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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.