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Dodge Ram Quad Cab
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Comments
Because the fuel indication signal from the tank is dampened on most vehicles, there could be a scenario where you out-drive the fuel gauge and actually run out before the needle rests on empty. And, of course, there are people who live on the edge, so to speak, and will push the envelope and run the tank low thereby correspondingly run the risk of driving out of fuel.
This Dakota overshoots the empty and full marks considerably. But because the action of my fuel gauge does appear to be linear, I suspect that the engineers have built in some 'reserve' fuel supply by just under representing the actual amount of fuel left in the tank (as indicated). This probably keeps some people from walking.
Regards,
Dusty
So I wouldn't let CR sway my decision. BTW, I looking to replace my Chevy with a 1500 QC. I narrowed it down the the Ford Supercrew and the QC. The QC is first on my list because of the 6'3" bed vs the 5' for the Ford.
Also, mbatchelor, I also considered buying a Ford truck when I was considering buying the Dodge, but after learning of Ford's numerous(!) recalls on their new vehicles, bought the Dodge. After driving the Dodge Ram for over 30,000 miles since August 2001, I now realize that I made the best decision. The Ram is great!!
did you ever spring for a new ram??
Actually, the Consumers' Report reliability rating is not as reliable as you might think. There are data point flaws and serious ambiguities in the way they report. And despite the fact that it is all self-report, statistical analysts will tell you that this type of data is subject to potentially significant corruption.
I agree with you that Consumers' Union would unlikely accept outright bribes, however do not dismiss the possibility of politics seeping into their opinion. They have practiced outright deception. In the past they have used a marketing trick common to magazines and journals. They will mail you a "reminder" that your subscription is about to run out, sometimes up to six months prior to your actual renewal date. Because most people easily forget and are too busy to keep up on renewals of magazines and such, some people have stated that they were actually paid up through 3 or 4 years before they realized this deception practice. I'm not sure they still do this, but they did for some time. It seems sort of contradictory for a so-called "consumer advocate" to be practicing this type of tactic.
Best regards,
Dusty
the issue you bring to light about subscription practices is more of a problem with the contractor that CR uses to do their subscriptions rather than CR itself. when i was in college i used to work for a magazine subscription company and this is common practice...
On a related note we bounced that pickup over some extremely rough terrain and nary a squeak or rattle was to be found when I got home. This truck really is Ram tough!
Is this a good deal?
Steve
Good luck,
Dusty
I am researching a good looking tonneau cover for my Bright Silver beast, and looking for suggestions. I would like a fiberglass top, but have seen some pretty cool soft tops too. Anyone have one they would recommend and pricing? The fiberglass tops are pretty expensive from what I have seen, but at the same time I don't want anything that looks cheap.
I have looked at dozens of RAMs in the last year, talked to a dozen or more owners and some Dodge service people. There has been nothing but the strongest indication -- and praise -- that the new RAM is among the best assembled of any of the pick-up truck makes and models anywhere. In fact, separately two Dodge technicians told me that the assembly and component quality of all Dodge products have increased dramatically, so much so that they complained about not getting enough work and the corresponding decrease in compensation. The service manager at my dealership commented to me that in all his years in the business (12 with GM, 2 with Ford, 6 with Dodge), he has never seen a new product launch be as high a quality and as successful as the new RAM.
Dusty
it has
spring loaded tabs on one side of arms
two level adjustments for snaps and two level adjustments for arms all corners of frame have that spring loaded bearing in the hole connections so it dissassembles in 2 secs.
the adjustments are for winter (looser) and
summer(tighter)it s an awsome unit and it was worth every penny.
i got a deal on mine 300+ tax (canadian)
my truck is a 2000 dodge ram 2500 slt lariat shortbox
I have heard the Cummins diesel is a tremendous engine as far as reliability and longevity is concerned, but the only person I know who has used one a long time is a farmer who was lamenting that he lost a good truck at 231,000 miles when one of his men totalled it. Our local Dodge dealer said they have only seen a couple of failures and they were related to overheating from a freeze plug popping out of one and somehow someone lost the oil out of the other. I have also heard the high output version is a stronger engine for towing, but I am most concerned with longevity and durability. Anyone have any input about the Cummins engine in a pickup, good or bad, that I haven't heard?
What about the longevity and durability of the Dodge rear ends and manual transmissions with the diesel engine? I have heard of failures of automatics from all three brands tied to diesel engines.
I would appreciate any input anyone can give me concerning these questions.
I have never heard of a differential failure on a diesel Dodge. I've heard and read about some automatic transmission problems with the Cummins. Most of those appear to be related to the shift solenoids and were not complete failures.
I've never heard anything but high praise about the Cummins engine. I work with a fellow that went from a GM to a Dodge, and he considers the Cummins a much better engine. My daughter rides horses and the stable purchased two Fords in 2002 to replace their old Dodge. I've heard the stable owner say that the Cummins is the better engine.
Now, that being said, I must tell you that I'm not sure why these people liked their Cummins engines better. I do know that the stable owner has has some problems with the Ford diesel, but I don't know what that is. My impression from the guy at work is that it's a performance issue.
There is one thing I've noticed about diesel owners in general. Some seem to think that because they've got a truck with a diesel that the towing capacity is that of a tractor-trailer and I believe some of their transmission problems were related to over zealous towing practices.
Good luck with your search.
Dusty
I think that pretty much rules out the Dodge for you. The Ford Crew Cab is pretty much in a class of its own. That's not to say that the Ford is a better vehicle than the Dodge, just that six adults in a Crew Cab will be far more comfortable on a long trip.
I've driven both. The RAM Quad interior feels bigger, much more airy and the "extended" part of the cab is very large. The front passenger room is spacious. My kids loved the RAM rear seat over the Ford, mostly because the rear seat in the Ford is lower, the Dodge was higher. they liked the fact that they could see better.
Comparatively the Dodge rear seating is not quite as generous as the Ford. The Ford front/rear passenger space is more balanced. However, I'm not sure how comfortable a long ride would be for three adults in the rear of the SuperCrew, anyways. Two should ride fairly well, I'd think.
Regards,
Dusty
yeah, it's unfortunate but the automakers are digging to find ways to pay for all those big incentives and no interest loans they've been writing up over the last year...
The economics of diesels is questionable with the higher cost. The fuel mileage is much better in most cases. For the additional price of the diesel engine, however, you could get a gas engine rebuilt twice, which means you could probably drive it 250,000 miles. The problem is, most of the gas engines don't have the towing capacity of the diesels, or the stronger transmissions to match.
As for the Ford diesel, I have had occasion to talk to two owners and had hearsay on a third in which the engines have lasted a long time and given no trouble. The lowest was 198,000 miles and it was traded in by an elderly couple for a newer Ford with the same diesel engine. They indicated they didn't have any problems with it but used it to tow a camper all over the country and got a new one for their own peace of mind. The second one was a four wheel drive that had 300,000 miles on it and it was still going strong, at the time being used to pull some large shrubs up by the roots at a church. The third was hearsay, related by a Ford salesman (often not the most reliable source of information on the brand they sell or the competition). The reason I tend to believe him, however, is that he works for a company that owns a Ford dealership in one town and a Dodge dealership in one 15 miles away so he could sell either. He told a story of a farmer that had a Ford in which the engine lasted so long he decided to keep it until it broke to see how long it would run. It was being used to pull a load of hay when the engine croaked at 600,000 miles.
I am surprised at the stables having a problem with the performance of the PS versus the Cummins, although I have just driven a Dodge on the street with no load. The regular PS is larger than the Cummins, and with the exception of the HO Cummins, I think it has more torque. I did notice Ford sells their diesel with a standard 3.74, or something like that, rear end, or an optional 4.10. Don't hold me to the actual figures and I think Dodge's is in the 4.xx range. I would think if there is a different rear end in the two they would appear to pull differently.
I haven't owned a newer Ford PS or a Cummins at all, but I am leaning to the Dodge unless the Quad Cab isn't large enough to carry five or six. I thought the 2003 Dodges had expanded their cab to include room for six, but I may be mistaken. I was disappointed when looking at used trucks, though, that I couldn't find a full "crew cab" version in one.
The stable (Fords) owner is not the one I think had an issue with performance. I'm pretty sure the stable owner's dissatisfaction has been with reliability/repair issues.
The person who I think had a performance issue was the fellow I work with. He had a GM diesel.
Regards,
Dusty
89 octane is recommended for the hemi in the ram. but 87 is acceptable, just won't get the advertised hp/torque with 87.
as for the magnum...that baby does look mighty mean! however, i don't think dodge has any plans to offer a "supercharged" hemi in any cars or trucks...
I ran into a neighbor in the barbershop the other day who uses Dodges in his farming. There are several around us who do. I asked if he used diesels, and he said he had a diesel he loves for the farm, as well as a V-10. He said he was towing a load with the V-10 a day or so earlier and found it will get a load moving faster than the diesel will, which is good if you are merging onto an interstate or crossing an intersection but the diesel will definitely roll it, just takes longer to get it to highway speed.
I had heard the new Ford PS was going to have aluminum heads, which concerned me, but in their web site it indicates it has iron heads, which should be better. It is supposed to be smaller with more power and torque, though, which bothers me a bit, too, in a brand new engine.
GM's new Duramax does have aluminum heads from what I've seen. Did the performance problems you've heard of with the GM diesel come from that engine or their older ones?
I am surprised at the PS having repair/reliability problems. Even the older one I had, which wasn't called a Powerstroke, never gave me a moment of trouble until it holed that piston, and it still got me home. Do you recall the type problems he was having by any chance?
I talked to the stable owner. Their Fords are a 2001 350 and a 2002 450. They have special fiberglass (I think) cargo bodies set up for towing horse trailers. I took mental note of the problems she rattled off, so bare with me.
She said that they have had automatic transmission problems with both. The older one needing a complete tear down and rebuild at about 17K. The other has had shifting problems, especially in cold weather and has not been properly resolved by the dealer.
One has had a problem off and on with low oil pressure. Oil pump and main bearings replaced. Also had a repeating coolant leak on one, radiator and "something else" was replaced. Both have suffered from rough idle and they don't believe they're getting the fuel mileage they think they should get (15-18 MPG).
One had an intermittent starting problem in the cold, traced to some kind of computer failure. One had a wiper motor fail. Both have had the heater cores leak into the cab and replaced. Twice on the older one. One had the emergency brake seize. One had a power window regulator fail.
Despite the above problems, what really seemed to light her fire was "constant problems with brakes." Premature rotor failure seems to be most of the problem here, as far as I can deduce. She said they've put big money in brake repairs. She also said, compared to her old Dodge (I think was a '93), the Fords are "sloppy handlers."
She didn't have a complaint about power, but she didn't seem to think that her two Fords were much more powerful than her older truck. I neglected to ask if the old Dodge was an automatic. Sorry.
That's all I can remember.
Hope this helps,
Dusty
I'm looking at some Dodge 2500's and 3500's at present.
Thanks!
I just recently bought a Dodge Dakota off the lot and it did not have the mouldings, either. When making my deal I did get the dealer to agree to install the factory mouldings for me at dealer cost. This would've been handled through the parts department and installed later by the service department.
I don't remember what that price was, but I think it would've been in the $100 range. I later elected not to get them and instead took the bedliner at dealer cost.
Anyway, many if not most auto parts jobbers can get various styles for you. The national auto parts chain stores I think stock some, too. I believe I've even seen them in WalMart, etc.
Good luck with your new RAM. They are a very nice truck.
Regards,
Dusty
I took a quad cab hemi out for a spin and discussed ordering a truck with the fleet manager afterwards. Surprisingly, he told me that the Infinity stereo upgrade that included the in-dash CD changer was not available - yet. But he said it would be avail. "later" in the year. Kinda odd since the option is listed here on Edmunds and elsewhere. Since we were discussing an order I didn't see any reason for him to make that up. Has anybody got this factory option on their truck?
Chevy4me: Order time was estimated at 6-8 weeks, with closer to 8. Don't know if there's a side-curtain delay since I didn't discuss that option.
DB