2014-2016 half ton owners

In the market for my first scrap truck (and daily commuter). Looking for advice on owners of that year range. Chevy, toyota, ford, ram. All I know is I want a double cab with 8 foot bed, half ton 4wd. Most dealers by me don't have these in stock so I'm probably looking at a custom order and wait to come in. Just looking for advice from owners of these makes and years on relibaility or even certain options you enjoy as a scrapper that I may not be aware of. In the basic research stage as far as engine options, mpg, etc. Any constructive opinion is helpful. Not to sound rude but I don't need to know why your small truck with trailer or f-350 diesel is better, there are plenty of older threads on that. Thanks in advance.

I would pay a lot of attention to the frame.

As far as i know, the Fords have gone to a hydroformed box frame. Supposedly it's sectional ? Might make for easier repairs down the line. Also, they've gone to an aluminum bed ? Less problems with rust and lighter so you get better gas mileage ?

The Chevy, GMC, and Toyotas have tubular cross members on the frame that tend to rust out pretty quickly. Sometimes within 3 years of leaving the dealership as new. You've got to be extra careful if they're using road salt or calcium chloride on the roads in Jersey. It's a good idea to hose out the cross tubes every spring and then blast them with fluid film.

Wouldn't recommend a Dodge. They seem much more prone to developing transmission problems after the first 100 K miles.

The older the truck, the better for scrapping in my humble opinion for the following reasons -
It does not ruin my day if I scratch or dent it.
Parts are easy to find and are cheap.
They are easier to work on.
Without computers, electric seats, electric windows, sensors, etc. there is less options to malfunction.
When they die I can tow them in and scrap them.
Manual transmissions also have less problems than automatic.

To answer your question, the less accessories the better and the older the better. In older trucks I like Chevy because they are easy to access for repairs compared to Ford, rust less than Dodges, and simple in design. Get the best deal you can and buy from an individual and not a dealer. I prefer the larger motors for the power and life expectancy.

My parameters include long hauls, no state inspections, and reliability.

I'm well aware you said you don't want to hear about the 3/4 tons, but a scrapper friend of mine just wrecked his 2010 1500 Silverado. He then picked up a 2012 2500hd with the 6.0l. He said after the bs the dealer spewed to him about the half ton being the same as the 3/4ton except an extra leaf. He would never go back to a half ton. It's just not the same.

I normally would agree with patriot on older trucks, but my lesson has been learned with working a truck so hard it becomes a challenge to replace factory parts with an ongoing and never ending series of inferior or overpriced store bought parts coming from mexico and china. Doing a cost analysis it is actually better to buy a truck that is newer and built better. NOT ALL TRUCKS QUALIFY. I am not a brand loyal person. So here are my two choices given a tight budget.

2013/2014 F150 with 4x4, max tow and 5.0 v8, 3.55 gears. This truck can be had for low 20s well optioned. You can get them in 8 foot bed, they are hard to find but it can be done. Otherwise the 6.5 bed and crew cab nets the most usable space. Getting the 4x4 provides you with a better front end geometry and longer lasting parts. It is common for modern ford f150s in construction to last 400k miles and never need a ball joint or a tie rod. There is a reason they dont really hit the resale too often, companies buy them ad keep them because they last.

The Nissan Titan is often overlooked, it has a very low parts fail rate, decent capacity and a good engine. The downside is it is heavy, body work is expensive (break a tail light and find out for yourself). But again, it can be had cheap, it does last a long time.

I would stay away from RAM, great trucks but until 2015 they still had DoD issues and electrical issues in the transmission. Their frame is however the strongest of all.

If you do it right you would buy a 2008+ gas F250/F350 and use that as a scrap truck. You would have higher capacity and sacrifice only a little fuel mileage.

Very sound advice gentlemen, thank you. Most of you repeated things I've already heard about ram. Also a co-worker told me ram does not make an 8 foot bed with extended cab unless you go up to a 2500.Might be an option but either way this is very helpful.

Hi Andyheim. From btkr in Buffalo, SOUTHERN truck. I don’t think the weather is much different where you are now vs Buffalo. Your closer, I think, to less rust prone areas. Maryland and Virginia are ok, the further south the better. Trade off is usually higher mileage. Go on your local Craigslist, cars and trucks, search by southern and/or southern states.

I run a 95 chev 2wd c1500 from va. Bought it 4 yrs. ago and has little rust. 350k miles. My investment in it and all repairs so far are probably 6 mos. worth of payments on a new(er) truck. Since I do most of my own repairs, it works for me.

But everyone has different needs, wants, and so on. I understand that.

Perhaps a forum member can steer you in a good southern direction?

Good luck on your search.

NJ trucks don't have the same rust issues as WNY trucks. I lived in the Philly/South Jersey/Allentown area for twenty years before moving back home. I would definitely buy a NJ or PA vehicle over one from Buffalo.

In Southeast PA, they use cinders on the roads more than salt. I see vehicles here that are rusting out after 7 or 8 years due to all the salt. I also think that the manufacturers started using thinner sheet metal sometime around 2006. Not sure about that, just a personal opinion based on what I see rambling down the roads.

So I'm going on my 3rd year with my current truck; '13 F-150. I opted to go with the eco-boost v6 for a little economy but pay for it when hauling anything and navigating these hills in central NY. No matter how you look at it tho, it was a major upgrade from my Explorer Sport-Trac. I am enjoying the extra room from the full duel cab and don't think i will ever go back to a reg/ext cab again. Im happy with how its running and havent had anything major go bad yet **knock on wood** . My only complaint is just minor accessories that are starting to fail or get flaky. ie. windows regulators stick sometimes, AC is no longer cold, 4x4 takes a bit long to engage.

Doing mostly e-waste and some light iron hauling, its getting the job done in style and comfort. Maybe looking to trade up to even newer in a year or two.

ive posted this pic before but it shows what its capable of.

https://i.imgur.com/nk9ZV7D.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/h17fHuS.jpg?2