O.k. Tell me what you think.

[charlie_the_tuna]

2004 ram 1500 SLT. 105,000 miles. loaded. good condition. tekonsha trailer controller.
guy was asking $12,995. got him down to $9,800.
what do you guys think? i know the mileage is a bit high but i figured i drive very little during my weekly commute (about 2 miles a week) and i would save up a bit and trade up to something a little newer in a couple years.
i think i'm gonna go for it. runs fine. drives fine.
advice? opinions? warnings?

[phatdaddy]

the main issue with dodge has been the transmission. not sure if they had the bugs ironed out by 04. the fact that the PO had a trailer brake would indicate he did a bit of hauling.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

the main issue with dodge has been the transmission. not sure if they had the bugs ironed out by 04. the fact that the PO had a trailer brake would indicate he did a bit of hauling.

Phatdaddy, I agree that it's an indication, but didn't they come with the electric brake controller as a standard item for a number of years?

CTT, look at the inside of the trailer hitch itself.. How badly is it scratched up/rusted? Lots of scratches, lots of rust = lots of hauling.
You didn't say what the engine was in the truck, so it's hard to say how good a deal that is.. It's always been my experience that smaller engines are great on gas but die quicker because they have to work harder.
If that's the Cummins Diesel then the trans is the Allison trans and it's strong as an ox. See if you can find out what trans is in the truck and then do a quick web search to see if there's any negative comments about it.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

Phatdaddy, I agree that it's an indication, but didn't they come with the electric brake controller as a standard item for a number of years?

CTT, look at the inside of the trailer hitch itself.. How badly is it scratched up/rusted? Lots of scratches, lots of rust = lots of hauling.
You didn't say what the engine was in the truck, so it's hard to say how good a deal that is.. It's always been my experience that smaller engines are great on gas but die quicker because they have to work harder.
If that's the Cummins Diesel then the trans is the Allison trans and it's strong as an ox. See if you can find out what trans is in the truck and then do a quick web search to see if there's any negative comments about it.

It's a 1500 he said, so not a CUMMINS(and ALLISON NEVER came in DODGE trucks, EVER). Is it the 4.7L or the HEMI? 2WD or 4X4? How loaded out is it? Honestly it sounds a bit on the high side to me for price wise, but without knowing all the options it is hard to say.

[charlie_the_tuna]

forgot the important stuff. it has the hemi/automatic and yes, it is 4X4. he says the guy only used it to haul jetskis.
yes, it is a bit high but up around these parts thats about middle of the road mileage. i've been looking pretty hard for the last month or so and this seems like a pretty good deal.
i'd like to know more about this transmission issue.

[phatdaddy]

mine is a 95 and had to have a new tranny @ 125,000( had 112,000 when i bought it). dodge had a great tranny until they went with the automatic w/overdrive. when you tow and don't disable the od, it heats up and causes failure. i think they had most of the problems ironed out by 02,03. I think that was when mercedes was a partner. i now have 245,000 miles on the truck with no more tranny problems. also the ac evaporator cores (under the dash) are prone to failure. i know there is a world of difference between the pre 02's and the newer models. if you are thinking about having this truck for only a year or two, the resale on dodges is horrible.

[Road King Cole]

I had a 97 1500 4x4 slt with the 340 engine. I sold it 3 years ago for 2 grand. It had about 170k miles on it. It was a great truck, never had transmission issues. When I towed, I disabled the overdrive...

oh ya, it was that lovely sh$t brown color...



Thing was that I was only offered $600 for trade in, and there were tons of used trucks on the market here. I put it on ebay and a guy from maine purchased it. He said there were not many trucks for sale up there.

Maybe extend your search area and save some money by buying something further away where there are more trucks up for sale.

[Macrenovations]

For the most part the trans problem where fixed, They changed out the valve body kits and drilled a few larger by-pass's and installed a larger trans cooler. Just watch the outer tail carrier bearing on the trans this will fail if the PO did not change out the fluid every 10,000. I would not worry about the mileage as long as the PO did the regular fluid changes and turn-ups , You should see the 350,000 or higher before needing a new motor. I think the price is a little high for a 1500 should be around the 7500.00 range. But on the other hand I would only buy a FORD. Was thinking of selling my 1971 Ford F-350 Ranger High Boy it only has a little over 740,000 Miles and be leave it or not the engine has never been rebuilt been in the family seance new and it's 4x4 . Na never would sell it.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by THEFERMANATOR

(and ALLISON NEVER came in DODGE trucks, EVER)

Obviously I was given some wrong information. I stand corrected. Thanks. I'll stand by my assertion though that Dodge Diesel engines have a great reputation for longevety and service. Hard to find them used, (as compared to gas engines), and that in itself is an indication of their desirability. In all cases, since we now know it's a Hemi, it's a moot point.

[macojoe]

Just buy something!! You ask 10 people you get 10 different answers!

If you like and its in your range go for it!