Welding Rig Build Questions

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I'm going to rig up for pipeline work. Ill be in northern Alberta for the most part, so very cold..My question is this, what is the current truck that guys are running that are holding up? Chev, Ford, Dodge? Diesel, Gas? I am a gearhead and the more I research the newer trucks the more they look like pieces of crap. The new diesels sound like rolling money pits. So an older diesel? Or perhaps a newer gas? Im looking at spending about $30000 on the truck and I am considering financing a new one. But the more I look the less I know, it seems like there are a lot of problems with the newer trucks. At this point I am considering a Dodge 5.9 Cummins, or a newer Chev or Ford gasser. It just has to be reliable.
Reply:how much weight do you plan on putting on the truck? A diesel will handle it better and get better mileage than a gas motor. Typically they last longer as well. the new ones might be quirky but an old one doesnt automatically mean better. A 15 year old truck may have a solid drivetrain, but the suspension and steering etc might be wore out. It can get old constantly having to fix little wear items on a truck that is supposed to be making you money.- Christian M.C3 Welding & Fabrication - CNC Plasma Cutting-Mobile Welding-Custom welding and fabwww.c3welding.com
Reply:With what I need in tools, guys are pulling it off with short box trucks. They are 2500 or 3500 series though. I am considering just getting a dually and putting a deck on it also. The diesels for the most part do get better fuel mileage. But I am looking at reliability. So when you have problems with a diesel it can be very expensive. I do prefer diesel's, but man the new ones seem risky.
Reply:Pay up front or in the long run..... I've run big block chevy and 7.3 powerstroke. Big blocks eat fuel but are cheap to fix . Diesel will get better mileage but when they go down...$$$$$$. Both will go the distance are far as miles run. Solid front axle if you play in the oil patch. IFS for pipeline/ pavement. My 2cents. Sent from my DROID RAZR using TapatalkLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:I only look at Fords. My '01 7.3 is great, and I'll keep it as long as I can. But, I am not impressed with the way Ford has changed their diesels so often since '03. Now a diesel is what, an $8k option??? I can get a few gasser long blocks for that kind of money. I would probably lean towards a gasser if it was me."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I am leaning towards the gasser because they are a lot cheaper to fix. Those diesels are great though, when they run right.....But what about the rest of the truck? Dodge and Ford have a solid front diff so I would assume that they can take more of a beating.
Reply:Find a Ford f350 with a 7.3l diesel. I have a '97, two cousins have 2000. Absolutely tough and strong. From 1968 till now, I've had all three makes, but this one us the best. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Go talk to the guys at International and get a real truck.12-14 foot frame setup.Build it the way you want it.Get the smallest diesel and no 2 speed rears. I haven't had one since I left up'ar so I don't know if they had to ruin them with all of the computer BS or not. Damn good trucks and probably no more money than that Cowboy wannaB King Ranch P.O.S. with a lot less "stuff"(breakables)Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:I'm not too sure I'd want a diesel in Northern Alberta winter. I had my '97 Cummins up in Alaska and it didn't like it much. I guess it would be OK if you left it running all winter, that's what they did up in Prudhoe Bay.
Reply:The winters are very cold up there and diesels do struggle in that compared to a gas motor. Due to the nature of the job I'm going to stick to a 2500 or 3500 size truck. I can't run an old truck either, I need it to be reliable in every aspect and the old trucks need constant work. A 2011 F 350 with the gas motor is what I have been looking at. The loggers on the west coast where I live, run the Fords because they do take the abuse better than the other brands.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Go over to the AWS forum & inquire there. There's a LOT of pipe guys (serious pipe guys who do it 100% of the time) over there running various kinds of rigs. It seems the Dodge trucks with the Cummins diesels are the preferred choice of most.You'll get a lot more responses there. We have some pipe guys here, but I would venture to say over 70%+ of their membership there are API or ASME pipe guys. Most of them ROW jobs on the firing line.Good luck with it man.
Reply:have you checked out rigwelder.com?  there site is back up and running.  they have a whole sections dedicated to trucks.