180,000 miles isn't anything to be concerned about if it's the 5.9L diesel.
The truck will wear out before the diesel engine. If it's the 5.9L gas
engine your friend is probably right. It will probably be pretty tired by
then. Take care of it and stick to the maintenance schedule and you may be
able to stretch it out a bit longer.

Keith,
Any vehicle can last an indefinite amount of time and miles. It depends very
much on the way it is used and maintained. Wear increases exponentially with
speed. Only you know how well it has been treated and maintained.
Steve

Well perhaps that is correct.

I just had the infamous plenum leak on my '98 1500 at
146K miles.  Been scrupulous in maintenance, so I'm a
bit disappointed with the failure.

Although fixed, the engine still studders a bit under
load at low rpm.  I've been dumping Marvel Mystery Oil
in it the past few weeks and the problem actually seems
to be diminishing (engine getting better)!

My mechanics recommended doing that to see if a likely
valve fouling from the coolant leak might clear up, but
they were afraid perhaps a valve got burned or some
other damage that would require the heads to be rebuilt.

I'm going to be driving it around for another couple
weeks using the Mystery Oil to see if improvement
continues to the point of 100% fixed.

If not, since I really like the truck and intent to keep
it until it falls apart, I'll bite the bullet and have
the heads overhauled and the timing chain replaced.

It seems to me a vehicle should be easily capable of
200K miles now days.  Certainly most cars (Japanese any
ways) can do that, and since body rust isn't the problem
it used to be, I would have expected better from my
truck.

I did tow with it the first three or four years and
maybe truck [gas] engines just don't hold up as well as
"car" engines (???).

Just about everything else on the truck is still original
(water pump, aircond compressor, alternator, etc, etc),
so I don't have a problem yet with keeping it longer.

Next vehicle might be a Jeep Wrangler!  I know the I-6
is supposed to be a great engine but I'm more interested
in the little four.  How does that one rate?  I'm not
going to be doing the Baja or rock crawling in it.  Seems
like a really fun vehicle.

Comments?  Nate???

SMH

280,000 miles on my '92 van.  Engine (gas 5.2) replaced at 207k as PM.  The
remanufactured engine complete with heads was around $2500 iirc.   It still ran
fine.  Transmissions are another issue though.  When the third one went out and
it was out of warranty I had AAMCO rebuild it and bought the lifetime warranty.
They have rebuilt it two times now for free.

beekeep

Any engine at any time regardless of mileage can fail properly maintained
many have gotten over 200k.  I have almost 150k on my 98 Ram 4x4 with a
5.2L.  Uses 1/2 quart between  3k oil changes,  idles so smooth you have to
listen when stopped  to see if it is running.  Used Mobile 1 from day one
and changed oil at 3k.
Coasty

I have a 1996 1500 4X2 Ram, with 283K on it, and it is still running strong!
Doesn't burn oil, gets 12 MPG and I drive it every day. I have rebuilt the
rear at 250K, blown head gasket at 242K. and other minor crap... Bottom line
is: I plan on keeping it till can't be fixed anymore, and no, it is not
nickel and dime-ing me to death. Plus it is paid for and at $25,000 + for a
new one, it is still cheaper than a new one... Good Luck