cummins camper edition??
 

i got a trade offer for my 1998 6.5 Td for a 1996 cummins 4x4 automatic with the camper edition. i have never heard of this and cant find anything online about info on this edition. he said it has a heavy duty front end and added leaf spring. also he said it had the HD tranny. how heavy duty is this transmission? cause im not looking into trading my most reliable truck for a truck that may have transmission problems soon if i do a little bit of performance work. im not wanting to do a transmission upgrade anytime soon

I've never heard of such a model either... my guess would be it MIGHT be the Sport edition, along with other aftermarket upgrades and using a name they came up with on their own.

If I had an offer like that brought to me, I'd firmly request to see the window sticker, ask for a vehicle build sheet along with thoroughly checking over the truck like one should do with any vehicle they are considering to purchase.

I agree .... it may just have overloads on it ... is it 4x4 ? is it lifted ??? give us more info please .... ext cab ? :humm:

I've never heard of that, it may be a sport edition as others have said.
You should ask the seller for more info on the truck.

I would trade that 6.5 in a heart beat as long as the cummins isnt a ranchy turd but there isnt a "camper special" in the cummins world technically they are all camper specials since they were purpose built towing trucks. I have however seen cummins trucks that were made into class b RV's and those are awesome.

It's an extended cab long bed 4x4. Looks lifted but isn't. But automatic Cummins worry me big time. I don't want it parked more than driven.

That's all the information you were told about the truck? We're going to need more than that to give you any sort of help.

There is nothing to worry about from a Cummins auto. The factory transmission can not handle much more power than factory power levels. If you are aware of this, and treat your truck with care it will not be a problem. If you are negligent to the fact that the factory auto transmission can't take much more power, then you'll be parked for a while, or at least feel like it should be parked.

Any other aftermarket built up auto will last a long time if you know where to draw the line depending on what internal parts are used.

Both standards and automatics can fail. The driver of the vehicle is what usually determines how long a transmission lasts.

Agreed!! So very much agreed!!

the main issue with the automatics is the torque converter ... I did mine and I beat the snot out of mine regularly... just need to kame sure you have a good Valve Body that is set up for your performance or towing needs ... most of the parts are pretty good ...

If you want to play you have to pay ... this goes for any automatic transmission and or manual trans also .... like a clutch for towing and ... like the 5th gear fix on a 4500 ... etc..

Here's what I got in for wise. 226k. Rebuilt tranny. Torque converter lockup switch. Slight pump work. Cold air intake. #0 fuel plate. Gutted afc. Pillar gauges. Rear Detroit locker. Power/heated tow mirrors. Leaks oil out of pushed cover. And leaky steering box.

sounds good ....

All the camper edition is, is extra leaf springs (overloads), hitch, and rear sway bar. Everything else is the same. Same trans, engine, and front end. IIRC they came with a 4.10 rear end as well.

You can contact Dodge and give them some info to get a list of what came stock on your truck..

Check this out: http://www.dodge.com/wccsapp/univers...ull&category=U

All the mods are pretty basic. The Detroit Locker is nice though! Gutted AFC worries me.. but take it for a test drive!

Yeah the locker is pretty cool! And I'm going to check the truck down like no other. The gutted arc bothers me too. That's more heat. Doesn't it just make the truck smoke more during idle?

yeah it will haze a bit ... probably pulls good ... ? what turbo ?

I'm pretty sure it's just a hx 35. I forget how much psi he was pushing though

With a gutted AFC the fuel/air ratio usually isn't balanced as well early in the RPM's. So it can over fuel more until that turbo is lit. So it had a higher probability of over heating because of that, but that's not always true. You said it has a gauge, so just watch it when you step on if from a stop. If it gets around 1,250 without any load behind it, it most likely has seen over over that temperature many times from the previous owner. But that's not a fact. just a probability.

With a gutted AFC and a #0 plate, I have a feeling it gets pretty hot with the factory HX35 low in the RPMs. Does he have an aftermarket governor spring kit? That would help getting the factory turbo up to a better boost pressure (no more than 35 PSI) and be more adequate for the pump set-up currently on the motor.

I think it does cause he said he gets 33-35 psi out of the hx. And he mentioned he was going to buy a wicked wheel for it

Those are positives to hear!

I hope it runs good. I need a reliable daily driver. Is there anything else I should look for when I drive it?

Front end vibrations
Any unusual sounds except the chirp if you shut if off
Check oil
Check blow-by
shift the transmission manually through each gear making sure it engages
make sure all exterior lights are functional
check under the truck for major leaks like a rear main seal leak
If he has any paper work on it, go through it

Most important, he made you the offer. So if you want to take a day and thank about it after you check it out, he won't be pressured to sell it off fast because he want's your truck. So take your time, no matter what kind of sales pitch he serves you.

Great Advise .... definatly a real good idea to weigh out the options .. pro's and con's and such :tu: