Opinions Needed

[huntsonora]

Here is my current truck, a 1994 Dodge 2500 4x4 with the 12 valve.

I LOVE this truck but it isnt the most nimble vehicle out there. Its got 190K but I have tabbed the KDP and upgraded the 5th gear nut in the transmission. Recently I started blowing oil out the dipstick and this concerns me.

This is the truck I may buy tomorrow. Its a 2002 Tacoma DC trd with 81K. Its pretty damn clean and has low miles. What do you guys think about this truck for $13,500 and would you take this Tacoma over the 12 valve I currently own?

I use my trucks to guide hunts so I spend quite a bit of time off road but not out in anything thats too rough. It sucks to sit 3 adults in the Dodge but the Tacoma would be fairly cramped as well, at least we wouldnt be sitting in each others laps though.

I HATE these decisions!

 

[Ric]

What do you guys think about this truck for $13,500 and would you take this Tacoma over the 12 valve I currently own?

without doubt... reliabilty, dependability, and resell value IF you ever decide to sell it.. I know guys that have way over 200K without any issues at all on toyotas :victory:

 

[pulltilbroke]

I would never dump a 12v for a Yota. The Old Dodge will go many more miles than a Toyota would ever think about going.


Has the Vent tube gotten Kinked,Plugged or otherwise on your Dodge?

 

[Rot Box]

Ive been in that situation twice now and its not an easy choice to make. Given the powertrain in the Dodge Both trucks hold their value extremely well and I consider them both to be some of the most reliable/dependable trucks ever made.

I found out the hard way when I decided to sell my fullsize to buy my old Tacoma that when you need a fullsize you NEED a fullsize. I loved my Tacoma to no end, but there are some things that it just couldn't do. I also learned the hard way that when you need a crew cab you NEED a crew cab :coffeedrink:

Best of luck I don't know what to tell ya! I would keep both lol.

 

[huntsonora]

I would never dump a 12v for a Yota. The Old Dodge will go many more miles than a Toyota would ever think about going.


Has the Vent tube gotten Kinked,Plugged or otherwise on your Dodge?

I'll check the vent tube in the morning! It's not kinked but may be plugged somehow. My front end is bad on the dodge but that's a much cheaper fix than buying a different truck.

We'll see what happens

 

[Rovertrader]

while the cab may be crowded, you all fit. What about the bed? If you keep it near full when being used, the Toyota will not work, period. Also, consider load in pounds, and consider any towing needs- now or later. I cannot function w/o a CC, and just ordered a Ute bed for the PW to increase bed area w/o going bigger truck- perhaps a Ute on the Toy??

 

[bftank]

cummins over toyota any day of the week. on my '01 the crankcase vent had a bottle that it fed into. maybe yours is full and needs empty. the ccv on these is a weak point.

the cummins in your truck is factory rated to go 350,000 miles without pulling the motor apart. right now your frontend is the only weak link in your truck. you might consider swapping in a kingpin 79 ford dana 60 axle with leaves. then you won't be replacing unit bearings and balljoints all the time. blakeape on here has done this to his. i believe he has a write up on it on pirate4x4.

here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=850288&highlight=blakeape

if you did go with the tacoma, you would lose load capacity, bed space, towing capacity, money that could be spent making dodge more nimble (ie lockers, tires, suspension work, etc).

granted the toyota would be smaller and fit in more spaces with out getting as beat up. it's lighter by a couple 1000 lbs, flotation.

mpg wise they should be the same except when towing. dodge wins.

i would hang onto the dodge unless it was a financial thing, but it doesn't sound like it is. and google moose buggy. it might give you some ideas. good luck! nice truck by the way.

have you played with the fuel pump yet by the way?

 

[chasespeed]

I have a similar problem. a reg cab cummins, and we are a family of 4. I decided to to keep the truck, and saving for a van, Cruiser, etc.

If I can get rid of the wife's car(STS), we'll be all set.....:victory:

I say keep the CTD. If you NEEDED to, you could swap the cab.....

And keep an eye on the injection pump...

Chase

 

[teleturns]

Here is my current truck, a 1994 Dodge 2500 4x4 with the 12 valve.

I LOVE this truck but it isnt the most nimble vehicle out there. Its got 190K but I have tabbed the KDP and upgraded the 5th gear nut in the transmission. Recently I started blowing oil out the dipstick and this concerns me.

How much are you selling the Cummins for? I am always in the market for another one.....

 

[CJW]

Both are nice trucks. Do some research and some eyeball investigation on the dipstick to see what the problem is, it may not be anything. The questions are pretty simple. Do you need the 8ft. bed? Do you need the crew cab? Do you need the Cummins for towing? Do you really feel comfortable having three people in the front seat and having to shift gears? In my mind if I was a guide it's not what I would look for. There is a reason that most guides have a crew cab of some kind.

Pros and Cons for each

Cummins Pros:
towing capacity(do you tow?)
long bed(do you regularly use the whole bed?)
engine longevity (which does not automatically transfer to truck longevity no matter what anybody says, the rest of the truck will start to wear out even if it has the mystical cummins under the hood)
load ability

Cummins Cons:
the truck is getting up there in miles (parts can be replaced, you just have to decide wether you want to or not)
regular cab
manual trans in reg. cab(while a good tranny is it right for guiding when the seat is full?)
heavy(this may or may not be a detriment to you depending on your terrain)

Toyota Pros:
lighter(again, your terrain really determines if this matters)
crew cab(should easily fit four adults, five to six if you need to)
low miles(toyotas engines and the rest of the truck are known to go quite a long time without problems)

Toyota Cons:
lack of towing capacity(do you tow?)
smaller bed(do you regularly use the whole bed?)
less load capacity(do you need it?)



Just remember that 95% of the people that tell you to keep the Cummins because of it's abilities, will never use a Cummins to it's fullest ability. My half ton dodge has worked harder in it's life than most of the diesels on the road today. And the two main reasons people site for a Cummins, mpg and longevity, are only half truths. Most diesels probably only get 1 or 2 mpg better than my 5.9 gas, if that, and the engine may go forever, but the truck will wear out just like any other truck and nickel and dime you.


I'm guessing that you are only considering the Toyota because you don't tow much, if at all? If you towed alot there is now way you would even think about it.

Consider what you need and what you can pay for. Most of the help you get on forums for questions like this won't help.


Good luck!

 

[lllateralus]

If thats the Dodge 5.9, the cummins, (any cummins) is going to get much more than 1 or 2 MPG more than that 360 V8.

And I'm not a huge cummins fan either. In fact, I own a big trusty 2001 7.3 F350.

Cummins regularly get very high teens to low 20's in the MPG department.

My good friend with an old 92 or 93 cummins with 275K regularly gets 17+ in mixed city and highway driving.

Just keeping it real, thats all. No large displacement V8 is getting near that on a regular basis.

 

[chasespeed]

engine longevity (which does not automatically transfer to truck longevity no matter what anybody says, the rest of the truck will start to wear out even if it has the mystical cummins under the hood)

This is very true. My truck is on its 2nd bed, and getting ready for its 3rd set of front fenders.. and mine is an 01.

I say keep it, simply because, you already have it.

If you were trying to decide between the 2, and needed to BUY, I would list off eveything like CJ did.

Me personally, I am trying to reduce, and/or get rid of ANY payments I have to make, and thus increase what I pay on my mortgage each month. I dont know your financial, or work status, but, its tough for me to justify adding or increasing payments.

My 2 cents.

 

[CJW]

If thats the Dodge 5.9, the cummins, (any cummins) is going to get much more than 1 or 2 MPG more than that 360 V8.

And I'm not a huge cummins fan either. In fact, I own a big trusty 2001 7.3 F350.

Cummins regularly get very high teens to low 20's in the MPG department.

My good friend with an old 92 or 93 cummins with 275K regularly gets 17+ in mixed city and highway driving.

Just keeping it real, thats all. No large displacement V8 is getting near that on a regular basis.

My 5.9 gas gets 17 highway and around 13 city. So I average around 14-15.

My point is that the mpg difference isn't nearly as much as these cummins/diesel nut huggers try to make it out to be and the money savings isn't anything. Not that I don't like diesel trucks, I do. In fact, I'd love to have a quad cab Cummins, basically my truck with a diesel. But I don't need it and can't justify the cost.

 

[DT75FLH]

My 5.9 gas gets 17 highway and around 13 city. So I average around 14-15.

My point is that the mpg difference isn't nearly as much as these cummins/diesel nut huggers try to make it out to be and the money savings isn't anything. Not that I don't like diesel trucks, I do. In fact, I'd love to have a quad cab Cummins, basically my truck with a diesel. But I don't need it and can't justify the cost.

Guess I'm in the minority.

Ive owned 3 360 4x4 dodge gas engines. a 94 reg cab , 01 CC BOTH only got 11-13 mpg ang 8 towing from Chicago to Las Vegas.

my 99 360 cc with a plow ,4.10, 4x4 only got 11mpg.

my 98 cc (250k miles on it)4x4 cummins with 285 tires on it gets CONSISTENTLY 17.5 on the highway.

my 04.5 srw 3500 4x4 cummins got 16 mpg with 35" tires CONSISTENTLY

my current 2010 mega cab 4x4 3500 SRW with 285 tires is getting 15-16 mpg (all emissions intact)

 

[redthies]

Huntsonora... You know how much I love my 12 valves... However, we owned a 2001 TRD Doublecab like the one you are looking at. We LOVED it! With 180,000 on it, it only ever needed minor/routine maintenance. As suggested by CJW, do a list of needs and wants. We pulled 2-3000 pounds with the Taco, but never very far. That white one looks clean, but so does your Dodge. If I didn't pull a 31' trailer, I would not bother with the big trucks. I love them, but could love a built Taco just as much.

As far as the 5.9 gas vs 5.9 Cummins debate, my 5.9 gas gets EXACTLY the SAME mileage as my 5.9 Cummins with the built auto! Crazy talk some would say, but true!

In short, either truck will keep you smiling, just keep/buy for your needs, not to avoid a bit of maintenance...

Let us know what you decide.