Pointed Truck Question, high milage

[AlanB]

OK. Background, Wife has a lawncare landscaping business. Currently using 96 F250 with a 460. We are working the truck too its limits. Tires, transmission, rear ends, yep, hard to keep up with it all.

Pull loaded dump trailer 5 tons or large gooseneck with tractor or Bobcat 3 days a week and mowing trailer with a couple mowers the other days.

Last night a very large tree limb fell on her driver pickup 99 Z71, crushed roof, must be replaced, popped windshield out, damaged hood (must be replaced) and a bunch of interior work as well. I am guessing 4 to 6 weeks before it finds it's way home (and about $3K) So got looking a little more serious for another truck today. She is not thrilled at the prospect of driving the mowing truck all the time.

I think we need to go to a 2 ton plus truck, Wife wants a 1 ton............ I know who wears the pants in my house,,, so what color 1 ton you think we are getting

So the point, I am cheap or poor or both.

I found a 1999 Dodge, Diesel, 4dr, 4wd, long bed very clean one owner since 19,000 miles coming in to a local dealer that deals trucks. EXACTLY the truck she wants.

300,000 miles though.

$8,500 (which looking at KBB and Edmunds seems about right)

So, is that truck really good for 500,000 miles?

My belief is that past about 150K it just comes down to condition and maintenance.

In the FWIW my current vehicles, 98 Z71, 145,000 miles, 92 suburban 230,000, 96 Ranger 270,000 96 F250 125,000 miles. I sold my dad a ranger I had with 365,000 miles and he drove it a year and sold it on again.

I guess what I am trying to convey is that to most people I drive very high milage vehicles, but even I am scratching my head at 300,000 miles.

Then again, I do not have a cool $25K to get a newer one either.

Thoughts?

 

[DieselPower]

As long as the maintenance has been kept up on it I don't think I would run from it. If your not a mechanical wiz I might suggest having a independent shop check it out for you. Best to find the bad things out before you buy it. Probably wouldn't hurt to get a UOA run on the engine oil to check out the condition of the engine (unless it was just changed).

 

[AlanB]

I consider myself fair with a wrench, but on this I have freinds that are far more experienced and knowledgable then I.

Will run it through a diesel mechanic buddy and the xmsn shop I work with to get an opinion, but wonder about the results of a UOA without a history?

 

[Z-Michigan]

What has the one owner been using it for? While I definitely agree on a UOA for engine condition, I'm wondering how the frame and suspension (I mean springs, bushings, and suspension arms, not the shock absorbers which are fairly cheap to replace) is holding up. Need to replace either one and it will be a serious expense. Most people don't buy 1-tons for show, and if it was always carrying 4000lbs in the bed while blasting down potholed dirt roads at 70mph, it may be shot in many different ways. OTOH if it was used to tow 10-12k of RV or horse trailer on the highway and was driven reasonably, the frame and suspension may not be worn too much. If there's anything worrisome about the frame I would run away from it. I would also be thinking about wheel bearings and transmission/differential gears, all of which may be well worn at this point, even if it was a highway cruiser with that 10k trailer that barely requires a 1 ton.

While DP has many times more oil expertise than me, I think a UOA will give a very accurate indication of engine condition as long as you know what type of oil was put in and the mileage on that oil when you take the UOA. But, of course, UOA is only engine condition and not anything else. I would also want to know how often fuel filters were changed and where fuel was purchased, because new fuel injectors and/or an injector pump will cost some real dollars as well.

 

[AlanB]

I doubt I can get that in depth and amount of accurate information on this truck, it is through a used car place, and the owner / salesman was talking, so I suspect he was lying

Short version, I am going to have to make a judgement based on what I see, can get others to reasonably check, confirm fairly quickly.

My bet, that truck, $8500, if it runs out well will not be on the market longer then a week.

I was told that the guy that owned it liked driving around, but his lips were moving so all words are suspect in my mind.

I think Hotshot, but at this point, most hotshot trucks are newer then 99's so I will look for indications.

Supposedly coming out of Gatlinburg, but, again, his lips were moving when he said it.

 

[AMP762]

The eng. may be running strong at 300000 but everything else is getting tired.

 

[john_bud]

If you want it, get the compression and leak down checked. A diesel shop will have to do it, unless you have the equipment.

I'm guessing it's a manual trans. At idle, you should put it in 4th and side step the clutch. The engine should die. If the truck bucks and slowly goes forward, the clutch is probably slipping and may need replacing.

Pull the fill plug on the rear diff and see how the oil is holding up. Same with the transfer case and front diff. Check the trans fluid too.

Pull a rear wheel and check brake condition and rear axle seal for leaking.

Jack the front up and check for looseness. Wiggle the wheel up and down and side to side (don't want any motion). Visual the grease points. They should be greasy. Dry tells you they weren't hit often.


jb

 

[deereguy]

Check out www.dodgeforum.com they may have some answers and some ideas to look out for.

 

[KICK]

it isn't the engine you need to worry about, its the rest of the vehicle.

ISB cummins are just about bulletproof.

 

[Egon]

One of the local RV dealers has a 97 3/4 ton dodge that has a little over 800,000 kilometers on it.

If the truck looks good and checks out go for it.

Chances are you could resell for little or no loss if it turns out you do not like it.

 

[Renze]

Its the total shape of the truck that is important.
If there is 1 piece broken, you can fix that.
If everything works, but the engine is using oil, the rear end howls and the clutch is poor, it might sell for the same price as a good truck with 1 broken part. But the last truck will cost a lot more within short time.

 

[hosejockey2002]

JMHO, but it sounds like your F250 is on its last legs. You mentioned tires, transmission, rear ends, etc. That Dodge is likely to be just as wore out or worse. With that kind of mileage it could have been used by a "hotshotter", pulling 20K lbs. or more. Even if it was not used for that the truck is likely to be a nickel and dimer. My BIL has an '03 Dodge with 120K+, and while the motor runs like new, the rest of the truck is starting to nickel and dime him, and he doesn't tow or haul much. I think in this business you're money ahead in the long run to go new or almost new. You write off the depreciation, the interest, and most importantly the truck runs when you turn the key. If the truck's broke, you can't work.

 

[AlanB]

Well, looked at it today, actually looks clean, does not appear to have been a hotshot too me, I think it is as they said the guy liked to travel. Drivers seat is worn, the rest of the truck looked pretty clean all and all.

Brake light on dash is on. Extra squeal out of the front pulley area I did not track down what / where.

325,000 miles.

It is 4 doors, but it is a king cab, not a crew cab (which a Crew cab is what the boss wants)

Not sure if we will go that way or not.

Somewhere you folks must run different numbers then I see. At some point, you can only "write it off" your business so much, our business needs to Make money, and if I am writing too much off it is no longer making money.

These trucks new are $40,000 plus. I looked at an 02 ford full 4 doors, Powerstroke, 100,000 miles $22,500 and that is below book.

Not sure what we will do, but even between those two, $14,000 bucks is a bunch of jack for me. And what is to say that parts wont start failing on the 100K truck.

Trying to weigh them all out, and not sure there ever is a "right" answer, but I certainly value, and weigh everyones input.

I think one of the other factors is I can often get things repaired cheaper then most.

 

[Rara Avis]

Well, looked at it today, actually looks clean, does not appear to have been a hotshot too me, I think it is as they said the guy liked to travel. Drivers seat is worn, the rest of the truck looked pretty clean all and all.

Brake light on dash is on. Extra squeal out of the front pulley area I did not track down what / where.

325,000 miles.

It is 4 doors, but it is a king cab, not a crew cab (which a Crew cab is what the boss wants)

Not sure if we will go that way or not.

Somewhere you folks must run different numbers then I see. At some point, you can only "write it off" your business so much, our business needs to Make money, and if I am writing too much off it is no longer making money.

These trucks new are $40,000 plus. I looked at an 02 ford full 4 doors, Powerstroke, 100,000 miles $22,500 and that is below book.

Not sure what we will do, but even between those two, $14,000 bucks is a bunch of jack for me. And what is to say that parts wont start failing on the 100K truck.

Trying to weigh them all out, and not sure there ever is a "right" answer, but I certainly value, and weigh everyones input.

I think one of the other factors is I can often get things repaired cheaper then most.

Well short of seeing the books...Then you do what you think needs to be done...

You are probably right that it is not a HotShot vehicle, because you are talking about a 41K mile yearly average...which for the MidWest is not out of the ballpark for yearly travel...

As an aside, Most lawn services in Vermont use Extended Cabs and average two man teams per truck/trailer combination...less bucks...

I'd post your Truck question over here...
Lawn care and landscape forums powered by lawn care and landscaping professionals!

these guys are more in tune with what you are up to...