Keep the SD. Longer wheelbase will be more stable when towing at highway speeds. Plus, if you have a dump truck, fill that with firewood instead of the trailer and backing up in tight spots is no longer an issue.
Use the bronco for the trade in. The gmc would be a great truck for the wife and a good backup truck for yourself. Your spreading of the rock with the trailer was pretty slick.
Nothing wrong with calling someone by their actual description. Wife is an accurate term whether it be 1970 or 2030. You sound "woke" to belittle or want to change the word "wife" to anything else. Been married since 1985 here. @@davidpattison5860
Trade in the Bronco and that Jeep on the Dump truck, keep both 1 ton trucks for the long term, I think they'd be better off in the long run dumping those useless offroad toys, before the prices on used stuff bottoms out completely
Had a thought about the consumption on the GMC. Are you running in auto on the switch? If so, switch to 2wd then back up about 20 feet, this disengages the front hubs from the drive shafts. You should see a significant jump in fuel economy and lighter steering.
You need to consider the weight limits when both the truck and trailer are loaded then compare that to the F550. Also consider stopping distance in an emergency situation. I have to agree with another earlier comment, a 10 foot dump bed is a lot more practical too.
Good Morning Morgan Family 🌞- Have a Fantastic and Blessed Day 🤠. I would consider buying a cab and chassis, then put a dump bed on that best fits your needs. I have two dump trucks and if I have to do it again, I would consider a hook/ lift setup.
Three things: 1) I have the same problem on my Power Wagon with the wheel dust. If you don't stay on top of it it builds up and is hard to get off. Drivers side front is the worst spot. 2) The new dump truck. The price was a lot less than I expected it to be. I expected you to say 125K or more. But that's a good price for that truck in my opinion...for what that's worth. 3) I NEW IT!! You are now going through your truck Mid-Life-Crisis. Your going to dump Blueford for a new younger better looking model. Poor Blueford, no one loves her any more.
I agree on the price on the dump truck, I expected to see a $90k+ price tag...when I saw it said $55k I was like WTF, hell I'll just go buy an F450 instead of a new F250 or F350 which are damn near $50k for a bare basic model...and the F450 dump truck is 4x4 and a dually and not a diesel, even better.
The wide track front axle on the 450 makes turning when towing a trailer much easier over the 350. We purchased a F450 two years ago with a flatbed. We tow our 16’ dump trailer from here in South Carolina to our property in WV with ease.
You did already backing that trailer up. Many people don't realize that the shorter the trailer the harder it is to back up. I remember when we didn't have power steering and had to back up in the woods. Have fun and stay safe!
Good morning Mike, good luck with your decisions together with Melissa on which truck goes plus which dump truck you buy buy for your firewood business. You folks are the ones who have to be happy with what you buy. Stay safe around there and at the Cabin in W VA and towing the equipment with the dump truck. Keep up the good videos and all the work you all do around there. Fred.
I bought a 2003 F-350 dump truck a year ago. It has a 10' bed and drop down sides. The drop down sides are a game changer!! Drop down sides would be great for you for so many things. It could eliminate the need to hook up the deck over trailer when picking up new attachments, etc. I load stuff from the side ALL the time. Another thing that might be handy would be a "materials gate" built into the tailgate. I know that you normally either "tailgate" your gravel or dump it in a pile. But if you have a situation where you're transferring gravel from the truck to your load bucket, the gate is just the ticket. I was doing that a couple of weeks ago for filling in a small drain trench in a grassy area. Of the 3100 pounds of gravel in the bed of the truck, I probably only spilled about 2 pounds doing the transfer to the bucket. FWIW, my F-350 has a GVW of 13,500 lbs and weighs 7500 lbs with me in it - so 6000 lbs of legal payload.
Too funny, it always seems to be the straightaways that gets me too. I think on the straightaways I try to go faster. Excellent work laying that stone.
Love it when I see RU-vidrs planning for the future like this. It won’t last forever and sometimes people’s preferences change and they stop watching for various reasons.
Hello Mike, the brake dust more than likely is coming from air ducts somewhere located in the grill/front bumper area of the truck. Many manufacturers are designing these air ducts to use the air hitting the front of a vehicle to help keep the brake rotors/pads cooler, this aids in better braking performance! The down side of this design is, the air blowing from behind the wheel/brakes from the air ducts, now blow the air through, from the back side causing brake dust to accumulate onto outer portion of the rim/wheel! The rear wheels/rims work in the opposite direction for cooling so they don’t get as dirty! I use to road race cars many years back. I use to use a product called Zymol to wax the rims to help keep the dust off of very expensive racing wheels. Wax works just as well, just doesn’t last as long. On a second note, I’ve been a true, blue GM guy most of my life. I’ve switched over to an interest in Ford products the last few years due to a severe dissatisfaction with how I’ve been treated by GM and it seems Ford has done a much better job of building a better quality product that has longevity! Plus, I respect Ford for not needing or taking any money from the government when times were tough. GM and Chrysler did! Just a thought! Always enjoy your videos and point of view!
Absolutely spot on . Gm is nowhere near as good as they used to be. Made in Mexico and priced like made in usa. After 70,000 miles gm trucks really start to go downhill fast
Can't tell if you got a quandry or conundrum, prob quandry. An idea that's worked for me; a slide in dump bed. My 2500 hauls and dumps 2 tons. More tonnage is more loads, not heavier loads. Or pull the dump trailer also. A 3500 should haul 5 tons. Beats the heck out of buying, licensing, insuring a $70-80K new dumper! Don't need it for awhile? take it out, set it down with your other attachments. I did another 2500 with a rusted bed, took it off, and scratch built another one, used a lot of angle and channel iron. Made room for an older John Deere wagon hoist. Can't haul it, but I can dump 8 tons with that wunnerful device!! Use it to haul big rounds in from the woods, then the dump bed to feed the splitter. Makes the neighbors wonder what I'm always grinnin' about! (Plus all the other materials.) It's a little longer than regular beds, and wider, so I can haul more of bulky stuff. Wouldn't be hard to make sides that fold down. Somethin' to think about (the slide-in.)
MIKE, some would say 'pull the trigger'on that dump! But watching this channel for years, your diligence and aim always hits the target due to the 'wait for the clear shot and squeeze the trigger slow' ! The man with a plan ! Love this channel.
Mike. Look into getting an F-550 with a Swaploader set up. It is a hooklift that you can configure different beds for. Use it as a dump truck one day, switch to a flatbed with toolboxes the next, put on a sand spreader for a different job. Many many possibilities. Just check them out.
We use a 2019 F550 jump seat with the V10 4 wheel drive and a 10 yard Reading body for roofing. We overload the heck out of it all of the time, its a beast.
I would be sure to look into a 550 for the greater GVW and also look at a contractor dump body where the sides fold down .this allows a bunch more uses ,wouldn't consider one w/o those ! Mine is a Crysteel box if you look into it
Good morning Mike, I've had both a F450 Dump & a F550 Dump. I would suggest to get the F550 and would suggest getting a 10' bed. You won't ever regret getting a truck that can do more than what you need.
@@Trumptrain2024Vancethey all do. The biggest cause is the fact the front end alignment changes as the hauling weight changes. We have 5 F550. They have been good trucks over the years.
You cannot go wrong with a red dump truck. Last year I picked up a 2001 F350 Dump truck with 3500 original miles on it. I never owned a dump truck before this one but it sure does come handy for every project I use it for here in central PA!
You can never go wrong with a 4x4 mason dump ! I've owed several over the 40 years of being in business and its always the ( go to truck) whenever you have a tight area or situation that a bigger truck just won't work not to mention the ability to run operate in low range hubs unlocked at slow speed when you need that super low gearing but not 4 wheel drive... Helps keep the automatic transmission from overworking on heavy jobs or when you have to back into a tight area with that heavy load like that driveway at your sister's
My current dump truck was an ex firewood delivery truck in then great smoky mountains park. It's a 1993 dodge d350 with 8x12 pto bed. 5.9 gas 5 speed. It has 2 sets of overload springs and I've had around 5 tons on it no problem
Mike, maybe trading in the Bronco is best. Keep both trucks. Put tonneau cover on the GMC for hauling things you don't want to get wet on long trips. Maybe even some slide storage in there. Keep the Ford for work. Just my opinion. You also have the car for shorter trips.
Hey Mike. It might be nice to get a landscape dump body so the sides can drop down for loading totes, pallets etc. If you're spending that kind of money there's no sense settling imo
Hi Mike It was great seeing you again at Paul Bunyon. As for a new truck and what you have in mind to sell more fire wood, use the excavator to do work and haul stone and dirt would seriously look at a 650 or 750 straight frame and then get the dump body that you need installed. Do not let the dealer install it. They make money on that and have no idea what kind of dump you need. Ron USCG RET .
Mike the reason the Ford gets dirty rims is the break pads are not repeat not the ceramic type. I suspect the GMC uses ceramic pads. Its an easy fix just have the shop install ceramic pads on the Ford.
Dumps are so handy. My brother-in-law bought an 80s F350 at an auction over ten-years ago for $350. It doesn't look pretty but he just uses it to haul fire wood, hay, etc. He has gotten so much work out of that old thing it's unreal.
The brake dust is from the pads used on the Ford! Worked on them before retiring just replacing the with metallic pads and it goes away and not that expensive!
Y’all have a lot of great options. Both trucks are great trucks, but like others have said, if you’re getting a dump truck, I’d keep the GMC for the short bed and I’d get the dump truck. Also, have you looked at gooseneck dump/cargo trailers? That could also shorten your total length while increasing trailer capacity.
@@kevincameron8437 If they are setup for a gooseneck hitch, probably not, so they'd have to find a hitch installer to do that part and install the electrical plug in the bed. A lot of today's trucks are just about plug and play on a lot of that stuff though, so if they aren't equipped already, it shouldn't be too hard to get them setup for either gooseneck or 5th wheel.
I have a 350 dump with the 6.2L and a 450 with a diesel and I know there's no comparison with towing between the two but I'd love. to see how the 7.3L does and what fuel milage you get. My F350 dump tows a 20ft enclosed trailer loaded with about 3-4k lbs of mowers. etc. and getting (on the lie-o-meter) 6.3 - 6.7 MPG and in the winter when it has a salt spreader and plow loaded onto it we get maybe 5-6mpg. The 350 has done anything Ive ever needed it to do but a 450 or 550 I imagine would be that much better. We bought ours new in 17. with the same bed and holy cow have the beds gone up in price! I think ours was right around 11k extra and has a toolbox and tarp installed. One bad thing about steel beds is rust! Ours lasted about 2 years before it started rusting everywhere and now needs a makeover. Surprisingly. the cab and chassis haven't gone up much in price, in 17 ours was right around 50k and is a XL with some creature comforts.
If theres a need to have a 1ton pick up and the dump truck ok. But if whatever dump truck can handle any heavy towing why not have a 1/2ton pick up for the everyday stuff. I have a 2022 GMC elevation 1500 with the durmax. I tow with it a good bit including my equipment trailer with my LX3310 on it and it tows like its not even back there. Just did a trip up to northern Maine and averaged right around 28mpg doing 80ish hard to beat that. I traded in a 3/4 ton truck to get it and couldn't be happier.
Mike, the trucks are paid for, I can think of several reasons why you should keep them both, especially with you growing your family/business. Having the right tool for the (jobs) is essential. One of those trucks go down when their needed your going to wish you had the other to hop in and keep the ball rolling! Marian and I say, keep them both. It's a smart investment considering as your business grows putting the family to work I can see both trucks being needed at the same time. That 450 is real nice, but the 550 is BEEFIER yet! Yea buddy, I $ay take full advantage of RU-vid as you can.
That dump truck is a real nice truck. I'm afford man as well. That duramax is getting a little better until. But not a whole lot. You should get around 14 and a 1/2 miles per gallon. But I think the dump truck would be a good option for you.
Imo with getting a dump truck, i would keep the gmc and trade the ford in for the dump. Especially with all the trailers you have, no real reason for a long bed. But thats just my opinion. Both are definitely nice trucks.
hi there nice truck , i also like red , but the GVW is to light , One cord of green oak would max you out , but also a combined weight may move you into a CDL class , lots to think about , i love my knuckle boom ,may be something to think about , best to all , john
Order your own cab/ chassis, spec your own box and get thing’s exactly the way you want them, colour, etc. you’ve got a dump trailer so I’m sure you’re in no hurry.
We have a F250 gas that I turned in to my work truck. And a Chevy 2500 Duramax that we use to pull our 40 foot toy hauler. We get 24 to 26 miles per gallon highway and around 10 to 13 camper overall happy with both trucks.
I would think to get on the boards and look for existing and probable mechanical issues on both trucks is the deciding factor if it was me. That's the 150k I would be basing the choice on.
Good morning Morgans and friends. Great job Mike laying the gravel, like butter! Any f550's in your area? Hope everyone has a great day. Be safe and we'll see you down the road. Thanks
So my guess is goodbye to the GMC. Mileage is huge to the bottom dollar. You also would like an all red fleet. I always like that I can put full sheets of plywood and shutting the tailgate.
Mike definitely go with a twelve foot bed. I had a 8 foot bed 450 was a great truck just seemed that the handling of the short bed loaded sometimes got tricky. Then I went to a 550 with a twelve foot bed won’t go back to a short box
Mike, Ford’s automatically engage the brakes without you knowing about it. It’s part of the Electronic Stability Control program on the truck. Also does the same while towing a trailer to prevent sway.
I'm surprised I haven't seen any comments about a cdl. If you put a trailer on that truck you will need a cdl to drive it. 16500 truck+10000 trailer=26500 is over the 26001 lbs requirement for a cdl. You will also need a dot# for the truck. Not sure if you have a cdl I haven't heard you mention it but thats more for you to consider.
I often thought you would not have a problem with either the Ford or GMC. I agree you can't really go wrong with either choice. I guess old Bluford is destine to be the onsite off road truck or will it someday get street legal. It would have taken me a day to back up that driveway. I practice when I can but it is usually not a pretty sight.
If you have a dump truck and a skid steer and be willing to do driveways and little jobs like that, you will stay very busy. I need my driveway (about 2500 sq ft) dug out and new stone put in and I'm having a heck of a time getting someone to do it
We just drove from 70 miles east of Cinci to Millersburg, Ohio with our '18 6.7L Ram 3500SRW and got 22.5 MPG. Edit: I will never own a short box nor either of your choices, but that is me. My 8' bed crew cab is shorter than the same in a Ford.
Mike, I promise as as a retired Stone Mason, go up to a 650 or 750!!!! I could hall stone and an excavator in my 750! When I needed 6 tons of sand, no problem!
Its been quite a while since I have commented here. My suggestion is the ford for a few reasons. Gentry and sons trucking was a heavy chevy in everything that they do because they are a big eighteen wheeler, Peterbilt trucks or Freightliner ... yes they have other makes as well. Its been a few years now with trucking been hit hard and recovering from several issues. One thing is hot shotting with pickups for boat deliveries. Ford trucks are now just about the only thing you find in their yard. I won't bore you about them and switch to here in Alaska. Just about every rig thats doing hard work including snow plowing is Ford. I know of a couple guys here who put about three hundred thousand miles on their trucks, pull that engine out because of the hard work they go through, then drop the 6.7 Cummins engine in them. It doesn't matter to them for gas or diesel when new, its the long term and getting over a million miles of hard, seriously hard beat on work miles with the Cummins engines for multitudes of reasons. Its much cheaper to run gas engines here because of fuel prices. Yes they tried the dodge line ups and those are just loaded with cold weather failure issues. Fords have been holding on here for a good twenty years now. The Ford 7.3 engine .... diesel engines just are loved to the max. Many of those went four million miles and then a new engine plus the full make over. The "OBS" years are still the most popular in even our ambulances, fire trucks and some other high demand rigs. Ford just wins a heck of a lot of issues for the long run win
Mike, if all you are planning on doing is firewood with it, why not look at installing a dump insert into the F-350? I have a dump insert in my '19 F-250 gas truck and I doubt I could ever overload it with firewood. Gravel, yes. I had every intention of buying a 6X12 dump trailer but can't afford one and it takes up precious parking spots. I can get into places with a single rear wheel truck I couldn't with a dually or a 102" wide trailer. Keep the short wheelbase GMC to pull the dump trailer! Just my thoughts. Plus insurance might be harder to get on a F-450 or 550, but if you are using this in your business anyway, it would be a moot point.
As a point of interest Mike, let's say the new dump truck costs $78000, how much would it cost to get BlueFord back to showroom condition with all the mod cons fitted, just a question and I know you like numbers, so it would be interesting to find that out, maybe some of your subscribers have an older truck and would like to update it rather than go out and spend a whole heap of cash on a new one. Cheers Graham UK.
Restoring Blueford would be EXPENSIVE! Would have to add A/C, and it would never be as nice as the new truck. It is (or could be) a cool "yard truck". It is also a DOT magnet. Might as well paint "stop me" on the tailgate. The 450 and 550 would be more "rookie friendly " than Blueford. I think I would try to trade Blueford in on the new dump truck.
AFTER READING A BUNCH OF THE COMMENTS, MY BELIEF IS THEY HAVE CHEAPER BRAKE PADS ON WHICH WEAR FASTER & CAUSE BRAKE DUST. I ONLY PUT THE BETTER PADS ON MY VEHICLES BECAUSE THE DON'T PRODUCE MUCH DUST. I'M JUST GIVING U A POSSIBLE SUGGESTION.
My morning coffee , with a video from Outdoors with the Morgan's .. don't get any better. As for the idea of getting a dump truck, no matter which pickup you get rid of, the dump truck is a great option to have around, in my opinion. Less hassle getting in tight places .. and like you said, you can have someone delivering material while you are too busy to do it yourself.. looking forward to seeing which truck Melissa picks to keep. My money is on the Ford , although personally , I would keep the GMC 🤷🏻🤷🏻🤣🤣
I drove an 18 wheeler for 12 years after we got finished with the Kentucky Speedway. A 53 foot trailer is harder to back than your smaller trailer especially when trying to back up turning to the right. There are blind spots to consider. I would rather back a trailer the size of yours up your sisters driveway than an 18 wheeler any day.
hard decision... Fuel mileage OR shorter bed convenience 10 ft bed 550 option as mentioned below unless a lot more $$ sounds smart too. Locking rear diff too IMO
Mike, we have a 2020 GMC 1 ton Denali. It has 24000 miles and a week ago my wife and I went on a 3 hour round trip mostly on highway with some small towns. On that trip we got according to the truck computer 23.5 miles per gallon. Just food for thought that the mileage might get better. The reality is they're both great trucks, but I am a GMC guy. I have 2 siblings that work for GM with a discount. The discount sure influences a purchase.
might want to look into recalls have a 2020 explorer st with a stack of recalls and got another one today for the rear end. no parts available. all under warranty obviously but seeing as how our ford dealer does not give you a loner it is a big inconvenience.
Mike don't rule out aluminum dump bed. I have a 1/4 inch floor on the dump body on my f350. Have dumped 100s of face cord in it not a dent. I had M H Eby in blue ball Pa build it for me. They put the heavier floor in and i think put cross beams a little closer together. Great body great company to work with. Find a cab and chassis you want and have the body built.
I like your overall plan for stepping up to a dump truck and adding to capability, as well as involving more family, however....... I think within a year or two, you will wish you had gotten more dump truck than what you're looking at. IMO, you would be better off with a medium duty F-600 or 650 with a GVWR of 24-25K, which is right at the threshold for not having to have a CDL to operate. I think it will provide you WAY more capability for hauling PLUS towing. Granted, you would probably have to look at used to keep it reasonably affordable, but I think it would be the better way to go, especially if you're going to take on "outside" projects that are for other people. Not to mention, Grandson Ty can be the first (probably ONLY) kid in his school that can operate an excavator, skid steer, tractor and dump truck before he even has his driver's license. I am Olive Drab with envy of the opportunities he has in front of him!
Gather it'll be easier to trade in the Ford for the dump truck, not sure you'll get your best trade in with the GM at a Ford dealership. I think the 450 is a little too light weight to haul your excavator and or the skid steer with attachments. If you're thinking of doing the type of work you say, a mason dump (that's what we call them in CT) will limit your options too much. Good luck on your choice!
Where do you get your stone? I live in the gibsonia and currently looking to get a dump truck so I can haul some stone for myself but can’t find a place that sells it reasonably priced. Also make sure your dump truck is PTO and not electric over hydraulic. That will limit your lifting capacity
I think you should get rid of both pickups and go with a Ram 3500, they have the highest rated interior and the best engine with the Cummins you can't go wrong.
I would go with the 8ft bed, after all it is a truck and that is is purpose. After I got an 11ft utility bed it would be insane for me to go to almost half that vs an 8ft. Either choice you cant lose though.
Keep the Ford, all day every day 👍🏼 I bought an old beater, dual rear axle, inexpensive, old state owned dump truck for the farm/homestead. Love it ! Not to say that’s what you need because we’re looking to accomplish different goals. Just saying. It would probably be worth looking at the 550’s before you choose. Thanks for having us along, Mike
I dont care either way. Im just excited for the next step for the Morgan's. You're definitely in a better place having 2 trucks and the bronco to choose from.
Funny you mention the brake dust. My friend had a Ford F150 that I think was a 2010 or 2011 and I always commented on the brake dust on his front wheels.
You also have to get a certification my cartilage has a health inspection go down and get your health check for d o t card and you also have to get your correction Quixote and your SSN for out-of-state
Little bit of truck information and education for ya. The Ford F350 is a 1-ton truck. The F450 is a ton and 1/4. The F550 is a ton and a half. The F650 is ton and 3/4. Being a Ford guy, I would have guessed you would have known this. The Chevy 3500 is a 1-ton truck. The 4500 is the ton and 1/4. The 5500 is the ton and a half. The 6500 is ton and 3/4. I have been getting some further education and I hope the information is correct. The Chevy medium duty trucks (4500-6500) are all sitting on the same frame. They are just rated differently depending on the suspension, axles, and other things. The Fords might be doing something similar by using the same frame but just have different equipment attached to those frames, however this is only a guess on my part as I haven't researched the Fords yet. Like you said, all trucks will do the job. Some turn sharper than others. Some have more options than others. It just depends how much you want to be pampered in this day and age of buying a new truck. In reference to the dump trucks, it costs a bit more, but I prefer the pump to be attached to the engine. Some will attach to the transmission is it has the Allison, but the engine pump is the way to go. It can speed up the dump and lowering of the bed by accelerating and you can do dump spreading with it. The electric over hydraulic dump will work in a pinch. It's just slower like the dump trailer and more difficult to get the load up or down. It's night and day difference. So, if you have the option, go with the engine pump for the dump bed.
Nice job on the driveway. As for which truck to keep, I would keep the one from the company that didn't get bailed out by the federal government. Have a productive day.
