Can't Believe Truck Prices!

[Old Moparz]

Supply & demand as well as the pandemic has made LD truck prices escalate & is pushing many people right out of the market, myself included.  

Two years ago I decided to get the small rust areas on my truck fixed because it still ran good, had relatively low miles on it for the year it is & I didn't want a monthly payment with one kid in college & another ready to start. Well, mechanically it's gotten a bit worn & has cost me a small fortune to keep it on the road since then. Every repair has been so expensive that a monthly payment would have been cheaper over the last 18 months. Last fall I spent over $1500 & decided that I am at that point of no return knowing that another $1500 looms on the horizon so it best be time to shop for a new one.

I knew I was going to get an end of year bonus so I started hunting for a truck around Thanksgiving. HOLY CRAP THESE THINGS ARE A TON OF MONEY!! My current truck is a 2004 Ram 1500 Quad Cab, 4x4, 5.7 Hemi, SLT with the 8' bed that has a decent amount of options but it isn't fully loaded. The sticker price when I got it was $36,300 but it was a leftover & discounted to $23,300. I have yet to see that much of a price reduction since, so I assume I got lucky. The same truck now is no longer available, so if I want another one in this configuration I have to move up to a 2500 or a 3500 to get a 4 door & long bed.

The base truck is "somewhat affordable" at $38,000 until you see that virtually no dealership stocks base models & doesn't discount much, if at all. They're pretty stripped down with a vinyl bench seat. The rest are all fully loaded, come as a dually & maybe a diesel, or have a few packages added that drive up the cost to the point where it comes with a mortgage instead of a vehicle loan payment. One truck I saw was listed at $72,000 & didn't even have a diesel in it.

Used prices are absolutely insane & in some instances are more than a new truck. A dealer by me had a 2017 Ram 2500 Crew Cab, 4x4, 6.4 Hemi, Longhorn with 22,000 miles & wanted $56,000. The "more affordable" used trucks in the $20,000 to $25,000 price range are 6 to 8 years old on average, & have 85,000 to 150,000 miles on them. I saw one truck that was the same year as mine, a 2004 for $26,000 that had 245,000 miles on it. That's nuts!  

Looks like I'll be doing a few more repairs to mine & hope I get another year out of it.  

[70 sublime]

Yes I have noticed the stupid prices also
I am on my third Ram quad cab 4 X 4 hemi

I have been trading every 2 or 3 years and have been able to get a good deal
Had just started looking last year when this covid crap hit so gave up for a while
Started looking again for any 2020 year end deals because the 2021 were starting to show up
Nothing like i wanted out there just the really decked out big buck trucks

So fine maybe I will look at a 2021 truck now
My truck is a classic model and have come to learn they are still making the classic version till 2023 plus the new version that is out now
The classic is cheaper price tag
The trick is Ram just keeps getting rid of the lower model and cheaper price tag so now the medium price tag truck is now the lowest option price truck out there
My truck is a 2018 and it is starting to look like a better idea to just keep driving it  

[Todd Wilson]

Prices are insane!  I will keep my 2005 2500 Cummins 2wd    Hand crank windows and push button locks!



Todd

[RallyeMike]

Prices are insane!  I will keep my 2005 2500 Cummins 2wd    Hand crank windows and push button locks!

Like you.... I plan to run my 2005, 1500, Hemi, 2wd, standard cab, long box, crank window, push button lock, rubber floor mat Ram as long as I practically can. With only 114k and zero rust, I hope it will be at least another decade or more.

They pile too much crap into vehicles now. It's ridiculous. Bring back the good old fleet truck!

[Mike DC]

  
When the simple trucks come back, they probably won't be American brands.  

[GreenMachine]

I just bought a Tradesman 2500 6.4 Hemi. I wanted a crew cab with the 6'4" bed and a Rambox™. A 2500 was the only option for those requirements. This one linked here has all the same options except color to the one I bought, same MSRP ($50K):

https://www.ramtrucks.com/new-inventory/vehicle-details.html?modelYearCode=IUT202014&vin=3C6UR5CJ9LG250322&dealerCode=45086&radius=25&matchType=X&statusCode=KZX

My OTD price was right at $44K including unlimited time 100,000 mile BTB warranty, and DOC fees. I've been waiting for bigger rebates for over a year, but I got to the point where I didn't think that'll happen. Then one popped up locally with all the right options and color, so I bought it. I've been making due with an underpowered 6 cylinder 1/2 ton for far too long.

I think the options are just about right except the chrome package and the wheels. It's odd that generic looking wheels are an added cost item. I would've liked power folding mirrors and no bedliner though. The rubber floor mats cover almost every square inch of carpet, so carpet is a waste of money.

I also got sticker shock when I went to get it tagged and titled, it was another $2,000!!

[JB400]

Due to all the regulations any more, you won't find much of a choice for a simple truck. A fleet vehicle is your only choice.

[Kern Dog]

355,000 miles on this one and I am strongly considering an engine swap soon......and keeping the truck a lot longer!

[Old Moparz]

I'm definitely going to invest some money into my 2004 but I have no idea just how much.  

I had the rust fixed & the paint touched up 2 years ago but since then it's been tires, brakes, some front end & axle work, something minor but expensive in the transmission, broken leaf spring, & a few other minor things. I also redid the driver's seat because the back was ripped & the seat foam was shot. New headlight housings to replace the yellowed ones, new taillights, running boards & tail gate hardware.

Now my oil pan is heavily rusted & needs to be replaced. This repair cost blew my mind because the transmission & motor are in the way & the estimate was over $1000.  

[LaOtto70Charger]

How often do you use the truck as a truck compared to renting one when needed? Asking myself the same question.  Biggest use i got out of mine was easier to haul a kayak in the bed than towing a boat on trailer. Did pick up a 10 ft trailer but the minivan is actually rated to tow it for even the runs to home depot.

[Old Moparz]

How often do you use the truck as a truck compared to renting one when needed? Asking myself the same question.  Biggest use i got out of mine was easier to haul a kayak in the bed than towing a boat on trailer. Did pick up a 10 ft trailer but the minivan is actually rated to tow it for even the runs to home depot.

I use it as it's intended to be used quite a bit. I sold my camping trailer, but I tow my 7000 pound car trailer with it & have been loading building materials in the back for various projects regularly for years. I prefer the 8' bed of the 2500 but would consider the 6'-4" one on a 1500 if a dealer would make it worthwhile. That probably will not happen considering they are barely discounting a thing. The last few weeks Chrysler had been pushing the "Employee Pricing For All" promotion. A dozen dealerships I've been watching & talked to haven't changed their prices much at all since the promotion ended 01-04-21. So the gigantic discount Chrysler offered allowed the dealerships to skip offering a discount entirely. Now that the promotion is over they are discounting things to keep the prices the same. If they had added the dealer discount to the factory one I'd have probably pulled the trigger on a purchase.  

[Old Moparz]

Prices are insane!  I will keep my 2005 2500 Cummins 2wd    Hand crank windows and push button locks!



Todd

Todd, that truck sure looks clean. 

Did you ever fix rust on it? I remember you asking where I had gotten the repair panels for mine from.

[Todd Wilson]

Prices are insane!  I will keep my 2005 2500 Cummins 2wd    Hand crank windows and push button locks!



Todd

Todd, that truck sure looks clean. 

Did you ever fix rust on it? I remember you asking where I had gotten the repair panels for mine from.

I got a few little bubbles starting on the rear wheel well now on the drivers side. There's some scratches on the passenger side bed but other then that it solid. 123000 miles on it. I used some eastwood rust stopper and got some silver paint to touch up the rust bubbles on the wheel well. Its been doing well so far. Its worthless in the snow and ice. It doesnt see much bad weather driving anymore. I use it for my nice vehicle and travel stuff.


Todd

[John_Kunkel]

My local Ram dealers still have new 2019 models priced in the 30's.

[Old Moparz]

My local Ram dealers still have new 2019 models priced in the 30's.

John, do you know if they're base 1500's with the 6 cylinder?

[ACUDANUT]

 I might Add, that Fiat Rams are the lower priced full size P/U out there.

[70 sublime]

Got an email from my local dealer last night

2021 Ram classics are 20% off MSRP plus another $1500 ( I am in Canada so may be different )

Will see what that boils down to for a trade on my 2018

[John_Kunkel]

My local Ram dealers still have new 2019 models priced in the 30's.

John, do you know if they're base 1500's with the 6 cylinder?

No, most are 5.7 V8's. Here's one that I'm sniffing real hard at.

https://www.elkgrovedodge.net/new/Ram/2019-Ram-All-New+1500-08399cbf0a0e0ae841cb61bda708bc24.htm

[Kern Dog]

It is surprising to see a 2019 still unsold.
It wouldn't matter to me to buy a truck that is 2 model years behind since I don't replace my vehicles that often.
I just can't bring myself to buy a Quad cab truck. I don't like the styling. I grew up with short bed regular cab trucks and still like them.

[GreenMachine]

My local Ram dealers still have new 2019 models priced in the 30's.

John, do you know if they're base 1500's with the 6 cylinder?

No, most are 5.7 V8's. Here's one that I'm sniffing real hard at.

https://www.elkgrovedodge.net/new/Ram/2019-Ram-All-New+1500-08399cbf0a0e0ae841cb61bda708bc24.htm

The problem with the crew cab 1500 is that the shortest bed is the only option. That's the main reason I stepped up to the 2500, to get a crew cab with a usable bed length.

[John_Kunkel]

I just can't bring myself to buy a Quad cab truck. I don't like the styling. I grew up with short bed regular cab trucks and still like them.

Me too, to a point. I think they screwed up by making the quad cab a crew cab, I liked the short rear doors of the original quad cab...nice to have more inside storage room.

[Kern Dog]

Guys that I have worked with in construction like the quad cab for storing extra tools or extra passengers. I rarely car pool so the regular cab and bed cover work fine for me. A $30,000 new truck is very tempting but the  4 door thing kills it. Also, I don't like the center screen being a "command center" for everything. Yeah, they are usually reliable but the one in the Wife's Challenger did crap out when the car was 2 years old. The radio made sound but the display was blank. This left no access to the heater or A/C, the settings for electric power steering, compass and a few other things. Oddly, the backup camera still worked.
The new Rams use that dang shift knob instead of a lever. I am not a fan of that either.

[Old Moparz]

You can get the either the quad cab or the crew cab with either the 5'-7" or the 6'-4" bed on the newer body style. On the Classic style, only the quad cab is available with the 6'-4" bed and the crew cab with the 5'-7" bed. It must be the same frame on the Classic and it's made in a different plant. I also noticed that the quad cabs are significantly smaller than the older ones like mine. I climbed in the back of a new one and my knees were against the front seat.

I have 4 people in my family and a regular cab isn't going to be as convenient. We don't go camping anymore, sold the trailer, but I'd hate to lose the option of fitting 4 to 6 people if I had to. It sucks that they don't offer the 1500 as a 4 door with the 8' bed because I would definitely get another one. I did drive a 2500 and it is really nice, not like an old truck that drove like a truck. 🤪

Also drove a 6 cylinder version and surprised by how much power it has. If I wasn't going to tow my car trailer I'd actually consider one.

EDIT: I just saw a used Classic 1500 with a Crew Cab and the 6'-4" bed. Seems like the specs and info about what's available is wrong. 😮

[ACUDANUT]

A six cylinder produces over 300 HP. More than enough to tow our Chargers around.

[John_Kunkel]

You'll see the difference when you get in the hills with a load.