4 ms·

i bought a 2005 Ram 2500 for $25,000, today it would cost minimally $75,000. I actually need a truck to haul hay every week. i dread when the thing rots apart.

by mbfg 3y ago

i bought a 2005 Ram 2500 for $25,000, today it would cost minimally $75,000. I actually need a truck to haul hay every week. i dread when the thing rots apart. I will have no answer.

randomdata 3y ago
Even if we assume your truck is now worthless, that's only $1,300 per year. More realistically, assuming you have kept it in reasonable condition, it is probably worth around $8k now, or $900 per year. That's nothing in the grand scheme of things. In your case, that's only $17 per load of hay. Approximately one small bale per load pays for it. That still leaves a lot of meat for the truck to haul – especially a 2500. It is not surprising that the price of new trucks has skyrocketed. I too bought a truck for my farm in the same era for around the same price and I'm glad I did, because in hindsight it was an absolute steal. The ROI it has provided has been off the charts. Again, it is not surprising that new trucks have gone up in price to close the gap. Fantastic investment opportunities never last.
- bluGill 3y ago
  I bought my F350 15 years ago for $10k, if is worth 7k now. (1999, 7.8 diesel engine). However I have also paid $1000/year to ensure it, which for as little as I use it works out to nearly $.50/mile. It hasn't been a great investment (as a diesel it doesn't like to start in winter), but I can never find anyone to rent me a truck when I need one so it stays (I can rent a truck shaped vehicle with fine print that doesn't let me use it for what I want a truck for)
tfourb 3y ago
Not sure how much hay we are talking, but why not buy a smaller used car with a tow hitch and a trailer? Trailers cost a fraction of what you pay in markup on a pickup over a small car and most cars are more than capable of towing a small to mid-sized trailer. Bonus: you can unhitch the trailer and have a way easier time fitting into parking spaces ;-)
- whartung 3y ago
  Because trailers are no fun to park, or run through drive thru for lunch. Trailers are for "occasional" loads, rather than daily loads (unless you're a semi-truck).
  - tfourb 3y ago
    The parent was talking about a weekly task, not daily. For me that would fit the description of "occasional". And a trailer the size of a pick-up truck bed would be quite easy to fit through a drive thru made for giant pickups and SUVs. Parking (especially reverse) is something you have to pick up, for sure, but once you do it is actually not that challenging and on many parking lots you can actually just pull through a double parking space without reversing at all. I agree, I wouldn't do it for everyday jobs (for that I'd probably use a large Van or something like it) but in my experience, having a decent trailer gives you tons of flexibility for very little money.
- mbfg 3y ago
  pulling a US ton of hay with a smaller used car isn't going to be fun. That car's transmission is going to get wiped out.
kevin_thibedeau 3y ago
Get a Maverick and a lightweight trailer.
neogodless 3y ago
The great thing is that today you can still buy a 2005 Ram 2500 for $25,000! (I exaggerate, but my brother recently bought a ~2011 Ram 1500 for $21k!)
- mbfg 3y ago
  the problem is, unless you buy a southern truck, the frames are pretty much done for... rotted thru.
rainsford 3y ago
I think that's a special case, because large pickup trucks have moved from being work focused to being luxury vehicles. Trucks people bought in 2005 don't really exist any more new, even if the same model is still technically around. That said though, I'm pretty sure they do still make basic work focused trucks, although they might be hard to buy outside of fleet type sales.
- mbfg 3y ago
  i really don't believe people buy 3/4 and Full ton trucks as luxury vehicles, at least not to a large degree. I certainly agree with you that a huge majority of 1/2 ton pickups are luxury vehicles. Just look at all the short beds that are sold.

by mbfg 3y ago

i bought a 2005 Ram 2500 for $25,000, today it would cost minimally $75,000. I actually need a truck to haul hay every week. i dread when the thing rots apart. I will have no answer.

randomdata 3y ago

Even if we assume your truck is now worthless, that's only $1,300 per year. More realistically, assuming you have kept it in reasonable condition, it is probably worth around $8k now, or $900 per year. That's nothing in the grand scheme of things. In your case, that's only $17 per load of hay. Approximately one small bale per load pays for it. That still leaves a lot of meat for the truck to haul – especially a 2500. It is not surprising that the price of new trucks has skyrocketed. I too bought a truck for my farm in the same era for around the same price and I'm glad I did, because in hindsight it was an absolute steal. The ROI it has provided has been off the charts. Again, it is not surprising that new trucks have gone up in price to close the gap. Fantastic investment opportunities never last.

bluGill 3y ago
I bought my F350 15 years ago for $10k, if is worth 7k now. (1999, 7.8 diesel engine). However I have also paid $1000/year to ensure it, which for as little as I use it works out to nearly $.50/mile. It hasn't been a great investment (as a diesel it doesn't like to start in winter), but I can never find anyone to rent me a truck when I need one so it stays (I can rent a truck shaped vehicle with fine print that doesn't let me use it for what I want a truck for)

tfourb 3y ago

Not sure how much hay we are talking, but why not buy a smaller used car with a tow hitch and a trailer? Trailers cost a fraction of what you pay in markup on a pickup over a small car and most cars are more than capable of towing a small to mid-sized trailer. Bonus: you can unhitch the trailer and have a way easier time fitting into parking spaces ;-)

whartung 3y ago
Because trailers are no fun to park, or run through drive thru for lunch. Trailers are for "occasional" loads, rather than daily loads (unless you're a semi-truck).
- tfourb 3y ago
  The parent was talking about a weekly task, not daily. For me that would fit the description of "occasional". And a trailer the size of a pick-up truck bed would be quite easy to fit through a drive thru made for giant pickups and SUVs. Parking (especially reverse) is something you have to pick up, for sure, but once you do it is actually not that challenging and on many parking lots you can actually just pull through a double parking space without reversing at all. I agree, I wouldn't do it for everyday jobs (for that I'd probably use a large Van or something like it) but in my experience, having a decent trailer gives you tons of flexibility for very little money.
mbfg 3y ago
pulling a US ton of hay with a smaller used car isn't going to be fun. That car's transmission is going to get wiped out.

kevin_thibedeau 3y ago

Get a Maverick and a lightweight trailer.

neogodless 3y ago

The great thing is that today you can still buy a 2005 Ram 2500 for $25,000! (I exaggerate, but my brother recently bought a ~2011 Ram 1500 for $21k!)

mbfg 3y ago
the problem is, unless you buy a southern truck, the frames are pretty much done for... rotted thru.

rainsford 3y ago

I think that's a special case, because large pickup trucks have moved from being work focused to being luxury vehicles. Trucks people bought in 2005 don't really exist any more new, even if the same model is still technically around. That said though, I'm pretty sure they do still make basic work focused trucks, although they might be hard to buy outside of fleet type sales.

mbfg 3y ago
i really don't believe people buy 3/4 and Full ton trucks as luxury vehicles, at least not to a large degree. I certainly agree with you that a huge majority of 1/2 ton pickups are luxury vehicles. Just look at all the short beds that are sold.