Buying a Used Tow Vehicle?

[LittleRed586]

My husband and I are planning on RVing full time after he retires from the military in a year and we want to live out of a fifth wheel.

We have been looking at new SRW diesel pickups but a brand new one will cost over 50K. So far my husband's favorite is the Chevy/GMC 3500HD crew cab, long bed, SRW. We have seen a few on the used market close to the 30K range but we are a little nervous about buying a used truck of this size.

Is it wise to buy a used diesel truck for full time RVing? My step father is a diesel mechanic so we are thinking about dragging him along with us if we look at a used one.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

LittleRed586 wrote:


Is it wise to buy a used diesel truck for full time RVing? My step father is a diesel mechanic so we are thinking about dragging him along with us if we look at a used one.

Oh, you've got a HUGE asset with your stepdad! Ed and I own a used car lot, so we ALWAYS drive used vehicles; and have had a late-model F-350, a Chevy 2500; and 2 RAM 2500s (all diesel & SRW). All have performed flawlessly, and were purchased for a LOT less than a new one (let someone else take that depreciation hit) Our secret for success? All of our trucks were commercial lease vehicles that were turned back in - they had good care, regular maintenance; and gave us zero problems. They were turned in because they were at the end of their lease - NOT because they had "issues".

[Grit_dog]

^^
By the same token, clean used crew cab late model diesels with 100kmi seem to fetch $30k or more, at least around here.
You can buy a lightly optioned new Ram or GM CC 4wd diesel New from the big dealers in Idaho for right around $40k maybe a tad less.
IMO, the used diesel market is skewed and used isn't a good value.
(A lot of people are paying retail sticker prices though, but check out what you can get from Dillon, Davesmith or similar dealers)
Retired, full timing, I'd spend $10-12k more and have a truck that wil not need any repairs likely for the next 100000miles.

[tatest]

At current prices, I would not be inclined to buy any HD truck new. When I was shopping for a one-ton passenger van as a tow vehicle, prices were $38K to $40K new. I got a 19,000 mile year-old truck for $22,000. It came off the rental market, and I had a choice among a half dozen examples in Tulsa area, Ford and Chevy, when I was shopping late 2013, early 2014.

For HD pickups, particularly crew cabs with deluxe trim, prices will be much higher but savings can be similar. Best deals are often in "work truck" trim, but the folks who lease those are usually on high-mileage contracts and they hit the market at $20K price point with 2-3 years age and 80,000 to 140,000 miles.

[2012Coleman]

I've been using cargurus.com to search for a used SRW 3500. I like it better than most others I've used. Are you looking for the SRW because it would also be used as a daily driver? Do you know what kind of Fifth wheel you want and how to figure out pin weight? Since you plan on full timing it, you should follow the advice to choose the fiver before buying a TV.

Good luck to you!

[Trackrig]

My last new truck was in 1983, haven't bought a new one since - a total waste of money. Just stay away from a Ford 6.0.

Bill

[Allworth]

You can see from my signature that I have the truck you are talking about. We love it. The ride, loaded or solo, is far superior to the Ram Quad-Cab shortbed that we had before we traded up to this combination.

We bought this 06 3500 in 2010 with 24,000 miles on the clock. We found the previous owner through CARFAX records and found that he was the original purchaser. Turns out that his wife refused to drive it because of the size (There are no "little" crew cab long beds.) and he was not putting enough miles on it to justify the cost of diesel oil changes.

They are out there. It just takes some looking. The diesels are not really broken in till about 50K miles and if you keep up with the maintenance they should run 300K. I have 120,000 on mine now and have only had to replace the fuel pump for a cracked housing.

Enjoy!

[LittleRed586]

My husband and I both have Class A commercial driver's licenses so we are not really worried about size so much. I figure if I can maneuver a 4Runner through rush hour traffic in Seoul, I can drive anywhere.

[camp-n-family]

I'd suggest picking a trailer first, then match the truck. Fivers big enough to comfortably full time in tend to be big and heavy and may require a dually truck to tow. Now that's not always the case, everybody's needs/wants are different but it's no fun being limited because your truck isn't big enough.

Dually trucks can be had for the same or less money than srw trucks around here.

[Grit_dog]

Lots of considerations to be made in the used diesel market, especially in that price range, which leads me to believe its likely an 08-10 model. Post EPA mandate for dpf emissions but pre def/scr addition which are more reliable from an emissions standpoint.
Looking at used GMs, personally I would go 07 or older, or '11 or newer.
And take the diesl mech advice. You've got an in house knowledge base there.

[Tyler0215]

IMHO Any HD pickup is good for 200K miles. Have it checked out by your step father and drive happy.
The only thing you will miss out by buying used is the depreciation.