2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - $11k for 200k miles?

[draknor]

Greetings all!

New to the forums, new to the idea of RV-life, but eager to get started! I'll post an intro post in the beginner's forum later, but wanting to get some opinions here on a potential tow vehicle.

First, let me say i've tried to do my homework:
- Researched tow vehicles, trailers, and 5ers a bit online
- Browsed, searched, and read a bunch on the forums here

We don't have an RV selected yet, but we're likely looking at 26-32' TT (or possibly light 5er). Hoping to pick up something used in the $15k range, with the goal of cross-country full-timing for a year starting this fall. I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself by looking at TVs, but what can I say - I'm excited 🙂

I'm looking primarily at the 2003-2007 Dodge Ram 2500 w/ 5.9L Cummins - also looking to spend around $15k for the TV - and these seem to be in that range (and lets me avoid the DPF/EGR issues of the 08+), and there's a fair number of them around (I'd rather get a 3500 SRW if I can find one around here, but they are pretty rare).

Ok - on to my real question! Most of the vehicles in this age/price range have 150k-200k. One that I want to go test-drive this weekend is an '06 with 195k for 11k (Megacab 2WD auto). I emailed the dealer - it was a trade-in and he has no history (service or otherwise) on it.

What kinds of things should I be looking for when evaluating vehicles of this vintage?
- Some have said looking for holes/rails indicating 5er usage
- Others have said don't touch a plow vehicle (plenty of those in the upper midwest!)
- Look at overall condition (pictures look good, will know more when I see it in person)

What about stuff like transmission condition, injectors, u-joints, hips, etc? Are those things a mechanic can evaluate the condition of, or am I just rolling the dice? What are the big-ticket items to evaluate & watch out for?

(I expect to have a mechanic look at anything before I buy, but as I go farther afield I'll be dealing with shops I have no experience / relationship with)

Note: Unless I find a really good deal on a 3500 SRW, I don't expect to buy before finding a TT/5er, or at least really narrowing down our options to a short list

[Slowmover]

I wouldn't sell mine for 11k. Dealer retail is over 14k. At 200k and 5000 hours I've had to replace ujoints and some HVAC fan wiring.

Be sure engine hours divided into total miles give an average mph of 27 or greater. Anything less was, per se, "abusive" as there is too much idle time.

Engine hours are as important as total miles. Especially when one gets up to 200k.

THe front end on the 4wD CTDs and steering have problems to be aware of as to vest fixes. You should educate yourself on auto trans fixes.

The best deal will be on a 2WD with manual trans and eight foot bed. And it will be the best highway tow vehicle as to steering, braking and handling. Do a nationwide search for this combo. There's bound to be a Grandpa finally finished polishing his before he gets into a motorhome.

[draknor]

OP reporting in - unfortunately my youthful optimism met with some harsh reality today.

Went to the used car guy to check out the truck; they had it hidden away in the back corner of the lot. Looked pretty nice sitting there, so I went inside for the keys. Turns out it has some kind of rattling sound so they weren't letting anyone test-drive it -- it's going to the mechanic on Monday. Uh-oh - not a good sign.

Got the key to at least check out the interior - not terrible, but more used than I had been led to believe from the photos. The driver's chair was fairly worn, the 60-side of the 60/40 rear seat appeared to be in perpetual-recline mode, minor scratches & dings on the upholstery & interior. Did an external walkaround - couple dings on the rear bumper, front chrome-colored plastic grill was broke in a couple of places.

Cosmetically, nothing show-stopping, but not particularly compelling, either.
Gave the guy my number, will be curious to hear what his mechanic says; but I'm thinking this is a dead-end road.

All was not lost, however -- test drove an '08 Ram 2500 Megacab 4WD gasser at the Dodge dealer. Only 1-owner, was in GREAT shape inside & out. Fully decked out (sunroof, nav, rear-seat DVD, Line-x bed coating + topper). Asking $19k w/ 160k on it. Might have to keep an eye on that one - but only 8400 lbs towing capacity, so would want to make sure find an acceptable TT first before committing to that one.

Couple of other positive things today:
- Definitely like the Megacab. Little one's car seat doesn't really fit in a Quadcab.
- Got some quality time with DW while driving around to talk about our goals, financials, etc. Had a busy schedule this week so didn't get much chance to do that during the week.

We've got plenty of time to search, so not in any rush. The search continues... 🙂

[Fast_Mopar]

midnightsadie wrote:
why would any body buy a truck with 200k on it, the motor might run but the rest of the truck is worn out, every bolt weld etc on the truck is worn out.

Sounds like the OP is just trying to stay within a budget and live within his means. That should be a good thing.

[45Ricochet]

KD4UPL wrote:
I second the note on the tranny. At that mileage it can't be original, which is fine. The auto trans. is the worst part of that truck. If I were buying that vintage Dodge I'd get a manual. That automatic transmission does not down-shift for you like the ones in a comparable Ford or GM product. It took Dodge several years longer to offer that feature. To me, that's reason enough to not buy the truck. There's nothing wrong with the truck but if you're towing a heavy load, especially over grades, the auto down-shifting is a very valuable feature.

Maybe so but the 2006 was the first year the auto could be mated with the Jacobs exhaust brake. Not much gearing down needed :W

[draknor]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Op I think you are dreaming trying to find a nice 3rd gen for 11K.

Oh don't get me wrong - I'm not so naive as to think I can plunk down $11k and get a good-as-new truck with 200k on the clock! 🙂 I fully expect I'll need to put some $$ into it for these types of repairs.

But spending $16k-$20k for a 150k truck doesn't guarantee me a lower repair bill, either.

So it's all about finding what model/options I want, and then (with the advice of this board + a good mechanic) trying to figure out what I'll likely need to fix. Only then can I determine if I'm getting a good deal!

I've gotten a little nervous about this truck - the car history report shows its bounced around auto auctions for the last year, so that makes me go "Hmmm..." We'll see what I find on Saturday!

I definitely appreciate the advice of this board, and look forward to getting to know more of you in the months & years to come!

[Cummins12V98]

rhagfo wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
why would any body buy a truck with 200k on it, the motor might run but the rest of the truck is worn out, every bolt weld etc on the truck is worn out.

So much misinformation! Do you really think that a truck with a million mile engine would be falling apart a a mere 200,000K? It is all about maintenance and care. There are trucks out there with 75,000K that are falling apart.

I guess I should have a salvage truck running behind me to pick up all the parts falling off of my 2001 Ram CTD with just 279,000 miles!
Well the truth is looks as good as the day the 1st owner drove it off the lot new. He traded it on a new 2011 in the fall of 2010, with 234,000 miles.

Well 279,000 miles on a 2001 fully loaded Laramie SLT, and it all still works. It will continue to work as any failure will be dealt with. The two biggest item I have done to the truck, are replace the main door gaskets, as they were a little chewed up where you step over then getting in and out. I also noticed the outside seam and edge of the drivers seat breaking down so I had it repaired, both totaled about $250.

On my 98 I replaced the ball joints at 300K along with the wheel hub assemblies because the front end had to come apart. All that was wrong was the drivers side upper ball joint started to fail. I figured better to it all while it was apart instead of on a trip.

The water pump is still original along with the U joints along with many other things all at 400K now.

Op I think you are dreaming trying to find a nice 3rd gen for 11K.

[RDMueller]

Then you will do great! Another thing that's good is that, IMO, these are really easy trucks to work on. Kind of reminds of 60s era cars that had sooo much room under the hood, unlike today where everything is packed in so tight. Look under the hood of a Duramax or Powerstroke with their V8's, it's just like a modern car, very, very tight. The in line 6 design leave lots of extra room. I just can't say enough about it!

[draknor]

@RDMueller - thanks for the encouragement! I'm a little ashamed to say I don't have much auto experience. 😮 (I've always been a computer vs a car guy.) That said, I love knowing how things work and tinkering, so given the opportunity (and the guidance from stuff like TDR & youtube) I'm willing to learn!

[RDMueller]

You are definitely getting very good advice here so far. Someone already mentioned the Turbo Diesel Register - very good idea. A wealth of info there and their buyers guide is a must read. I've been a member since before I bought my truck and it's worth every penny. Love the magazine too. Ditto on buy a southern truck if you can. Mileage is not that big a deal, but a truck of that age that spent every winter on salted roads will have rust.

Here's a question for you. Do you like to or are you willing to turn wrenches? Personally, I do and as a result, my 2001 has been incredibly inexpensive to operate despite 255k on the odometer currently. The fact is, when you get to that age/mileage, things will come up. If you can do-it-yourself, most of it will be minor and inexpensive. If you have to drag it into a shop every time, the cost will start to add up.

Here's an example. A few years ago, I noticed that when I started the truck, the starter didn't always engage on the first try. So, off to the Turbo Diesel Register forum for advice. I quickly find out that on high mileage trucks, the plunger and contacts in the starter wear out and will eventually no longer make contact. It starts out intermittent but eventually they will wear out to the point the engine can't crank. If you took it to a shop, they'd replace the starter, probably to the tune of $350-500. I found out from TDR that a company called Gould makes a re-build kit for about $25 and your starter will be as good as new. They provide detailed instructions and a DVD showing how to do it. Not hard at all, 2 hours tops and you are back in business with a basically good as new starter.

I will say, I love my truck. I love working on it and keeping it in top condition. At the hint of any problem, I immediately start looking into it and take care of it before it becomes serious or strands me somewhere. So far, knock on wood, it has NEVER stranded me. It's an 01 and I've owned it since 07, everything I've done has been inexpensive. The most money I've ever spent on it at one time was new tires and new batteries. I will say though, right before I bought it, the previous owner rebuilt the transmission (5 speed stick shift) and replaced the a/c compressor. That's part of why I bought the one I bought. Two expensive items that were zero mileage for me. Also, he had done the clutch about a year earlier. I felt like most of the potential "big stuff" was already done.

The bottom line I think is this. When you buy a truck with that mileage, you are getting A LOT of truck for the money! Take care of it and it will work hard and last a long time for you. You just can't beat a Cummins 5.9. There are many out there with 500k and even some with over 1,000,000 miles still going strong!

[draknor]

Thanks for the continued great comments & feedback!

@ib516 - this is odd, but I was using this Dodge calculator to get GVW/payload numbers, and it doesn't even show the 2500 Megacab having a 4WD option for 2007 model year (?!) (but it does for 2006). Odd....

I've spoken with my uncle & coworkers - both strongly recommended 4WD. Will have to consider that more carefully.

@thomasmnile - Nadaguides.com gives it a "clean retail" price of $25k (!!), even at 195k.

@path1 - thanks for the TDR link - started lurking in their forums over there.

@45Ricochet/KD4UPL - this is a little private dealer, not a franchise. Is there anything obvious a layperson (eg me) could see from visual inspection to know if the tranny is original or not?

I got the AutoCheck history for it - looks like it's bounced around midwest auto auctions the last year or so, but otherwise the history looks clean. Will be interesting to see what I find on Saturday!

[rhagfo]

midnightsadie wrote:
why would any body buy a truck with 200k on it, the motor might run but the rest of the truck is worn out, every bolt weld etc on the truck is worn out.

So much misinformation! Do you really think that a truck with a million mile engine would be falling apart a a mere 200,000K? It is all about maintenance and care. There are trucks out there with 75,000K that are falling apart.

I guess I should have a salvage truck running behind me to pick up all the parts falling off of my 2001 Ram CTD with just 279,000 miles!
Well the truth is looks as good as the day the 1st owner drove it off the lot new. He traded it on a new 2011 in the fall of 2010, with 234,000 miles.

Well 279,000 miles on a 2001 fully loaded Laramie SLT, and it all still works. It will continue to work as any failure will be dealt with. The two biggest item I have done to the truck, are replace the main door gaskets, as they were a little chewed up where you step over then getting in and out. I also noticed the outside seam and edge of the drivers seat breaking down so I had it repaired, both totaled about $250.

[4bearhug]

Sent you a PM

[KD4UPL]

I second the note on the tranny. At that mileage it can't be original, which is fine. The auto trans. is the worst part of that truck. If I were buying that vintage Dodge I'd get a manual. That automatic transmission does not down-shift for you like the ones in a comparable Ford or GM product. It took Dodge several years longer to offer that feature. To me, that's reason enough to not buy the truck. There's nothing wrong with the truck but if you're towing a heavy load, especially over grades, the auto down-shifting is a very valuable feature.

[45Ricochet]

I would guess that the tranny has been replaced already, if not add that price onto the sales price.
You mention dealer, is it a Ram dealer? IF so they usually won't sell a POC off their lot.
Good luck this week-end.

[path1]

Just made our way south from WA state to AZ (pulling 30 TT at 9,000 pounds) and meet a couple at a rest stop that has a 1999 with 340,000 miles on it. They are on 3rd trans.

Look for what has been done with the common problems those years have. I would spend some time checking out http://www.turbodieselregister.com/ and other forums. Find some common problems and see if maybe truck you are looking at has been upgraded. Like steering was never strong in those but a better support bracket has been made, easy to install and solves problem. If what your looking at has one maybe last owner upgraded and would be a clue to me.

Just made our way south from WA state to AZ (pulling 30 TT at 9,000 pounds) and bumped into couple at a rest stop that has a 1999 with 340,000 miles on it. On 3rd trans. Here is what we agreed on. A/C system stinks, steering stinks, change air filter once a year regardless of what gauge says, don't push pyro over 12 for any length of time, keep all fluids clean and fresh. When something goes out, upgrade to best available. It hard to find one that hasn't been beat up. When something goes out, upgrade to best available at the time. It hard to find one that hasn,t beat up.

I got mine after working at a place that we used "yard goats" to move around 50 and 60 K trailers. Different gearing but the 5.9 keeps on going and going.

Our old TT was 4,500 pounds and I never once felt I needed an exhaust brake. With newest TT at about double the weight (9,000 pounds) I got one and feel that I made the wrong decision for getting one. But don't feel that way going down steep downgrades. Lots of 6 or 7 percent downgrades don't even have to use brakes.

Some people have to buy new every couple of years. Some by choice wanting new gadgets but many others have to buy because they blew up their old one, maybe only 3 or 4 years old. Others take care of them and get many years of service out of them.

Some say beware of high mileage because they are worn out. If that's the case why buy new glasses at age 85?