Looking at a 2008. Is it a bad choice?

[GAmes]

After reading the new buyers guide I've decided a 2008 with a 68rfe might be in my future. My wife can no longer drive my '97 and I'd like to have her drive some while RVing. That MY seems to be affordable and will fill our needs. Is there any glaring downside to 2008s? Is there a better choice (2009, 2010)?

 

[Killer223]

if it's not been deleted, the EGR chokes the intake and clogs the grid heaters, and the turbos can fail from lots of soot built up.
if deleted, they are AWESOME!!!
i have a deleted 08, and love it very much. more power than i can ever use. i run my own tune, it's close to stock.

i should add, late 07.5 to late 12 are the same engine and emissions, you'd need a 13 to get the DEF.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

After reading the new buyers guide I've decided a 2008 with a 68rfe might be in my future. My wife can no longer drive my '97 and I'd like to have her drive some while RVing. That MY seems to be affordable and will fill our needs. Is there any glaring downside to 2008s? Is there a better choice (2009, 2010)?

The 6.7 (this is when DPF was installed) started in 07.5. the Engine is basically that same up to 2010. I have an 09. It's been great, but I use in almost exclusively on long drives, mostly when towing. In that type of driving the emmisions work pretty well. Do a bunch of short drives and with no load and you would be asking for emmisions difficulty for sure. Mine is a G56, so I can't speak for the 68RFE. My understanding is there were a few tweaks for 2010-2012, including a hotter thermostat, but nothing to drastic. 2013 ans up get the better DEF emmisions. I say better as it has proven as such despite annoyance of DEF.. BUT, if you drive the truck mostly with RV and long trips the 08 emmisions should be just fine, but it costs a couple of MPG over the DEF based system. Good luck.

 

[Tuesdak]

You want to find a DEF equipped newer truck. The 2008's were the early years of emissions and Dodge went above and beyond the EPA requirements with a system that wasn't ready for production. Even though I owned a less troublesome 2008 Duramax: I am happy to pay through the nose for a non emission truck rebuild. The other DPF Duramax owner wasn't so lucky hauling the same size cargo trailer 550 miles a day on a parts delivery route: Clogged/cracked the expensive DPF. The MPG penalty is over 10% for the DPF of those years. Sure if you work them hard they have less trouble. Consider it's the EPA's fault for refusing to allow DEF to be used in 2007-08 and setting NOx standards so low that the EPA couldn't even test their own requirements: AKA Volkswagen. So working them hard results in rolling coal from extreme EGR use to control NOx that the DPF has to clean up. The engines in this era on a stock tune without a DPF in place smoke worse than a NA 6.2 GM climbing a grade with all the EGR they choke on for NOx control! Step 2 block off EGR...

So yeah avoid those years or delete it. Deleting is getting more difficult due to the EPA crackdown removing several former choices for delete methods.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

if it's not been deleted, the EGR chokes the intake and clogs the grid heaters, and the turbos can fail from lots of soot built up.
if deleted, they are AWESOME!!!
i have a deleted 08, and love it very much. more power than i can ever use. i run my own tune, it's close to stock.

i should add, late 07.5 to late 12 are the same engine and emissions, you'd need a 13 to get the DEF.

Good point, I have my EGR unplugged with the CEL now an engine on light. Ultragage monitors for anything else if it comes up. The EGR can be an issue, but it doesn't require a full delete to deal with it.

 

[GAmes]

I don't want DEF, and it's too much work to separate the '07.5s from the 07s. If anything like the 2nd gens, the 3rd gens made slight changes every year. For instance 97s had hydroboost brakes, an improvement over vacuum assist. '98 12 valves are the ******* children because of their short production time. I'm not opposed to deleting on any moral basis, but I don't want to have to mess with tunes and other electronic hassles. I'm perfectly capable of cleaning an EGR system every now and then if needed.

 

[jgillott]

Is the truck you are looking at 2wd or 4x4? The reason I ask is that 2008 was approximately the time that they did the steering component redesign on the 4x4 trucks and there have been recalls over the years on some of the redesigned/replacement components. My late 2006 built '07 has the old design and I'm not 100% positive exactly when the changeover occured. Someone else will probably chime in with exactly what the date was and what to look out for as far as the good and bad parts.

 

[Killer223]

i deleted mine, and i havent messed with any electronics, i programmed it and now the programmer sits in the shed. i just drive it. the new steering came in 08.5 it's the T style, both work if set up well.
really though, if you find a clean well maintained 08, they are good trucks, the 68's have been known to run well over 500K with walmart atf+4,
i can't think of any major issues aside form the EGR, i can't handle feeding the engine it's own poop. hence i deleted it. if you have kids, the megas are amazing.

 

[GAmes]

Looking for a RWD. No need for 4X4. The gain in MPG of a DEF engine is, to me, offset by the smaller fuel tank, another system that can fail, and to a smaller extent my wallet. A person has to drive a lot of miles for the mileage to pay for the increased price of the truck.

 

[NIsaacs]

Is there any glaring downside to 2008s? Is there a better choice (2009, 2010)?

I don't know much about the 3rd or 4th gen, however, in general, the '10 is a 4th gen and still being built so parts will not delete as quick as a 3rd gen. Plus I like the looks of a 4th gen better. One down side to a 4th gen 4x2 might be the fact that they use the 4x4 front end, so they will sit higher than the IFS, if that is an issue.

Nick

 

[GAmes]

Thanks Nick. I thought the 4th gen began with DEF. Finding a long bed, extended cab RWD in colors other than black or red is a lot more difficult than I expected, even after extending my search from 2008-2012. I have a call to a place in MS who has a gray one with a light gray interior, but he didn't know the rear end ratio. I don't want a 4:10, my 5er isn't that heavy.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

I don't want DEF, and it's too much work to separate the '07.5s from the 07s. If anything like the 2nd gens, the 3rd gens made slight changes every year. For instance 97s had hydroboost brakes, an improvement over vacuum assist. '98 12 valves are the ******* children because of their short production time. I'm not opposed to deleting on any moral basis, but I don't want to have to mess with tunes and other electronic hassles. I'm perfectly capable of cleaning an EGR system every now and then if needed.

The EGR can stick without any advance notice, and if stuck open, it can soot up and clog the DPF fast, then cause massive back-pressure, and damage your turbo. This mode of failure has been well documented. For me it was not worth the risk, I monitored the EGR, and command position using the Ultragage, and set an alarm for when the valve was more that 20% off the command.. that valve is constantly cycling, and often lagging the command signal, and alarming.. the alarm became quite annoying. It is not a surprise that they are so prone to sticking. The good news, the truck will run fine with it unplugged, you'll get a pending and locked in P0405 code for the EGR, but no other problems of any kind. You can get an Ultragage for about $60 plug it in, and it will monitor for any OTHER problems, so there is no problem with the CEL on all the time. Just one way to do this, and if you don't want the more expensive DEF 4th Gen, this may be a good option for you.

 

[NIsaacs]

The DEF started in '13 on the pickups and earlier on the cab chassis. I wouldn't discount the 4.10's as slow as you drive....keep in mind the 6spd auto is double overdrive so 4.10's in 6th will be the same as your 3.54's and one overdrive. 4x2's are hard to find, seems like they are all 4x4 now days.

Nick

 

[mwilson]

As mentioned above....sticking turbos. I have long suspected that constant engine brake use might lessen the chances of it sticking but only a theory. That turbo issue extends way beyond the Ram ISB trucks, many other Cummins variants suffered as well.

Another MAJOR issue are the front seats...very uncomfortable for most. If you wife is like mine the passenger seat will cut the circulation off to her legs on a long drive. Have to put a platform on the floorboard....driver's seat is just miserable...hip and back aches galore...

The Laramie trim may not be so bad, maybe the seats are better but I'm kinda doubting it...

I would either stop at the 5.9 2007 version or jump up to the 2010 to get the better interior / seating.....

 

[mwilson]

Seth just recently purchased a 2011 Laramie 3500 4X4 SRW and the seats in that are really nice........plus it is a 6 speed....

With cap the day he bought it..

After cap removal and trip to paint shop....

After leveling kit.....

And finally after plow install....

 

[promisedland]

Thankfully 4th gen seats fit (3rd gens) and are very comfortable.

 

[GAmes]

Well the guy didn't get back to me. I suspect his is 4:10s, but Nick might be correct, maybe that's what I need. I normally tow at 57-60 and empty I like 65. Guess I need some real world RPMs to work with, and is OD a gear I want to tow in?

MichaelOverfield , your info on the EGR is greatly appreciated.

Mike, the only reason I'm considering one is the wife. I need to find one to test drive.

I appreciate all the input. I might have to open the purse strings a little more.

 

[NIsaacs]

Not sure if power is your thing but keep in mind the late 2011 received a big jump in torque and tow ratings for the dually increased a bunch. Heck, just buy a new one and get it like you want, including a nice warrantee.

Nick

 

[GAmes]

I don't think I'd buy a new one if I won the lottery. Maybe if I had had good warranty service with my 1st gen and this one it would be different. The local service writer, after I complained about coming back for the third time -same complaint- "we are so busy we don't always have time to do it right" (Honest, he said that). Two other TX dealers were no better. The second gen needed warranty work four times. Newport News, VA-fail, they charged my wife for parts that should have been covered. Selling dealer was good, but they went out of business. Tucson, AZ-Excellent . Rock Springs, WY-fail

 

[JR]

SCR equiped engines are substantially cleaner and less invasive to the engine than DPF only engines. Looking at the oil change intervals alone, 12 and earlier were 5k, 13+ tripled to 15k miles and dropped the mandatory EGR/turbo cleaning. Plus they got a much improved fuel filtration system, frame mounted f/w seperator and engine mounted secondary. Extremely important given the cost of CR fuel system.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but I bought the truck in my signature this spring for $28k with 60k miles on it. being your looking for a RWD (and possibly a reg cab?) I'm sure you could do even better. Just depends on how patient you are.