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Comments
I did wish for a longer bed.
I have a free standing canoe rack
(I custom build it for my 1987 Toyota).
It is about 6 inches too long for the bed.
I had to choose between cutting the canoe rack
down or making the bed longer.
I ended up taking the tail-gate off and building
a platform over the bumper to support the legs
of the canoe rack.
I was going to just use it with the tailgate down,
but the platform allows me to anchor it more
securely and also provides better access to
the hitch in case I'm taking the camper and the canoe.
The clips on the cables that hold the tailgate
horizontal in the down position are not great.
The attachment of the spring to the cable is not
tight. They can come off easily and get lost.
The tailgate is also suprisingly heavy.
Now that it is off I'll probably just leave it in
the garage and hope the clips don't get lost.
I also recall a newspaper article where peoples garage doors were opening and closing randomly. The article said the people lived near an airport and problem was traced to when Air Force 1 was in the area, some powerful radio equipment being used on the aircraft was causing the doors to do the up/down shuffle. Rick
I've had the door lock problem on several occasions, one where it happened in the same location twice and once in my driveway (which went away after a few minutes). I suspect rf waves but is there anyway to check for this? I doubt the dealer will be of any help unless the problem can be replicated in the shop. Inpaulm, let me know if the new switch helps. Thanks!
I've noticed that the ads for Dodge always exclude the Dakota Quads and I asked a dealer about that and was told that's because they are selling so well. This same dealer only had 3 of them and they were almost hidden at the back of the lot. Not exactly smart business practice for something that's selling so well.
My question to anyone who's purchased already is how much are dealers willing to deal on these things? Also I have yet to see any Quads on the lot or the road in the medium bronze color I love. Anyone have a Quad in that color?
to this program. I paid $125.00 over invoice, and went through two increases (ordered vehicle) unscathed, less the $500.00. Good luck! Log in to the Dodge Dakota Owners Club under conferences in the Edmunds forum (link on left margin).
Bookitty
Thanks again.
dbeale1
BTW - Is a_j dead? Has anyone seen or heard from him lately? Did Canada finally shut itself off from the e:world or just tax it to death?
Have a little dilemma convincing the wife however. I think she's concerned how she'd look driving a "truck." And I'd want her to have the 4wd in the snow so... But the way I see it, it has four doors, which makes it somewhat family oriented (we have a 1 yr. old son) but it also allows me to haul stuff to the dump (I do a ton of work on our house myself) without ruining the finished interior of a typical SUV etc. Plus it seems like a lot of truck for the money.
I'm confused as to when exactly the 2001's are coming out however. I've read they went into production last month. Can you still order a 2000? And if so, does the impending arrival of the 2001s mean dealers are more willing to deal on the 2000s?
dbeale1
I agree with themacguy, we're not "that" exclusive of a group that you can't ask questions. We don't have spies do we?
I see that you're basically following the same route to a Quad as I did. Both my wife and I like the Volvos (2) we had over a 26 year period. They were distinctive, made well enough that if you put the money into them they would last longer than other cars exposed to each winter's road salt, and in the earlier years they sort of denoted you as a non-conformist.
Well, you can have all of that again in a family oriented medium-sized pick up - Quad. You might need to put steps on it for the "little people" but the Quad is made to do a lot of jobs.
Also, has anyone actually SEEN a 2001 QC yet; or know where to find a photo on the web? I'm ready to buy, but want to know whether I should wait until September for the 2001's. THANKS
for "your turn". It's a great family vehicle, a truck and sedan rolled into one wonderful package
without giving up style and good looks. This truck really delivers. If it is affordable and fits your budget, you and your wife will be very pleased with it. We welcome you to the owners club forum.
Bookitty
I'm sure with 80% or more having the V-8 & multispeed (some percentage have also gone with V-6 and the old style auto) for many months now, there are many experiences to tap into. Personally, I have the 5 sp manual and I'm happy with my choice. Would be nice sometimes to not have to shift like while I'm trying to keep a McDonalds ice cream cone from melting down.
dbeale1
spike - we've still got a couple of Turbo Wagons in the family. Fabulous cars. This Quad sort of reminds me of them... with a really big trunk.
gator - it's a bit weird at times; if you've ever raced a Yamaha or Briggs Kart, it sort of sounds like it's 'winding up' like those viscous clutches. But while it seems like that's what's happening, all @#$% breaks loose (the tires), and you're catapulted off your tail and down the road at a pretty good clip. And that's just when you're pulling a trailer! :-O
steve - I think the 01's are terrible, it just won't please you like an '00 would. I'm SURE of it. And now that you're convinced, we might as well 'trade,' as I HATE to think of you driving something you really can't stand. I'm just the kind of guy that'll help you out of this sorry predicament, and I'll even fill the tank with premium, and throw in one or two 'exes.' Deal? ;-P
war between the compact trucks:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?c=Pickups&f=0&t=2170
Do you think the Dakota is the best thing since sliced bread? Tell us why.
You can Email me at BadQuadCab@cs.com
noticed that a couple 01 model "club cabs" had just been delivered. since i had heard about some
changes to the 01 model i decided to investigate.
looks like most of the changes were to the
interior...in other words the dash and door panels. my reaction to the dash is mixed. interestingly enough its styling sorta reminds me of some dashes i've seen in cadillacs. it also has borrowed the radio and climate controls from the intrepid. anyone else seen the 01 model??
Bookitty
I looked into this about 6 months ago, when I first fell in love with the quad. My wife insists that my next car seats 6 (we have 4 kids) and I was concerned about the lack of on/off switch. After lots of poking around, I found a couple dealers w/in 50 miles who would do the switch, pending govt approval. Cost of switch was $160 + labor, if I remember right.
Go to http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags/
and read the info about petitioning for airbag switch. Basically, my reason for switch should be automatic approval (4 kids, only 3 seats in back).
Haven't done it yet, because I don't have a quad yet. I'm Now agonizing over unexpected changes in '01. 'nuther discussion.
I finally ordered a '01 on July 24th. Called today, status is done, pending final inspection.
Railway assigned, all that stuff. Might see it
by next week. (Cruzin - operator at DC could hardly believe I had placed order only 2 weeks before). Bronze SLT plus 4x4, 5spd 4.7L bench anti-spin etc. Excitement mounted, until I discovered that DC has changed the interior for the '01.
Being the conservative that I am, I hate unexpected changes. So I originally went balistic. Drove my dealer nuts with all the new information about the '01. They could care less, but I was making a big stink about it.
Finally got to sit in one (not mine) at the dealers lot. My original reaction was - true to form - I hated it.
Headliner is mist grey. At first I was horrified. Looks fine against mist grey, two-toned against slate grey (but not bad), but I haven't seen it against taupe. Wondering if it will look silly. Have to wait and see.
New 4wd selecter on dash is conveniently mounted. However, I'm from the old-school, and would have
preferred DC leave the 4WD shifter on the floor. Too many friends with exploders and whatnot that say they've had trouble with the dash-mount not always engaging 4WD when selected.
The new dash-mount would have cleared up the clutter on the floor, especially for automatics, except they replaced the old plastic floor tray with something bigger. Like over 2" tall bigger. I guess its to hold the 32oz big-gulps, since the cupholders are no longer under the bench seat but on the floor. For my needs, this is really a behemoth - and I'll be investigating how to take it out. Almost eliminates what little room there was for a kid in the front seat, or at least thats how I see it.
And the power controls changed. Like already noted, the door panels have a sleeker look, with armrests that go full lenght of door. Power controls are moved to armrest, which I find fairly inconvenient copared to the '00. The '00 had the controls mounted at an angle, easy to see and operate. The new controls caused me to be craning my neck around and fully taking my eyes off the road to operate. The mirror controls, similar now to the caravan, should have been easy to recognize and operate (I have a caravan). However, the placement of the controls is at the farthest end of the armrest, so those controls in particular were a pain.
Oh yeah, I'm 6'2", and sit wiht the seat almost altheway back. And the headliner ridge is unchanged, so it still almost rubs my head in my normal sitting position, giving me the uncanny feeling that something creepy is about to drop down my neck.
The dash itself I had a mixed reaction to. The flatter design and pushed back look add to a feeling of more leg room. However, when I sit in either front seat, comparing '00 to '01, I can't notice a difference. Except that the new dash results in a smaller glove box.
Overall, I'd rather have the '00 interior. But having sat in the '01, driven it, slept on it, and re-visited dealer to sit in again, most of my complaints about the '01 will probably disolve over time. The second time in a slate grey interior, I hardly noticed the light-colored headliner. It certainly wasn't distracting, and, as my wife lovingly pointed out, the caravan has a similar interior color scheme.
I still would rather return to the floor-shift 4wd selector, smaller plastic floor tray, and (to me anyhow) more convenient power controls.
i just looked at an 01 club cab with the new interior and it still had the 4x4 selector on the floor. however, i can't remember if it was the full-time or part-time transfer case...
Also, has anyone hauled 4x8 sheets of drywall in the short bed? Any special modifications etc required?
However, the new door panels, I think, are a step backwards. The new window/lock/mirror controls are not as intuitive to use, or as easy to reach, and the old door design has a cleaner, more unified look to it.
BTW the new I/P is not farther away from the seats, rather, the top of the new dash is significantly lower (and slightly closer) than the old design and appears more open for more forward visibility.
And I lament the apparent loss of the floor mounted 4x4 shift lever with the 5-speed.
The dealer told me it was. I drive a Ram with the same engine in it for work and it doesn't do that. The service manager looked under the truck and told me that my work truck doesn't have overdrive on the transmission and that is why they act different (what a bozo, the overdrive button is in the same place as my Dakota).
Has anyone else experienced this problem........is this really normal? I've never had a car do this.
Thanks for the info on the plugs. The dealer told me the plugs didn't have to be changed until 100,000 miles.
2drive: I thought about mentioning the new shift action, but did not want to scare some of the people waiting on new trucks. For those who are wondering, the action is more down and towards the driver than the usual left to right motion. It is not a big deal, my wife still cannot tell the difference. For some drivers, it is a minor weird sensation until you have used it a few times. As far as the door controls goes, that is the problem for all designers. I love the new door controls and the new floor console, but it does not suite everyone as noted above.
The shifter lever is on the wheel.
It has a little button to disable the overdrive feature if the transmission is shifting too much, like when towing.
does anyone know if the full-time transfer case cuts down significantly on gas mileage? i'm thinking about getting a quad cab this fall with the 4.7l v/8 and autobox. thanks for any info you can provide.
on MPG, as well as excessive tire wear. I cannot provide you with information documenting the MPG difference, but I have had experience with both types, and actually converted two of my son's Ford trucks back to part time by installing Warn hubs in the field. Unless you live in an area, where 4WD is necessary most of the time, I don't feel that it is self justifying. Just my opinion.
Bookitty
Question I have is -- How hard can I hammer given the 2001s are coming out and I would be taking a truck right off the lot (instead of special ordering)?
(BTW the color was garnet red which I hadn't seen before - man was it pretty.)
dbeale1
Anyway, only real advice would be to go on-line or to another area dealer and start over. Get your price-terms, whatever, and then go BACK to your original dealer (if you like 'em) and renegotiate the deal with the info (and your new figures) in hand, and use it to lower the pmts. Good luck and good hunting...
Chrysler's was more than a bit high at about $1700 for "all inclusive" minus the usual stuff (brakes, wipers, belts, etc.)
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
fat_fenders
Other people SWEAR by 3rd party warranties. They have NEVER worked for me, however. In my case, I chose to go with the D/C deal. To each his own I guess. I'm sure you'll get better advice a plenty.