banjo_picker

Hey guys-

This is my first post here. I am trying to find out about old Dodge trucks.. specifically diesel. I guess I came to the right place!

I need a truck to use on the weekends. The main reason is to haul about 80 bales of hay once a month. Other things I do with a truck is take trash to the dump (I save it up until I have about 6 55 gal trashcans worth) or haul home/farm renovation supplies (lumber, plywood, posts, concrete, etc). It needs to be able to get the job done when I need it, but I don't need it too much.

I bought a used 1993 F150 about 10 years ago. It has never let me down, but at the same time it has never been right either. There is always some minor issue with it, but nothing that would prevent me from using it. Example... I am about to put in the 4th heater core. Now it is having tranny problems, and it doesn't seem worth it to rebuild. I am thinking about a new (to me) truck. I don't have a lot to spend up front.

I am thinking diesel this time because of their hauling power and because of their longevity. I am looking at a 1994 RAM 2500 with 12v Cummins and 200000K miles. What would you expect to give for one in decent shape? I looked at Kelly Blue book, but they are well below what I see people asking for them on craigslist. I live in the Southeast. Am I asking for trouble with a truck of this age?

I am a fan of the Cummins, but I am worried about the rest of the truck going to crap. Am I going to be plagued by hundreds of minor things, electrical issues, etc? I am trying to find out what to expect out of a Dodge.

Thanks!

rrgrassi

Well, you are looking at a 20 y/o vehicle. I have the 1990, and is has some rust. Basically a truck with the million mile engine and a 100,000 mile body. My truck does have 300,000 on it though.

Back up lights do not work. No power going to the switch. Everything else does work though.

Rockyhud

I can't speak for what's a reasonable price in your part of the country but as for reliability, I've had my 97 since 2003 and it's still running and holding up very well. It had 96K miles when I bought it and it now has 228K. The 12v engine is great for power and especially reliability. As for the rest of my truck the body, electrical and other systems have held up remarkably well too. One thing I would suggest is to find one with a 5-speed manual instead of auto tranny as the earlier autos weren't as reliable as newer ones, especially if you're ever to bump the power up. Good luck in your search and welcome to the DTR.

patdaly

To be honest, I would steer you away from a diesel based upon what you describe as the use.

Diesels need to be run to stay ahead of the curve, yea, you can park them for a while, but to keep it for a long time, they really like to be run everyday.

If I had your situation ( and I do sort of ), I would look for a 1973-about 1986 Chevy 3/4 or 1 ton with a 4 speed manual. Stay carbed, and away form anything with an overdrive in those years...... Basically keep it super simple.

I love my 97, but for my plow truck ( sits 99 percent of the time ), I have a 1976 Chevy......sets for months at a time and always fires right up with a few pumps of the accelerator pedal, and was dirt cheap compared to what a diesel would have been.

As to a fair price, you don't say if it is a 2WD or 4WD, and relative condition, but around here, none sell for less than 4K, up to about 6500.

BearKiller

Diesel or gas, it is not good for any engine or truck to sit un-used for months at a time.

Actually, I believe the diesel would stand un-use better than the gas.

In humid climates, all kinds of awful things can happen inside of an un-used engine.

Of course, if you are using the truck every weekend or even every other weekend, you should be fine; it is when they sit around for months that the troubles begin.

banjo_picker

I appreciate all the replies so far. Just to clarify… the truck I am looking at is 2WD and 5 speed manual.

It would get used pretty much every weekend, but probably not much during the week. The most it would ever sit unused is two weeks.

$4k seems a lot to shell out for a 20 year old vehicle with 200k miles. I know that diesels can last well beyond that (or not!) but I guess the rest of the truck is going to be the same as any other as far as other electrical and mechanical issues go. As you can tell I am on the fence about it! I would love to hear other ideas and opinions. Anything else you guys have to offer... I am all ears!

rrgrassi

For pulling heavy loads, I prefer the diesel with a manual tranny. I have driven Chevy, Dodge and Ford Gassers with heavy loads. The gassers bog down. Once going, they are ok at best. Come to a good hill, gassers bog down, while the diesel will power on by the gasser, but also going slower.

bobva

Sorry for Quoting you BK
But you already had it typed.

When a boat is pulled out of the water for winter they dont get started for months.

james1

My first truck was a 1975 Chevy half-ton that spent its entire life in the Deep South (snow and salt-free), and yet it completely rusted away. Something was seriously wrong with the metal used in the GM truck bodies for a few years. I wrote a letter to the folks at General Motors, who wrote back telling me they were willing to do exactly nothing.

Sorry for the hijack, but some of those mid-1970s Chevys had problems worse than the electrical wiring on my First Gen Dodge...

patdaly

LOL, and I have a 76 3/4 ton that never saw the inside of a garage.....it is as solid as my 97.

But point well taken, most did rot away VERY quickly, my dad had a 73 Blazer that was literally gone by 1975........

I guess the few that survived to this day were the ones that happened to get the extra dip in oil, or were the very few that happened to get made with US steel. ( yes, starting in 1973 GM switched most of its steel to Japanese sourced..... )

dan123dbl

I'd beware of 2wd if you are going to use the truck in any wet grass, loose sand or anything a bit slippery. My w250 gets stuck on anything with a slight hill. I can't back up a sand driveway unless im in 4x4.

But once I'm in 4x4 It idles up anything I ask it to..

KRB

Not sure about what they do down in the deep south but here we winterize the engines for the long hibernation. The fuel is treated, the carb is run out of fuel and fogged with oil, etc.

patdaly

That is an excellent point, the weight of the Cummins means you have to be very careful leaving roadways.

Even my 4X4 will lay some impressive ruts......

bobva

Do you (we) winterize lawn movers also?

maybe368

I don't necessarily winterize it, but I drain all the fuel out, let it run dry, set the choke and pull the start cord several times every time I use it. That include all my power equipment. To "winterize" anything around Phoenix, I would have to send it to a cold place ...Mark