Another new truck ?

[ar240owner]

Thinking about getting a new truck to tow the boat / and wife's dayly driver , thinking new dodge or chevy , always been a chevy fan , but thinking about a dodge to get somthing different , so any thing good or bad let me know !!! Should I go dodge or chevy ?

 

[woodard1983]

I've always been a chevy guy, but when I got in the new dodge the chevy just didn't compare...I drove the 14 chevy/gmc, ford, dodge, and toyota....

imo the dodge is far superior...the interior is what took it over the top, hands down better than any of the others as far as look/quality and comfort....

I got the 5.7 matched w/the 8spd and I'm averaging 18.5-19.5 mpg....about 50/50 driving between highway and city....when I took it to Kansas City I averaged 22.8 on the interstate going 75 and I averaged 11.2 pulling the boat down to table rock

 

[jcyamaharider]

Ford.....yes I am bias

On a serious note...
Just me thinking out loud here. The new transmissions on the dodges haven't really been out long enough to know if they will handle the towing load that we put on these trucks everyday?? Am a wrong here?? ( talking half ton ) Shifting 8 gears to me seems to be a lot on a transmission valve body and electronics. The less items to move the less items that could break. Same thing for Chevy. Yes all of them are really nice trucks....but I would have to stay true to form and use what I know works.....

 

[Boat Crazy]

X2

 

[maboat]

I had only Ford trucks until they started putting Cummin Diesel engines in Ram (no longer "Dodge") trucks and I've only had Ram trucks since then. The six speed auto in my currrent Ram is definately more reliable than the 4 speed auto in my previous Ram so the "more gears = less reliability" notion is not universal. Especially with Automatics because planetary gears are always meshed and don't "shift" from one set of teeth to another when ratios change.

You couldn't pay me to drive a Chevy/GMC truck today. They are so far behind what Ram and Ford offer now. I like Ford trucks, but I also like Diesel trucks. Until recently than meant Ram/Cummins was the only choice for me. The new 6.7L Ford-built (not Navistar built) Powerstroke is finally a decent diesel offering from Ford, so that makes the choice a little tougher for me. But I still prefer the overall looks of the Ram so it still gets the nod from me.

Since I prefer diesel for towing, that used to mean something bigger than a half-ton truck even though I don't need the payload. But recently, half-ton trucks have started to appear. Ram has one now, Nissan will have one next year, and supposedly Toyota will have one in 2017. No official word yet from Ford or Chevy on a half-ton diesel.

To complicate things, the Ram half-ton diesel does NOT use a Cummins engine. I love the truck, and all the write-ups on the engine seem very good. It has a lot of new-tech engineering. But still I'm holding judgement until its been used in the truck for a few years (it has been used in the Grand Cherokee for a few years prior to putting in the truck)

Oddly, Nissan is going to get a Cummins light-duty Diesel engine. It should be a good strong engine, but I can't stand the rest of the truck. There is no way I would own one even with an awesome cummins engine. Toyota makes a very good half-ton, but the details on their diesel option are still uncertain. Some rumors say it will be the same Cummins light-duty thats going in the Nissan, but that has yet to be verified.

If I had to make a choice right now, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel would be at the top of my list. 2nd would be Ram 2500 Cummins with coil-spring rear suspension (smoothest ride for an HD truck). 3rd would be Ford SuperDuty 6.7 (Scorpion) PowerStroke.

 

[maboat]

Oh I just read the part about this vehicle also being a wife's daily driver. That said, forget about the HD trucks I mentioned (unless of course your wife is the type that likes bigger trucks )

The Ram 1500 with rear coils is the smoothest riding truck out there. It literally rides like a [big] car. It also can be purchased with an optional Air Suspension which is adjustable on the fly. Thats the one that's on my radar in a couple years when I'll be due for a new truck

 

[dbrock34]

Made the switch from Chevy to Ram this year myself. The 8 speed transmission and 5.7 Hemi pull the boat much better than my Chevy 5.3 did. I agree about the 2014 Chevy not seeming like much of an update. They aren't much different than my 2007 Chevy. My Ram did ride like a Cadillac but I put a levelling kit on it and now it's not so great.

 

[Speedling]

Had a Dodge. Fell flat on it's face in the mountains pulling my camper. Welded the plugs shut it got so hot/lean. Hopefully they have recalibrated things since '05

 

[woodard1983]

the 8spd shifts much better than any vehicle I've owned while pulling the boat...8 spd does mean more gears to shift through, but it also means less gap between gears, which is wear pulling puts the most wear on the tranny.....

these Ram trucks are nothing like the Dodge's that came before them....night and day difference after the acquisition of Dodge by Daimler

to be honest, my best suggestion is to get in all of them and take them for a spin....they are all "good" trucks, it's going to come down to personal preference which one you will like best....any of the big 3 half tons will be a more than capable tow vehicle for our boats

 

[Wayloncle]

I've always been a Chevy guy, mainly for looks in the 1/2 ton range, I have absolutely nothing against any of them and truly believe they all are great vehicles that will last a long long time if cared for.
I have an '09 Chevy 1/2 ton Z71 with the 5.3 and 6 speed trans. I pull my 7400 lb camper quite a bit and I have no complaints at all about the trans, I like it a lot more than the 4 speed I had before in a '04 Z71.
I like the Fords when it comes to the 3/4 tons, no huge technical reasons, just looks and finish. Like I said I think they are all great trucks, you just have to pick what you feel comfortable in and will be proud to drive so you have pride in it, therefore taking care of it.

 

[Jim Robeson]

I have also always been a GM guy but will have to say I like what Ford and Dodge have done to make their products a little different. That is the one thing that GM seems unwilling to do...take a chance and mix things up a bit. An example is what Dodge did with creating a storage area inside the bed rail area. Nice idea so you don't have to have a toolbox in the bed or carrying stuff inside your truck. I like the shifter in the console, haven't seen that on a GM truck yet. Those are just a couple of things. As far as towing, I have never had an issue with my GMC...but I have never towed with anything else. I tend to like the looks of the GM products better. But, like most people, it all comes down to personal preference. Kind of like our boats, I'm pretty sure I will ever own another prop boat again. Not to say I don't like them, just like what I have better if that makes sense.

 

[Bilmon]

Just started researching myself though I won't pull the trigger till spring,no sense treating a new one to a northern winter any sooner then I have to. They all seem nice but I keep coming back to the Chevy though I really like looks of the Ford better. Love the Raptor but no way can I justify it. Thing that gets me are the prices, gonna cost a good 10 grand more then my 06 z71 to get comparable setup
Bill

 

[Jump Right In]

If you can find one, try a Dodge Ram Ecodiesel... have had mine for a couple of months now and it is amazing! I know there are ford and chevy guys out there that bash the Dodge's, but there is a reason they have 25% growth, and my guess would be that most people who make the negative comments have driven or ridden in one the past couple of years.

 

[ar240owner]

Well my suburban served me good !! I had 185,000 on the burb towing boat and camper , but time for somthing new !!! So here she is !!! 2010 ram longhorn 4x4 with the hemi !!! I'm pumped !! I can't wait to tow with it !!!!

 

[mattschepker]

Looks beautiful congratulations

 

[ar240owner]

Thanks !!! I'll have to bring it buy tomorrow !!! I'm pumped !!!!

 

[007]

Beautiful truck man!

 

[Topper232]

Obviously a lot of us make our choices based on good and bad experiences with a brand(s) that we've had. I've given Ford two chances, not trucks mind you, but one car and one minivan, and both had more problems than I'd care to get into.

My brother in-law has a Ram with the lifetime powertrain warranty and has never had to cash in on it. A nice truck, but I'm not crazy about the ride.

I was a Toyota truck guy from 90 to 2005. Still love them, but when I went to a full size truck in 2005, I loved the ride and handling of the Silverado. That and the $10,000 in rebates and a high trade-in made it a no-brainer. I then switched to an Avalanche in 2008. Great truck. I just didn't like how soft the back end felt while towing, so I traded that in for a Sierra last year with the Z71 & All Terrain Pkgs. The Z71 beefs up the suspension and the All Terrain pkg adds Rancho shocks. Together, this seems to improve the towing characteristics for me. Same engine, 5.3 ltr, but jump to a 6 sp transmission also make for much smoother shift points while towing.

Good luck in your search.

 

[jawsf16]

Huh? It appears the search is over. Nice looking rig, hope it serves you well @sx210owner

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Nice truck! I'm looking to buy the same truck.....just need to sell my current one.