Dodge trucks

[holstil]

I'm in the market for a different truck. Expanding family. I need four doors. I tow cars, trees and what ever I find my chains wrapped around. I use the four wheel frequently. I won't afford anything new, plus I work on my own stuff and all the tech is getting harder to keep up with. Tools and parts expense. I tend to drive vehicles till 1 light year passed their value. Some one mentioned a 10 speed trans, the first thing through my mind was holy chit, what a nightmare to fix when it breaks a day after warranty.
I am looking at older gas or diesel. I enjoy the lessons in truckology.

Jim

 

[DRNewcomb]

Ha! I recall back in higschool drooling over 220HP of a 5.0 mustang! Ah the 90's.

Kinda' drooled a bit over a Shelby GT-350 Mustang in high school but saved most of my saliva for Jeeps. Ah the '60s.

 

[stacy]

Test drive an F-150 with with the 3.5 EcoBoost engine Regular unleaded, good gas mileage, plenty of hp along with 470 pounds-feet of torque The 10 speed transmission allows you to stay in the power band at all times. Will easily, comfortably and safely handle your 9000 pound trailer. That little Twin-Turbo V6 makes more hp and as much torque as your V10 makes, and does so at a much lower rpm

IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD GOT A FRIEND DONE BEEN DOWN THAT ROAD IN THE END SICK SICK NOT WHAT HE WANTED AFTER 2 SETS OF TURBO'S IT NOW BELONG TO FORD !!!!!!!!!!!! 9000 LBS IS WAY TO MUCH WEIGHT FOR ANY 1/2 TON TRUCK !!!!!!

 

[TZaun]

Test drive an F-150 with with the 3.5 EcoBoost engine Regular unleaded, good gas mileage, plenty of hp along with 470 pounds-feet of torque The 10 speed transmission allows you to stay in the power band at all times. Will easily, comfortably and safely handle your 9000 pound trailer. That little Twin-Turbo V6 makes more hp and as much torque as your V10 makes, and does so at a much lower rpm

That little EcoBoost is the most impressive motor I've ever driven. I know exactly why you say to test drive it. You do need to drive one to understand that statement. Only knock on it is the 1/2 ton chassis it comes in. I agree with @Greg Taylor that you want a heavier chassis when pulling big loads, especially if you pull them more frequently.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I have a 2014 RAM 1500 Laramie crew cab with the 5.7L Hemi and adjustable air ride suspension. Hands down the most powerful truck I've owned and also gets the best fuel mileage out of any truck I've ever owned. I have some after market parts, (throttle body, intake, throttle controller, and Diablo tuner) and it's not hard to get over 20 mpg cruising down the highway at high speeds. (And i havent even tried the 'economy' tune) Cruising with my 18 ft aluminum fishing boat with 150 HP 4 stroke outboard motor, fully geared up, and wife and son in the cab, I get about 14-15 mpg on flat highway. So still very respectable towing mileage.

2014 is where they went to the 8 speed transmission and it really improves pulling performance on hills and acceleration. Also helps with fuel mileage when the multi-displacement kicks in and it's running on 4 cylinders. I'm pushing over 450 HP from under the hood so she'll flat get up and go when I need her to. My truck will run normal 87 octane, but I spend the extra money and only run Premium 91 Octane fuel or higher. Burns much cleaner and you'll thank yourself later for not putting junk fuel in your engine. Just the same as I only run the best 15,000 mile synthetic (racing/towing) oil, yet change it every 5,000 miles. The little extra care will pay off in the long run.

The 4 corner air suspension is a towing man's dream. Full auto level sensing never let's the ass of the truck sag no matter how much weight you put on the hitch or in the bed. Cornering is unbelievably stable. Hands down the best suspension a person can have for towing. Even for just daily driving the air suspension makes the truck feel like a sports car in the corners.

I would also recommend the Ram Box bed if you don't plan on hauling anything really wide in the bed. The built in tool boxes are one of my favorite features on the truck. I use the passenger side box for emergency fishing gear...yes there is such a thing in Montana. Lol. Drivers side is tools, tow straps, jumper cables, etc. Both tool boxes and tailgate lock and unlock with the doors when you press the key fob. Very nice touch by RAM trucks so you don't need to use a key on the boxes every time you want to lock and unlock them.

All in all, RAM makes one hell of a truck. My whole life I was a GM guy, I drove all kinds of Ford trucks at work putting many thousands of miless on them. Even made the mistake of owning a Toyota Tundra once Tho Im only nearing 33,000 miles on my truck, I have labeled myself a fan and firm believer in RAM. They know how to build a truck

Here's a picture of my dash while cruising down a flat stretch of highway at 77 mph. If you look in the bottom left you'll see my current fuel mileage. (Sorry i didnt dust my truck that day) It's was jumping from 21-22 mpg the whole way. I can get better mileage going slower.



Although my truck is rated for over 10K towing, I would probably go with a 2500 Cummins diesel RAM if pulling 9,000 lbs regularly. Figured I'd tell you about some of the features on my 1/2 ton tho because you can also get them on the bigger models.

 

[Peterson1]

I currently use an F-250 V-10 to pull our 9000lb travel trailer to shoots, It typically averages 7.5 mpg which sucks. I am thinking about a new Dodge with either the 5.7 liter or the new 6.4 liter. I am looking for guys that can give me feedback that are using either engine and what kind of mileage your getting while towing! The dealer just told me they avg 18mpg but had no towing mileage estimates! I used to own diesel trucks, but diesel fuel prices are always 70-80 cents more than unleaded reg, plus everything on a diesel is more expensive. Any info will help, so tell me what your using.

I didn't like the high engine RPM (Whine) and constant transmission gear changes and the poor performance (acceleration) of the gas engine (Chevy).
The 3/4 ton Duramax Chevy engine is a good performer if you plan on towing.
Not claiming its the cheapest!!!!
CLP

 

[dkhunt14]

Boy for 20 to 40 thousand dollars to trade for a new truck, I can buy a lot of fuel. Matt

 

[johnu]

It may not be the best choice for Riverwolf who regularly tows 9000 lbs, but for someone who tows a lesser amount or an occasionally heavy load, the F150 w/3.5 EcoBoost should warrant a look. I recently bought a 2016 F150 2wd supercrew with 6.5' bed (longest available in F150 supercrew), 3.55 rear end and heavy duty towing package and I'm pretty impressed. Better than 18mpg around town and 23 on the highway (depending on speed and headwind.) Haven't needed to tow anything yet so couldn't tell you what the mileage is while towing. Max towing capacity per Ford is 11,900. Would I tow that much? Likely not, but good to know I have the ability if I really need it.

John

 

[M-61]

It may not be the best choice for Riverwolf who regularly tows 9000 lbs, but for someone who tows a lesser amount or an occasionally heavy load, the F150 w/3.5 EcoBoost should warrant a look. I recently bought a 2016 F150 2wd supercrew with 6.5' bed (longest available in F150 supercrew), 3.55 rear end and heavy duty towing package and I'm pretty impressed. Better than 18mpg around town and 23 on the highway (depending on speed and headwind.) Haven't needed to tow anything yet so couldn't tell you what the mileage is while towing. Max towing capacity per Ford is 11,900. Would I tow that much? Likely not, but good to know I have the ability if I really need it.

John

I do not know how these manufacturers come up with the tow ratings they publish. One should be concerned with the STOPPING first. Each makers trucks, as you go up in numbers 150-250-350 etc; 1500-2500-3500, have numerous major changes not only to the brakes but the chassis.
I prefer the longest wheelbase truck to tow with......it just goes straight down the road. Get a shorter wheelbase and you are 'steering' all the time. Of course parking a four door Dodge with an 8 foot bed is not great but then we are talking towing not shopping.

 

[johnu]

I do not know how these manufacturers come up with the tow ratings they publish. One should be concerned with the STOPPING first. Each makers trucks, as you go up in numbers 150-250-350 etc; 1500-2500-3500, have numerous major changes not only to the brakes but the chassis.
I prefer the longest wheelbase truck to tow with......it just goes straight down the road. Get a shorter wheelbase and you are 'steering' all the time. Of course parking a four door Dodge with an 8 foot bed is not great but then we are talking towing not shopping.

I actually agree with you re the stopping! Will I ever have to tow 11,000 pounds? Doubt it, but if I do at least I won't have to borrow another truck. And you can bet I would be driving nice and easy while doing it. Helps that the truck has trailer sway control and trailer brake controller. If hills/mountains are involved, a diesel would be the way to go. I looked at the Dodge Ecodiesel, but the F150 had better payload/towing capacity. And parking a 4 door with a 6.5' bed ain't that easy either!

Just like the idea of owning a truck that is something more than a sedan with a bed in the back . . .

John

 

[brokeasajoke]

Unfortunately for guys like me it all comes down to avaliable cash. That being said choose the right truck for what you plan on doing with it. You can feed a dog, you can feed a cat, but diesel is where it's at. There is an unbelievable difference intowing stability from a SRW(single rear wheel) to a DRW(dual rear wheel). Also I would choose a gear for its use ie highway or around town. If money was available I love to find a low miles mint 1994.5+ ford crew 7.3 or a cummins from the same era. I love the dana 60s on the front of the ford f350s and 99up 250s for 4x4. Those things have massive parts. Maintaining a diesel can be reduced if you do the labor yourself and shop for oil change specials at big box parts stores. Though I don't use it I have seen rotella 15w-40 as low as 12.50 per gallon. Local tractor supply had it for $30 per 2.5 gal. My last fuel filter on my 7.3 IDI was $45. I can score 14mpg out of it but I like to surprise people with my banks turbo system and r&d idiperformance injector pump. My right foot directly affects my mpg in it. As a side note my LWB supercab F250 with a holley 4bbl gets 6.5to10mpg.

 

[M-61]

The equivalent of Rotella T and appears frequently on Amazon at this price:

Mobil 1 112786 15W-40 Delvac 1300 Super Motor Oil - 1 Gallon $12.47

Rotella T4 and Mobil 1300 are both non-synthetic (which I use)

 

[johnu]

+1. I love seeing all the Super Duties that will never smell a trailer. As for what you can afford, I got a really good deal on the Screw with the long bed. Why? Because only those with the short bed will fit in a garage! (I don't have a garage.)

John

 

[Tommie]

OMG. Higher octane gasoline does NOT equate to higher quality, power or anything else. Octane rating is only an indication of resistance to "pre-ignition" under compression.

 

[Wingnut00]

My take on pullin anything is simple. I ain't gonna pull jack squat with a gas burner unless my diesel is broke down which don't happen very often. I've had three diesels (two fords and a piece of junk dodge) and my current is a 15 ford one ton. I can't live without a diesel. While back I hauled 15 head of yearlings to the sale barn in Belle Fourche SD and got 12mpg runnin 80mph. Pretty impressive I think. Unloaded gets bout 19. Buy a ford diesel period. You won't be sorry.

 

[mr45man]

I love seeing all the Super Duties that will never smell a trailer.

Or have cow crap in the fender wells.

 

[tmwinds]

OMG. Higher octane gasoline does NOT equate to higher quality, power or anything else. Octane rating is only an indication of resistance to "pre-ignition" under compression.

The above statement is correct. What was not said was that under a heavy load and at low rpm's lower octane fuel will tend to pre-ignite.The engine knock sensors will cause the engine electronics to retard the timing to eliminate the pre-ignition which results in less power output and lower fuel mileage.

 

[riverwolf1]

I have owned 3 Ford F-250 diesels, the last of which was the 2005, 6.0 diesel, loved the truck until we were on our way to a shoot in Utah. Got off the ramp and the entire truck was engulfed in blue/gray smoke, limped into campground with our fifth wheel, and was stranded for 9 days, the ford dealer was really great with us, as the truck was just out of 5 years warranty, but only had 86,000 miles on it and they went to ford diesel desk in MI with a request for help with repairs and they granted help to the tune of $3,000.00. Here's where the story gets interesting, the head diesel mechanic says to me, "are you aware of all the problems with the 6.0", my answer NO, he says be sure to look up on internet " problems with ford 6.0 Diesel engine, so I did, and man what a shocker, ford spent over 1 billion dollars on warranty issues. Sued Navistar and was awarded 500 million! Now we got our truck back, and our part of the bill was $5,500.00,on Saturday, and departed Sunday for home, we got to just north of town, and lost all turbo boost, limped all the way home, and took truck to our local ford dealer and they said the engine failure had an impact on the turbo and its failure! Another $1500.00, then 4 months later it started stalling, as you started to stop at traffic lights, so they put a flight recorder on it and found that an internal sensor called a chip detector was bad, and replacement would be $2500.00.
That's when I decided to go with a gasser! The original problem that caused all this was an inter turbine cooling tube, once it fails it ingests cooling fluid and the turbo forces the coolant into the entire engine! The diesel tech told me he put all the internal engine parts through the parts washer 6 times to get all the residue off the parts! Now thats why i have a reluctance to buy another diesel. That repair bill took all of my shooting entry fees and travel money for 6 months.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I do not know how these manufacturers come up with the tow ratings they publish. One should be concerned with the STOPPING first. Each makers trucks, as you go up in numbers 150-250-350 etc; 1500-2500-3500, have numerous major changes not only to the brakes but the chassis.
I prefer the longest wheelbase truck to tow with......it just goes straight down the road. Get a shorter wheelbase and you are 'steering' all the time. Of course parking a four door Dodge with an 8 foot bed is not great but then we are talking towing not shopping.

The brakes are much larger and beefier, suspension technology is much better, and the chassis have better designs with added supports on today's 1/2 ton trucks. Truck companies don't just increase the power under the hood then bump up the towing capacity numbers for marketing purposes I owned a 1989 Chevy 2500 with disk brakes in the front and drums in the rear. My 2014 Ram 1500 has discs all around, but the discs and calipers on my RAM are much larger than what I had on my 1989 3/4 ton Chevy. It's very clear that braking has been addressed for towing with 1/2 Ton trucks. There's no doubt that todays 1/2 ton trucks have more than enough stopping power for loads in excess of 10K lbs.

RAM's new 4 corner air suspension is far superior to any conventional suspension when it comes to tow handling in any conditions. My truck is a crew cab with the short 5.7 ft RAM BOX bed (so it has a pretty short wheel base) and I guarantee it will handle its towing capacity in the corners better than most 3/4 ton long bed trucks with conventional suspension.

As an added benefit for towing, my truck came equipped with a OEM trailer brake controller and towing mode button that disables the MDS and changes the shift points in the transmission to allow for higher RPM and tighter shifts for better acceleration and handling on hills. With the 8 speed automatic transmission in tow mode, it feels like smooth constant acceleration as it shifts tightly with minimal RPM loss between gears

Although my RAM is only a 1/2 ton, it is a towing machine if I need it to be

 

[Shaggy357]

I wish Dodge would come up with the one ton dually with 5.9 Cummins and 6-Speed Alison.....that would be a haulin' sob........