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Tell me about Dodge tow rigs

D

dostroupe

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Here's some background on what's happening. My wife and I have decided to buy a camper and do some weekend getaways. I have a 2011 Ram Express, 2 wheel drive, short bed, standard cab. I love it, 75000 miles, very well cared for and paid for. I'm hating having to think of getting rid of it, but the campers we are looking at are either over or close to towing capacity. Not to mention I will have to sell most of my collection to buy the camper. Enough about that.

I have started looking at older 2500 and 3500 with cummins. I can't afford a new truck but I could get one several years old. I know absolutely nothing about diesels or the transmissions that go with them. I had my eye on a 2000 3500 with 63,000 miles but it disappeared while I was on vacation. Now I found a 2006 2500 with 137,000. I'm looking at clean well cared for trucks that are around $15K or less.

So the questions are: What is the best low maintenance cummins? 12v, 24v, and would it be better to get standard transmission vs. automatic?

Sorry this is on the b-body site. I didn't really want to join another site just to get some info. I realize this might opening a can of worms as far as opinions go. But I need to be schooled a little. Thanks ahead of time, David.
 
27 Years of selling Cummins has taught me one thing....It's the size of the load not the size of the truck that determines best fit. If you are towing heavy a newer 24V Cummins and Transmission combo have a higher tow rating. Older 4 speed versions were notorious for failure so if it is an older model go with the manual. The 12V is easiest to modify/maintain if something goes wrong and will also get the best mileage. If it is only going to be a tow vehicle look for an older low mileage 12V in the Sunshine States. Up North here everything is Oil Field driven and beat to death 4x4's. If you like bells and whistles then look for a 2010 or newer with heated seats and navigation systems. A DPF deleted truck will get superior mileage but if not set up properly can cause excessive soot problems with the Turbo. KISS works best for me, look for an old man in a hat driving a 12V IMHO.
 
I just sold my 02 2500 4x4. W/320k and miss it terribly.
That 5.9 was awesome, would move a house and was trouble free. Pulled a 3500lb boat several times never noticed it, car hauler with various cars on it often forgot it was back there....
I never had any issues out of the auto....they(4x4) do like front end parts & service. Keep the ball joints greased.
The guy I bought it from is a close family friend, he ended up with an 06/07 and has done a lot of work to his, claims hes getting about 26 on the highway and does run like a scalded ape, best I ever did 16-18 with an Edge Juice..
 
The 4 speed autos only start to have problems when you start adding power. So if you decide to get a 98.5-02, and want more power, a trans rebuilt with that in mind will do wonders.
 
thanks for the reply guys. I hate I missed the 2000 3500, very low miles, and it looked like a grandpa's truck. I'm in no hurry, so maybe something else will show up locally. I love the look of second gen rams, that's what I'm kinda set on right now. How about the difference between 5 and 6 speed manuals? One more reliable than the other?
 
Here's my new camper.
goat & camper.JPG
 
Just traded for this camper Friday. Had the Goat for a few years.
 
Also love my V-10 Ram. This truck has been amazing with 20+ years of ownership (2ND owner). While everyone in my Family & all of my friends have been thru dozens & dozens of trucks & 10's of thousands of dollars in repairs with the all of their diesels, my V-10 just keep on going. (knock on wood, still 90% all original). Rusting off of the frame now but only have changed oil/filters, tires, brakes & U-joints and two batteries.
 
A few things, one a manual shift while has it's advantages in towing heavy trailers, you also get the bump bump at the hitch when shifting, not so with an automatic. I was told here to put a shift kit in and I think it was a wise investment, as you get less slippage and firmer shifts. A tuner chip would be beneficial for more power as well. A 4:10m rear axle with a tow package is best just don't expect any mileage even when not towing a trailer. Join an RV forum and you will get some good advice from experienced owners. Pay attention to the tow weight restriction of your truck, it's critical. Fifth wheel trailers are the way to go for safety reasons alone in my opinion. But ones that can be safely towed by a 2500 are hard to find due to weight restrictions. We bought a fifth wheel earlier this year and we love it. Our 01' with a 360 did pretty well except for in the mountains when on serious inclines it was a slow climb. I have been looking for a newer truck but you will be hard pressed to find a decent diesel one in your price range. Even the Hemi will have trouble in the mountains. I knew going in this was a possibility and I accepted this reality of lack of power. Just dont push the truck and you will do fine. In April on our inaugural run we traveled 2800 miles from Ohio to the Carolinas and Florida. Best of luck to you.
 
when you say "camper" do you mean trailer ? Camper to me means slide in the bed type "camper"

Figure out trailer, and buy truck to suit. All the advise above is spot on. I've been using my '04.5 2500 Cummins/Auto/4x4 to pull an 8,000# TT (travel trailer) 40,000+ miles towing. Truck is all stock, except for a small programmer (Smarty Jr. - these are the best for Cummins) Also, a gauge package of some sort is key for longevity. Need to keep an eye on EGT and Trans temp (auto only) if you want trouble free towing.
 
My 93 has transmission cooler on it. Never seen that on another one. Must have been added. It is under the front of the bed on drivers side.
 
I found a 2002 3500 2wd on CL with 71000 miles. It's an automatic, and hasn't been touched. I'm really thinking hard on it. It's just hard to give up that much cash for an '02 truck. I have read all the common problems, looks like a FASS fuel system is the most expensive upgrade that will be needed. The rest can come later, gauges first of course.

The "travel trailer" I'm considering weighs 8300lbs before the hog goes in, and it weighs over 800. Maybe later on we can get a fifth wheel. The truck wouldn't be a daily driver, I have a broken in Dakota R/T I can drive daily.
 
How much ?

That'll be a good truck for your pending 10k pull. Find out what rear gear it has, nothing taller than 3:73
1. Smarty Jr. -
2. Edge CTS gauge pack w/ EGT sensor
 
You will not even know the hogs there. Unless the trailer disconnected and you unload the hog.
 
As much as I want to say get a diesel! A 5.7 hemi does the job ! My v6 Mazda suv says it can haul 7800 lbs or so !
My 03 2500 with a hemi has never let me down I've never needed more power then it had not do I ever really use what it has on tap! I would avoid the 4x4 as if you going over the road it's just waist if your going to he going off road maybe but something tells me the most off road your going to do is a RV park or something over night ! In other words be honiho to yourself on what you are going to do !
 
Asking price for the truck is $14.9k so.... I have to admit, this is kind of a wish list thing. I have always wanted an HD Ram, just never could justify having one. I love the noisy 2nd gen, and I figure that if a 2500 is good, 3500 is better, bigger better right! I know I could get by with the 5.7, but like I said kind of a wish list thing.

My better half informed me last night that we would have to keep my current 1500, which we both love, and just add the 3500 to the group. So I will have to get rid of some of my projects, I said some, not all.
 
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