Experience with diesel 3/4 ton pickups?

[rockhopjohn]

I am in the market for a new (to me) diesel pick up. I want to stay with something fairly new with around 100k miles on it. You hear all sorts of things from different people about with trucks are the best, and it appears its all dependent on what you use the truck for.

Me personally, I won't be using it as intended most of the time. I will be using it to drive between western MT and western ND, I need the truck because I need something that will haul all my gear for my job (which the Outback isn't big enough for), and has the ground clearance to get through the deep snow drifts in the winter, and the deep mud ruts the summer. Occasionally I may tow heavier trailers, or campers, but most of my use will be highway.

So, whats your experience with diesel pickup. There must be some cross talk between the Outback, and the diesel truck community.

[Brucey]

Everything in the fleet at work is a chevy, so I'd definitely go Dodge.

Come on, you know you want a Cummins.

Honestly, at current gas prices, driving any sort of distance in full size truck is a waste. You plan on getting another beater to run around in? Our Chevy's get 9 mpg if we're lucky. 130 bucks to go 250 miles usually. Even with a diesel I don't see it getting much cheaper.

[rockhopjohn]

Yeah, I have been leaning towards the 2003-2007 Dodge with the common rail Cummins. There seem to be plenty of them around in that 100k mile and $20k range. But I am still considering the early 2000s 7.3l Ford Superdutys as well.

[Agcat]

We get 20-25 mpg on our 06 5.9 cummins with the computer programmed for economy. Stock programming it gets around 18. It has been a good truck with only expected maintenance thus far. My trap-wagon is a 92 Dodge Cummins with 245k miles. The only money put into the engine has been belts, water pump, and the injector pump.

[rockhopjohn]

Thats good to hear on your 06, what kind of tuner are you running that gets you that kind of mileage?

[Mtn_man]

My buddy likes his big Dodge 3500 turbo diesel. The truck is amazingly powerful. His mileage is around 20 I think average... Or at least I think thats what I saw on his trip computer.

[awd-gg]

Dodge rams with that Cummins diesel...You don't have to look elsewhere....

[rockhopjohn]

I've heard a lot of good things about the 7.3l Powerstroke too, so I haven't ruled it out yet. Most everything I hear about the duramax is that it has injector problems up to 2005, and it isn't good to a ton of miles like the Cummins and Powerstroke.

[NutoSUB]

I just traded my Chevy crew cab 6.6 turbo diesel with a Banks kit on it for the Outback, I averaged 20 mpg on the highway (empty) towing 2 scoots around 10-12mpg (75-80mph). Good ride! I had only 1 problem in 7 years (injector wire harness failed). All maintenance performed by me. No complaints 95k miles, I got 18k on the trade.

[ssrenity]

Originally Posted by rockhopjohn

I am in the market for a new (to me) diesel pick up. I want to stay with something fairly new with around 100k miles on it. You hear all sorts of things from different people about with trucks are the best, and it appears its all dependent on what you use the truck for.

Me personally, I won't be using it as intended most of the time. I will be using it to drive between western MT and western ND, I need the truck because I need something that will haul all my gear for my job (which the Outback isn't big enough for), and has the ground clearance to get through the deep snow drifts in the winter, and the deep mud ruts the summer. Occasionally I may tow heavier trailers, or campers, but most of my use will be highway.

So, whats your experience with diesel pickup. There must be some cross talk between the Outback, and the diesel truck community.

I have a '98 24v Cummins Turbodiesel Dodge Ram. It is an amazing vehicle. It gets 19-20 mpg. I towed a 20 foot enclosed trailer from Atlanta to upstate NY. I stopped in a truck stop to weigh it just for fun. Total for truck and trailer was 17,500lbs. I was getting about 12mpg with that load. At about 100k now it doesn't get used all that much, but it has never given me any trouble.