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2001 Dodge Ram
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Comments
One reason I selected the 4x4 reg cab was that I wanted the 8 ft bed and still get the Ram into my garage. I ordered the camper springs with out the Dodge hitch because my boat trailer rig weighs 6300# and has surge brakes. Reese sells a 7500# load carrying hitch (note that I can't use a distributive load hitch because of the surge break mechanism.)
Well, lets see what happens next.
MIKE 2001 3500 STD cab 4X4 slt ETC. ETC. ETC. etc.
miked555, if I'd known it would be this long I would have visited another dealer long ago. But after awhile I realized my truck has near 5000 miles more on it and older that when I struck this deal, it would cost me money to switch dealers with no assurrance I would get my truck any sooner. I don't think my truck is special but maybe its a combination of the features I ordered.
2500 Quad cab SLT Plus 4x4 SWB, auto, air dam, anti-spin, 4.10, camper special, clearance lamps, trailer towing, heavy duty transfer case, V10, rear sliding window, Forest Green Pearl Coat.
His name is Pat Murphy (aka V10-5spd). I know he rattled a lot of cages at DC. He even got a phone call direct from Germany! He probably has all the names and numbers you need.
I'll take the liberty and send you his email address.
I'll take the liberty and send you his email address.
it all depends if you have yours setup correctly.
robert
On Feb 16 some lady from Detroit gives me a Corp file # and says things should start moving from the BGL to D1 in the next day or within 2 weeks.
To me this meant was that Dodge was going to make a Ram V-10 in Feb., which answered the basic question in my letter to Dodge.
On Feb 17 the Dealer says he talked to someone up the chain of command and got a D status. I then told the Dealer about my letter to Corp, etc. On Feb. 24 I phone the Gal with the Corp file but she is out sick, so I phone anybody at customer assistance, give them my Corp file #, and they tell me nothing has changed.
I then call my Dealer and he gives me the VIN # and said we are at D1. I then recall Cust. asst., give them the VIN #, identified the Ram as what I ordered, and got an estimated date of completing as the end of the first week in March to the second week. My Ram is being assembled in Mexico.
My next problem is to find out how to trace the Mexican railroad schedule. Happy...Happy...maybe my letter was a waist of time, but I believe it helped to change my mood from sad to happy.
I've been trailering boats since 1957. The last 20 years I've been towing a 6300# rig (24 ft.cuddy) with a CJ-5 with a six and a T-18 4 spd. transmission. I drive side streets to the ocean some 7 miles away at 25 mph carefully. I need a granny low gear 4x4 to get out of the ramp during low tide. I now (retirement) to take my boat elsewhere, therefore the V-10 (up hills), the 5-spd (engine braking downhill and granny), 4x4 (to launch/retrieve), 8ft bed (to tote by 10 foot rubber raft dingy), slip differential (to minimize yaw while braking), gas not diesel to share boat gas tank (100 gal) with Ram and vice versa in the boonies, etc.
To compromise a surge brake with roller mechanism distributive hitch system assumes the mechanism will always work. Thats why boat trailer makers doen't sell these gagets. They are after market, and good luck in court if you have an accident. If you don't use a roller gaget, then structure has to be in the right place all the time. After the accident you can try and prove it!
I choose the 2500 with camper package because then I can avoid the above problems with over kill. I can easily carry a hitch weight of 625 pounds. By not purchasing the trailer package, I don't let Dodge off the liable hook (suspension dynamics) with their 5000# weight carrying limit imposed by their stock hitch. I will use a Reese 7500 # weight carrying hitch to make it legal.
Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but my approach seems simple to me. Overdesigned truck, overdesigned hitch, hitching the trailer is much easier, my surge brakes cannot be compromised by the hitch, and it costs less money (and weight) overall. Note that the V-10 motor weight up front helps in the vehicle dynamics if I drive at speed limits.
Anyhow, I feel better trailering the old fashion way where I have experienced the behavior of a load carrying hitch in backing up, parking, and plain driving in general. You electric brake types out there, ignor the above, just don't launch your boat in salt water too often.
It looks like you have to depend on your dealer to get your truck built. If it turns out that I'm in fairy land and that there is no D1 truck being built, maybe I'll just check out and wait until next year and buy a truck off the lot. In the mean time, I assume my VIN # is the real thing and there is a Ram V-10 5 spd. currently being assembled. Maybe Corp files does not process information from Mexico.
I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500, 4wd, 4.10 axles, 6 speed manual transmission, Cummins ETH. So far, around town, stop and go, I am getting 14.7 mpg. On the short highway trips I have made, it looks like about 20 mpg highway. Tomorrow I am making a 150 Mile trip with a heavy trailer. I will let you know what the mileage is on that.
Well, at least I cleaned out and painted my garage. Next monday I'll phone customer assistance with my VIN # and see if my truck is being built or not in Mexico. Its like who knows what Santa is going to give me for Xmas, if anything.
nascar6
Ordered truck 2/24.
23 weeks behind you Rich!
nascar6
I'm going to phone up customer service on Friday to see if my special customer file has taken the Ram off of restriction yet.
I have been reading with interest your unbelieveable saga with your new truck. They are really jerking you around. Your situation concerns me. I ordered essentially the same truck (except mine is a 4x2 and a 3.54) on 29 Jan and the dealer told me to expect delivery in about 4- 6 weeks. Now, after reading your posts, I don't have much faith in that prediction. My wife would kill me if we have to wait as long as you have.
My problem is that the dealer already has my trade (98 Ram 1500). I signed it over to him when I placed the order. My rational was that I thought it would be worth less if I waited until the new one came in (more miles,etc). Besides, my wife had knee surgery and couldn't drive so we could get along with one car for awhile. Also, I thought I could save a little on insurance. Now I am getting nervous...my wife is almost ready to drive and no wheels.
I wanted to ask you....I see you ordered the 4.10 rather than the 3.54. Do you have a strong opinion on that choice? I seleced the 3.54 for the expected better fuel economy and, according to Dodge, they will tow the same load. I currently have a 7000# TT that I towed with my '98 Ram 1500 with the 5.9. It did an OK job but didn't set any records on hills. I plan to order a 10000# max loaded weight fith wheel (29' Sunnybrook) very soon and thought the v10/3.54 combo would work because of the 3000#+ cushion between the max tow rating of the truck (13000#)and the actual (10000#) weight of the trailer. Now I wonder if I shouldn't try and change to the 4.10. I only plan on towing about 25% of the time. The balance would be normal empty driving (The truck would be our #1 vehicle).
Any thoughts on that?
Good luck on your truck. I'll keep following your posts.
Jerryg
As it turns out, my sales guy is John Melendez, Fleet Director at Downey Dodge/Dodge Fleet in Cal. He can be reached at johnm@downeydodge.com Maybe he can help you out. This guy has been square and fair with me. He has phone me on a weekly basis. I do think he has friends in high places, given my attempts to get info out of Dodge customer service like..do you plan to build a V-10 in the month of Feb.
Maybe he can drop ship a Ram at your place or something.
Any how, I'm happy that my Ram is on a railroad car clicking-clacking to its new home in my garage. I can hear it right now! I've got the railroad map from www.uprr.com/uprr/ffh/maps/sysmap_46.shtm to follow it right to my driveway.
I've learned a little from your unfortunate waiting period. After I told the salesperson the options I wanted, worked out a price, I then asked about their allocations. I didn't even know what they were until I read your posts. I wonder how many people ask a salesperson how many allocations do you get a month/year. As for keeping your mouth shut, it seems to me that the 1-800 folks must be on a first name basis with you. Oh, BTW, my allocation question was answered with "we're a 5-star dealership, it's not a problem. We can get it" Was your ordering dealership a 5-star?
nascar6
I just got a Ram 2500, 4wd, cummins ETH with the 4.1-0 axle and lt265 x 75 tires with the 6 speet tranny. With that combination, the axle is just right. It DOES drive like a sports car. At 1650 rpm, I am doing 50 mph. 2150 gives me 70 and at 2600 (the top of the torque curve), I don't want to tell the highway patrol how fast I am going. I have pulled a load of about 6,000 lbs, and the truck simply didn't know it was there.
There is an associated health issue with this truck. Since I got it, I have been grinning so much that my gums are getting a bad sunburn.
y2kram