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Random Quote: Work only gets in the way of fishing
Not looking to start a war here on personal preferences. However, I've been kicking around the idea of getting slightly used diesel truck. My question are:
Is 2007 the year that the manufacturers went to "clean" diesels? Are the problems that I've been reading on spread across the Big 3 manufacturers?
I've been leaning towards a pre 2007 or early 2007 model. Should I not consider new?
I can't personally speak for Ford or Chevy, but I will share what I know about Dodge (I actually own one).
Dodge transitioned to the 6.7L truck in what they call 2007.5. Pre-07.5 all trucks had the "tried and true" 5.9L.
When the 6.7 first came out it was hit or miss as to whether or not you were plauged with problems (mostly caused by new emmision requirements).
That said, I think most of the problems have been worked out on the 6.7L motor and I would not hesitate to purchase one tommorow (New). However, the 5.9L is a fantastic motor and with vehicle pricing like it is you could find a great deal on a two or three year old truck with no problem.
I personally have an 07 with the 5.9L. I am quickly approaching 40,000 miles and it has been nothing but 100% reliable. It will pull anything I need, it's comfortable and the fuel economy is actually reasonable.
Phish,
I have an 2004.5 5.9 Dodge. There will always be the arguing back and forth about which is better and even gas vs diesel. I get about 20 mpg on the road and 13 or so towing my 5th wheel camper and boat. I have more power than I will ever need and love driving the truck. I use Lucas fuel treatment to lubricate the lift pump since the uls diesel does not lube it properly. It rides a little rough, but it's a 3/4 ton truck, not a car. I bought mine because an inline 6 is much less expensive to repair than a v8 and the cummins has proven itself to be an excellent engine.
I don't know anything about the new 6.7. If you plan to keep it for a long time, I would recommend a good used one with the 5.9. Autotrader and jaxed should be full of them right now.
Let us know what you decide.
Mike
__________________ They weren't biting at all.....then they slacked up.
An '05, '06 or '07 Ford with the 6.0 Diesel should be fine as long as you leave it stock. They had some early issues with the engine in '03 & early '04 which they worked out mid '04. Those who are running tuners (and other mods) have had issues with the heads/head gaskets but the trucks left stock seem to be very reliable. I'm up to 68,000 miles with my '05 F-250 and have only had one bad hose which was covered by warranty. Aside from that it's been perfect. The Chevy's ride a little nicer unloaded, the Dodges get better MPG......they've all got advantages and disadvantages. Over all I'm very happy with mine.
I have a 6.7 Dodge but I run it good every day, the ones that seem to have the problems with the DPF are the folks using them for the soccer moms and grocery getters. These are the ones clogging up and giving problems. If this is your goal get the older non DPF model, if you can run it hard feel good about the newer post DPF models. Side note - the older models have a whole lot more after market toys to get for the engines and exhaust.
I have an 06 GMC LBZ 3500 Dually that has the new "clean diesel" engine, that is the same as in the 09...it has a great allison trnsmission and runs great...There are some good deals on diesels, but many of them have high miles and are used for hauling...I bought mine last year with only 25K miles on it and have not had any trouble with it.
2007 Ford F-250 Kingranch CC Fx4 w/ 6.0l 38k miles.
I purchase this truck new and have really enjoyed it.
I use it as a daily driver in the city, road trips w/ my family, and towing.
My average tow weight is approx 7k lbs and have towed up to 18k lbs.
Truck has a SCTX3 tuner and I run the 100hp street tune for daily driving. We get 13-14mpg in city and 20mpg highway @70-75mph(mileage is hand calculated).
I have only had 1 battery replaced under warranty and other than that truck has been flawless.
Good Luck on your purchase.
__________________ Yes, I know my username is gay. The mods will not let me change it.......
I have an 04 dodge ram with the 5.9 HO and love it. Average over 20mpg with about 115,000 miles, the only Change I have made is a Aero turbine exhaust. Love to get a new 09 when they come out but not real sure of what's to come with industry.
Love to get a new 09 when they come out but not real sure of what's to come with industry.
'09 models have been out for several months.
I had a '98 Dodge with the 12-valve 5.9 Cummins. Built like a tank, never let me down, could pull a house off its foundation, and got over 20mpg (not towing) and 14-15 pulling a 12K pound fifth wheel. The only negative was that it was noisy! You could hear that thing 6 blocks away. When it had close to 100K miles on it, traded it in on my present '06 with the 5.9 24-valve. (Only reason I traded it was because I was offered a great deal on the new one.) The '06 has also been virtually bulletproof. Averaging just a hair under 20mpg solo, 13-14 pulling the fifth wheel. The '06 is a whole lot quieter and handles like a much smaller truck.
I'm planning on keeping this one until the wheels fall off.
I work for DTNA, Daimler Trucks North America. I have owned 3 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins Diesel. Currently we have an 2005 with the 5.9 HP. This is an awsome engine. Recently the Cummins factory representatives were in and noticed my truck. They said the 5.9 was the best engine built in a while. If your looking at used, 2005-2007 mid year is the best on the market. The 07 EPA emmissions really screwed the fuel efficiency. And the diesel fuels you purchase now, everyone should add an additives such as Diesel Kleen, Lucas or any other additives to ensure the proper lubrication factors. The new fuels have less sulpher and not enough lubrication. I can tell the difference in performance. I also added the super chip for performance towing. Towing our 23' Polar with twin F-115's, we average 16MPG. Normal driving interstate and some country, 25.6 on the trip meter. Actual is about 23.5 mpg. We also use the Shell synthetic oil for diesels and a mobile one filter. I have friends with the Chevy Dura Max and Ford power strokes and their fine as well. I'm partical to a true diesel engine manufacture. Would be nice to have the Cummins with the Allsion transmission thought! Even thought we have never had any issues with the Dodge trans. I have 87000 on our 05 now and everthing is still strong.
I had a '98 Dodge with the 12-valve 5.9 Cummins. Built like a tank, never let me down, could pull a house off its foundation, and got over 20mpg (not towing) and 14-15 pulling a 12K pound fifth wheel. The only negative was that it was noisy! You could hear that thing 6 blocks away. When it had close to 100K miles on it, traded it in on my present '06 with the 5.9 24-valve. (Only reason I traded it was because I was offered a great deal on the new one.) The '06 has also been virtually bulletproof. Averaging just a hair under 20mpg solo, 13-14 pulling the fifth wheel. The '06 is a whole lot quieter and handles like a much smaller truck.
I'm planning on keeping this one until the wheels fall off.
I have a 97 12 valve and I need help? I think im part of a cult. I wont give it up. I can afford to go out and get a newer one but I AM ADDICTED to the noise and rattle{no common rail for me}. I think I need Help. I have had the rear and trans rebuilt stronger, before they even broke! I almost want to go out and buy an old 31 bertram stick $100,000 into it and have a boat that everyone wants, but wont give half of what its worth$? I am a cultist.
There are 4 Dodge diesel trucks here at work my 2007 5.9L and three others 2008 6.7L's.
The three 2008's all had problems, granted they have been fixed now and seem to be running ok for the last 6 months or so.
The best mgp's the 2008 trucks can musted is 18, my 5.9L is 23mpg on the commute to work every day.
__________________ Thousands on the boat.
Hundreds on equipment.
Time away from the wife, priceless!
I have a '03 Dodge CTD, 4X4 automatic with 4.10 gears, average mileage over 70k miles is around 14.5. It tows good for what it is but you definetly know when you are towing even if it is only 6k lbs.
There is a lot of hype about towing performance and mileage with diesels, if you get one don't be too surprised if you don't get the same super mileage you have read about or have to downshift when pulling a hill with something in tow.
I have a bunch of friends with Ford Powerstrokes, Chevy Duramaxs and Dodges with the Cummins and they all agree that the diesel trucks are great but do not live up the hype you read on the Internet.
Thanks for all the replies. Lots of good information here for all manufacturers. It looks like I will need to schedule some test drives to determine which one has the best ride. I appreciate all the info. Keep it coming if you have more to add.
I have a '03 Dodge CTD, 4X4 automatic with 4.10 gears, average mileage over 70k miles is around 14.5. It tows good for what it is but you definetly know when you are towing even if it is only 6k lbs.
There is a lot of hype about towing performance and mileage with diesels, if you get one don't be too surprised if you don't get the same super mileage you have read about or have to downshift when pulling a hill with something in tow.
I have a bunch of friends with Ford Powerstrokes, Chevy Duramaxs and Dodges with the Cummins and they all agree that the diesel trucks are great but do not live up the hype you read on the Internet.
Nailed it! Internet trucks all get over 20mpg but the ones I buy get more like 14-15 empty. And the famous "You can't even tell its back there!" If you can't tell, then your an idiot or have some sensory perception issues. I have a 7.3 chipped powerstroke and you can certainly feel an extra 5-6k behind you. It pulls it but I know its there.
Nailed it! Internet trucks all get over 20mpg but the ones I buy get more like 14-15 empty. And the famous "You can't even tell its back there!" If you can't tell, then your an idiot or have some sensory perception issues. I have a 7.3 chipped powerstroke and you can certainly feel an extra 5-6k behind you. It pulls it but I know its there.
Here's the deal. I'm currently towing a 28.5ft, 9,400lb (total package weight) center console with a 2005 Ford F150 5.4 v8 and 3.73 gear ratio. Yes, I know that I am at my limit and this is why I am considering a diesel. However, the truck tows and stops this package without problems in city driving. On the highway, it is a totally different experience. The F150 really knows that the boat is back there and is working extremely hard to get to 65 mph. I'm also averaging 6.5 to 7.5 mpg on the highway. Most of my towing is on city roads to a ramp that is about 10 miles away. It is the trip down to the Keys or to the ramps that are 20-30 miles away that I am worried about. Any diesel should get better mpg than my F150, correct?. Am I wrong to assume that my Highway towing will improve?
P.S. The boat came after the truck. I used to tow a much lighter 26cc with no problems. I have had the new boat since mid January.
Nailed it! Internet trucks all get over 20mpg but the ones I buy get more like 14-15 empty. And the famous "You can't even tell its back there!" If you can't tell, then your an idiot or have some sensory perception issues. I have a 7.3 chipped powerstroke and you can certainly feel an extra 5-6k behind you. It pulls it but I know its there.
Another vote for the internet hype being way over rated. I get 16-17 highway at 75 MPH and maybe 14 city with my '05 F-250. I've also got an Audi A6 that doesn't get the MPG that some of these guys claim.........loaded or unloaded
You'll feel much better towing with a 3/4 ton Diesel and I would expect you should get 10 MPG to maybe 14 MPG highway while towing depending on what you buy. And like they said, the rig will feel quite a bit more stable but you'll know it's there. I towed a 25' at 8,000 lbs with a Denali before I switched to the Diesel and while the Denali did the job, the Diesel just doesn't feel like it's working as hard. I got 9.5 towing with the Denali and I get about 12.5 towing with the Diesel. Not great but acceptable.
Yes most of those trucks dont end up with that MPG,Why??? Because If you have a 7.3 or a 5.9 stick! no auto trans and you have it putting out 100, 200, or even 300HP more than normal. AND you do not{And I am guilty more than anyone}If you do not mash the pedal down,Throwing your back against the seat back, Watching the v8 mustang getting smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror!Yes the hopped up larger exhaust,more inter cooler, chip, and a lot more get better mpg but who cares? Whoooeee. I have never owned a duramax myself but ford and dodges I can say hold on. I have more fun breaking 33.s and 35. tires loose in second gear than getting 20 mpg.
I've had my truck (2002 dmax Crew, 4x2)for almost 7 years now and in that time I've put 194k miles on it. I run hwy with the crusie set on 77-78 mph and I have got 19.6666666666666 mpg doing that since it was new. I also get anywhere from 15-18 mpg in town... just depends.
Now when I tow, it's a whole different thing. Towing the Contender with the cruise on 70-72 mph I get 10 mpg. Towing my marsh boat a little bit faster I average around 13 mpg.
Last tank. About 70 miles back roads 55-70 mph. Interstate about 100 miles at 78 mph, another 60 miles back roads 45-65 mph and another 45 miles in town. All highway miles also include anywhere for 10-25 miles of city driving per trip, just to get out of town and back.
Total miles 275. Total diesel used 13.9 gallons... filled it up so I could tow my marsh boat to the merc dealer for them to hang a new motor on Tuesday. Anyway, 275/13.9 = 19.78 mpg and if you think that's BS, come on down, I prove it to you. Truck is bone stock.
Diesel Truck Question? 
Diesel Trucks 
