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Old 04-19-2016, 12:14 AM   #1
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Looking to go DRW - which truck ?

So I currently have a 2015 - 2500 crew cab ram with the Cummins - it does seem to pull the 2016 v3305 okay but is over GVW - have been looking at a new 3500 meg cab DRW with the Aisin transmissions -- does anyone have input on this ???
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Old 04-19-2016, 01:28 AM   #2
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-- does anyone have input on this ???
Ha... You know that's a loaded question, right?

I'm a Ford guy, so that's what I'm gonna recommend... but I really have nothing bad to say about the Rams. Like most things, my advise is to go with what YOU'RE comfortable with.
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Old 04-19-2016, 01:52 AM   #3
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I was looking real hard at the mega cab 3500 last year. Was a little nervous about the 1st year aisin, And at least in my neck of the woods all you could find is the 3:42 rear end. If you like it go for it. Dang nice trucks. I love my gmc 3500 though.

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Old 04-19-2016, 05:03 AM   #4
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I was looking real hard at the mega cab 3500 last year. Was a little nervous about the 1st year aisin, And at least in my neck of the woods all you could find is the 3:42 rear end. If you like it go for it. Dang nice trucks. I love my gmc 3500 though.

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I am noticing the 3.42 rear end which is kinda annoying , I hear good things about the aisin tranny, would love to hear from someone that has it???? -- how is the GMC with the Allison Tranny?
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:19 AM   #5
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I am on my first Ford, before this, I had been a GM fanatic...to include my LLY Duramax. After I had some debilitating issues with my Chevy, I started doing some shopping. I wanted to buy my last truck. I drove all three, did some digging on info, and went with the Ford. I do not regret it yet.

The GM products ride like a Caddy, always have, they do a great job in that respect, I had some front end problems on my Chevy, was told that is the way it is because of the independent front suspension.

The Dodge was good, I have a couple of friends with them and they love them, I was in CA at the time and could not find an Aisin equipped truck with the options I wanted. Most of the Dodges were work equipped or cab/chassis models.

Bought the Ford, sight unseen, after driving a buddies 2014 F250. It was just as responsive than my 05 (tuned with EFI Live), the cab layout was nice, and it had a lot of creature comforts I had never had. I told the dealer the options I wanted and how much I planned on towing and he found it 300 miles away.

In the end, I went with the the one that had the best towing capacity. Similarly equipped/price Dodge or GM could not hold a fire to what I have now. I had to decide on the F450 and F350 at one point, but while the F450 can pull more wrt trailer weight, my max payload with the 4.3 gears is higher. Which was a must as I have a 98 gallon transfer tank in the bed.

Full of fuel, trailer connected and ready to roll, my truck weighs 14k (my max) on the nose, scale verified, and she handles it very well.

Happy hunting!

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Old 04-19-2016, 09:26 AM   #6
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I have the Aisin trans and 4.10 gears. It is 6 speed with 5th and 6th as overdrives. My '14 DRW is rated to tow 29000# - crew cab and long bed. I know you can only get the mega cab with short bed, but I would not tow with short bed and slider hitch. Just my preference, with the factory hitch mount system you can use the truck bed by easily removing the hitch. I some times tow without the cruise control as I think it downshifts too easily. Easier to anticipate hills and speed up with less downshifting. When not towing I can get 20-21 mpg on highway if i stay below 65 mph.
All trucks have nice features. Ford is now showing a trailer backing assist feature. It's all in what you want. I prefer the RAM and the Cummins, appears to be bulletproof and I'm a repeat buyer. First time with the Aisin trans in the TV. Aisin is a huge international company. Both our Saabs have Aisin trans.
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:35 AM   #7
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I saw the 2017 build sheet for the Super Duty trucks...lots of gizmos and gadgets to break. Not only trailer backup assist, but 360 degree camera coverage, auto wipers, auto adjust cruise, amongst other stuff... Again, lots of stuff to break.

WRT towing capacity, the amount of trailer I can tow is not as high on my list as how much weight I can put in the truck. The Ford numbers (I suspect all really) are such that you will run out of Cargo Carrying Capacity long before getting to the max tow weight, when pulling an RV.

For me with my tank of fuel and 3800 lb pin weight, people and gear, I have 5800 lbs "cargo" in the truck, yet the trailer only weighs 19,800. Even if I took the fuel out and added more pin weight to get to max capacity, I would still be shy of my max towing. Now, if pulling a bulldozer, different story, but for the RV user, I would worry more about CCC and less about towing capacity.

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Old 04-19-2016, 12:03 PM   #8
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So I currently have a 2015 - 2500 crew cab ram with the Cummins - it does seem to pull the 2016 v3305 okay but is over GVW - have been looking at a new 3500 meg cab DRW with the Aisin transmissions -- does anyone have input on this ???
I had a 2010 Dodge 3500 dually and will never buy one again. The engine will pull just about anything but the suspension was really expensive upkeep. Driveline u-joint at 20K and front axle u-joints at 55K! Wife and I really liked the interior though. If I were to buy another light duty truck I'd go with the Ford....JMO
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Old 04-19-2016, 12:23 PM   #9
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Kind of thinking that there isn't one truck that's better than the rest. For every "good" story, there is a "bad" one. If there was a bonafide single "better" truck, everyone would buy it. That's why there are the big three (Ford, Chevy, and Dodge). It's all a matter of personal opinion and taste. Just my humble opinion.
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Old 04-19-2016, 12:25 PM   #10
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So far, I love my 3500 DRW with the Aisin. I have the 3:42 gears and it's rated to tow 20,500lbs with that set up so it works good with our 3305. The crew cab is huge and I'm not sure that the interior space trade off is worth sacrificing the eight foot bed. The rear seating area is very large and adult comfortable even with the front seats all the way back. I put a 60 gallon transfer tank in mine and still have room inside and out. We towed through the Black Hills last summer and, through the Badlands too. Didn't even break a sweat. The Aisin transmission is well worth the money. I towed the same trailer with a 2008 Ram, 2500, 6.7 with the 68RFE (a story for another time), and the difference in the transmission is very noticeable. Shifts are smooth and firm, no hunting for gears on hills, and it runs cool in all conditions. My 68 was constantly shifting on a long uphill pull, and didn't handle exhaust braking as well. It felt like the drive train was being "torqued" by the load causing a jerky deceleration. The chassis' have been beefed up since that year so I can't say for sure what caused that issue. The brake controller works great after I learned the proper way to adjust the manual adjusters on the trailer too. I have seen 12mpg on flat land with no wind 65mph, but don't expect to see that too often. The average is 10-10.5 overall.

Check out the towing capacity interactive page to see how gears and configurations play out with different set ups. Ram Trucks - Towing Guide - Capacity Chart

As was stated already in this thread, all the big 3 trucks are pretty awesome these days. I've been a Ram guy for quite a while, on my 4th one and beat the crap out of 2 of the other 3 with 100K + miles and were still going strong. The only exception was my 2005 that I got with the short bed. I traded it in after 3 years since I hated the short bed. If you're going to drop a pile of cash into a new truck, the Aisin is well worth the upgrade, you will not regret it.
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Old 04-19-2016, 01:36 PM   #11
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I learned a very hard lesson the last time i had a dodge, and don't think ill ever have another... had a 2006 2500 crew cab, short bed. then, they used a 48RE. 3 speed with over drive. I was told that it was never designed for a diesel at all. I had ! $9,500 + in fixing/ building, in the 7 years and 130,000 miles i owned it. if that wasn't bad enough, i didn't own a camper, and towed very rarely . now dodge uses a 68RFE. i hear its "better". but i still don't like the way it smells. i have seen people i know have great luck with the aisin... only thing i can say about that is that its new, and if I did have trouble with it, id be forced to use the dealer. My brother has a 2012 cummins 3500 long bed,SRW. it has 3:73 with the 6 speed manual.

the duramax/ alison, IS, the most proven truck on the road. been the same platform since 2000 or so... I have a 2013 3500 HD, and couldlnt be happier ! NEVER, gets the EGTS too hot, the auto trans is NEVER is the wrong gear. this truck just humbly does what its told to do..gets 10-14 mpg while towing my 2016 3970.

I would buy a cummins again, but I would have to stick with the manual.

NO FORDS ... think this is a given..
they have the most major problems, had the most engine changes, most expensive truck to buy- yet the cheapest to buy used, need to pull the cab to work on the motor.....
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Old 04-19-2016, 01:50 PM   #12
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I have just traded-in my 2011 RAM 2500 6.7 with 3.73 for a 2016 3600 drw 6.7 with the 4.10 and Aisin.

I have watched pretty much every bake off and comparison possible and i dont think you can go wrong with any truck.

For me it's the RAM, i just feel the Cummins Aisin combo is more heavy duty. It probably wont go as fast as the two other brand up a hill but it will be cooler on top.

With the addition of def to the 3500 ram is now competitive on the fuel mileage. But it does take more def then the others.

I have had some issues with the 2011 and it was mostly all fixed under warranty. You meed to make sure it is inspected properly before the warranty runs out like any truck. I have had to replace the U-Joint and the Steering Box (leaking) for the improved model (larger shaft). The ball joint are also notoriously poor and you need to plan on ordering a good set around 60k miles (100kkm). Tailpipes are also know to rust and go off after a few years. Keep an eye on it because when it goes it will start blowing and rusting the parking brake line and will grip it. That can turn into a brake job.

The dealer and service makes a huge difference to me. I have had tons of issues with Ford in the past and will never buy another one again.

I had a GM and it was a pretty good truck overall. I was very happy with it also. It ran hot on hard pull, had some issues with the door locks that kept failing (11times) and had some oil leakage issues also.

Bottom line no truck is perfect you simply have to know what to look for to avoid surprises.

I got the RAM because i preffer it's look and interior (ordered the longhorn). I also love the bid rig sound of the cummins (yeah its louder then the othet two). And i know what to look for to avoid surprises on the long term.

And make sure they grease the drive shaft using the needle... Most mechanic think that zerk is an urban legend and doesnt exist...it does it's just hard to find and uou need to know where it is lol.
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Old 04-19-2016, 03:16 PM   #13
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Great info from all of you, I really appreciate it. please keep the comments coming as well.
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Old 04-19-2016, 03:50 PM   #14
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I am partial to my GMC. If I could build my own it would be the cummins with the Allison trans. Ford interior with a GM frame. That said, there all decent and I would suggest to take some rides and see which is most comfortable. My dually is my daily driver.


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Old 04-19-2016, 04:22 PM   #15
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I had a 2010 Dodge 3500 dually and will never buy one again. The engine will pull just about anything but the suspension was really expensive upkeep. Driveline u-joint at 20K and front axle u-joints at 55K! Wife and I really liked the interior though. If I were to buy another light duty truck I'd go with the Ford....JMO
Yes, the auto industry uses the cheap crap in the name of profits too.

I have been Blue Oval fan for fifty years. When we were shopping diesels, first stop was Ford. We drove the Powerstroke, then walked next door and drove the Cummins. There was no comparison in '07, the Cummins won hands down.

I'm still running the original drive shaft U-joints, blew the axle U-joints and a hub around 60K. Told Mr Ram to ram his OEM parts and went to my local parts guys and bought greasable u-joints. End of problems.

I think the Aisin was first offerred as an option in '07, over the new 67RFE. I have no complaints with the transmission, but I wouldn't say no to either the Aisin or the Alison.
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Old 04-19-2016, 04:56 PM   #16
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...

NO FORDS ... think this is a given..
they have the most major problems, had the most engine changes, most expensive truck to buy- yet the cheapest to buy used, need to pull the cab to work on the motor.....
Not a wholly true statement....sure Ford had problems with their 6.0 and 6.4...but your broad statement is just plane wrong, especially since the 2011 MY Ford.

All three have problems, the level of your tolerance for such problems varies from person to person. I lived through the LLY blown head gaskets and injector failures....I had neither, but many people said they would only own an 07 and up Duramax.

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Old 04-19-2016, 08:31 PM   #17
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I think all 3 are also worthy and pick what you want. They all have strong points and a history as well.
I am on my first diesel and own a 2012 f350. I was well aware of the 6.0 and the 6.4.
I waited on the 2011 being the first year.

Seems that up to 2015 or so the ford was a little longer in the tooth compared to the others.

The comment on the cab removal was true for certain jobs on the Navistar diesel in the ford. But I also recall the comment on the cummins being the best but you have to buy a dodge wrapped around it to get it!

I always felt for many years the Allison/duramax made a dependable combo. My brother owns a duramax and loves it. He told me 4 years ago flip a coin. He also has a buddy that at the time bought a f250 with 6.7 scorpion diesel and his words were " he has 140k on the rig and never turned a wrench on it." I know we always here stories like this but I also know most people that give input on forums give the negative. We don't hear as much positive.


I would own any of the big 3!

Buy what you feel s best. Hard to go wrong. Good luck.
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Old 04-19-2016, 10:39 PM   #18
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Dodge oh sorry Ram owners will recommend those. Chevy/GM owners will recommend those. Us Ford owners will recommend Ford's. As I fall in the last group I've owned a 7.3 (2) 6.0 and now the 6.7. New 6.7 tows circles around the others I love it. 50K+ & never been back for any warranty problems. Can't say that for the 7.3 or the 6.0's
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Old 04-19-2016, 10:45 PM   #19
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So I have been out looking at all 3 -- for outside looks the winner is ford - for inside is the ram and its electronic package - seats in the gmc looked really comfy . Honestly I really don't want a dually but if I want a 20k voltage I need the dually . I hear towing with a dually is the cats meow - but can't see myself just driving around in town in dually like I do my 2500 ram . If a SRW 3500 could handle 18,000 might be able to compromise .
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Old 04-20-2016, 12:32 AM   #20
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So I have been out looking at all 3 -- for outside looks the winner is ford - for inside is the ram and its electronic package - seats in the gmc looked really comfy . Honestly I really don't want a dually but if I want a 20k voltage I need the dually . I hear towing with a dually is the cats meow - but can't see myself just driving around in town in dually like I do my 2500 ram . If a SRW 3500 could handle 18,000 might be able to compromise .
Know exactly how you feel. I love me 350 dually. It's spotless inside and out and I baby the heck out of it. It is a PITA though to take out to run errands, always end of the lot or taking two spaces. Wife doesn't really care to drive it. However when I have the Voltage loaded up behind me, it drives like a dream, both stopping and going. Second car is a Jeep Wrangler so when we bop around town, we take that. Makes me feel like I'm driving a go cart in comparison to the dually!
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