Dodge Truck Info Needed - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

R Leo · #1 11-18-2003, 10:59 AM

A friend is thinking about buying a new Dodge (gasser) pickup as a replacement work truck for his long-in-the-tooth (220,000+ mi) Ford F-150.

Since it's now Daimler-Chrysler, and I own a couple of Benzos that are pushing their 20th birthdays, said friend has come to the conclusion that I should know something about these trucks.

Hmm...OK.

Surely someone here has an opinion about them. Won't you please help?

mikemover · #2 11-18-2003, 11:18 AM

I'd advise him to get the Cummins diesel version...It'll be lower maintenance, and last much longer.

Mike

BoostnBenz · #3 11-18-2003, 12:00 PM

Same here, the cummins has went over a million miles, I bet the gasser doesn't come even close to that. I've seen one or two for sale with a mere 600k miles on it, perfectly drivable condtion of course. They don't have glow plugs, it is an instant intake heater, they don't smoke at idle or at WOT because the IP adjusts this out.

R Leo · #4 11-18-2003, 12:25 PM

He isn't going there (diesel, that is). What about the new gassers? Any rumors or gossip about them?

BoostnBenz · #5 11-18-2003, 12:53 PM

I don't know a whole lot or much of anything about the new dodge gassers, my family mainly has GM. We've had the 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0L, and the biggest one (I forget but it seems like it is a 8.0L) the 4.8L seems nice but lacks power, the mileage gain is minimal, the 5.3L is the most practical all around IMO as it has some very nice power (pulled my mercedes back 600 miles on a 1500lb trailer without any problem) and the chassis has very nice brakes. The 6.0L is powerful but is a hog and the 8.0? can't quite make it past the gas station with a ~40gal tank. The new GM trucks have turning radius of cars, ride fairly smooth, and have very nice interiors (not quite a MB, but almost the MB of trucks.

)

Lebenz · #6 11-18-2003, 12:59 PM

Perhaps a Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Titan? Chrysler still makes the purest form of automotive trash around, except perhaps for a Yugo, or Renault.....

Rick Miley · #7 11-18-2003, 02:08 PM

Everything I've seen about Dodge trucks praises the heck out of the Cummins engine, and poo poos the rest of the truck. From personal experience, Chrysler has really nice designs but they build them with the cheapest, lowest quality materials available. I bought a 1993 Eagle Vision new, and traded it 4 years later with pieces literally falling off because of poor quality plastic.

mikemover · #8 11-18-2003, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Miley
Everything I've seen about Dodge trucks praises the heck out of the Cummins engine, and poo poos the rest of the truck. From personal experience, Chrysler has really nice designs but they build them with the cheapest, lowest quality materials available. I bought a 1993 Eagle Vision new, and traded it 4 years later with pieces literally falling off because of poor quality plastic.

That's pretty accurate, from what I hear as well. The Cummins can't be beat for a truck engine, as long as you don't care if your interior falls apart, trim falls off, paint chips, etc....

Mike

Zeitgeist · #9 11-18-2003, 04:06 PM

I'll second the comments and praise for the Cummins engine--an engineering wonder. The rest of the truck is pure junk, no more, no less. Though I've had no catastrophic issues, I've found the body integrity to be an abomination.

Sigh...if your friend absolutely insists on stooping to buying a gasser again, then the Toyota is probably his/her best bet. I hope you'll try to strenuously disuade them from their shortsighted disinterest in diesels, as these engines really are the only way to go.

BoostnBenz · #10 11-18-2003, 10:48 PM

I agree with that as well, I've heard their chassis is pretty chincy but the motor is nearly bulletproof. While Ford doesn't have nearly as nice of a diesel motor it seems like I've heard better things about the chassis than I ever have with the Dodge. I'd still buy a dodge cummins over the Ford PS knowing this.

homeka45 · #11 11-21-2003, 06:57 PM

Tell him to check out the www.turbodieselregister.com website. I've had my 01 diesel for 26K w/o any problems.

mikemover · #12 11-21-2003, 07:09 PM

Tell him to just quit beating around the bush, and get a Unimog or G-Wagen!

Mike

suginami · #13 11-21-2003, 11:14 PM

Several months ago I rode in a new Dodge truck with the Hemi, and I thought it was a well-put-together truck. Very quiet and rattle free. The Hemi was very powerful. I'm sure it gets horrible gas mileage, too.

I agree with the others, though, in that the Cummins diesel is a better option. It has great power and gets great gas mileage.

A good friend of mine delivers caskets for a living, and he put over 500,000 miles in his Dodge work truck. The truck had almost no problems to speak of.

His company sold the truck and bought him a Ford, which he hates. He did his best to persuade them to keep the Dodge, but company policy was that trucks had to be replaced after a certain number of miles or a certain number of years.

#14 11-22-2003, 09:21 AM

If he absolutely, positively, MUST get a gasser, then the addage is to keep the truck simple. Get the 2500, so he can keep a stick behind the V8's, and avoid the automatic tranny - chryslers one continuous long term problems.

I bought my truck with as absolutely little stuff in it as possible, while maintaining the necessities of high mileage driving, and living in the south. I have a rubber floor, plastic door panels, cloth bench seat, manual tranny, manual windows, and an aftermarket stereo.

I don't have a rattle one in 110k miles, and only one squeak in the clutch pedal linkage that will only require me to it it with some lithium grease to correct. So long as your friend follows the keep it simple rule, he should get as many miles out of the Dodge, as he did the Ford. It is my intention to keep my Dodge truck for as long as I possibly can.

BoostnBenz · #15 11-22-2003, 09:08 PM

I thought the radios in those were had to replace since they had some other stuff built in (mirror control?), I must be thinking of the 2G Rams though, not the 3Gs. I want one with nearly every feature, everything but leather and an automatic.

2500 gassers in all makes & models have such horrible mileage that unless you are using all of that power I wouldn't recommend this at all!