Originally Posted by supton
I don't want to say that rust is terminal, but I have to wonder if it's worth fixing, I mean, is the rest of it just as rusty? How much would a rust-free bed cost? And does it matter on a 13 or 14 year old truck with 180k on the clock?
For me, the objects of fixing rust is to a.) get it past new owner inspection, and b.) get it safe (frame is sound, don't draw back exhaust into the cab) and c.) don't advertise to the highway patrol that I'm an easy inspection ticket. Of course, rear fender rust is not an exhaust inhalation hazard, but you have to inspect everything.
How long you will use, and what you use for the truck for is a big determinator. If it's a backup vehicle, weekend dump run and occasional tow vehicle, you have the luxury of fixing stuff at your own pace, researching cheapest alternatives, letting it sit broke for a week or so before you get back to it. This describes my Dakota. Last year it gave me fits with the CEL, one thing after another, eliminated a bunch of evap code causes and then the ECU threw an "I'm dying" ECC memory error. I got a rebuild ECU from a service (CarComputerExchange) that was worse, but they sent me another on warranty and then things are fine again.But that whole process took a couple of months.
On the other hand if it is going to be your daily driver you depend on for work, or you're going to work the truck for your living, it would be wiser to get a lower mileage vehicle for more money, then get a high mileage beater and have to sink a lot into it up front just to get it ready for regular service.
PS It took 7 starts for the ECU ECC CEL code to come back after being cleared, keep that in mind when shopping for Chrysler trucks.