2013 HD Production Discussion Thread

[mgonske]

Who else is waiting for a '13 3500?



I'm seeing no discussion here on TDR, but heavy discussion (more difficult to follow, since I'm not a member there) on cumminsforum.com.



My originally ordered truck, ordered 7 Feb, has been in D1 status, then returned to C status, now back to D1 with no estimated dates.



Unable to change that one, I had to submit a new order, still not even showing up in Ram Customer Service's systems, on 1 Apr. It turned out the CHMSL camera (one of the most-touted features from the Long Hauler to be adopted) is an option, even on the Longhorn, and conflicts with the Convenience Group (auto-dimming headlights and auto-wipers), due to each option using different rear-view mirror assemblies. Since I sad "yes" to the Convenience Group when placing my original order, the CHMSL camera was never even mentioned to me



I've seen '13 2500s at the dealer now, and Ram had some on display at Rodeo All Stars last weekend (I spent a long time sitting in a Longhorn to feel what mine will be like). According to the discussion at cumminsforum.com, what few 3500s that have been built have all been shipped to storage, and none actually shipped for delivery.



One of the oddities about 2013 option availability is that SRW Cummins-equipped trucks can only be had with 3. 42 gears. Gotta get a dually or Hemi to get any other gear choices.



Here are some of the info sites that have been referenced for 2013 (and 2014) dates and restrictions:



PHH RAM TRUCKS: BUILD-OUT AND START-UP DATES

http://www.phharval.com/home/news-and-media/build-out-start-up/ram-fleet-trucks



Lead Times, Downtime & Production Delays › Publications › ARI - Automotive Fleet Management (restrictions)

http://www.arifleet.com/publications/lead_times_delays/#item1050





I also found that with the ramtrucks.com site finally functioning, not only can you spec out the new trucks, you can download owners manuals and UConnect manuals:

http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/owners/manuals/





It's interesting that, with the new HD frame not being used on the '13 2500s, that Ram now has three completely different trucks with the 1500, 2500, and 3500.



Just hoping to spark some more discussion here on TDR to try to keep up with all of this (while impatiently waiting and wishing the launch of this new truck line were going more smoothly).

 

[Kry226]

I would love to have a new truck, but frankly, I'm starting to lose interest. This has been a debacle from the get-go and speaks of incompetence. They cannot manage this launch properly, so what's to say they can manage servicing this new truck appropriately with parts supply lines, etc.

I won't pretend to know the inside workings of this company, but Ram is making GM and Ford look pretty good right now.

To add insult to injury, they're building the trucks the way they want them, instead of the way customers want them.

 

[HBarlow]

Chevy (Govt. Motors) and Furd would look even better if their trucks and engines were half as good as a Ram with Cummins.

Personally, I would wait as long as it takes to buy a new Ram if I was in the market for a new truck. I wouldn't buy a GM or Furd under any circumstance.

 

[CBari]

I too was ready to order, but with way some of the options are. I have deceided to wait till some if any get on the lots to actually look at and test drive. I might get lucky and find a 13 on a lot somewhere like I want after the 14 come out for a deeper discount.

 

[NIsaacs]

To add insult to injury, they're building the trucks the way they want them, instead of the way customers want them.

I would say the customer choices are huge with todays Ram. Three pickup and three cab chassis models, four cab models, three Cummins and three transmissions and the Hemi, to just name a few. Remember the 1st gen? The rear axle is an issue but might be solved.



I agree the launch of the '13 model is a mess and I am afraid when the financial loss of pickup sales hits Ram, the fall out might be far reaching.



Nick

 

[RonD]

Chrysler and all the Vehicle Manufacturers make most of there truck profit on Half Ton trucks, not one ton HD's, so that is where the energy is.

 

[Kry226]

I would say the customer choices are huge with todays Ram. Three pickup and three cab chassis models, four cab models, three Cummins and three transmissions and the Hemi, to just name a few. Remember the 1st gen? The rear axle is an issue but might be solved.

I agree the launch of the '13 model is a mess and I am afraid when the financial loss of pickup sales hits Ram, the fall out might be far reaching.

Nick

Respectfully disagree. None of that means much when you cannot build them the way you want. 3. 42s and manual transfer cases are two examples. Cannot get this unless you get that. If you get that, you have to remove this.

Sigh.

 

[JR]

its interesting they are offering 285/60/20 as an option with the 3500 I wonder if that will be available in the 2500. And dual altenators, shhewww

 

[Wingate]

Can only get 3:42 on a single wheel 3500??... If that true, there went any notion of me buying a new truck... CAFE can KMA...

 

[BILLUA]

There is now a recall for the '13 2500 and 3500's due to an engine insulation blanket that has caught on fire in testing.


Automotive News
April 9, 2013 - 4:01 pm ET

WASHINGTON -- Chrysler Group is recalling more than 214,000 cars and trucks to fix a range of problems, including an engine cover that overheated and led to a fire under the hood of a prototype Ram 3500, documents released today show.

In filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration submitted last week and disclosed today, the automaker said it will initiate six recalls, covering 214,201 Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles in the United States.

That includes 6,143 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks made from January to March of this year, which have potentially fire-prone engine compartments.

When including related recalls in Mexico, Canada and other countries, the recall total rises to about 260,000 vehicles, Chrysler said.

In an April 5 filing, Chrysler said a fire broke out under the hood of a prototype Ram 3500 vehicle during testing in February at the company's proving ground in Chelsea, Mich.

As result, Chrysler engineers discovered that the engine cover used in the trucks can trap too much heat on the passenger side of the engine. They also found that the engine compartment can overheat if the engine cover is positioned incorrectly after service.

"Either may result in an under-hood fire," the company's filing with NHTSA said.

Chrysler said it will begin to notify customers and dealers of the problem by the end of May. Most of the affected vehicles are still in dealers' hands, the company said.

For the recall, Chrysler will replace the engine cover with a new batwing-shaped shield.


Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.d...ore-than-214000-vehicles-in-u-s#ixzz2Q1n5ZkR9
Follow us: @Automotive_News on Twitter | AutoNews on Facebook


I had ordered a '13 and after being jerked around with no explanation, pulled the trigger on the '12 and love it.

I have the '12 all set up for towing season.

 

[DAN V]

I don't think I would want a '13. You are getting a smaller fuel tank which will be less miles . I saw a video of a '13 and did not care for the center console. I like the consoles in the '12's. I do not want to spend 65k plus for a new truck. There are some used '10's to '12's that are looking pretty good online.

 

[mgonske]

My originally ordered truck is in F "paint" status today; the second one is still in BX "edit" status.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Talked to a salesman at Dave Smith Motors today. He said they have no 3500 dually's scheduled for arrival any time soon. He said they are almost out of trucks. He is happy that Ram is not sending out the trucks with problems and then trying to fix them under warranty. He said they want the trucks to be right when they are sold. He is also frustrated that they don't have new trucks coming in to sell.

I told him when they have trucks to look at I would stop and check them out.

 

[mgonske]

Sill no status on my second ordered truck, but some on the first one. Yesterday VOTS showed it in "Trim" status, and today in "Final Inspection". I called customer service today, and they initially gave me the line about being one of the very few lucky trucks to be pulled for "100% inspection" (i already knew that's where it appears all trucks have gone up to this point, with none shipping). Upon pressing him further, he checked his shipping status screen and gave me an estimated load on the rail car date of 13 April, and estimated offload from rail car date of 22 Apr (of course, back at the beginning of March, I had a similar set of estimated dates of 6 & 18 Mar, so I'm still not holding my breath).



The second truck (ordered 1 April) still isn't showing up in the system at all. Some scrounging around on MOPAR websites turned up CHMSL lamp assemblies with cameras for Chrysler 300s, so I'm assuming the ones for the Ram should eventually be available, and I see Coastal Tech is working on an updated version of their 'Lockpick' black box to seamlessly integrate additional cameras into the new 8. 4" screen radio in the Ram, so together that (along with some effort to route harnesses) should allow retrofitting the CHMSL camera. Knowing that option will exist may contribute to my impatience for the new truck to prompt me to just take the original one if it shows up with still no reliable status on the correct one.



Here's the URL for the Lockpick. I have the MyGig Lockpick in the Grand Cherokee, and I love it.

http://www.coastaletech.com/LOCKPICKC8.htm



Other production news: it looks like the 2014 first build date has been pushed back from 1 July to 12 August:

http://www.phharval.com/home/news-and-media/build-out-start-up/ram-fleet-trucks

 

[SNiebaum]

I would love to have a new truck, but frankly, I'm starting to lose interest. This has been a debacle from the get-go and speaks of incompetence. They cannot manage this launch properly, so what's to say they can manage servicing this new truck appropriately with parts supply lines, etc.

I won't pretend to know the inside workings of this company, but Ram is making GM and Ford look pretty good right now.

To add insult to injury, they're building the trucks the way they want them, instead of the way customers want them.

It's gone way past debacle now... it's an epic failure. You have potential buyers looking only at GM and Ford now for their 3500/4500/5500 vehicles...

Sold units sitting in storage in Mexico for what reason?? An engine cover as the recall notice might indicate?? I doubt it. Ram 2500's with the same engine cover continue to ship and be sold without the cover or retro'd with the 2010-2012 cover. Seems an easy enough solution yet the Ram 3500's sit in storage. Now the 2014 production gets pushed back...

 

[rscurtis]

AFAIK, GM is out of the 4500/5500 segment. The only other choice is the IH Terrastar, and I've never seen one in the flesh. Would you buy that with the 6. 4 engine?

 

[EricBu12]

Looks like it will be time to get one of these. .

http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/Trucks/Medium-Duty-Trucks/Recreational



Look at the Eaton Transmissions that mates up to the 6. 7 Cummins they have.

http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Truck/Transmissions/index.htm

 

[crabjoe]

Last I heard... about a week ago, I got a reply from Chrysler because I was complaining about my order not moving. In my complaint, I asked them if there was an issue with the Cummins because it was showing on restriction till 4/22. The replay I got was that there wasn't a problem with the Cummins itself, but with a cross member that the Cummins sits on. They were expecting a regular shipment of the updated cross member and expect to be in full production, on the 3500s, on 4/22.

From what I remember, when the 2013 3500s were launched, they were saying all the cross members were no welded to the frame. There is also a guy on CF that stated that his truck was one of the 1st built (2/25) and it looked like it was going to go to the crusher because of a frame problem... Looks like it was a frame problem because of the cross member. This also explains this long delay... a heat shield wouldn't cause a delay of this length, but a cross member would because they not only have to re-engineer, but it has to be tested. Assuming that all went well, it would take them a bit of time to ramp up the updated part to get into production...

 

[Kry226]

And Diaz is now out. Hmmm... makes for a good think, doesn't it.

 

[DJAustin]

Got my '12 3500 crew /w Ram box and 3:73 rear in Feb but really wanted a 13. Salesman was upfront and warned me of potential delivery problems. My revised plan was to keep the 12 stock and trade for a 14 in two years- however I am enjoying the 12 more every day, (as mileage improves. ) If I cant get a 3:73 SRW in 14 model, I'm going to keep the 12 and upgrading it. I'll be starting w/ things I can swap over. Once I convert the hubs to manual- I'll be keeping it. RAM- its up to you which way I go. I highly reccomment the RAM box option!