In my quest to find a big truck for hauling horses and cars (and after having that Ford bought from under me) I've learned that a fellow club member is looking to sell his 01 Chevy 3500 LT diesel dually.
Big effing truck. 90k miles. Very well cared for (read that as Spotless)and a below average price. I've driven it and it rides nicer than I think a truck that size has a right to, and even better with a 30 foot enclosed trailer.
What do I look out for?
FYI we'll be pulling 2 and 4 stall horse trailers around New England beyond hauling the Miata around, which we all know is a heavy vehicle.
i think the Duramax had some durability issues right around that time- i don't know if that can be attributed to the hand held tuners that started popping up around that time or not..
Injector issues. See if they have been serviced, if not, budget on having it done.
Other oddball issues like cracking fuel filter housings, cracking tailshaft adapters on the 4WDs.
Is it an auto or a manual? The manuals did not hold up to the power of the Duramax.
Check for rust, rockers, cab corners, and bed sides above the wheelwell are the failure prone spots.
Like all diesel trucks, the front ends are designed for gas engines and the extra weight of the diesel wears out brakes, bushings, and balljoints faster than a gas truck.
That being said, a Chevy with a Duramax/Allison is far and away the best all-around light duty diesel truck and has been since they came out. Best ride, lowest step-in height, arguably best looks and interiors, fastest and most car-like. But all that quality comes at a price. They are not cheap trucks to service. Parts prices seem to be 1-3x more than comparable Powerstroke and Cummins parts.
No rust. I poked my head in places and got down on the ground. She's spotless. Undercoated too.
Interior (leather) all looks and feels great.
It has the Allison 5-speed automatic and shifts smoothly without hesistation. Injectors haven't been done so I'll plan on getting them done as preventative maintenance. I hear you have to remove the valve covers to get at them.
Front brakes were just done. Shocks on all four corners done. New battery and new alternator. Oil changes every 5,000 miles and documented. It will need tires near future but comes with 3 new ones.
The truck has spent the past 9 years with an in-bed camper and pulling an enclosed car trailer to events all over the place, but was rarely taken out in winter and spent most of its time in the garage waiting for the next race.
Crew cab or extended? Can we ask the price? Should be understressed with your plans. Go for it.
unk577
Reader
2/6/12 1:10 p.m.
As I'm now on my 4th Duramax I have had no issues. My current is an 07 GMC Sierra classic that I use to pull my 32ft enclosed gooseneck. The injector issues were with the early year 01-02 I believe and GM warrantied the injectors to ?years or 200k miles. As far as parts cost go they are on par with the other modern diesels.
Don't worry about missing out on the Ford as Ford hasn't had a reliable motor since the 7.3 and that was before the HP wars started. Cummins is a strong motor but the truck will fall apart around the motor sooner than later(been there). Hopefully Ford's newest motor will prove reliable as I like the body and interior better than all but the newest GM's.
unk577
Reader
2/6/12 1:17 p.m.
$17k doesn't sound like that great of a deal of an 01'. For that kind of money I have seen plenty of 04-06's and most are crewcabs. The benefit would be good injectors(not cheap), Variable nozzle turbo(much improved driveability) and a 6 speed Allison starting in 06'(better pulling and fuel mileage)
Florida and New England are two very different truck buying markets. Trucks last a lot longer in the south where they don't throw salt on the roads.
I know it's not a direct comparison, but I bought my '02 2500HD crew cab with the 8.1 and Allison and 80k on the clock for $7500 two years ago. The dually and the duramax are certainly upgrades from mine, but that price seems high none the less.
I'm all for haggling but his price is well in line with what I'm seeing up here in terms of equipment, mileage and condition.
If somebody sees something cheaper in the north east let me know. I'm not going through the work of shopping for a truck from the south.
Price seems fair to me, and I have been diesel shopping in Wisconsin for years. Its low mileage, its super clean, and the nice thing about buying a rust free NORTHERN truck, means a few things.
- The PO was a type A shiny happy person who kept it in perfect shape. Always washed, detailed, waxed.
- It has been indoors its entire life except when it was out on the roads.
- Its got less use. Heck, it sat inside for months on end. To keep a northern vehicle truly rust free it must see very limited use 4 or 5 months a year.
- It always was run in "happy diesel" weather. Above freezing. No worries about short hops or improper warm-up.
- The interior and paint will be leagues better than any rust-free southern truck from a similar year.
The price is on the high end of fair. if it checks all the boxes for you, I would pop on it, because you won't find something half as ncie without serious work or serious luck.
