I bought a bigger 5th wheel RV for my wife and pulled it on the scales and came up with 23K for total weight with my 03 2500 Laramie 4X4 short bed with 47RE trans. Looks like a disaster in the making even though I have air springs and sway bar.
Drove a 02 3500 5 speed manual dually 2WD 3.54 rear end, small leak at power steering pump, looks like another small fuel leak near the injection pump, needs new tires, 116K miles and can get it for 11,650. I really like the truck and think it will do the job. Does this look like a good tow rig at a good price?

 

i'd try to nick the price down some seems a little steep for a 2wd with some small issues
It'll work
BUT I would strongly suggest a trans swap to the 6spd

The highway gears might bee a little tall with the 5spd
4" exhaust and a MILD chip you'll be GOOD TO GO

 

I'd keep looking for another 3rd gen 3500.

 

Nothing wrong with what you've found.The gears will work just fine.I have a big 38ft 5er,and no problems with pulling it.

 

Get a Smary for it and it will do fine on SW3 setting. It would be nicer if it had 4.10's but you can just drop down to 4th when necessary.

If you tow a lot you may have to replace the clutch with one a bit heavier duty. Mine blew up all over the place at 200k. $1400 to fix it was a lot cheaper than fixing an auto.
Also check the clutch pedal operation. If you have to push the pedal right to the floor to shift it will need a new hydraulic cyl and slave cyl. About $170 from Rockauto and about 15 minutes to replace. You could probably do it at a stop light. haha

Gotta love 2nd gen 24 valves for ease of service. Oh yes keep a card with about a grand in it for a VP-44 and pick up a spare lift pump and fuel pressure gage. A filter pack from Geno's, starter contacts from Vulcan and you will be on the road.

 

I had a 32' 5th wheel that weighed ~11k I pulled with my 02 auto/3.55 . Any heavier I would be thinking about 4.10 gears. Having a dually compared to a SRW is night and day difference, you will be glad you got training wheels .

 

Just couldn't bear the thought of not having 4X4, coupled with the realization that I was 2000 miles from home and my shop. Got cold feet and then settled on the present truck, see signature. Like the transmission and engine brake features but have not pulled my 5er yet. It looks like it will do the job and it is a pleasure to drive.

 

So, did you end up keeping both trucks? I am not sure why you did not just use the 07 3500 in your original post.
FWIW, the 4.10 gears work well, but highway mileage solo at 70 speed could be better, 15-16. Most others get 20+, if things are working right. I do get 20 mpg ubder 55, not too bad. For pulling a big Fiver, the 4.10's work pefectly. I am turning about 1800 at 55, an ideal RPM & speed for pulling a 12" tall fiver.
I have read many posts saying that you dod not need 4.10 gears, but most people with big fivers seem to like them OK.

 

I'm still on the learning curve with this forum stuff. I thought my signature would change in the last post as I had edited it to show the change in trucks.

Clarification:

I traded in my 2003 for a 2007 SLT 6.7L 3500 4X4 DRW, 6 spd manual, 3.73 gears instead of buying the 2WD I had been looking at.

Have driven it about 1000 miles with no problems. Fuel mileage is nothing like the old one, but not too bad.

I don't know about you guys, but whenever I change one Dodge truck for another, it's like losing the first born son and getting a strange stepchild, but so far, in time, the new trucks have proven to be better than the ones I left behind. Hoping this one will be the same. Thanks for all the good advice.

 

You re so right Norman. I finally bought a 07 long bed dually 6.7L w/6spd manual xmission. Those training wheels and the long bed really did make a world of difference pulling the 5er. Planning to modify to increase fuel mileage, but other than that - no complaints. Thanks

 

you can expect no better than 10 mpg with a dually pulling the fifth wheel trailer