New truck or trailer?

Cummins standard for a refresh is 300,000 miles. show me a gasser that has towed 300,000 miles.
might get the same mileage but gasser maintenance is much higher and life span much shorter.
Cummins is a true medium duty engine, maxipads and powerchokes are light duty engines.
check out some hotshot forums and see what runs and lasts.

I will probably get blasted for this but see if you can pickup an older Dodge Durango, usually you can find the 98-03 for under $2K depending on condition. I had to sell my dodge truck and landed on an 04 Durango for a good price, use that to haul my trailer now, does a great job. Not to mention when I am done with it it returns to the wifemobile for hauling the kiddies around.

MasterMech said:

In both cases, usually the engine is capable of easily outlasting the truck.

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This is so true. Especially for you northern guys with salt and body rust. Also, it has become evident that technology makes these trucks obsolete long before the engine is worn out.

One more item, in the olden days you needed a 3/4 ton or larger to tow a trailer. My 1998 chevy half ton was rated for only 6500 lbs, and the 2000 F350 is rated for 10,000 lbs. Nowadays, the half tons can tow just as much as my 2000 F350 but they do it with a tiny gas engine that gets the same mpg as my diesel.

ironpony said:

Cummins standard for a refresh is 300,000 miles. show me a gasser that has towed 300,000 miles.
might get the same mileage but gasser maintenance is much higher and life span much shorter.
Cummins is a true medium duty engine, maxipads and powerchokes are light duty engines.
check out some hotshot forums and see what runs and lasts.

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I do love the cummins. I think it is the best diesel in a pickup, trouble is, you then have to buy a dodge and they didn't even have crew cabs until 2003.

To answer your question with my version of a reality check, you show me ANY truck that has towed 300,000 miles in a normal non-commercial application. It would be very rare, not unlike the million mile Honda accord. People don't do that. Regular folks tow less than 1000 miles a year. A quick walk around the 100 slot campground at the lake shows 3 or 4 diesels that are old enough to rattle and that includes mine. Folks that are capable of purchasing a diesel trucks are also wealthy enough to replace that truck at short intervals when the new smell wears off.

mellow said:

I will probably get blasted for this but see if you can pickup an older Dodge Durango, usually you can find the 98-03 for under $2K depending on condition. I had to sell my dodge truck and landed on an 04 Durango for a good price, use that to haul my trailer now, does a great job. Not to mention when I am done with it it returns to the wifemobile for hauling the kiddies around.

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Watch your ball joints. Those durangos had ball joint disasters where the whole front wheel would fall off. MPG was really bad but a very comfortable ride and cheap!

Highbeam said:

I do love the cummins. I think it is the best diesel in a pickup, trouble is, you then have to buy a dodge and they didn't even have crew cabs until 2003.

To answer your question with my version of a reality check, you show me ANY truck that has towed 300,000 miles in a normal non-commercial application. It would be very rare, not unlike the million mile Honda accord. People don't do that. Regular folks tow less than 1000 miles a year. A quick walk around the 100 slot campground at the lake shows 3 or 4 diesels that are old enough to rattle and that includes mine. Folks that are capable of purchasing a diesel trucks are also wealthy enough to replace that truck at short intervals when the new smell wears off.

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Dodge had crew cabs before 2003!

Highbeam said:

MPG was really bad

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Especially with the 5.9L!

4.7 is not horrible, I don't take it for long trips that is for sure.

Eatonpcat said:

Dodge had crew cabs before 2003!

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not really they were extended cabs, some were quad cabs 2 front doors, 2 rear half doors, the first true four doors were 2003

MasterMech said:

Especially with the 5.9L!

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my 5.9 Cummins gets 20mpg all day long the 5.9 magnum was really bad around 10mpg, no power just a sad engine

ironpony said:

my 5.9 Cummins gets 20mpg all day long the 5.9 magnum was really bad around 10mpg, no power just a sad engine

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The 5.9 gas, aka the magnum 360. You could have also gotten a 318 as I recall. Same engine options were available in the grand cherokee.

There were some ancient dodge crew busses that were 4 real doors but nothing with the cummins. The crew cab cummins was first introduced in 2003. Quad cab with suicide doors does not count.

Didn't know we were only talking diesel... My bad!!

my apologies eatoncat, I was not aware of those ever being built. I learned something today.
I would like to have one of those and do a Cummins conversion on it.
do you know what year they were available??

There were some even older ones from the 60s. Same with chevy and ford. As you can see by this example, those old crew cabs are on trailers, in junkyards, or have been rebuilt if they are still operating. You don't want an old truck like that for several reasons including very low payload rating, tow rating, drum brakes, often no AC, manual windows, no headliner, high % were 2wd, etc. They were built back when trucks were trucks.

ironpony said:

my apologies eatoncat, I was not aware of those ever being built. I learned something today.
I would like to have one of those and do a Cummins conversion on it.
do you know what year they were available??

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If you're looking for a cummins conversion there are much better trucks to start from. A late 70s ford F350 crew cab for example. Those were built very well but with gas engines. The only reason Dodge still makes trucks is because they started the venture with cummins.

yes there is always something better, however that is the style I want. Will only use it for "cruising" I will use the 02 for the real work.

It is a uniquely stylish truck, those early dodges.

Jags..I saw the first one on chasing classic cars.

Wow, I had a 1968 Power Wagon 4x4 short bed with a 383 & 5-speed when I lived in Idaho 40 years ago . What a beast. 10 gallons in each saddle tank, then an added 20-gal tank behind the seat. Selector valve in the floorboard. On the highway it got precisely 10 MPG. Take it off-road, 4x4 and into the mud, and that immediately dropped to maybe 3. Gas crisis hit, I sold the truck & bought a Karmann Ghia coupe. I was convinced the gas gauge in the Ghia didn't work.