CAR_16 started a thread about buying a new truck and I didn't want to hijack his thread so I started this one because this is something that is only somewhat related but seems unusual to me.



CAR_16's thread is here -> http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1274146_.html&page=1&anc=31756711#i31756711



Anyway, I bought a brand new Dodge Ram Big Horn 3500 Quad Cab 4x4 Cummins 5.9L dually with all the goodies (except leather) in 2006. It cost me a little over 38K. I financed it (with Chrysler) at 0% interest for 3 years (roughly $700/mo because I put 15K down). I bought it then because I needed a vehicle that could pull my very heavy horse trailer and it does that extremely well and I wanted the 5.9 specifically. I am otherwise not a Dodge fan. At the time, there were only two left in my configuration within 200 miles and although I wanted a white one, I settled on Silver instead of the Red one. Pickins were slim. I bought it when I did because that was the last year for the 5.9L Cummins (though there were 2007s that had it too, none were near me) and they were being snatched up left and right. I don't drive it much at all (unless I'm pulling a trailer) and it has just a little over 30K on the clock at this point and is in great shape.



The reason I bring this up is that the general manager of a local Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealer (but not the one I bought it from and someone I don't know) has sent me two long hand written letters in the past month requesting that I bring my truck in to sell to them and/or trade for a new one. They are full page letters and they describe how they'd really like to buy the truck.



I haven't looked at new truck prices for while but car_16's thread got me to looking and I was shocked that they are asking 50K (or thereabouts) now for a 1/2 ton Lariat SRW gasser. Talk about inflation! So I am starting to put 2+2 together now about these letters from the dealer. Sort of.



I just wonder if dealership general managers send out hand written letters to all customers with late model vehicles routinely or if it is just trucks? I've never seen anything like that before if they do.

I've gotten them both for my Mustang and Escape.  Not hand written, though.  

you have a pre 07 diesel, highly desired around these parts.

Yep. They are crying for 5.9s, big time. A bit of good news, though. An '08 6.7 with the emission garbage ripped out and computer reprogrammed is a very interesting, and very fun, upgrade. Keep your '06, or at least make a good profit, yourself, by selling to an individual, instead of letting the stealership pocket the coin earned by the perfect timing of your '06 purchase.    

yea a letter like that is now SOP . Your truck with the miles listed will likely go for 20-25 at the dealer they will give you like 10 for it and offer another 10 in fake saving by bumping the price . My advice , keep it till 75k at least then sell it out right not to a dealer for 15-20 easy and then go negotiate the best price and put a chunk of cash down

Yup. Not only that, a 2006 with appr 30k miles. Very rare to find with all the options. Yours should be paid off, which means they want to get you for a new truck (and all the financing etc...) while paying a pittance ($10k-$20k) for yours, then turn around and sell yours for $35k0-ish (blue book is $31k): here is the closest truck in autotrader... notice that this is the cheapest one... they only go up in price from here... 30k-45k miles. Here is the same thing with 186k miles going for $20k. For $2k less than blue book, you could get this truck here: 3 years newer, same generation, twice as many miles (35k more, 70k total). Stick with what you got.





You have a rare truck still under warranty. You've purchased new from them in the past. Your truck is most likely paid off. Why wouldn't they offer to buy it? It's an easy $20k minimum profit.
 
 

I paid it off a few years ago and it has been a great truck for me. It is still nearly perfect and I don't think I could trade it or sell it and get something better. I mean I guess I could go with a more modern bodystyle, but that doesn't interest me. It was the motor that sold me on it in the first place. It only had a 3 year warranty and I am cool with that too, because it's only real problems surfaced right away and were fixed by Dodge under that.



I am going to keep it. I was just surprised by those letters from a dealer.



ETA: I think you are right that Dodge told this other dealer that I am paid up and a Ram customer.

I don't know about your situation, but I get the same "standard" letters about every 3 months there for a while in 2010/2011. They seemed to have died off since last June or so.


And all I drive is a bog standard Ford Ranger Edge with the 4.0LV6, 2WD.


Sooooo, take it with a large grain of salt is all I can say.