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Tired Plow Truck: 1989 Dodge Ramcharger

Old plow trucks never die – but they sure do get rusty. It’s amazing how many Dodge Ramchargers, Ford Broncos, and Chevy K5 Blazers were thrust into plow vehicle duties, long before they became the valuable square bodies they are today. Unfortunately, while their stout drivetrains may have made them seemingly un-killable performing the daily rigors of clearing snow and ice in the northern states, their bodies were not quite so resilient. This 1989 Dodge Ramcharger here on eBay may still look just as ready to battle winter’s worst as it did three decades ago, but Old Man Winter and Father Time have not been kind to it.

The seller has listed this Ramcharger with a Buy-It-Now of just $1,800, with the option to submit a best offer. The body may not look terrible from angles like these, with what looks like original paint still applied in the classic two-tone scheme. The seller notes it was a strong-running truck, but was parked a year ago due to a bad fuel line. Mileage is unknown as the odometer is believed to have rolled over, and close-up photos of the tires reveal those are in pretty rough shape. The back passenger quarter panel shows what looks like some rust beginning to blister through the paint. All glass looks good, at least.

The interior isn’t as bad as I’d expect for a vehicle used for plow duties, with decent cloth buckets and fake woodgrain trim in the instrument binnacle. The thing about plow trucks is that they were usually fairly tired vehicles by the time they were relegated to plowing the back lot, but still running well enough to press into continued duty. No retirement years for a truck like this, which was likely 20 years old before it became to go-to for when the weather turned messy. It’s too bad the fuel line wasn’t simply fixed when it went bad, as the seller claims the Ramcharger drove quite well leading up to it.

Oof – that’s pretty rough, and this is coming from a guy who defends the northern cars and trucks from being written off due to some lousy surface rust. This is pretty deep into the body, with the rockers definitely compromised and the frame being suspect as well. Of course, as a plow rig, there’s no harm in continuing to use it on private property, as it’ll just be that owner’s problem to solve when the frame finally gives out. Of course, given the rise in prices for these trucks, perhaps a frame swap could be justified if the drivetrain is as healthy as the seller claims – or, you could just buy one from a western or southern state. Should this one be saved, especially if it can be bought for $1,000 or less?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve R

    Assume it’s a parts car when you make an offer to prevent overpaying.

    Steve R

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Steve

    That’s a bargain just for the plow

    Like 9
  3. HoA Howard A Member

    It’s a find, and I’ll defend these Dodges to the bitter end, but this one as had it. Snow plowing is incredibly hard on a vehicle, and a broken fuel line is the least of the worries here. While I have no issues whether it runs okay ( although that jug of anti-freeze always has me nervous) one good clop, and that rusted frame will snap, coming from Wisconsin, I’ve seen it. Every cabin up north has one of these sitting, still willing to do the job, you just may have to use the plow to stop it. It’s tough to fix rusty frames, but something could be cobbled, especially from someone in Minnesota,, :)

    Like 6
  4. Avatar seth karpen

    i had an 85 factory snow commander with beerfed up front supension and transmision cooler. I actually have the part to fix the fuel line rotted off at the tank along with the required new hanging straps and j- bolts.
    Unstoppable truck when plowing

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Karl

    I live in ND and have owned a few plow trucks, I never bought a 1/2 ton only 3/4 ton and the truck seemed destined to never be anything else but a plow truck that is until the rust got so bad that it wasn’t drivable anymore. Pull the plow and hydraulics buy another truck mount the the plow and proceed to start the new ones demise! Kind of sad but such is the life!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Rick

    Perhaps 15 tears ago I bought one of these vehicles for $250 with a plow and a broken front drive shaft from a Dealer who had used it only to plow his lot. I do not recall what year the vehicle was. I put in a used driveshaft, made a floor out of old license plates, and used it to plow my lot for a few years. I then sold it for $950 to a guy who felt that he had to have it. He made the offer and I accepted.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Kenn

    Steve’s correct. Buy it for the plow.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar guggie

    owned one just like it for 9 years ,mine had a Fisher plow , great vehicle miss it tin worm got mine

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Bob

    Let’s face it, the frame is “toast”. I thank my lucky stars they didn’t include some photos of the front suspension that would have told more of the story about frame rot. I think we all can agree that that plow frame is solidly bolted to the frame of the vehicle. For a dynamic stress test of the vehicle frame, just put the plow down and drive it into a snow bank at 8-10 MPH, if the frame just behind and under the driver’s seat doesn’t buckle up an inch or greater. Then you are good for next season. Otherwise you have a hump back plow truck, or a big piece of “yard art”.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Ray ledoyen

    I would like to see it . Were are you located. I live inBC.Thank you.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Kevin

    I’ve always liked these,this is good for parts,strip it down,get the good,scrap the rest,find another one more solid.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar David G

    That frame has enough scale to make a 400 pound Grouper jealous. Wow. Body is toast also. Priced low enough that it could be a good deal for just the plow set up.

    Like 0

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