What do I do?

[TLadd]

I've got to sell my 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 and one other of my trucks to buy a house. Which truck should I sell; the 1998 12 valve 4x4 5spd. or the 1993 W-350 Clubcab 4x4 Auto. . I'm 20 years old, I'm not married and have no kids, and I just don't want to waste my money on rent and I don't want to live in the dorm rooms while going to college. I've got to sell the 2001 3500 because I still owe on it and I could use the extra cash from another truck to payoff misc. debts. I've had the 1998 2500 4x4 for close to two years now and I just purchased the 1993 350 4x4. I thought I had my mind made up, but I'm starting to second guess myself. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[JFaughn]

12v are the ones to keep , now your down to 2 , sell the one that has the most value , the 98 ?
The 93 should cost you the least to run .
Its just numbers .

 

[DValentine]

I commend you for having 3 trucks at 20 years old as well as going to college. I think you are smart for looking to buy and not rent. I wish I had the foresight to do that back in the early 90's when I was in school. Are the trucks just for transportation, or do you make money using the trucks? I agree, the 12 valve is the way to go. My guess is that you would be able to raise more cash selling the 2 newer ones. I would imagine that the club cab would be more comfortable than the single cab. So I would go with the 93.

Dave

 

[MMeier]

How much would you want for the '93 and the '98?

 

[rvaughn801]

How much cash are you "throwing away" on insurance payments, license tags and the like each month?



If I used a truck for work (really use it, not just look cool parking it): I would keep the 98 - for me, it would be the best daily driver, and will hold its value forever.



If I didn't use a truck for work, I would sell them all and drive a 20 year old Toyota while going to school. Then I would buy the truck I really wanted when I had the great new job. This is not anything against CTDs, it is just easier for me to focus on one thing (school) at a time.



"Throwing money away on rent" is a term that is over used and over rated. In reality we are all renting, no matter if you pay cash for a house or the bank owns it. It is just a different landlord.



Unless you are absolutely sure you want to stick around in town after school, I would focus on staying in the cheapest house/apartment that gets you by and driving the cheapest vehicle you can.



It is really about delaying what you want now, so you can get what you really want later.



Good luck in school, I am sure it will work fine which ever way you go.

 

[PToombs]

In this forum you're going to ask which one to keep? The '93 of course! All mechanical controls, $30 shut off solenoid vs. $100 one. 20 MPG vs. 16-18. Club cab is more comfortable, you can lean the seat back a little more. It costs less to turn it up, $16 GSK vs. $120 GSK. Less to insure the older truck. '93 is a 1 ton. Want me to go on?

 

[JGrefenstette]

how much would you want for the 98' ?

 

[rumblefish]

Thats a toss up for sure. I would keep the 93, but thats just my preference. I don't think anything would pry a 1st gen wheel out of my hands. Plus, its cheaper to maintain and operate. And girls like 'em.



The only advantage to keeping the 98 I could see is that it is smaller. Space is a premium in a college town. And when my 91 got hit right on the dually fender sitting in my driveway, I was ready to shank somebody. It's going to be easier to park and less worrysome.

 

[TLadd]

I'm trying to get $8000 for the 1998 and $6000 for the 1993

 

[TLadd]

These are the two trucks I've got to choose between.

 

[TLadd]

This is the truck I've got to sell because I still owe the bank for it.

 

[dpuckett]

Which one gets better MPGs? Which one would be cheaper to operate on a per mile or per week basis? I'd think the manual would get better MPGs than the non-lockup auto, but you could have one of those 14mpg 12valvers. I dont "use" mine on a regular basis, but I also ge a wider berth in traffic than I do in my g/f's 04 Dakota, so that is worth something there. If you keep the 93 in good shape, you wont lose any value, and since it is a 4x4, it will likely increase in value as good one become rarer and rarer.



Buy the house. True, you may or may not stay in the area, but at least you'll have something to show for the payments, and the payments will likely be a LOT less than rent for the same type house. Plus, you'll get your money back when you sell it, in most cases. My g/f's one house rental pays the mortgages on TWO houses. You could rent out a room, or get a duplex (or one with an upstairs that can be converted to an apartment) and rent out the other part. Just because you are young is no reason to have to suffer and sacrifice unnecesarily. If it is your thing, more power to you, but if an opportunity presents itself, jump on it. Many people have degrees that make <$30K per year. My g/f's grandpa didnt even finish elementary school and is a millionaire. You'll never get anywhere if you dont take a chance and stick your neck out there.



Daniel

 

[TLadd]

The 1998 Ram 2500 4x4 5 spd. has 4. 10 gears and the 1993 W-350 has 3. 54 gears with the 4 speed auto. overdrive.

 

[sdstriper]

Whatever you decide I believe you have a healthy stable of Dodge trucks and whichever you decide to sell should bring fair coin. The 1st Gen will get the best mileage I bet and be reasonable to upkeep and/or mod. Only added cost is the dually set of meats... What is insurance cost on it compared to the others?



You might consider selling all three and get yourself a nice SRW CTD, 1st Gen of course...

 

[BTighe]

nice dually!

 

[MMeier]

The 1998 Ram 2500 4x4 5 spd. has 4. 10 gears and the 1993 W-350 has 3. 54 gears with the 4 speed auto. overdrive.

How many miles?

 

[TLadd]

The 1998 2500 has 177,000 miles and the 1993 W-350 has 220,000 miles