I'm sure this has been asked, but which diesel powered truck is best in your opinion and why? I'm looking to purchase a used diesel powered truck and would like to make an educated purchase(for once).

I'm leaning towards a 12V Cummins because that seems to be the motor of choice from what I've been reading, but I'm not so much into the Dodge body style. I'd much rather have a Chevy body. I think Ford is pretty much out of the question for me, but I would listen to reason. Any and all comments are appreciated.

 

Having owned all 3 makes (all gasers except current truck) I would personally be a happy man with a Ford/Cummins setup.
My brother works for a large railway and they have all 3 makes (mix of gas/diesel). He said that they all get trashed... none of them really stand out as a "winner".
He did borrow my truck for a "few" days.... took almost 2 weeks to get it back. I had to "suffer" with his Lexus coupe those 2 weeks.

 

I'll drive whatever has the Cummins in it. Right now it happens to be Dodge.

 

Could there be such a thing as a truley unbiased opinion?

I would also be pretty happy with a D-Max, but I wouldn't prefer to own a 98.5 - 02 24V Cummins. No offence to those who do.

I would not prefer to own a Ford truck, gas or diesel.

 

A lot depends on what you want the truck for. General concensus seems to be that Chevy has a better/softer ride quality. Cummins would be the engine of choice if you're wanting a durable work engine. Ford or Chevy can be chipped to go fast but won't last as long and won't tow as economically. 24V Cummins can have boxes added to increase power. 12V Cummins takes mechanical mods to increase power.

Bottom line is, what do you want the truck for? Ride quality? Towing capability? Performance? Longevity? Economy?

Tell us how you plan to use it and we can give you a better unbiased opinion.

 

If you are talking new trucks: Dodge is best for heavy work, Chevy is best for riding around empty (better fuel economy) and also for severely kicking butt with just programming changes.

10 year and older, Dodge all the way.

 

I think it depends on what you do with your truck and how heavy you will be towing.
For me the only engine I will own when it is off warranty is the Cummins. No glow plugs, only 6 injectors and is a medium duty engine compared to Chevy's, Fords light duty engines.

 

I like my friends 07Duramax,rides smooth as silk, makes my 05 sound like a tractor. I'd still wouldn't trade him though, I like the diesel sound which his doesn't have, plus the dam funny looking bazooka tailpipe which needs to remain there for cooling the exhaust. His engine is so crammed in there I didn't even offer to help him change the fuel filter which I'm usually right in the middle of when my friends work on their vehicles. I real impressed with the refinement GM put into those trucks though, but their not for me.

 

I would not have a truck if Ford was the only option. I like GM's 01-02 body style, but not the engine's for those years. The new Chevy body makes me want to hurl. If I had done some more research before I bought my truck, I too would probably have a 12V, but as it stands I love my truck. When it comes to diesel's, there is a valid reason why everyone else always compares it to a Cummins

 

Thanks for the replies.

The truck won't be driven very much and when it does it will be about 90% daily driving and 10% towing. I'd like to be able to tow a toybox with no problems. I REALLY love the Chevy trucks from about 03 and up until the most recent body change which I don't care for at all. I'm just not so sure about the Duramax being a workhorse like the Cummins. I don't like the Ford trucks at all so I guess even my own opinion isn't unbiased. I do kinda like the newer Dodge body styles. I'm thinking it has to have a Cummins and I'm not into Fords so.....I guess it's a Dodge. My past couple of vehicles have been Chrysler products and I've been pretty happy with them so it looks like I know what I'm getting for Xmas this year.

Any specific years to stay away from? Any specific years to look for?

 

an unbiased opinion on a dodge site? ha ha...
in my 22 years of driving and after having about 20 different trucks ( mostly old fords) and having had three diesels, i love my 98 12v, it has all the power i need ( bone stock except for the exhaust) and the motor is flawless, i have friends w/ early model 24v and the problem list is extensive/expensive. i bought my ride w/98k on it and am about to turn 140k aside from the basics(clutch master cylinder/kdp/brakes,etc) it has been a true runner. the only time it has ever balked was when i took it to the snow country and didn't plug her in, cold fuel in the morning, but that was operator error. imo dodge rules the power circuit, bodies and front ends feel the weight of the cummins engine but stay up on your maintenance and you will be a happy cummins owner.

 

It was Ford truck that stirred my interest in an in-line 6 cylinder engine. I had a 300 six in an 1978 F150 I bought from a friend for $500. I drove that truck and pulled with it too all over the country and all I ever had to do to it was replace the fuel pump. It still sits behind my pole barn. Then I got a Dodge Cummins. Mainly because of the in line engine configuration. All the perks of horse power increases were a bonus, because I had no idea about that whenj I bought it. I'm on my 2nd 12 valve now and am pretty loyal to the engine if not the truck. My buddy just baught a brand new SuperDuty. It's an amazing truck. In my opinion it's already a hot rod. He is brand loyal and I tried to talk him into the Dodge but he wanted to stay with the Ford. Then he got a little surprise. He gets 7 MPG pulling his horse trailer. The window sticker didn't give any fuel econmomy info and he thought it would get close to what his 7.3 got. He's going to get something diffrent now. In my opinion it's a great truck but the fuel economy is a joke. He might as well be pulling his horse trailer with a Pete. At least then he'd have a sleeper to crash in.

 

Haha, good point, but not everybody here drives just a Dodge truck and I would say a good % of the members here came here to fix a problem they were having with a Dodge truck(myself included). I'm here and I don't own a Dodge truck, but I drive a Chevy for work and my last personal truck was a 1500HD.

My father in-law was/is having problems with his Cummins and was quoted $3000 to replace the VP44 so I decided that I could do it for him and save him a couple thousand bucks. After working on it I realized they aren't as complicated as I always thought diesel motors were(even though I'm still having problems with it haha) and after driving it around I started liking it. After seeing what his truck gets for mpg around town I also realized they aren't the gas hogs I thought they were.

This is the exact truck I want:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...=p4506.c0.m245
.....but it doesn't have a Cummins.

But this one does:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-...=p4506.c0.m245

 

If you want a chevy or gmc, get it. there are a lot of guys on this forum who swear by them. if you are driving 90%in town, the D-max,allison,ifs combo is hard to beat. Ive been told with a 80horse bulldog tune some of those trucks(not sure which years) will run under 14. I hate chevy's, but that is really cool. now if you want to work your truck, day in, day out, get a 12v.

 

Flat out the best and most trouble free truck built is the 92-93 4X4 Dodge with the club cab, and the early 12 valve Cummins. They are trouble free, have the last of the real transfer cases that would stand up to anything, DANA axles, and the only difficulties were with the Getrag transmission needing to be overfilled to keep it alive or the automatic not having an overdrive.

If you have the option of powering one yourself, then I would go with the Chevy or GMC K30 from around 1980, that still had the good gear driven transfer case, then install the 1987-88 P pumped 12 valve with a modified head from late 92 or 93, and heavy duty version of the New Venture transmission used by Dodge in 97 and 98.

A mid-90's 1 ton Ford 4X4 is also a good conversion candidate, there is nothing really worth using in the Ford transmission or transfer case, but the front and rear axles and suspension are top quality. The lighter duty Fords are a waste of time, and run as far and fast as you can from any with the articulated front axles.