wife says i can sell the 6.5-thank god

[cranknrods]

ok- i have permission to sell the suburban and get a truck that a stop dieing on us at every inopertune time. not that the 6.5 is a lemon or anything-its just that im getting tired of having to carry around a tool box for when it $h!#@'s itself . the wife says it has to be a quad cab though and she doesnt like the new fords to much and with all the bad experiences ive had with GM products (not including the 6.5) i would rather not have a GM. that leaves dodge as a good canidate. i know the older dodges were really really reliable with plenty of power to tow with, but is the 03 cummins that way aswell. what are the problems with the 03's. a wise man once told me to never buy the first model year because they havent worked the kinks out yet. but i cant afford an 04. any advice guys, im really looking for a truck that can carry the family, tow the boat and get us to the lake trouble free every time, am i barking up the right tree? i know some cummins engines had a problem with the lift pump going out thus killing the IP-making a FASS system worth the money. is this one of those trucks or did they fix that? what do i need to look for when looking at one? what model years are the best for my needs? the older cummins engines do really well with wvo, is the 03 the same? and finally what fuel milage can i expect? sorry so many questions but this D@#N
6.5 has got to go.
any replies are greatly appreciated
thanx

 

[rubberfish]

The 03's are known to drop valve guides.
The top of the piston looks neat after this has happened.
Wait 'till the 04 is in your budget.

 

[cranknrods]

that seems like a pretty good reason to spend the extra cash on an 04' model-thanks rubberfish-
any other problems or comments about these trucks?

 

[tonkadoctor]

that seems like a pretty good reason to spend the extra cash on an 04' model

Or hold your ground on price make the '04 come into the budget Used vehicle prices are all over the board especially through private owners as nobody truely knows what a "Used" vehicle is really worth. Excellent deals can be had by taking your time and knowing exactly what you want and how much you are willing to pay.

Even consider stepping back to a really nice low mile 2002 unless you're heart is set on the '03 up for some reason.

Can't help more than that as I truely don't know the ins and outs of the Cummins like Mr. Fish and a few others. Just know I'd like to drop one in the Stuperduty some day in the distant future if the money tree would ever sprout in my yard.

 

[holtzer1]

03's and 04's had alot of injector problems...especially o-rings that would eventualy fill the crankcase full of diesel fuel...personally, i would stear away from 03 and 04's.

 

[MMeier]

175k hard ass miles towing heavy 90% of the time on mine... outside of keeping a 6 speed in it, it has not really been all that bad to me.