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Who's got a new truck ?

I don't think too many Joe Sixpacks are buying 80k trucks. A lot are fleet sales and to individual business people that can write off their cost. Many are leased, thus lowering the payments. In the luxury market, the majority are leased.

Clearly you don't live out west. 80k trucks might not be flying off the lot, but they sell a slug of them each year to individuals. Heck you see a lot of the top end ones, 100k+, just nuts.

I think part of the problem is that while teaching them new math, what they should have been teaching is some basic economics and finance skills. Just like those that took on massive school debt, many charge anything they can get away with and either don't understand compound interest or just want more than they care. That is until the bottom falls out and they loose everything, kinda like 2007/2008. Sad to see so many people paint themselves into a corner like that.
 
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Yeah when a person pays that much for a rig you definitely want to be comfortable in it.
 
Considering your experience, in your opinion, how much of the cost of a new vehicle today, car or truck, is due to government mandated equipment or software? CAFE standards? CARB? 20% or more?
Definitely more than 20% is mandated by the government. I personally am in charge of the Ram trucks fuel systems and the cost of the entire fuel system in that 2002 Ram truck from the fuel filler pipe all the way forward to the fuel rail, was about $130, even if you account for 2% inflation per year (which is almost unheard of in the auto industry the way we strong arm the suppliers for competitive pricing), that system cost in today’s dollars would be $201. I personally know the cost of the fuel system today from filler pipe to the fuel rail is in excess of $425 and over $210 of those materials and components are driven by federal regulations. Taking out the cost of the fed reg components, redundancies, EVAP checks and integrity monitors, today’s system would cost about $200-220 if we were allowed to make like the old system.
Federal regulations are hitting other areas of the vehicle much harder than our fuels group. Backup cams, airbags all the way around, front/side/rear impact protection, latch systems, softer materials all over the inside of the vehicle, collision avoidance systems, even pedestrian protection systems for collisions with people with your vehicle. There is a decent chance if you are driving a vehicle with a more upright windshield, that you have an active hood system that senses frontal impacts with pedestrians and animals, and fires a small explosive charge near the hood hinges that bumps the hood upward and prevents the pedestrian from colliding with the windshield (we call it the cow catcher system).
No doubt that a minimum of 30-35% of the cost of new vehicles can be directly attributed to compliance with federal regulations and EPA/CARB regulations.

Dave
 
Was thinking about trading my Ram in for a new one but now I'm hearing about head gasket issues on the Hurricane 6. Anybody else hear anything?
I can research this for u in the system and see what it says
 
Wife and I took the plunge Dec 2022 and bought a used 2022 Chevy 3500 HD HC Duramax with 7200 miles on it tow our 5’th that we were going to purchase.. Told the kids we’re spending thier inheritance! First diesel and they are awesome for towing cat scale says truck and camper is 21,540 lbs! Set cruise at 65 mph and tach is 1500 rpm’s! Highway not towing get 21-23 mpg and highest was 26 mpg for a 200 mile trip .IMG_1115.jpeg
 
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In 2016, I bought this '98 Dodge D350 from the wife of a good friend of mine who had passed away. He bought it new in 1998 to tow their ice cream vending trailer. 5.9 Cummins 12 valve diesel, 2WD, manual 5 speed, extra heavy towing package including Dana 70 rear end with Sure Grip and rear sway bar....all the options except leather seats. I was looking to upgrade my race trailer tow rig and this was a perfect fit. It had been sitting for quite a few years so I did new brakes all around, tires, shocks, sway bar bushings, injector pump tune up and some other odds and ends. It was in great shape and always got some interest at the races.

With my 24 ft. enclosed trailer with car, tool boxes and cabinets, winch, spare parts, tires and fuel it would get an honest 15 mpg at 68 mph with the cruise control and A/C on. I sold it to another racer when I stopped racing in 2019.

1vDXxBZl.jpg

Cc7EuRil.jpg
 
In 2016, I bought this '98 Dodge D350 from the wife of a good friend of mine who had passed away. He bought it new in 1998 to tow their ice cream vending trailer. 5.9 Cummins 12 valve diesel, 2WD, manual 5 speed, extra heavy towing package including Dana 70 rear end with Sure Grip and rear sway bar....all the options except leather seats. I was looking to upgrade my race trailer tow rig and this was a perfect fit. It had been sitting for quite a few years so I did new brakes all around, tires, shocks, sway bar bushings, injector pump tune up and some other odds and ends. It was in great shape and always got some interest at the races.

With my 24 ft. enclosed trailer with car, tool boxes and cabinets, winch, spare parts, tires and fuel it would get an honest 15 mpg at 68 mph with the cruise control and A/C on. I sold it to another racer when I stopped racing in 2019.

1vDXxBZl.jpg

Cc7EuRil.jpg
According to my son, the diesel expert, you have to be really stupid to kill a Cummings. Also, if it has a Allison tranny hooked up to it you got it all.
 
I've been avoiding this thread I guess, because it makes me start feeling like "po folk". A lot of the trucks y'all are driving cost more than our house. I've owned a lot of trucks over the years, and destroyed a few of em in my pursuit of happiness. But I've never spent what I'd consider five freakin times as much as they were worth. I don't know how we got to this point, and I guess I'll never show up at that party.

The truck we've got, and have had for 25 years, still gets used a lot. It's really been around, and will continue to be involved in our fun. It was 35 years old when we got it, and it was amortized many moons ago. I wish y'all could see some of the pics of happy camps we've been taken to in this old girl. here's just a few. jd
IMG_5624.jpeg
IMG_6739.jpeg
IMG_0630.jpeg
IMG_7664.jpeg

By the way, for all you youngins, this is what a pickup seat used to look like. FOUR folks could sit on it, -- or two could lay on it.;)
jd
IMG_5625.jpeg
 
Definitely more than 20% is mandated by the government. I personally am in charge of the Ram trucks fuel systems and the cost of the entire fuel system in that 2002 Ram truck from the fuel filler pipe all the way forward to the fuel rail, was about $130, even if you account for 2% inflation per year (which is almost unheard of in the auto industry the way we strong arm the suppliers for competitive pricing), that system cost in today’s dollars would be $201. I personally know the cost of the fuel system today from filler pipe to the fuel rail is in excess of $425 and over $210 of those materials and components are driven by federal regulations. Taking out the cost of the fed reg components, redundancies, EVAP checks and integrity monitors, today’s system would cost about $200-220 if we were allowed to make like the old system.
Federal regulations are hitting other areas of the vehicle much harder than our fuels group. Backup cams, airbags all the way around, front/side/rear impact protection, latch systems, softer materials all over the inside of the vehicle, collision avoidance systems, even pedestrian protection systems for collisions with people with your vehicle. There is a decent chance if you are driving a vehicle with a more upright windshield, that you have an active hood system that senses frontal impacts with pedestrians and animals, and fires a small explosive charge near the hood hinges that bumps the hood upward and prevents the pedestrian from colliding with the windshield (we call it the cow catcher system).
No doubt that a minimum of 30-35% of the cost of new vehicles can be directly attributed to compliance with federal regulations and EPA/CARB regulations.

Dave
About what I figured. Far, far less when I was in the industry in the 70's on the supply side. Kind of scary how much influence Uncle Sammy has and the lengths the industry has to go, and spend, in the name of compliance. Then we pay big. Thanks for your insight.
 
I’m not saying the profit margin on trucks isn’t higher than cars, because it most certainly is. However, profit margin on trucks today are in the 8.5-12% range, with better margins on the higher price class premium trucks (Limited, Laramie, etc.); and this is literally right in line with the same 8-12% profit margin we were shooting for on trucks in the early 90’s. The profit margin on cars made by the Big Three automakers is definitely sub 5%

Dave
 
Gimmie a basic pushrod motor, vinyl seats, vinyl floor, crank windows, cable operated heater controls, shift 4wd, lock-in-out hubs. I think gm makes something close for $10k but you gotta live in China to get one. I guess I'm just jealous over these new fancy trucks. I tell people I drive a lariat XLT f250 but leave out the 1987 part.
 
Oil pump? Worn out bearings from running either low on oil or very extended oil changes! You may want another opinion.

Negative. GM in their infinite wisdom (probably under pressure to further increase efficiency) decided to equip these engines with a dual pressure oil system. The oil pump contains a solenoid valve that opens under certain operating conditions to bleed "excess" pressure. When this valve fails, it supposedly fails closed and keeps the engine in high pressure mode. So, I could technically keep on just running it as is since it stays at ~40 lbs of pressure. But that's beside the point; the fix is dropping the front differential, removing the oil pan and engine front cover, and replacing the oil pump.
 
I’m not saying the profit margin on trucks isn’t higher than cars, because it most certainly is. However, profit margin on trucks today are in the 8.5-12% range, with better margins on the higher price class premium trucks (Limited, Laramie, etc.); and this is literally right in line with the same 8-12% profit margin we were shooting for on trucks in the early 90’s. The profit margin on cars made by the Big Three automakers is definitely sub 5%

Dave
I'm not trying to argue or anything but I find it hard to believe that a $70k(cheap side evidently) sticker price truck cost $63k to build. If it does its time to get rid of the full size tv in the console, heated seats, steering wheel, adjustable pedals, 47 speaker surround sound stereos, etc, etc, etc. I'm not saying you cant have them models. I'm saying they will sell a lot more of the ones with a motor, floor shifted 4wd, automatic trans or manual, with power windows locks and ac. No more than $40K and I think thats too much. I don't think a truck should cost more than your house. I also don't think a brand new Bat, Borden etc. should cost $2k+. Just saying rant over!
 

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