New/Truck Questions

[Bigred15]

So after work tonight there's a good possibility that I may trade in my current truck for my first ever Dodge Ram. My F150 isn't up to the task of pulling my travel trailer if we want to go dry camping. The weight of the trailer is just too close to the max towing capacity of my F150. I've been looking for a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with a diesel for awhile I finally found one that I think I'm willing to pay for, but as its a Dodge and I've never owned one before I'm looking for some guidance on what to expect.

The truck I'm looking at is a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab. Laramie trim level, 4WD, Cummins/Auto. Its a 2-owner truck, but the second owners were an older couple that had the truck since 2007 and used it to pull an RV just like I intend to. It has 143,*** miles and is bone stock apart from a spray in bedliner and tool box. Its for sale at the local Dodge dealer and has gone through the requisite inspections and everything is supposed to check out.

So why this long winded post? I going to take a second look at it tonight and want to make sure I catch anything I may have missed last time. The only problem I noticed on the test drive was that the steering had a pretty substantial dead spot, but I drove another with similar miles and it had it as well. Did some research and found that I would need to install a steering stabilizer. So I'm assuming those work??? I also want to know if there is anything I would need to keep an eye on with both the engine/trans/rear end or with the suspension in the future. I'm also curious to know if this generation Ram has the non-replaceable ball joints like the previous generation did.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MADDOG]

Welcome to RamForum.

The third generation trucks were pretty well sorted by the time the one you are looking at was built.

I can say, having owned a 2007 MegaCab, that the extra space in the back of the cab is awesome to have as is the fold flat floor.

At 143,000 miles, the truck's suspension bushings, shocks and ball joints are pretty close to needing replacement. In answer to your question about the ball joints, all four are replaceable:


The steering dead spot can be alleviated some with the steering stabilizer but I'd make sure that the steering components are not rubbing or locking up on one another. Also, make sure the steering box doesn't need a service or repair. Check the mounting points on the box to make sure the surrounding support isn't cracked.

The engine/trans/differential on those trucks is pretty robust. Look for the obvious seal leaks, check the coolant and oil for signs of any head gasket issues, ask the previous owner about what services and repairs were performed. It would be nice to know how well the previous owners maintained the truck. About all you'll find, unless the previous owner has a book of receipts for service and repairs you can look at, would be asking for the service and repair history on the vehicle by VIN from a local Dodge dealer.

In any event, inspect it as you would any other used vehicle. Take it for a long drive, warm it up good, while it's still running get out and do a walk around, look underneath for any leaks, etc...

Good luck.

 

[SYKRAMMAN]

So after work tonight there's a good possibility that I may trade in my current truck for my first ever Dodge Ram. My F150 isn't up to the task of pulling my travel trailer if we want to go dry camping. The weight of the trailer is just too close to the max towing capacity of my F150. I've been looking for a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with a diesel for awhile I finally found one that I think I'm willing to pay for, but as its a Dodge and I've never owned one before I'm looking for some guidance on what to expect.

The truck I'm looking at is a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab. Laramie trim level, 4WD, Cummins/Auto. Its a 2-owner truck, but the second owners were an older couple that had the truck since 2007 and used it to pull an RV just like I intend to. It has 143,*** miles and is bone stock apart from a spray in bedliner and tool box. Its for sale at the local Dodge dealer and has gone through the requisite inspections and everything is supposed to check out.

So why this long winded post? I going to take a second look at it tonight and want to make sure I catch anything I may have missed last time. The only problem I noticed on the test drive was that the steering had a pretty substantial dead spot, but I drove another with similar miles and it had it as well. Did some research and found that I would need to install a steering stabilizer. So I'm assuming those work??? I also want to know if there is anything I would need to keep an eye on with both the engine/trans/rear end or with the suspension in the future. I'm also curious to know if this generation Ram has the non-replaceable ball joints like the previous generation did.

Thanks in advance.

If your not sure of yourself inspecting it, considering it’s a diesel, I would suggest renting a good diesel mechanic for an hour or so. He’ll be able to check vital components, I.e. turbo, blow by, hpop, injectors, etc. also will run a scan on it to make sure there isn’t any pending codes. Imho it’s worth the couple hundred to rent a mechanic rather then finding issues afterwards.