New Truck Advice Chevy or Ram?

[tjdonahoe]

I always had fords, after their 6 litre problems with on warranty , I went dodge with the 6.7 , and their 6 speed auto, it is very good, the exhaust also is 2sd to none,as far as engines go the duromax is Isusu, ,and the dodge was cheaper by a bunch, 93000 miles and no problems,

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by AnnArborBob

I do not trust any Chrysler product for durability. They look better (styling-wise) than Ford or GM, but in the long run, they are just plain crap (based on over thirty years of unscientific observations.) No offense intended to any loyal Chrysler owners, you have your reasons for owning them.

Well you never owned a 440 with a 727 tranny they lasted , the 70s dodge pickup cabs weren't very good I agree, gm never built a long lasting diesel, the cummins dodge uses has proven to be very reliable, so unless you own one you know very little about them,I will be in your area in a few days if you care to test one out.....

[SeeMore]

I've owned GM trucks for almost thirty years and switched to the Ram in 2011. I can't address athethics, looks are an individual choice, but the durability and reliability factors are more easily calculated. My last GM product spent almost 40% of its days under repair and had more warranty work than acceptable so I ditched it after two years (keeping my other one one). Failures ran the gambit from engine, to transmission, to hardware. It must have been a Friday afternoon build!

By contrast, the RAM (2500 6.7ltr 4x4 crew cab/short bed) has had only recall service and half of those visits didn't apply upon inspection. When I checked my service records, it has had less maintenance expense than my other GM truck through the first 50k: count me in the impressed owner category.

I have towed my 28' Airstream slideout over 32K now and can report 12 mpg in undulating terrain/mountains, 13.7 mpg on flat coastal areas and I run at 62-63 mph. In everyday stop/go city traffic I get 12.8 mpg and 17.+ interstate. I prefer towing my Airstream with the RAM over the Chevy. The new RAMs claim better fuel mileage and other performance specs than the 2011 model.

[mwgarrett]

I recently faced the same dilemma--replacing a 2005 Ford F150 to haul my 27FB—the 5.4 L was still strong, but struggled to pull the mountains of Colorado. So decision was made to look for a “newesd” tow vehicle—I looked for low mileage 2014/2015 ¾ ton diesel vehicles. After lots of research and reviewing multiple forums, I was convinced that the Ram 2500 was the truck for me. I really wanted the Ram with the strong Cummins, but was fascinated by the bulletproof GM Allison transmission. However, my better half, demanded that we test drive them all to make sure given the price point.
We test drove a Ford F250, Ram 2500 and Chevrolet 2400--all 2014/15s with less than 9000 miles. The Ford was a big disappointment compared to GM & Ram, not really even in the running so I’m not going to bother further. I understand the 2016 Ford Superduty has been completely redone, so maybe...
The Ram 2500 Laramie was well appointed on the inside, great entertainment center in the dash, but the seats weren’t that comfortable, less so than our 10 year old King Ranch Ford. The big six fired right up and out we pulled—definitely feel the big motor idling—not a big issue with me, but my wife asked the salesman about the vibration and he said we could try another Ram--stated that it was normal for the Cummins. So out on the highway we went, turbo lag was a little irritating, but when the big turbo Cummins hit, it hit hard and pulled hard, great for me, but not for my wife. The ride was a little rough, but what I expected from a heavy duty truck. Back to the dealer, tried another Ram 2500, same vibration, OK, on to the GM.
Last was a Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 3500—I wasn’t really interested, but I had promised my wife I would test drive them all. The first thing I noticed is that I couldn’t hear the engine when I started it compared to the Ford or Ram. The second was the seats—very comfortable, best of the three. Anyway, out for the test drive—some turbo lag, but nothing like in the Ram—very smooth acceleration that shoves you back in the seat. OK, finally the ride, no vibration at all and felt like we were in a sedan. By far the smoothest riding of the three. My wife then asked me if wanted to spend all day in the Ram and get out with a sore back or with the Allison transmission and the great ride. No need to beat me over the head. We love our Chevrolet, could not be happier. I get 18-19 mpg in and around town and 23 on the highway. When towing I am hovering around 19. According to the Duramax forums, once I hit 40,000 miles my mileage towing should go up. Good luck with your decision. If you choose the GM, you will not be disappointed.

[map-it]

I plan to drive the Chevy tomorrow afternoon.

I have always owned 1/2 Ton trucks and I love my Tundra but I need to upgrade due to tax reasons and my truck has 160,0000 miles on it.

Im really leaning towards a GM Product based on the ride and interior comfort but the Dodge really impressed me as well.

Thanks for all of your comments and I appreciate the feedback.

But depending on the price the Dodges seem to have their heart right and I hope I can get some good numbers from GM.

But you guys are right I think either truck will do just fine for the intended purpose.

Thanks
Bill

[Plan-B]

Good luck Bill. Your right you will enjoy which ever you decide or market sways you.

[rgwatkin]

I now own a 2012 RAM 1500 5.7L gas. (400hp/400ft-lbs torque). Previously I owned 4 fords and one thing I can tell you without doubt is the front suspension on the RAM is superior. The front ends on all my Fords would chatter while going around a turn while hitting a pothole which at times was scary. My ram holds the road and you fell secure. I have 80k on my RAM without any maint. issues. The last Ford I had was in the shop 4 times before it hit 100k.

[SMLJeep]

Have only had my 2015 Ram 2500 Cumins for a month but I love it. The ride is so comfortable I have to remind myself that I'm driving a 3/4 ton truck. Every person that rides in it is impressed with the comfort and quiet ride. Most of my driving is on country roads in the VA Blue Ridge with a little mix of city and interstate and I'm getting 19.5 mpg. Have only towed our 23FB for 50+ miles and it took the hills like I wasn't towing anything. The tow/haul mode and engine brake worked great. Can't speak for reliability but one of the reasons I went with the Ram is I have many friends that have them and they have had no issues. Additionally, see more Ram 2500/3500's used by the farmers in our area that Ford or Chevy. Good luck.

[Ted S.]

All of these trucks seem to have improved tremendously over the past few years in terms of driveablity. The are much quieter, smoother, and an all around better ride. You cannot compare a new generation truck with an older truck if you are looking for a nice ride. They are all nice, I would probably go with what I could get the best deal on.

Having said that, get me a old F250 with a 7.3 and I'll show you a workhorse that won't die. I have literately seen them beaten to the point they lose body parts but still keep going. My father in-law has a fleet of 20 Ford Supercrews for his concrete business and the old ones are tanks. If I were alone on a desert road towing an Airstrem, that would be my truck of choice.

[CRH]

Originally Posted by AnnArborBob

I do not trust any Chrysler product for durability. They look better (styling-wise) than Ford or GM, but in the long run, they are just plain crap (based on over thirty years of unscientific observations.) No offense intended to any loyal Chrysler owners, you have your reasons for owning them.

I feel the same way. Seeing all less than ten year old Dodge trucks with rusty quarter panels gives me a flashback to the 70's.

[Adiredneck]

We bought a 2015 Ram 3500 Laramie Cummins TD 4x4 Club Cab 8' bed in March - I special ordered because I wanted the 6 speed manual (only Ram still offers one). I towed our 27FB Classic 3700 miles in June, and am about to head out for our fall trip. I couldn't be more pleased with the truck. Something to consider: The 3500 cost me around $180 more than a 2500, and had around 1200#s more payload (4200). It has the Hotchkiss leaf springs in the back, which I prefer for a heavily laden truck - less bounce. Rides like a Caddy! The Laramie has leather, but the seats come with heaters and tushy coolers - comes in handy in a Mississippi summer. I got 15 years out of my last Dodge/Cummins pickup, and it was hardly broken in. All I ever did was change the oil and filters religiously. BTW, Highway Products makes a great "surveyor's pack" for pickup trucks - all diamondplate aluminum. I got the "pickup pack" and bed roller from them and am quite pleased with that, as well. As for mileage, I get 17 average running around town (which I do not do very much with this big a truck - I have an old Mercedes diesel as my daily beater). Going from Mississippi to Vermont in June towing the AS, I got almost 15mpg, and 13.5 on the return trip on the exact same roads. Tailwind? IDK. I set the cruise at 62mph in 6th gear, and it took every hill in SW Virginia and PA at 1600 rpm without breaking a sweat. I had the engine brake in "auto" mode, and it kept us right at 62 without touching the brakes (about 16,000 GCVW). Never knew the trailer was there.

That's my $0.02 worth. I'd recommend both Ram and Highway Products based on what my experience with both has been.

[cabinetmaker]

I own a 2015 Ram 3500 duelly Mega Cab Cummins. My second one. I was a Ford diesel owner prior. Will never go back. Now I don't pull my Airstream with the Ram it would be overkill. I use it for work hauling trailers full of cabinets to West Texas. I put 50K a year or more running highways pulling heavy trailer loads of cabinets. Look at what you see the long haulers pulling with out on the interstate. It is Ram Cummins. There is a reason for that. Less problems and down time. Guys who make a living driving know what works. Downtime cost money. It took me a bit to fiqure this out. I am on my second Ram Cummins now and will never go back. Watch out for chevy diesel fuel pump failures, injector failures, def pumps going out. Watch out for ford diesel def system problems, injectors, turbo failures, radiator leaks. Just a few known problems. Put a ton of miles on my first Ram Cummins. Had one rear wheel seal leak. You need to pull heavy with these diesels to keep them out of the shop. These trucks are not grocery haulers. Thats what is wrong with most of them. Guys don't use them for what they were designed. Hauling!

Have fun. It's a crap shoot. I would put my money on a Ram Cummins if I were you.

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by map-it

.................. but as I usually need a bed full of Surveying Gear and potentially an ATV on top of the Diamondback Bed Cover

With this statement in mind you may consider jumping up to the 3500 single wheel truck. An ATV on top of the bed rails raises your center of gravity and a truck with heavier springs would handle the weight better. If you decide to take the ATV along on the camping trip it would manage the tongue weight and ATV weight with less vertical sway.

You can't really go wrong with either of the brands. Anymore it comes down to personal preference, price, appearance, base warranty and the cost of the extended warranty. If purchasing new you should really consider the extended warranty. If something goes wrong - new vehicles are really expensive to fix.

Maintenance: My Dodge diesel is a little over 6 years old purchased used. I have had two issues. The pinion seals started to seep and i had them replaced. The axles are manufactured by American Axle - coincidentally the same rear axle is used by both Dodge and GM. The second issue has been the emission system. The truck has what I would call a "first generation emission system" which had many growing pains for the big three truck makers. In 2011 and 2013 both GM and Dodge went to better emission systems and they work much better now.

My personal choice is the Dodge Ram and would buy it again today - I feel it is a rock solid vehicle and I love towing the trailer with it. Diesel power, 6 speed transmission, big brakes and the exhaust brake means control over the Airstream - towing is fun!

If the GM truck turns you on then by all means buy it and be happy! It would be high on my list too.

[Plan-B]

As 'crispyboy' mentions, consider an extended factory warranty. I completely agree if you intend keeping the diesel over 100k miles. My previous diesels I never entertained this idea. My new Ram I have a life time warranty.

If I had purchased an extended warranty on my previous diesels at least one of them might still be in my barn. The cost to fix almost anything on a diesel can be shocking in cost. And it does not have to be the drive train or turbo to shock you, the required emissions systems can cost a small fortune to maintain and there is a lot to go wrong and they do, on all of them. Clearly if I had made the extended warranty investment they would have paid themselves off many times.

[KJRitchie]

Who sells a lifetime extended warranty and how much?

Kelvin

[Plan-B]

There are independent warranty companies and there are factory warranties. Factory warranties are handled through your dealership. Also, they are negotiable on pricing too. The reason I prefer factory warranties is that when you have a claim the dealer takes care of all the paperwork. All you pay is your $100 deductible and you are out of there. With independent you have to usually pay dealer in full then submit your claim and argue.

[KJRitchie]

I've never seen a factory lifetime warranty. Is yours through Chrysler? My dealer, who is part of a dealer network that sells other manufacturers beside Chrysler, sells a extended warranty via an insurance company vs factory warranties (seems more of a benefit to them than the customer) and it was only 7 years so really you are only getting a 4 more year extended warranty since the factory full coverage is 36k/3 years.

Kelvin

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Plan-B

As 'crispyboy' mentions, consider an extended factory warranty. I completely agree if you intend keeping the diesel over 100k miles. My previous diesels I never entertained this idea. My new Ram I have a life time warranty.

If I had purchased an extended warranty on my previous diesels at least one of them might still be in my barn. The cost to fix almost anything on a diesel can be shocking in cost. And it does not have to be the drive train or turbo to shock you, the required emissions systems can cost a small fortune to maintain and there is a lot to go wrong and they do, on all of them. Clearly if I had made the extended warranty investment they would have paid themselves off many times.

When I spoke to my dealer finance representative last week about warranties I was told that the longest available warranty on a diesel was 6 years, 100,000 miles. Lifetime was only available on gas versions. I recently read on Ram's site that lifetime was available for original purchasers and I bought mine used so maybe that was the real reason, but IDK.

Standard warranty on the diesel and drive train is 5 years, 100,000 miles so that gets me another year on them and 3 more years on everything else. My best guess is I will hit 100K somewhere between 5 and 6 years.

Al

[Plan-B]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

I've never seen a factory lifetime warranty. Is yours through Chrysler? My dealer, who is part of a dealer network that sells other manufacturers beside Chrysler, sells a extended warranty via an insurance company vs factory warranties (seems more of a benefit to them than the customer) and it was only 7 years so really you are only getting a 4 more year extended warranty since the factory full coverage is 36k/3 years.

Kelvin

The factory lifetime RAM warranty was with a 5.7 Hemi.

[cabinetmaker]

I like Ford and Chevy stuff. I just bought a 2016 Ford Expedition EL Ecoboost to pull our new Airstream.

When it comes to diesel HD trucks it's a whole different ballgame. Be sure to check the warranty that comes with each brand. Ford dropped the 100,000 mile on their diesels for 2016. Chevy also dropped it's powertrain warranty to 60,000 miles for 2016. Chrysler did too but not on it's diesels. Ram HD Cummins diesels still come with 100,000 mile 5 year powertrain warranty.

With any of the diesels there is a key to remember if you want it to stay out of the shop. Put a load behind it. These diesels like and need to work to function correctly. The load keeps the emmisions equipment clean and operating as designed. Short trips to the store or in town traffic kills these trucks.

The newer trucks all use DEF to keep the soot cleaned. Much better than pushing it back through the engine like previous designs. Oil stays cleaner now and the engine runs better. Yes, DEF is a pain but your truck will last longer with it's use and your engine won't clog with soot.

If you will put a load on these new diesels it will help even more to keep the soot cleaned out. Run it hard and it will last you a long long time. I'm speaking from many many miles of diesel towing experience here. Buy a Ram Cummins. You won't regret it.