Option Time on the Cummins Platform

[kleonard08]

I love my 2025 Ram 1500, but I'm not here to talk about it. I am looking at buying a used 2500 or 3500 in Dec. with around 150000 miles. Looking for the opinion of the group on the more reliable set ups that are out their for a daily driver. Not wanting to make 1000hp or do anything crazy, just a little guiding from experienced owners.

 

[rzr6-4]

Today's diesels can have emissions issues if you treat them as a grocery getter. Its not to say that it will have issues, but it is certainly mixed reviews.

If you want an immortal diesel that can have 500k miles and is still ready to pull your camper across country, either get an old 12 valve or if you want a more modern one you will need to get it deleted. Which is illegal and hard to do, but is very much still possible.

I know someone who shall remain unnamed who had a 3rd gen ram with a cummins, not sure what the turbo set up was but it was deleted, tuned, and I think larger injectors. Even at 500hp wheel when doing some medium off-roading, u-joints and front axles became consumables. With the tq of a built diesel, it doesn't take much extra hp before the hard part is just trying to keep the drive line together.

 

[06 Dodge]

IMHO for a daily drive buy a clean unmo lested 3rd gen 5.9 it does not have emissions junk bolted on, IMO if it has big @ss tires pass on it.

 

[kleonard08]

I've been looking at them all and yes they all have issues. But I'm seeing the best over all is the Cummings and Power stroke but I prefer Dodge over Ford. I would love to find a 12 valve but finding one that hasn't been butchered by a 20 year old is near to impossible unless. So I guess you can say its more research. But thank you for the replies.

 

[06 Dodge]

I've been looking at them all and yes they all have issues. But I'm seeing the best over all is the Cummings and Power stroke but I prefer Dodge over Ford. I would love to find a 12 valve but finding one that hasn't been butchered by a 20 year old is near to impossible unless. So I guess you can say its more research. But thank you for the replies.

If you do find one some 20 year old didn't tune and its only fault is the big 25/37 inch tires with only 1-2 inch lift it may still maybe okay but big tire, 3+ inch lifts and the then 47/48 auto trans don't really like one another. Good luck hunting, I know when i sold my original 06 2500 with 5.9 CTS back in 2022 is why I got 24K for it with, only thing wrong was it had a bad riverside seat motor...

 

[jejb]

I've been looking at them all and yes they all have issues. But I'm seeing the best over all is the Cummings

Not to be a 'net nanny, but there is no 'g' in the engine manufacturers name. It's Cummins, not Cummings.

Good luck on your search. I was chatting with a guy the other day at the offroad diesel pump (for the John Deere). He had a beautiful older Ram dually with a 24 valve 5.9. Said he'd had several newer ones, but too many issues for the way he drives his trucks for his business, so he went old style. Seemed very happy with it.

 

[ppine]

Cummins makes diesels.

 

[Andersoncma]

Find a pre def Ram Cummins. Mine is 2011, 210k miles on it. Never had any major issues with it. I still drive it cross country (USA) about 4 times a year and don’t worry about it breaking down at all. All the issues with these trucks started with the implementation of stricter EPA regulations.

 

[NotSoFast]

I'm not sure, but I heard that the 2025 Cummins has an electrically heated Diesel Particulate Filter. The DPF was the most ticklish part of the emissions system, because engines tend to produce more soothing when they're cold, and the DPF can't burn that off until it's hot. STo by reheating it, that might make it clog up slower. But who knows how well it has been implemented. Only a few 2025s will have enough miles on them by now to really test the concept.
The DEF system is reasonably solid: even the big rigs use it to convert NOx pollutants to nitrogen and water. It's not that nobody has any issues with it, but it doesn't seem to be a continuous concern.
That said, a diesel is a big heavy complicated machine. It will always cost more per mile to run than anything else in the grocery store parking lot, and all of those cars fit the spaces better and have better turning radii. So unless you are picking up a half ton of groceries, you should consider getting a runabout and use that until you need to haul something hefty.

 

[Burla]

I had 3 HO's in my family, personally owned a 2002 with a manual, my brother traded his HO with auto for one with a Manual, he tows heavy, no real heavy! Nothing better, no def, no dpf and the last Cummins w/o egr coolers, so pre 2007.5. So smooth those trucks, so popular at the time, best thing since sliced bread. 2003-2007 Cummins ram, tied with 12v for holy grail but real comfortable to drive. don't get any truck with cp4 pump.

 

[Burla]

Just a warning, buying any used diesel is not like before they EPA ruined them. Check out Dave's Auto repair with his posted issues with the coolers. We had a forum member go in for a heater core issue, which is the canary in the cool mine, Got a bill over 20k because the egr smoked everything. Any item fails it can take the turbo with it, even the dpf gets clogged can take the turbo with it. 20k and that doesn't include anything internal, so even if he wanted a new engine, it would be 20k over that, yes sir. Eventhough non egr cooler rigs are old, they will outlast anything made as long as you take care of the heads and exhaust temps. If you buy something with an egr cooler, make sure it was a lot of freeway miles, short trips kill modern diesels.

 

[Dusty]

I had 3 HO's in my family, personally owned a 2002 with a manual, my brother traded his HO with auto for one with a Manual, he tows heavy, no real heavy! Nothing better, no def, no dpf and the last Cummins w/o egr coolers, so pre 2007.5. So smooth those trucks, so popular at the time, best thing since sliced bread. 2003-2007 Cummins ram, tied with 12v for holy grail but real comfortable to drive. don't get any truck with cp4 pump.

Fortunately, from what a friend in the repair business tells me, better than half of the CP4s have already been replaced.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 132524 miles.