I have a 1994 dodge ram 1500. Single cab long bed 148,000 miles, power windows and locks, 4 wheel drive, rebuilt tranny 7 months ago. 31 inch tires with about 40 percent tread with a stock 3 inch lift. A little bit of rust on door and a nickel size hole above the passenger side front fender. Has a cold air intake on it. No clear coat on the top of the cab. Interior is great for the year. Aftermarket head unit. Under neath is kinda rusty. New black vertical grille. Westin nerf bars. All the routine stuff has been changed.
now maybe trading for a 1996 gmc 2500 6.5 turbo diesel. Extended cab short bed. 142,000 miles, 4 wheel drive, rebuilt tranny, 33x12.50 tires. Has an aftermarket suspension lift that doesn't look too big. Rust has a tad big on the front of the hood. All stock engine wise. Interior is pretty good. Not much rust at all. Should I Trade?

 

if you like the truck then i would. I personally like the 6.5. They run good but lack power and since i have never turned one up i cant say how much money it takes or power they can handle.

 

If you plan on using it to tow I wouldn't. As Josh says they are pretty gutless, I know ours is. But it does run just as good as anything else

 

yes and no to the towing..

My friend has one of similar year and it handled a 24' gooseneck with a lifted full size truck on it without much hassle at all. yes it is Gutless compared to newer diesels, and there are virtually no mods to add any big power to them, so they stay reliable. I have seen quite a few chugging away past 300k

if you like the truck, go for it. it will save you some $$ in towing as compared to the dodge, and chevy parts are relatively cheap when stuff wears out

 

WAAYY back in the late 90's, my dad almost bought a brand new dark blue chevy diesel that he was in love with. It was a beutiful truck that he was about to buy, but a VERY good friend talked him out of it. That friend just bought a brand new 6.5 diesel and regretted it shortly after, and it was less than a year old. He said it was great riding empty, but it felt like it had a wheel in the junkyard and a hub in a rut (Hey!! I just made a new truck phrase!) when it was towing anything very big. These are my words, not his, but that is what he basically felt.

If you are trading for a diesel, I would trade for a 1st-early 3rd gen dodge with a cummins. Judging by what I have heard about your current truck, you should be able to trake for most any 1st or 2nd gen dodge diesel with average miles, or a partial trade for an 03 or 04 dodge diesel. I do not know if this is near you, but you could do a partial trade for something like this: http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/2965152758.html

Sorry for the long post and this only my opinion, but have not seen anyone very satisfied with an old 6.5 chevy.

 

when was the last time you spent any time in one? or are you just going off of a friend of your dads opinion?

but yeah I knew a guy who knew said his friend bought a cummins and hated it too

 

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think they all have their bugs and perks. If I was to buy a farm truck, I would buy a Dodge for it's simplicity and ground clearance. If I was to buy a run-around truck/tow rig, I would probably buy a 6.6 Duramax Chevy for its smooth ride and bulletproof transmission. If I was to buy a family ride/summer chore truck, I would buy a Ford for it's spacious cab and payload capacity. This is only my opinion, and I am not trying to start anything. This just the way I look at it.

 

who is gods name is going to trade a 2nd gen cummins for a 94' 1500 dodge gasser?

 

I wouldnt trade a cummins for a gas, but a dealership might trade a gasser when it has so little miles for that age. I have also seen quite a few people on craigslist wanting to trade their truck for smaller vehicles, so you might try there. I know this is not the exact info the OP asked for, but it might be helpful if the truck you are looking at does not pan out.