Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Used Trucks?

My 2009 Dodge Ram has 180k on it and has been a good vehicle for me. Unfortunately, while causing very few problems, the lower panels are rusting out.

Decided I’d look for a used (1-3 year old) 4 door truck. I really know very little about vehicles other than a few popular models. But I do need to tow a 19 1/2’ Crestliner (rear camera would be nice), need GPS, a short bed. A rear camera would be nice and of course 4WD is needed. Otherwise the rest are mostly optional.

Thanks for any suggestions. I realize this is like asking what you like in a women but Fire away.

You can buy a Garmin GPS for $150.00 that is as good or better than you will get in a truck plus it is easier to update. Lack of a backup camera would also not be a deal killer for me because you can also purchase those as aftermarket fairly economically.

So I guess what I am saying is do not put a lot of weight on those needs and just get a good 1/2 ton Ford or Chevy 4-door short bed and install those items if needed.

You don't need GPS in a modern vehicle with a screen. Use the GPS on your phone/tablet and display it on the screen.

Good luck on any used vehicle in the 1-3 year old range. Prices are shocking.

Find an older low mileage truck and do the camera upgrade.

They are out there if you are patient.

You are better off buying new.

Yes, I’m aware of the purported 41% increase in the used market. I had an aftermarket camera for use with my boat — it is anything but convenient to use and has a small screen. Ditto for my cell phone and GPS though I do use it for that.

I appreciate the comments. Keep them coming if you will.

I’d hold off a while if possible, used trucks are very expensive now!

On newer vehicles, you use your phone for GPS, but you look at it on the vehicle screen. Much easier than actually using the phone. There is really no reason to pay extra for navigation on a newer vehicle, unless you do not have a smart phone/data plan.

You'd be hard pressed to find a full sized 4x4 that's just a few years old, that didn't already have those options? Smart phone connectivity for GPS, is about the only feature that might be iffy?

Right now in my area, low mileage 4x4s are damn near as expensive as a new one. Been dealing with the same small town Chevy dealer since 2002 and I've never seen their lots so devoid of trucks, new or used. And this is a dealer that's long been noted for selling lots of trucks. When I bought my '14 new, there were over three dozen new half ton 4x4s on their lot and maybe another dozen 2500s?

This summer I was looking at a new set of tires before winter and an A/C system that had failed. So figured I'd spend that money on a newer, used truck. That went out the window when I started looking at dealer's sites for late model used 4x4s. Cost me $500 for the A/C repairs, so guess it's a new set of shoes come October?

The truck shortage is the same in western South Dakota and prices of some used trucks are nearly the same as they were when new. I would wait if you can and see if things correct somewhat later this year. A couple of trucks with 30,000 miles were priced for more than they cost five and six years ago.

I have a 2003 GMC half ton that has 83,000 miles on it. Bought it new and will put whatever it takes to keep it running and in good cosmetic shape before I will pay $40 K plus for a used newer model.

CarMax has my year-model Dodge truck with similar miles, selling for $13-19k! Hard to believe. I see the same used prices as most of you….yet didn’t want to spring for new.

Perhaps time for patience, yet, overall I’m not at all optimistic about price trends in general under the Biden Break Everything admin.

Yep, I just sold my Tacoma for $5,000.00 more than I could have last year. I probably could have got more for it, but it was a quick sale and both of us were happy about the deal... One of my buddies told me the local Toyota dealership keeps calling him, wanting to buy his 2015 Tacoma. They are offering more for it than what he paid them 2 years ago.. Pretty weird times we are living in right now..

I paid under $16k for my 08 with 64k on odometer.

New paint, tires, wheels and exhaust still has me at less than many newer trucks with comparable miles and options.

Not many of the newer models strike my fancy anyway.

Took me about a year to find what I wanted.

If you can travel to purchase and don't mind digging, you might find what you want. It took me about a month of searching to find a 2020 configured the way I wanted it with 13K miles and a fair price. I got on a plane to go pick it up (700 miles away). Had plenty of awards miles to do it.

It took me a while to learn how to maneuver the car apps to search for what I wanted, but once I got through that, it was easy to search.

Back in January of 2020, could've swapped my '14 for a comparable truck three years newer and with less than half the mileage, for a paltry $11K. But didn't. Almost makes me weep at times.

One Chevy dealership I go past when traveling to my cabin, had a slew of late model 4x4s on their lot back in May. Looked up the prices on their site when I got home. All were priced higher than the sticker prices they'd sold for in '18 and '19.

Drove through the local Dodge/Ford dealer just to see how bad the inventory was. Just counting, new cars aren't important to me.

Nothing in the used section, 14 trucks in the new, 14 cars.
Looked at Ford trucks, then realized they weren't new.

Back at Chrysler....
Oh, schitz that cars a Subaru!
Look closer, Ford, Toyota.....
Hell they didn't have 28 new cars.
They only had 28 cars of mixed heritage and most used!

I'm not in the market but I've looked at some dealer website just to see that they have. What they seem to have in stock is diesels starting at $60k and going up if you want luxuries like seats and tires.

Saw a nicely loaded 17 model Super Duty advertised by a local dealer this week. Diesel, 4x4, leather, and something like 50k miles. Asking $63k. Ouch......

Prices are nuts - wish I had an answer for you.

Brother bought a new Silverado. Put 15k miles on it. Dealer bought it from him for cash 2 months ago. He took the money to another dealer and bought a Jeep.

Bought the truck for 41k
Sold it with 14,900 miles on it for 49,500 to the dealer
Dealer put it on the lot for 52 originally
Dealer still has it on the lot for 49,009 dollars today

They're losing money on it and theoretically should have sold quickly given the "shortage" but they made some bad economic decisions I think. You can get a new Silverado for 52 here locally. Why would I pay 49 when for 3k more I get 0 miles and full warranty?

Similar deal here.

My Ford dealer buddy has a 2018 F350, diesel, Lariat, 45k miles....$67k.

2019, F350, gas, Lariat, 17k miles, $58k.


Too rich for me.


My 2003 is running just fine!