diesel truck preferences

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towhaulerstravel

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Have a question for all you trailer folks.  My husband and I have a 36' toy hauler and are considering a new truck.  We have looked at the Dodge Ram 3500, Ford F350, and Chevy 350hd (all diesels) and have our likes and dislikes with each.  I am interested in hearing if anyone has had problems, concerns or great likes with any of these in particular. 
 
They are all good trucks.  Check your tow capacities  on each.  They will vary and with a toy hauler you will want one that can take the weight you will pull.  It's strange, but my 06 2500HD  has a higher tow capacity than a 06 3500HD. 
 
Sorry to say I'm mostly a Dodge fan. But I'm also very knowledgeable of the Dodge Cummins diesel line as well so if you need any help with Dodge trucks let me know. As for Dodge, Ford and Chevy they are all good trucks as well but like any truck do a bit a research and learn about there weakness. Every truck and every year, make and model has its own weakness if your aware of that and deal with it early you have a nearly perfect truck for life. Like myself I've got a wonderful 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 with ~400 HP and getting upwards of 25 MPG empty and about 12-14 MPG towing the 31' Jayco Eagle trailer.  8)
 
I just bought a 2014 Ram 2500 Cummins.  I personally love the truck.  Why did I buy the Ram?  2 main reasons....I felt it was the best equipped for  the money, and it's just drop dead gorgeous IMHO.  The Cummins is a proven engine, but so is the Duramax and the Scorpion diesel in the Ford. 

Truthfully, I liked the interior in the Chevy better than my new Ram, but found the exterior to be....well, boring looking.  The Chevy also has the Allison transmission, which is quite durable.  If you're looking for Capacity, the Ram 3500 dually can be configured to tow up to 30,000 lbs, which is best in industry at the moment.

Like I said, drive all three as many times as you can, take home the one you fall in love with.  All are very capable.

 
We test drove the 2103 F350, 2013 Ram 3500, 2013 Chev HD 3500, and a 2012 GMC Sierra 3500.  All 4x4, Crew Cab, DRW, long bed fully optioned with AT. All of them are amazing trucks.  We liked the ride of the Sierra best, and it seemed to be quietest.  The Ram has the best interior to my tastes: simple, refined, understated (unlike the Ford). Agree that it is a gorgeous truck. The Chev was also quite nice, and seemed to shift the smoothest with no load on it. We chose the Ford because it had the highest payload rating on the door sticker as equipped: 5292, and that is what we needed for our Arctic Fox pickup camper. Plus, it was about 5K less at the time. Good Luck!!
 
Pick the one with the most comfortable seats. Numb bum in 100 miles is awful when you gotta go another couple hundred miles.

Bill
 
driftless shifter said:
Pick the one with the most comfortable seats. Numb bum in 100 miles is awful when you gotta go another couple hundred miles.

Bill
Click to expand...

That logic is very hard to argue with  :)
 
I like the 5.9 cummins ( I had one )I like the look of the new Dodges ( I have a 1/2 ton with the Hemi ) But if I was buying a new one today it would be the Ford. My boss just traded off his 06 mega cab for one and he likes it better.  More powerful and he says he's getting better fuel mileage. The interior is real nice.
Plus Ford didn't take a bailout and it's not owned by Fiat, and Inever got along with GM vehicles very well.
 
i just bought a 2014 GMC 3500HD SLT with the Dura-Max 6.6 Turbo Diesel.  Crew cab long bed.  I drove 'em all and the GMC is a little more plush than the Chevy (also a bit more money) and from what I read, it's the highest torque in its class.  Came with the tow package, engine brake, backup camera, nav, etc.  Love it.  Year end sale, so hard to pass up.  Pulls the 39+ ft fifth wheel like it wasn't even there.
 
Avoid the 2003-2011 Fords. The International produced 6.0 and 6.4 are not engines that I would recommend to anyone who isn't a mechanic. The engines can be modified to be reliable but it often comes at a great cost. Expect to put between $4k to $10k in the motor of just about any of those trucks. Its real shame because the chassis on those trucks are excellent.

BTW Im not hating of the Fords, I use a 6.0 all the time. Its just not a truck with a good track record
 
Choice is such a personal preference it is nearly impossible to tell others what to buy.
Cummins is a proven motor with millions of miles of reliable service in both private and commercial vehicles.
Duramax has a good reputation with some years with issues.
Ford has been very spotty until the 6.7 came out.  They still are using a problematic lift pump with no customer support when they fail.  BTW GM is also using the same lift pump but they have been quietly honoring warranty claims on them.
 
Our new RAM 3500 develops 350HP and 800 Lbs of Torque at only 1600 RPM. That?s better than my buddies Class A.
The Cummins engine is found in Tractors, Tanks, Busses and in a racing configuration can develop over 1200 HP. It was thought that the transmission was a weakness but the new RAM now has a 6 speed automatic transmission. We really like the pushbutton gear selection. When climbing a mountain pass I can easily select a gear that will keep my RPMs up and hence EGTs down.
I understand that RAM dominates the RV towing share of the market even though testing proved GMC to be best all around.

 
Kamper Dave said:
I understand that RAM dominates the RV towing share of the market even though testing proved GMC to be best all around.
Click to expand...

This is what we call"Aggressive Pricing":)


I love my 6.7l Ford it's 400hp and 800lbs-ft of torque Also the electronics are very impressive.
 
Very happy with our setup, have posted pics and detail in the past.
 
If I were to go out and buy a new truck, it would most definitely be a Ram with a Cummins. It's hard to address the issue without the inevitable "truck wars" kind of debate, but I am convinced that the Cummins is a solid power plant and Ram has really done a great job with the truck itself. I guess I would be considered to be a Ford guy, but ever since hearing about everyone's issues with the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstrokes, I haven't really entertained the idea of buying a new Ford, even if the Powerstoke 6.7 is much better. From what I hear, it is a lot better.

A few advantages to the Ram is the chassis itself is probably the most up to date of the big 3. I think with the '13 models they did a number of improvement the the frame and chassis. The 6.7 Cummins is used in a number of different vehicles besides the Ram and I have yet to hear of any major issues with it, besides people having problems with some of the DEF systems when that first came out a year or 2 ago. Even some Ford medium duty trucks have used Cummins engines. In summary, I don't think you could necessarily go wrong with any of the trucks you looked at, but you might end up less satisfied with one over the other. BTW if you want a GM truck please wait for the '15 HD models to reach dealerships to see if you like the fresh redesign. The design of the '14 and earlier GM HD trucks has been around for awhile and it is commonly understood that they design and interior is a bit outdated.
 
bsosborne1 said:
Avoid the 2003-2011 Fords. The International produced 6.0 and 6.4 are not engines that I would recommend to anyone who isn't a mechanic.
Click to expand...

FYI, 2011 is the new 6.7. ;)

Like others have said tey all have Pro's and Cons.  I'm a ford guy and LOVE my '11! ;D
 
I think "any" diesel powered truck is the best way to go for towing either 5th Wheel or Travel trailer. Way better pulling power and designed to pull the weight.  8)
 
Curious about pricing:
If you lined up a Ford, GMC and RAM with similar features would the pricing be similar?
:-\
 
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