[Powerstroke2000]

Interestingly, when you find a magazine article on the power of a Diesel pickup these days, you most often will find them hooked to a heavy trailer of some kind, and the article will show how easy or difficult the truck had towing that particular load up a mountain grade most often.
Then, the odd time it will give a 1/4 mile track time..on how fast the truck was, along with the braking of each individual truck.

It's rare that much is said about the longevity of the Diesel engine, which for some people is why they bought the Diesel option in the first place...along with somewhat better mileage.
I now wonder if that mentality is changing, because of fuel prices these days, with Diesel fuel being mostly the same or in some cases (as here) more than gasoline?

It would be nice to see an article on these same issues (towing, 1/4 mile, braking) on trucks that are say..8 years old or older, so that the article could then give details as to which Diesel is holding up the best?
There again...the Duramax in general isn't that old yet...but hopefully in the future it could be included.

Fortunately, the Powerstroke Diesel seems to be holding its own quite well in all of these ranges in most articles I've seen, albeit for long term "longevity" I suppose it depends on how modified a truck is, and hard it is run over its lifetime.

What are your thoughts on the future of Diesel pickup engines, in do you think their popularity will continue, or start to drop with the rise of fuel pricing?

Dale

 

[gtspowerstroke]

I'd have to guess teh biggest reason you don't see such comparasins is because an 8 year old truck is old news. The new trucks have way more power and that is what the majority of the readers that buy those magazines want to see. It seems those who are buying new vehicles buy them every 3 or 4 years so they don't get that old before they are sold anyway. Yes there are a lot of people that buy them and keep them until they are run in the ground but I think more get turned around faster. Then the people that can't afford new vehicles every 3 or 4 years buy the used ones and usually hold on to them for quite awhile. You will usually see a long term test in the back of the magazines but it is usually just a year or two long. Not 8 years. It kind of sucks for the guys like us who have the older trucks but I guess we will just have to deal with it.

 

[1997PSD4ME]

i think it is a fad if you ask me. i think obs owners are a little more on the side of needing a truck with a diesel(the real deal if you know what i mean). i wont comment on what i think of nbs owners but i do think that these powerstrokes are holding their own and longevity!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif

 

[Stan2]

Great thought Dale but I don't think we will see it happen unless it is a magazine dedicated to older model trucks.

I see it as such primarily because it is adverstising that keeps the mags. in circulation and not really the purchase or subscription charges. Advertising is mostly concentrated on the latest and greatest version of anything and never really looks back.

With the truck market being what it is, the purchaser demographics dictate the changes etc.

Look at what a crew-cab used to be and the popularity of them even ten years ago. They were primarily for work crews, mostly utilitarian in nature, and it was more rare to see an XLT than a CUSTOM or XL model.

Now a days, you can't even find a regular cab on the lot and even less supercabs than a few years ago. But even more of a point, try to find a non-loaded crew cab. Everything is 'upgraded' now for comfort, fit, finish, Bling/Bling.

Point? Most new consumers appear to not be as picky about reliability as they are for fit and finish maybe because they lease or purchase over a much shorter time frame than they used to.

I know for our company we have 9 2005 Crew Cabs running right now and only keep them up to a year. We are not as concerned about the long term longevity, only re-sale or end lease value.

I am getting long winded here.

I would like to see those tests as well because I am into the diesel for longevity/mileage first but it also fits my lifestyle of work, recreation, and where I live (needing 4x4 just to get home in the winter). You can't find a more multi-purpose vehicle I think. Plus it helped me get my wife and my kids think it is cool. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

 

[Bernhardt]

I don't know whether it's the engine or the truck that's dying, but I think it's the truck in my neck of the woods because I don't see very many 94+ 12 valve cummins dodges around here but a ton of Powerstrokes(non superduty body style). See more of the old body style Dodges with the Cummins around lately than the 94+ versions. I can only assume the bodies on the 94+ have tanked, or they've all moved away from here. See lots of 24 valve cummins though, but they've only been out since 98 like the Superduty body style.

 

[ryanPSD]

Ya I was just up there this last weekend, I saw a TON of OBS powerstrokes! Like it has been said though I'd like to see more info on this but I don't think it will happen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

[Powerstroke2000]

With the advent of "modifications" for the 7.3 PSD, and the amount of folks within North America in general, you would think it would tweak someones attention?

It's interesting, how as mentioned above, many folks only keep trucks for 3 - 4 years, in which are the highest years of depreciation...thus they are the ones losing the most!
I suppose some believe once the warranty has come to an end, that its time to get into another vehicle? Some like a change, some come into money in one way or another, but most of us on this side of the forum are mainly here for the long term.

I've had my ol' '95 since I was able to drive it off the showroom floor, AND...today is the day...it just turned 100,000 miles! I'm one month shy of owning it for a complete 10 years, as I bought it in July '95. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
My wife tells me that the way I take care of it, that it should last me the rest of my life...so we'll have to see about that. It might be the price of fuel that eventually will be the demise of the Diesel engined trucks, as one can only allow it to go so high, where it just doesn't become affordable.

In any event...it seemed to take forever, but that one digit on my odometer finally got used (where the 1 goes in the number 100K) and gives me an excuse for a sip of beer! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

As for magazines, the new Diesel magazine I'm sure will eventually be looking for new stories, so lets hope there is room for the OBS trucks with the PSD...and a few mods. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dale

 

[blofgren]

Dale, so she finally turned over 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers)! I guess I have some catching up to do because mine just turned over 91,000 kilometers on the weekend (approximately 55,000 miles).

I can relate to how time flies; I'll have owned mine 9 years on September 25. My wife bugs me as well about being super fussy with the truck, but I think that it has paid off because it still looks relatively new. I have noticed some cracking in the paint on the welds in the cab in the door frames, in the rain rails, etc. that will likely need looking at in the future, but otherwise everything is still good. I have also spent a bit of money lately in getting Bigbopper to fix any little quirks that it had and catch up on the "forgotten" maintenance, such as changing brake fluid, converting diff fluid to synthetic, etc.

I have also just started to add some performance modifications (again, thanks to Bigbopper) which seems to keep me happier about my truck and wards off the "newer" truck bug! The newer trucks are considerably quieter, smoother riding, and more powerful than our generation trucks so it certainly takes loving the looks of these ones to keep them. So I agree that it would be nice to see articles for modifications, but also some maintenance and repair tips would be good as well. I certainly think that this website with it's wealth of information has encouraged people to keep their '94-'97 truck considerably longer than they might have otherwise because it gives you some idea of issues that are likely to happen, when they are likely to happen, and what to do about them.

Usually the sticker shock after a visit to the Ford dealer once in a while is enough to keep me away from a new one! It's like I tell people, "I wouldn't mind having a newer truck, but I sure like the payments on the one I have, 0!" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif

Brad

 

[Powerstroke2000]

[ QUOTE ]
It's like I tell people, "I wouldn't mind having a newer truck, but I sure like the payments on the one I have, 0!"

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep...paid for mine the day I drove it off the lot Brad, so having no payments was definitely a big bonus! The thought of paying interest drives the wife crazy (kinda like flushing hard earned $$ down the toilet) so I too am in no hurry for another. There again, I still haven't aclimatized myself to the look of the new ones...so it may be a while yet! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/phoney.gif

Gosh...55K on your '96 PSD...gotta be one of the lowest around Brad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

You need to hook that rig of yours up with that 5er, and hit the pavement for a month or two! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Can't go wrong with the Bigboppers work, as they don't come much better.

Dale

 

[Stan2]

Wow, your lower mainland boys sure don't put on the K's that we do in the interior. I put on 185,000 km's (115 K miles) on my new 96' in just over 3 years. I have slowed down more now as I drive a company truck but between my wifes 95' cc and my 97' cc (now sold) we put on about 75,000 km's/year of basic driving (no holiday miles in there).

I figured it out the other day that since May of 1996 when I purchased my first PSD I have put on 375,000 km's or about 235,000 miles. On our Jetta TDI we put on about 3000 km's/month.

I purchase bulk diesel (1000 gallons) and it is much cheaper than at the pumps (about $0.10/litre) so it adds up over the year.

I owe nothing on the 95' so the way I figure it as long as I don't put in $10 grand a year for the next 5-6 years I am much better off than buying a new one. I actually prefer driving my 95' than the brand new 2005's we have at work. Figure that one out!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif

 

[Powerstroke2000]

[ QUOTE ]
I actually prefer driving my 95' than the brand new 2005's we have at work. Figure that one out!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow...you put that many miles/km's on...and you have time to go to work! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif

Gosh...I don't know, I don't put alot of miles on to work and back, but I do all my running around...use the truck for vacation purposes (pulling the trailer), belong to the ATV club here..so outings with them, as well as my annual hunting trip up the Alaska highway....so it's going pretty steady!

There again...some days it doesn't move! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Hope she's got lots of mile in 'er yet...as I bought it for longevity, and hope to get it.

Could you expand on why you prefer driving the '95 over the '05? I'm thinking the same...but thats because of my liking the looks of the OBS trucks over the new.

Dale

 

[Stan2]

Most of the miles used to be for work.

The list is fairly long Dale. As well, I do not want to step on anyones toes here and these are my personal opinions.

I don't like the layout of the cab and visibility. I find I cannot see as well in the newer model trucks. I know that shouldn't be the case but it feels like it to me. This comparison is crew cab to crew cab.

Secondly, they tend to feel 'mushy' on the road.

The doors rattle on rough wash board gravel roads (my 97' with 280,000 km's rattles less than the newer models after 10,000 km's), they get poorer mileage (all that power), the paint damages very quickly from rock chips, brush scratches etc.(I live on a gravel road), I cannot work on them as easily, at work we have replaced 5 transmissions (autos) out of 8 trucks in under 20,000 kms, we just got rid of one as it was in the shop more times than out (two transmissions, wouldn't start numerous times and had to be towed with it never getting fixed), tires cost an arm and a leg due to the rubber sizes, power is a hazard in winter conditions (obviously partly driver induced but with transference of all that power to the pavement you get a lot of wheel spin and less controlability), etc.

For me, my 95', 96' and 97' handle the off-road much better than the newer models (we have had 1999 crew cabs and up at work since 99). It is sure footed and much less prone to problems.

I guess part of my bias is because I am not towing a 35' trailer across the country but using the truck as a family and work vehicle. It is not uncommon for me to put on 5000 km's a month and I have to like the vehicle. I like the newer models for the highway and that is about it.

I think the older style looks better to. Ohya, the big clincher for me is the price of a new one. I just don't feel they are worth $60,000. Don't get me wrong, if I had a spare 60 K runing around maybe I would buy one but I don't so it sways my decision.

My $0.02