I went and looked at a 2004 4 door 1500 with the 5.7 "Hemi" in it yesterday. It had 34,000 miles and the price tag was $15,900. Silver with some 20s. It was at a local dealer.

After some quick searching it looks like it makes..
345HP
375lb Torque
Towing Capacity in stock form 7600 lbs
Not sure what they mean by “properly equipped” (bags???) but it says if it is it can tow 9200 lbs which is more then I will ever do.

So with that said, any ever do any towing with there’s? How does it tow? Any upgrades you have done to help it? The Max I may tow with for a long period of time may be 6500lbs.
Mileage you are getting towing and just driving around daily.

Anything specific when looking at these trucks? I already do the oil check, smell the tranny fluid, yada yada….

Something I noticed on this truck was the paint near the drivers side door handle is the paint is starting to flake off. There was a spot that was about the size of a dime that was already touched up. There was another spot next to that getting ready to flake, which almost came off just touching it. Some other little things I did not like. It was a smokers truck which I could tell right away. It was kind of dirty inside. Looks like they got in and out of the thing with muddy boots on all the time. It has carpet floor and looks like it could use shampooed. I also noticed the seat mounts where rusty too. How does that happen? Are they not painted from the factory?

Other then that the frame was a little rusty (surface), engine bay was dusty and it looked like the steering pump cap could be leaking a small bit, (it was dark out and hard to see).

It was about 30 Degrees outside and I am not sure how long this truck was sitting, but the battery seemed to be a little drained (not a big deal) but after it started it seemed to shutter for a second. (normal?)

With all this said I think with a little soap and water this truck would look great, it is also winter here and they like to use a lot of salt. I battle it every winter and is one reason my 04 ranger (which I am trading in) is sitting in the barn.

Maybe I am ****, but spending 15k is a big deal to me, and I don’t want screwed.

Thanks for reading and any help is appreciated.

 

As far as what to look for, this topic has been brought up a couple of times in the last week or so. Do a search, I know I've listed the common problems that one should look for in 3rd Gen Rams at least twice in the last couple of days.

That said, DUDE, $15,900 is so far out of line for that truck it's ridiculous. Yes the mileage is low, but brand new leftoever '08 QC Hemi 4x4's with a sticker of $40k were selling for around $21-22k while still on the lots a couple of months ago!!!

A quick scan of my local paper shows an '05, Laramie, QCSB Hemi 4x4, excellent condition, 39k miles for $12,995 and an '06, Thunder Road, QCSB Hemi 4x4, 23k miles for $15,995!!! These are both DEALER ads, you can do WAY better on an '04 with some minor issues!!!

"Properly Equipped" means Factory Tow pkg, weight dist. hitch and trailer brakes... With 4.56 gears and air bags and upgraded brakes you can do a lot more, the Hemi can handle it easily, but you run into an issue with the ins. company if you are over factory spec and have a problem on the road though...

 

I found a couple more in my area for $14,000. Thanks for the info, I will keep searching the site.