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How to find a value on a used truck


Kevin211

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Hello All,

New to the HDT arena, We are in the market for a used unit, I found one which i think is a great deal.

2009 Freightliner 333,000 miles 10 speed Automatic DD15 condo sleeper/ with smart car 25,000 miles. He's asking 55,000 for total package. How do i find a "book" valve on the truck.

Truck has a hydraulic bed to load smart car or he said you can drive it up on. Anything I should expect to go wrong or is this engine problematic 

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I don't think there is yet a "Book" on that type of vehicle. You can find info on the truck or the car separately, and then add together. Finding the cost for the hydraulic bed will be more difficult. 

Does not seem like a lot of miles on the truck any history on how it was used? How long has it been hauling the Smart? 

There are always things that can go wrong. Most of them can be fixed one way or another. Welcome to the group and good luck with your potential purchase. 

 

Rod 

White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors,  JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift.

1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022

2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top.

2007 Honda GL 1800

2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler

The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. 

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The only way to find the "value" on unique items is work on your part.

What does a similar condition truck cost without the add ons?  

If you found a bare truck in similar condition, how much would it cost to have the add ons done?

What is the cost of the Smart in its current condition?

Once you have those 3 figures then you have to add your "value" to it.  Are the add ons ones you want, or would you do it differently?  Is the cost between those to things worth it to you?  How much "value" do you put on having a turnkey set up?  Is it in a budget you are willing to spend?

For me, that truck would hold little "value", even as a good deal since it is not set up in a way I want.  

2014 Volvo 630. 2016 Fuzion 325T, RZR 900 Trail 
675ah AGM, MSH 3012 inverter, 960w Solar.  (2016 Chevy 3500 DRW, backup)

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Having just gone through what you are.... it took a few years to make a decision on the way we ended up going.

One of the key factors I decided on was to build the truck the way we wanted. So I went looking for the truck off the commercial market. That took tons!!! of time and phone calls, and help from this forum. It became a serious hobby. When I retired, it was my new job.

There is value in having something 'turn-key'. I have spent a month prepping our truck (electrical, air brakes to electrical brakes, fixing stuff, passing inspections, registering it as a motorhome, etc.), and that prep costs $$$$'s and time. Time I have, money is not endless. Just extending the frame and putting in the hitch was $2700.00. Tires that needed replacing...$1200.

All this being said, if I found a truck that was 'done' and close to what I wanted, I would have sprung for it. But, I'm a tinkerer, and the love of the build runs deep. 

Dealing with commercial sales forces/people requires you to have an intense 'bull-shit' detector and some solid research so you don't get a pig in a poke. We lucked out. After more than a dozen serious looks,  found a truck that was a bit higher in mileage than I had targeted. But I was able to find the owner who sold it to the dealer. Just about everything that could go wrong was replaced in the last 150,000 miles. With some arm wrestling, I got a killer deal on the truck. Nothing about the process was easy, convenient.... it was stressful.

Now to your case and my personal thoughts. I can't speak for your level of learning curve pain. But if the trucks in good shape, and you like (can live with) the configuration, it sounds like you have a turn-key solution. Just add trailer. I would not consider, and ruled out, Freighliners. I wanted a Volvo for lots of reasons that are valuable to me, even though they come with their own issues. This whole thing is about trade-offs in the end. I find personal value in building/creating. Not everyones cup of tea. Everything you do to build your own rig, it a learning curve.

The HDT thing, as you might have determined, is way different and in a whole nother league than hitting up the Chevy Dlr for a RV ready pickup. We had several of those and then moved to a medium duty, then took the leap. Even with the MDT experience, it's still sobering. For me anyway. But it's an ear-to-ear grin when you get it on the road.

You will find tons of information here. Tons of good thoughts from the members of this forum. Tons of well founded opinions. Sift them all together and bake your HDT cake.

Did I get enough metaphors in this post?

Bob

Robert & Lisa
'14 Keystone Fuzion 315 38' 5er

2015 Volvo VNL 670, D13, iShift 'The Tartis' (ours)

2013 Smart Fortwo Passion 'K-9'

2011 CanAm Spyder RT Limited (Ours)

We are both USAF vets.

LbjZhp0l.jpg

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3 hours ago, trimster said:

Did I get enough metaphors in this post?

A metaphorical blizzard, Robert. Solid advice there, from the most recent shopper. Pure gold for new shoppers.

I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 

2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication
2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet
2007 32.5' Fleetwood Quantum


Please e-mail us here.

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On 10/1/2020 at 6:19 PM, trimster said:

We had several of those and then moved to a medium duty, then took the leap. Even with the MDT experience, it's still sobering. For me anyway. But it's an ear-to-ear grin when you get it on the road.

 

Bob

What moved you from the MDT?  What are the specific advantages to an HDT over an MDT?

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53 minutes ago, DG N. AL said:

What moved you from the MDT?  What are the specific advantages to an HDT over an MDT?

I am on the same path as Bob, currently using a similar MDT he sold.  What is holding me back from making the jump now is that with my MDT I have many of the benefits of avoiding the "tail wagging the dog" issues as my truck is heavy enough to be safe(vs my 1 ton CC DRW with 500/1000 Duramax/Allison combo-which is plenty of power for a smaller 5er but does not have the physical weight).  I do want the benefits of an HDT when I get to that point(I am still working my business full time) and with the added cubic inches, which I believe there is no substitute for.  My 1 ton has 6.6L/6 speed auto, the MDT 8.7L/6 speed auto and stepping up to what I will consider in an HDT, 12.9L/likely 12 speed auto.  Add to that, the value of what a new MDT pick up costs, say $80K+++, the used HDT seems like a nice fit.  BUT, I am a fabricator/welder/contractor and still enjoy working so the + & - of the HDT is that it is large to get to a jobsite but large enough to have MOST of my tools that I would need mobile(I own a 3000SF shop + a DRW service truck and 2 trailers for different facets of my business).

I guess my point is there is NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL going on here, but there is alot of great info and help to assist with decision making for what works for you in your own situation. 

Enjoy the journey.

Marcel

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6 hours ago, DG N. AL said:

What are the specific advantages to an HDT over an MDT?

I think what you will find for most is that in general the MDT's do not have much more pulling power over a LDT.  What they do have more of is suspension, braking, drive train and weight.  Also from what I have read, the ride is not much different between an LDT and MDT.  It also seems that the MDT's have about 2-3x the life expectancy of a LDT.  Even used MDT's come with a premium price tag.

With HDT you get huge power, huge drive train, huge stopping power, large fuel tanks, air ride suspension/cab/seat, and lots of extra weight capacity.  You have a vehicle that is made to easily last 4x that of your LDT and 2x that of an MDT.  All of this for often half or less price than a similar MDT. 

2014 Volvo 630. 2016 Fuzion 325T, RZR 900 Trail 
675ah AGM, MSH 3012 inverter, 960w Solar.  (2016 Chevy 3500 DRW, backup)

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Ditto to what has been said. The MDT truck IS easier to drive and park around town when you use it as a daily driver while RVing. BUT, they are noisy inside. Ride rougher, even with air ride seats and extra weight added to the back end. I added hundreds of lbs of lead to the bed. I added sound absorbing stuff in the doors...and that helped.

But the big downside...power. My Dodge 3500 would out-pull the MDT. Stopping, scary. Maintenance costs for the LDT repairs, not acceptable. There's just bigger, better, parts on the MDT and HDT. 

We could drive 5 hrs to the next stop in the MDT and feel like we really wanted to get off the road. 5hrs in our Volvo...piece of cake and we're not whooped.

Some of the the things I would have done differently in selecting our HDT....

- Get a mid-roof instead of a condo roof. Condo is presenting problems with trees in our neighborhood. And it's almost impossible to clean the roof.

- Make sure it has a rear end gear ratio above 3.x. Ours is 3.08. I wanted something in the 2.47 to 2.60 range. Better fuel mileage. We're getting 4-5mpg right now. We do have the 500hp 1750 fp of torque. A 425hp would have been a bit more economical. But when the price is right, you can buy a lot of fuel for the thousands we were looking at spending over the one we settled on. 

Hope this is helpful.

Bob 

Robert & Lisa
'14 Keystone Fuzion 315 38' 5er

2015 Volvo VNL 670, D13, iShift 'The Tartis' (ours)

2013 Smart Fortwo Passion 'K-9'

2011 CanAm Spyder RT Limited (Ours)

We are both USAF vets.

LbjZhp0l.jpg

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On 10/4/2020 at 6:25 PM, Nwcid said:

I think what you will find for most is that in general the MDT's do not have much more pulling power over a LDT.  What they do have more of is suspension, braking, drive train and weight.  Also from what I have read, the ride is not much different between an LDT and MDT.  It also seems that the MDT's have about 2-3x the life expectancy of a LDT.  Even used MDT's come with a premium price tag.

With HDT you get huge power, huge drive train, huge stopping power, large fuel tanks, air ride suspension/cab/seat, and lots of extra weight capacity.  You have a vehicle that is made to easily last 4x that of your LDT and 2x that of an MDT.  All of this for often half or less price than a similar MDT. 

 

On 10/5/2020 at 5:58 PM, trimster said:

Ditto to what has been said. The MDT truck IS easier to drive and park around town when you use it as a daily driver while RVing. BUT, they are noisy inside. Ride rougher, even with air ride seats and extra weight added to the back end. I added hundreds of lbs of lead to the bed. I added sound absorbing stuff in the doors...and that helped.

But the big downside...power. My Dodge 3500 would out-pull the MDT. Stopping, scary. Maintenance costs for the LDT repairs, not acceptable. There's just bigger, better, parts on the MDT and HDT. 

We could drive 5 hrs to the next stop in the MDT and feel like we really wanted to get off the road. 5hrs in our Volvo...piece of cake and we're not whooped.

Some of the the things I would have done differently in selecting our HDT....

- Get a mid-roof instead of a condo roof. Condo is presenting problems with trees in our neighborhood. And it's almost impossible to clean the roof.

- Make sure it has a rear end gear ratio above 3.x. Ours is 3.08. I wanted something in the 2.47 to 2.60 range. Better fuel mileage. We're getting 4-5mpg right now. We do have the 500hp 1750 fp of torque. A 425hp would have been a bit more economical. But when the price is right, you can buy a lot of fuel for the thousands we were looking at spending over the one we settled on. 

Hope this is helpful.

Bob 

Thank Guys,

I see two advantages to a MDT, but there are certainly cons also.  The MDT is heavier than an LDT and will control the trailer better.  The MDT is smaller and can be used as a run around vehicle after arriving at the destination.  My ideal HDT would haul a Jeep.  That truck is getting long and maneuverability would be bad in some RV parks we have stayed in.  You see a few MDT's with big block engines that have the same power/torque as an HDT.  But they are hard to find.  I am still studying the options.  I like the idea of the MDT, but the price is certainly a draw back.  Having no power advantage over a LDT is certainly a draw back.

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You wont be able to find a good value on what the truck is worth as there really are no comparisons as most are built to a specific need. The best way to get close, would be to find what similar trucks are going for on Truck Paper with similar mileage and then add or subtract for features not matching. The hydraulic smart car bed could easily add another $60-80K if you tried to have one built so if it is good working condition that could be a plus. If it has an ET airride hitch that would also be a plus.  If it is not working then it is only worth what a standard bed would cost, maybe less if you want to try to repair it. The DD15 engine just came out in 2008 so you may need to check some truckers forums as to how they are. They have a good B50 life so that would be a plus.  Any repair records is always a plus. We have a Detroit 14l in our 2005 Freightliner and we have 540k miles on it, 100K that we have put on it in the 8 years we have had it. Good luck!

2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch
2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler
Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you!

 

Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/

for much more info on HDT's.

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On 9/30/2020 at 12:29 AM, Kevin211 said:

Hello All,

New to the HDT arena, We are in the market for a used unit, I found one which i think is a great deal.

2009 Freightliner 333,000 miles 10 speed Automatic DD15 condo sleeper/ with smart car 25,000 miles. He's asking 55,000 for total package. How do i find a "book" valve on the truck.

Truck has a hydraulic bed to load smart car or he said you can drive it up on. Anything I should expect to go wrong or is this engine problematic 

Here's something to consider. Just found this on the wall at the RV park we are staying at here in Albq. NM

 

Robert & Lisa
'14 Keystone Fuzion 315 38' 5er

2015 Volvo VNL 670, D13, iShift 'The Tartis' (ours)

2013 Smart Fortwo Passion 'K-9'

2011 CanAm Spyder RT Limited (Ours)

We are both USAF vets.

LbjZhp0l.jpg

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On 10/1/2020 at 7:19 PM, trimster said:

Having just gone through what you are.... it took a few years to make a decision on the way we ended up going.

One of the key factors I decided on was to build the truck the way we wanted. So I went looking for the truck off the commercial market. That took tons!!! of time and phone calls, and help from this forum. It became a serious hobby. When I retired, it was my new job.

There is value in having something 'turn-key'. I have spent a month prepping our truck (electrical, air brakes to electrical brakes, fixing stuff, passing inspections, registering it as a motorhome, etc.), and that prep costs $$$$'s and time. Time I have, money is not endless. Just extending the frame and putting in the hitch was $2700.00. Tires that needed replacing...$1200.

All this being said, if I found a truck that was 'done' and close to what I wanted, I would have sprung for it. But, I'm a tinkerer, and the love of the build runs deep. 

Dealing with commercial sales forces/people requires you to have an intense 'bull-shit' detector and some solid research so you don't get a pig in a poke. We lucked out. After more than a dozen serious looks,  found a truck that was a bit higher in mileage than I had targeted. But I was able to find the owner who sold it to the dealer. Just about everything that could go wrong was replaced in the last 150,000 miles. With some arm wrestling, I got a killer deal on the truck. Nothing about the process was easy, convenient.... it was stressful.

Now to your case and my personal thoughts. I can't speak for your level of learning curve pain. But if the trucks in good shape, and you like (can live with) the configuration, it sounds like you have a turn-key solution. Just add trailer. I would not consider, and ruled out, Freighliners. I wanted a Volvo for lots of reasons that are valuable to me, even though they come with their own issues. This whole thing is about trade-offs in the end. I find personal value in building/creating. Not everyones cup of tea. Everything you do to build your own rig, it a learning curve.

The HDT thing, as you might have determined, is way different and in a whole nother league than hitting up the Chevy Dlr for a RV ready pickup. We had several of those and then moved to a medium duty, then took the leap. Even with the MDT experience, it's still sobering. For me anyway. But it's an ear-to-ear grin when you get it on the road.

You will find tons of information here. Tons of good thoughts from the members of this forum. Tons of well founded opinions. Sift them all together and bake your HDT cake.

Did I get enough metaphors in this post?

Bob

Great job Bob, really very well done.  You might want to put this on the Facebook page because a lot of people are still trying to figure out how or what they want to go.  A lot of them don't show up here on this HDT page.  Thanks for the experience you past on 

Ben. "Chief 916"

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