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Comments
Allen
i have a 2000 dakota quad, 4.7, auto, 4x2, 3.92 rear, towing package and just basically loaded.
i traveled from the mississippi gulf coast to just 40 miles east of kansas city missouri which was 850 miles one way. i ran 70 mph the whole trip out of overdrive, and the rpm was 3500rpm. i pulled a 1200lb 6x12 uhaul trailer up there empty, and i averaged 10mpg, the return trip was with an additional 1000lbs in the trailer and still averaged 10mpg, i dont think the weight really matters to the truck, i think it is more the wind drag, my boat is more aerodynamic and it weighs 4900lbs and i average about 10 mpg with it also, i think once you lock out that overdrive its just gonna hang in the 10mpg range if your rpm's are in the 3500rpm range.
well i hope this helps any body thats interested in trips and towing.
robert
p.s. i know someone will ask why i didnt just rent a trailer in missouri, well it costs 125.00 to rent local for 4 days, it costs 250.00 to rent one way, so i figured in estimated fuel costs and i decided it would be cheaper to pull it with me than rent it there.
I would advise anyone ordering a vehicle to have the dealer fax you a copy of the order receipt that lists all of the options ordered that they get back from the carmaker.
jazztbone
Bookitty
Bookitty
p.s. "amber, ergo, zoom!"
Bookitty
Who would have thought that I would be associating with a bunch of Shakespeare quoting pickup drivers!!!!!!
Zoots, me thinks it is too much, I must away (there is a really interesting discussion going on 'in another place' on the merits of crimping or soldering connectors in a Jaguar XJ-S).
My God, has it really come to this.
stock radio. Went to Circuit City and bought
a Hi-End Kenwood reciever: AM-FM CD, mask face
security, wireless remote. Installed it myself
in about 1 hour start to finish. Front dash
piece removes easy.
Later I plan on replacing the stock speakers
with POLK or Infinity coaxial 2-ways.
With plug in connectors you will not be "cutting"
any wires on your new truck. I could have the
stock rig in place of the Kenwood in about 10 min. and know one would know the difference.
For the same money as the "infinity system" you
can have a whole lot more. I would reccomend
looking at some of the stereo shops in your area
and find a rig that meets your needs. I prefer
Kenwood or Alpine... stay away from the bargin
brands now is not the time to be cheesy......
....otherwise you would be driving a FORD! LOL
renegade69
Bookitty
robert
I will let you guys know what he has to say.
E-mail me with your exact order and where you ordered. I'm only at 7 weeks but I'm interested in the exact process and and have a loan rate good for only x amount of time.
Does anybody have a clue as to how allocations are actually parcelled out, is it based on overall sales during x amount of time, specific sales of new stock, or a combination of what factors?
I agree that other factors, including dealer or zone allocations, are at work here, but I can't get any specifics and worse yet don't know how to get around it. Called the dealer two days ago to find out what the zone manager had to say, but haven't gotten a call back. That's not a good sign.
Bookitty
Bookitty
pleased with the initial results. As far as the
install goes it's a breeze. There is a plastic
trim ring which goes around the entire dash.
Tilt your steering wheel to the lowest position
to help in the removal. You can use a screw driver
to help get the trim strip off, it is one piece
molded held on by small snap clips. once it is
removed place it out of your way. You'll need a
small socket to to remove the existing radio.
There are 2 nuts visible, that's it! Do not cut ANY wires, simply unplug. When you purchase your new stereo tell the clerk you need the face adapter and the radio harness adapter. Follow the
instructions regarding matching the wires together
from the wire harness adapter and new head unit.
They're color coded and marked. Put everything
back the way it was and .....walla! custom
install.
Looking at the doors and door speakers it looks
like you will have to loosen the bottom half of
the door trim to gain access to the speakers.
Ozark, I spent the $30.00 and also bought the
wireless remote. It is easier to use it than
to reach across the dash constantly if you are
a channel hopper. My 12 year old son thinks he's
kewl because he can sit in the back seat and
work the stereo. Life is so tuff! Reply with
any questions.
PS check out kenwoods homepage to help find the
receiver right for you..........later.
renegade69
KnK
ps - hang in there. You'll smile about it someday. We've all gotta have war stories about 'how hard it used to be' for the grandkids and the reunions.
cowtownkid
that my Quad had arrived. Went to the dealership
tonight (my wife drove me there) and did all of the
paperwork. Went to delivery, only to discover that
it was equipped with 3.92 ratio differentials.
Refused the truck, salesman came over and showed me
that the order manager had changed the ratio
because you cannot get the 3.55 with 4.7 and 5
speed with towing. Problem is, that no one informed
me and I have been waiting since 12/24/99. They
were rather casual about the whole thing, but I was
very upset, since no one bothered to call or
inform me. They said that they could order me
another truck, but that was all they could do. Now
I'm wondering if the combination of 4X4, 4.7, 5
speed, and tow is available with 3.55.
Unfortunately, it was 9:45 PM and the manager was
not there. Please respond by post if you have the
same combination and a 3.55. I can call D/C
tomorrow, but right now I am crushed. Perhaps
themacguy's prophecy is accurate.
Bookitty
Bookitty
Bookitty
DC Verification: "here's what your dealer ordered would you please review?"
Customer: "Thank you so much, since it's a new line and there may be a long wait, we certainly do want to make sure we finally receive exactly what we ordered"
I guess that would be 6 stars...
and I really did not want the 3.92. I could get an
attorney, but that is not practical. While it is
against my principal to re-order, I have done so,
and they have promised to push through the order.
Principal is an expensive hobby, and I really don't
have the time to wade into battle. It was an
honest mistake, but my mother always told me that I
would have to pay for my mistakes; She never
mentioned that I would have to pay for Reedman
Dodge's mistakes as well. You're a great bunch.
Bookitty (Quadwaiter)
Pioneer, your problems with them I fear will be
many and you'll be disapointed in the quality.
just an opinion!
You could go with the Kenwood cassette unit and
it appears to be plenty of room to mount a changer
under the passenger seat(at least w/buckets).
The MASK Face is a great feature, never have to
take the face off when you turn off the truck
it closes disguising it from would be thieves.
Also if they remove it from the truck they will
have to enter in your security code to turn it
on. Without it its just a brick.
For comparing units online, Crutchfield is
pretty good. However, they are kinda pricy.
Good luck..............LMK.
renegade69
kewl I had to have it for the summer. For all
you guys like myself who have the tow package
you'll like this!
While shopping I came across a device that you
plug into the hitch receiver of the truck. When
assembled, you have a portable picnic table and
an umbrella all built into this tailgators
delight. The tailgate in the down position is
the seat for 2 adults. perfect for camping,ball-
games, parties or whatever. This thing even can
be used as a bike carrier. Storage is a breeze
it comes in a heavy duty bag (the size of a small
suit case that everything is stored in).
Now for the best part.............................
......................it sold for $29.95!!!!!!!!!!
Later..........renegade69
Bookitty
Sorry to hear about your rear end.
I have the 4.7 5spd w/3.55lsd (& tow pkg), and I guess I will have to wait for a heavy load to try 1st and 3rd gears. Empty you only need 2nd, 4th, and 5th gears. Note the owners manual states that you shouldn't skip gears.
I didn't think my wife would like the 5spd, but she says it's a lot easier to drive than my 5.0 5spd Mustang was, except the truck isn't a convertable.
Would you believe that my wife made me pick up and haul a new diswasher home in the truck ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALER. First scratch at 4.3 miles. Many more to come.
Well it's bed time... I need to check on the truck, the kids, and the dog (in that order).
Good luck to all (bootkitty) and to all a good night.
I did the Volkswagon thing this morning (you know... Mr. Roboto). I put the CD in, turned up the volume... WOW.
Lost its destination on 3/18, Regained its destination on 3/20. Sitting in Fonda NY since 3/21 with 569 other DC vehicles ( 38 railcars assumed 15 vehicles per railcar) Only 200 some odd miles to go to NJ. Maybee it'll be here by EASTER BUNNY time #$#%^&*()_
Signed Frustrated
Would like to hear your frustrations also.../.
Maybee from all 569 of you?????
May I have ur comments???
This approach may work for ladders too. I've looked at the trailer hitch type rack and while it does provide you with a cross bar at the back of the truck, you still need something on your cab to bear some of the weight and provide a tying down point. The last thing you want to have happen is to launch a ladder through the car in front of you during hard braking or in my case have a canoe lift-off and cause an accident behind me.
If you do go with a roof system, I hope you're strong and tall. If you start out with an already high roof on a 4WD and then add another 6"-8" - that's getting up there to lift a 12'-17' long ladder / canoe by yourself without scratching some paint. The only other way would be to "walk" the ladders or canoes up through the bed and then on to the roof rack. This method rules out covering the bed with a cap.
Also think about antennas. I keep my CB antenna on the same side as the AM/FM, which in the case of the Dakota, does provide for more optimum radiation. This keeps one side clear to come up and over onto the roof rack. Maybe you could solve that problem with a retractable antenna.
Although not a roof rack, have you seen the product called a Hitch Hand? It is a bed extender that extends the bed approximately 39" past the edge of the lowered tailgate. Fits into the receiver hitch. Might work for canoes and kayaks. Looks like it might be a handy accessory for the Quad for hauling lumber,ladders, etc.
Another way is by 'opening up' the intake (air inlet) passages with a free flow 'Airaid' type system - part #300-117, available at the end of April for a couple of hundred bucks, and added to headers and a more' free flowing' exhaust (smooth mandrel bent type)(Gibson, Flowmaster, etc.), should give the 4.7 some much more noticeable low end grunt. Of course to really make the 4.7 a torque monster you'd need to get more fuel delivered (higher psi pump), burn more efficiently (better plugs; possibly more voltage) and change the 3.55 rear to a 3.92. But the intake, a cat back exhaust and plug changes should give you a large % of what you're looking for - for less $$$.
The fan noise - as has been discussed before by much more knowledgeable posters than me - is simply the viscous fluid getting up to flow temperature when cold. The only way around this that I know of is to switch to electric fans for cooling. By the way, I've heard MUCH noisier cars & trucks that have the same process to go through when warming up. I ride (several different) large displacement [non-permissible content removed] multicylinder bikes. They have similar warmup noises, too. One positive aspect of the noise is that it virtually forces you to warm up the car (give it a stretch, so to speak) every time it's cold, which is very good for the truck. :-)