Dear Forum,

Looks like a great, informative spot that I will spend too much time in! I'm a former grease monkey (engine rebuilding shop staffer, crankshaft grinding guru) who left that all behind and became a salesman within IT. (Big change I know) I'm looking at buying my first diesel truck and I am very confused as to which would be my best option. I'm throwing this out for opinions to the guys in the know (YOU ALL) to help with my decision. I want a truck to haul my toys in and out of the mountains here in beautiful British Columbia, and will be pulling my Brother in Law's 7500lbs boat occasionally as well. I decided a diesel would be best for hopeful power, longevity and fuel economy. I don't care about 3/4 or 1 ton, either will do but I have narrowed it down to three possibilities. I have 2 daughters, a wife(damn) and two hounds who will be riding in the rig.

Here is what I'm looking at and my concerns on each, and hopefully you all can let me know what route is good, or perhaps I'm safe with all three!

2003 GMC Sierra SLE Extended 4x4 Long Box
Manual Transmission, Duramax Diesel (Assume 1st Gen)211000km/131000miles
My Concerns - Spent a lot of time in Engine Shop telling people head cracked, block cracked. (6.5 and 6.2) My experience is GM Diesels not good. I know this is a new motor and I was out of industry before I saw many. Web searches show the injector issue and the warranty period only for half year or so. The price seems right, it's the cheapest of the three, and my old man has a 1994 350 1/2 Ton still going strong which makes me consider it heavier.

1999 Ford F-250 XLT Supercab, 4x4 Long Box
Automatic, 7.3L Powerstroke
185000km/114000miles
My Concerns - Precup cracking, head gasket worries, coolant eating through cylinder walls. (Earlier 6.9 mainly for the last) Just a little unsure how the later 7.3 were for reliability.

2002 Dodge 2500 SLT Extended Cab 4x4, Short Box
Manual, 5.9 Cummins
221000km/137000miles
My Concern - Extra cost. The Dodge is more money than the other two, and is it worth it?? Being a manual transmission perhaps safer than a chrysler auto.

I look forward to your responses and if I can help anyone anywhere I'm all ears. :)

I won't call myself an expert, but I will weigh in with some input. Of course, it might only be worth what you're paying for it.:D

All three sound like very capable rigs, & all three have their naysayers & horror stories. IMO, when looking at any older vehicle such as these, service history & condition count for more than any good will that the brand may or may not have.

For instance, I own one of those older GM diesels that you've heard nothing good about. Mine is a '95 with 183K miles on the clock. I bought it about 4 years ago from the 2nd owner who had owned it since it was less than a year old. The truck was/is in great shape, & I have complete service records on it. The motor has never been apart, & it is in perfect health. I've had to put some money/work into the truck simply due to age & mileage, but it has never let me down.

You do have some family issues to consider. I have two daughters & a wife to haul around as well. I like the extended cab truck I used to own, but after having owned a crew cab (a GM gasser), that will be the only configuration I'll consider should I buy another truck. To be sure, take the family along for a test drive of any truck you're considering, & see how it goes.

Also, even if you don't like to hear it, there will be situations where your wife may need to drive the truck.:eek: How does she feel about manual shift? Before I bought the GM CC gasser, I was looking at a Ford PSD CC with a manual trans. My wife actually came to prefer manual shift once I taught her to drive one. However, on that particular truck, her legs were not long enough to put the clutch to the floor.

BTW, my life took the exact opposite route of yours. I spent 11 years in a corporate job (with amateur racing & wrenching as a hobby), & now I wrench on cars for a living.

I guess this is just a long way of saying buy the best one you can find regardless of brand. Good luck!

My wife is fine to drive stick, she likes it. ;) .. so that isn't a concern.

I am concerned about cab room, while my girls are small(ish) now they will just keep getting bigger.

Drive all three and see which one you like the best.


Get a crew cab as the kids will not be getting any smaller and the rear doors on an extended cab are a PITA in tight parking spots.

Cant go wrong with the cummins or duramax but I have two kids and wouldnt have anything but a crew cab or mega cab, just wont have any room with a ex-cab. The 7.3 might be a good haul but I think it will spend more time in the shop then the mountains. A 5.9 manual is so much fun!:cool:

Well.. I guess I can give you all who have replied an update on the progress.

The Duramax I mentioned in the post was trashed! Before I could get down to drive it the seller told me the motor and tranny were screwed. So, obviously that option was out.

The Cummins I had a good hard look at. It ran awesome and had been very well looked after from the look of the overall truck. The problem I have with it is the cab was really small, and it was a short box. The leg room would be minimal for my kids now, and in a couple years would not be comfortable for them at all. I feel I need a long box as well, just due to the size of things I'll be putting back there and not really wanting to have the tailgate down all the time. So, this particular one was not suited for me.

It leaves me with the Ford, which I'm still not completely excited about. The cab is bigger and it's a long box, but the paint is quite scratched up and is 10 years old. Being black it just shows more. My concern is while I can't see or feel much wrong with the drivability right now, if someone beats up the outside of their rig how much maintenance have they done on it?

Looks like I might be back to the drawing board looking around for more options.

Waiting for the right one never hurts ya in the long run. Find the one that gives you the best feeling and suits your needs, heck with the prices these days one can't afford to regret a big purchase like this.....Just my 2cents

Sounds like you should look for a dodge mega cab with a 6 speed manual. These trucks are not that old and even now you can get a really nice one for about 25k or so. If I was gonna buy something besides a GM, I would definitely go with the cummins and the manual trans. The dodge crew cab is smaller than the rest, that's why I say go mega cab. The rear seats recline and there is TONS of room inside as well as out. Just my .02

I appreciate everyone's feedback. My budget is a little tighter and while I would love a Dodge Mega Cab Long Box Cummins, from what I've seen the market here these are very pricey for me. CAD$36,000+

Should I throw the 6.0L Ford question out!? :) I've heard some very conflicting things about these. I do like the look of the 99 onwards 250/350 Super Duties. Crew Cabs have lots of space and the pricing isn't as high as the Dodge and Chevs. I have a die hard ford truck family friend who tells me they are fine, and otherwise hear and read about issues about them. Are these motors destined to fail, or is a sheer volume issue due to the many out there?

Most 6.0 owners either love them or hate them, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground.


One of my employees is looking for a used super duty diesel, his best friend is a Ford mechanic and he said don't get a 6.0 try and find an older 7.3.

Keep looking until you find the right truck at your price. It is a buyers market so like I said keep looking

I would stay away from the fords. If your gonna get something besides the chevy, get the dodge. You can't beat the cummins for power, economy and longevity. There are cummins out there with nearly 1 million miles on them. Keep looking, don't buy something you don't want.

well this is a duramax oriented site so i would imagine that most opinions would be biased. however, from the information you gave i would be looking for a crew cab as extended cabs a pretty tight. so my opinion is you should go find a crew cab duramax in good condition. they are for sale all over right now and you can grab them for way under book value. good luck and let us know what you find.