Best longest lasting Pick up

20000-2001 7.3L super duty fords were the "high point" of the factory 7.3's. I have a 2000 F350 drw 4x 4 automatic. The only issues I have had in reasonably heavy service ( was hauling 2-5k 2-3 times a week for years) was some transmission difficulties after the 80 hp chip and over 150k miles. I personally like the super duty cab and interior better than the dodge but my dad's 2008 cummins 6.7 common rail pulls circles around the 7.3 even with the chip. Both good trucks but depends what you want to gross and how fast you "need" to go.

 

That's why I preferred the Ford chassis. I did commercial RV hauling for a while and I always knew when the front end of my 07 3500 Ram was about to fall out......it would burn all six tires off every 50,000 just like clock work. And parts weren't cheap.
But I can say, rebuilding Ram front ends was cheap compared to building 6.0 Powerstrokes on a regular basis.

And as the last reply says, the Cummins is limitless, as far as what you can build. But the 7.3 can also be built as high as 500 h.p. but it isn't cheap to do.
But sounds like Dude wants a good reliable work truck, so I wouldn't be after big power in that case. Big power only brings engine and trans problems.

 

Only thing I wish was that the Ford engineers were smart enough to build a truck with enough space under the hood to actually fit an engine. Even the old 6L was shoehorned in there pretty good. To a guy like me, simplicity and ease of service is #1 over everything else.

 

You get the best of both worlds with this particular truck. You get the coveted High pinion Dana 60 front end with the super reliable 12 valve Cummins
Watch "For Sale: 2006 Fummins Ford F350 w/ Dodge 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve Diesel" on YouTube

 

I hear you there. They are designed for the cab to come off quickly, which is fine for the dealer, but not something you do in your back yard, LOL.
I LOVED my 6.0 Powerstroke when it ran. But they were a crapshoot. I know some guys with the early 2003's which were supposed to be the bad ones, and they have had no maintenance and just keep going and going.
Yet many like my 2007 which was supposed to have all the updates and improvements wouldn't go more than a couple months at a time without a major malfunction.
Some were lucky, I was not, LOL.

 

I run a 2000 7.3 had 600,000 miles on and one cylinder had low compression (315lbs) put Ford Remanufactured long block back in it I haul between 3 and 6k on a 60000lb trailer 3 to 5 times a week

 

Dang... just sold my 01 F250 with a 7.3l. They do have weak auto transmissions, but not too bad. Mine had 203K and was on its 2nd tranny. You can get a really tough built tranny for it pretty cheap. Mine was completely stock too.

 

When ford went from The bulletproof 7.3 to the 6 liter powerjoke is when I went from being a Ford guy to converting to dodge. The 6 liter we had literally spent more time in shops then on road. You know it's bad when you have to buy 3 pickups to do the job of one. Deep down I been a Ford guy my entire life but converting to dodge was not a bad move. The cummins b blocks are a very simple and very easy to work on with lots of room under hood. The day fors gets a better diesel like the cummins or a c7 cat is the day I will buy another Ford

 

if you get really adventurous you can get an Allison Transmission that bolts right up to the 7.3 Navistar engine.

 

Everybody knows that Ford has the best front axle. That's what I've got under my 1995 Chevy