Looking into buying a diesel truck. I don’t have 60-70k to buy new, so I’ve been looking at low(ish) mile Ram and Chevy 3/4 ton models. I want to find something with 150,000 miles or less, and 20k (ish) is the top of the budget.

Given that, would you choose the Ram/Cummins or the Chevy/Duramax? Any particular model year to stick with or stay away from? (Based in cost, I’m probably looking at late 90’s to mid 2000 models)

The second gen Duramax was cheaper to put injetors in.

if you can find the 2nd generation 12 valve with those miles and still in good shape get it 93-98 1/2. mechanical no computer crap.

Ram if one plans on getting out much.

I wish you luck. Buying a used diesel pickup is always a gamble.

I’d be looking for a 2006-7 Duramax LBZ.

That’s not a knock on Dodge. I am just familiar with and confident in Duramax/Allison trucks, and an LBZ checks a lot of boxes.

Find a Ford with the 7.3.

Actually second gen was 94 - 98 1/2 and come with the P7100 pump. They were one of the most dependable and longest lasting diesel trucks ever made IME. If the OP decides to go this route find one with a 5 speed of you want a low first gear. The Ford's with the 7.3 were rockstars as well but are spendy when injectors go out.

You want what you want, I get it, but for that kind of money you can buy a gas rig with a lot less miles. Later generation diesels have given up longevity and low maintenance costs for emission trade offs.

ELKiller: I bought my first Dodge and my first diesel 4x4 pickup truck NEW back in 1996. That truck has served me exceptionally well, been exceptionally dependable and gotten good mileage since day one.
I have 140,000 miles on it now and it now sits in my warm garage year round until I need it to go Hunting or fishing.
Never a wrench has been touched to that engine or its components.
It IS the 12 (twelve) valve model and with 5 speed manual transmission and puttering along I get 21 -22 miles to the gallon.
IF.... and that is a mighty big IF, you can find someone willing to sell their 1996 to 1998 Dodge Cummins extended cab diesel 4x4 with 5 speed transmission I highly recommend it!
I am hopeful this truck/engine lasts me the rest of my life.
Power, dependability and somewhat good mileage - if you find one - buy it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

got my 97 about 5 yrs ago, had a 120000 on it, just now fixing to roll the odomiter over.

Duramax all the way

My 2013 duramax had the injection pump come a part internally 2 times in 120,000 miles. First time under warranty second time cost me $11,000 to fix. I’d do some research on model years with the Bosch cp4 injection pump and steer clear of them! It is a known problem that Chevy was happy to not own up to. Reason this life long Chevy guy bought a Cummins and I’ve been very happy I did.

My 2004 has 195,000 on it. Runs like a champ. I bought a new 2018. I hope it lasts as long and is as trouble free.

I had the front end rebuilt, two water pumps, and the usual maintenance work in the 2004. It’s on the 3rd set of tires ( bout due for 4th set of Michelin’s). It’s the best truck I’ve owned

Guy at work has a 2004, it has 310, on it

I had a 94 Dodge 1500 until it slung a rod @ 230K miles. I bought my 2002 Dodge / Cummins 4x4 immediately after that in March 2007 with about 100K miles. I just rolled over to 270K miles.

I had to have the transmission rebuilt @185K. ($2400)

Had to replace the injector pump and upgraded the lift pump last year...and fixed an oil leak while it was in the shop. ($3200)

I've replaced the wheel hubs about 6 times or so. Passenger side goes out 2 times for every driver hub. About $60-70 a piece and about an hour of labor.

Couple-three water pumps replaced and the radiator once.

Also had to replace the power steering pump and steering gear (not at the same time) a few years ago.

Constantly have to recharge the A/C...

My biggest gripe in all of it though...is the absolutely shi-t-t-t-t-y plastic Dodge used to build the interior of their 94-2002 generation trucks. The dashes are notorious for crumbling to nothing. Aftermarket replacements are available but it is a real pain in the azz. I've also had to replace the fold down cup holder, the dash bezel...and I am about to have to replace the glove box because one hinge cracked / crumbled.

They all have their problems. For every post (across various forums) you see of someone bragging that they've had 100K repair-free miles on truck ABC, there is another claim somewhere else that it is the crappiest, most troublesome piece of equipment ever designed and put into production.

The mechanical, second-gen Cummins as well as the 7.3L Fords are legendary. The second gen Cummins will have a lot of similar issues I pointed out above, minus the injector and lift pump. There is also a huge hotrod base and market for the second gen Cummins.

The 7.3s, good as they are, absolutely blow my mind to see what people are asking for them with 200K or even 300K...asking prices for a pristine 7.3 with only 100K are insane.

I'm eyeballing my next truck and hope to make a purchase this fall. I will be buying used but looking for a diesel 4x4 with less than 100K. I am not interested in any of the recent Fords and the frequency of issues I keep reading about on recent GMs has me cautious....when I pull the trigger, I'm probably going to end up with a Mega-Cab Cummins 4x4.

You may argue but the numbers the last time I checked for the manufacturer's recommended mileage for engine rebuilds was 200,000 miles Duramax, 250,000 for the Powerstroke and 350,000 for the Cummins . The first couple of years of 6.7 Cummins had issues with the Bluetex, it's a regen with exotic cats. Deleted it helps the engine durability , fuel economy and of course power. The Dodge front end has to be keep at new specs with factory sized tires. Or modified. Avoid the manual Mercedes Benz G-56 tranny, it's POS.

A 2006 Duramax 4x4 3500 required more maintenance than any truck I've ever owned. The GM was the best riding and most comfortable truck I've owned. But you can count on front end, steering, water pump and Ujoint problems. We do all our own wrench pulling and a Duramax is a night mare to work on. We have 3 older Ford diesel trucks and 2 Ram trucks a 11 and 13 year models diesels. Once we deleted the Ram trucks we've had no issues besides water pumps. Ram has a recall on the water pumps. There all good trucks but no more Duramax trucks for us, the front ends are to light duty for how we use a truck.

Like others have said, I think each generation has its own unique set of problems, whether Ford, Dodge or Chevrolet, so that is one thing to research and see if it has been addressed on the truck you plan to buy. Personally I prefer the 94 to 02 Dodges. I would not consider a Dodge truck newer than 2007 due to the emission equipment. I have a 96, two 02s and an 04. All things considered the 02s are the nicest. The interior on the 04 is not as nice as the 02s.

If you plan on driving it off-road I'd ditch the Chevy/Ram idea and buy a Ford.


We(the farm) recently bought a '15 F350 with 150k easy miles.

Super cab XLT, $18,900.


Deleted it right off the bat.


$19k for a 5 year old CREAMPUFF F350...

No brainer.

Stolen........

Cummins all the way for me. I personally run the Powerstroke 6.7. I had a Duramax and it had a fuel line problem that would kink and send me into limp mode. Injectors were going to be $10,000 a set installed. I have had friends that are very happy with their Duramax trucks, but from my experience, the Ford blows them out of the water and has the fewest "big problems".

Cummins is probably the best diesel motor made. Dodge trucks have the "death wobble" from the front ends that seam to inflict random trucks.

If I were to choose between the Duramax and the Cummins, I would be driving the Dodge.

New one would have only been another $40k....

I have an '08 Dodge 1 ton with 325,000+ kilometers (190,000 miles) From experience there is a difference between death wobble and wander. A solid front axel will give effectively you 2 or 3 inches more of clearance. Why would you worry about clearance on something as maneuverable as a battleship ? That's what Dodge was thinking anyway. The problem here is any solid front axel ties everything together. So a bad say tie rod end will mess up the whole steering. On a standard wishbone suspension, half the front end could be condemned and you won't get as much excitement. Dodge wander is a different story, Jeep used a 5 link front suspension on the Cherokee and it was pretty amazing, you got acceptable ride and handling and very good off road. Wrangler still uses it front and back. Those same engineers put it on a Dodge pick up. The critical things are compliance and geometry . Too much compliance (wear) throws out your geometry.

There is no question the CTD is the best. The Aisin auto is good too. Aisin is one of the Toyota family of companies.

My 2018 Big Horn Dodge was 42,000 out the door. We bought it at the end of the year. Sticker was 61,000. I’d save and get a new one if possible.

I have 1997 f350 8 ft custom bed with the 7,3 turbo 170+k mile got the power runs like a new one,someone could own it ,I seldom use it

Once bullet proofed the 6.0 is a fine motor.

I just spent a year going through what you are doing. I decided I wanted newer technology and creature comforts

I know it is out of your area but a 30 sec search turned this up as an example


https://www.clousemotorcompany.com/...erral&utm_campaign=cargurus_listings

What year Ram? I believe 2019 and up rams use the same CP4 pump that Chevy and Ford do.

I called on a 2007 f250 6.0PS today.

Has 170k on the clock and the guy wants $9800.00
Body and paint is a bit rough. Claims the egr is deleted. Going to look at it tomorrow.

Man, used diesels make me nervous but new diesels make my wallet squeal.

I’d love to get a new gasser but they’re pretty ridiculous as well.

Being that diesel fuel is $.30 cheaper than gas at the moment and with a pretty big increase in MPG, it has me looking.

My buddy just bought a Crew cab 4wd 2019 F350 XLT 6.7 with 37k miles for $35k. I thought that sounded like a good deal.

I’ve got a 6.0 Ford, had it since 2012, bought with 45k miles knowing the 6.0 issues, bulletproofed at 100k miles, now has 175k miles on it. 6.0s have that reputation behind them, but like Beanman said above, drop a few thousand in them and they’re good to go.

03-07.5 Cummins in Dodge 2500 and 3500 is a good one

The auto trannies are not that strong but they got better in 07.5+ year models. I’d get one of those if you want an auto

That sounds like a deal . A 2020 F-250 STX 4x4 super crew is $56k

Damn 30% off? You must be a great negotiator

Looked at a 2012 today too. It had a 6.7 and priced at $14,500

Fugger had 349k on the clock.

I have a deleted and modified 2006 Ford F 350 CC 4x4 King Ranch dually. IMO it's one of the best trucks ever made. I bought it blowed up with a 100k miles on it and I probably won't ever sell it. My only complaint is the fuel mileage. FYI a 6.4 and 6.7 powerstroke starter will bolt right on a 6.0 engine and they spin 11 to 14% faster, makes a 6.0 way easier starting in really cold weather.

Last of the old body style, wifey bought a vehicle at the same time.

Get an 07 duramax if you can find someone that will sell theirs.

Bb

I just bought a 2000 F250 7.3 with the six speed manual. 160,000 miles. Had a mechanic look it over that is known locally as a 7.3 guru and he said it was one of the cleanest and quietest he’d seen in a while. I paid $16,000 and the guy delivered it to the mechanics shop which was about a 500 mile round trip for him. I don’t think I got a smoking deal by any means but it’s what I wanted and about what I expected to pay. They say the 6.0 is about the best there is once they’re bulletproofed but in order to make that pencil out you need to find one for about $7000.

If you have mid 20k to buy a diesel, save until you have 35-40k.

07 Classic LBZ engine code.

Sam, I bet that sucker screams after the delete.

A buddy’s nephew did the full delete on 2015 just like yours and put a tuner and straight 4” exhaust on it. My buddy told him to never turn it past stock as it would go over 1200 degrees lickety split. He figures on stock it’s about 600 hp now.

One of the many mistakes I’ve made. Selling my 07 Duramax. Hasbeen

Buy a new set of injectors, or an oil pump in a diesel, and your fuel savings are negated.

Unless you're planning to tow a lot, a gasser is probably a better option.

Heeler, I had the mechanic leave it on the 'stock' tune. Should be about like factory which is plenty of HP
for what we need. Get too crazy and the engine will eat transmissions. BTDT, expensive!

The guy that services our vehicles is a diesel guy and drives the same '06 Dodge/Cummins I do. I asked him the other day if he were buying a new truck, what would he get. He replied he'd wouldn't own a new diesel - gas only in any newer truck unless he absolutely had to have a diesel for regular heavy towing. He commented that they are just stupid expensive to maintain anymore and a nightmare to work on.

oil pump in my 12 valve was less than 50 bucks if I remember right can get injectors for a couple hundred.I put the oil pump in when i put a new gearcase on it. injectors on it are easy, just have to get a special socket for them, they run about 30 bucks.

7.3 Ford is an amazing powerplant. Mine has a chip, so it's got a little extra grunt. Biggest issue has been the alternator, third one since I started driving it.

This sums it up right here





Bob

It’s hard to beat a 24V 5.9 Cummins . 12V are probably good too.




Bob

Yes, I should have clarified that. I talked my friend into going gmc duramax classic in 07 from his Ford powersmoke by offering him a deal on some of my gm card dollars. He still has the 07 duramax and I doubt he'll get rid of it.

Bb

I have 2 friend who took a Ford 6.0 Diesel to Wyoming on a elk hunt. Ford broke down on dirt road into camp. Had to have towed 40 miles to the nearest Ford

dealer. The owner flew back to pick it up and got a $9000.00 repair bill. He had to get a loan to pay it. Be careful with 6.0 For Diesels.

Thanks for your input guys. I currently drive an '08 Chevy 1500, and up until a year ago I was convinced that I wanted a 3/4 ton gasser. Then I pulled my 20-ft camper on an antelope hunt and it was clearly working the truck too hard. That's what is leading me to think that a diesel would be the best option and since it won't be a daily driver it should last me a LONG time.

The 12v Cummins are very attractive for longevity, but with a kid in tow, I'm afraid we should at least have a quad-cab. Seems like those model years came in regular cab or extended cab, and with the wife and kid along, I think I'd regret that. If was just me, that would be a different story. Right now, I'm thinking a clean (not hot-rodded or monkeyed with) 04-09 Dodge, or an 04.5-07 Chevy, with an increasing preference to the Dodge.

Pre-emissions BS would be good to... what year did that start? 2007?

I think 2007 is correct. I believe that is when we saw the implementation of ultra-low sulfur fuel, DEF, particulate filters...etc.

Generally, I agree...but the VP44 injection pump and more specifically, the Carter designed lift pump are the Achilles heels of that generation. The VP44 isn't strong enough to pull fuel and force it through the injectors so they use a crappy designed lift pump to feed fuel to the VP44. And since the VP44 requires fuel flow to stay cool, once the lift pump goes, the VP44 is toast.

FASS and Pureflow AirDog each offer bolt on replacements for the lift pump providing much better fuel pressure and reliability. These units are only a few hundred dollars versus the big fuel polishing filter / pump assemblies that mount to the frame under the bed (which are still fantastic though).

The 12V use a mechanical pump that is practically bullet proof and grant a lot more reliability and potential if you decide to do any modifications.

PS: if anyone ever thinks about investing in a FASS, I highly recommend you research some of the disputes between FASS and Pureflow. As a result, I chose a Pureflow unit.

My Duramax has 310,000 miles on it without any problems. Most dependable vehicle that I've ever owned. Took it on a long trip last week and did great and most of it at 80mph.
Read all of this and you will see every body loves their Chebbie, Fordge, or Fiat-Ram.
My neighbor has always owned diesels with mixed luck. He just bought a 3/4 ton GMC and opted for the 6.2 gas. Vehicle was cheaper and so was the fuel. He tows an animal trailer and is very happy with the towing ability. At this time he will not go back to a diesel.

They don’t make a 6.2 gas in the 3/4 ton GM platform. Up until 2019 it was a 6.0, now it is a 6.6.

I was at the Ford dealer today and was looking in the shop. Holy crap, I didn't realize they completely lift the entire cab off the trucks. I saw a F150 with the entire crew cab suspended in the air above the chassis. I'm guessing it was maybe major work/repairs I was witnessing. I always heard that they do it, especially with the F250's, but didn't realize it can apply to the F150's too. Was I seeing something wrong? Anyone work in a shop and can comment? What kind of repairs would necessitate removing the cab? No wonder some repairs are so expensive.

It's not always a matter of being necessary to pull the cab, but it can be a lot faster. If you have a lift and proper tools it's often not a major ordeal lift it off the frame.

Ford has the best chassis, Cummins the best engine, and .gov motors trucks are a wannabe 4x4 Cadillac? I bought a 7.3 standard when I wanted a truck to last the rest of my life. Worse comes to worse I can put a new 7.3L in for less than it would cost to replace one major system on the new urine chuggin' trucks. Or if I wanna splurge drop a 6BT and fuggitabout it.

How much does your camper weigh? I can’t see needing a 3/4 ton let alone a diesel for a 20’ travel trailer.

If I recall correctly, it's about 4400lbs dry. It's not a huge camper, but I can assure you that pulling it over mountain passes with a stiff wind was too much. I know a 5.3L 1/2 ton chevy isn't meant to be a towing machine, but it was dogging it, bad.

I'm sure a "heavy duty" gasser would do it, but for a truck that probably won't see more than 2-3k miles a year, why not buy an older low-mileage diesel? For $20k I could buy a much newer gasser with similar mileage, but from what I've read, it won't last nearly as long as a diesel. If that's true, it makes perfect (long-term) sense to just by an older diesel to begin with, no?

I’d take a newer, lower mileage gas heavy duty or even 1/2 ton over an older diesel without hesitation. Pretty much any of the newer HD gas engines should pull 4K likes it’s not there, plus be a hell of a lot more comfortable than an older, smelly diesel and should go 200k without any major issues.

I don’t know what year 5.3 but if tied to the old 4 speed I bet therein lies the issue. I just don’t see a diesel being the answer to your problems

My Chevy is a 2008, and yes, I believe it is the 4-speed auto transmission. Are the newer Chevy 6-speeds better in that regard?

Mines a 2018 ram Cummins for just that reason! I’m not going to buy anything with a CP4.