Used Rig. Good Deal?

[JimB1]

I shopped used rigs for about 2 years before deciding to buy new.

Primary reasoning for new instead of used was;

-never intend to sell for as long as I can drive, hopefully 25+ years so
depreciation is mute point.

-2 years ago late model low mileage used truck prices were nearly
equal to new truck factory discount prices.

Todays high fuel costs have reduced the value of low mileage used truck market and to some extent new truck prices, but more so used prices.

So what's a good used truck deal and price?

Last week my dealership left a home phone message offering a "buy back" on my 2006.5 Reg Cab long bed, 'cuz they claimed a strong used market was building for late model low mileage 5.9 rigs.

Big ticket sales vendors live by the half-truth.

The half-truth here is that they're canvassing for owners of nearly new rigs desperate to get out from under big monthly payments on rigs too expensive to operate.

The buy-back price offered was Kelly blue book TRADE-IN value and only if my rig jumped thru every inspection hoop they could think of.

In a nutshell, about $20K for $35K rig with less than 5K miles that's sat coverd in a garage for nearly two years.

Both my rigs are paid for, neither were for sale and won't be.

The conversation didn't last much beyond the courtesy call back on my part.

But the dealerships strategies points out a few things;

-they know there's lots of owners of nearly new iron out there wanting to
get out from under their rigs.

-market value of used rigs is low as evidenced by describing their offers as
buy-backs in order to get your attention then offering lowest possible $$$.

So if you're shopping for pretty darn good late model low mileage iron it's a buyer's market that doesn't come around often.

Lets say it's a given that you know what fuel operating expenses are and the rig is optioned as pretty much what you want and that you know what a good purchase price offer should be in today's market and that the seller has come to grips with realizing they're going to get far far less than what they believe their rig is truely worth but still "have to sell".

So what's the final deal maker/breaker?

Have pre-paid mail in sample kits for fuel, engine oil and transmission oil and make the deal contingent on the lab results comming back favorable.

The amount of definative lab data you get for the price paid is pennies on a dollar compared to any other sure fire quality measurements.

Poor fuel as in bio-fuel WVO/SVO (waste veg oil, straight veg oil) and poorly distilled home brew bio-diesel users rigs will be identified by the fuel test and are big risk for long term trouble free operation.

Fooling the fuel test would probably require half a dozen or more full tanks of clean #2 to completely flush fuel system.

Walk away from that rig.

Note that bio-fuel (WVO/SVO) isn't bio-diesel but rather can be a feedstock for proper distilling into bio-diesel.

Owners of such please spare me your "works great" arguments.

There's a pretty good plug of recent history showing ill effects of WVO/SVO operation tho' Tuesday morning I'll sit at coffee break listening to a guy taking up 95% of the oxygen re-telling stories about a "good old boy" he's not seen for several years now, operating a 1950's something 2-stroke jimmy diesel on WVO and "never had a problem".

I use proper commercially distilled bio-diesel up to B100 and also acknowledge there are a few home brew bio-diesel guys out there that get it right.

More than likely their rigs aren't for sale.

Engine oil and transmission oil analysis even late model low mileage rigs will show who's bombed their way to 80K miles of wear on a 15k mile odometer.

If the oils happen to be brand new/freshly changed then do a 100 mile test drive before taking sample.

You're shopping a rig advertised good for 350K engine miles. 100 mile test drive to "work in" a fresh oil change for lab test sample isn't out of order.

There's a better buyers market on late model low mileage iron than has been in any time I can remember.

I believe a good segment of the 5.9 market is truely a good deal if you can seperate out which trucks show they've been properly operated.