What it’s like daily driving a 10 year old diesel truck

“Hello everyone, welcome ，Today, I will discuss my experience with daily driving a ten-year-old diesel truck. Here we have a 2013 F-250 King Ranch with a six seven in it. It has recently reached 160,000 miles, which I rolled over the other day, making it, quite obviously, a ten-year-old truck.

 

I will discuss how this vehicle has held up, as it is currently my daily driver and my only truck. First off, let’s delve into maintenance. Upon acquiring it, I performed a fresh oil change, replaced the coolant, and changed all the fuel filters. I haven’t tinkered with the transit rear end or anything of the sort yet. The only real issue it had in terms of maintenance was suspension damage. It had a ‘death wobble’, and after a new alignment and several replacements – including sway bars, tie rod ends, track bars, track bar ball joints, and sway bar links – the problem hasn’t recurred.

 

I have owned this truck since it had 157,000 miles on it. In that time, thankfully, no other mechanical issues have arisen. There are no leaks, and the motor and transmission are still in good condition.

 

Now, let’s move on to cosmetic damage, starting with the interior. Here is what you might expect with any ten-year-old truck. There is minor wear and tear on the leather, and slight fading at the top of the plastic elements. The steering wheel has taken the most damage. I’ve covered it, but the top is quite worn, and I plan on replacing it eventually. The seats show light wear on the leather, which I suspect will eventually tear. There’s also slight wear on the center console. Overall, however, the interior is in excellent shape.

As far as maintenance goes, I replaced all the normal shocks, but that’s not of great consequence as they are cheap and wear out on any vehicle. Looking at the back, there’s more cosmetic damage. The rear bumper is quite worn, and the original front bumper was chipped beyond repair. I plan on stripping and painting this bumper eventually, but that will wait until I have the primer to fix other things on this vehicle. The backup camera only works intermittently, but the heating and AC systems are fully functional. That’s the only real issue at present.”

 

“The camera sometimes fails to activate. There are additional dots on the tailgate, and I noticed that one license plate light doesn’t function, nor does this reverse light. However, these are minor issues. I’ll probably upgrade to LEDs eventually.

 

Most of this vehicle has remained quite clean. I had to repaint the rocker on the driver’s side, but the passenger side is still looking good. I applied some PR15 to the inner rockers to extend their lifespan, although there was nothing wrong with them initially. I’m merely attempting to preserve them.

 

Eventually, I want to undercoat this vehicle. There’s some surface rust, which might seem like I’m nitpicking since it’s still pretty clean overall. Nothing is leaking from the engine or transmission, which is fortunate. The frame remains in good condition, but I want to apply an undercoating, possibly using fluid film, the black stuff, to keep it clean for years to come.

Here’s what the inside of a ten-year-old truck bed looks like. It has a spray-in bed liner, and it’s clear that it wasn’t heavily used for work because there’s minimal denting.

 

This truck came from the south, so if your truck has spent its whole life up north, the condition might be slightly worse. There are minor rock chips, which is to be expected.

 

The worst cosmetic damage is the corrosion I’m about to address. I’ll strip the lips of the door and the inside down to bare metal, prime them again, and hopefully prevent further corrosion. I’ll probably make a video on this process, including blending in the paint.

 

When I get the primer, I also want to restore the tailgate and remove all the damage. I still have some tan paint left, so I’ll likely remove the rear bumper and strip it. The front bumper doesn’t need any work because I have a brand new Ranch Hand installed, and I have no intention of returning to the stock bumper unless I decide to sell the truck, which is unlikely.

There’s minor corrosion here and there, but the rest of the truck is solid. When I get the white trico paint, I’ll mask off the rubber, sand it, and reshoot this part, which has been significantly damaged.

 

We’ve gone over the minor cosmetic damage inside and out, and it’s clear that this truck has been moderately well-maintained. We’ve also discussed the minimal maintenance required so far.

 

As for regular drivability, it’s used daily on the highway without any issues. It’s tuned and deleted with an H S Mini Max, and it always starts right on cue. I relocated the switches for the light bars, which rarely work and aren’t necessary for me.

 

That’s about it for the cosmetic damage and maintenance. Now, let’s discuss the drivability.”

“The switches for the light bars are barely noticeable, tucked away out of sight. As for the vehicle’s sound, it’s not as loud as some of the older diesel models I’ve owned. While I sometimes miss the roar of a louder engine, especially over the weekends, I appreciate the quieter drive when commuting to work every morning.

 

I should mention that the steering feels very solid after I had it rebuilt. This vehicle initially had death wobble issues, but it always steered straight.

 

The touchscreen radio is a bit dated, being a 2013 model, but it occasionally has some bugs. While it’s not as advanced as the latest models, I still find it quite satisfactory.

 

The interior feels much newer than you’d expect from a ten-year-old vehicle. Currently, the fuel efficiency is around 13.3 miles per gallon. This figure is fairly accurate when calculated by hand. The efficiency dropped slightly after I swapped the original tires for 37-inch ones, but it’s not a big concern.

The rear camera sometimes fails to activate, despite all the wires being in good condition. I drive about 55 miles a day for my round trip to work. The first 10 minutes are spent on country roads before hitting the interstate. After getting off the interstate, there’s a bit of traffic for about six miles until I reach my destination.

 

Given my daily commute, I end up driving approximately 270 miles per week. This results in using about 20 gallons of fuel per week, costing roughly $90. For a 40-minute commute each way, every day, I find this quite reasonable. This cost, however, is based on going straight to work and straight home without any detours.

 

With the windows rolled up, the road noise is fairly minimal, thanks to the 37-inch Nitto Trail tires. I might make a video about these tires once I’ve put more miles on them.

 

The power sliding rear glass is a great feature. On older trucks, accessing the rear slider can be a nuisance, especially on crew cab trucks, as you have to climb into the back seat. This feature is particularly useful in warmer weather when I like to have it open.

Lastly, this truck is equipped with heated and cooled seats, which I find to be a great comfort feature. I’ve only used the cooling function a few times during hot days in Michigan, and it works quite well.”

 

“The AC in this vehicle works exceptionally well, as expected from any newer model. It hasn’t had time to wear out, which is a significant advantage over older models.

 

When accelerating, this vehicle is equipped with a traction control feature which helps to maintain stability. I usually drive this car normally, so it doesn’t bother me too much. If needed, you can press and hold the button to turn off the advanced tracking feature.

 

I’m currently using a street tune on the Mini Max, which enhances the vehicle’s performance noticeably. Even though it’s a heavy diesel truck, lifted and fitted with heavy aftermarket front bumpers, its performance remains impressive. The added power comes from a few modifications such as an exhaust tune and an intake upgrade.

I haven’t had the chance to pull any trailers with it, but I’m confident it would handle that task with ease. The power level on this truck is commendable.

 

The traction control feature is quite useful, especially during regular driving or in snowy conditions. It prevents the vehicle from skidding out of control.

 

The interior is very comfortable, and I’m genuinely pleased with this vehicle. I’ve only had it for a few months, but it’s been excellent so far. I’m hoping it will last me a long time. Being a 2013 model, I expect to avoid the turbo issues common in older models. With a CP4 bypass and all emissions removed, I anticipate this truck will serve me well for many years.

 

Some might criticize the H S tuning, saying it’s harmful to the transmission, but I believe that if the truck is driven moderately and the shifting is done at lower RPMs, the tuning shouldn’t cause any harm.

In conclusion, I highly recommend a ten-year-old diesel truck for daily use. There might be minor issues to deal with, but nothing major so far. Plus, you won’t have to spend as much as you would on a brand-new truck. In the case of the Ford six sevens, you’re getting an equally great engine. I hope you found this video helpful and see you in the next one.”