Opinions on 1997 Dodge 3500 4x4 w/ 8.0L V10

MRJZJ

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Location
Boone
I may be buying a 97 ram 3500 dually that is 4x4 w/ the V10 and want to get anyone's opinion on these trucks, motor, etc. good and bad, let me know what you think...
BTW it has around 130K miles
 
the motor is great. you won't have a need for more hp or torque. is it a auto tranny or manual?wish you well. i passed on a 96 2500 4x4 with the v-10 a few years back and could kick myself every day for not getting it.
 
I got a budy runnin a 2500 with a 33" tire size and an auto trans, he towed his enclosed for mowers and motorcycles with a E150 351ci van because it drank less fuel and pulled as well, (his opinion) he now pulls with a E350 7.3 Diesel and the V10 still sits! My opinion is if your going to pull occaisionally get a gas V8 (unless its stupid heavy), if its done on a regular basis go diesel. I've always felt the V10 was never economical enough for now and then towing and lacking for serious repetitious use as a tow vehicle. Just my perspective, I've towed the same weights with a 351 gas, Powerstroke, 360gas and now Cummins.
 
I'm a land clearing contractor and will be towing over 10K lbs a lot. Mileage is not my concern as much as reliablity.
Keep the opinions comming, or some one sell me a cummins with 130K for under 4K...
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I got a budy runnin a 2500 with a 33" tire size and an auto trans, he towed his enclosed for mowers and motorcycles with a E150 351ci van because it drank less fuel and pulled as well, (his opinion) he now pulls with a E350 7.3 Diesel and the V10 still sits! My opinion is if your going to pull occaisionally get a gas V8 (unless its stupid heavy), if its done on a regular basis go diesel. I've always felt the V10 was never economical enough for now and then towing and lacking for serious repetitious use as a tow vehicle. Just my perspective, I've towed the same weights with a 351 gas, Powerstroke, 360gas and now Cummins.
Click to expand...
is the v10 for sale?
 
No, for some unknown reason he'd perfer it sit as to sell it. He has always said it was under powered and a gas hog. He's a 30 plus motorcrosser and it's his slightly larger than stock tired 4wd he pimps around in I guess.
 
i would love to have it.
 
MRJZJ said:
I'm a land clearing contractor and will be towing over 10K lbs a lot. Mileage is not my concern as much as reliablity.
Keep the opinions comming, or some one sell me a cummins with 130K for under 4K...
Click to expand...


Well expect mileage in the 6-7mpg range without a load, and if you get 200k you will have a rare block.....the oil pan will probably get scared of the dark and let some light in before then....
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
I've always felt the V10 was never economical enough for now and then towing and lacking for serious repetitious use as a tow vehicle.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the insight. In what ways do you find it to be lacking? Gas is practically half the price of diesel so mpg is not a big deal and it's a company truck so maintenance is going to be thorough and often. Is the power lacking that much? I am towing 10K lb machines a lot...
 
SkyHiK5 said:
Well expect mileage in the 6-7mpg range without a load, and if you get 200k you will have a rare block.....the oil pan will probably get scared of the dark and let some light in before then....
Click to expand...
Thanks. I've seen ratings around 8-10 mpg empty and 6-7 loaded. My friend has a '01 GMC 4x4 8.1 ext cab with a 12' bed and seems to get around 6-7 mpg all the time, loaded or not. We do live in the mountains so hill climbs are often. I expect it to be around 6-8 all the time... What's a diesel going to get in the mountains?
Also when you talk about the oil pan, can you expand on that?
 
MRJZJ said:
Thanks. I've seen ratings around 8-10 mpg empty and 6-7 loaded. My friend has a '01 GMC 4x4 8.1 ext cab with a 12' bed and seems to get around 6-7 mpg all the time, loaded or not. We do live in the mountains so hill climbs are often. I expect it to be around 6-8 all the time... What's a diesel going to get in the mountains?
Also when you talk about the oil pan, can you expand on that?
Click to expand...


Just a cute way of saying that they are known to throw/snap rods.
 
in my experience they get the same mpg as the ford 460 v-8.
 
Loaded or not you should get better economy out of an oil burner, strickly compared to a V10 not a 8cyl.. Also due to it being a gas engine with a shorter stroke and smaller bore it makes better high to mid range torqe. So, I'd think to get it to pull at it's best you'd always be in the pedal. Another friend of mine uses a V10 Ford ton to pull a large tractor and or ditch witch. It pulls good while rolling but the whole floor it to get it moving along seems hard on the trans.. A diesel uses (in general) a bigger bore and longer stroke that makes more bottom end. Yes the Ford does make the V8 version but they havent produced anything good since the 7.3 but thats another debate all together. Most any diesel will get off the line with much less input than a gasser. For hilly abusive terrain it make more since to get a truck with drivetrain built for low end pull, maintenace in the long run does play a part in opperating cost.
I reread the above and I can only add that my opinions are based on me pulling with the different engine types and how they seem to affect mpg and strain on transmissions. I've been very lucky and never had to many issues with either, I've just had more "peace of mind" and economy out of my diesel equiped trucks. I'd rather burn 30 bucs on diesel rather than 70 on gas and never feel like my truck had to strain to get where I was headed.
 
dodge v-10 is a great motor. It is the closest thing you will get to the pulling power of a diesel. My dad had one for years, he sold it with 175k on it with no major problems. The guy he sold it to is still running it now with over 250k on it.
 
MRJZJ said:
I may be buying a 97 ram 3500 dually that is 4x4 w/ the V10 and want to get anyone's opinion on these trucks, motor, etc. good and bad, let me know what you think...
BTW it has around 130K miles
Click to expand...
I have owned one since 1997 with the 4:10 rear end and it will pull 20,000 lbs and accelerate going up a steep slope. It doesn't get but about 8-9 miles a gallon but it is quick and powerfull. I have 250000 miles on it and the engine is as strong as ever. I did replace the rear end, and I have replaced the a/c. As for the mud, put mud tires on it and it is not even any fun in the mud it makes it so easy. The only complaint is that it holds only narrow tires.
 
MRJZJ said:
Keep the opinions comming, or some one sell me a cummins with 130K for under 4K...
Click to expand...


I am being sarcastic here.... that is some pie-in-the-sky wishing for a truck -you're not going to find an older dodge w/cummins with less than 130k miles on it.... If you did, though, it would be posted with a selling selling price that's probably above $12,000.
 
I have towed my Jeep with:
A 78 J-10 3.54 gear with a 360
a 78 Ford Van with 3.55 gear and a 460
a 72 RV with 4.56 gear and a 440
a 84 454 and 4.10 gear
and now, a 99 Ford RV with a V-10(unknown gear)

The V-10 in the RV does better up the hills, off the line, and hwy speeds better than any of the others. Closest to it is the 454 in my hauler.
Fuel consumption doesn't vary much in any of them. They all suck
 
jreynolds said:
I have owned one since 1997 with the 4:10 rear end and it will pull 20,000 lbs and accelerate going up a steep slope. It doesn't get but about 8-9 miles a gallon but it is quick and powerfull. I have 250000 miles on it and the engine is as strong as ever. I did replace the rear end, and I have replaced the a/c. As for the mud, put mud tires on it and it is not even any fun in the mud it makes it so easy. The only complaint is that it holds only narrow tires.
Click to expand...

ai.imgur.com_gv0yY.png

Cool Story Bro
Hurley said:
I am being sarcastic here.... that is some pie-in-the-sky wishing for a truck -you're not going to find an older dodge w/cummins with less than 130k miles on it.... If you did, though, it would be posted with a selling selling price that's probably above $12,000.
Click to expand...
I don't think it's so much that he is expecting a Cummins for under $4k, but rather $4k was maybe around the price of the v10 truck he was looking at, and you can buy a lot of fuel for the price difference. Oh, and since this thread was from 2009, when fuel prices were near $5, someone may have wanted to get rid of one that bad.
 
Back
Top