Looking at new truck

[wildwest450]

Originally Posted by catdog

I have been die hard dodge or ford so I'm guessing if I told him I wanted to buy it he would sell it to me. I just cant give in.........it cant just be all Chevy right . But I'm starting to wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the record, the 2016 Chevy Colorado(mid size/4000lbs) will have a 2.8l 4 cylinder Duramax diesel in it. It will have close numbers to the original Cummins diesel.

I also love Dodge for starting the diesel revolution, it woke Ford and Gm up.

160/400 Dodge
181/369 GM

Gm weighs 1500lbs less and will get 30+mpg. Get one of those.

[wahoonc]

Been beating Fords to death for the past 30 years. I still have a 1978 F250 Camper Special that passed the 500k mark a while back. It has a big block 460 in it (now) that will pass anything on the road but a gas station. I have driven many a Ford to over the 300k mark with nothing but standard maintenance. I have had to call for rides with most of the Chevy work trucks I have been issued. Dodges have done the job on the farm but they weren't purdy or comfortable. My current tow vehicle is my brides 2003 F150 Lariat which has 235,000+ on it. Might replace it in a couple of years... or maybe not.

Aaron

[EricNSTL]

My two cents are to remind you that the new Titan with the Cummings Diesel comes out this year.... Just Saying....
Figured I stir the pot a little!

[wildwest450]

Originally Posted by EricNSTL

My two cents are to remind you that the new Titan with the Cummings Diesel comes out this year.... Just Saying....
Figured I stir the pot a little!

That's the problem, a good engine with garbage wrapped around it.

[RVNevada]

I am a Chev guy, but drive Fords at work, Had a Dodge before, all Trucks in the 2500 to 3500 range are good, just pick the one with the goods that you want, and find the best price, I was able to save 6K when I found my Chev 3500HD CC DRW, nice color at the end of the year, I didn't like the seat color (Too Light), but I was looking at a FORD F450 and it didn't have all the stuff I wanted and it was 5K more

[Soccerloco]

Rich appreciate your view. I am sure that most of us are happy with particular features about our truck. As you point out price and value nowadays is very important. As you I purchased my truck at an end of the year sale . Not only did I get a truck with all bells and buzzers I saved $11,000 on the purchase price. Yay!!![emoji322]

[DesertRat]

Bought my 2012 F-350 in September. Sticker was $60,310 & got it for $48,600 + tax & license.
Bought my 2013 TDI Passat on Labor Day & also saved. Not quite as much as what I did on my Ford though. But did get it for 14% off MSRP.

[arlan in arizona]

Bought my F350 April 2013 and paid too much $65,886. Like I posted earlier I was trying to get the 2013 Dodge 3500 but I could not make that happen. Living out there in the sticks I got impatient and just bought with out trying to deal to much.

I love the Ford but hate the turning radius. It rides great, smooth and quite and decent mileage. I get 16 or 17 mpg on the road if I hold the speed down to 65 mph or so. Just came back from Yuma after a long 3 day city trip. Drove 90 and 95 mph most of the way back and mileage dropped to 11.8 mpg. Towed to Idaho and back to Arizona in June and averaged between and 9 and 10 mpg. Hard to tell exactly because some of the mileage was unhooked. I go slow while towing. Like 55 to 60 mph. I get passed allot.

I understand that the new F350's have a much tighter turning radius and they also have 19.5" wheel and tire combo. I haven't been vehicle shopping for awhile so I could be totally off on this.

If I were sure I was going to keep my Voltage 3905 I think I would go truck shopping.

For me it is between Ford and Dodge and I would NOT go F450 or D4500.

Good luck in your search.

Arlan

[Moto4play]

I have a 3950 and tow with an 05 Chevy 3500 DRW. I believe anything newer than a 2011 3500 series in all makes are rated to pull over 20k. If you do not like getting passed on the road and you are pulling a 3950, you better plan on doing some work to almost anything you buy. I could pull mine at 80 mph if I wanted to, not uncommon to cruise between 70-75 mph where speed limits are at 70. I have done a LOT to my truck and have over 600 hp under the hood! Also have 16" Big Rig Wilwood brakes on the front and SSBC's on the back to stop the beast!

Like some have said earlier, get the best deal with the options you want. They all will pull it, but will they pull it the way you want to pull? If you like working on them and building power go with an older one with low miles and make it what you want. For legality I would suggest staying with a 2011 or newer at least in the 3500 series.

Good luck with what ever you go with, in my opinion Duramax with an Allison behind it is the ONLY way to go!

[J&HinMT]

Originally Posted by Moto4play

I have a 3950 and tow with an 05 Chevy 3500 DRW. I believe anything newer than a 2011 3500 series in all makes are rated to pull over 20k. If you do not like getting passed on the road and you are pulling a 3950, you better plan on doing some work to almost anything you buy. I could pull mine at 80 mph if I wanted to, not uncommon to cruise between 70-75 mph where speed limits are at 70. I have done a LOT to my truck and have over 600 hp under the hood! Also have 16" Big Rig Wilwood brakes on the front and SSBC's on the back to stop the beast!

Like some have said earlier, get the best deal with the options you want. They all will pull it, but will they pull it the way you want to pull? If you like working on them and building power go with an older one with low miles and make it what you want. For legality I would suggest staying with a 2011 or newer at least in the 3500 series.

Good luck with what ever you go with, in my opinion Duramax with an Allison behind it is the ONLY way to go!

I agree. I pull our 5th wheel with a Duramax/Allison Chevy and I don't think I'd consider anything else. With the Allison trans I've never even thought about an exhaust brake. I've owned both Dodge and Ford in the past. Chevy is just my personal preference.
I think the Cummins is a great engine, I just keep hearing that the rest of the Dodge truck is a pile of junk. Even my buddies that drive Dodges tell me if it wasn't for the Cummins there is no way they'd buy Dodge.

Everybody has their preference. I've spent a lot of money on aftermarket stuff for my Duramax and it will pull our 5th wheel up the mountains in Montana and Idaho with no problem. Never had it on a dyno, but I don't get passed often.
Nothing sounds better than a straight piped Duramax singing at about 2,000-2,200rpm with a good heavy load on.

[thompwil]

Just pulled up into the Black Hills on rt 16 to Rt 385 Hill City. Some steep hills with 89 deg temps, didn't even break a sweat. Now to relax for a week or so

[Soccerloco]

Mr motor if you ever used a real exhaust brake I am sure your response would be much different. That's why ALL big rigs utilize them.

[catdog]

Thanks everybody for your ideas and input. I like hearing what everybody thinks and has used to pull there rv's. I think I have narrowed it down to 3500 because most of them have as much tow rating as the 4500. So that brings back in the Chevy or gmc(really like the looks of the gmc). I would need to work on it some I think. A transmission mods and another mod that I don't think we are supposed to talk about but we don't have emission testing were I live. Or the dodge, that one I like the braking system and there new air bag system. Just not sure what mods I would need to do to it.

[calewjohnson]

I bought my first Ford after having a falling out with Chevy...loved my Duramax, but the body fell apart like a rusty Dodge...

Went for the 2015 F350...because of two reasons. First, I did not want to pay the insurance and registration for an F450, and my F350 has the 4.3 rear end. I have 5800 lbs CCC and 32k towing, IIRC. The CCC is what I was shooting for, I have a little more than an F450, which allows for my 98 gallon transfer tank and still has room for the family, me, the dog, and the 3800 lb pin weight.

Loaded with people and fuel, the truck weighs 10,100 lbs (scale verified)...with the truck hooked up, I have 13,900 lbs on the truck alone, she does a fabulous job pulling and the exhaust brake works like a champ.

Cale

[thompwil]

Enjoy your new truck. whatever brand you choose these days will handle the job when properly configured

[wildwest450]

Originally Posted by calewjohnson

I bought my first Ford after having a falling out with Chevy...loved my Duramax, but the body fell apart like a rusty Dodge...

Cale

Haha, that's anecdotal evidence. My first car was a ford escort and it rusted into the ground.
My 10 year old GMC I can still go out and take the exhaust bolts off with no problem.

One was in Michigan, one is in Tennessee.

Does frame paint cause cancer in Cali?

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by dawniewest

Haha, that's anecdotal evidence. My first car was a ford escort and it rusted into the ground.
My 10 year old GMC I can still go out and take the exhaust bolts off with no problem.

One was in Michigan, one is in Tennessee.

Does frame paint cause cancer in Cali?

I need to update my location, I was a transplant in CA for only the past two years. The truck was an East Coast truck...and I am back on the East Coast now....

There was/is a known problem with the GM trucks, See links below, where the brake lines were rusting out. The NHTSA was in the midst of their investigation when I had a brake line rupture while driving down the road, luckily is was after our trip to Yosemite and not during...

GM stated that the brake system is designed to still stop the truck if loaded when there is a brake line failure, I can say that is not completely accurate, as I had to use an emergency brake. I had it taken to a repair shop, who wouldn't touch it, so I had it taken to GM where it cost me almost $3k to get the brakes working again and a quote of $10k for the transmission lines and under carriage fuel lines and other components because of corrosion.... I asked GM Customer Care for a break on the parts (let me have them at cost) and I will pay all the labor, they said no, but they would give me $1k for customer loyalty towards a new truck. I traded the truck for my current Ford 3 days later...

I have had quite a few cars on the East Coast, the bottom of that truck was starting to look like a Dodge I had when younger...the door bottoms gone, the rocker panels gone, etc...

Cale

GM Avoids Recall of 2 Million Trucks for Rusty Brake Lines - Bloomberg Business

NHTSA Closes Investigation into Brake-Line Failures | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

Check your State laws, in some States such as Washington, you can convert a semi to a "motor home" and use it to tow your trailer and do so with a regular drivers license, quite a few States allow this.

If you have room to park a semi, depending on wheel base my Freightliner is only 40 inches longer then my Ram dually, they really aren't that much larger then a typical quad-crew cab dually pickup again it depends on type of truck and wheel base but my Freightliner turns in a smaller radius then my Dodge dually.

You can buy or build an older semi to tow your trailer MUCH cheaper then you can buy a new pickup truck. I paid $25,000 for my Freightliner already converted and ready to tow. I have had this truck now for two years, have towed my trailer over 36,000 miles up and over most of the mountain passes east of the Mississippi river, with no worries about getting up or down the grade safely or in a timely manner. Fuel mileage is better then with the Dodge, insurance is cheaper, maintenance is cheaper, the semi is quieter and more comfortable to drive and ride in and is a stand alone motor home that I often use for short trips when I don't want to drag the trailer.

"IF" you have the room to park it, consider getting a used semi as a tow vehicle and NEVER worry about being over loaded, getting up the hill or down the mountain safely, my only regret is I didn't do this MANY years ago, I wish I could sell my Dodge for what I paid for the Freightliner.

Once you tow with a real truck you'll never consider doing so with less again, my wife loves traveling with the Freightliner, when she gets bored she just goes back into the sleeper, puts some pop corn in the micro wave, puts a movie in the DVD-TV and crashes out on the lower bunk to watch the show or take a nap.

Heres the Freigthliner and the Dodge that I towed the old Weekend Warrior, with before I bought the Voltage 3818.



The rig I drive now, what can I say, I love it.

[RVNevada]

Mr. Cob, Now that's the way to Tow, I wanted to do that, but I have a 27ft boat and its hard to drive to the ramp already, I also have a Truck Camper I use for Hunting....I saw one in Southern California and the guy let me take it for a ride, man it was nice.......

[catdog]

I ended up with a 2016 3500 Dodge. With the asian Transmittion 4:10 gears. It just showed up, I had the flatbed put on it and now we have about 2 feet of snow so I guess I will have to wait till next spring to give it a run with the fifth wheel. But I have to say if it was just me and my wife Mr. Cob has the way to tow that is very nice and I like the fact that you would never have to worry about what hill you were going up or down.