Posted 2011-01-31 8:01 PM (#129590) Subject: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Marion, Va
I am in the market for both a truck and a trailer. I am looking at 2003-2008 Ford F-250s, and 3 horse slant-load gooseneck trailers. Any advice or opinions?
Posted 2011-01-31 10:06 PM (#129591 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I've had both and prefer the long bed. More room for extra hay and stuff in the bed.
In 2005 Ford changed the suspension on the Superduties. The 2005 and newer F350's longbeds turn as tight a turning radius as the 2000-2004 short beds because of that change.
If you have to park in the city a lot. The long bed is harder to get into a parking stall. So it really will be your decision based on how you drive.
Posted 2011-01-31 10:31 PM (#129592 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Veteran
Posts: 264 Location: Sumas Washington
You dd not say if you were looking for a Diesel or Gas Ford. 2003 is the first year of the 6.0 Diesel engine. The 6.0 has been problematic to say the least. The good in this is that you can buy a used one for less money than other brands, the bad is that some of the 6.0's have durability issues. To clarify this point, many of these engines have given good service, a few have been difficult fix properly. If you are settled on a 6.0 or 6.4 PowerStroke demand to see all service records before making the purchase.
Posted 2011-01-31 10:34 PM (#129594 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
I've got both with crew cabs. Each have their place and usage. As Painted Horse has said, the long box is a little bit tougher to fit in parking lots, but I drive a 42' school bus so I'm used to it. Also depends on the trailer. An 8 ft wide w/o the tapered nose will have a difficult time making tight turns without taking out the back window of the short box.
Posted 2011-01-31 10:45 PM (#129595 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
We only use our truck for towing or carrying, not daily commuting and parking. We can pull any GN configuration without interference problems. The long bed trucks are our only choice.
There are many good 3H SL all aluminum trailers of many brands for sale, that will maintain their value for some time. Look around in the used market and you can save a substantial amount of money.
Posted 2011-02-01 5:02 AM (#129596 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
New User
Posts: 3
Location: Marion, Va
Thanks for the input! I am leaning toward a short bed crew cab - thinking 2005 or later because of the issues with the 2003 and 2004 models.
For the trailer, I definitely don't want one any wider than 7 feet because I will be driving it on back roads for trail riding adventures. I am trying to decide whether to get an older, all aluminum trailer, or a new aluminum trailer with a wood floor. The trade-off would be that an older model could have living quarters while the new one would be bare-bones.
In your opinion, what is the life span of an all-aluminum trailer? Would it be a mistake to buy one that is 15-20 years old?
Posted 2011-02-01 7:03 AM (#129598 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Newnan, GA
i love my 8'w trailer - it seems to me that you are pulling the same footprint? - and get more room inside and with mangers, more storage. my trailer is an '01 - if you find an older all aluminum trailer that has been covered or at least well maintained, i would go for the lq model. i have a trail boss interior, solid wood, and it is nicer than the stuff in my house. i fixed it up by adding wood floors, updated some switches, light fixtures, new stripes etc. and you can always get the fabric redone. you might have to spend some $$$$ replacing things every now and then which can add up - but at least then you know what you have - and you can fully enjoy the camping experience! good luck!
Posted 2011-02-01 8:34 AM (#129603 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342 Location: Ohio
For your truck of choice, make sure you have a Ford dealership run an "oasis report" on the truck. This will show what warranty work has been done to the truck. Autocheck or carfax should show if it was bought back under the lemon law.
I would limit the search to 06 and newer as the 05's are a very mixed year of good and bad. I have an 06 and love it.. Personally, I would avoid the 08, but like I said, I'm partial to my 6.0. You just have to find a good one. If feasible, buy one thats still in the diesel engine warranty period. (5 years or 100k).
I would go with a long bed without a doubt. You have extra room for a toolbox, coolers, water tanks, firewood, whatever you need.
For the trailer, I am one of the weird ones that prefer older steel, so I really don't have much to add.
Posted 2011-02-01 10:17 AM (#129608 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Regular
Posts: 70 Location: PA
I agree with Fastguard. We previously had a 10' truck camper & bumper pull trailer (had camped this way for 30 years) and bought our first gooseneck in March, 2007 - a 1995 all aluminum 8' wide Sundowner 3/h w/6' s/w for around $20,000 and it had everything incl a bathroom w/separate shower & toilet so it was then 12 years old but it had been well maintained. We could have easily used it another 10 years+. We had it 3 years & liked the gooseneck concept & since we are hoping to travel more when we are retired decided to go to a 10' s/w. Since we were planning on this probably being our last trailer, we made a list of "must haves". We kept watching the internet & bought a 2006 Kiefer Built w/every option we wanted & then some that was in excellent condition. I also agree on going 8'wide w/mangers & lots of storage in LQ & we wanted the big frig (1st one only had 3 cu ft) but if you go for a week, it's not quite big enough. I think the only thing we don't have is a hay rack but we use the 3rd stall for hay. We can always add one but we are now in our 60's & not sure we want to be dealing w/storing hay on the roof. If you are buying an older trailer be sure to check for floor of the horse area for soundness. Our aluminum floor is like new but we are going to treat it this spring per Gard's post on how to prevent corrosion so we don't have to pull the mats all the time. You can correct me if I'm wrong but even though you get a 7' wide "trailer", the fenders stick out to 8' wide, it's just that they are easier to see around? As far as trucks go, we have always had the long bed. We pull w/a 99 Ford P/S Diesel Dually which we were lucky to get when it was only 3 years old w/22,000 miles on it. We don't have a lot of money & need to make our $$$ stretch as far as possible but there are a lot of good deals if you are patient & watch for them. Everyone has their own agenda but if you buy a new you will definitely take a loss when selling & if you are alreading thinking about having an LQ, you probably won't be happy with "bare bones" and roughing it. Having camped all of our life, trust me, there is nothing like having your amenities and there are great "weekender" LQ packages out there. My vote is used w/LQ. Best of luck to you!
Posted 2011-02-01 11:23 AM (#129616 - in reply to #129590) Subject: RE: short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399 Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350
Don't be afraid of the shortbeds; but the best nose shape on a trailer for them is the 30 degree nose that Sundowner uses. They are ideal for shortbed use, as the corners of the trailer are set back enough that you can still turn very short and not connect with the cab.
short bed vs long bed, old trailer vs new trailer?
