Dodge Ram owners - Gyromike... Screw... etc...

GyroRon

Former Gyro know it all
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In my never ending quest for lowering my monthly money obilgations I am considering getting rid of my Chevy truck - a huge 658$ a month stinger to the checkbook! - and get a cheaper truck without all the bells and whistles. I don;t need a backseat, I don't need or want leather seats again, or fourwheel drive etc....

I have looked at the Toyota and Nissan first since they hold up best in resale value, but the Nissan is junk in my book - I would feel even a ford would hold up better - and all their trucks are extended cabs or crew cabs. Toyotas are too small inside even with the extended cab.

I wouldn't drive a Ford period, just don't like them. So that leaves Chevy and Dodge. I really like Chevy trucks, but had a chance yesterday to look at the new Rams and I was very impressed to say the least.

the regular cab Dodge Ram 1500 has TONS of room inside. I had to scoot the seat forward just to reach the pedals and there was huge amounts of room behind the seat. The truck drove nice, had good power - I drove one with the 4.7 V8 - and had alot of neat features. I really like this truck, and as much as I like Chevy trucks, The dodge regular cab blows the regular cab Chevy away for comfort and features.

What I would like to know is how has the trucks been for you guys driving the new style Rams. And how do you guys like the 4.7 V8 - even if you got that engine in a Jeep cherokee or Durango etc...

What kind of real MPG do you see - I know we all like to brag that we get 20 mpg when we know we are full of $hit. What is the REAL Mpg and how would you describe the way you drive. If you have towed with it, what kind of MPG did you typically get?

If you drive a Dodge with a Hemi, what do you get for MPG?

How has these trucks held up? Needed to see the dealer or repairman much?

This is one thing Chevy is good for. None of the Chevys I have had - 4 of them so far a 96 GMC 1500, a 2001 Chevy 1500, a 2003 Trailblazer and my 2003 Avalanche - has ever had to go to the shop for anything other than a broken tailgate strap. All but the Avalanche would do over 20 mph not towing going down the highway and the Avalanche is not far behind.

Gas milage is important to me - I drive on average over 20,000 miles per year, mostly towing a trailer. I also don't want a truck that it going to need to be in the shop much either.

Opinions wanted!
 
Buy a Nissan, I had one with over 360,000 miles when I traded it for a Chevy truck with less than half the miles about 10 months ago.
With in 3 months the Chevy fell apart and my old Nissan is still going...........
 
I had a old Datsun truck. that thing had a reserved spot at Napa!!! ;) I hear ya, I just don't think the newer nissans are built as good as the older ones....
 
Ron , if you really want gas milage and something that will last, go with the diesel.,
My father said a Dodge will starve a mechanic, meaning they don't break down but resale has been poor in the past. Plant nurserys in La. use the 3/4 ton dodge and ford diesels and run 17 MPG even pulling the 24 foot gooseneck trailers. The fords have have some problems with the OD gear after 150K. Most of the engines are going 300k and then they trade them in. Pulling a trailer with a diesel up front sure does handle well and stops well.
 
Ron My business partner has a 1999 dodge 1500 4x4, has over 200,000 miles on it. so far the most major repair he had to do was get a rear axel bearing replaced, and I changed the timeing chain at 125,000 miles. not sure on the gas mileage,but I can find out, his has the 360 engine,what ever that is in litres. this is the truck we always use to make our trips to get aircraft, so far 3 trips to Pa. and 1 to oklahoma with no problems and pulling a 20 foot trailer.
comeing back from pa. in the winter, got cought in snow storm at night in the va. mtns. cars where pulled over and it was in the middle of no where, sure was glad we had 4 wheel drive, was slow going but we made it home safely.
I have always been a dodge man from way back when I could afford the gas for a big V-8. Dodges are fairly easy to work on when you do have to work on them. i am with you I can't stand a ford, every time i work on one at a fixed price i lose money on the job as they always end up takeing longer to fix then i figure.
I think if you get a Dodge you will be very happy with it.
 
Ron,

I'm hearing from friends who've driven both, that the 4.7 and the Hemi 5.7 are pretty close in gas mileage, if you can keep from enjoying the Hemi too much! The Hemi is a real expensive option though, something like $4K.

I don't think the old 360 (5.9) is still offered.

The Cummins diesels are awesome, but have higher purchase cost, higher routine maintenance costs, and now diesel fuel is much more expensive than gas, at least in my neck of the woods. If you sell the truck before 100,000 miles, your fuel savings may not have reached the point of break-even on the diesel's higher price.
 
Ron,

I have ~29,000 miles on my truck in 2 years. Never had a lick of trouble out of it.
It rides great, nice tight steering, and handles well.
I have the 4.7 liter and 5 spd. auto.
I regularly get 16.75 - 17 MPG local driving, but that's a lot of state highway driving.
Unloaded on the Interstate, I get 18.5 - 19 MPG.

It has plenty of power for me, since I don't tow anything very heavy, or overload the truck.

The only gripes I have are that the rear end bounces a bit over bumps when it's empty, and that it's geared too high.

The bumpy ride can be fixed with a couple of $10 leaf spring clamps from Auto Zone.

The transmissions in these trucks have a double overdrive and lockup torque converter. Final drive output is .68:1, and with 3.55 gears and optional oversize tires I'm only turning ~1500 RPM @ 60 mph.
Not quite in the powerband.
I would recommend the 3.92 gears which'll put you around 1900 RPM @60 with the standard size tires. Wish I had 4.10's in mine. :rolleyes:

On my way back from Bensen Days towing the gyro, I got 15.75 MPG @ 65 mph (I have kept track of my mileage since new, and calculate by hand). I got ~14.5-14.75 going to B-Days @ 73 mph.
I took the truck out of overdrive, and turned ~2600-2700 RPM and had plenty of passing power. These engines like to rev.

If you want, I can email you my Excel spreadsheet that I use to record my gas mileage.
 
Geeze, all this fancy stuff, If I have to make payments, I don't need it. :eek:
My old ford f-150 has 306,000 on it now after returning from bensen days :)

I know you need something dependable to haul, and make a living, But I would look for something a year or two old, that someone else has taken the depreciation on.
 
12 mpg

12 mpg

Ron,
A guy at work just traded in his 4-door Dodge for a Scion.
He was getting 12mpg, not sure of the engine but he had the sport truck so
I think it was a Hemi.
 
Avoid the payment book all together....buy a used truck. Let the original purchaser take the beating. Then do any wrenching that may be required yourself.


You'll save enough to even own a spare one !

That Vette my brother just got sold new in 01 for mid 50's he paid 30 with 16k on it.
It might as well be brand new! Saved 20K ! That ain't chump change!
 
I am looking at a used one right now. The way I figure it, even with though I am upside down in mine, I can go to this used one and my payments will be as low as 365$ a month for 60 months at 5 percent. The truck I am looking at has 22,000 miles and has the 4.7 in it.

All the new trucks on the lot have either a V-6 or the Hemi. The Hemi is only a 995$ option, but I don't think I need the extra power and I sure don't want the crappy MPG.

The Diesel would be best.... kinda sorta..... My problem with Diesels - I had a 1999 and a 2000 Dodge 2500 with Cummins a few years ago - is the fuel costs as much or more than premium auto gas, Oil changes even if done yourself cost 2-3 times as much since the filter is special and it takes a whole case of oil, The truck is expensive to buy period, most new ones are pushing 40 grand without a lot of extras, And my experience with the diesel Rams... the trucks didn't get that much better MPG over the gas models. They are pushing so much horsepower out of the diesels today, and it takes fuel to make horsepower. I think with a very heavy trailer you will see a difference, but not when the truck is empty or lightly loaded.

Both of my old Rams - one was 2 wheel drive and had a stick shift, the other was a 4x4 with auto - could not get more than 20 MPG on the highway unless I drove slower than 60. At the typical speeds of 75-80 mph that most cruise the highway at, I was getting only 14-16 MPG. This was empty. In town the MPG was in the upper teens, and if I was towing it would drop to around 13-14 with a light landscape trailer. The way I figured it back in 2001 was the diesel cost more than it was worth, and since I never keep a vehicle very long, the fact that I might could get 300K+ out of it made no difference. That is when I got my first Chevy truck that got better MPG in all conditions except towing the trailer, and even then it wasn't bad.


Scott, I would love to have a truck that is paid off, and one I could just hop into and go anywhere with confidence as you seem to have in your truck. But I don't mind spending a few hundred bucks a month to have a New or nearly new truck with a warrenty that I can really depend on. Were selling my wifes SUV - another 625$ a month bill - and she is taking over my Toyota Echo airport car. The Toy is paid for and runs great and Shannon loves it so I guess I am kinda doing what you are doing, at least on one vehicle.

John, I will let you know when I am ready to buy and maybe you can get your job back just for a afternoon to make a sale. I couldn't imagine the salesmanager turning down a sale.

GyroMike, send it! I want to know what rear end you got as well

Chris, Even the used ones cost money. I can save over the price of new, but I am still going to have a payment, unless I buy a Really used truck and like I said, I don't mind spending a little money to have a nice new, or almost new truck. I spend alot of time driving and want something comfortable.
 
I understand Ron, and your situation is different, If I had to rely on the truck everyday to make my living, I would want something newer and not worn out. It sure does feel good to get rid of car payments!

With the money You'll be saving, Just think of the amount of avgas you could buy every month!
 
dont ask me.

dont ask me.

Another shop owner I am friends with just dropped 38g for a 2500 ram extended cab, short bet with the diesel,

quiet engine,
lots of power.

38 gs. though !

Not a fan of diesels unless you are using it as a truck all the time.

ford and chevy going bankrupt because of crap products line for over 20 years now.

nissan dealerships run by the worst kind of people. I dont work on nissans unless I can use aftermarket parts. Nissan also in big $$ trouble like gm and ford. what goes around, comes around your morons !!! (talking to the company's) still waiting for a 65$ refund check for wrong parts sold to me on Jan 15th, this year. Nissan sucks ! Nissan is also well known to allow certain organized crime figures to operate their franchises. This is why you have bad service, this is also a known fact so dont think I am blowing smoke. Avoid nissan like the plague. They have not learned ****ty service == ****ty sales. You have to wonder why they have to have a 300lb steroid monster... man the service desk........ no you dont have to wonder.......its nissan.

Toyota good but a bit light in the chassis, has the gvrw to tow but felt a bit light over bumps and other stuff, plus toys are a bitch to work on. $$ parts very expensive but reliable.

Given the cost of fuel I might stick with the smaller v8 in the ram, but I am not a fan of that engine either. Seeing how you wont keep it that long, I would go for the ram until something better comes along.

Jonathan
 
To be honest the vehicle I would most like to have right now is a Dodge Sprinter van - same as a Freightliner Sprinter. This is the same truck Fed Ex is using and they are becoming more and more popular. They have a 5 cylinder Benz turbo diesel and they do get Great MPG. Problem is they start at 30 grand and go up from there. They also look kinda goofy, but I have a friend that owns one and he says he regularly gets 30 MPG if he keeps the speed under 70 mph.
 
The reason I went with a new truck over a 1-2 year old used one is that I tend to keep my vehicles a long time. And I got it for 0 down, 0% financing, and under invoice price, thanks to www.edmunds.com.

I still have my 1990 Nissan pickup that I bought new in 1990. It'll be 15 years old this October, and has 225,000 miles on it. Still runs strong, just needs a few things small repairs. I'll keep it as long as it doesn't break anything major...then again I may fix it and keep it anyway. :)

Sometimes I think I should have gotten a slightly used one, but this way I know how it's been maintained and operated.
 
Hey Ron,

The largest Dodge Dealer in the World is about 60 miles from me. Dave Smith motors is in this little town in Idaho called Kellog. They've filled half the town with cars and trucks. People fly in from all over the country to buy trucks then drive them home. Come out and see me for a few days then drive your new truck home.

https://www.davesmith.com/
 
Screw-In

Ron,

You can get a Sprinter cab and chasi for around 24-26k, and add a landscape or rail bed (the bed will also haul your gyro) for well under 30k. I can put you in contact with a friend of mine who specializes in Sprinter sales. He can order and have your sprinter built as you would like, and do all on line or over the phone and call you when it's ready.

He can also find special financing for commercial application like you lawncare service and differant rebates and programs that are being offered.

Even though you didn't bite at the offer I made you on a Ram, a Sprinter is a very good choice for both you business, as well as your pleasures. The Mercedes Diesle is super on fuel.

I hope this helps. Call me and I will give you my friends name and number. I should get a bird dog fee if you buy :D

Screw-Out
 
It never ceases to amaze me how much prejudice exists in the auto industry.

Based on sales and durability, the Ford lines are the choice for heavy duty service, especially the Powerstrokes for towing. They are the choice for most company fleets, and the biggest seller worldwide, for a reason- they perform reasonably well for the price.

IMHO, Chevy makes the best engines these days, and probably among fhe worst transmission/clutches/axles with Dodge. Chevy is popular with the mid to light service crowd- the contractors who do not normally tow a lot. The Chevys ride very nice and look good, but I think Toyota makes the better light duty pickup.

I have never been happy with Chrysler quality. The only reason Id consider a Dodge truck is only because they offer a Cummins diesel engine- the best working engine of the lot. It will outlast a bunch of Dodge truck bodies.

Gyroron, I personally think a used F150 with the bulletproof 300 in six would be your best choice for a work truck, because there are a lot of them available and you should be able to get a good one at low cost, otherwise, Id go to Toyota for an everyday "second" car/truck. You might consider one of the truck-based suv's too- they tow very well and are more handy for most people. I now drive a used Explorer and like it a lot for towing and it is not particularly expensive to drive with the 4.0l six.
 
I'm with Cobra on his take on Dodge quality. I have a 98 Ram Diesel 5spd manual. It has been relatively troublefree, but only because I stay on top of potential problems such as fuel pumps, overdrive weaknesses, etc. I like the Cummins far better than the Powerstroke but otherwise I would rather have a Ford. I've had Fords for 40 years and had great service from all. The last had 128K when I sold it zero problems and still drove like new. I haul heavy loads, the last one was a bit over the top 19K including the trailer. By the way, I do all my own maintenance. I used to fix Chevys for a living.
 
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