Forum Discussion

RobWNY's avatar
RobWNY
Explorer
Jun 21, 2020

Used Diesel Truck Miles: How many is too many

I'm beginning to look at late model used 1 ton Diesel SRW trucks to tow my new Reflection 5th Wheel. My 1 ton gas Ram with the 6.4 Hemi tows it fine but with 3.73 gears I'm getting 6.9 MPG before putting anything in it and the RV is long enough that I have difficulty getting into and out of gas stations when towing. I would love to buy a new truck but since it will be primarily used as a tow vehicle, I can't justify buying new. I know very little about diesel trucks and I'm not brand loyal. I do know that the maintenance is more costly than a gas truck, the DEF is a little pricey, if taken care of, diesel motors will last a very long time and the resale is much better than with a gas truck. So if you were me, how many miles would be too many miles to consider? For instance, you would want a one year old truck to have no more than X number of miles. A 2 year old truck to have no more than X number of miles and so on. Keep in mind, not every truck will have only highway miles or have been used as a tow vehicle and there won't be any way of knowing. Also, what are some of the other things you think would be important to look for? Ideally I'd like to find one with the puck system but beggars can't be choosers so I can't let that be a deal breaker if everything else looks good. Thanks in advance for helping me to understand what to look for.
Tow Vehicles

39 Replies

Show More
  • ksss's avatar
    ksss
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2020
    The initial depreciation on a diesel isn't as harsh as other vehicles. A quick example locally, the local Chevy dealer has a 2020 D/A 3500 HD LTZ with 15K on it for 68K (I would guess the purchase price was somewhere around 71K). A 2018 3500 HD D/A LTZ with 38K and they are asking 55K. It is money for sure, but for that you get a full 5 year warranty, optioned like you want and if used only for towing, the miles will stay low, keeping its value high as it ages.
  • ferndaleflyer's avatar
    ferndaleflyer
    Explorer III
    Jun 21, 2020
    First thing I would suggest is leave the SRW behind and get a DRW towing that weight....Won't make much difference in the price and will make a much more stable tow vehicle. Especially since thats all it is going to be used for. I have a 15 year old Ford F350 that has been "bullet proofed" and every oil change and repair has been done at the dealer except the $3000+ spent on the bullet proofing. It has hardly ever been rained on and always stays in the barn, has every option offered when new, and runs, looks, and is like new with 163K on it. Around here that truck is in the $12--15,000 range. If it is a Ford diesel 2003 on for a few years the 6.0 was troublesome unless "bullet proofed". Get as long a wheel base as you can as the ride will be much better.
  • Lantley's avatar
    Lantley
    Nomad
    Jun 21, 2020
    RobWNY wrote:
    FishOnOne wrote:
    If your looking to purchase a 1-3 year old truck you might as well purchase a new one.

    If it was going to be my daily driver I would but since it's going to used primarily for towing, I prefer to let someone else pay for the huge depreciation that occurs over the first couple of years of ownership.


    I agree with buying new unless your paying cash the interest rate will cover the depreciation.
    A new car loan will yield a better rate than a used car loan. You will have a full warranty.
    You will get a better deal because there are factory incentives on new trucks and no incentives on used ones.
    Back to your question. I would hope the new truck would be driven less than 20K per year. But on a 1 or 2 year old truck engine mileage is not the true deal breaker because the truck has a 300-400K lifespan.
    A 1-2 year old truck will have lots of life left in it.
  • RobWNY's avatar
    RobWNY
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2020
    FishOnOne wrote:
    If your looking to purchase a 1-3 year old truck you might as well purchase a new one.

    If it was going to be my daily driver I would but since it's going to used primarily for towing, I prefer to let someone else pay for the huge depreciation that occurs over the first couple of years of ownership.
  • FishOnOne's avatar
    FishOnOne
    Nomad
    Jun 21, 2020
    If your looking to purchase a 1-3 year old truck you might as well purchase a new one.
  • LanceRKeys's avatar
    LanceRKeys
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2020
    Anything over 250,000 I would really have to consider before purchasing.
  • RobWNY's avatar
    RobWNY
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2020
    corvettekent wrote:
    Most of the diesel engines will last for 400,000 miles but the truck will be wore out before that. There are a lot of pre DEF trucks out there with 100,000 miles that have a lot of life left in them.

    I know that you didn't ask but when looking for a truck look at the long bed. They tow better and you can back up the 5th wheel with out causing any damage to it. They also have a bigger fuel tank.

    kent, I have a Reese Sidewinder Pin Box so all of my options are on the table as far as bed length goes. Having a bigger fuel tank is definitely a plus. I currently have a 31 Gallon tank and it should be a 60 gallon tank with how thirsty the 6.4 Hemi is when towing the weight my Reflection is (11,400 Dry can be up to 13,995 loaded but likely won't ever be that heavy)
  • corvettekent's avatar
    corvettekent
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2020
    Most of the diesel engines will last for 400,000 miles but the truck will be wore out before that. There are a lot of pre DEF trucks out there with 100,000 miles that have a lot of life left in them.

    I know that you didn't ask but when looking for a truck look at the long bed. They tow better and you can back up the 5th wheel with out causing any damage to it. They also have a bigger fuel tank.
  • blt2ski's avatar
    blt2ski
    Moderator
    Jun 21, 2020
    A 2-3 year old anything from 10-25k miles a year would not bother me. 30 if I could see it had an hour meter, and Ave say 40+mph. I would worry more about a truck that was in the 25-mph poo er hour.
    Low miles means it may have sat a lot. Both good and bad. Being new, should not be as much of an issue vs say 10+ yrs old.
    It might be worth the few dollars more for one of the 2-3 year old certified trucks too! Assuming you find one
    Marty

About Travel Trailer Group

44,050 PostsLatest Activity: Sep 08, 2025