I have NEVER had a pick-up and I have NEVER had a diesel. The diesel engines kinda scare me because it seems that they need to be driven frequently (can't sit up) and the oil changes are much more expensive then on a gas engine.

We are going to use the truck ONLY for towing the trailer so it will sit parked at the barn with the trailer. We take 2 long trips a year (around 700-800 miles round trip) and bi-monthly shorter (100 miles round trip) trips.

Looking to stay under $16,000 if possible.

I checked the Consumer Reports buying guide, the 3/4 ton trucks they recommend are older, ranging from 2000 to 2003. They recommend the 2000 - 2002 Ford F250 w/ the famous 7.3 diesel, the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel, the 2000-2001 GMC Sierra 2500 and it's brother, the 2001-2003 Chevy Silverado 2500.

All of these are 2 wd, Consumer Reports didn't recommend any 4 wd trucks which is fine because I didn't want a 4x4.

Getting a 12 year old truck means higher mileage. When looking at the mileage, how high is too high (in ya'lls opinion) for the mileage on a gas engine and a diesel engine (assuming proper maintenance has been done over the lifetime of the truck)?

Of course I will have anything I am seriously interested in checked out by a mechanic, but I can save time looking at ads if I need to narrow down by miles.

I know diesels can go a TON of miles, but when looking for a truck to buy, how high is TOO high?

And what about gas engines? I've always thought that 100,000 miles on a gas engine was a lot but maybe I'm incorrect in thinking that?

Thanks!!

While the diesel engine in the truck may have a longer life than a gas engine, The other components of the truck are virtually the same as a gas motored truck.  Transmission, brakes, shocks, ball joints, A/C, Coolant system, Electronics like power windows, computers that control fuel, etc.  The older the truck the more chance that something will fail.

Now replacing the clock spring is a $200 repair while replacing the turbo on the diesel may be a $5000 repair. Any repair has the potential of leaving you broke down a long way from home.

Age in a vehicle is not only calculated in miles on the odometer. A 2 year old truck with 100,000 miles might be safer than a 10 year old truck with 100,000 miles. Hiway miles are easier on a truck than stop-n-go miles. A truck delivering trailers  across state lines on the interstate that has 200,000 miles might have had an easier life than an oil field truck that spent all day running up and down gravel lease roads filled with dust,

For $16,000 I would think you should be able to find a 5 to 7 year old truck that somebody wants to trade in on a new truck and that you could give them what the dealer is giving them in trade in values.  I'd probably look for something with less than 125,000 miles that had not been abused or worked too hard,

I pull the exact same trailer with a 2010 GMC 2500HD 4x4 6.0 gas six speed auto.... Got a 500 mile trip planned for tomorrow, will probably get 9.5 to 10 mpg round trip from eastern N.C. to Wytheville Va. and back. I don't think that diesel will like all of that sitting around in the barn doing nothing, that's when things seem to go wrong. Leave it sitting for a while, load up, hit the road and all of a sudden you got a fuel, oil, or a coolant leak, or water in the fuel, A/C won't blow cold etc.... These newer gasoline engines are good for several hundred thousand miles with the proper maintenance. For pulling that trailer the 3/4 ton series GM 6.0 gas, Ram 5.7 Hemi or the Ford 6.8 V-10 would be my choice. Ford 5.4 V-8 may be OK, just don't be in a big hurry, got to keep it wound pretty tight to make decent power. Theres a lot of late model gasoline powered pickups that have 200K+ miles on them and have never had a wrench on them other than general maintenance issues, oil changes, etc.