Dodge trucks

[Zebragun]

I had considered a diesel a few years back, but in the used market, the initial cost of a diesel versus a gas was almost double. Add in the higher fuel and maintenance costs, it didn't pan out for me. The most I ever tow is an 18 foot flatbed, five to six thousand pounds. The one thing I did learn was to leave the cruise control off, if I didn't, it was always kicking it up to 4500 rpm or so to climb these hills around here.

 

[TAJ45]

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........

IIRC from "back in the day", Chrysler Corp wisely chose Allison for their 5.9 Cummins tranny. When they had a spat with Allison, they played hobs catching up. Probably wasn't the 6 speed but still an Allison.

 

[hoz53]

Thanks Geno, I will look at that, I currently use a high milage synthetic and they just put synthetic in the rear diff. About a month ago.

Most of these guys must be in the bucks, what with driving these 60,000 dollar trucksMy dodge truck is an 03 Dakota with 300,000 on it. coarse ive put plenty of repairs in it. Original Engine though. For what it is it has served me well --driven it all over the country. Just drive it local now. Best thing about it is my 90 year old dad who hobbles around with a walker can still get in it. I take him to town for coffee every day in it. Ive decided based on this thread Im not gonna buy a new truck worth more than all my guns Guess that means I gotta buy more Guns. Ill get to work on thatGood luck with your BIG Truck!

 

[snowpro440]

I would buy the Duramax and never look back , better fuel economy and more durable as I own 2 , 02 2500 Silverado crew cab 232K miles and 03 Sierra 2500 crew cab 201K miles .

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Most of these guys must be in the bucks, what with driving these 60,000 dollar trucksMy dodge truck is an 03 Dakota with 300,000 on it. coarse ive put plenty of repairs in it. Original Engine though. For what it is it has served me well --driven it all over the country. Just drive it local now. Best thing about it is my 90 year old dad who hobbles around with a walker can still get in it. I take him to town for coffee every day in it. Ive decided based on this thread Im not gonna buy a new truck worth more than all my guns Guess that means I gotta buy more Guns. Ill get to work on thatGood luck with your BIG Truck!

Ok you do that...pretty sure we're talking about trucks that can safely tow over 9,000 lbs...Dodge Dakota does not apply.

 

[JRS]

We are living in the year 2017, not 2003. If your 1/2 ton truck is less than 4 years old, it's essentially a 3/4 ton truck from 12 years ago. Towing numbers are skewed to keep consumers safe, when in reality, trucks can safely tow more than they claim. As for mpg, the difference between diesel and gas is 2-3 mpg in modern truck engines. Diesel engines in cars is a completely different ballgame. Anti sway features, staggered outboard rear shocks, transmission tow mode, torque, gearing, turbochargers, etc; etc; etc, has leveled the playing field. My F-150 has a rated towing capacity of 12,200 pounds, and a 3240 pound payload capacity, and can safely be exceeded. 95% of the time, my truck will not be used for towing heavy loads, and I prefer the smoother and more comfortable ride the 1/2 ton provides.

 

[TZaun]

We are living in the year 2017, not 2003. If your 1/2 ton truck is less than 4 years old, it's essentially a 3/4 ton truck from 12 years ago. Towing numbers are skewed to keep consumers safe, when in reality, trucks can safely tow more than they claim. As for mpg, the difference between diesel and gas is 2-3 mpg in modern truck engines. Diesel engines in cars is a completely different ballgame. Anti sway features, staggered outboard rear shocks, transmission tow mode, torque, gearing, turbochargers, etc; etc; etc, has leveled the playing field. My F-150 has a rated towing capacity of 12,200 pounds, and a 3240 pound payload capacity, and can safely be exceeded. 95% of the time, my truck will not be used for towing heavy loads, and I prefer the smoother and more comfortable ride the 1/2 ton provides.

I have to agree with you again JRS. I know a lot of people that think they pull heavy loads a lot. The actual percentage is undoubtedly less than 10% of their pickup's total miles. Not sure why they want such a terribly rough ride for the other 90% of the time?? I grew up a GM guy. Drove a friend's EcoBoost one day and bought one for myself. For the little (10% or less) I pull a heavy load, that thing doesn't miss a lick. I do notice, however, that the majority of the guys that haul the brand new travel trailers to the sales lots, use Dodge pickups. I'd say it's quite a ways over 90% of them that pull through my area, anyhow. That says something to me. They obviously document every dollar spent on repairs, fuel, and depreciation and the Dodge diesels must be the most economical. Since those pickups are ACTUALLY pulling a load over many, many miles, I can't help but think those guys would actually know, since it's their livelihood.

 

[Knotwild]

Interesting thread. I have a 1997 F-250, 7.3 diesel, 270,000 miles. A friend has one with over 500,000 and has only rebuilt the transmission. I ran mine for 2 years on home made biodiesel and 2 years on burnt motor oil mixed 50/50 with diesel. Taxes cost me $60 a year and the insurance is $360 for a full year.

If I were looking for a truck, I would search for another low mile 7.3.

 

[JRS]

Interesting thread. I have a 1997 F-250, 7.3 diesel, 270,000 miles. A friend has one with over 500,000 and has only rebuilt the transmission. I ran mine for 2 years on home made biodiesel and 2 years on burnt motor oil mixed 50/50 with diesel. Taxes cost me $60 a year and the insurance is $360 for a full year.

If I were looking for a truck, I would search for another low mile 7.3.

This is the interesting difference between modern technology and old technology:

1997 F-250 HD 7.3L Turbo Diesel Super Cab 4x4
Automatic transmission - 3.55 gear 9,300 lb. towing capacity - 18 mpg
" " - 4.10 gear 12,500 - 16-17 mpg
Manual Transmission - 3.55 gear 8,300 lb. towing capacity
" " - 4.10 gear 10,800

2017 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost SuperCrew 4x4
Automatic transmission - 3.55 gear 12,200 lb. towing capacity - 25 mpg

 

[Mr Underbridge]

I grew up in soviet union so most of our passanger cars were f#$ed over FIAT designs from the 60's.
Moved to the US of A in 1995 and had a bunch of 80's cars that I helped grandpa work on.

When people say "they dont make them like they used to" I cringe.
Were old cars "easy" to repair? YES.
I will still take a new car that is difficult to repair and more expensive to repair.
Hell depending on the engine you had to pull and clean and or replace old plugs in the old cars.
Alternators needed to be rebuilt on a regular basis, belts for a fan and other accessories needed constant changing, water pumps crapped out on a regular basis.
100K? time for a valve train rebuilt and new bearings and rings. Replace wheel bearings on a regular basis. Anything on the bottom of the car rusted if you looked at it funny. New fuel lines, brake lines, gas tank, e brake parts. Oil changes every 3k miles.

I had to replace my alternator on my ford focus at 180k miles, it was a pain in the ass to get to but I only had to do it once.
Spark plugs oh look its been 100k miles replaced em and i am all set.
Besides replacing calipers due to being in the bloody rust belt the only thing I had to worry about was engine oil changes (hell my air filter is a life time unit, never changed that either).
Old cars were easy to fix but they needed something fixed constantly.
Unless you are some twisted masochist with a large wallet who owns a BMW, most modern cars just need an oil change and in some cases a timing belt once every 100k miles or so along with the plugs.
I will take my modern "hard to repair" cars any day of the week.

 

[hoz53]

Ok you do that...pretty sure we're talking about trucks that can safely tow over 9,000 lbs...Dodge Dakota does not apply.

. geez Ledd chill out --sometimes you get a bit off topic to.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

. geez Ledd chill out --sometimes you get a bit off topic to.

Just stating an 03 Dakota does not apply to this topic. Not even in the same sport as trucks that can safely haul 9K lbs. Might as well talk about Toyota Tacomas while were at it And if a person wants to spend $60K on a truck, who's any of us to tell them different? Live and let live.

Besides, 300K is nothing for a diesel if properly maintained. There's been Dodge Cummins diesel trucks documented with over 1 million miles on the original engine without a rebuild. I've personally seen a couple of the old 5.9L Cummins with over 500K and still running strong. My gas burner could never go that long. Especially with how I drive it.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I grew up in soviet union so most of our passanger cars were f#$ed over FIAT designs from the 60's.
Moved to the US of A in 1995 and had a bunch of 80's cars that I helped grandpa work on.

When people say "they dont make them like they used to" I cringe.
Were old cars "easy" to repair? YES.
I will still take a new car that is difficult to repair and more expensive to repair.
Hell depending on the engine you had to pull and clean and or replace old plugs in the old cars.
Alternators needed to be rebuilt on a regular basis, belts for a fan and other accessories needed constant changing, water pumps crapped out on a regular basis.
100K? time for a valve train rebuilt and new bearings and rings. Replace wheel bearings on a regular basis. Anything on the bottom of the car rusted if you looked at it funny. New fuel lines, brake lines, gas tank, e brake parts. Oil changes every 3k miles.

I had to replace my alternator on my ford focus at 180k miles, it was a pain in the ass to get to but I only had to do it once.
Spark plugs oh look its been 100k miles replaced em and i am all set.
Besides replacing calipers due to being in the bloody rust belt the only thing I had to worry about was engine oil changes (hell my air filter is a life time unit, never changed that either).
Old cars were easy to fix but they needed something fixed constantly.
Unless you are some twisted masochist with a large wallet who owns a BMW, most modern cars just need an oil change and in some cases a timing belt once every 100k miles or so along with the plugs.
I will take my modern "hard to repair" cars any day of the week.

I agree. I loved my old 1989 Chevy 2500. Not much power compared to today's trucks, but could haul a good load and it was easy to work on. Problem was, as it got up near 200K miles, I was always working on it. Ended up selling it at 211,000 miles. Still didn't burn a drop of oil, but everything else was starting to go.

 

[JRS]

For the OP, the fact is, a modern, properly equipped gas powered 1/2 ton truck will easily and safely tow 9,000 pounds, for much less money than a diesel powered truck. Another expense that has to be considered when weighing the pros and cons with initial cost, is sales tax. Sales tax on $50,000 is considerably less than the sales tax on $75,000. If you are financing the truck, you also have to add the interest on the loan to that additional amount.

 

[Geno C]

For the OP, the fact is, a modern, properly equipped gas powered 1/2 ton truck will easily and safely tow 9,000 pounds, for much less money than a diesel powered truck. Another expense that has to be considered when weighing the pros and cons with initial cost, is sales tax. Sales tax on $50,000 is considerably less than the sales tax on $75,000.

You did see where he said he was keeping his v10 ford. Didn't you? I'm all for civil discussion about which truck a wants, and this has been more civil than just about any other truck thread that I've been involved in, but if you're trying to sway the guys opinion, I think it's a lost cause.

Today's 1/2 ton trucks are close to 3/4 ton trucks of 20 years ago, in towing capacity. I agree with that. Numbers don't lie.(not usually...) Throw a pallet of bricks in the back of each and it's an entirely different story.

I also agree with the fact that most guys get way more truck than they need. Most guys have way more guns that the need too. Nobody begrudges them that though! Truck threads are very seldom 100% need based and minimum anything is not where I want to be when it comes to towing things. You wreck one time and injure yourself or your family and you'll never forgive yourself for trying to get by with just enough. Over kill is never really over kill when you're on the highway with a load going 65+. In the winters I drive truck for a living. I see it way too often where a guy is towing a trailer that is within the trucks specs but isn't loaded right and is in my opinion unsafe. Sure they might not have a problem 99% of the time, but, if you're involved in the 1% the other 99 doesn't matter a bit. I can't count the number of avoidable accidents I've seen involving someone towing more than they should since I've been on the road. When I first started it was 3500-4000 miles a week most times and in ever type of traffic and weather.

That brings me to a point that was made that I don't agree with but don't have the numbers to back up so I'll say it as my opinion. While there are a large number of Dodge/Rams that are delivering trailers; it's far from 90%. Dodge had a good thing going with the Cummins for a lot of years, but, as someone else stated, when they stepped up to the plate to meet the newest emissions standards, they started having problems like the rest of them. One of the biggest draw for these guys wasn't actually the cummins in recent years. It was the fact that dodge was the last one to offer a standard transmission. When you're on the road for a living avoiding the potential problem of a blown transmission is a major part of a truck purchase. Sure all these autos put in these trucks and take a bit of hauling, some better than others. Not all of them fair well when they have to tow all their life. That was the problem for all the manufacturers at one time or another.

 

[JRS]

Not at all trying to sway the OP. I did, in fact, state "for the OP" not, to the OP. Simply stating a couple of additional items that have not been addressed with initial cost. The additional cost for sales tax and interest on a loan have to be considered.

 

[TZaun]

You did see where he said he was keeping his v10 ford. Didn't you? I'm all for civil discussion about which truck a wants, and this has been more civil than just about any other truck thread that I've been involved in, but if you're trying to sway the guys opinion, I think it's a lost cause.

Today's 1/2 ton trucks are close to 3/4 ton trucks of 20 years ago, in towing capacity. I agree with that. Numbers don't lie.(not usually...) Throw a pallet of bricks in the back of each and it's an entirely different story.

I also agree with the fact that most guys get way more truck than they need. Most guys have way more guns that the need too. Nobody begrudges them that though! Truck threads are very seldom 100% need based and minimum anything is not where I want to be when it comes to towing things. You wreck one time and injure yourself or your family and you'll never forgive yourself for trying to get by with just enough. Over kill is never really over kill when you're on the highway with a load going 65+. In the winters I drive truck for a living. I see it way too often where a guy is towing a trailer that is within the trucks specs but isn't loaded right and is in my opinion unsafe. Sure they might not have a problem 99% of the time, but, if you're involved in the 1% the other 99 doesn't matter a bit. I can't count the number of avoidable accidents I've seen involving someone towing more than they should since I've been on the road. When I first started it was 3500-4000 miles a week most times and in ever type of traffic and weather.

That brings me to a point that was made that I don't agree with but don't have the numbers to back up so I'll say it as my opinion. While there are a large number of Dodge/Rams that are delivering trailers; it's far from 90%. Dodge had a good thing going with the Cummins for a lot of years, but, as someone else stated, when they stepped up to the plate to meet the newest emissions standards, they started having problems like the rest of them. One of the biggest draw for these guys wasn't actually the cummins in recent years. It was the fact that dodge was the last one to offer a standard transmission. When you're on the road for a living avoiding the potential problem of a blown transmission is a major part of a truck purchase. Sure all these autos put in these trucks and take a bit of hauling, some better than others. Not all of them fair well when they have all their life. That was the problem for all the manufacturers at one time or another.

Geno, I apologize if I wasn't that clear with my observation. In no way am I implying that it is that way across the US, and that's exactly why I wrote "that pull through my area, anyhow". There are 3 or 4 companies that steadily pull the big travel trailers through my area. RARELY do you see anything in front that isn't a Dodge. I'm also pretty sure you nailed one of the reasons with the manual transmission comment. You make a couple more points that I agree with, also. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if the majority of pickups pulling heavy loads in the East or Southeast were anything but a Dodge, with all the trees to protect from the wind. People in that area will have their reasons for what they do. My observation is based off watching those poor guys tugging a 40' travel trailer into a 40-50 MPH wind at times, and 20+ more times than they care to see, I imagine. The fact that a great majority of them choose Dodge over anything else, when it's their livelihood, speaks volumes to a person willing to observe. Please keep in mind that I am not a Dodge blowhard. I've never owned one. Like I said earlier, I grew up a GM guy and now own a Ford, just to try out the EcoBoost. I have no stake in the game. I am simply just stating what I see, nothing else. Sorry if I didn't clear that up from the get-go.

 

[Geno C]

No need to apologize. Like I said, I have no numbers to back up my claim, just my observation as well.

In a 40-50mph head wind, they're all lucky to get 7mpg!! And when it's hitting you in the side, semi or not, once it hits 60ish mph you're just trying your luck until you get blown over

 

[Knotwild]

This is the interesting difference between modern technology and old technology:

There sure is. My old technology is capable of saving me a dollar a gallon in fuel costs. I can also pull it under the shed and repair almost anything on it for the cost of parts. I have seen my supervisor pull heavy loads with a 2014 F-250 gas engine. It was screaming it's guts out every time he took off or tried to accelerate.

The only technology I wish I could step up to would be an older indirect injected 6.9 or 7.3 with no computers, no sensors, and no turbo.

 

[TZaun]

No need to apologize. Like I said, I have no numbers to back up my claim, just my observation as well.

In a 40-50mph head wind, they're all lucky to get 7mpg!! And when it's hitting you in the side, semi or not, once it hits 60ish mph you're just trying your luck until you get blown over

There were 4 or 5 trucks blown over about a week or so ago. No storm, just the nasty, sustained wind we get from time to time here in ND. My hopper bottoms are fairly low profile, and I don't like running them in wind like that. Can't imagine pulling something high profile. I'd be white-knuckled, that's for dang sure!!