from retirement started working our plan a little more than three years ago. It was an elaborate plan that has been adjusted a couple of times, but we have stayed the course. We started out by selling a piece of vacation property that we decided we weren't going to develop, and used that money to buy a small fixer upper for retirement. We pulled that off and 3 years later I'm finishing the total remodel and we are ready to move in in a few weeks.

While all that was playing out we knew we wanted to travel in an RV and had to narrow down the type and brand/model that would be the mobile half of our retirement. Long story short after waffling between a couple options we settled on the Elite 2. All the time we were whittling down our RV choice we pulled the trigger on the required new tow vehicle. We settled on a Ford F350 with a gas engine and placed an order in Jan. of '21. The plan was to get it paid off as quickly as possible and then place the order for the Oliver. With the housing market at a peak we decided last April to place the current home we had been living in for sale and use the proceeds to pay off the truck, and all other debts and order the Oliver. Everything was falling into place. We rented the house next door to the remodel, I retired from my job to focus on finishing the remodel as quick as possible, and move into the retirement "cracker box" just in time to pick up the Ollie. 

Well as you can see, sometimes things fall into place. We are scheduled to pick up "Ollie-Haus" on the 18th of April and I'm hoping we are moved out of the rental and settling into the house by then. I'll need some vacation time at that point for sure. 

You have a lot of ambition and a plan you are developing, and I have no doubt as I said you will pull it off. Bide your time, make informed decisions and do everything you can to knock the debt down to a minimum and you will be there before you know it. I like your enthusiasm and can't wait to read about your milestones on the way. 

[AlbertNTerri]

November 2021 we bought a 2017 Ford F250 long bed, 6.2 liter gas, 4door, lariat basically loaded, a very nice truck, fantastic travel vehicle and superb tow vehicle. It had 95,000 miles on it when we bought it, more than I'd wanted but there were so few vehicles available it was what we had to do. We picked up our elite II the first week of June 2022. Since then we've gone from the factory to Massachusetts, to several locations in Colorado, then to San Diego, the grand canyon, back to Colorado, Mass and now in Key West. We'll be back in Colorado (Home)  the beginning of April. We've logged over 13,000 miles on the Oliver in the past 8 months, it'll be over 15,000 by the time we're back on the western slope of Colorado. The F250 has been fantastic as far as being a tow vehicle. Unless you go crazy carrying stuff (like we sometimes do), It has more than enough capacity, you never really have to worry about  being over weight. The greater breaking capacity of the 250/2500s and 350/3500s over the 150/1500s is the biggest sell point for me. We frequent the rocky mountains, and knowing that if we're coming down a steep grade we have plenty of braking power gives me great piece of mind. The only complaint I have is the gas mileage, If I stay light on the throttle and without our kayak on the roof, we've seen 14 mpg, but not very often. Once I put the kayak on the roof it dropped to 8-10 mpg. Diesel will improve that quite a bit but at a steep up front cost, and there just weren't any available when we needed to buy so we went with this one. I recommend nothing less then a 250/2500 for a Elite II, and if you can swing the extra cost, you'll not regret the diesel for power and efficiency. On the other hand, the extra $10,000 for diesel will buy a lot of gas and even at 8 mpg, you'll have to put on a lot of miles before you brake even spending the money on the diesel. Ultimately I hope to replace my F250 with a Cybertruck, but it is still at least a year before that likely becomes an option.

 

Good luck with your plans and we look forward to seeing you on the road!!

[Rene]

15 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

Hey Rene, I don't have any doubt you will pull it off with a flare. Patience is on your side. My wife and I knowing we were just a few years away from retirement started working our plan a little more than three years ago. It was an elaborate plan that has been adjusted a couple of times, but we have stayed the course. We started out by selling a piece of vacation property that we decided we weren't going to develop, and used that money to buy a small fixer upper for retirement. We pulled that off and 3 years later I'm finishing the total remodel and we are ready to move in in a few weeks.

While all that was playing out we knew we wanted to travel in an RV and had to narrow down the type and brand/model that would be the mobile half of our retirement. Long story short after waffling between a couple options we settled on the Elite 2. All the time we were whittling down our RV choice we pulled the trigger on the required new tow vehicle. We settled on a Ford F350 with a gas engine and placed an order in Jan. of '21. The plan was to get it paid off as quickly as possible and then place the order for the Oliver. With the housing market at a peak we decided last April to place the current home we had been living in for sale and use the proceeds to pay off the truck, and all other debts and order the Oliver. Everything was falling into place. We rented the house next door to the remodel, I retired from my job to focus on finishing the remodel as quick as possible, and move into the retirement "cracker box" just in time to pick up the Ollie. 

Well as you can see, sometimes things fall into place. We are scheduled to pick up "Ollie-Haus" on the 18th of April and I'm hoping we are moved out of the rental and settling into the house by then. I'll need some vacation time at that point for sure. 

You have a lot of ambition and a plan you are developing, and I have no doubt as I said you will pull it off. Bide your time, make informed decisions and do everything you can to knock the debt down to a minimum and you will be there before you know it. I like your enthusiasm and can't wait to read about your milestones on the way. 

I can't wait to see the pics when you pick up Ollie-Haus!! How exciting!  I actually don't have any debt, but I also don't have a home to sell.  I do have a 36' skoolie that I will be selling soon so that will hopefully be a big down payment on my TV, and maybe even a little bit to add to my deposit on my Oliver order.  I also have a Ford Transit Connect that I can sell if I need the more cash in hand.  It's a fun little van that I turned into a camper but going to hang onto it for a bit, while I am saving the $ and then waiting for my Ollie.  I also have a good job that, because I am sharing living expenses with a daughter, will help a lot in saving.  The hardest part to my plan right now is the waiting!  I know all here understand how excited I am!  By the time I retire I will have my dream set up! 

[Rene]

12 hours ago, AlbertNTerri said:

November 2021 we bought a 2017 Ford F250 long bed, 6.2 liter gas, 4door, lariat basically loaded, a very nice truck, fantastic travel vehicle and superb tow vehicle. It had 95,000 miles on it when we bought it, more than I'd wanted but there were so few vehicles available it was what we had to do. We picked up our elite II the first week of June 2022. Since then we've gone from the factory to Massachusetts, to several locations in Colorado, then to San Diego, the grand canyon, back to Colorado, Mass and now in Key West. We'll be back in Colorado (Home)  the beginning of April. We've logged over 13,000 miles on the Oliver in the past 8 months, it'll be over 15,000 by the time we're back on the western slope of Colorado. The F250 has been fantastic as far as being a tow vehicle. Unless you go crazy carrying stuff (like we sometimes do), It has more than enough capacity, you never really have to worry about  being over weight. The greater breaking capacity of the 250/2500s and 350/3500s over the 150/1500s is the biggest sell point for me. We frequent the rocky mountains, and knowing that if we're coming down a steep grade we have plenty of braking power gives me great piece of mind. The only complaint I have is the gas mileage, If I stay light on the throttle and without our kayak on the roof, we've seen 14 mpg, but not very often. Once I put the kayak on the roof it dropped to 8-10 mpg. Diesel will improve that quite a bit but at a steep up front cost, and there just weren't any available when we needed to buy so we went with this one. I recommend nothing less then a 250/2500 for a Elite II, and if you can swing the extra cost, you'll not regret the diesel for power and efficiency. On the other hand, the extra $10,000 for diesel will buy a lot of gas and even at 8 mpg, you'll have to put on a lot of miles before you brake even spending the money on the diesel. Ultimately I hope to replace my F250 with a Cybertruck, but it is still at least a year before that likely becomes an option.

 

Good luck with your plans and we look forward to seeing you on the road!!

So glad to hear a positive outcome story on buying a used truck.  I will most likely go with the gas option for several reasons, including those you mentioned.  

[Ollie-Haus]

1 hour ago, Rene said:

I can't wait to see the pics when you pick up Ollie-Haus!! How exciting!  I actually don't have any debt, but I also don't have a home to sell.  I do have a 36' skoolie that I will be selling soon so that will hopefully be a big down payment on my TV, and maybe even a little bit to add to my deposit on my Oliver order.  I also have a Ford Transit Connect that I can sell if I need the more cash in hand.  It's a fun little van that I turned into a camper but going to hang onto it for a bit, while I am saving the $ and then waiting for my Ollie.  I also have a good job that, because I am sharing living expenses with a daughter, will help a lot in saving.  The hardest part to my plan right now is the waiting!  I know all here understand how excited I am!  By the time I retire I will have my dream set up! 

We have good friends that live in the Sun City area that we plan to visit once we get settled with the Ollie. It would be great to meet up with you when we head west. 

[Rene]

On 2/22/2023 at 1:33 PM, Ollie-Haus said:

We have good friends that live in the Sun City area that we plan to visit once we get settled with the Ollie. It would be great to meet up with you when we head west. 

Absolutely!! Any chance to see an Ollie, and owners.  It will help my motivation to stay the course until I am showing my little beauty off also!  

[Flyfisher]

For anyone looking to buy a new Ford truck, that don’t have access to one of Ford’s X, A, etc. plan discounts, I don’t think you can do any better price-wise than ordering a new truck from Granger Ford in Iowa.  I haven’t kept up with them recently, but they had been selling new Fords at 3% below dealer cost - basically the same price as Ford’s employees get.  I believe you could fly there and they’d even pick you up at the airport, and then drive home in your new truck.  I don’t have any affiliation with Granger, and have never dealt with them, but I’ve seen many, many excellent reviews of them on Ford truck forums.

[rideandfly]

Here’s a thread started by Zach at Granger Ford about their discount on a Ford Ranger forum:

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/3-under-invoice-2022-ford-ranger-order.16068/
 

Zach is easy to contact and will give exact details on purchasing a F-150, F-250, or F-350. 

[Ollie-Haus]

Here's a page from the Super Duty Tremor Forum with links to conversations with Zach at Granger Ford. He and Granger are very up front with their pricing and policies and many have bought from them on the Tremor Forum with nothing but praise for the outstanding service Granger offers. This applies to many of the vehicles Granger offers. In today's market this is a great place to work a deal.

https://www.fordtremor.com/threads/welcome-granger-ford-as-a-sponsor-of-fordtremor-com.6551/

[Geronimo John]

On 2/21/2023 at 5:25 PM, Rene said:

Definitely planning on a 2500.  If I find a 3500, might consider

You previously mentioned that your TV will also be your daily driver.  That is a critical factor in your TV selection process.  Determining your likely annual mileage for daily and for tow use is an important first step.  Looking at the extremes, if you will be only towing 10% then having a great daily driver that also tows a fully loaded OE2 well makes sense.  But if you are towing say 90% then you likely would want a TV with high tow ratings and less nice daily driving experience.  

My Texas family has for 40 years had a stable of 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks all from the same mfg.  If I am driving and not hauling or towing, I always take one of  the 1/2 ton trucks for a lot of reasons.  So I would kindly submit that there are significant differences in not only the "size and footprint" that the higher tow rated truck classes entail.  I used to believe that they were about the same "size and footprint" until one day my brother made me park mine next to one of his.  It became very obvious to me that my very capable half ton "Beast" is substantially different from his "Monster".      

 

But, if I were towing a 7,000 (or higher) pound trailer, for our uses, I would take the larger truck.  But for 6,000 class loads or daily driving, a well equipped and capable 1/2 ton does the job just fine for our uses.  But there are other considerations that likely need to be considered when moving up to a higher class of TV:    

• They do not handle as well. 
• The ride quality for daily driving certainly is not as good. 
• The MPG for daily and in most cases towing is not as good. 
• The cost to buy, operate, maintain, and repair are certainly more expensive.
• The fun factor to drive is not as good.
• Finding a place to park is harder. 

If you will need the higher payload, a 3/4 ton would be the path forward.  Not nearly as good a daily driver than a half ton unless you are hauling a lot of stuff every day.  The full one ton series can be a daily driver, but most would not like for many reasons.  For some those with high payload needs and towing an OE2, the 3/4 ton is advantageous.  

I recommend you look up the April issue of Consumer Reports to see the reliability ratings of each model you are considering.  I personally shy away from buying any model they rate with a poor maintenance/reliability record.  Or a first or second year truck after a major model year change.  If mountain towing in in your future, I recommend you google the TFL series of "Ike Gauntlet tests.  If you are planning on being a flat land camper, then their 100 mile out and back test is beneficial.  If doing both, take both into consideration.  

Then further narrow the field by going to dealerships and test driving their products.  Settle on a manufacturer you think best suits your needs and likes.  Then rent or borrow your top picks for a weekend and do some serious seat of the pants driving.  Not just a dealer test drive on a road they pick.  Take each on at least a 100 mile trip and you'll have a better understanding. 

Finally, I recommend that you buy what you need.

GJ