Post by: Trigger05-11 on May 21, 2021, 08:50:35 PM
A close friend has a truck for sale. It is a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9 diesel. 4x4. Single rear wheel, short bed, crew cab automatic. It is a one owner. It has 132,000 miles. Extremely well cared for and all the maintenance records. Super clean. One Penny sized dimple on the tail gate. It has a break controller, but he only ever pulled a tent trailer about 5 times. I can buy it for $19,000.
Does this price sound reasonable for this truck? Looking at them new they are $65k plus. Would love to hear what you guys think. What other questions should I ask and what should I be aware of?
Thanks so much
Post by: jrebel on May 21, 2021, 08:54:30 PM
Post by: L8NITE on May 21, 2021, 09:02:48 PM
Post by: Timberstalker on May 21, 2021, 09:32:29 PM
Post by: MtnMuley on May 21, 2021, 09:53:16 PM
Post by: Westside88 on May 21, 2021, 10:04:47 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on May 22, 2021, 06:18:20 AM
I have a 2004 with 227000 plus on it best truck I’ve ever owned.
Get some some Bilstein 5100 shocks, and a death wobble bracket installed.
https://www.amazon.com/Bilstein-Monotube-Shock-Absorber-2003-2012/dp/B07651NNWF/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ram+2500+diesel+bilstein+5100+shocks&qid=1621689784&sr=8-5
https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Steering-Brace-Dodge/dp/B00URUBZ20/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=2004+ram+2500+diesel+four+wheel+drive+death+wobble+bracket&qid=1621689941&replacementKeywords=diesel+four+wheel+drive+death+wobble+bracket&sr=8-2&vehicle=2004-40-2780------------&vehicleName=2004+Dodge+Ram+2500
Post by: Trigger05-11 on May 22, 2021, 10:03:38 AM
Thanks
Post by: jrebel on May 22, 2021, 03:05:29 PM
Thanks for the info guys. I think it’s a done deal. I think I will get a front end leveling kit and bigger/better tires. Any suggestions for that?
Thanks
My suggestion is leave it stock and put good tires on it. Les Schwabs has a great tire I've been running that comes with a 60K mile warranty. I have yet to find any tire that a heavy dodge will not just eat up and spit out.....unless you stay with a hwy tread. Thus far the new les schwab all terrain is holding up well. Don't do a mud terrain tire unless you plan on putting new tires on every 20-25K. Most mud terrain tires are not warrantied on the heavy diesels.
pretty sure it is called their back country all terrain.
Post by: builtfordtough on May 22, 2021, 03:43:23 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on May 22, 2021, 09:45:49 PM
Thanks for the info guys. I think it’s a done deal. I think I will get a front end leveling kit and bigger/better tires. Any suggestions for that?
Thanks
That trucks stock tire size is 245 70 17, I put big tires on mine once and won’t ever do it again, they wear terrible, plus putting more strain on u joints/carrier bearing as well.
I now run 265 70 17 tires with no problems, Good Year Duratracks are my favorites.
Post by: Special T on May 22, 2021, 10:08:20 PM
I was offered 28k for my 04 stick dually. That is what i paid for it and it has 220k on it. I laughed it off. Thise pre emissions trucks are great.
Buy it and dont be afraid to throw some $ at it. If i were to donit all over again inwould have purchased an exhaust brake from the dealership... that salesmen could have got some extra chedder out if me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
Post by: HntnFsh on May 23, 2021, 07:40:14 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 23, 2021, 08:11:09 AM
Post by: Ridgeratt on May 23, 2021, 10:04:45 AM
I think that is the new emergency transportation issued with a new electric vehicles.
Post by: Tim in Wa. on May 23, 2021, 10:18:51 AM
The auto transmission s are crap though.Allow some money for that
Post by: Mudman on May 23, 2021, 12:47:15 PM
Post by: Moose Master on May 23, 2021, 08:48:41 PM
Post by: buglebuster on May 23, 2021, 09:36:55 PM
Steep. You will be putting a transmission and a few grand worth of front end work into it soon if it hasn’t already been done. If you put bigger tires on it that will happen even sooner. I bought basically that same truck but an 06 with 140k for 18k 2.5 years ago from a forum member. It’s a great truck but I replaced the tranny and rebuilt the front end, plus few odds and ends. I’d put that 19k toward a newer rig if I was to do it again. Best of luck whichever way you decide. They are good trucks
Post by: huntnnw on May 23, 2021, 10:24:04 PM
my truck is at 288k motor and tranny have been great with 0 issues. Rest of the truck is falling apart, little things constantly breaking from window switches,to pulleys, to door wire harness, low beam headlight issue etc.
Be good at or have the money to replace the front end every 3-4 years if you drive gravel roads alot. Ball joints are a constant issue in these trucks
Post by: Sandberm on May 24, 2021, 06:51:37 AM
So what you guys are sayin' is....the Huntwa vehicle section will keep pace with its once every 3 months "My diesel truck is costing a fortune to keep running" thread?
I think our thread starter will be fine. He says the original owner only pulled a tent trailer so the vehicle probably hasn't seen a lot of off road to ruin that front end. Transmission will be fine because of once again only pulling tent trailer. He also says the only blemish is a dime sized dent in tailgate so it probably hasn't hauled much in the bed.
What are new or lease return diesel trucks going for now?
Post by: jrebel on May 24, 2021, 07:44:03 AM
Uh-oh...the naysayers have entered the thread.
So what you guys are sayin' is....the Huntwa vehicle section will keep pace with its once every 3 months "My diesel truck is costing a fortune to keep running" thread?
I think our thread starter will be fine. He says the original owner only pulled a tent trailer so the vehicle probably hasn't seen a lot of off road to ruin that front end. Transmission will be fine because of once again only pulling tent trailer. He also says the only blemish is a dime sized dent in tailgate so it probably hasn't hauled much in the bed.
What are new or lease return diesel trucks going for now?
60-80k depending on trim package.
Post by: Sandberm on May 24, 2021, 08:46:00 AM
I ask what does a new/used diesel truck cost...
Now i have two ads on a different window i have opened up trying to sell me slightly used diesel pickups from Chevrolet of Walla Walla...$60,000 for a 2018 1 ton Chevy diesel....didnt catch the asking price on the Ford they had for sale before Goggle figured out i was going to post about their spying tactics here. ???
Post by: Taco280AI on May 24, 2021, 08:54:19 AM
And I'd buy the truck in OPs position :tup:
Post by: Sandberm on May 24, 2021, 09:04:16 AM
Never forget my farmer friend way back in 1997 telling me how over the winter he spent something like $6,000 to rebuild the front end on his Dodge 1500 gas engine pickup that had under 100,000 miles.
Also, my brothers friend who had to replace the brakes on his late 1990's one ton diesel every 25,000 miles. I seem to remember frequent front end rebuilds also. Why so frequent i asked? Diesel engines are heavy was the response.
Post by: jrebel on May 24, 2021, 11:03:11 AM
Now.....my 2018.....already replaced the fan clutch to the tune of 550 bucks. Hope that’s it for a while. It has 50k on it.
Post by: Special T on May 24, 2021, 11:12:41 AM
Uh-oh...the naysayers have entered the thread.
So what you guys are sayin' is....the Huntwa vehicle section will keep pace with its once every 3 months "My diesel truck is costing a fortune to keep running" thread?
I think our thread starter will be fine. He says the original owner only pulled a tent trailer so the vehicle probably hasn't seen a lot of off road to ruin that front end. Transmission will be fine because of once again only pulling tent trailer. He also says the only blemish is a dime sized dent in tailgate so it probably hasn't hauled much in the bed.
What are new or lease return diesel trucks going for now?
I'm not sure about the hesitation is about dumping some $ into a used truck is. This rig is in the prime demography. When something goes out all the upgraded fixes are known and not really that expensive.
I'm a stick guy but if I purchased this I would plan on a couple of upgrades.
1 get that pillar with a trans temp possibly the exhaust
2 buy and install a5 inch exhaust kit. If it has a cat.... You know what needs to be done
3 get a secondary remote fuel filter. Use the stock then a spin on 2 micron
depending on how much often you to tow
4 exhaust brake
5 high efficiency tranny cooler.
The new diesel trucks are junk with the emission controls.
Post by: Tim in Wa. on May 24, 2021, 01:22:33 PM
On the other hand new trucks depreciate FAST.You are loosing $ as soon as it goes into your name
Post by: Hunter mike on May 24, 2021, 01:32:21 PM
I ran my ‘03 from 100k to 200k+ and wish I had kept it. I think 19k is a fair price in this market. I would budget about 2k per year for maintenance, maybe less if you do your own wrenching. Every wear part is easy to access on this truck. There’s a lot of known faults with the truck, but mostly easily remedied. Front end components can be upgraded. Build it for the long haul as you need to fix things.
Still going to be way cheaper to own then a new truck, but they are getting pretty dated as far as creature comforts and technology go.
Post by: Mudman on May 24, 2021, 03:53:44 PM