2003 4X4 Quad Cab Dually

[lawdog]

Well I saw a 2003 Dually Wednesday night, but the fiancee gave me a new nickname because of it. I was getting off of I-94 just outside of Detroit, and saw a white dually in mask about 3 cars ahead on the exit ramp. So being a Dodge guy and , the law, I was naturally nosey. I followed the truck to a condo complex, and noticing the Michigan Manufacturers plate, I spoke to the guy driving it. I don't think he was too upset, and said that they were not trying to hide that it is a dodge, but it was still in mask (front fenders and grill, and box sides), as the dually model has not been released yet. The truck was a Cummins with an auto trans. the tail pipe was similar to the current, but turned down at a lot steeper angle, almost a 45 degree down angle. I shut off my truck as the dually was parking and I could tell it sounded quieter, but still very unmistakably a diesel. The truck did have a solid front axle with the current style quad link arms and coil springs. The bummer was, the truck was leaking oil BADLY. I did manage to look under the truck at the back of the engine, which looked like the oil was coming from high up the back side of the engine. I could not get the guy to open up the hood though. the truck was not huge high, but was definantly higher than the 2002 1500 4X4.



Sorry I could not get more info on it, but the guy was quite tight lipped. And now the fiancee calls me "Psycho" just because I was finding out some spy stuff. I guess she just does not get the truck thing.

 

[TxDieselKid]

You did what????

Psycho??? Sounds like what I would do!!! Good job.



AJB

 

[Shrimpy]

Hey Lawdog, Imagine my surprise when in August of 2000 I see a convoy of 6 Dodges with Mich. Manufactures Plates leaving Galveston Island south of Houston. They all had the same covering you spoke of and there were 2 one tons, 2 3/4 tons and a 1/2 ton, with a yellow 2000 model chase truck. Followed them for about 10 miles pulling up and looking them over good. I had to exit but a fellow Rammer saw the same group around Dallas later that day. I "thought" the 3/4 tons had IFS, but could not confirm due to positioning of my truck while traveling down the road. The 1 ton was not 4 wheel drive. They were VERY quite at 70 mph. With my window down at the front of these trucks you could not tell they were diesels, you had to go back to the tail pipe to tell. Realize that all of this was done at 70 mph going down the freeway.

Everyone keep your eyes open and maybe you will catch one fueling up and beg the guy to give you a peek under the hood... ..... NOT.

 

[lawdog]

I trtied to get him to open the hood to see where the oil leak was coming from, but NO AH AH. He said he would just put more oil in it later and drive it back to CTC ( Chrysler Tech Center) in the morning. It was leaking bad enough to leave drip trails when maneuvering it in the lot back and forth.

 

[RamStud139419850]

Was any of them quad cabs, or crew cabs, whatever they will call them? If so, was the cab the same as the 1500's that are on the new car lots now? If the cab isn't diffrent, (BIGGER) than I will start searching out my new Ford Sunday, when all the salesmen are at home!

 

[tgbol]

Shrimpy

That sounds like the same convoy I spotted in Barstow, Ca heading to Arizona on August 8. Someone else posted that it was in the Pheonix area on the 9. The trucks were black. One of the chase vehicles was a GMC with a trailer.

 

[Shrimpy]

Tgbol, Don't remember the date but it was in August 2000 sometime (last YEAR). There was a Toyota I believe that was also in the group. It did not have Michigan Manufactures Plates, all the other did. The 2 one tons were each 4 full door crew cabs. Not sure how they compare to the ones on the lot now (1/2 tons) because they had that black bra material over everything but the windows. On what would have been the back passengers windows, there was a bug screen type material. However the doors did look like large size doors. Same for the 3/4 tons. Wish I would have had a camera... ... .

 

[tgbol]

Shrimpy

You have a years jump on me it was 8/8/01 when I saw them. I was towing a car to Bonneville for speed week. And on my way to Las Vegas.

 

[lawdog]

The doors were not masked on this truck, and they appeared the same as the new 1/2 tons. I drove a friends new 1/2 ton 4 door. The doors look small, buth the interior room is impressive. Granted it is not as big inside as my friends 1994 GMC crew cab, but the way Dodge built the truck, the seats sit pretty high so you get good leg hand, instead if needing them to stick out farther forward as you would with a lower seat position. I am 6"0" and I setr the drivers seat to be comfortable to me, and then got in the rear seat. I thought the rear seat was comfortable, more so than the new GMC HD another friend just bought. The GMC seat was lower with about the same leg room.

 

[David Muench]

You missed the obvious way to get a look under the hood. .



"I'm gonna have to impound that truck for leaking oil all over. That's an environmental hazard. "

 

[lawdog]

Good point about the impound, as I impound ALOT of semi's at work, only problem was I was in my ram, not my Police Jeep. I have definantly stopped newer vehicles before to check them out though. I always find SOME reason to stop for legality reasons, like 1 mph over . .