How well would the Dodge/Cummins hold out.....

[jhurst]

..... delivering mail for USPS on a rural route?



My brother is a mail carrier and is starting to look for another vehicle. He is thinking about a dodge/cummins.



The route is about 150 miles, mostly gravel roads, and 350 stops.



Will the brakes last long stopping and going?



How well will the body take alot of wash board roads?



Truck would be 2nd gen. 2500 quadcab swb 2wd auto.



Let me know what you think.



Thanks

Justin H

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

jhurst,



Of course the engine will run forever... or close anyway! The trans should last for 180,000k or so unless abused. I would definitley install the one ton rear wheel cylinders OR upgrade to rear disc brakes; otherwise he will wear out the fronts real regularly. AND/OR, an exhaust brake may be of use? Not up to par on those and my thinking would be he would have to keep the TCC locked up somehow.



Trent

 

[CATCRACKER]

get a cheap used toyota trust me he will fair better this way and wont loose his butt. now if you want to talk pulling cross country lasting forever cummins is the answer. why spend all that $ on something he is going to trash

 

[RobertBolinger]

I think it would sit too high-I used to get my mail when I pulled in my driveway but the truck sits too high-and mine is 2WD...

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I agree, a little 4 popper would be better for all that stop and go... you don't need as much grunt as the Cummins provides, but he's gonna still be paying for it and putting wear and tear on it.



if he wants a Cummins just to have one, I've got nothing wrong with that! but I'd buy a little 4cyl beater for a couple grand and tear it up with the mail route.



Forrest

 

[jhurst]

Yeah he has been looking at ford rangers. Been using his 1/2 ton ford.

He is only part time right now, several days a week, so this would also be his run around/farm truck.



Havnt thought about an exhaust brake... I wonder how easy it would be to use since he is stopping so much?



Could get a '01 and get 4wheel disk brakes.



He will most likely be getting a compact pickup or some sort of small suv but I think it would be cool to see a cummins delivering my mail!

 

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by redbadge

jhurst,



Of course the engine will run forever... or close anyway! The trans should last for 180,000k or so unless abused. I would definitley install the one ton rear wheel cylinders OR upgrade to rear disc brakes; otherwise he will wear out the fronts real regularly. AND/OR, an exhaust brake may be of use? Not up to par on those and my thinking would be he would have to keep the TCC locked up somehow.



Trent

Exhaust brakes don't work too well at low rpms and most mail carriers I know never get over 40 mph or so.

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

If he needs a 4wheel drive I recommend a legacy. If not a corolla will work. He can get either cheap enough to keep his present rig if its a penis thing to own a truck.

Take it from someone who delivered for 10 years. Dont do it in a truck. Dont do it in anything worth over 5 thousand. Keep to the foreigns and get commercial insurance. Hope hes over 23. Otherwise the commercial can be a problem. Fuel mileage and braking are the two most important things next to depreciation. I recommend an auto but a stick will get you a few extra mpg. An auto will make the route faster because of the free hand. Hope he knows the stoner knee driving technique. It is quite useful.

 

[apkole]

My father was a rural carrier here in West Michigan. He always bought used cars, usually front wheel drive. At the time it was the Dodge "K" cars or the Omnis or Plymouth Horizons. He had a plane jane Jeep Cherokee which was to be used for really severe winter conditions, but the one day he wasn't able to deliver with the car was a day when the Jeep wouldn't get through either.

For delivering mail, best is cheap, used, light, fwd or awd.

 

[KIseminger]

Originally posted by jhurst





The route is about 150 miles, mostly gravel roads, and 350 stops.



Will the brakes last long stopping and going?



How well will the body take alot of wash board roads?



Truck would be 2nd gen. 2500 quadcab swb 2wd auto.

Justin-



Not too sure a Dodge would be the answer. The biggest reason I say this is you mentioned "washboard roads". I love my Dodge but the supension is way too stiff for everyday driving on those roads. The other guys have brought up good point as well; It may be a little too much for the purpose. Although you can put a lot of miles on it and not worry about it.



I would suggest a VW TDI. You can get one for a good price even new. Plenty of power and it gets 50mpg and it goes along what a couple other people have said about using a smaller car.



-Kyle

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Re: How well would the Dodge/Cummins hold out.....

Originally posted by KIseminger

Justin-



Not too sure a Dodge would be the answer. The biggest reason I say this is you mentioned "washboard roads". I love my Dodge but the supension is way too stiff for everyday driving on those roads. The other guys have brought up good point as well; It may be a little too much for the purpose. Although you can put a lot of miles on it and not worry about it.



I would suggest a VW TDI. You can get one for a good price even new. Plenty of power and it gets 50mpg and it goes along what a couple other people have said about using a smaller car.



-Kyle

Amen on the stiff suspension. I'm not sure the Dodge would hold up. Engine yes, truck no.

 

[benhall]

Another good idea would be to find an old postal jeep, that is right hand drive. I know that Jeep still makes them in the wranglers, because she has seen 10 brand new ones at the dealership she works for in Iowa.



Ben

 

[big jake 1]

Originally posted by benhall

Another good idea would be to find an old postal jeep, that is right hand drive. I know that Jeep still makes them in the wranglers, because she has seen 10 brand new ones at the dealership she works for in Iowa.



Ben

don't know about the newer postal jeeps, but I had an older one, used it when I worked for



THE BIG UTILITY COMPANY



as a meter reader. It was 2 wd, and would go anywhere as long as it wasn't more than 90 miles from the nearest gas station.



It had an AMC 258 6 cyl, a Mopar 727 automatic , a 10 gallon gas tank and got 9mpg.



A few years back, i noticed the City of Oakland, CA had something like GEO TRackers or whatever that were right hand drive, they were using them for parking meter enforcement, they looked a lot more civilized.



good luck



big jake



THE FORD GUY Oo. Oo. Oo.