"c" <
[email protected]> wrote in message news:
[email protected]
> How afraid should I be of buying a 10 year old Ford F250 that has had
> service with a fifth=-wheel hitch?
>
> It's at a dealer...so there's no one to ask what percentage of it's 65000
> miles were driven with a heavy trailer in tow...
>
> I wonder just how brutal this sort of service is to a vehicle?
>
> What say you?
>
> Thanks, Chuck
>
>
Chuck,
Hi. First, in my opinion, a 10 year old truck with only 65k miles
hasn't been used too often, towing or not aside. You don't say if it's gas
or diesel, 2x4 or 4x4, a/t or manual shift... but as with any used vehicle,
you would be well advised to take the truck to an independant mechanic for
an evaluation prior to purchase. As everyone knows, a lot depends on how
well the previous owner has taken care of the regular maintenance
schedule... check for any documentation concerning this, it is more
important if it's a diesel because an improperly maintained diesel can be
very expensive to repair.
Another thing you can do is get the VIN and run a CARFAX report, that
will provide a wealth of information concerning where the vehicle has been
for it's 10 years, and if it's been in a reported accident, has a salvage
title, correct mileage, etc... And of course, use your common sense, look
at the vehicle carefully, inside and out, start it up and make sure
everything works like it's supposed to, test drive it, make sure the
steering isn't loose, breaks don't pull, etc... I'm sure you'll find, as
with any 10 year old vehicle, some cosmetic damage externally, and normal
interior wear and tear, and only you can decide it it's normal or excessive
in comparison to what you'd expect to find in a 10 year old truck. You
should be able to tell if it's been abused on a regular basis.
Now, getting to the meat of your question, if the truck has been
properly maintained, and the fifth-wheel trailer didn't exceed the towing
capacity of the vehicle, these trucks were made for towing. You would be
hard pressed to find one without some kind of hitch on it. If that's the
true mileage, it looks good and checks out mechanically, I wouldn't be
afraid of it at all. Towing a fifth wheel shouldn't have been a big deal
with this truck.
My truck ('95 F-250) came with a hideaway goose neck ball right in the
middle of the bed, which indicates it has pulled some fairly hefty trailers.
Considering where the truck came from (Texas), my guess is probably horse
trailers, but who knows for sure if you can't speak to the previous owner.
That said, it was a 9 year old truck when I bought it 2 years ago. It's a
7.3l diesel, 4x4 with a/t, had 183k on the clock. It looks great, no rust
and only minor dings and scratches to be expected, and the interior shows
very little wear, which to me indicates the previous owner probably hauled
more horses than people. I had it checked out mechanically and it was in
great shape in that respect, I changed all the fluids and had a shop do a 4
wheel alignment, and put new tires on it. It now has 212k on it and still
going strong, I love it. The best part is that I regularly see similar
trucks for sale these days that are selling for a lot more money than I paid
for mine, so that tells me that it's holding it's value pretty well.
Good luck with your search and purchase. Let us know what happens down
the road.
Websurfer
