Need some used truck help

[millhouse961]

Sold the boat last week and wife wants a travel trailer. The plan is a 5th wheel which means I need a truck as my current tow vehicle is an Escalade ESV so that wont work (and skip the option of trading in the Escalade, its the wife's daily driver and she won't drive a truck). I'm looking for a 1 ton diesel 4x4 and don't care if its 10-15 years old as it will only be used to pull the travel trailer and I only have 10k cash to spend, so currently looking at '99s-03s with 100-150k-ish miles. When I run a search I get tons of Fords coming up for what appeared to be deals, but then a buddy tells me the 6.0 Powerstrokes that came out in '03 are piles and sure enough, every single "deal" I found had that motor. He referred me to a local guy selling his '03 Chevy 3500 LS dually 4x4 with 160k miles and injectors replaced only 60 miles ago. Guy says he's looking for 15k, book says about 12.5k but he says this is a sought after truck and hard to find. I offered him the 10k cash that I have plus a bbrand new Sig M400 enhanced with tan grips that I have still in the box. He's gonna get back to me, but does anyone think this is a good deal or keep looking? I have never owned a diesel so this is all new territory for me.

Thanks!

here's a pic of the truck Im looking at

 

[millhouse961]

Also should mention trailer we are looking at is 13,300lb dry

 

[Dettom]

Sold the boat last week and wife wants a travel trailer. The plan is a 5th wheel which means I need a truck as my current tow vehicle is an Escalade ESV so that wont work (and skip the option of trading in the Escalade, its the wife's daily driver and she won't drive a truck). I'm looking for a 1 ton diesel 4x4 and don't care if its 10-15 years old as it will only be used to pull the travel trailer and I only have 10k cash to spend, so currently looking at '99s-03s with 100-150k-ish miles. When I run a search I get tons of Fords coming up for what appeared to be deals, but then a buddy tells me the 6.0 Powerstrokes that came out in '03 are piles and sure enough, every single "deal" I found had that motor. He referred me to a local guy selling his '03 Chevy 3500 LS dually 4x4 with 160k miles and injectors replaced only 60 miles ago. Guy says he's looking for 15k, book says about 12.5k but he says this is a sought after truck and hard to find. I offered him the 10k cash that I have plus a bbrand new Sig M400 enhanced with tan grips that I have still in the box. He's gonna get back to me, but does anyone think this is a good deal or keep looking? I have never owned a diesel so this is all new territory for me.

Thanks!

here's a pic of the truck Im looking at View attachment 418039

Probably a fair price at between 12.5 and 14. Just be sure and check the transfer case for evidence of leakage. Between 99 and 07 the transfer cases in those models had a pump that would wear a whole through the case from the inside. The fluid would slowly leak out and kill the case. I know from experience, 2,200 dollars worth.

 

[millhouse961]

Probably a fair price at between 12.5 and 14. Just be sure and check the transfer case for evidence of leakage. Between 99 and 07 the transfer cases in those models had a pump that would wear a whole through the case from the inside. The fluid would slowly leak out and kill the case. I know from experience, 2,200 dollars worth.

So just look at the transfer case for fluid collecting on the outside or is there something additional I should do?

 

[Squirtsfar]

We have/had 4 of the 03 Chevy Diesels at work. Seems like every 60,000 or 70,000 we were putting injectors in them.... The going rate was about $3,500.00 each time.... I would stay away myself... Try and find a newer one.

 

[RodnJen]

How big of 5th wheel? If you are only using this to tow, and you may not be towing all that much, why limit yourself to a diesel? I'm just offering another perspective. You may find a gasser for less money and more manageable maintenence/repair costs.

 

[Dettom]

So just look at the transfer case for fluid collecting on the outside or is there something additional I should do?

You'll see oil on the case and the frame behind it. The location of the pump is on the rear pass side of the case. Careful examination will reveal a small hole in the case. There's a bunch of You Tube videos on the problem. Chevy should have put out a service bulletin on this but didn't. Get a flashlight and crawl around under there. It'll be worth it in the long run.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Is this going to be for short trips?

I would be very Leary pulling a big 5th wheel across country using a truck with that kind of mileage without knowing the maintenance history. 10-15K is very cheap for that year duramax based on what most nice trucks are selling for.

Nothing worse than having 50' of truck and trailer broken down on the side of the road.....Personally I would never travel or tow with an older used vehicle.

As far as the Fords you are correct they are a ticking timebomb without having been gone through with headstuds and the rest of the bulletproof treatment.

 

[Ibeplumbing]

Run as far away from the 6.0, 6.4 fords. Anything 03.5 ford trough 2010. The Dmax's are notorious for eating injectors but are good motors other than that. Personally I would go dodge and get a cummins. I am biased having an 05 myself. I came from the ford 6.0, and the cummins is waaaay better in all ways as far as I'm concerned. The dodge trans is gonna be an issue if it hasn't been addressed around that milage. It's a toss up between the dodge and chevy' as far as I'm concerned. Personal preference. Chevys have a good size backseat, dodge is smaller. I have no kids but it's me and the wife with 2 big doberman in the back seat of my dodge. The 03-04.5 dodges were kinda sluggish compared to my 05 ho motor when I drove them. The 04.5-07 5.9 cummins are the ho models.

 

[tkrrox]

7.3 ford

 

[welldigger00]

Stick shift dodge. Stick shift 7.3.

 

[boatdoc55]

I'm still having nightmares over my TWO 6.0's I HAD. Went and bought a Cummins, I mean Dodge, and you couldn't slap the smile off my face.

 

[Ibeplumbing]

I'm still having nightmares over my TWO 6.0's I HAD. Went and bought a Cummins, I mean Dodge, and you couldn't slap the smile off my face.

Same exact feeling here

 

[NicPaus]

How is the condition of the interior? Any signs of a fifth wheel hitch in it? Is he original owner? Few questions to ask. As long as he has receipts for the new injectors that truck should be solid for another 50,000 miles. That year the injectors were the issue if it was a 04 1/2 LLY he could get $15k all day. If you are only using it to tow it will take you 10 years to put 50k on it. The dually will handle that size trailer much nicer in the wind than a SRW.

 

[454Rocket]

5.9 Dodge with a manual trans. Don't worry about the mileage, just maintenance.

They hold their value if you want to upgrade later too. I had one for 3 years and put 60,000 miles on it, sold it for $2k less than what I paid for it.

 

[Deja_Vu]

First thing you need to do is try to narrow down what size 5er you want and get an idea of the GVWs for them.
If you are wanting lots of slideouts and tile floors/corian countertops etc. it will put your dry GVW over 10k which will require a 1 ton truck.

Mine only weights 8300# dry so I am pulling it with an 04' Chevy 2500 with a 6.0L 2WD which is right in your budget.

 

[NicPaus]

First thing you need to do is try to narrow down what size 5er you want and get an idea of the GVWs for them.
If you are wanting lots of slideouts and tile floors/corian countertops etc. it will put your dry GVW over 10k which will require a 1 ton truck.

Mine only weights 8300# dry so I am pulling it with an 04' Chevy 2500 with a 6.0L 2WD which is right in your budget.

#13,300 lbs dry is to much for a gasser IMO. I have a 06 Duramax and a 06 vortec 6.0. Over 10k puts a strain on the gas truck.

 

[Deja_Vu]

#13,300 lbs dry is to much for a gasser IMO. I have a 06 Duramax and a 06 vortec 6.0. Over 10k puts a strain on the gas truck.

Agreed, I didnt see the 13,300 GVW. Nevermind...you need a diesel.

 

[millhouse961]

How is the condition of the interior? Any signs of a fifth wheel hitch in it? Is he original owner? Few questions to ask. As long as he has receipts for the new injectors that truck should be solid for another 50,000 miles. That year the injectors were the issue if it was a 04 1/2 LLY he could get $15k all day. If you are only using it to tow it will take you 10 years to put 50k on it. The dually will handle that size trailer much nicer in the wind than a SRW.

Just went and looked at it; interior was great and it already has the 5th wheel hitch. He currently pulls his toy hauler with it which weighs more than what I am looking at and said his last trip he averaged around 14mpg pulling. Not the original owner but he is a long time local guy and I live in a very small town. He is good friends with a lot of people I know and a local business owner so i really like doing business with someone I know (well, 1 degree of separation). Only stuff I could find wrong was the front passenger window needs a new motor and the bed has been bumped on both sides by the toyhauler. Its barely noticeable but I have seen that same damage pulling 5th wheels and goose-necks before so I immediately knew what it was and he told me all about it. Waiting to hear back from him to see if his wife was cool with the deal I offered. Thanks for all the input everyone, I'll update with what happens.

 

[Cray Paper]

I have about 150K on my 3/4 ton HD 03 cc 4x4 short bed. About half of the miles have been daily driven, no towing. I bought it with 30K miles. As mentioned, the injectors are an issue, mine has 120K on the replacement injectors (1st owner traded it in after having them replaced under warranty). Front wheel bearings / hubs go out at about 90k intervals. The bearings are not serviceable, so hubs and bearings are the deal, 250.00+ each. I replaced the passenger window motor assembly on mine with GM parts from the dealer for about 175.00 bucks last year, easy to do and cheap fix. The transfer case pump rub is a real issue, haven't done the pump rub fix on mine but haven't needed to either.

The rear differential seals will leak at some point, cheap fix (30 bucks at NAPA) if you catch it at the right time. Mine leaked during a trip back from AZ to Seattle with a 25' Eliminator in tow that didn't have trailer breaks and it coated one of the rear disc brake pads. Had to replace the pads and the axle gaskets. Brakes on these trucks will last to 300K and more if not coated it gear lube! I can feel some looseness in the front end on my truck now, not bad but it wanders a little compared to my new HD work truck, probably needs some tie rod ends or center link.

If the truck had a programmer on it, all bets are off. The Allison is a great tranny, but if it was abused by a chipped Dmax while towing it will wear out and break easily. It would be nice to have a 6th gear though for unloaded above 65MPH fuel economy while commuting.

If the truck starts easily, doesn't smoke (injectors) at idle, doesn't make oil (injectors), doesn't have the pump rub issue and drives decent I would say go for it. That's not a bad deal for an 03 with newer injectors. They are great trucks and built for towing, the consistent issue is injectors though. The sheet metal is so much thicker on the older HD's and they just feel heavier / more substantial than the new trucks. No emissions to deal with either.

 

[Big B Hova]

Run as far away from the 6.0, 6.4 fords. Anything 03.5 ford trough 2010. The Dmax's are notorious for eating injectors but are good motors other than that. Personally I would go dodge and get a cummins. I am biased having an 05 myself. I came from the ford 6.0, and the cummins is waaaay better in all ways as far as I'm concerned. The dodge trans is gonna be an issue if it hasn't been addressed around that milage. It's a toss up between the dodge and chevy' as far as I'm concerned. Personal preference. Chevys have a good size backseat, dodge is smaller. I have no kids but it's me and the wife with 2 big doberman in the back seat of my dodge. The 03-04.5 dodges were kinda sluggish compared to my 05 ho motor when I drove them. The 04.5-07 5.9 cummins are the ho models.

No back seat room?

Get a dodge mega cab. I got an 07 mega cab 4x4 5.9L. Last year of that motor. Truck is a beast!

 

[Ibeplumbing]

No back seat room?

Get a dodge mega cab. I got an 07 mega cab 4x4 5.9L. Last year of that motor. Truck is a beast!

I was looking for one when u got mine, but they weren't that many out that were 5.9's. And they wanted too dollar for them. I settled for a regular 4 door. It's set up exactly how I want except not mega cab, not gonna change it now. I literally only put maybe 4-5k a year on it

 

[lbhsbz]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5105211828.html

 

[millhouse961]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5105211828.html

Thats a good find!

 

[rivrrts429]

Thats a good find!

That's what I would be getting if I was in your shoes [emoji106]

 

[Runs2rch]

Crew cab LB7 dually for that price is a great find. Injectors can be had from Lincoln Diesel for 1600. I have an 04 LB7. I run Optilube and 2 stroke every tank. It's not the injector as much as the dry fuel they are not designed for. Pump rub as well as new steering componets are inexpensive easy fixes. The LB7 is strong, pulls well, and gets great fuel mileage.

 

[NicPaus]

Thats a good find!

It is only a extra cab and they are a lot louder than a Duramax. Not a fan of green either. I am in Torrance if you need me to check it out for you.

 

[screaming pete]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5105211828.html

solid truck right there, I'd put a set of Bilstens shocks on it service the tranny, maybe add a triple disk torque converter. :thumbup:

 

[millhouse961]

It is only a extra cab and they are a lot louder than a Duramax. Not a fan of green either. I am in Torrance if you need me to check it out for you.

Thank you for the offer but I'm not going to look at that one. I agree the cummins is a great motor but those older dodges are just hideous to me and the cabs are not big enough. My kids are in a carseat and booster still so I need that back seat space. Im waiting to hear if my local guy is going to take my deal on this Chevy and if not I will start looking again. But man, those '03-04 duramaxes are hard to find! I do a search and every single one of them is priced way over book; guess they are pretty desirable.

 

[millhouse961]

Crew cab LB7 dually for that price is a great find. Injectors can be had from Lincoln Diesel for 1600. I have an 04 LB7. I run Optilube and 2 stroke every tank. It's not the injector as much as the dry fuel they are not designed for. Pump rub as well as new steering componets are inexpensive easy fixes. The LB7 is strong, pulls well, and gets great fuel mileage.

The optilube and 2 stroke are fuell additives? Where would I get these?

 

[Ibeplumbing]

If you want a solid truck maybe a bit cheaper you could look into the mid 90's 7.3 crew cabs. They will still pull a house, get pretty good milage and should be cheaper. They are obviously older looking though. Whereas the 99 and up 7.3's or the duramax's and 03 and up cummins all pass as newer looking trucks

 

[screaming pete]

Thank you for the offer but I'm not going to look at that one. I agree the cummins is a great motor but those older dodges are just hideous to me and the cabs are not big enough. My kids are in a carseat and booster still so I need that back seat space. Im waiting to hear if my local guy is going to take my deal on this Chevy and if not I will start looking again. But man, those '03-04 duramaxes are hard to find! I do a search and every single one of them is priced way over book; guess they are pretty desirable.

I agree about Dodge Uglyness....lol

 

[millhouse961]

If you want a solid truck maybe a bit cheaper you could look into the mid 90's 7.3 crew cabs. They will still pull a house, get pretty good milage and should be cheaper. They are obviously older looking though. Whereas the 99 and up 7.3's or the duramax's and 03 and up cummins all pass as newer looking trucks

'99 F350 with 250k miles is 12k...!

 

[ColdSteel]

I have about 150K on my 3/4 ton HD 03 cc 4x4 short bed. About half of the miles have been daily driven, no towing. I bought it with 30K miles. As mentioned, the injectors are an issue, mine has 120K on the replacement injectors (1st owner traded it in after having them replaced under warranty). Front wheel bearings / hubs go out at about 90k intervals. The bearings are not serviceable, so hubs and bearings are the deal, 250.00+ each. I replaced the passenger window motor assembly on mine with GM parts from the dealer for about 175.00 bucks last year, easy to do and cheap fix. The transfer case pump rub is a real issue, haven't done the pump rub fix on mine but haven't needed to either.

The rear differential seals will leak at some point, cheap fix (30 bucks at NAPA) if you catch it at the right time. Mine leaked during a trip back from AZ to Seattle with a 25' Eliminator in tow that didn't have trailer breaks and it coated one of the rear disc brake pads. Had to replace the pads and the axle gaskets. Brakes on these trucks will last to 300K and more if not coated it gear lube! I can feel some looseness in the front end on my truck now, not bad but it wanders a little compared to my new HD work truck, probably needs some tie rod ends or center link.

If the truck had a programmer on it, all bets are off. The Allison is a great tranny, but if it was abused by a chipped Dmax while towing it will wear out and break easily. It would be nice to have a 6th gear though for unloaded above 65MPH fuel economy while commuting.

If the truck starts easily, doesn't smoke (injectors) at idle, doesn't make oil (injectors), doesn't have the pump rub issue and drives decent I would say go for it. That's not a bad deal for an 03 with newer injectors. They are great trucks and built for towing, the consistent issue is injectors though. The sheet metal is so much thicker on the older HD's and they just feel heavier / more substantial than the new trucks. No emissions to deal with either.

This is all solid info.

Early Duramax trucks (LB7) had injector problems.
The next generation fixed the injector probelms but some had issues with overheating when pulling heavy. (LLY engines.)
~2005.5-2007.5 Had the LBZ. Highest HP of the non smog motors. Great engine. Last generation before they added a 9th injector in the exhaust for the DPF. This engine had bigger rods but were more prone to cracking pistons when adding big power.

The LBZ trucks have the 6 speed Allison transmissions.
Like IROCDave said, the transmission CAN be an issue, but I don't think it's as much a programmer issue as it is a driver issue. Mine lasted a long time before it got fuzzy.

 

[millhouse961]

The truck that I am looking at has had no tuning done other than a volant cold air intake added. Here's a question on that note though: would it be a bad idea to add one of the many programmer kits from Banks to get more power out of it?

 

[ColdSteel]

The truck that I am looking at has had no tuning done other than a volant cold air intake added. Here's a question on that note though: would it be a bad idea to add one of the many programmer kits from Banks to get more power out of it?

Some shops have already done the dyno work and have a library of tunes they can load into your ECM. EFILive! and a DSP5 switch will allow a guy to load 5 different tunes from mild, to wild, including tow tunes with light and heavy turbo brakes. All at the turn of a rotary switch.

Canned tuners are.. Okay. Some like the edge will allow you to read some of the OBD information from the computer. Kinda handy to mount on the dash and use it as a gauge pod.

EFI Live > Edge - PPE > Banks.

I put my truck back to stock a few times. :thumbsdown

 

[millhouse961]

Some shops have already done the dyno work and have a library of tunes they can load into your ECM. EFILive! and a DSP5 switch will allow a guy to load 5 different tunes from mild, to wild, including tow tunes with light and heavy turbo brakes. All at the turn of a rotary switch.

Canned tuners are.. Okay. Some like the edge will allow you to read some of the OBD information from the computer. Kinda handy to mount on the dash and use it as a gauge pod.

EFI Live > Edge - PPE > Banks.

I put my truck back to stock a few times. :thumbsdown

Good info. Guy I am buying from tows a 15k lb 5th wheel and says its a piece of cake. With this in mind would it be best to just leave the motor alone? Or should I do some simple stuff like exhaust? He removed the factory muffler but the rest is stock which I believe is 3". Would it be worth the money to upgrade to 4" exhaust or just leave it alone?

 

[ColdSteel]

Good info. Guy I am buying from tows a 15k lb 5th wheel and says its a piece of cake. With this in mind would it be best to just leave the motor alone? Or should I do some simple stuff like exhaust? He removed the factory muffler but the rest is stock which I believe is 3". Would it be worth the money to upgrade to 4" exhaust or just leave it alone?

Do whatever you want, really, They're great motors. You can get a lot out of a duramax. Stock tunes are a bit anemic though. The only maybe issue is keeping the EGTs down. Big exhaust helps with that. 4 is fine. Judicious use of the skinny pedal will keep your transmission happy.

If you're going to keep it as a tow rig, I'd get the Edge. You can install a Pyro and use it to watch your temps and injector rates for best fuel economy. It even has tow tunes on it.

The 6 speed has two learnable shift patterns. Whenever I beat on mine, it's in tow mode, so the trans has gotten used to more skinny pedal when the tow light is on.

 

[millhouse961]

Do whatever you want, really, They're great motors. You can get a lot out of a duramax. Stock tunes are a bit anemic though. The only maybe issue is keeping the EGTs down. Big exhaust helps with that. 4 is fine. Judicious use of the skinny pedal will keep your transmission happy.

If you're going to keep it as a tow rig, I'd get the Edge. You can install a Pyro and use it to watch your temps and injector rates for best fuel economy. It even has tow tunes on it.

The 6 speed has two learnable shift patterns. Whenever I beat on mine, it's in tow mode, so the trans has gotten used to more skinny pedal when the tow light is on.

Is there a specific model for the edge or is it like a universal programmer?

 

[millhouse961]

Ah crap, there;s like 8 different edge tuners! Which one?
Edge Products 21000 Juice with Attitude CS Monitor
$829.00
Sale Price: $704.65

Edge Products 21400 Juice with Attitude CS2 Monitor
$829.00 Pre-Order!

Edge Products 21500 Juice with Attitude CTS2 Monitor
$979.00
2001-2004 GM 6.6L Duramax LB7

Edge Products 85100 Evolution CS (Color Screen)
$499.00
Sale Price: $424.15

Edge Products 85101 Evolution CS (California Edition)
$499.00
Sale Price: $424.15
You Save: $74.85

Edge Products 85200 Evolution CTS (Color Touch Screen)
$649.00
Sale Price: $551.65

Edge Products 85300 Evolution CS2
$499.00 Pre-Order!

Edge Products 85301 Evolution CS2 (California Edition)
$499.00 Pre-Order!

 

[millhouse961]

Hey guys- Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that helped out with my truck questions. I ended up getting the 2003 1 ton duramax from a local guy who is now a new friend. Picked up the new trailer a few days later and truck pulls it great. My original plan was to use the truck just for towing but now I love it so much I've been driving it daily, lol.

 

[NicPaus]

Looks even better with the trailer behind it!! Congrats!!

 

[RodnJen]

Nice rig all-around.

 

[Squirtsfar]

Nice Looking Rig, Congrats! :thumbup:

 

[warpt71]

Looks good! Now ya need some Alcoa's or SS simulators

 

[Runs2rch]

Looks great! Optilube and Tcw3 2 stroke are fuel additives. More power, mileage, and almost zero exhaust smoke.

 

[millhouse961]

Well fuck. Haven't even camped in the new coach yet and already fucked it up. Trying to get it backed in where the boat was, pulling forward to straighten out and caught the fence:



Oh well, guess its broken in now, huh?