I figured that. Dam hippys!

08can-am, on 26 April 2012 - 06:50 AM, said:

I get over 18 mpg down the highway unloaded. Its a crew cab, 4WD long bed Cummins. I do have a 6 spd manual tranny.

If it didnt regen the DPF with diesel fuel, I know I could get closer to 20 all day long. The others just use DEF instead, so it appears mileage is better, but add in the cost of DEF.

We were getting 24-26mpg in the cummins going 65mph. true story

Well would it be a good deal to buy a 2000 cummins has over 200thousand miles but no leaks ac works and runs good for 4500$. There are two dents in the bed but I mainly want it for mileage since he says he gets bout 21mpg on highway. Is there anything I should look for besides leaks or anything of that sort? Good deal or not someone give me some advise I would much appreciate it.

08can-am, on 19 May 2012 - 06:43 AM, said:

When you go look at it, you want it stone cold, truck hasn't been started yet today.  Feel the exhaust, the turbo, the block.  Any residual heat, and you can't accurately tell.  Do a cold start, how long does it take to light up?  You shouldn't have to crank and crank, should light up immediately.  Does it smoke excessively at startup?  Does it run rough, or smooth out right away?

Before starting check all the fluids to make sure they're clean and full.  Then check again after the test drive.

vp44 trucks have some common issues that are easily preventable. Number one issue is lift pumps. a weak lift pump will cause your injector pump to go out very quickly. Check the fuel pressure and make sure it is about 10 psi idling and 8 or 7 psi while wot. with that many miles i would assume that the lift pump has been updated to an aftermarket unit. Being a 2wd the front end does not get beat up near as much, but balljoints, tierods, idler and pitman arms are stil expensive and should be checked out before you purchase. Next i would check to see if it is a 53 block. Do a search on the internet and you will find alot of info on the 53 block. It was an engine block that had casting walls thinner then other blocks and are known for cracking and causing coolant leaks.

Thank y'all I been kinda doubting if I should get it or not. And the startin well it sits at work bout 12 hours then we leave and it starts quick with a little puff of black smoke then it clears up and how will I know if it's a 53 block does it look different than the others or what?

My brother drove a 2006 dodge 3/4 ton reg cab long box with the 5.9L cummins for 3 years at a landscaping company.  He would get 20 to 21 mpg no matter whether the truck was empty or full with trailer.  He had the auto trans and no issues, but would recommend the manual trans for reliability.  The auto always seemed to be hunting for the right gear.  The cummins engine is absolutely fantastic.  Fully loaded he could accelerate up almost any grade while staying in overdrive.  The rest of the dodge truck however is average.  He replaced ball joints, universal joints on the drive shaft and 4wd, steering components, etc.  Most of this was due to plowing thou.  The truck does it's job and the solid front axle will handle weight better than the independent systems in the ford or chevy.

Their company also had a ford with the newer powerstroke and a chevy with the durmax and allison.  His comments on those were that the powerstroke engine was amazing when it was running, they had a few expensive engine issues.  And the chevy tranny was awesome but the duramax wasn't as strong as the cummins and the independent front suspension felt less stable with weight especially with a plow.  But the chevy rode smoother when empty.

So it depends on what you want to use the truck for I guess.  Pick based on how you value power and towing ability versus ride comfort.

I probably won't hual anything extremely heavy but I've been thinkin just buying a small car to use just for the gas mileage but idk yet