13. Buy a popular model truck so parts will be cheaper and more plentiful. You might want to go as far as checking out the local junkyard to see what they have the most of.
14. Know your vehicle's limits. This includes the vehicle's total weight rating as well as the front and rear axle weight limits. Critical areas to monitor include the truck's engine and transmission temperatures.
15. Avoid short trips and extended idling. If you have to start and stop the engine often it is wise to install a pre-luber system. Since so much engine wear happens at start-up, a pre-luber system uses an electric pump to get the flow of oil going to critical engine parts before it is cranked. These kits also claim pressurizing the oil after shut-downs carries heat away and further prolongs engine life. A turbo timer is another excellent option. It senses how hot the engine is and keeps the truck running until it cools enough to shut down safely. Take a look at your engine coolant temperature gauge the next time you turn your truck off. It will rise since the flow of cooling fluids has stopped.
What Would You Have to do to Make a Truck last 1 Million Miles?
To have longevity, the first thing you need to do is purchase the right truck. Big engines will last longer than small engines. Simple is better. If you want to get 1 million miles, you will be better off sticking with older mechanically (preferably gear-driven) diesel engines. All it would take is one short in one wire to disable newer computer-controlled engines.
The next thing you need to do is drive the truck everywhere you go. You'll need to stay away from airports and car rentals. Looking at the numbers, if you drove 1,000 miles each week for one year that equals 50,000 miles a year. Keep it up for 20 years and you will reach 1 million miles.
As for the transmission, we would select a manual version since it gives the driver more control over power management. As for the rest of the drivetrain, we would pick a four-wheel-drive model since it gives you another drive option if one of the axles should fail. Our choice for the perfect longevity vehicle is an early '90s Dodge 5.9L Cummins with the options listed above. This engine was pulled from medium-duty trucks and repurposed for the consumer truck market. To make it even better, we would add a pre-luber, turbo timer, and a bypass oil and coolant filter. Anything you can do to reduce heat and keep things clean will make the truck last much longer.
Vehicles Designed to Last 100 Years
The DeLorean dmc-12's (you know, the car from Back to the Future) philosophy focused on longevity versus disposability. One factor that makes the DeLorean long-lasting is the futuristic design. The hope here is that the look will never seem dated since a big reason much of the public trades in their otherwise perfectly good vehicles is because of fashion. Another factor is the DeLorean was built with stainless steel sheetmetal, which will not rust like traditional steel panels. Finally, the underbody is made of corrosion-proof fiberglass, so the bottom won't fall out.
The B52 bomber is another living relic projected to be of service to the United States Air Force until the year 2044. If that happens, it would mean the B52 served in the armed forces for 88 years. The main reason for its longevity is minimal moving parts.
Long-Time Diesel Owner Profile
Gary Parsons is an example of the ideal long-time diesel owner. Also known as Icanfixall on www.oilburners.net, he recently stopped by and showed us his '89 Ford F-350 crew cab, which he bought a decade ago. His experience with owning and building IDI Fords gives him the knowledge to know what commonly goes wrong with these trucks. DP