So I'm in need of a part time truck for use as both a plow truck during winter, and a dump runner/furniture truck, etc. My brother-in law who is a certified mechanc is selling hos 2004 Ford F150 Lariat supercab 4x4. He is meticulous about maintenance and upkeep and has added some extras like a leveling kit, lights, over size tires, more durable cam phasers, hard tonneau cover, etc. It has 160k on odo. I anticipate 4-5000 miles per year on this tops for me. Anything in particular I should ask him about, or check out? I feel at $6k its a good deal. What do you guys think? Should I grab it or run far far away? Only reason he is selling is he just bought a new F150.

I had a 2001 F150 Supercrew (2wd), with the Triton V8 that I just got rid of last August. It had 248,000 miles on it when I sold it. The only major repair it had was having the transmission rebuilt at about 190,000 miles; cost me about $2k.

It was absolutely one of the better vehicles I've ever owned. I would definitely consider getting another one.

would not use a 1/2 ton as a snow plow rig myself.

Sounds like a good truck/deal otherwise.

ask him if he has put in the one piece spark plugs.

That would be a deal not to pass up, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
would not use a 1/2 ton as a snow plow rig myself.
.

Why is that?

This would only be to plow my driveway which is roughly 330ft long and like 10 feet wide and maybe 3000 more square feet in parking apron areas at my house. Plowing from November to April and dump runs on weekends.

They are just not built for that type of use or abuse.
If you are just going to use very lightly that might be ok. your drive way, neighbors driveway etc. But not for a real plowing situation. If you are making money consistently doing it I want a real truck for the task. I want something built more for that type of use.+

Sounds like your situation if would be fine. A plow on a 1/2 ton is just not the best situation.

I second the opinion on utilizing a 1/2 ton pickup for a plow. The suspension and driveline aren't designed for plowing.

Plow mileage is the hardest mileage I can think of. Consider any plow rig a throw away vehicle. 2-3 years tops. Maybe less with that kind of mileage coupled with the undersized vehicle for the job.

If I was going to spend $6K for a plow rig (more like $8-9K though after you purchase and install the plow), I'd buy a used bobcat or small 4x4 tractor. It's a PITA to plow small spaces with a truck. I use an ATV and a large snowblower. I've heard from friends that most UTV's make bad plow rigs also. Mostly from those who use their "go fast" UTV's, and not ones that were actually built for utility/ranch purposes.

That small amount of plowing will be fine with that truck. I used to plow parking lots for years with a jeep scrambler and it held up.

If your BIL is willing to sell it to you, you know it is GTG. Family more important than making money. If it weren't so far away I would buy one like that.

I have a 2003 SCrew 4x4 with the 5.4 Triton that I bought new. It's still my main daily driver and has 135k miles on the odometer. At 105k miles (3 years ago) the passenger-side head gasket began to leak without ever overheating - a common problem with these motors. Because I like the truck and it was in such good shape I elected to have the motor completely rebuilt. Since then I've had 3 coils go bad due to a crack in the forward driver's side manifold which sits over the coils. This part is made of plastic and over time will crack and leak radiator fluid onto the coil and into the spark plug hole. Three times in three different holes we've found radiator fluid surrounding the spark plug. I finally fixed this common problem by buying a new manifold which is made of thicker plastic and should last me until I sell the truck.

Overall: Great truck, but Ford could have done better by sticking with the tried and true 5.0L. I've owned 3 other vehicles with that motor and never had a problem.

The 5.4 Triton has several known issues. The cam phasers are complete garbage, and so are the spark plugs.

The plugs utilize a three piece design of dissimilar materials. They can, and will break off in the head, leaving the threaded collar behind. It was such a problem that Snap-On and other pro tool manufacturers developed specialized tools for the job. I believe there was a class-action lawsuit for the plug issue.

Just my two cents. (I owned a 2006 and 2008 with the 5.4)

A running truck around here is $5,000 minimum. A one owner, mechanic owned, truck where the mechanic is in the family and available to help with any repairs, priceless!

Had a 2004 SCrew Lariat 4x4 until last year, think 150K Miles+. Cam phasers started ticking/going and even parts are expensive so sold. Prior to that, transmission rebuilt around 100K, front control arms, multiple rotor replacements, multiple electric motors went out, and spark plugs. Honestly not bad truck, but not great.

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
Plow mileage is the hardest mileage I can think of. Consider any plow rig a throw away vehicle. 2-3 years tops. Maybe less with that kind of mileage coupled with the undersized vehicle for the job.

I would respectfully disagree with the 2-3 year statement.

My current plow vehicle is an 89 Chevy K2500. This truck has been a plow vehicle its entire life. I bought it 2 years ago from the local water company, and they had it from ~1999 - 2015 and it was used very heavily during the winter as a plow truck. The water company had $30,000 of plow revenue last year, split between 2 trucks. We get 140" of snow annually in my area.

I would also be hesitant about putting a plow on a half ton truck, but if it will only be used for your driveway it should be fine, just take it easy. I would verify you can get a plow for it first. You might have trouble finding an OEM plow dealer willing to put a plow on a half ton.

The other plow truck for the water company is a 99 F250, extended cab, 6' bed and it has been great. I might even try to get that one when the water company gets a new plow truck in a few years.