I am sorry I did not specify the exact ambient temp. for your reading pleasure. The temps. ranged from 10 to 15 during that period of time. REMEMBER the question was not about engine blocks and oil, it was about diesels in cold weather W/O an electrical source to plug into, and I was letting Defiant that it has been cold enough here lately to freeze your sack off, with a Wind Chill........Bill
I own two dodge rams, one is a 94 360 gas regular cab 4x4, with a 8.5ft meyers plow. I also own a 2000 qc 4x4 diesel 3.54gears, and have a 9ft arctic plow. Both plows are poly plows, which weigh 850-900lbs. The Dodge trucks can handle the plow without and helper springs etc. needed. I plow quite a bit of land and over rough terrain, and the trucks handle it very well, the diesel does it better, you won't even know the plow is on the front. I recomend the arctic 9ft poly, very sturdy, and quick.
On a side note, I am getting about 16mpg(cdn) empty city/hwy, and was wondering if this is good, or not.
Hi, I did lots of research on the internet, and in magazines. I finally chose the Dodge 2500 with 24 valve Cummins Diesel over a Ford. [I've owned an F250, and it was Fixed Or Repaired Daily, it was a 1977 though, gas]. This truck has the quadcab, heavyduty battery/ alternaor package, and it sits way off the ground, reminiscent of the early 1970's F250's. I got it from a guy who ordered it, and couldnt pay for it, with only 9200 miles on it. $32,000, with a cap. It came with LT245 75R16 E rated Michelins, [all season jokes][I'm in Connecticut], I put on LT265 75R16 Yokohama Geolandar A/T's instead of BF Goodrich. If I had ordered it myself, I would have ordered the limited slip rear axle, and camper package which this guy didnt. Its still a huge tank, excellant off the road in deep snow, even better than my old FJ62 Toyota Land Cruiser, [due to its ground clearance]. OK, I'm in my slit trench, helmet on, waiting for any Ford owners who dont agree. Andy "The Codfather" Gordon
Dodgeboy, I take you are getting 16MPG out of your Cummins? that is pretty good all around MPG's, that is about what I get, except when it is cold my MPG goes down slightly. I get around 17-18 MPG HWY unloaded, and 11-13MPG towing a two axle with a car onboard.........Bill
I had a Dodge tech check out the truck. It turns out the factory had not tightened the clamps on both the inlet and outlet air lines for the turbo. After that was fixed(two minutes) power and mileage improved greatly.
We have a 24 valve Dodge 3500 and live in Edmonton, Alberta ,Canada. Needless to say it gets cold here sometimes. No problems with starting the truck without being plugged in. I have started it at minus 20 deg Celsius( minus 5 deg F I'm guessing)without probelms. Follow the manual instructions for cold start.
Am interested to know what kind of mileage a Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 w/5.9L diesel and auto tranny gets, versus a Ford F250 SD Crew Cab 4x4 w/7.3L diesel and auto tranny gets. Am considering buying one of the two. Both engines seem nearly equal in power (480 lbs torque vs 500 lbs torque). Like the looks of both but wish Dodge would make a crew cab in the 2500 with leather captain's chairs. Anyway, any comments of fuel mileage?
It depends on the axle ratio. Both Dodge and Ford offer a 4.10 axle ratio, so that would be the only fair comparison. If you don't opt for the 4.10, which a lot of people do not, Ford offers the 3.73 and Dodge offers the 3.55. The 3.55 will provide better mpg with normal driving, but the 3.73 will be better for towing and mountains. Most mpg figures I've seen have put the Dodge Cummins at about 2-3 mpg better than the Ford, but I'm not sure how much of that can be attributed to the axle ratios.
My man and I are looking to buy a new truck, a diesel, to haul a 5-ton sailboat about twice a year, and to use for long rambling road trips hauling a fifth-wheel or a large truck camper. We have narrowed our choices down to a Ford F250 or a Dodge Ram 2500. I am interested in opinions on: -reliability -ride and comfort on the road -how hard will it be for a 5'2" woman to handle -mileage
I notice some excellent opinions at this site, so am interested in hearing more specific to our needs if you have any. Thanks.
Thanks for your response "leroybkr". We are only considering a small fifth-wheel, 20'-24'. Another consideration is whether we really need a 4WD. We will be hauling our 10,000 lb boat only twice a year for about 100 miles each time, in summer weather, on flat prairie. The rest of the time we will be pulling the fifth wheel, and NOT in Manitoba winters. We have no intention of off-roading, or heading too far off into the wilderness, just exploring in N.A. Why do you think we would need something bigger than the F250 /Ram 2500?
I have a Y2K 2500 Ram 4x4 Sport QC, it will easily yank your 10,000 lb. sailboat. With the proper hitch setup i.e. weight distributing, and stabilizer, you could easily handle my truck at 5'2", with plenty of power and pretty decent MPG. My last trip with a two axle car trailer, car, and spare engine, I got 13.2 MPG at 74 MPH, right about 6000lbs. I am on my second Ram, first was Gas not enough Torque, and poor MPG....Bill
Thanks Brutus for all the excellent info, and likewise Bmckenzie. Very helpful. I am laughing at my concern about managing either the F250 or the ram 2500, as I have been driving a 72 Ford F350 1-ton Crewcab with NO power-steering for 24 years with no trouble. Must have just been the "buying jitters" after so many years.
Did the test drive thing, both of us are very pleased with the diesel, and were pretty set on having one. Amazed at the ride of the F250. Had read that it was tough, but found it better than our 97 Explorer XLT, very comfortable even in the rear of the supercab, and we gave it a good run on rotten roads. Eliminated the 2500 - liked a lot of the luxuries of the Lariat better, although both are dynamite trucks, we admit to a bit of a Ford bias.
We were looking at Bigfoot campers they're great, Brutus, but you are right about space. We have no other toys to haul, and the trailer would definitely be more comfortable for me to haul, so we will definitely go with the F250 4x4 with the Powerstroke 7.3.
I found reading all the posts on this site very helpful over the last month or two, and if we have any issues with the truck, will let others know.
I've seen some Bigfoot 2500 Series on 3/4 tons, but you would definitely be overweight. With the 3/4 ton, the Bigfoot 1500 would be the best choice if you go that route. It's my understanding that the 1500 doesn't have the basement storage, but some people don't like that option anyway.
For those who don't know, basement storage is a storage compartment under the floor of the camper. It's ideal for storing things you might not necessarily want in the camper immediately. For me, that would include fishing poles, waders, clam digging shovels, etc. The trade-off is that the space of the basement (about 8-10 inches) has to either make the camper taller or the inside shorter. The ceiling inside my camper is 6'4" I think. I believe the comparable Lance model is 6'7". I'm 6', so it's not an issue for me.
And when it comes to headroom, nobody beats the Bigfoot cabover bed. 42" inches of clearance. I can sit up in that bed with several inches of clearance. If you were in a pouring rain storm and your friends and kids wanted some temporary relief from their tent camping, you could easily put several kids up in the bed area to play games while four adults sat at the dinette. Actually, adults could sit up in the bed area and play games. It's basically an extra room. Another bias opinion.
Still, if you don't have toys, I'd check out some trailers. Like I said, you'll definitely have more living space to move around in. Just to make sure there is no confusion, I have no buyers remorse. The truck camper is the best option for me and I suspect I will own this camper until I move up to a fiver for some full-timing (or very close to full-timing) when I retire in 10-20 years....the number of years until retirement all depends on the stock market. Run bulls, run.....
Thanks for the update on the Bigfoot Brutus. I keep looking at the brochure longingly, and thinking how nice it would be to have everything attached, but we have a line on a used fifth in the family, and will probably try it as it will be cheap, at least for the time being. We may change our minds after a few meanderings, and when we retire for real, in 10 years or so, then we can change our minds. We ordered our F250 this week, they gave us a 10-12 week delivery date, my bet is more like four months. I suspect it will be worth waiting for.
We just signed up today; read the first few entries and the last 40 or so entries. Learned a lot and formed some questions. We've test driven the F-250, 7.3 L diesel and the Cummins 2500 5.9L diesel. We looked at Ford and Dodge literature on towing, torque and horse power and we are now also considering the V-10 gas models. We will opt for automatic transmission and 4 wheel drive. We'd like to hear some advice on our particular need re: 1. gasoline vs. diesel 2. optimum axel ratio for our application (we started out considering the highest ratios available and are now wondering about trade-off with gas mileage and looking for advice on how much power is actually needed) 3. Ford vs. Dodge (after reading everyone's comments, it seems you can't go wrong with either one)
Here are the particulars on our intended use: The primary purpose of this truck is to pull a 4000 pound gooseneck Sundowner trailer with 1 (sometimes 2) large horses plus hay, shavings, gear, etc. Est. trailer total 6000-8000 pounds. We estimate 2 trips per month of about 300 miles each, primarily hilly interstate (CT and NYS) with steep hills at the end of the trip. In between those trips there will be shorter jaunts 5 - 25 miles up and down the road. At least 80% of its use will be towing the trailer. Annual mileage will be about 10,000 miles. Maintenance will be a priority, and the truck is expected to last for a very long time. We just killed the transmission on a Chevy diesel that wasn't geared to haul that weight up and down hills, and don't want to repeat the experience. Naturally, we also want good gas mileage. Habit says get the diesel; but the new V -10 engine's quiet and convenience is appealing. So, in trying to balance it all, we'd appreciate hearing your experience, reasoning and opinions. Thanks! New readers.
I test drove a Ram 2500 with the Cummins Turbo Diesel, wasn't so impressed. It wasn't as spacious inside as the F150 I test drove, so the F250 must be even better. The automatic sometiems refused to downshift so that I floored it expecting an extra surge of power but none came. I'll admit the pulling power is probably awesome but it just didn't seem on the level with more advanced and recently redesigned competitors.
I am breaking in a 2500 Ram 2001 with V-10, 5 spd,4x4, camper special, limited slip, Reg. Cab, power every thing, 3.54 rear, Red, HD everything.
I drove both the Fords and Dodge V-10s and Diesels at the truck lots. I searched the net, etc. Talked with mechanics and campers. Bottom line: TRUST YOUR OWN SENSES. They are all O.K. regardless of what people say.
I am happy as a clam at high tide. The truck I ordered is pretty much what I thought I wanted. The V-10 got 12.8 mpg during the fist 400 miles breaking in up and down the gears and under 50 mph in city streets. Did not use any oil. Power galore. I ordered it with out a trailer receiver because I preferred the Reese Titan class V for towing my 6300# boat with surge brakes. No weight distributing for me. The ride is what you expect for any truck, not bad, but its no car. The Ram is very quiet, you can hear the radio on low. The regular cab with the sliding window, combined with the stock power mirrors give excellent visibility to the sides and rear. Being a 4x4 with the camper special springs raises the truck to look like it was raised on blocks by some kids. Unlike the Ford equivalent, The Ram 2500 Reg cab long bed fits in our standard garage by two staging the door opener. If we were to try and get the super cab into our garage, we would have to make significant changes to the garage door.
In summary, figure out what you want, how much you want to pay for the toys, test drive everything, listen to all the propaganda, and then go with your gut feel.
Yesterday, I disposed of a 2000 F250 4x4 superduty supercab powerstroke 3.73 axles, 6spd. It was powerless and checked by Ford technician and found to be "within specs" at only 16 lbs boost. I'd had it 4 months, 7000 miles.
Yesterday, I purchased a Dodge quadcab, 2whl drive, cummins HO, 6spd., 3.54 axle, rated at 245HP and 505 lb.ft. torque. I ran it 100 miles in various "attack" modes including 90mph@2500, making the tires chirp, etc. It got 17.6 for the first 100 miles of mostly non-interstate driving. It is a Mexican, not St. Louis and the fit and finish are excellent.
Those interested in the "powerjokes" infirmities can get the scoop from Mr. Woodhouse at Woodhouse.com, a Nebraska Ford/Dodge dealer. He has come up with an in-house fix to the wastegate to up the boost to the spec'd 19 lbs (tops). The HO cummins is rated at 26lbs boost.
The Powerstroke/6spd also has a serious clutch assy problem, a "recall" item with Ford but they only repair them when they break!
Understand that all things mechanical break and malfunction. My experience is not a valid "statistical" sample. However,I'm no longer interested in Ford powerjokes, at this point. In all fairness, I had 97 that was awesome.
Incidentally, the Dodge cummins has much greater leg/foot room in the cab front and the engine is symetrical and of smaller width. The powerstroke intrudes a good bit, especially on the shotgun side and makes for an uncomfortable ride for all but midgets.
clubitz..I would definitely go with the diesel for your application. If you go for the Dodge\auto trans get the 4:10 rear end. The Ford will do well with the 3:73 or 4:10 gears. You can't go wrong with either truck. Mike
We have a 99 Quad 4X4 with 3:54 gears. We pull a 26 foot terry that is over 11 foot tall. It has the auto and pulls great. We have already been camping this year, since the snow is gone for sledding, and it has changed a little from last year. We can maintain 61 mph going up ~6% grades in overdrive. This thing just seems to really pull at 1600 rpm and not give a hint of trouble. We though the gears might have been to tall, but after the last 9 months of use, I think this is the ideal setup for both towing power and empty mileage. We get between 19 (at 90mph) and 24.8 (at ~60mph) empty. Towing averages an honest 14 mpg. Both the Ford and Dodge have about the same ride, but like was said before, the ford is smaller inside, I don't care what the measurements say.
Holy cow, rodeo60, you must have had a mortal enemy in the Dodge plant that built your truck. Not much more could have gone wrong, could it?
I have a friend who has a Dodge with the diesel engine in it and he has had absolutely no problem with it, and I'm not even a fan of Dodge's. I do like the Cummins diesel, though.
Dodge Trucks are one of the highest Mexican content, so you might have gotten a modeal with a lot of mexican parts which would easly show how that much could go wrong,
I have know dodges do be very good and I'm not even a big fan of them
Well my grandfather owns and runs a diesel shop and i haven't heard of anything really goin wrong with the cummins engines. I know that we have done some overhauls on the cummins, but the one that i helped on had 350k on the engine, and it still had the chemical etch on the connecting rods when we broke the engine down.....so i have only good things to say about the whole cummins line of engines..
Sorry, jacal4464, I missed by 4 on the last number on my previous post. But I would like to know what your experiences are with the Powerstroke versus Cummins.
Looking at buying new Ford 350 Crew cab or Dodge 3500, both diesel. Does the Ford or Dodge diesels have adequate back pressure to drive in the mountains pulling a 9000 # 5th wheel or do you need an exhaust brake going down the hills?? I have an exhaust brake on my '92 Dodge 350 and it works great, with the manual transmission. Anybody have experience with the exhaust brake and the auto transmission? Dodge says voids the warranty on the auto transmission if use exhaust brake (per Trailer Life). What about Ford? I know kits are available to increase lockup. Was hoping to go automatic this time as I've had clutch problems. Thanks for help.
New here,, been reading posts an appreciate the information given realizing some of it is just a tad "BIASED" but well intended,, following mostly Ford and Dodge 1 ton information,, planning on towing a 39ft 16000 pound fifth wheel lots of grades and incredible temperature range,, need to buy a truck this year hints and info would be greatly appreciated
I have owned a v-10 and a diesel (currently I have a diesel) the V-10 pulled better but only got 9 mpg the diesel (cummins 24v) doesn't pull quite as well, it is a little slower on the really steep hills, but i get 18 mpg. I tow a 6000# boat every weekend and my personal favorite is the diesel. I guess the bottom line is if gas mileage is not a consern go with the big gas engine, if you want better gas milage go with a diesel.
Thank you for the response,, got an offer on my dakota today, so the wife and I are heading out to price. I am just a bit concerned about the Dodge Auto tranny, and the exhaust brake issue,, would hate to lose controll going down a long grade, got several here that are six miles long at least and 8%
After looking closely at the real towing capacity of all the one ton trucks and being seriously worried about safety and legal issues we have deciceded to take a good hard look at medium duty trucks,considerably more expensive but safety is more important than money so if we can figure a way we are looking at the freightliner fl60 with a cat and allison 6spd auto as well as the international 4700 both with crew cabs,, will let you know which way we wind up,, incredibly tuff decisions
How much more expensive are those trucks? We priced some a few years ago, and the trucks weren't that expensive--but the powertrain you mentioned is...
I priced a freightliner,cat-6spd allison auto,with some options cab and shasis 800#torque at 65,000,, international close to spec is a tad less, with either I can pull my trailer and a car on another trailer with easewith it and be legal and safe
I am in the process of buying a Dodge or Ford Diesel truck. What MPG are people getting with the Powerstroke in F25/F350 HD trucks. The same question for a Dodge Cummins 2500/3500 truck.
If no one responds soon you can read back thru the previous posts,, that info should be there several times, although it will depend some on your rear end, tranny, tire size,, dodge has been getting 3 to 5 mpg better than a similar equiped ford
I have a 98 ram with the 24v and last week I was on a 1000 mile round trip whish crossed three mountain ranges. (I live in Alaska) I averaged 60 mph and that includes fuel and eating stops. I cosistently ran about 70 mph and got 22 mpg. I have a friend with a PS and he generally gets 17.5 - 19 mpg. But the PS has the edge in power.
Comments
I own two dodge rams, one is a 94 360 gas regular cab 4x4, with a 8.5ft meyers plow. I also own a 2000 qc 4x4 diesel 3.54gears, and have a 9ft arctic plow. Both plows are poly plows, which weigh 850-900lbs. The Dodge trucks can handle the plow without and helper springs etc. needed. I plow quite a bit of land and over rough terrain, and the trucks handle it very well, the diesel does it better, you won't even know the plow is on the front. I recomend the arctic 9ft poly, very sturdy, and quick.
On a side note, I am getting about 16mpg(cdn) empty city/hwy, and was wondering if this is good, or not.
I did lots of research on the internet, and in magazines.
I finally chose the Dodge 2500 with 24 valve Cummins Diesel over a Ford. [I've owned an F250, and it was Fixed Or Repaired Daily, it was a 1977 though, gas].
This truck has the quadcab, heavyduty battery/ alternaor package, and it sits way off the ground, reminiscent of the early 1970's F250's.
I got it from a guy who ordered it, and couldnt pay for it, with only 9200 miles on it.
$32,000, with a cap.
It came with LT245 75R16 E rated Michelins, [all season jokes][I'm in Connecticut], I put on LT265 75R16 Yokohama Geolandar A/T's instead of BF Goodrich.
If I had ordered it myself, I would have ordered the limited slip rear axle, and camper package which this guy didnt.
Its still a huge tank, excellant off the road in deep snow, even better than my old FJ62 Toyota Land Cruiser, [due to its ground clearance].
OK, I'm in my slit trench, helmet on, waiting for any Ford owners who dont agree.
Andy "The Codfather" Gordon
I take you are getting 16MPG out of your Cummins? that is pretty good all around MPG's, that is about what I get, except when it is cold my MPG goes down slightly. I get around 17-18 MPG HWY unloaded, and 11-13MPG towing a two axle with a car onboard.........Bill
I had a Dodge tech check out the truck. It turns out the factory had not tightened the clamps on both the inlet and outlet air lines for the turbo. After that was fixed(two minutes) power and mileage improved greatly.
We have a 24 valve Dodge 3500 and live in Edmonton, Alberta ,Canada.
Needless to say it gets cold here sometimes.
No problems with starting the truck without being plugged in. I have started it at minus 20 deg Celsius( minus 5 deg F I'm guessing)without probelms. Follow the manual instructions for cold start.
I am interested in opinions on:
-reliability
-ride and comfort on the road
-how hard will it be for a 5'2" woman to handle
-mileage
I notice some excellent opinions at this site, so am interested in hearing more specific to our needs if you have any. Thanks.
car, and spare engine, I got 13.2 MPG at 74 MPH, right about 6000lbs. I am on my second Ram, first was Gas not enough Torque, and poor MPG....Bill
Did the test drive thing, both of us are very pleased with the diesel, and were pretty set on having one. Amazed at the ride of the F250. Had read that it was tough, but found it better than our 97 Explorer XLT, very comfortable even in the rear of the supercab, and we gave it a good run on rotten roads. Eliminated the 2500 - liked a lot of the luxuries of the Lariat better, although both are dynamite trucks, we admit to a bit of a Ford bias.
We were looking at Bigfoot campers they're great, Brutus, but you are right about space. We have no other toys to haul, and the trailer would definitely be more comfortable for me to haul, so we will definitely go with the F250 4x4 with the Powerstroke 7.3.
I found reading all the posts on this site very helpful over the last month or two, and if we have any issues with the truck, will let others know.
Thanks.
For those who don't know, basement storage is a storage compartment under the floor of the camper. It's ideal for storing things you might not necessarily want in the camper immediately. For me, that would include fishing poles, waders, clam digging shovels, etc. The trade-off is that the space of the basement (about 8-10 inches) has to either make the camper taller or the inside shorter. The ceiling inside my camper is 6'4" I think. I believe the comparable Lance model is 6'7". I'm 6', so it's not an issue for me.
And when it comes to headroom, nobody beats the Bigfoot cabover bed. 42" inches of clearance. I can sit up in that bed with several inches of clearance. If you were in a pouring rain storm and your friends and kids wanted some temporary relief from their tent camping, you could easily put several kids up in the bed area to play games while four adults sat at the dinette. Actually, adults could sit up in the bed area and play games. It's basically an extra room. Another bias opinion.
Still, if you don't have toys, I'd check out some trailers. Like I said, you'll definitely have more living space to move around in. Just to make sure there is no confusion, I have no buyers remorse. The truck camper is the best option for me and I suspect I will own this camper until I move up to a fiver for some full-timing (or very close to full-timing) when I retire in 10-20 years....the number of years until retirement all depends on the stock market. Run bulls, run.....
We ordered our F250 this week, they gave us a 10-12 week delivery date, my bet is more like four months. I suspect it will be worth waiting for.
Just see that link it says it all.
1. gasoline vs. diesel
2. optimum axel ratio for our application (we started out considering the highest ratios available and are now wondering about trade-off with gas mileage and looking for advice on how much power is actually needed)
3. Ford vs. Dodge (after reading everyone's comments, it seems you can't go wrong with either one)
Here are the particulars on our intended use:
The primary purpose of this truck is to pull a 4000 pound gooseneck Sundowner trailer with 1 (sometimes 2) large horses plus hay, shavings, gear, etc. Est. trailer total 6000-8000 pounds. We estimate 2 trips per month of about 300 miles each, primarily hilly interstate (CT and NYS) with steep hills at the end of the trip. In between those trips there will be shorter jaunts 5 - 25 miles up and down the road. At least 80% of its use will be towing the trailer. Annual mileage will be about 10,000 miles. Maintenance will be a priority, and the truck is expected to last for a very long time. We just killed the transmission on a Chevy diesel that wasn't geared to haul that weight up and down hills, and don't want to repeat the experience. Naturally, we also want good gas mileage. Habit says get the diesel; but the new V -10 engine's quiet and convenience is appealing. So, in trying to balance it all, we'd appreciate hearing your experience, reasoning and opinions.
Thanks! New readers.
I drove both the Fords and Dodge V-10s and Diesels at the truck lots. I searched the net, etc. Talked with mechanics and campers. Bottom line: TRUST YOUR OWN SENSES. They are all O.K. regardless of what people say.
I am happy as a clam at high tide. The truck I ordered is pretty much what I thought I wanted. The V-10 got 12.8 mpg during the fist 400 miles breaking in up and down the gears and under 50 mph in city streets. Did not use any oil. Power galore. I ordered it with out a trailer receiver because I preferred the Reese Titan class V for towing my 6300# boat with surge brakes. No weight distributing for me. The ride is what you expect for any truck, not bad, but its no car. The Ram is very quiet, you can hear the radio on low. The regular cab with the sliding window, combined with the stock power mirrors give excellent visibility to the sides and rear. Being a 4x4 with the camper special springs raises the truck to look like it was raised on blocks by some kids. Unlike the Ford equivalent, The Ram 2500 Reg cab long bed fits in our standard garage by two staging the door opener. If we were to try and get the super cab into our garage, we would have to make significant changes to the garage door.
In summary, figure out what you want, how much you want to pay for the toys, test drive everything, listen to all the propaganda, and then go with your gut feel.
Yesterday, I purchased a Dodge quadcab, 2whl drive, cummins HO, 6spd., 3.54 axle, rated at 245HP and 505 lb.ft. torque. I ran it 100 miles in various "attack" modes including 90mph@2500, making the tires chirp, etc. It got 17.6 for the first 100 miles of mostly non-interstate driving. It is a Mexican, not St. Louis and the fit and finish are excellent.
Those interested in the "powerjokes" infirmities can get the scoop from Mr. Woodhouse at Woodhouse.com, a Nebraska Ford/Dodge dealer. He has come up with an in-house fix to the wastegate to up the boost to the spec'd 19 lbs (tops). The HO cummins is rated at 26lbs boost.
The Powerstroke/6spd also has a serious clutch assy problem, a "recall" item with Ford but they only repair them when they break!
Understand that all things mechanical break and malfunction. My experience is not a valid "statistical" sample. However,I'm no longer interested in Ford powerjokes, at this point. In all fairness, I had 97 that was awesome.
Incidentally, the Dodge cummins has much greater leg/foot room in the cab front and the engine is symetrical and of smaller width. The powerstroke intrudes a good bit, especially on the shotgun side and makes for an uncomfortable ride for all but midgets.
Good luck.
Fatso
Good luck with whichever one you choose.
Wildman
www.bmi.net/kjp/dodge
It is worth the time and could be the best thing you do. Dodge does NOT stand behind their product.
Yeah right. I've owned more ttrucks than you have been alive and have yet to find one with a "crack".
I have a friend who has a Dodge with the diesel engine in it and he has had absolutely no problem with it, and I'm not even a fan of Dodge's. I do like the Cummins diesel, though.
I have know dodges do be very good and I'm not even a big fan of them
but they can stand up to work
rob
for an F150 Lariat Supercab 4X4. It has all the
emenities, including the new 350 lbs torque 5.4l.
I got a great deal and papers are already signed
this time so it is a done deal.
2000 F150 SuperCab 4WD
5.4l, 3:55 LS Diff, Chestnut/Gold w/gold interior,
CD Changer, Leather Captains Chairs.
$500 under invoice. Huge Memorial Day Sale Event!
I am like a kid with a new toy.
I guess the bottom line is if gas mileage is not a consern go with the big gas engine, if you want better gas milage go with a diesel.