OK now before all you guys go off saying hey man there is like 40 threads asking the same question. This is correct but really who wants to read though 40+ different threads. Im looking at a 98.5-02 cummins 5/6speed. I know all about the vp44 pump,the dreaded 53 block and the 5th gear tranny nut. I currently own a dead dakota(auto tranny failure) im sure from all the abuse,towing and hauling. I wont be towing a lot like 6k max but mostly gonna tow one of our kubota tractors(so either 1,700lb or 3,400lb depending on what im doing). This is why im looking into a cummins and also because I want one lol. Now 12v vs 24v I know the 12v you can pretty much make power buy using a screw driver but the 24 you need a tuner. Any upside to the 12 or 24? Im looking at pretty much mpg wise. For now Im keeping the mods pretty simple like exhaust,intake and a tuner. Any other problems known with them? One cheaper to fix than the other one? Just need some stuff to look at when buying used. Im trying to stay around 150k but everyone seems to thing 19-20k is a good price for a cummins around 150k

 

For $20,000 you can buy a 2004-2005 3rd gen truck.

 

Unfortunately I dont like the 3rd gens well I do but I dont want one. I only have 16k to drop anyway. Anyone live near this http://www.nydiesels.com/ He is expensive but only deals with cummins and guarantees his trucks. Talked to him for about 5-10 min seems like a nice guy. Buys all his trucks from down south.

 

I'm looking for the same info as you. I'm looking for the same thing. And I asked about nydiesels the other day and the only answer I got was "hiusmell, I would be very careful with that dealer. He lists on ebay from time to time and his rating isn't the best."
And I've seen his trucks on ebay before, but can't remember his ebay username to see the feedback for myself.

 

I've been searching his site and ebay for about a month now and havent saw any of his trucks there. He offered to up the warranty on the blue 01 2500 ho truck I was looking at. It has 234k on it. I told him I was looking for a truck with around 150k he said thats great but he said thats when bearings,ball joints and all that like to fail around. So a truck that has 200k has already had that replaced.(makes sense but hell its almost close to 100k more so they could go again at any time) He says we sometimes spend 5k on a truck with a 150k just to fix the worn out parts he also says they pick apart every truck they get to make sure its all up to par. I really hate to drive 300 miles just to look at a truck. That 01 blue truck books for 13,300 which he is asking 16,000 makes sense its been checked over but what scares me is his team really going over every part or is he just saying that.

 

I'm thinking the same thing. But, I really like the idea that he specializes in such a specific vehicle. And this might sound stupid, but I watched at least 10 of his videos on the trucks for sale now, and to me he sounds too much like a used car saleman.
Also, what's his ebay username, I want to check out his feedback?

 

besides that, your mpg won't be as good as a earlier one with a 3rd gen , they made some changes in '04 that killed mpg, I was told this was the second thime that had done that since the 20 mpg 1st gens,

my '06 dually gets 12.5 mpg I can get 13.5 to a very low 14mpg solid interstate driving keeping her at 1800 rpm running empty

with my 8.5 * 20 V-nose trialer and only 1500 lbs inside of it, 9.5 mpg at 65 mph

whatever you do, if you go newer, make sure people that are telling you 17-22 mpg are hand calculating it!

my OBC tells me from 16-18mpg. it is a liar <g>

and I baby this truck! i ease into the throttle and not ruinning it over 2200 rpm getting it up to speed empty

btw if your looking to save money over a gasser, I bet you won't, diesle is now much higher thas gas, my costs are now hirhger to operatge this truck than my gasser was, to do it all over, if it was about costs to operate and own, i would have stayed with the gasser,

'06 3500 Laramie CTD

 

16k for 234k on what year?
you do realize that is WAY over priced
if you buy that today, and it gets totaled tomorrow your out a pocketful of cash, you will not get paid your 16k, they will go nada at best.

never beleive a car lot........ I have been in the car business my entire life as either a tech or dealer
no car lots ppull hubs to inspect, your lucky if any pull a brake drum to check the brakes, I bet a dollar they never even jacked it up to check the ball joints out!
take a floor jack and do it your self, lift it from under the axle or control arm, take apry bar and lift the tire up and down, and in and out, visually look and see how old they look? dont get fooled by newly painted undercarriage either

I bought too many cars for car lots, auticons and from car lots , they may look it over, but they have no clue what is going to go wrong with it tomorrow, or any cluie what was done last month, and the line about ball joints? well he is semi correct, any of the larger trucks are more than likely going to need them begtween 70k and 100kmiles

thing is did they replace them yesterday? did they use good wuality ball joints?
or is he just saying they have been replaced because he assumes someone did? and if they did then, when? at 70-100k like he siad htey all go bad? if so, they have over 100k on them now, or did he replace them again?

and if he starts telling you they put moog in last year, tell him, okk, they need replaced again!

top of the line ball joints run retail about 100 bucks each for the 2500 3500 4wd's IOW for four hundred bucks you can replace them all yourself, go to xrf and look up ball jont prices, supposedly they are the best bang for the biuck

you need to run over to the cumminsforum.com and do some more research about all this

hope I help, never pay more than a trucks value unless your ready to loose it all, keep in mind NADA clen retail assumes the vehicle brought back to 100% condition,
100% perfect does not ADD 3000.00 to the price of any vehicle, it only makes it worth it's clean retail price

 

tmtm,

With my traction tires on the combo mpg (hand calculated) the last 3 tanks has been between 16 to 16.352 mpg, summer I can get 20+ mpg if I drive on state hwy at 1525 RPM about 55 MPH, at 70 it drops to the 18 mpg range. One reason you get lower mpg is you have Duals I don't.

 

Just wanted to say, I've done some research about nydiesels.com and haven't found anything good about him at all.
If anyone is interested in any of his truck, I will send you some links to other forums where I found I lot of bad reviews on him.