Will it last for the long haul?

[BadHemi2014]

I would have no qualms about keeping the 2010. I keep vehicles until they rust out or have major mechanical failure, so I've had many until 200K+. My Dakota had 225K. And a lot of those were with pretty poor maintenance.
I'd much rather have a vehicle I knew was properly maintained all/most of its life and that I fixed up the way I wanted. I wouldn't be surprised if you got 250K out of that truck.

Let's face it things are gonna break, if you can fix it you fix it. Like my brother says cars are just a bunch of parts waiting to go bad. A new one is no guarantee, yeah it has a warranty but do you want to spend your time at the dealers or cruising around in a truck you already love?
Just my thoughts, but I do get attached to my vehicles lol.

 

[Mike Flea]

Holy Cow Bill, when I read your first post I thought, this sounds like me! I have a 2010 4x2 RCSB w/cap, bought it used in 2018 with 77,000mi, up to 92,800 today, w/ 4.7. New battery and front brakes installed by dealership(Ford), I bought from, sat on lot so long, original battery was dead, and front calipers were frozen to discs. Replaced rear brakes in Nov 2020, right before winter set in. Regularly change oil at 3000mi intervals, because I don't drive a lot, also went to synthetic. Purchased truck in Oct 2018, replaced Michelin street tires with Wrangler Mud & Snow Duratrax in Nov 2018, right after our first snow of the season that year.

Also had a 2003 Quadcab SLT 4x4, 4.7, 156,000mi, but body had a bad case of cancer, traded that one in for a 2014 Patriot for my wife, her '99 Plymouth Voyager had a bad case of cancer on the entire right side.

Both of these 4.7's have a tic on startup, the '03 tic would go away in 5 min, the '10's tic goes away when the temp gauge gets to 190.

 

[Bill Copple]

Holy Cow Bill, when I read your first post I thought, this sounds like me! I have a 2010 4x2 RCSB w/cap, bought it used in 2018 with 77,000mi, up to 92,800 today, w/ 4.7. New battery and front brakes installed by dealership(Ford), I bought from, sat on lot so long, original battery was dead, and front calipers were frozen to discs. Replaced rear brakes in Nov 2020, right before winter set in. Regularly change oil at 3000mi intervals, because I don't drive a lot, also went to synthetic. Purchased truck in Oct 2018, replaced Michelin street tires with Wrangler Mud & Snow Duratrax in Nov 2018, right after our first snow of the season that year.

Also had a 2003 Quadcab SLT 4x4, 4.7, 156,000mi, but body had a bad case of cancer, traded that one in for a 2014 Patriot for my wife, her '99 Plymouth Voyager had a bad case of cancer on the entire right side.

Both of these 4.7's have a tic on startup, the '03 tic would go away in 5 min, the '10's tic goes away when the temp gauge gets to 190.

I wouldn’t sweat the tick too much. Exploring mine just to get familiar with it after about 60,000 miles due to a slight tick at start up I found these 4.7 engines do not have lifters and therefore no possibility of lifter tick. I saw someone mention earlier in this thread that the 4.7 engines have a tendency to lose tension on the timing chain and the hydraulic tensioner taking a dump. Mine seems to be fine. My grandson had a 2008 4.7 that had a slight rattle pretty much all the time that was exaggerated at startup. But it also had 240,000 miles on it and ran strong all the way till he traded it in at somewhere around 260,000 miles.
I am in no way advising you to ignore it. Just don’t lose sleep while keeping an eye on it.

 

[ViperOne]

I say keep the 2010. I seem to develop an attachment to my vehicles over time.

 

[Rick Gabler]

I was intimately involved with my past girls too. No problem dumping them for anew gal. Each one got better and better till I married the right one. Lesson is. Don’t settle. Keep looking for that right gal...unless you’re sure the gal you have is a keeper!!! Lol

 

[noodles]

I was intimately involved with my past girls too. No problem dumping them for anew gal. Each one got better and better till I married the right one. Lesson is. Don’t settle. Keep looking for that right gal...unless you’re sure the gal you have is a keeper!!! Lol

Never a problem changing up to a newer model.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

The advantage I have (if any) is that about 95% of the miles have been highway.

I just got back from a quick trip (funeral) to the Gulf.

We used to always say "highway miles" like THOSE were EASY on our rigs.

NOT NOW !

My truck took more abuse in those 2; 750 mile days than it would in 2 freakin' years of me driving around home and to work and back.

Potholes and bad concrete, there are places in Northern Arkansas on I-55 North where the speed limit is 75, but you CAN'T DRIVE 75 because the road is so bad.....

 

[Docwagon1776]

Potholes and bad concrete, there are places in Northern Arkansas on I-55 North where the speed limit is 75, but you CAN'T DRIVE 75 because the road is so bad.....

Sounds like somebody needs a TRX.....

 

[Sturoc]

Cant speak fo the 4.7 but
Up in Farm country the saying goes :
" That hemi will outlast the truck ! "
with proper maintainance replacing parts that normally wear out etc your truck can go 300k + easily.
Its all about paying attention and catching stuff before it breaks.
This goes for ay vehicle built of decent quality..

 

[Dr. Righteous]

The 4.7L engine is a great engine and every case of premature failure I've seen was due to neglect.
All aluminum engines do not do well with neglected oil changes. Since the oil is exposed to high temps a synthetic oil is better than mineral oils. I believe the interval for the timing chains is 250k. You could could be proactive and change the chains, tensioners, and guides and not have to worry about it.

Glad to see I'm not the only old guy that is into serious car audio. I'm getting ready to install 2 10" subs in my RAM and putting a real 1000w watts into them.
I asked myself "I'm getting kinda old for this ain't I?...................Naaaaa! "

 

[Zack02]

And the difference between what it sells for now vs then won't cover the sales tax or first year's depreciation on a new truck.

Maybe. Depends where you are at. I paid $25,000 for mine in 2017. I sitting in my Ford lot picking up a buddy and Ford offered me $23,000 cash, "more if I wanted to trade-in." I looked at a 2-year old Ford with 40,000 miles and it was only a couple grand less than sticker on a new one. Truck prices are ridiculous right now. And being this close to retirement this decision needs to be a logic financially one, not a 'wants' one. In fact, I think I saw a 2010 or 2012 truck list for 8,000 or 10,000 the other day...

 

[GTyankee]

I say keep driving it
Meanwhile set aside a rainy day fund for the chance that you need to buy something newer.

You can always sell your upgrades on several websites when your truck gives up the ghost.

The 4.7 engine has a flaw, in that they are known to sometimes need a Plenum Pan Gasket
Most people just replace the plenum gasket with a Kit from Hughes

 

[jws123]

I say keep driving it
Meanwhile set aside a rainy day fund for the chance that you need to buy something newer.

You can always sell your upgrades on several websites when your truck gives up the ghost.

The 4.7 engine has a flaw, in that they are known to sometimes need a Plenum Pan Gasket
Most people just replace the plenum gasket with a Kit from Hughes

Not the case on a 4.7 think your getting confused with another motor i have taken apart tons of 4.7s

 

[GTyankee]

Maybe it happened more often with the earlier 4.7L, like 2005 & earlier
But it was definitely the 4.7L from Chrysler

I just saw this on ' Bob is the OIL Guy ' site

I sure hope I never have to do this job on my Dakota. I have heard and read that the belly pan gasket problem was fixed on some late model 2000 and all subsequent Magnum engines, but I don't know if that is really true.

 

[Docwagon1776]

Maybe. Depends where you are at. I paid $25,000 for mine in 2017. I sitting in my Ford lot picking up a buddy and Ford offered me $23,000 cash, "more if I wanted to trade-in." I looked at a 2-year old Ford with 40,000 miles and it was only a couple grand less than sticker on a new one. Truck prices are ridiculous right now. And being this close to retirement this decision needs to be a logic financially one, not a 'wants' one. In fact, I think I saw a 2010 or 2012 truck list for 8,000 or 10,000 the other day...

Run a KBB on a truck with 190k miles. Now run it with 250k miles and a few years older? That's the difference I'm talking about.

Yes, truck prices are higher. That means so are newer truck prices.

 

[pacofortacos]

Maybe it happened more often with the earlier 4.7L, like 2005 & earlier
But it was definitely the 4.7L from Chrysler

I just saw this on ' Bob is the OIL Guy ' site

I sure hope I never have to do this job on my Dakota. I have heard and read that the belly pan gasket problem was fixed on some late model 2000 and all subsequent Magnum engines, but I don't know if that is really true.

It is the 3.9/5.2/5.9 motors, not the 4.7. The reason it was fixed was because the 3.9/5.2/5.9 line was discontinued in by 2003.
There are gaskets between the upper and lower 4.7 manifold parts but not a plenum like on the 3.9/5.2/5.9 engines.

 

[gfh77665]

Late to this thread, but a super well maintained truck running perfectly with mostly highway miles? I would keep on truckin' for sure. I don't fix what isn't broke! Save your money, and Happy trails.

 

[GTyankee]

Thank you Pacofortacos,
I stand corrected, it is definitely not the first time & likely not be the last.

 

[Zack02]

Run a KBB on a truck with 190k miles. Now run it with 250k miles and a few years older? That's the difference I'm talking about.

Yes, truck prices are higher. That means so are newer truck prices.

Yes, I get what you're saying. Your point is the delta for what it sells for now vs then will be a couple thousand or +/- equal to what you would 'loose' on the depreciation on a new truck. So it doesn't matter if sells now or later. The value/money is not realized either way, and thus does not count either way.

Used truck prices are higher than new truck prices, relatively speaking. Likewise, no, new trucks are not 'more' expensive. Most Americans cannot cover a $1,000 emergency. People cant afford new trucks due to poor money management, which drives up used prices. Look at a "tradesmen" level trim from 2001, then look at the 2021 tradesmen. The 2021 truck has more features, bigger, better, and is prewired all of the higher trim levels(higher manufacturing costs). Then look at the costs. In 2001 a new truck would have cost you ~$21,000. Adjust for inflation, and you're at new truck prices today, ~$35,000 (bare bones trucks). You are actually getting more for your money now.

This is my opinion but, OP either needs to commit to paying to maintain his truck or pay for a new one (assuming he/she has decent credit). A used truck will never be worth as much as they are now if gas prices keep rising, and they messing with the economy, IMO. Prices are already over $4/gal in some places. Only 5,000,000 truck were sold at the height of the peak gas prices (and the start of the recession). 12,241,000 light duty truck were sold in 2019 and 4,700,000 sold of all 'others.' You can't tell me 2.75 out of 4 American's needs a truck...once people start unloading and no one is buying. It's game over for used truck prices.

 

[Marine Les]

The advantage I have (if any) is that about 95% of the miles have been highway. This truck has been all over the country! But still looks and runs like new.

From what you have reported I would say keep it. Unless you have so much money that it doesn't matter or you just want a newer truck keep it. I am like you and take good care of my vehicles and have two @ 200k. 1 2000 Ram Cummins and 1 94 Toyota PU. They run so well and cost so little that it makes no sense for me to sell. I did buy a 2018 2wd Ram 1500 for my daily driver because it is sooo comfortable to drive.