Buying a used diesel tv.

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by avolnek

Prove it!!! Pictures!!! Congrats btw

Will do, thanks!

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by JParcic

Well I just traded my 08 F150 for an 05 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9 L Cummins. This truck is absolutely cherry as the previous owner took wonderful care of it. It even came with Airbags. I'm averaging 21 mpg unloaded and around 15 towing our Tracer.

Nice Congrats, you'll like the Cummins I had a 7.3 years ago (great engine couldn't keep a trans in it so I went Dodge ) but I like the Cummins better...... I lucked out a couple summers ago I found a nice 05 Dodge duelly with the Cummins with 53K for under 20K but the reason was it is 2 wheel drive (everyone around here wants a 4x4).

Don't go by the computer mileage it is not always correct. My 03 Dodge 5.7 Hemi was way off. ......... actual I got about 8 towing with the Hemi 13 solo, with the Cummins the trailer is heavier trailer by over 4K get about 12 towing and 18-20 solo (no flat ground around here)...... A friend had a 96 Dodge Cummins Duelly 6 speed & claims to have gotten 23mpg but the was before they reformulated the diesel.

Enjoy

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Nice Congrats, you'll like the Cummins I had a 7.3 years ago (great engine couldn't keep a trans in it so I went Dodge ) but I like the Cummins better...... I lucked out a couple summers ago I found a nice 05 Dodge duelly with the Cummins with 53K for under 20K but the reason was it is 2 wheel drive (everyone around here wants a 4x4).

Don't go by the computer mileage it is not always correct. My 03 Dodge 5.7 Hemi was way off. ......... actual I got about 8 towing with the Hemi 13 solo, with the Cummins the trailer is heavier trailer by over 4K get about 12 towing and 18-20 solo (no flat ground around here)...... A friend had a 96 Dodge Cummins Duelly 6 speed & claims to have gotten 23mpg but the was before they reformulated the diesel.

Enjoy

Thank you! I had an 02 F350 power stroke some years back and as much as I loved that truck, I love the Cummins that much more! Will be posting pics soon.

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Nice Congrats, you'll like the Cummins I had a 7.3 years ago (great engine couldn't keep a trans in it so I went Dodge ) but I like the Cummins better...... I lucked out a couple summers ago I found a nice 05 Dodge duelly with the Cummins with 53K for under 20K but the reason was it is 2 wheel drive (everyone around here wants a 4x4).

Don't go by the computer mileage it is not always correct. My 03 Dodge 5.7 Hemi was way off. ......... actual I got about 8 towing with the Hemi 13 solo, with the Cummins the trailer is heavier trailer by over 4K get about 12 towing and 18-20 solo (no flat ground around here)...... A friend had a 96 Dodge Cummins Duelly 6 speed & claims to have gotten 23mpg but the was before they reformulated the diesel.

Enjoy

interesting .....around here it's the dodge that no one can keep a trans in. trans shops look like dodge dealerships lol I have had 3 power strokes and no trans issue's.

I pre-fer fords but that second post had a link to a very very good article so I would re-read that and go by it if your going to by a diesel.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by dsrace

interesting .....around here it's the dodge that no one can keep a trans in. trans shops look like dodge dealerships lol I have had 3 power strokes and no trans issue's.

I pre-fer fords but that second post had a link to a very very good article so I would re-read that and go by it if your going to by a diesel.

Any of them can turn up with problems..... Never replaced a Dodge Trans (Yet) but my 7.3 Ford was getting ready to have the third trans at 112K so I traded..... A friend has one of the last 7.3 he has had trans trouble..... I have had all types of ford car trans problems (Still like the Mustangs though) DW was so upset that our Fords were always in the trans. shop that we had to go Honda .....The trans. guy now misses us...... We were on a first name basis

[Oaklevel]

I WAS a Ford Man ..... Back years ago I had a Bronco,73, 76, 78 150's pulled a 4500 lb camper with most of them Then I got a E150 Conversion Van (big mistake) Trans went out at 36K (Not all its fault it was overweight with no one in it) Learned alot (Just had kids then) Got a used Ford Diesel F250 used from a dealer found out the Trans had been replaced at less than 12K (from the original owner) it had 32K when I got it. at 75K trans was going out.......so traded it on a new F250 with the 7.3 (still had the 4500 lb camper) trans on it went out at 55K then again at 89K then we having trans troubles in & out of the shop at 105K the trans guy the last time said would not trust it to go out of town needed a new trans again at 112k....Traded on an 03 Dodge Hemi 1500 after the Dodge upgraded to Puma 5th Wheel 8000 lbs decided on a bigger trailer found the 05 Dodge Cummins Duelly sold the 03 at 92K never been to the dealer or any repair (other than maintenance). Had the 05 for 1yr & half very happy so far.......... put about 12K on it......... Will not even go into all the Ford Cars we had trans. put in ....... DW will not even look at Fords in our driveway (I still like my Mustangs she does not)

[Smitty3215]

I have had rebuilt transmissions out of all three ford dodge Chevy they ALL have there weak points wether it be shafts or clutch packs its all how there treated. I am rebuilding a Allison right now and everybody says there industructable and that's bs.

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by Smitty3215

I have had rebuilt transmissions out of all three ford dodge Chevy they ALL have there weak points wether it be shafts or clutch packs its all how there treated. I am rebuilding a Allison right now and everybody says there industructable and that's bs.

I couldn't agree more. I think the key is to not chip the truck nor drive it like a race car.

[dsrace]

I don't know why you had sooooo many problems with the ford trans but hey you got something that is holding up and that's good oak level. around here the camp grounds are full of ford super duty's or they are pulling horse or stock trailers mostly, and a lot of construction crews. most people though start off with better trans coolers right off the bat since the factory ones are waaaaay to small in the 7.3's, to keep the heat down while pulling and a few that pull heavy step up to a good tq converter and some just build a pullin trans. I have owned 3- 7.3 psd's and only 1 has been an auto trans, ran it to 140k miles with out any issues pulling trailers and fifthwheel as well as tt trailers up to 10k lbs at 75 mph and below. all of my trucks have had tuners with no more than 80 hp tow tunes. no pug in chips or programmers especially not the edge programmer!! those will just scramble ford pcms. with the dp tuner I had on the auto psd it added a tow tune that changed the shift points of the trans and raised line pressure coupled with the better trans cooler that was 6 times larger than factory on that 95 psd and trans fluid changes every 40k miles I never had an issue. I sold the truck to a friend and he has not had any issues yet either and pulls tt camper around 8k. he run 15 hrs up from ga to run with us at the dunes and has pulled through the mountains with it. don't know why you had such bad luck with all those auto trans and that's wasn't fun no doubt. I have a few buddies that are die hard dodge diesel guys and none will buy a dodge with an auto in it, two uncles that have dodge auto's who have had the same bad luck with the dodge auto trans you write about having had with your ford trans, there's were stock trans as I am sure all of yours were too. until they found a performance trans shop and stuck some real money into built parts for the auto trans for there apps. a close friend has a 99 psd dually auto. 200,000 k miles, used to pull a loaded 44' construction trailer and 13k lb fifth wheel it's whole life and the camper has seen many states. fact trans cooler but had the tow tune, the trans needed rebuilt at 140k due to tq converter slipping. the tq converter seem to be a very weak part of the trans factory but the aftermarket ones seem to take care of the problem there. I personally pre fer manual trans and that is why I bought my 99 psd to go back to a manual trans for towing. in now have a 6 speed and my first one was a 5 speed. clutch's last to 100k miles on both trucks for me. I don't replace the factory ones with stock either and at 240k miles never had an issue with the 5 speed and at 84k miles don't have any issues with the 6 speed.

[dsrace]

I don't car what brand you own, none of them are issue free and if you just simply take the time to look around on the forums or ask those that build them you find out what the weak links are so you can get rid of those problems before they strand you on the road. yes this will involve putting money into them that you won't get back selling them and factory equipped is seldom good enough for a lot of people. I have never considered re-sale on my trucks only what I needed it to do reliably and when they do, the extra expenditure was well worth it in the long run!!

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by Smitty3215

I have had rebuilt transmissions out of all three ford dodge Chevy they ALL have there weak points wether it be shafts or clutch packs its all how there treated. I am rebuilding a Allison right now and everybody says there industructable and that's bs.

how many dodge manual 5 speeds have you re-built? I have a few friends that have had issues the the 5th speed gear retaining nut coming loose, have they figured out a cure for this yet or do you see much of this problem where your at?
I have 3 friends with duramax diesels and all have installed trans jr shift kits to help those trans, any other add needed in your opinion?

[Smitty3215]

If the Ng 4500 are 4wd here is the best fix on the market it's www.fithgearrepair.com and the Allison trans there going the right route.

[dsrace]

thanks i'll pass it on

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by JParcic

Will do, thanks!

Sorry it took so long but here's my Dodge with our Tracer.

[avolnek]

Originally Posted by JParcic

Sorry it took so long but here's my Dodge with our Tracer.

Attachment 40202



Attachment 40201

Sexy!

What kind of add ons are you getting? Because you are getting some right!?

[Iwannacamp]

I have a 2005 Ram 2500 4X4. 5.9l diesel. No fluid. It has the German 6spd manual. I LOVE THIS TRANSMISSION. If you don't mind a manual this is the way to go. New clutch, pressure plate and flywheel less than $1000. I did not buy an auto because I am scared of them. All of then. Saturn burned me on use auto transmissions. Most auto transmissions are $5K plus. I cannot pay that.

I add. I LOVE this transmission. No doubt I would buy again.

My $.02

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by avolnek

Sexy!

What kind of add ons are you getting? Because you are getting some right!?

As far as my truck is concerned, I'm going to go with black nerf bars and fender flares as well as some vent visirs and a bug shield. Mechanically I'll keep it stock. This truck has been well taken care of and I'll continue to do the same. As far as the trailer goes, I want a topper for the slide out and the bumper mount BBQ and a ladder. I'm also not real happy with the free standing dinette and may mod it to the twin post setup!

[JParcic]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

I have a 2005 Ram 2500 4X4. 5.9l diesel. No fluid. It has the German 6spd manual. I LOVE THIS TRANSMISSION. If you don't mind a manual this is the way to go. New clutch, pressure plate and flywheel less than $1000. I did not buy an auto because I am scared of them. All of then. Saturn burned me on use auto transmissions. Most auto transmissions are $5K plus. I cannot pay that.

I add. I LOVE this transmission. No doubt I would buy again.

My $.02

I got the truck with just under 100k on it. The tranny shifts solid with no slipping :knocks on wood:. So far the only thing I've had to have fixed is the pinion seal on the front diff.

[RamLab2]

Everyone of the manufactures have their junk years. I went from an '04 GMC crew cab diesel to a 2011 F-250 crew cab diesel. My '04 had issues building. Plus beware of GM 4x4's from 2001 to about 2008- transfer case issues. Plus early 2000+ models have an injector issue due to filtering issues. Also an FYI if you travel any distance or are near a Pilot/Flying J get their rv card for discount and you can refill DEF at the pump. Cheaper than you can buy from Walmart or auto parts store.
I love my Ford. It tows my 2012 Silverback 31B2 without issues.

[dean178]

Wow! ok I'll start with the Ford 6.0 just doing the egr delete isn't the answer for the 6.0 blues trust me on that, that engine was built with a bad oil cooler ALL OF THEM! some just go before others, there's no if just when. The 2nd bad thing is the egr then the head studs. The egr and the oil cooler are week and one will crack then the other then the head gasket will blow.we had a 07 it was a nice truck but oh my God living in that fear sucked, also I don't have any good to say about the injectors.

The 7.3 Ford is good but they are getting old now and harder to find with low miles, they are holding in price very well you can not go wrong.

The Chevys diesels I haven't worked on much just the ones from back in the 90's
From what I have read about them and I would own with the LBZ that is the 06-07 2007.5 GM made some changes the egr stuff and they don't get as good mpg as the older ones I know two people that live near by that have 01's and they get good mpg and they have not had any injector problems but we almost got an 03 that was at the dealership in town but it's a small town and I found out the guy that traded it in had some injector problems so I stayed away from it. like some have already said if you want the 6 speed auto trans with out the egr/dpf crud get the lbz if you can find one but know before hand that Chevys cost a little to fix.

Dodge 5.9 I have heard that the 2006 did not come with the 6 speed auto trans and we went with an 08 6.7 6 speed auto trans with a Jake brake the paint on Dodges doesn't hold up as well as the others (Ford & Chevy)but hey I live in MN. So if a person drives in the winter the truck is going to rust, we keep ours parked in the winter, someone on page one said that the dpf and egr stuff isn't a huge issue well no it's not if you only do freeway driving the newer trucks go into regen mode and you have to drive 45 mph fro like 15 to 20 min and it has to finish it's regen if you don't let it your truck will have a code on the over head and if you don't get it taken care of your truck will go in limp mod also you have to have the dpf system cleaned as part of regular service... We are running a tuner on our 6.7 on econO tune (that's not hulling anything)at 55 to 60 mph we get 25 to 27 mpg 14 to 16 in town not going by the over head with the TT in tow the TT is about 8,000lb loaded 11.5 to as good as with the wind at our back 15.9 that was driving at 55 to 58 mph but most of the time towing we are getting 11.5 to 13 mpg we had a Dodge 4.7 gasser when we had our other TT 6200lbs 9 to 6 mpg. I went with a Dodge because they are easer to work on I worked in the field on Cats for 20+ years and I know a little about diesels and some people are saying that the egr and dpf systems are falling off their trucks at high speeds. The dpf and egr systems on all the newer trucks are the worst thing that has happened to the diesel trucks they will plug-up sooner or later, they will all get good mpg till they start plugging-up.

If I had to do the truck thing again I would have keep the Ford I would have pulled the 6.0 (it had 90,000 miles on) and sold it and then put a 5.9 or 6.7 Cummins in it the ford was a better riding truck