I'm getting a wild hair, and thinking about a med duty truck. One Freightliner that caught my eye has a 275 Cummins, which I think is their 8.3. The truck is about 8 years old with 550,000 ish miles on it and 6 speed transmission. It's not 4WD; how much of a problem is that on such a heavy truck at them ramp?

Comments on this engine/transmission/type of truck are welcomed.

That's a lot of miles for that engine in a medium but if you know the maintenance schedules and they are top notch, it may be ok. If the injectors haven't been replaced they wil need to be soon. Also, if you're not used to driving a medium duty truck it will seem like a dog. Configurations of that motor allow for a wide variety of hp a torque but it costs a lot and may not be feasible to change it. It is a bit underpowered for towing a big boat.

550K is about the end of the lifespan on that motor. Those engines are not like the big diesels which are infinitely rebuildable- most often in-frame. The medium motors from Cat/Cummins/Int'l are pretty much disposable. The 6-speed is less desireable than the overdrive 7 speed but a bit stronger. The 6-speed trucks either don't have enough bottom end or not enough top end. A 9 speed is most desireable- or better yet, an Allison.

You probably won't need 4wd with a big truck- depending on what's on the back. If you just put a pickup bed on there, you'll probably be too light. Many are ballasted with steel plates. Sprung mediums ride like $hit- especially in short wheelbases. You can convert to airbags. Turning radius is much less than a pickup unless you're in a low-pro.

Thanks for the information. Ya'll are helping to make my decision on this one easier.