sdaves

Hello all. Looking to buy a used 2003+ 2500 4wd. I prefer a shortbed quad cab. I've been a member of these boards for some time and read alot, but not sure what some problematic things are.

I will be towing a landscape trailer (2500-4000lbs) and an occassional skid steer. I know I want 4wd, quad cab, CUMMINS, but not sure about tranny. I initially leaned toward NV5600 because the I wasn't sure about the 48re. It seems though, that the 48re is holding up ok on a stock motor.

ANY information you guys can provide as the what to check on these trucks would be greatly appreciated. I HOPE to pick up a truck with less than 75k miles. I hope to keep it for 5-8 years and 100-150k miles.

Thanks in advance.

12PACK

I also looked for a used CTD before buying my new one in the spring of 05. With the rebates and how well the CTD holds it's value, it made more sense to go new. Sure, you can't find a new NV (which I wanted and really limited my search) since it was replaced by the G56, but even the autos, with 30-50K on them, were only a few thousand less than I paid.

Check around your area and see what they're going for compared to finding a new one and it's invoice price. Hopefully, used NV's are alot more plentifull that they are around here.

back2dodge

I would avoid buying anything that has had a programmer or power chip in it. Look for velcro or tapped wiring harnesses. With intelligent use the chips might not hurt things too much, but the foot is a long way from the brain. if you look at the posts where people are having "problems" most of the time they are running a chip. This is not a slam against those who chose to run a chip it's your money but I wish there was a definate way to tell if a truck has had one. I would not buy a truck that has has performance enhancing devices. But I have nothing against implants and I didn't marry a virgin.

sdaves

Thanks for the replies.

I've looked the last two days at delaer lots (Dodge, Ford, chevy) and there is VERY little to choose from. Only found 4. Only one had a NV5600.

Keep the responses coming, planning on looking tomorrow also. Looking in the trader isn't giving me much either.

Dodgezilla

Did you look in the classifieds here? V8440 has a brand new 05 he bought for hauling FEMA trailers then he ended up not doing it. the truck has like 9500 miles on it and it's selling cheap... there are several others....

Blast Chamber

Are you willing to travel to buy the right truck? If so, expand your search using the dodge.com website. Specifically, use the "Find a Dealer" search tool on the main page and enter the ZIP code of where you want to look. Then click on each dealer's website and search through their Preowned Inventory page. Expand your search area to nearby states for even more results. This was how I found my used truck two states away, with exactly the features I wanted right down to the color.

RacenutSB

This is what happened with us too. I can still find similar used 04 trucks in the classifieds asking more than we paid for our 05 new. With the agressive rebates and a dealer willing to deal... it's hard to justify a used truck unless it's a bit older.

C Schomer

Take it for a loooong test drive. I didn't get my 03 warmed up good enough and discovered some problems afterwords. It has 7/70 but it was still a royal battle to make DC cover it. Craig