Used Pickup opinions

[wish98was87]

Hey guys, once again I am looking for some opinions and experiences that you guys have had with any pickups. I am going to be moving soon and looking for a decent used pickup to use to haul stuff and for the winters. I would love to get a cummins or d-max but I probably cant afford one. It needs to be an 8 ft bed with 4wd. I was looking in price range around 6-12k. I really like the gmc's with the 5.3 (saw an 03 with 95k on it) and I hear good things about them. I also like some of the older Ram's (01-07) with the 4.7 or 5.9 but I hear the auto trans arent to great (i would actually prefer a manual tranny anyway). I would love to get a cummins or duramax but I prob cant afford it. Any opinions or things to look for (typical problem areas, etc.) are much appreciated! Thanks gentlemen!

 

[chadly]

Its tough to beet the GMC's with the 5.3. I have two both bought new. My older one just flipped 211k miles. I still dont add oil between oil changes (4k). All around they are tough trucks and get much better gas milage than the competiton. I too love the 8ft box.

 

[INEEDAGN]

if you get a gm, get the 5.3 with active fuel management. If you get a dodge, get the 5.7 hemi with mds. ANY other engine choice (besides diesel) is a gas hog. Don't know crap about the ford lineup. Dodge's "bad tranny" story has been going on since the 90's. I did 6 years in a tranny shop and will tell you that they can all fail, and before their expected time. They all have their weak points and some will crap out early even with good treatment. Don't know what years of either truck got the MDS or fuel management. Research.

 

[~JM~]

I think you could find a Dodge/Cummins in your price range. Manual tranny's are hard to find in full size gasoline powered rigs, most are auto's. I have a '95 Dodge/Cummins with the 5 spd. manual. I love my old truck. Dodge had a problem with the paint seperating from the primer during this time frame, just like GM had happen earlier. The hard part is to find a clean diesel that doesn't have a ton of miles on it.

I can't help you with any of the other trucks.

~JM~

 

[novaderrik]

if you get a gm, get the 5.3 with active fuel management. If you get a dodge, get the 5.7 hemi with mds. ANY other engine choice (besides diesel) is a gas hog. Don't know crap about the ford lineup. Dodge's "bad tranny" story has been going on since the 90's. I did 6 years in a tranny shop and will tell you that they can all fail, and before their expected time. They all have their weak points and some will crap out early even with good treatment. Don't know what years of either truck got the MDS or fuel management. Research.

just the other weekend i towed a 97 Monte Carlo on an 18 foot steel car trailer 150 loaded miles with an '06 Chevy long box regular cab 4X4 pickup with the 5.3, and it averaged 12.8 mpg on the trip.. the trip down (150 miles) was just pulling the empty trailer with the cruise set at 75 on the interstate with a 20mph tailwind.. the trip back was a little longer and on a regular highway at 60mph into a 20mph headwind with a lot of slowing down and speeding up thru small towns.. also figured into the mileage equation was a half hour of screwing around getting stuck in the guy's yard when we took the trailer back.. the truck wasn't even breaking a sweat and i sometimes forgot that the trailer was even there until i looked in the mirror.

so is 12.8 mpg in a 5000 pound truck pulling about 5000 pounds of trailer into a headwind considered a "gas hog"?

 

[chadly]

I think 12.8 pulling a trailer and car is great. About ten years ago I rented a u-haul trailer 2200lbs and hauled my buick from MI to IA. The eight foot box was loaded as wasthe trunk and interior on the buick. I was over loaded actually and no trailer brakes. I took it easy going 55-60mph keeping my distance from cars ahead of me. It's a flat trip and I remeber bragging of my good milage too. If I remember correctly it was over 13mpg. Even now with over two hundred thousand miles I can still get 17mpg. Plugs and wires have over one hundred thousand miles and I've never cleaned the injectors. GM has always done good on the gas milage.

 

[INEEDAGN]

I've heard good things about the 5.3s that were built before active fuel management. But the newer ones that DO have it will be better. The other options out there like the dodge 4.7 or the old 5.9 magnum, or the chevy 4.8, you'll have 6 cylinder power with v8 economy. Not bad engines, but if fuel economy matters, don't even consider them. 12.8 towing is good....

 

[toofastforyou]

I have a Ford F350 with the power stroke diesel engine and have nothing but good words for it, very satisfied. The GM pickups are beginning to look a little outdated (been having the same body since around '04 (approximately...) and Dodges might not be bad, but don't hold their value as much as Fords and GMs...

Claude.

 

[Pronto]

Claude, the current GM body style started in 2008.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

I have a 2004 Dodge Hemi Ram 4x4 reg cab/short bed and like it. Bought it used in 2010 with 31K on it. As mentioned they ARE gas hogs. I can get 19-20 mpg if I go on a long trip but most of my driving is short runs so getting around 11-12mpg. My route to work has a lot of hills so never going to see decent mileage but the truck mostly sits on the weekend as we use my wife's 4 banger Caliber a lot.

 

[toofastforyou]

Claude, the current GM body style started in 2008.

Oops!...sorry!...

Claude.

 

[brif]

Oops!...sorry!...

Claude.

Actually the currenty style started in 2007; you could get them either way. Here is a pic of a new 2007 that I bought.

 

[jimmymack87gn]

can't go wrong with GM trucks. Gen 3 small block as tough as they come, wife's tahoe nearing 200k miles, regularly tows 6000 lbs and on original tranny (flushed every 30k miles), back in 02 had a 99 Silverado that had 150k when I sold it to a friend, currently has 330k miles.

 

[Pronto]

Actually the currenty style started in 2007; you could get them either way. Here is a pic of a new 2007 that I bought.

Ya, that's one of those "transision" years. My 1999 GMC Sierra 2500 is one too.

 

[wish98was87]

thanks for the input guys! yea I have been looking quite a bit and my first choice would definitely be a diesel but most seem to be a little out of my price range (or have a ton of miles). The thing thats killing me is that most of the gas trucks I find have the short bed .. I will most likely go with the GMC if it all goes well when I see it. If you guys know of anything particular to look for on these trucks it would be much appreciated. Thanks for all the help fellas!

-Rich

 

[Pronto]

Brake lines, actuator motor and oil cooling lines.

 

[INEEDAGN]

In your location, the biggest thing is rust. If you buy a 99-07, get one with factory fender flares. They look better (IMO) and they'll hide the bedside rust for the first couple years. 8' bed on anything other than a reg cab is rare. Keep in mind that the 1/2 tons with the CREW cab (4 full size doors) got a 5.5' bed and the rest of the trucks with a short bed were a 6.5' bed. You may have to settle for a 6.5' bed.

If you get crazy washing them under the hood, water will get in the knock sensor holes under the intake and rust them out, triggering a code and requiring new knock sensors. The spare tires in the later versions have safety catch mechanism on the end of the cable. If it's a rock road vehicle or really rusty, that mechanism freezes up in the "stuck" position and the spare tire is difficult to remove, in some cases impossible for average joe to do on the side of the road. They apparently just stopped doing this for the 12 model year. Early ones had skinny front tow hooks that are JUNK and unsafe to actually hook onto if you are stuck. I'm sure there's more to watch out for but this is top of my head stuff that I see a lot of.

 

[wish98was87]

thanks for the input guys.. i found one i am interested in and may check out in the next few weeks. Ill keep you posted!

-rich

 

[wish98was87]

I found am 06 gmc i like that is in central CT that I really am considering but I want to see it in person first but i have been working 7 days a week for the last while.. if any of you guys are around the area and have nothing to do and want to check it out for me pm me would be MUCH appreciated as I will be moving soon you TB guys are the best! thanks again fellas! heres to the spring weather and takin out the toys!

 

[Steve V]

Bought and 05 GMC serria in Dec with 95k on the clock. 2 owners and 2 tone Maroon/Silver with5.3 4l60 and 4wd. What a nice truck and I enjoy driving it everyday. My commute is 40 miles country roads and some city..18mpg. These trucks will need at one time or another...front hubs,front axle seals,maybe rear axle seals,rear pinion seal,trans front pump seal,encoder motor,knock sensors,intake gaskets, water pump. Does every one have some issues?