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New and looking for truck

Dawg-gone! I am Technologically challenged, and thinking I can’t even get my feet wet properly here starting out; thinking maybe in the wrong Forum! Sorry! Just can’t figure this forum stuff out!

I ended up with a 1990 F-250 with the 7.3 Diesel. Found myself in it, after rolling my newer truck couple rolls through some rock-boulders into a wall of Pine trees.

Cruise-control and rain, don’t go together well! Funny, never heard that in my life, and after it happened, seems “everyone knew that”!
Cut my way out threw the wind shield, right into this 90’ F-250!

So, here’s my challenge: it has an after market Banks Turbo: I put a new $4K ( including. Labor) rebuilt transmission, $800 radiator, new $1,500.00 AC system, (Wk construction in the South- it’s a “need” not a want :) New mechanical fuel pump & new high pressure fuel pump, new glow-plugs, new fuel heating/ filter(?) unit- New Master cylinder and Booster everything in the front & rear brakes changed out, including steel-fluid lines lines & Bearings- new pk-up filters in both tanks etc. I’m thinking some other item(s) - Oh, I had installed a 2-ton Hydraulic dump ram under the box! (I like growing Fruits, Herbs, and vegetables, as a hobby, and I get a lot of manure from the Farms in the area. Pitch-forking it out was 45min. at a steady hump! Got tired of that.
Anyway, the “Body” was too far gone for respectable putty N’ paint!

So, I found a very nice 1988 F-250 with the same 7.3 Automatic tranny. No rust except that rain gutter guard over the doors! Doors close as if it’s just off the car lot. Farmer must have kept it in a Pole Barn.

The idea was to “switch the 88 Body over to the 90 Frame. (I put thousands into it mechanically. Suppose to be my last truck purchase!

Here’s the rub; “I’m a Hobby Farmer”. I love growing things! Not a Real Farmer who has to fix his own tractors / machinery to survive! I have to pay for all these new parts and the Labor. All’s good with the financial sacrifices up to this point, except: Neither of these trucks are 4-wheel drive! Then that “reality check”! Damn!

Wife retires in a few weeks and we plan on hitting the road with a slide-in Camper! My 2-trucks to become “one” is now not an option. The camper with gear is going to be close to $4k lbs. And, I wouldn’t want to do a 6 to 8 point turn around on a narrow mountain road in a National forest with two wheel Drive!

Q. What year and Model “Truck options” with 4 X 4 can handle the weight would be recommended for my challenge?

I do not care about bells and whistles. And, I don’t trust going to a Dealer, and I am thinking on a fixed retirement income I have to look at Models 5-10-15 Yrs old!

Although,, I’m not a total idiot (well, debatable buy what I’ve already put into 2-trucks, hoping to get to one) but, I am not a Motörhead, and someone could surely tell me something they know....that ain’t so!

Please help! Thinking “sell the two trucks to buy a “dependable 4 x 4, for the slide-in Camper!
We were backpackers in our younger days- we don’t need amenities, just a strong solid frame, Dependable strong Motor, & running gear underneath. Respectfully and thanks for any input.

I just need to “Start a list of candidates” to start looking process. > Even if the price is low enough on a good Frame/ Model, and I pay $10-$15 to have motor & Tranny rebuilt, beefy tires to handle weight, so when we hit the road, we know those are Good!
 
Welcome to FTF, you're among great company and chosen the right place!!

I don't think you'd go wrong with any current gen F250 with the 6.7L PowerStroke, I'm sure you could find a stripped down version for a reasonable price in that age range.

As for the older duo (trucks that is [emoji6]), I'd take a hard honest look at what each has to offer and focus on which to keep and which to sell. You could use the funds from the sell of one and invest in the other. If the 90 has better mechanicals but the 88 has the better body, then you'd have to decide whether to switch the body or swap over the powertrain, only you can decide which poison is the least bitter.

IMHO, I think swapping the bodies might be a bit less taxing than the powertrain as I don't believe that there is much difference in mounting points. That said, I'm sure some fellow members will be more than happy to step in with some additional and potentially better advice.
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
I havea an 86 F250 with the 6.9 IDI and manual transmission. It spent its former life as a coop truckm has an interesting mount and harness in the cab and holes in the box, so hard to say what they used it for. They installed some rubber overload springs that essentially instead of bottoming out, these springs contacy the axle and keep from riding on the bump stops. Work pretty nice, been on them quite a few times with my loads. Scaled in with scrap weighing at least what you are stating many a time. It isn't fast but it will haul.

That said, basically everything will trade between the two trucks you have. Maintenance wise, they are diesels, and being the 7.3 have to be careful about the right antifreeze to prevent cavittation, but beyoud that are very similar in nature to the farm tractors as far as service and reliability go. No electronics other than the transmission control to worry about.
 

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