jat4
Upstate New York, Finger Lakes
New Member
Joined: 09/10/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
I have been reading the posts here for months now and have benefited greatly from the back-and-forth about brand names, specific models, gas vs. diesel, all of it.
I've got a 2000 F150 supercab that tows a Jayco 26L. Although adequate, the F150 is no fun to drive with the hills we've got here in NY and Pennsy, and starting next year, I'll be towing it 500 to 600 miles every other weekend from May to October. My kids, now 10 and 12, also complain about the lack of space in the back seat.
I've located and test driven a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 mega cab 4x4 with the 5.9L Cummins, at a good price with 57,000 miles. I think someone here in this forum said the 5.9 Cummins is "as close to towing perfection as you can get."
Help me decide to go for it. Money's a bit tight at the moment, but financing the 2007 is better for us than 2006 or earlier models, so that's a decent reason in my mind to act now rather than waiting six months.
The other big decision I need to make is whether to trade in the Ford and use the diesel as my everyday vehicle, or keep the Ford (it still runs great) to use as my everyday truck for a while longer and keep the mileage down on the diesel.
What else do I need to think about? I don't "need" the new truck until March or April, but the one that's available now is pretty nice.
thanks in advance for all your comments and advice!
Jim
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 mega 4x4 5.9L Cummins (new), Flo-Pro exhaust, Prodigy
2008 Jayco 26L, Reese HP DC WD hitch
2000 F-150 V8 5.4L, Reese Brakeman
|
shadoow
South Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 09/25/2007
View Profile
 Online
|
you don't say who you're buying from, dealer or private party. Regardless i guess i'd do the normal things when looking at buying a used vehicle:
- get a carfax or similar report
- inquire about service records (any dodge dealer should be able to provide this if you have the VIN)
- determine if the truck has been 'chipped'. Those 57K miles may have been hard ones.
- research price to determine if the asking price is fair based on condition of truck, mileage, options, etc.
there's probably other things to think about as well so maybe others will chime in to add on. Good luck with your search.
2009 Cedar Creek 34sats
2007 Chev 3500HD D/A
1952 Wife
|
camping man
Central Fla.
Senior Member
Joined: 09/01/2001
View Profile
|
I think I'd just keep one, and drive daily. Just check the records on it, you don't want to get bit on having a diesel repaired for sure. Four hundred dollar injectors,3-4K for an injection pump, kind of scary if you think about it, but your getting the best engine of the bunch in my opinion, good luck.
05 Dodge 2500 2WD Quadcab,6cyl. Diesel
Me
|
jat4
Upstate New York, Finger Lakes
New Member
Joined: 09/10/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
good points so far. I'm also weighing the 2007 that I've driven versus a 2006 Texas truck on eBay motors. both are certified pre-owned one owner vehicles from dealers, both stock trucks with no mods, chips, or the like. The 2007 has 57,000 miles, the '06 has 64,000 miles. The carfax reports on each are clean. The price on each is about where it should be ($32K vs. $28K), both look to have been taken care of. Initially I was skeptical of buying a truck over the internet sight unseen, but our credit union auto guy says that with basic due diligence, that shouldn't be a problem. The issue is really basically whether I want a payment starting in December versus one in March.
One other thing, the 2007 truck is from Pennsylvania so has had two northern winters with road salt; the Texas truck is a year older but hasn't seen salt.
I'd trade the Ford on the 2007 Pennsy truck; keep the Ford with the '06 Texas truck and sell it on my own eventually.
|
donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
Senior Member
Joined: 04/21/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Get rid of the Furd and use the Cummins for every day driver. After driving it for two days you would never drive that Furd again anyhow.
Donn
|
|
|
Al B
Cowtown
Senior Member
Joined: 10/22/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
I use my 5.9C for a daily driver. Fuel economy is fairly decent considering it's almost a 7400lb truck. You won't go back to gas. You won't need the second truck. I'm positive. Why pay insurance on two vehicles, wash two vehicles, store two vehicles, etc etc, when the MegaCab will do everything, and tow like nothin' when you need it. Happy shopping! 
P.S. There is one problem you will have.... trying to get the grin off your face when you tow the TT up the first BIG hill that you would have normally raced to get up in the gasser.
Cummins Powered
|
Tee Jay
Port Angeles, WA
Full Member
Joined: 11/25/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
That 5.9 will get 22 highway and about 18 city and around 13 towing. At 60,000 miles more or less it is barely broke in. The 48RE transmission is solid. The Tow/Haul will kick into overdrive at 50 on the flat, and in Cruise it will provide some degree of engine retarding on the downhill by dropping down a gear.
Great truck for cruising and for towing. If you see a 1-ton, consider it. The ride is the same empty and you pick up about 800lbs payload, and price should be the same. I run from NW WA to San Diego, 1,400 miles each way, twice a year, once towing, and Alaska, 2750 miles towing each way, plus some desert trails and logging roads. It should be a 300,000+ mile engine with decent maintenance.
|
CKNEK
Left Coast
Full Member
Joined: 07/12/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
Mega Cab with the 5.9 sounds like a no brainer.
I agree with the other poster why keep two vehicles if one will do.
|
srt20
Wisconsin
Full Member
Joined: 02/15/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
camping man wrote:I think I'd just keep one, and drive daily. Just check the records on it, you don't want to get bit on having a diesel repaired for sure. Four hundred dollar injectors,3-4K for an injection pump, kind of scary if you think about it, but your getting the best engine of the bunch in my opinion, good luck.
Injector pumps are not 3-4K.
Either one of those trucks have a 5yr 100k warranty on the engine. 7-70k on the rest of the driveline. Did I read 32k-28k prices? Those prices sound pretty high to me. But if its what you want..... does price matter? Good luck, most people love the Cummins. I daily drive mine as well.
|
jat4
Upstate New York, Finger Lakes
New Member
Joined: 09/10/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Agreed that the prices could be lower (isn't that always true?)  but each are about $1000 below NADA retail given their mileage and options. And for each truck our credit union will finance up to 100 percent NADA. So I think the prices are fair, at least, and given that I haven't found many of these to choose from, I think these dealers can afford to be patient waiting for a willing buyer, it seems to me the market isn't exactly glutted with 5.9L mega cabs.
Very glad to hear everyone's thoughts about daily driving the diesel. Although I must say I had to laugh at Al B's comment about washing two trucks--I don't think my F150 has seen soap and water for 5-6 years. That will change with the new truck I suspect, since it will become our long-distance trip vehicle with or without the camper.
I'm leaning toward trading in the Ford if we buy it in Pennsy--won't have that option with the TX truck.
anything else I should be thinking of?
|
|
|
|
