Said goodbye to a great truck today....sigh

[Capt Steve]

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the passing of one great truck (mixed emotions being defined as: Watching your mother in law drive off a cliff in your new Mercedes... but I digress). Two weeks ago we traded our 22' TT in on a nice Nexus Phantom Class C. With the trailer gone we had no further need for the truck so she had to go. Here is the add I posted on Craigslist Last Thursday:

2006 F-150 Super Cab 5.4L V-8, 4 speed OD Automatic, MINT Condition! Leer Shell 102,000 miles under Kelley Blue Book at $9,500!
Ford Certified Pre Owned, Michelin LT M/S 2 E rated tires, Monroe LT Sensa Trac Shocks (Lifetime Warranty), Full service history/records. K&N CAI, SS Running Boards, Sony AM/FM CD Stereo, Full factory tow package + Tekonsha Trailer Brake Controller, CIPA Slide on Towing Mirror extensions, Factory bed liner, New: 5 year Battery, Custom Suede Dash Topper, bug deflector and Husky mud flaps. 3:55 Limited Slip Differential,
Towing Capacity 8,600#m GVWR 7050#, GCWR 14,000#. It towed my 5,600# travel trailer like a dream w/12.5 mpg @ 60 mph, 16/17 around town and 19.5 on the highway @ 65 mph. Wind deflector (to improve towing mileage), also available.

This is probably the cleanest used truck you have ever seen. We just traded our trailer in on a new Class C Motorhome and no longer need the truck. Call Steve at


I placed a half a dozen nice photos with the copy and Immediately got some calls. One gentleman called late Friday and we chatted for quite a while. He lived 40 miles away so I agreed to drive it down to his house for a look on Saturday morning. He loved it, said he was "coming after it" and would have the money lined up on Monday, Tuesday the latest. Turns out he was financing it through State Farm Insurance (I didn't know they did that). Not one word was spoken by either of us regarding price but the add clearly stated $9,500.

I gave him my word on a handshake that I would not sell it out from under him (as the phone continued to ring). I picked him up at 9 this morning and drove him to the Sate Farm Office where we closed the deal for $9,500 with his local Agent doing all of the paperwork. Pretty painless for me and I walked out with a check from SF.

He told me the truck was so nice he just couldn't haggle over the price and is delighted to have it. I told him that if he had half as much fun as we did he was in for a nice ride. This is my second F-150 Super Cab XLT with a Shell, the first was a 98. Fifteen years driving the same thing, the smile may never come off. In four years of ownership it never let me down or cost me a dime in anything but routine maintenance. I am really going to miss that truck.

 

[timn8er]

Captain, Looks like it was a good one.

 

[ACP230]

My 21 year-old son was driving my old '93 Dodge Dakota.
I gave it to him when he turned 18. I hadn't driven it that much
mostly to ranges, trout streams and the grouse and deer woods.

It had it's moments but had gotten ragged and expensive to keep going. Finally the garage told him that the frame was so rusted he ought to quit running it.
Last week it went to the junkyard.

We fished and hunted out of that truck a lot while he was a kid.
Not nearly the truck yours was but it was still a bit sad to have to
send it off.

He's driving a Honda Element now. Says it's just not the same.

 

[ralph7]

I'm not a Ford guy, but that looked to be a sweet deal for the buyer.

Low mileage, super clean. and it is white!

Pricing a new truck will have you realizing what a deal this thing really was.

 

[4011]

That was a very good buy for the new owner. I see why he didn't try to haggle you down.

 

[jaykellogg]

I have to decide whether to buy a newer truck or fix mine up. All it needs is painted (paint is peeling) and new tires. it is an '89 F250 with less than 80,000 miles. It never had any rust. I found a 2008 F350 2WD. This truck is a XL while mine is an XLT Lariat. The newer truck has 48,000 miles on a 5.4L gas engine and automatic. I believe it has positraction (mine does) and a towing package. The newer one has a neat aluminum bed. The dealer is asking $13,950. I probably only drive a truck 3-4000 miles a year. For $2000 I could have the old one fixed up to look like new. I will probably keep the old truck.

 

[jhvaughan2]

I had to check out this post. I bought my '97 dodge ram in 2000. I needed it to haul lawn equipment and the scout trailer. That all ended 6 years ago. Wife has had 3 cars since then. When we bought her a new one in January it was understood that I wild drive her old one and sell the dodge. Still have it. I can't seem to part with it, even though I don't need it.

It had never given me trouble and, besides consumables it has only required a water pump. I've done all the work my self. What it lacks in gas mileage it makes up in low cost of ownership.

Just can't part with it.

 

[Oldiron]

Capt. I can't see not having a truck. There are just too many things they are needed for. Don't guess I will ever get rid of my old 4x4 Toyota. It's an '86 with 432K on it. Still does everything I need it to. Drove it to the Smoky Mtns last winter without a single hiccup. I would say by next spring you will be wanting another one.
Larry
P.S. How is the knee??

 

[Frank46]

My daughter's 96 isuzu rodeo had well over 150,000 miles on it and would have cost too much to drive it back here. Donated it to one of the guys they went to church with. He fixed all the non working power windows, just about rebuilt the fuel system and bacisally had himself a pretty decent vehicle to run the streets with. Far as she knows it is still going strong. Frank+

 

[Cyrano]

My 21 year-old son was driving my old '93 Dodge Dakota.
.

I'm still driving mine, a 4WD, crew cab. Only big problem was when some village idiot at 'spedy lube' only finger tightened the fill nut on the transfer case. Took the transmission with it $$$. Got about 80K miles on the truck and I guess it's good for another 40K or so. I might not be around to drive it then, though.

 

[Lost Lake]

No more truck??

I don't know if I could live without one.

Mine is a 6 cylinder I pull 14,000 lbs with regularly. I just had the front end gone over with new ball joints, u-joints and toe rod ends for $2,200 but it should be good for at least 50,000 more miles I hope.

With a good set of air bags and 10 ply tires I have carried over 5,500 pounds in the bed. Try that with the family car!!!

.

 

[chud333]

That one was a beauty. I'm sure you are sad to see an old friend go
but....
I could not get by without a truck.
I may have a car/van as well but i'll always have a truck parked in
my drive. My current is a Ford F150 2004 that was given to me by
my mother after "Pops" passed. It has 127K on it and still runs like
a top.

Chuck

 

[ikor]

You shoulda kept that puppy. The price of good used trucks these days that buyer should have kissed your feet to get it. No way I could or would ever try and get along without a decent full size pickup.

 

[Capt Steve]

Thanks guys, can't argue that I will miss that truck but the economic reality made selling a necessity. We are retired, limited fixed income and the Class C opens a lot of doors onto a world of travel. We have medical issues (not my knee which is finally improving, thanks for asking), that necessitate we make the very most of the next couple of years so trading up into the C became Plan A.

I was able to simply trade in the trailer and sell the truck with no cash out of pocket. The payments are small and will give me a write off to offset my SS income which kicks in a couple of months from now. We have my bride's 2006 Solara Coupe (73K), for a daily driver. It really scoots and gets 28 mpg on the highway, 24 around town. Our Golf Cart gets a daily workout around the neighborhood as well and finally we have enough room in the garage. With the truck, Toyota and GC it was pretty tight. Besides.... I really, really wanted that beautiful Motorhome. (o;