I've been truck shopping. I found a good deal on a SLT QC LB 03 1T dually 2wd 6sp 4.10 fairly loaded truck w/25k miles for $27500. Then I 'built' one on dodge.com. and also saw there is $4k in incentives til 11/30. In the power/trans area there is a 6sp and a hd 6sp ($400 more) option. I thought there was only one 6sp option. What is the hd 6sp? How is the Getrag 6sp holding up and isn't it the hd? I've heard good and bad. Any other comments on the 03 I found and the 05s. I think the 03 is a safe deal and a lot of warranty left. I drove it and it doesn't have any of the vibrations or noises that some of the 03s had - driveline or in the steering column. TIA! Craig

 

I cant comment on the 03 but my 05 dually has had zero promblems with the g56, I put the quad box on before 1000 miles and I will break 10,000 miles today, no clutch or tranny issues. It is my understanding that you can not get an nv 5600 with a build date past june or july of 05, so if you are building a new truck it would have the g56. I have never driven a nv 5600 but my 56 shifts very well and at 15000 I am going to put redline synthetic atf in it and see if that helps any. Hope this helps

 

I had an '03 and now have an '05. Not by choice mind you, but I was quite happy with the '03. Same CTD, 6spd, 4x4, etc configuration to the '05, except the new one is a Laramie (darn, I had to get used to the sunroof and the 6 CD changer) and the old was an SLT.
I had a few warranty problems with the '03 - rear diff, door seals, some minor adjustments but basically no problem. Lift pump was starting to hiccup, but that was a known problem also. The '05 hasn't been to the dealer yet - it's a good year although some of the earlier builds had plastic intercoolers ends that burst. My '05 is an April build, so most of the kinks had been worked out. I have the Mercedes 6spd and like it although it took a little getting use to after the NV5600. I have 20k (kms) on the new one and have done some pretty good traveling cross country and in the mountains with a heavy slide-in camper - scaled at around 13,500 lbs (upgraded suspension/tires) and no problems with engine/drivetrain.
I'm not aware of the hd 6spd - I thought they'd all be considered 'heavy duty' for a 1-ton.
The biggest difference is the fuel miliage - the '03 was 1-2 mpg better although the '610' engine has more stock power and I noticed the extra 55 ft-lb torque on the new engine made a difference when hauling in the mountains.
The '03 is a safe bet - check the warranty items taken care of by the original owner and look after the known glitches before it runs out.
Back in the spring I would have replaced my '03 with same but couldn't find one with the configuration I wanted so "had to" get a new rig.

 

Thanks! I had the vin checked for warranty repairs and it looks to be a good one - the only thing was a puter reflash and someone said that was for the cruise control. I'm checking 05 deals today but I think the 03 would still be fine. Craig

 

no troubles on an 03

 

I think 27500 is a little high. Build your truck ,make a copy and go talk to several dealers. If your 2006 truck MSRP for 39-40,000 you should be able to buy for 35k OUT THE DOOR. 3 years should be worth the difference