Duramax in the driveway, just considering it...

[sandman2234]

Work has a service truck that they bought with 120K miles on it, and 45K miles later, they figured out they didn't need it. I have a 1500 silverado, but getting it to pull a loaded trailer is asking a lot, especially when the loads I pulll are usually WAY OVER it's capacity.
The 2004 2500 Silverado Duramax might have been a nice truck at one time, but it has seen better days. Since it hadn't been started in a couple months, jumper cables got the girl to start and adding a bottle of power steering fluid settled down the wine from that area. Basically runs fine, shifts fine, uses horsepower to accelerate rather than by dropping a gear like my 1500 does. My old 1991 1500 used power instead of gear shifting, a trait I rather missed over the last few years. The drawbacks are the high milage of 162,000 and the thing that the wife hated IMMEDIATELY was the service body. Although it is one of the rounded looking utility bodies, rather than the square ones, she was expecting a conventional p/u bed and this one didn't do anything for her. Gasoline compressor may or maynot go with it, haven't "asked" but since it is mounted, I think it should stay. I do know the front brakes have recently been done, as it was metal to metal a couple months ago, and now they seem to be working fine.
Since I need something to pull my 7K JD2555 if it is to go anywhere, and I drive a tractor trailer for a living, I find myself not requiring a lot of miles when I am at home, so the high milage doesn't concern me as much as it used to. Having a service body versus a p/u body isn't concerning me, but the wife seems to think I will get tired of it. I am not one of those people who tire of a vehicle and have to trade it ever 2-3 years. I generally wear them out, then find something else to drive.
I have to make an offer on the truck Monday, and am wondering just how far I should stick my neck out.
Tires will have to be replaced. Current ones are too light duty to suit me, although they still have 50 to 60% tread left.
Both batteries will need replacing, as it has been sitting too much lately and cold weather isn't the time to try to stretch the life of a battery.
Complete service, as that probably hasn't been done because it wasn't a high priority during the lean times around work.
Interior needs cleaning and the drivers seat (leather) is gong to have to be upholstered due to the outer edge being torn (ie pliers in the back pocket?)
Tailgate on the service body needs fixing, as it doesn't want to open. Rest of the doors work fine.
Generally speaking, I am just wondering if I can figure 50K miles out of this truck without too many problems or is 165K the starting point at which I may be getting into the repair end of a trucks lifespan?
If I buy this truck, it will be under "rough trade-in" value, so it isn't like I am paying top dollar for it.
Tried to take a picture of it, but it is too dark outside for a quality picture.
Any comments???
David from jax

 

[Diamondpilot]

Anything is worth the money if you can get it for the right price. The big thing to watch on the 2500 series GM trucks is the GVWR. With a heavy service body you could be at or near the max with noting on the hitch.

165,000 is not a lot for a diesel engine but is getting to be a lot on the rest of the truck. Plan on seal, ball joints, tie rods, bearings, ect.


Chris

 

[mojoinco]

I have a 2005 2500 dmax, 4x4. It has about 104k, about 9k in the year I have owned it. Ball joints all need new rubber (basically, new ball joints some day). Seems to be a nice truck (should be just about the same mechanically as this one). A pick up bed can be put on fairly easily (may require a fuel tank drop -- just look under a stock pick up for access to the tank). We have a local junkyard that buys take off beds from a truck body company.

IF it is a pick up frame. Cab chassis frames have a different frame rail width (fairly standard width). You can go by a local dealer and ask the difference from a commercial line salesman. Or search on line for the GM/Chevy 'upfitters' guide for 2004 (2005 should be the same, 1999-2006/7 will be close enough for this detail).

Lots of discussion on the merits of the 3/4 hd to the 1 ton srw models here. I have a similar weight tractor (that needs a larger trailer to tow it on). I think this truck handles it as well as my 92 f350 srw did. I did replace the stock hitch, the rear shocks, and added a rear sway bar (probably not needed when the camper is not on the truck -- that was a preventative measure).

Tires, batteries, brakes, hoses, shocks, fluids. Standard used vehicle repairs (I would rather do it than depend on someone else making cheap choices and me not getting any warranty support). Ball joints depending on age (missed the cracked rubber when I crawled around mine). Probably would consider passing on something that wouldn't drive straight and if the drive train didn't seem right (too many clunks and clanks). Depending on the price and efforts to repair.

You may want to live with a gas engined model if you aren't going to use it much. That was a hard bridge for me to go over. My wife bought a new horse trailer and I had to give in. Crawling up towards the continental divide in 2nd (granny manual) was not acceptable. 3rd gear would have been. Now I have a lot more to consider (the 460 always started right up, even after sitting for a month).

Even an older flat bed mid size truck, especially as you are already comfortable with driving a rig. Just my 2 copper-washed-zinc cents. And worth almost as much!:thumbsup:

 

[VitaBene]

If it started as a pickup, poke around and get a PU bed.from a truck outfitter. You can usually buy a takeoff for $1000 or so in your correct color sometimes.

 

[VitaBene]

If it started as a pickup, poke around and get a PU bed.from a truck outfitter. You can usually buy a takeoff bed for $1000 or so in your correct color (sometimes).

 

[sandman2234]

I put a take off bed from a truck body manufacturer on a previous p/u, and have already considered that option should the Reading Classic II bed get to be too much. Probably won't for me, unless I get tired of hooking up a trailer to haul things just a little bit bigger than the bed, that would normally fit in a p/u. I have adjusted my price offer to allow for a good portion of the purchase of a replacement, but haven't considered the cost of the repainting to match the truck. I do know I won't be doing the painting!!
I am really starting to doubt my opinions on this truck, and wonder if I should start looking for a little older truck that fits my complete want list. That list might be better filled by a 97 powerstroke (7.3) extended cab SRW 4x4 in a 2500 or 3500 series truck. I saw one yesterday and pointed it out to the wife and all she said was that it was better than that work truck.
David from jax

 

[aczlan]

I saw one yesterday and pointed it out to the wife and all she said was that it was better than that work truck.

A wise man once said "If Momma aint happy, aint nobody happy".
If you would find it more useful to have a longer cab and your wife doesn't really like the truck, I would say to pass unless you can get a screaming deal (such as 1/2 to 2/3 of the current private party sale price in your area).

I have done both (gone after a "great deal" that wasn't quite what I needed and spend a little more to get exactly what I needed).
So far, it has worked out better to get the item that fits the bill rather than one that mostly fits the bill (especially if you end up having to sell it later to get the exact item you need).


Aaron Z

 

[crashz]

Keep in mind that the Dmax had a few years of injector issues (2001-2004ish). Some say better fuel filtration is needed and others say its a design fault. Either way, its expensive and some people have had more than one set put in.

Injector issues will be easisest to notice by a slow leak filling the crankcase with diesel. Some excessively smoke at start up and under accelleration as well. Check to make sure the truck is not overfilled with engine oil. Classic symptom of failed injectors.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Keep in mind that the Dmax had a few years of injector issues (2001-2004ish). Some say better fuel filtration is needed and others say its a design fault. Either way, its expensive and some people have had more than one set put in.

Injector issues will be easisest to notice by a slow leak filling the crankcase with diesel. Some excessively smoke at start up and under accelleration as well. Check to make sure the truck is not overfilled with engine oil. Classic symptom of failed injectors.

They are a pain to change also on the early Dmax trucks. I had one with injector issues. The valve covers needed to be removed and a bunch of other stuff to just get to them. They redesigned it in 06? and it is now a conventional setup that is more maintenance friendly.

Chris

 

[Ryan03]

Anything is worth the money if you can get it for the right price. The big thing to watch on the 2500 series GM trucks is the GVWR. With a heavy service body you could be at or near the max with noting on the hitch.

165,000 is not a lot for a diesel engine but is getting to be a lot on the rest of the truck. Plan on seal, ball joints, tie rods, bearings, ect.


Chris

I agree to a point Chris, but we must remember that this is a SERVICE truck, and most service trucks idle ALOT. A 2004 DMAX should have an engine hour meter built into the odometer.

Taking the hour reading and multiplying by 35 will give you a ballpark equivelant for hours vs. mileage. An example would be 2000hrs. x 35 = 70,000mi. Personaly, if the truck had 6500hrs or more, I would pass.