Question about buying a gas truck with very high engine hours

[jstubbs]

Hey guys, I have a question about excessive idle hours on gas engines.

So my grandpa has had a string of really bad luck with trucks lately. His beloved 2004 Dodge 2500 was written off in an accident, and then the 2006 Silverado 2500 I got for him to replace it was written off 6 months later from a crazy freak hail storm. All he needs is a good solid truck that won't give him headaches for pulling his 34' camper in the summer, but also won't cost a fortune. He is 80 years old and it will maybe get 1500 kms put on it a year at most.

He's looking at buying a 2017 Silverado 2500 with the 6.0L gas engine. Truck is owned by Hertz but was leased out to some company in Fort McMurray, who put only 21,000 KM on it but over 8000 engine hours, so clearly it was used in the oil patch and just idled all day long.

He drove it down from McMurray to Nisku where it's going to be auctioned at Odessa (he has a buddy with access to bidding in it). The folks there figure it'll fetch anywhere from $25-28k by their estimates. He said it ran and drove like new and was in all around nice shape inside and out, and it is a well optioned crew cab short bed 4wd. I know those 6.0L GM motors are pretty darn tough engines and the rest of the truck is basically brand new still.

What do you guys think? Stay the heck away? I have been trying to find him a nice shape used 3/4 ton truck but the prices on some of these things are way out of whack.

[Dean2]

I would not be willing to pay that much. Those hours are the equivalent run time of 640,000 klms on the motor. Running gear, tranny etc. will be in great shape, but that is too much money for a truck with that many hours on it. Replacement motor is about 10 grand, would you pay 35,000 for this truck? You can buy a 3 year old well loaded Dodge 2500 with the 6.4 gas with less than 80,000 Klms for $25,000-$35,000.

Just one of many examples

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/ram/2500...8T0B3&sprx=100

This one is a diesel

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/ram/2500...8T0B3&sprx=100

[jstubbs]

Those Dodge 6.4Ls good? Thought I heard some troubles with them, and then the 5.7Ls have that infamous tick that seems to be a problem on all of them.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by jstubbs

Those Dodge 6.4Ls good? Thought I heard some troubles with them, and then the 5.7Ls have that infamous tick that seems to be a problem on all of them.

He is going to put on 1500 klms a year for maybe 10 years. Any truck make will last that long, I just picked dodge because I have been shopping around for a Dodge 3/4 or 1 ton. Personally, Dodge or GM would do for me just fine. All about options and price. The diesel version I sent you a link to will have better resale down the road because it is diesel and it will be really low mileage.

[EZM]

The drive line, brakes, transmission, suspension, tires and other "parts that work while the vehicle is driving" are probably going to be in good shape, but like as Dean pointed out, the engine wear is going to reflect some high mileage .... if you can get for a deal .... get it .... but that does seem too high of a price ..... at least from my perspective.

I'd say $20,000 is where/what I'd seem to be fair.

[Ken07AOVette]

you can buy a lariat leather 2011 - 2013 F350 6.7 diesel that will literally last him forever for the same or less money than that.

I have a 2012 that has not cost me 1 penny in repairs.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I would not be willing to pay that much. Those hours are the equivalent run time of 640,000 klms on the motor. Running gear, tranny etc. will be in great shape, but that is too much money for a truck with that many hours on it. Replacement motor is about 10 grand, would you pay 35,000 for this truck? You can buy a 3 year old well loaded Dodge 2500 with the 6.4 gas with less than 80,000 Klms for $25,000-$35,000.

Just one of many examples

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/ram/2500...8T0B3&sprx=100

This one is a diesel

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/ram/2500...8T0B3&sprx=100

Hey Dean, how do you figure the math on that . I read that the average is 1 hr to 25 miles or 40 km .that would (I think) work out to 320000k. Not arguing but just curious as to what the formula is.

[jstubbs]

Originally Posted by Dean2

He is going to put on 1500 klms a year for maybe 10 years. Any truck make will last that long, I just picked dodge because I have been shopping around for a Dodge 3/4 or 1 ton. Personally, Dodge or GM would do for me just fine. All about options and price. The diesel version I sent you a link to will have better resale down the road because it is diesel and it will be really low mileage.

Thanks for those links. You're probably right, doesn't matter. Looks like the gasser is RWD and he wants 4wd although he'd probably be more than fine without but otherwise that's a real nice truck. The diesel is a bit out of his price range but also nice, both his last two trucks were diesels but now that he isn't snowbirding he doesn't care for the extra cost and I'm not sure if resale matters a whole lot to him at this point (as hard as that is to say).

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Hey Dean, how do you figure the math on that . I read that the average is 1 hr to 25 miles or 40 km .that would (I think) work out to 320000k. Not arguing but just curious as to what the formula is.

I use 1 hr as 80 klms or 50 miles per hour. The formula u use would be almost all city driving which would be about as tough on a motor as mine which is highway figures. The reason I use the highway calc is highway steady rpm is closer to the steady rpm of sitting idling.

One isn't necessarily better but the up shot is this motor has a hell of a lot of wear on it.

[fordtruckin]

I have a 2008 GMC 2500 with the 6.0 for work. The one thing I have issue with and our mechanics agreed through all the other 6.0s in the fleet that once they get a few miles they are very hard starting. Mine has 178000miles so what 284000km give or take. Even in the summer I have to plug it in. It will turn over in the morning after sitting all night and it chugs. Sure doesn't want to start. If it fires, it will run rough like theres water in the fuel, surge, sputter and die out. Worst I've had is to try turning it over 4 times before it would run. Then it runs rough until it warms up a bit. After that it is fine.

I drive that truck fairly hard and it has 1/3 or 1/4 the hours of the truck in question. Personally I would avoid it for that price. For half that I'd buy it and then use it until it needed a new engine and then replace the engine. But I'd do that with my 01 F150 too. It owes me nothing and is worth more to me to buy a new engine then look for a different truck.

[ctd]

Ford uses 1 hr of idle =40km.

Usually driving time is broken down as 1 hr of operating time is 80km. That averages out for a mix of highway and in town, stops breaks etc. Usually used for semi trucks when DOT does a log book inspection.

If you add up your personal driving will be pretty close.

[reddeerguy2015]

To me - it would depend on oil change frequency and type of oil used.

300 hours or less between oil changes.

Synthetic oil.

If there are records of this, I'd bet any amount of $$ that engine is in perfect running order. I wouldn't be afraid of it.

[waldedw]

I know a guy here in town that has a 2007 duramax, great shape, high KM though 370K, well appointed truck I think he's asking something like $12,500, will pull almost any trailer you hook it up to. those engine hours are to high, wouldn't pay more than $20,000 for that one

[IL Bar]

At 1500 km per year I think he will be fine with that truck if he can buy it right. Being a rental it was probably well maintained unlike anything us farmers own according to a few on here.

Just my opinion but he probably should’ve bought back the truck with the hail damage if it was in good mechanical shape.

[sako1]

Buddy bought a gas f550 from the auction. Was a city of Calgary truck. 25 000kms. 17 000hrs....I inspected it. Drove great. Runs great. That was a year ago. I think people worry too much about hrs.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I use 1 hr as 80 klms or 50 miles per hour. The formula u use would be almost all city driving which would be about as tough on a motor as mine which is highway figures. The reason I use the highway calc is highway steady rpm is closer to the steady rpm of sitting idling.

One isn't necessarily better but the up shot is this motor has a hell of a lot of wear on it.

Fair enough , that makes sense.

[jstubbs]

Originally Posted by waldedw

I know a guy here in town that has a 2007 duramax, great shape, high KM though 370K, well appointed truck I think he's asking something like $12,500, will pull almost any trailer you hook it up to. those engine hours are to high, wouldn't pay more than $20,000 for that one

If only you had another 06 to sell me lol

[tool]

My own personal truck, Dodge 2500 diesel bought new in ‘07 has 414,000 kms and averages about 64 km/ engine hour.

[Peace Meal Farm]

when i was on the bench at Ford the mothership always wanted to see an average speed of 50 km/h when calculating the ratio between the odometer and the hour meter for warranty purposes. that seems pretty fair in my eyes.

high hours are nothing to be scared of provided that there are servicing records consistent with the hours and not just the mileage.

as noted, the added benefit is that the rest of the driveline, suspension and whatnot haven't been used to the same extent as the engine.

the 6.0 gm and the 6.2 ford gas v8 engines are both quite nice, and incredibly dependable. and good call going gas vs diesel. with the lack of miles going on the truck when it's in his possession the added cost of purchasing and maintaining a diesel will be completely lost.

happy shopping.

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by jstubbs

If only you had another 06 to sell me lol

Nope but shoot me a PM and i'll get you the guy's number and you and him can go from there.

By the way I just tried to PM you and your mail box is full

[crazyfish]

I have a 2011 GMC 2500HD , it now has 356,000 kms on it . The motor has been perfect. The only issue is that the tranny has now started to slip. Fluid has been flushed , not getting better. I'm debating a newer truck now as 4K$ for a new tranny is almost as much as the truck is worth. I bought the truck used from a rental place with 60K kms on it at the time , can't remember the engine hrs. I'd do the same again , just need to find the right deal