reliable diesel tow $20K - what year, make,brand

i am looking to buy a diesel pu for towing the boat on the weekends.

can i get a reliable one for $20k used ? if so, what year, brand, and any other details would be appreciated.

thanks !!

You can prolly find a Ford 250/350 w/ 7.3 diesel.
around a 01'-03' w/ 100-150k miles. That mileage though is just breaking the motor in.

Dodge Cummins. You can get a fully loaded 2001-2002 for that price with under 100K on the clock, the cummins is undeniably a better motor.

well...IMO I like the ford better BUT also IMO do not buy an 03 bc that was the first year they came out with the 6.0 and they had a lot of problems with them...go up to an 04 or stay with a 02 and down with the 7.3 can't go wrong with that...

Hey Chad- 03' was still produced up until summer w/ 7.3 then they changed over to 6.0. Stay away from 03'-04' 6.0's.

Ford 7.3 all the way, ..or old Cummins Dodge

I wouldn't buy a new Ford today but since your talking about used for under $20K, the F250 with the 7.3L would be your best bet.

thanks for the feedback..

what about the rest of the truck ? transmission, brakes, and general wear..

btw, what kind of mileage shoud i expect ?

thanks,

mike

I had a 99' 7.3 for years. Loved it, when I sold it it had 290k miles & was running like a champ.
Never had any tranny probs. they run the E4OD tranny in them, up until I think 04'. Also did alot of towing (bobcats, concrete trailers, etc.).Never had any major problems.

I have a 2000 F-250 7.3 with 174K miles, no issues with engine, typical repairs, water pumps, front hubs, door locks. Problem with a Dodge is that you have to ride in one, interior flat out sucks.


Shawn as a note the 7.3's run the 4r100 trans which was not the high point in engineering reliability.

(Message edited by auto on July 23, 2007)

My bad!

I bought a 200 Excursion diesel with 50K on it and here is what happened. 55k--change out front brake rotors--they are manufactured so that there is not enough material to have them turned and resurfaced, 58K--truck caught fire while parked and turned off--engine block heater internally shorted out(insurance stated that it was common with Ford 7.3 block heater--not sure if you will be using it--if not not an issue) $3800 in damage)60k--engine light on--repalce injector wiring harness--diesel shop noted that the harness that plugs into this one would also go soon but to wait--61K--engine light on again--replace other harness. 65K--replace ball joints, 68K--power lock and window inoperable--losing patience and did not fix. 72K replace brake rotors again(no it is not my driving), 78K, transmission went, engine light on for injector problem(again), truck would hardly idle--traded truck in on GMC--could not afford to drive it anymore. Alot of my friends have similar trucks and could not believe the extent of the problems that I had although they do replace ball joints and brakes about every 30K miles and figure that it is routine maintainance. Had my GMC from 35K and now it has 100K--replaced fuel injectors(warrentied until 200K by GM) and that is about it. I know you can get a Ford for a lot less than a GM and a Dodge even cheaper--just wanted you to know my first and last experience with a Ford product. Let the GM bashing begin.

Oh yeah--the auto front hubs did not work--had to be rebuilt every 6 months--usually turned them manually until the knob broke off

ford-before 2001 4r100(same as e4od) had issues also had issues with cam sensors and brake rotors warping



Dodge 98-02 lots of lift pump and injection pump issues ,torque converter clutches and numerous front end components



I rarely see an old GM but know a couple peeps that have or have had one and the agree that they don't tow that great when compaired to the cummins or a stroke.

IMO I would go with the ford look for one that has had the trans replaced or at least the ratcheting one way clutch changed to a sprage type

I've got a 2001 F-350 7.3 SuperCab Short Box Lariat that I would let go for $20500 92k miles...

If you can find an old 12V Dodge Cummins you could get a reliable diesel no problem.

any issues with a 03 or 04 dodge 2500 with the 6 cylinder diesel ?

thanks everyone !!!

mike

03 still had lift pump trouble just check to see if it has been switche to the revised in tank pump. most have been

03 brought big changes for the cummins, common rail injection is imo much better easier to work on an quieter. Mileage suffered a little. get me the vin and I will check history for you

is there a difference in financing a diesel. Can I get a lone for a vehicle with 125k on the clock? Usualy can not on a car...

Yeah you can get a loan on a dies. with that many miles, I write them all the time on stuff with even higher miles...

Even if the tank pump hasn't been done on the Dodge, it's a recall item, and they fix it for free....

There is no recall on the pumps. I just checked and there isn't even a TSB. It is covere under the 100k warranty an depending on your relationship with the dealer they may replace it even if it hasn't failed

MIKE,

Your my new Profile pic!!!!!!!!

lol !!!!

2 funny !!!!

btw, is the lake powell trip still on for septmeber ?

I think it comes down to what you find and condition plays a big part. I wouldn't buy a 03-04 F250 w/ 6.0L diesel and an 05' F250 will be too expensive. I also would not want a Dodge older than a 2003 model but not because of any issues with the engine. It would be because of the interior and overall level of refinement.

The CTD has the best reputation of any diesel offered in that class truck. I know that a few years ago and maybe even today that Ford offers the Cummins 5.9L in thier F550 trucks. That is where part of the infamous legend about Ford owning Cummins came about. They don't own Cummmins but they are a customer of Cummins. At one point in the 1990's Ford owned 10% of Cummins stock which Cummins bought back a few years later, in 2003 I believe. Anyway... the 7.3L in the F250 has a great reputation too and is regarded as more reliable than the 6.0L they replaced it with.

If I found a clean 2003-2005 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 CTD with Larmie trim for that price then I would buy it. However, in my experience that's hard to do. $20K is about what you would pay for a loaded 05' 1500 Larmie 4x4 with the Hemi gas engine and the diesels retain better re-sale value. If you can't find a newer Dodge in good condition for that price and you're looking at 02' or older vehciles then I think you would be happier with the Ford F250.

A lot of people comment negativly on the Dodge interior but it's all relative. I don't like the new Ford Larait interiors. They're too busy with too many textures and colors going on. The older Ford interiors are no better than the Dodge, especialy the 03' and newer Dodge. If you find a newer Dodge (03'+) with the Laramie trim then the interior is actually pretty nice. It's more understated than the Ford and is comparable to the Ford Lariat but it won't have King Ranch quality leather.

I know you're into audio from previous postings. If the Dodge has the optional Infinity system in it then that's a plus. It's much better than the Fords but I wouldn't let that alone sway me since for $1K you can put an aftermarket system in either one that will sound better.

If I was in your situation I would be looking hard for a clean 02' F250 with the 7.3L and but not rule out a newer Ram if came along. But my bet is you'll find more F250's that fit the bill. Btw, I wouldn't even consider GM but if I was buying today it would likely be a Silverado LTZ with the Duramax/Allision. GM finnaly got it together in the interior department.

DODGE CUMMINS!!!!!!

probably. Dan just had knee surgery on Tuesday. ACL replacement. I will know more mid august. Date he has the boat if we go is Sept 14th -21st.

IM GETTING NO JOKE 15-22MPG TOWING my excel v drive

What year dodge do you have andy?

As Chad mentioned, having accurate legit service records available from an adult owner is a big plus when shopping for a used diesel. I'd be looking for the older PSD, the dream truck would be that F-250, or better depending on your plans.
A one owner, perhaps a senior citizen who has babied the truck and used it once or twice a year to tow his travel trailer. He has stayed with a quality oil, stayed on top of the fuel filter changes, kept the coolant serviced properly and the ph in spec., and perhps added a HD trans cooler and maybe even a Mag Hytec deep trans pan and a ATS or similar converter, and a set of gauges.
And now, due to health or age, or whatever, he has sold the trailer and is ready to say goodbye to his baby.
Those trucks are out there, my friend in SoCal is hunting one right now. He'll find it, he has seen a couple he likes but hasn't found "the one" yet.
Whatever you wind up falling for, make sure the service records are there and current. if they aren't, or you don't get a good vibe from the owner, walk. if you are at a dealer, one of these outfits that details trucks from the snow country and turns them, either they offer a warranty or again, walk. There are too many niightmares out there waiting to trip you up.
An anal owner who is selling is a good thing when you are shopping for a used vehicle.