That's why I'm putting a Cummins (4bt) in my Dakota - best of both worlds!
Moved it today under its own power. Hopefully on the road by the end of March...
Build thread to be updated once it's done. Been working on it part time since October. I'm shooting for close to 30mpg once it's all said and done - we'll see what happens.
Patrick

 

The 2500 is sweet but can be very costly to repair. Even if you do it yourself, the parts are more expensive. Just keep that in mind. A friend at work had a 2006 or so 2500 Cummins and had a ton of problems. He sold it and bought a 1500. It only had like 40k miles on it and he had a ton of problems too. 4 wheel drive issues, the whole front end was junk, electrical issues. It was probably a lemon but still...

 

Ohh crap so which of the newer ones are good..?? Cause in some time maybe I'm gonna get one...!!

 

I'm not sure what years are better than others, but go to the Ram section and they can probably help you.

 

My uncle had a 03 3500 and it worked flawless for him and after 5 years of having it he only lost about 2k over what he paid for it. One of the main reasons I want one is that it should last me a very good chunk of time. It's also probably one of the safer things to drive with all the crazy drivers of today.

 

Find an early 98 with a 12 valve, that's like the holy grail (or at least what would be my holy grail lol). But seriously, they didn't make many of the 98's with the 12 valve, I'd love to get my hands on one of them.

 

The new 6.7's suck. Im sticking in the 98.5-02 years only problem with them was if you put to much power to it with stock fuel pumps you will fry the injector pump. Other than that they are a solid truck. I looked at a 12 valve but mpg isnt as good but upside is they are all mechanical. My buddy just got a 02 6 speed and gets 18 city like 22-24 highway. Im going to look at a 02 6 speed tom or sat. Im dying for another truck. What every you do dont get a auto cummins you will destroy them in like 80,000 miles just with light use.

 

Yeah when I'm closer to get it i will take a trip to the ram section but first I need my economy get better...

 

just an update, that was sold on Thursday so that kind of elminates that one. This weekend I plan on checking out a 05 Ram 2500 Diesel QCSB. Hopefully this goes smoothly as not having a primary is really killing me.

 

Just some random observations:

I have owned eight full size trucks (all but one a 4x4) and two small/mid size trucks (one a 4x4, one a 4x2). Of the full size trucks one was a Jeep (bet a lot of you didn't know they made a full size pickup at one time), three Fords, two Chevys and two Dodges. One Ford was a diesel 4x4 (7.3L) and one was a V8 5.4 Triton 4x4 and a 4x2 RC 4.9L six cylinder. Both Chevy's had 5.3L V8s, my 2nd Gen Ram had the 5.9 and my current truck is a Hemi.
One small truck was a Nissan KC 4x4 V6 and the other a 4x2 base Isuzu P'up bought for business purposes.

Now I NEED a full size truck, but hold nothing against anyone buying a small/mid size truck if it suits there needs.

My personal experiences dictate the following:
Diesels are crazy high on maintenance costs (and I do 90% of my own labor), especially as they age and for EVERYTHING related to a diesel. Jut one example: My local dealer charges $230 just to hook up the EXACT SAME StarScan tool to scan a diesel for codes as compared to $80 to do the same thing on a gasser truck. My Ford diesel ran like a champ and pulled two different bass boats all over the southeast, only real issue was that it ATE front end parts. But if you don't NEED a diesel because you tow/haul heavy or pile miles on the truck (20,000+ miles a year) then a diesel and it's maintenance is hard to justify. Yes, engines if properly cared for can outlast a gasser by 3x or more BUT the truck itself and especially the transmission won't, necessitating high dollar repairs.

Of the gassers, my V6 Ford 4x2 was a reliable workhorse, my V8 Ford was a nightmare that dropped a piston at 14k miles. The two Chevy trucks were ok, but had a lot of minor issues and really poor fit/finish. Neither ever left me on the side of the road but neither aside from the Z71 suspension being about the best off-road stock suspension (Ram Power Wagon not withstanding) neither really had any features to write home about and the 5.3 V8 doesn't even perform like a Dodge 4.7 IMO. Both of my Rams have gone through 11 years of ownership to date (4 on my 2nd Gen, 7 on my 3rd Gen) and neither has required a major repair - matter of fact the only warranty issue with either was a blown stock shock absorber. I know Dodge has always been bashed as having poor transmissions and more customer complaints than Ford or GM, but in my experiences at least, I've never seen it.

Here is my ONLY issue with a Dakota: It's now discontinued and even while it was in full production it NEVER got the support from Chrysler or the aftermarket that it should have. Pity, because it is/was a great niche truck, a true hybrid between a mini-truck and a full size truck with power that's on par with entry level (V6 & smaller V8) full size trucks. But parts/mods/upgrades/etc. has been a problem (try finding decent lift kits for a Dak) and will only get worse. I'd have a little apprehension buying a used one today.

I'm not trying to alienate Dak guys, but I feel these are major concerns on both of the trucks you are looking at. You may be best served looking for a nice Ram gasser (either 4.7 or Hemi) in that '02-'05 range that has HUGE Mopar and aftermarket parts on the market, has reasonable upkeep costs and not least there are a plethora of them out there to pick from.

Just some random thoughts that may help you in your search for your next truck...