In search of a better truck for towing the M6060 and folding cutter.

[jyoutz]

That was my first thought, but there's a fly in the ointment. In order for me to avoid CA sales tax I would have to take delivery outside of CA, but to further complicate matters, delivery has to occur within a short time of the sale, basically at the time of the sale. In other words, I couldn't pay for the truck now and have the dealer keep it on the lot until I fly down to Las Vegas to take delivery two or three months from now. I wouldn't want to drive the truck over a number of snowy mountain passes between CA and MT. Also, I don't like the idea of a pristine CA truck being exposed to all that salt. If it goes on a trailer it'll likely get some exposure to road salt but a lot less than if it were driven.

I would estimate around 100 gallons of diesel to drive the truck 1,300 miles, add in the one-way airfare to Las Vegas, one or two nights at a hotel/motel on the drive back, a few additional expenses and at least three days of my time, and $1,500 to have the truck hauled might look a whole lot more reasonable. As I said, CA sales tax would be around $4,200. I'll post an update once I hear back from the dealer.

Any dealer can arrange for a car hauler to deliver wherever you want. And it’s pretty cheap if it’s delivered with other vehicles. Perhaps they can bundle with a group going out of state. When I bought my truck it was in Fort Worth, Texas. I had my dealer/neighbor arrange the transport and he had it shipped on a transport trailer with other vehicles coming from Texas to NM. Know any local MT dealers who can help you out?

 

[McMXi]

All of the above about the CDL is for a commercial truck. I believe if it is for private use and registered personally you don't need a CDL.

Exactly. See post #78.

There are some states that are regulated to death all with the intention of getting as much money from the residents as possible. Everything is taxed to the hilt, with layers and layers of bloated bureaucracy, not to mention rife corruption and overreach from LE and DOT groups and other organizations within the state. CA, NY and PA come to mind.

In states where that isn't the case, such as WY, MT, ND and SD, you'll find a lot less oversight and regulation.

 

[McMXi]

Any dealer can arrange for a car hauler to deliver wherever you want. And it’s pretty cheap if it’s delivered with other vehicles. Perhaps they can bundle with a group going out of state. When I bought my truck it was in Fort Worth, Texas. I had my dealer/neighbor arrange the transport and he had it shipped on a transport trailer with other vehicles coming from Texas to NM. Know any local MT dealers who can help you out?

The dealership called this afternoon and told me $2,500 for shipping! That's an oddly round number, and then they mentioned an additional $1,190 for "accessories" such as a "low jack" and "edge guards". This was supposedly a deal given the "$3,200 for all the accessories added". This is when I start to get pissed off and remember why I hate buying from dealerships other than Kubota ones.

 

[jyoutz]

The dealership called this afternoon and told me $2,500 for shipping! That's an oddly round number, and then they mentioned an additional $1,190 for "accessories" such as a "low jack" and "edge guards". This was supposedly a deal given the "$3,200 for all the accessories added". This is when I start to get pissed off and remember why I hate buying from dealerships other than Kubota ones.

I guess you’re about $1k ahead of paying CA sales tax.

 

[McMXi]

I guess you’re about $1k ahead of paying CA sales tax.

Yeah, and maybe the dealership is thinking that too as they pad the sales and shipping costs.

I asked the salesman to confirm the timing of when payment goes through and when the truck has to be delivered out of state in order to avoid state taxes. He told me he'll talk to the titling expert tomorrow when she's in the office. I also asked him if he could look into other shipping options. I want to get a list of all of the "accessories", which if added, were most likely added and paid for by the original owner.

I do feel that this is a good buy given that a new equivalent truck is in the $100k to $110k price range and this one has less than 20k miles on it, but I'm prepared to walk away if I get the feeling I'm being played. We'll see.

 

[Bmyers]

Not true at all. Don't believe me ask your local popo

Asking your local police is an exercise in futility. Most local PDs do not have a commercial division.

In most States you need to talk to the State Police or Secretary of State Officers.

In Illinois, my State doesn't do much right, but occasionally they do offer a few nice things. Here is a guide that is put out by our State and your State may put out such a guide to help people understand when they need a CDL.

https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_x142.pdf

 

[CGMKCM]

This may help with F-550 gear ratio. Ford One of the YouTube channels I follow is V-belt and son. They recently purchased a couple of trucks from these folks. Ram They gave the dealer high marks for cost and not screwing around on the deal they made. They might have something used for you.

 

[Siesta Sundance]

I really appreciate the feedback, and every comment and suggestion helps with the decision making process.

I had a conversation with a salesman in CA re the 2020 F-550. I've been doing some research on the performance of the third generation 6.7L engines which seems to be reliable and well liked. I would have to take delivery in another state to avoid CA's 7.75% sales tax, so Las Vegas would make sense if I choose this truck. I'd rather pay for a one-way ticket to Las Vegas and 100 gallons of diesel, and enjoy a 1,000 mile roadtrip than put more than $4k into Gavin Newsom's pockets. I might even be in @Botamon's neck of the woods.

There is no doubt in my mind that a newer F-550 would do everything that I need in terms of hauling and towing, and might even be better suited to towing my boat as well. The F-250 handles the boat which with the trailer comes in around 5,000lb, maybe a little more, but the truck knows it's there. The F550 has 825 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,600 rpm and 330 hp @ 2,600 rpm.

The window sticker lists the rear end as a 4.88 LS but the dealer lists it as 4.10. Even if the rear end is the shorter gear, the important specs are more than enough.

Curb weight: 7,500lb (chassis/cab)
GVWR: 19,500 lb
GCWR: 32,500 lb (40,000 lb for 4.88 rear end)
Max trailer weight conventional pull: 18,500 lb
Max trailer weight gooseneck: 24,100 lb (31,600 lb with 4.88 rear end)

If I were to buy this truck or another similar model, I would try to sell the dump trailer and the M1078, and possibly the 22ft hydraulic tilt trailer, and then buy a 25' + 5' gooseneck trailer with a pair of 10k or 12k axles. I have no need to haul tractors or the boat in the winter so the F-550 would only be used in the nicer months. The Jeep would be a daily driver in the nicer months and the F-250 would see use all year round. That's a reasonable plan to me.

I would interested in the M1078 if street legal for Texas. You can pm if and when ready to further discuss.

 

[McMXi]

I would interested in the M1078 if street legal for Texas. You can pm if and when ready to further discuss.

If you have any questions about the M1078 whether technical or legal, the folks at Midwest Military Equipment are very knowledgeable.

Midwest Military Equipment

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I started and ran the M1078 yesterday afternoon for the first time in a few months (see video) and it always amazes me how well the engine runs. I added 10 gallons of red diesel and some Stanadyne to the fuel tank before testing the truck on some hills in 2ft of snow, but the tire lugs just shear off the snow on steep hills so chains would be required.

Interestingly, this truck came from Texas originally. I'll PM you and give you my email address and phone number and we can talk about the M1078.

 

[McMXi]

I contacted a number of trucking companies and the going rate is around $2/mile to haul a truck such as an F-550. The 2020 F-550 deal fell through since it was sold last weekend as I was discussing logistics. I'm still looking at my options, but am moving towards an F-350, F-450 or F-550 dually with a flatbed or standard bed and keeping the dump trailer.

I decided to pass on both the F-650 and F-750 dump trucks for now, but if they're still available in the spring I'll revisit them as options.

 

[JasonW]

It’s probably been posted but I’ll add the F-550 engine is derated/detuned from the factory.

F-550’s have 4.88’s and F-450’s have 4.30’s, usually. I have seen DRW F-350’s with 3.73’s or 4.30’s.

 

[McMXi]

It’s probably been posted but I’ll add the F-550 engine is derated/detuned from the factory.

F-550’s have 4.88’s and F-450’s have 4.30’s, usually. I have seen DRW F-350’s with 3.73’s or 4.30’s.

I've been using Carfax's search engine to look for trucks. It's actually quite good and there are a lot of used F-350 and F-450 trucks for sale, and many are low mileage too.

 

[jyoutz]

I've been using Carfax's search engine to look for trucks. It's actually quite good and there are a lot of used F-350 and F-450 trucks for sale, and many are low mileage too.

I think there’s also a site called truck trader.

 

[McMXi]

I think there’s also a site called truck trader.

What I like about the Carfax site is that they provide reports on the vehicles such as type of use, how many owners, accidents, service, etc.

 

[dirtydeed]

I've been using Carfax's search engine to look for trucks. It's actually quite good and there are a lot of used F-350 and F-450 trucks for sale, and many are low mileage too.

You can very likely get a decent deal on cab/chassis trucks. There is a significant difference in the 1 ton varieties (F350 dually pickup vs. F350 cab/chassis). Straight frame rails, tank location, spring packs etc.

 

[jyoutz]

What I like about the Carfax site is that they provide reports on the vehicles such as type of use, how many owners, accidents, service, etc.

For sure that site is a must for checking out vehicles before buying. But the truck trader site has a lot more inventory than found on the General Autotrader sites.

 

[biketopia]

Quickly scanned through the thread and saw the CDL thing plastered all over. A CDL is not required for personal use in most cases. All those RV's and motor coaches the "not for hire" race car guys use are over 26K GCW and they don't require a CDL.

Not sure it's been mentioned though is insurance. Many carriers consider anything larger than a 1ton truck (F-350) a commercial vehicle, requiring a commercial policy. My buddy who owns a shop up the street, his dad got an F-550 dump for use around their property and his insurance wanted him to carry a commercial policy which was significantly more.

I think you're on the right track looking at a 350 to 550 series trucks. 650 and up are just big, expensive, and I think way overkill for what you're going to be doing.

I've worked in a predominantly Ford fleet for our local water utility for the past 18 years and currently spec all our trucks company-wide. If you have any questions I'd be happy to help. I may even be able to get info on builds of trucks if you're curious about gear ratio, etc.