Yes the 12v Cummins was in Dodges from 94-98. A second generation Dodge refers to the body style. 94-2002 is a second gen. 2003-current is third gen. A 12v is mechanical injection so there is no electrical tuners you can add to it. All the power gain is from tuning the pump, adding bigger injectors, and things like that. The 12v Cummins is pretty much hands down the most relaible motor. Next would be 7.3 Powerstroke. The bad thing about the 12v is the Dodge that comes with it. Those paint issues were a huge problem on those years and the automatic trannys were garbage. You cant add a tuner to a cummins until you get the 24v (1998.5-2002). Those are second gen body styles aswell though but the paint was alot better. My 2000 falls into that. It has 200K miles and the paint looks awesome. Look at my pics. Given Ive taken pretty good care of her but still. But you were talking about having room for your two boys and a second gen Dodge has a very cramped back seat.

 

The engines there using are not gonna have the same HP as the Dodge, they can have more or less, depending on the fuel pumps, and injectors ect, ect. The oil fields out here use cummins some diesel some converted to natural gas and there 175 HP. Just so you dont get confused, those rigs dont have emissions.

 

If you're not broke and can afford something else, have ONE word for you - NO!!!

Check me if I'm wrong here, but there's a LOT more to a truck than the drivetrain. Ya' have electrical, sensors, interior, and whatever else I missed here to go wrong with it...... so if you have the dough buy something with 150,000 or less miles on it and USE it for the 100,000 miles the other one already has!

If it has 250k on it already make sure the hood emblem says "Freightliner", "Kenworth" or Peterbuilt" on it!!!!!!!!

Make sense?

 

Ive seen peterbuilts with over a million...

 

Of course any of them will get the job done. But what I keyed on in the OP was "...truck to haul the family, TT, gear and dog around the U.S.A. in.." In that case then the best and only really good answer is: MegaCab.

 

[QUOTE=rodbuilder;858903]

If it has 250k on it already make sure the hood emblem says "Freightliner", "Kenworth" or Peterbuilt" on it!!!!!!!!

QUOTE]

Excellent point. The engine may be good at 250k (then again it may not, depends on treatment), but theres everything else to worry about when mileage gets high.