rstl99

Hi all,
I've been looking for a good used Gen 1 or 2 Dodge Cumming 3/4 ton to put a reasonable-sized truck camper on and head out on long N-A road trips post-retirement (starting next year). I will be traveling alone (maybe a canine companion) most of the time, and joined occasionally by my GF who unfortunately won't be able to retire for a few more years yet... I'd like to get a truck that's reliable and reasonably comfortable to drive for long days (seating, noise level, etc.).

I understand Gen2's are a bit (or a lot?) better in the comfort factor than Gen1's.
I understand that 2wd have a better ride than 4x4's.
Manual tranny's are more reliable than autos.
12v cummins are more reliable than 24v.
Extended cab useful for storing stuff in the back seat.

Is there any reason I should consider or dismiss a nice Gen 1 for that use, if one should come my way? Or should I limit myself to a Gen 2 12v/manual (to '97, which many said was the best year, reliability wise)?

Thanks for your thoughts!

The_Head

I saw one roll through here this summer from out of state, looked like a nice setup.

I wouldn't hesitate to use mine. I have a 5er though.

Crossy's son

I'd rock a 2wd across country but a 1st gen 4x4 , no thanks. i know i'm a wimp but i just can't stand the ride of a 1st gen 4x.

1st gen 4x4 club cab 5 speed with AIR-RIDE= awesome

Subliminal

Well the 2500 lb camper on the back is going to help with the ride quite a bit.

If you can get a nice one of either, and make sure it's up to snuff, I wouldn't really care if it's 1st or 2nd gen. I like the looks of a 1st gen better, as a 2nd gen just looks like an old current model, where the 1st gens are more of a novelty these days.

My father had my same basic truck back when it was new...a 90 I believe W250. We put some helper springs on it and I believe his camper was right @ 2800 lbs. It'd pull mountains all day, and rode like a dream...man she was a bumpy when you took that camper off, though...that's where the 2nd gen will probably shine...unloaded.

I've got bags on mine and I feel she rides pretty reasonable.

oilcan64

[QUOTE=Crossy's son;2837950]I'd rock a 2wd across country but a 1st gen 4x4 , no thanks. i know i'm a wimp but i just can't stand the ride of a 1st gen 4x.

come on dude, its not that bad....

any cummins that you buy...lets just say you wont regret it. its more than just a truck. i think everyone else knows what i mean

JBradley500

mines been way up in northern canada to the tip of florida. im from new york and living in illinois and ive been back a couple of times. i am not afraid to drive this thing anywhere.

i wouldnt get a vp truck if i was looking for all out reliability. anything else should suit your needs well.

BearKiller

The only thing good about the 2nd Gen. is the P-pump; the rest gets to looking junky really quick.

I don't know just what it is about any of the later trucks, regardless of make, that makes them look so shoddy so quick; too much plastic to bust and tear off maybe.

The 1st Gen. manual would be my choice.

2500

first gen or second are both fine... go for condition of vehicle
naturally a second gen will have better creature comforts... just like 3rd gen will have better yet interiors.

there is no substitution for low miles!

if you want a manual tranny on a 3/4 ton second gen ... be prepared to look for awhile. 5sp are relatively rare on 3/4 ton second gen trucks... something like 20 to one ratio in favor of auto.

took me two years to find mine... which I consider the holy grail of cummins trucks.... 96 cummins 12v, ext cab, 4x4, 5sp with 67k miles when I got it 2 years ago.

rstl99

Thanks for your thoughts!
I also feel the Gen 1 has a nice look to it, but then again I'm kind of drawn to the look of older vehicles all the time (I also own an 82 Benz diesel sedan).

Indeed, sounds like a 2wd would be more comfortable to drive than 4x4 for long highway runs, and I don't expect to be driving this truck a lot in the winter, nor off the beaten path (though I'll be driving on marginal roads up north, they will be roads and not cowpaths or offroad sites like Moab etc...).

I'll try to find one with a stick, but there is appeal to just putting it in Drive and pressing on the gas, plus someone else could more easily share the driving on long runs if it was auto.

As someone said, condition and reasonable miles should be the primary consideration, Gen 1 or 2. I'll try to avoid a truck that's been worked on the farm or used as a snow-plow commercially (I'm in the north-east), and try to get one mainly used for highway runs.

Up here, rust is also a consideration, so I'll try to exercice patience to avoid rust buckets or bondo buggies. I understand Dodges have a tendency for leaking rubber seals, around the windshield etc., so I'll watch out for that.

Ideally, I'll try to get the truck mechanically inspected before buying (though I know that's not always an easy thing to do if buying from someone out in the country, so will educate myself on things to look out for to assess overall condition prior to buying).

Cheers!

Mark Nixon

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my first gens, but I'm a big guy and I had a '96 extended cab dually for a while.
I went back to a first gen and the instant I got into it I realized how CLOSE the driver's door is to the steering wheel.
I kept hurting my elbow on the door, it took a long time to get used to it again.
I still marvel at how cramped a first gen really is for the driver.

You don't notice it until you try one 2nd gen, then get back in the 1st gen.

Oh, yeah, as a person who hauled cars Commercially with BOTH, the 2nd gen handles the loads and rough roads much better, but a 1st Gen Extended Cab 2wd will ride and handle the loads nearly as good as the 2nd gen Extended Cab 2wd will.
Hauling heavy with any 4wd is a rough ride.

Mark.

rstl99

Thanks Mark, that information about cabin ergonomics is very useful! Indeed, if I'm going to be driving 5-6 hours a day for weeks on end, comfort has GOT to be one of my primary criteria. I'm not a small guy either, so Gen2 may have that other advantage, more elbow room!
Anyway, sounds like 2wd Gen2 is what I need to look for.
Cheers.

93Fury

I would say shoot for a 2nd gen 2wd. I wouldn't say stay away from the VP powered trucks either just the 53 block equipped trucks. I have several friends with these trucks and all of them are great trucks with the exception of one that was a cracked 53 block when the bought it. The fuel mileage on my buddies '02 2wd 5 speed is unbelievable, hauled a Suzuki Samuria and a golf cart 300 miles and had a weekends worth of driving on a half tank of fuel. Easily as a daily driver gets 500-600 miles on a tank of fuel. With Jammer 5 injectors, Edge comp, 4" exhaust and a K&N drop in the truck made 425/920 on the dyno at the Carlisle All Truck Nationals in 2008. Like I said maybe these couple trucks are freaks but they are rather impressive for what they are. If I didn't have a first gen and Cummins never came out with the common rail trucks I'd be buying one. Just my $.02, good luck with the truck hunt and have a great retirment.

BearKiller

That closeness of the column to the door is the very first thing I noticed about the later 1st. Gen. Dodges; it is not so noticable on the 1989-90.


I don't so much think it is a narrowness of the cab, as rather Chrysler put the column too close to the door, maybe in an attempt to provide more seat space for the middle man.


With a bench seat, on a long haul, especially after climbing out of any other truck, that out-of-position column really gets annoying.


It is not noticable at all sitting in the captain's chairs in the wife's truck, possibly because they are positioned accordingly, nor do I notice it in the earlier non-tilt trucks.


I am a six-footer, 240-ish, and I never really have a problem so much with banging into the door, as I do with the column just not being centered with where my hind-end ends up at on a bench seat.

JBradley500

Im a little bigger than bear killer and i feel pretty comfortable in my truck... i wouldnt want to be a lot bigger though. I like the column next to the door though, i like to rest my arm on something.

rstl99

Thanks, that seems to be where the consensus is going for me. I had heard about the bad 53 blocks so thanks for the reminder! Good mileage is one reason I'm leaning to the Cummins, because if my road trips all materialize, I'll be clocking a lot of miles over the next few years (Alaska, Newfoundland, SouthWest, etc.).

Thanks a lot, looking forward to it!!!