Looking at buying 4th gen 3500 diesel need help

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Dannycameo

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I have a line on a fourth gen Ram 3500 diesel, with 300,000 km all these kilometers are towing Highway kilometers. One of the guys who's helping me with this sale mentioned to me that this is the one you'd want to go with as it spent its life towing a horse trailer on Highway, therefore has no carbon buildup. Like you would see with the ones that idle all the time. I have only owned one diesel in the last 40 years, so I need some help with this. The guy who picked up my 77 j10 Jeep honcho for transport 3,000 miles away had on his early 4th gen 3500 almost 950,000 km! All he did was transport cars with a 32 ft enclosed trailer. His runs were mostly from Calgary to Florida. He transported race cars a lot of the time, when I asked him what the mileage was on that thing he said he was getting close to turning over I couldn't believe it he said it's because it's been towing its whole life. Getting back to my initial question would you rather have a truck with a little less mileage that has not had a life of towing or would you go with the truck that has all highway kilometers that the engine's been working by towing a horse trailer?
 

Travelin Ram

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It depends as much or more how it was maintained. A city truck can be well cared for; and a hot shot runner is not guaranteed to be well maintained.

When I’m shopping I believe only what I see and nothing that I hear. Now if there’s a documented maintenance history with receipts, that‘s worth something.

Since you didn’t mention precisely what year, it may or may not use DEF. I have had both in that generation truck and the 18 gets a lot better economy than the 11 did. I wouldn’t buy another from the early years of the 6.7 when Cummins was trying to prove they could avoid DEF. It wasn’t their best idea. DEF is not a bad thing in post-emissions diesels.
 
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Dannycameo

Dannycameo

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Sorry it is a 2016. I should have specified, to compare apples to apples, if you have one that is a city truck that's got a lot more idle hours versus one that is spent its life towing, with both being maintained properly. Which would you go with?
I completely agree with you, words are just words, yet I came across this truck as it gets serviced at the same shop my power wagon does. The manager is a friend of mine and a friend of theirs. They okayed opening their file I know how to use their computer system, and I went through it besides any issues that were dealt with at the dealer when it was under warranty, all fluids were changed regularly with quality stuff. This truck belongs to a huge ranching family in Alberta that also shows horses with this truck. It was used only to take these horses around North America for shows.
 
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Jeepwalker

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I don't know if it matters all that much on a 3500 as it would on a 1500. I'd look everything else over on the truck, and get the one that trips your trigger the most. You have to "feel" great about a used truck ...and hopefully those positive feelings and momentum will carry you through the term you own it ...even the low points where it might need expensive repairs. Go into it with some cash on the side knowing there's a decent chance you 'might' end up replacing a bunch of suspension and/or steering parts ...and/or certain diesel engine components along the way. And you will be less disappointed.

If you go into with no spare $$ thinking you'll have all trouble-free miles ...you're setting yourself up for disappointment. That kind of applies to any used vehicle IMO.
 
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Dannycameo

Dannycameo

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I don't know if it matters all that much on a 3500 as it would on a 1500. I'd look everything else over on the truck, and get the one that trips your trigger the most. You have to "feel" great about a used truck ...and hopefully those positive feelings and momentum will carry you through the term you own it ...even the low points where it might need expensive repairs. Go into it with some cash on the side knowing there's a decent chance you 'might' end up replacing a bunch of suspension and/or steering parts ...and/or certain diesel engine components along the way. And you will be less disappointed.

If you go into with no spare $$ thinking you'll have all trouble-free miles ...you're setting yourself up for disappointment. That kind of applies to any used vehicle
That's good advice for any used vehicle purchase car or truck! I purchase all my vehicles outright I'll be 50 next year and have never taken a car loan. I'm not bragging I just don't do it if I can't afford it. I hate watching friends that are car poor. So I always put some money aside for upgrades whether it was my power wagon or my wife's car or my Jeep. And if like you said it needs new ball joints or a new power steering pump etc then there go the expensive fancy tires or lights, so I hear you.
My question is still pending of which would you rather have, if both are maintained properly would you rather have a diesel city truck or a diesel that is only towed with Highway kilometers it's whole life. As I mentioned I've only owned one diesel in my entire life so I'm by no means an expert when it comes to diesels. I've been told by multiple people that are diesel owners that you'd rather have the one that has worked it's life, and what I mean by that is not idling at the job site. I mean by the engine working pulling for long trips on the highway where there can be no carbon buildup etc. If anybody else wants to weigh in please do!
 

Jeepwalker

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I hear ya.

Is there any way to know how large of a horse trailer? I really don't think the two differ greatly. You are getting a 2nd hand story as it is. There's no wat to know if the owner pulled into a fuel stop and let it routinely idle for an hour while grabbing lunch, or all day during a cold Canadian winter (every winter). But, sure, the horse trailer tk is probably a good rig. Mostly hwy km's ...and Horse trailers generally aren't as heavy as a car hauler with 3 vehicles loaded on it, or towing an excavator between towns. Let's figure there were probably 2-3 horses plus a sleeper ...worst case. Is this a dually?

But I'd still rather have the lower mile truck if both vehicles were equal condition and I liked both the same. Assuming condition was visibly as good as the "horse hauler". The drive-line would be tighter, etc. Again, that's assuming same condition (which no two vehicles rarely are ;) as you now). If the local truck is rustier, or dented up, or has fewer options, go with the horse-hauler. If the horse-hauler is more beat up, had greater driveline wear (check it), and the local truck has more options I wanted and a nicer interior, I'd go for the local truck. I'd widen the decision criteria to include other factors ...like I'm sure you are. Sounds like you're pretty experienced buying used trucks and know what you're doing :waytogo:

BTW, what is your use going to look like? How many km's/yr do you expect?
 
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Dannycameo

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I hear ya.

Is there any way to know how large of a horse trailer? I really don't think the two differ greatly. You are getting a 2nd hand story as it is. There's no wat to know if the owner pulled into a fuel stop and let it routinely idle for an hour while grabbing lunch, or all day during a cold Canadian winter (every winter). But, sure, the horse trailer tk is probably a good rig. Mostly hwy km's ...and Horse trailers generally aren't as heavy as a car hauler with 3 vehicles loaded on it, or towing an excavator between towns. Let's figure there were probably 2-3 horses plus a sleeper ...worst case. Is this a dually?

But I'd still rather have the lower mile truck if both vehicles were equal condition and I liked both the same. Assuming condition was visibly as good as the "horse hauler". The drive-line would be tighter, etc. Again, that's assuming same condition (which no two vehicles rarely are ;) as you now). If the local truck is rustier, or dented up, or has fewer options, go with the horse-hauler. If the horse-hauler is more beat up, had greater driveline wear (check it), and the local truck has more options I wanted and a nicer interior, I'd go for the local truck. I'd widen the decision criteria to include other factors ...like I'm sure you are. Sounds like you're pretty experienced buying used trucks and know what you're doing :waytogo:

BTW, what is your use going to look like? How many km's/yr do you e
I'm going to be buying a cabin soon, quite a distance from my home base over a thousand miles away. I'm going to need something that can haul heavy weights long distances. Which the power wagon cannot do, also it is not built for that obviously. So I'd be looking at approximately four trips a year out there plus driving around 20 to 30,000 km yearly approximately. Eventually we are going to settle there. Yet for now it'll just be Summers. I've been thinking about trading the power wagon in on a diesel 2500 rebel. Thinking about it only. I kind of get the best of both worlds that way. Yet as I said my first post I've gone through the service records of this Ram 3500, which is not a dually. This truck is rust free and loaded, don't ask me what model it is I can't remember, yet for 2016 it had every option available. This family that owns it obviously has a lot of money. In this truck was their horse showing truck only as I said. I asked the same question as you how big was the horse trailer? The answer I got was holds two horses plus feed etc. So I have no idea what the weight of that is, yet I'm betting it's well within the range of a Ram 3500 one ton. Up here in Edmonton Alberta, you could flip a quarter in any direction and hit a work truck from the oil fields, or just a truck in general. So they're everywhere. Also when you ask around guys that work in the oil fields they'll tell you their fleet trucks are 90% idle time on their engine hours. Weather it's a diesel or a gasser. There's no shortage of one ton trucks, used ones for sale in this part of the woods, yet this one I've been talking about really peeks my interest. It's got high kilometers, if it was about 75,000 to 100,000 km less I wouldn't even be posting, I just be buying it. It's either that or the power wagon gets traded in for the new 2500 HD rebel. My power wagons not even a year old LOL and I've got 12K into it and upgrades already, so I'm not really ready to part with it yet. Also I don't like buying first model or first year anything! So I think I will have a one over and get this Ram 3500 on the lift, at a body shop and have a couple of buddies that are journeyman mechanics help me out going over it.
 

gofishn

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I would not htinkn twice aout those miles. You;ve go access to service records. If price was right, buy it.
 

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That was a much clearer explanation. I agree with gofishn. Sounds like a great truck for your needs. Guys pull 2-horse trailers behind 1/2 tons around here on weekends, and farmers do it all the time in 250's/2500's. These horse people/showers/riders get caught up in a serious case of the "Keep up with the Joneses" with their equipment. Riding is only one part of it, it's the social aspect of it as well. I've known some families who were in that sphere. It's not that they had any more money (some do), but they definitely got caught in the "Image" aspect. Some of the people I knew, when their kids got older and stopped riding they sold all their toys they were financially strapped to, and spent a few years working extra hard to recover the money they spent during the more active years. I guess not that much different than other things some parents spend on their kids sports, or dad's with ice-hockey/skiing boys and other sports/activities (boating) people do. Life would be boring w/o some fun, right?

Regardless, it doesn't sound like it was stressed much and it's got all the amenities. I like the options part. I can sense you do too. Go buy it ...before she's gone.
 
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Dannycameo

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That was a much clearer explanation. I agree with gofishn. Sounds like a great truck for your needs. Guys pull 2-horse trailers behind 1/2 tons around here on weekends, and farmers do it all the time in 250's/2500's. These horse people/showers/riders get caught up in a serious case of the "Keep up with the Joneses" with their equipment. Riding is only one part of it, it's the social aspect of it as well. I've known some families who were in that sphere. It's not that they had any more money (some do), but they definitely got caught in the "Image" aspect. Some of the people I knew, when their kids got older and stopped riding they sold all their toys they were financially strapped to, and spent a few years working extra hard to recover the money they spent during the more active years. I guess not that much different than other things some parents spend on their kids sports, or dad's with ice-hockey/skiing boys and other sports/activities (boating) people do. Life would be boring w/o some fun, right?

Regardless, it doesn't sound like it was stressed much and it's got all the amenities. I like the options part. I can sense you do too. Go buy it ...before she's gone.
Yes I agree with you 100%, these people in the horse show realm really are the type that keep up with the Joneses so to speak. Yet this family has money to burn. I think I mentioned in the first post they have one of the largest cattle farms in Alberta, that saying something. I know that they have over 40 full-time employees at that ranch. And one of the employees jobs was to get this Ram 3500 serviced before any Show event, anywhere in North America. His job was to take it to the same place as I mentioned the power wagon get serviced. The manager of this shop is friends with that family, that is how this whole process came into motion. So a lot of this information is second hand yet it's coming from someone that knows that family really well. With that said the high kilometers do scare me as I've never purchased any vehicle in the last 35 years, which has had even had close to that mileage yet I've been a Gasser guy my whole life not a diesel fella. So I'm just learning here. They are out of town this weekend. I got a text this morning saying, Later this week they're going to get one of their employees to bring it up to the shop here in Edmonton for me to have a one over on, if at all looks good then I think I'll have another truck!
 

BCSTPete

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I have a line on a fourth gen Ram 3500 diesel, with 300,000 km all these kilometers are towing Highway kilometers. One of the guys who's helping me with this sale mentioned to me that this is the one you'd want to go with as it spent its life towing a horse trailer on Highway, therefore has no carbon buildup. Like you would see with the ones that idle all the time. I have only owned one diesel in the last 40 years, so I need some help with this. The guy who picked up my 77 j10 Jeep honcho for transport 3,000 miles away had on his early 4th gen 3500 almost 950,000 km! All he did was transport cars with a 32 ft enclosed trailer. His runs were mostly from Calgary to Florida. He transported race cars a lot of the time, when I asked him what the mileage was on that thing he said he was getting close to turning over I couldn't believe it he said it's because it's been towing its whole life. Getting back to my initial question would you rather have a truck with a little less mileage that has not had a life of towing or would you go with the truck that has all highway kilometers that the engine's been working by towing a horse trailer?
Anyone who has told you the real question is “was it maintained and how was it treated” is absolutely correct and almost the only thing that matters.

Last year I purchased a 2018 3500 DRW FWD G56 with only 19k miles. From a tiny dealership in a small town in Virginia. They told me the Previous owner “only pulled a 30’ 5th wheel” a couple times before loosing his job and having to sell everything.

What I didn’t know, that was very costly, and found out on the cross country drive home was this previous owner was an F’**** and didn’t know anything about pulling or his truck. He had already burned up the front brakes and replaced them with crap which ended up costing me replacing them, the calipers, and both the traction control and the ABS sensors. The new cheap brakes had melted to the calipers and all. I discovered this just a couple states out of Virginia…

He also put two dissimilar antifreezes in the radiator and turned it into chewing gum. That was fun and costly to fix!

Not to mention he obviously didn’t know how to drive a manual truck very well and burned up the clutch. Once I made it home and went to pull a 12k load, I discovered the clutch on my G56 is already starting to slip under load and needs replacing already! After only 19K? What the hell did this guy do?

After all that fixing, I absolutely LOVE my “new to me” 4th Gen RAM 3500. I can move mountains and do, get pretty good mileage while doing it, and with that awesome exhaust brake almost never need to touch my brakes, and is so very reliable (if it’s taken care of).

You just never know…and can’t trust anything you hear when it come to used vehicles.
 

Dean2

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300,000 Klms is only 180,000 miles, My 1996 Ram V10 has 270,000 Klms, almost 70% of which weren't on pavement. It has been very well maintained and still runs like it is brand new. I change the oil every 20,000 Klms and I still never have to add oil between changes. Only major outlay beyond maintenance was re-doing the front end ball joints, drag links etc at 230,000 klms.

With that diesel having been as well maintained as it has, and having spent its whole life on pavement I would not have any concerns about buying it if the price is right.
 

IdahoDen

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It depends as much or more how it was maintained. A city truck can be well cared for; and a hot shot runner is not guaranteed to be well maintained.

When I’m shopping I believe only what I see and nothing that I hear. Now if there’s a documented maintenance history with receipts, that‘s worth something.

Since you didn’t mention precisely what year, it may or may not use DEF. I have had both in that generation truck and the 18 gets a lot better economy than the 11 did. I wouldn’t buy another from the early years of the 6.7 when Cummins was trying to prove they could avoid DEF. It wasn’t their best idea. DEF is not a bad thing in post-emissions diesels.
Sorry, but 300,000 km (200,000 miles) still a lot of miles.
 

Bike_Pilot

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I would not get caught up in towing or not for prior use, they hold up just fine either way. About all that goes wrong with low load use is loading up the dpf. Its not permanent concern, it'll regen and clean itself out. I'd get whichever has the options you want, is the best cared for, and has the least miles. Pay attention to the condition of the interior, suspension, etc. The engines are the least of your worries. I would be focused on finding an HO model with the Aisin transmission as I do not trust the 68 series Chrysler transmission.
 
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