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They rent biguns that can tow stuff too but anyway.

Curious what you think it might cost to rent a big rugged truck and large cargo trailer to haul several tons, and have possession of it for say 5-6 days, interstate move, say 600 miles.

In my casual search, probably $2000+.

Contrast that with BUYING and owning outright a $10,000 15 year or so old Diesel in good operating condition, and another few thousand dollars for a nice used cargo trailer. Again, renting for a week at about 1/4 the cost makes no sense versus owning these outright.
 
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Curious what you think it might cost to rent a big rugged truck and large cargo trailer to haul several tons, and have possession of it for say 5-6 days, interstate move, say 600 miles.

In my casual search, probably $5000.

Contrast that with BUYING and owning outright a $10,000 15 year or so old Diesel in good operating condition, and another few thousand dollars for a nice used cargo trailer. Again, renting for a week at about 1/3rd the cost makes no sense versus owning these outright.
I didn't search at all but I'm guessing around $5.
 
The idea of renting is not lost on me. Lots of great feedback here and I don't want to stifle it.

Renting was actually my FIRST consideration.

A 26' box truck has a max weight capacity of 4 tons and towing capacity (back to renting another trailer or buying a trailer) of 3.5 tons. I have close to those maximums to move. So it would require multiple trips.

I've already downsized to the maximum I'm willing to downsize.

And when I ran the numbers a couple months ago I came away thinking that renting for about $2-3k for a week is worse investment than buying for $10k-15 and owning outright. 5x the cost, but I'd own it ... and trucks are extremely useful and I've wanted a truck for a decade.

So that might explain a bit more to the puzzle. Sometimes renting makes sense. I don't think this is one of those times. $3000 is a LOT of money to rent something for a week, when it's about 1/5th of owning something that will be useful for another decade.
 
Something I'd think about. You're planning on making a long trip towing a trailer. Don't wait until the last minute to get a used truck, then head out down the highway trusting that all will go well with a used outfit. Get the truck in plenty of time, if you can, before the trip. So you work out any bugs in the unit and get some hands on with it. Along with that, you will get some confidence in the thing. It's amazing how fast time flies when you're trying to get ready for a trip and a vehicle needs this and that to be done on it. Oh, and don't get more trailer than you get truck.

I'm in the market for a strong towing capacity 4x4 pickup from around late 1990s to early 2000s in excellent condition

Do your looking well. The age bracket you specify is getting up there. Remember, repair work on a Diesel is generally more expensive than on a gas engine. If the truck is mostly for towing, you might want to skip the 4x4 requirement. Leaving that out will expand your field of search some.
 
All this talk about trucks and you still need a trailer. I'm right by Tacoma and I've got a 10k lb cargo trailer that I used to move up here in December. Got the thing brand new and added a wireless backup camera to it. It just sits in my yard, I need a smaller trailer so I'd sell you this guy for a good price. Let me know if you're interested, I can even deliver it to you since you don't have a truck yet.
 
When I moved to Bend from CA two years ago, I rented a space on a trailer towed by a big rig. I ended up filling a 27' trailer. The company dropped the trailer at my house, I did all the loading, the company transported the trailer and delivered when I wanted. I did all the loading and unloading myself, everything went great, I didn't have the stress of towing. If I remember correctly, the cost was under $2300. Going this route took away the stress, and made my move enjoyable, especially since I didn't have any towing experience towing at that time.
 
Check this out. Meets most of your criteria. I'm in the car biz currently at Mercedes-Benz Of Beaverton and know the 2 Managers at this place. I can vouch for their integrity.

 

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Some relatives just passed through our area hauling big RV trailers. Cousin with a new F350...9mpg towing. Uncle with a new Tundra...10mpg towing. Difference in price = +$30k for the Ford.
 
Good points above. Brings to mind a neighbor I had with a brutally powerful diesel pickup for towing his 23' diving boat. I think the truck had a quarter million miles on it. Still running strong, great motor. But riding in the truck with nothing on the hitch told a different story about the brakes, wheel bearings, suspension, steering, differential, U-joints, etc. Worn, loose, wobbly and really noisy.

Not trying to dissuade you from buying an older rig. I would encourage you, though, to get as much info as you can about what it was used for by the previous owner(s). Extensive towing of anything bigger than a small boat or utility box will definitely age any vehicle in dog years. Beware the seller who boasts how much tonnage "Ol' Bessie" has hauled for the past decade. If she's that wonderfully strong and dependable, why is she up for sale now?

Demand, gently, to see service records.
 
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Check this out. Meets most of your criteria. I'm in the car biz currently at Mercedes-Benz Of Beaverton and know the 2 Managers at this place. I can vouch for their integrity.

Thanks. Looks excellent but not 4x4. I'm moving to Idaho or Utah, both get snow. I believe 4x4 is probably necessary. Correct me if I am wrong.
 
Since (c) 2000, the emissions requirements on diesels have forced manufactures to build garbage. It's not uncommon for newer diesels to self destruct within 150K miles. The Ford 6.0L powerstoke (production years 2003-2007) often didn't make 100K. The problem is the DPF (diesel particulate filter) that eventually pugs and stops the motor from breathing, and EGR that pushes 1000+ degree exhaust back through the motor. Removing the DPF is a federal crime and a $5K fine if used on highways. That makes pre-DPF trucks highly desirable - aka expensive. In Washington, a nice condition Ford superduty with a powerstroke 7.3 (production years '94-2002) 4x4 will cost you $20K +.. miles don't matter.
Options -
1) buy some where else...
2) buy a newer truck with a blown motor and have an older "good" motor transplanted. This is a growing trend and there's a few videos on youtube for this.
3) buy a newer truck and do a dpf delete / egr bypass. Washington state doesn't do emissions checks on diesels, and won't do emissions tests on anything next year. It's legal for "off road" use.....

Good luck.

It's been 15 years since my last automobile purchase and I've never bought one specifically in Washington. I'll soon be spending around $10,000-15,000 cash, probably in a private deal. I'm in the market for a strong towing capacity 4x4 pickup from around late 1990s to early 2000s in excellent condition. Probably diesel. I've never owned a diesel. This is for a pending long distance out-of-state move, where I will be hauling a lot of personal property in a cargo trailer. Also advice in towing, capacity, towing trailers, etc. since I have no experience there.

Any and all relevant advice from shopping, buying, licensing, what to look for specifically in brands and models, or tips on if you know of one for sale are all appreciated.

Thanks!
 

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