Diesel Opinons?

[SMWS6TA]

Looking at a 06 Dodge 5.9 Cummins (turbo) Diesel Megacab for $17,900. It's got a lot of miles but been told from a friend that works at the dealership it's been looked over by their mechanics and even they wanted it for them. Front office said no. Supposedly the drive train and engine as well as the turbo have been checked out ok with no issues. It was very well maintained. I do trust my friend in his opinion on the truck because he sees them and gets to test drive and go thru them 1st before anyone else. It's how he picked up his truck.

From what I've read the 5.9 is the one to get over the 6.7. And with it being an 06 no BS emission equipment going bad every 50k miles or injector issues as well.

Any opinions?

[Zinergy]

My opinion has always been if you have a reason to own a diesel... get one. Towing a lot often, hauling a lot often. Want a work truck for around your property and you have the property to warrant one get one.

If you don't do any of those things then gasser all the way IMO.

I wanted to buy a 08 mega cab a few years ago but it was the 5.7 liter gas. I did like that with the seats folded up you could damn near put a full size mattress back there but 1 test drive told me all I needed to know. 6,000lbs truck + 5.7 liter gas motor = slow as hell. I don't buy trucks to race them but the difference in acceleration between that mega cab and my Silverado 5.3 liter I owned at the time was night and day. I put my foot down in that ram and all that went up was the RPMs. I would think the 5.9 diesel should move it better though.

[SMWS6TA]

Also forgot to say it was a 4x4 too.


My friend just got one but manual and that thing pulls like a train. Got me wanting a truck more. I have plans to get a trailer for the bird and for odds and end jobs that a trailer that would be so helpful for.

Also to be able to go hunting too.

I'm not wanting something so new because I'll not be treating it like a pavement pounder only.

[Zinergy]

Maybe if you're hauling the bird long distances and or often. But I have found I am comfortable towing anything under 6,000lbs any distance with any modern gas full size truck. Sure they can tow more but having to rev to 5,000rpms+ to get up hills at speed isn't exactly what I would consider "comfortable". But "comfortable" is a subjective term. I have a buddy who tows a enclosed trailed with 2 dodge neon race cars, parts, tires, tools, etc with late 90s E150. He tows it to multiple race tracks a season. Thing is probably rated to 5k tow capacity and he constantly tows 10klbs.

To me though it sounds like a gasser would be a better fit for you but you want the howling turbo anyway. This is merica man, the land of want not need. so in the end, get what you want.

[0rion]

I agree.....sounds to me like a gasser would work better for you and I own a diesel. If I didn't have a 10k pound trailer I hauled all over the eastern half of the U.S. I'd have a gasser too. Just too much downside to a diesel to warrant owning one unless you absolutely have to. Short of the transmission in that truck though that 06 dodge would be a good one to own.....their tranny's suck balls though.

Diesels in general cost more up front, are more expensive to maintain, and are a helluva lot more expensive to fix. Just search injector prices or cp3 prices. Dodge helps their cp3 by using a lift pump which chevy doesn't do. Also....diesels suck as a hunting truck. They're heavy as hell and sink right to the bottom of any mud hole you get into. I would love to hook my 5er up to a newer gas truck to see how it pulls because rating wise they're as high or higher than my 06 duramax. If it was even remotely workable I would go gas next time. I just wonder how that gas truck would do hauling 10k lb's through virginia on a couple of those 7% grade hills. I imagine I would hate it.

[Zinergy]

Yea, some of the new 1/2 ton trucks are rated at 12klbs towing. That's the same as my buddies 05 duramax. I can you though if I was towing 10,000lbs long distances I would rather have that 05 duramax than my 2012 f150 XLT max payload which is rated at 11klbs tow capacity.

[0rion]

I agree which is why I don't think a half ton would work for me. It would do the job but the comfort level would go way down. It's nice to hit the hills and not worry about it. I'm going to guess a gasser would be screaming all the way up. Going down those hills can be just as bad. The 06 didn't come with an exhaust brake but I built one into the tune.

[GTP231]

If you like replacing front end parts go Dodge

[SMWS6TA]

Thanks for the input. Guess I'll keep looking. The more I look the less "need" I have for a diesel I find and the more of it's a nice thing to have it falls into.


I wish I could find in my area a 6.0L GM trucks instead of the 5.3's with fuel management systems. 5.3's seem to have constant lifter failures contributed to that AFM. A PITA to tune/hard fix by removing it.