Do I need guages if I do not tow???

[Forrest Nearing]

hey, I'm still smilin' over here... sounds like you are too



wish I had enough money to not care and to take the depriciation hit every year or two on a new truck... but some people don't have that kind of money.



do YOU need gauges? no...



does the original poster? yes if he's planning on keeping his truck.



Forrest

 

[PJ]

hey, I'm still smilin' over here... sounds like you are too



wish I had enough money to not care and to take the depriciation hit every year or two on a new truck... but some people don't have that kind of money.



do YOU need gauges? no...



does the original poster? yes if he's planning on keeping his truck.



Forrest

I didn't loose a dime on my last truck. If you buy them right and trade them off before they loos their value, its good business to do so. That isnt ******* away money, that is using your brain. I drive a new truck every 1 or 2 years. That is my choice. As for the gent that asked about the need for gauges, I voiced my opinion. You chose to flame that opinion. As I stated, that was uncool. I hope in the near future, you will have the means to trade off your truck every 1 or 2 years and enjoy the latest that Dodge has to offer.

I wish you good luck and enjoy your mods.

Last of all, for what some of you were spending on those mods, you could very easy own a new truck and not get hurt if you happen to take a hit in the price. If you shop around, you can get one for about $10k off the sticker. That is very easy to do. I never pay retail and never will. I do in fact get top dollar for my used trucks as I do in fact take care of them and service them on a regular basis. My 98 12v is still owned by the guy I sold it to and has about 350k on it now. No gauges, no mods, no problems. That is a truck I used to pull a 9 horse trailer the first 100k of its life from Calif to Oklahoma with no problems. All I did was keep the oil changed and valves adjusted.

I rest my case. :-laf

 

[coobie]

Right and wrong. Im fairly well off but the only tools I feel I should ever need is a Cell Phone and my AAA card. THe tow truck can tow my truck to the nearest 5 star and AAA pays the hotel and meals. Now that is what I call smart. I didnt spend $43k fopr my truck as some of the smarter guys did. I happened to get that $43k truck for $32,800 out the door! That is good business. I refuse to spend more of my time worrying about my truck when I have better things to do.

If I was to ever buy a used CTD, I would walk away from the one that has a dash pad covered with gauges. That would tell me that someone traded in his hot rod and it most likely been used hard with all the high school mods. I bought my truck to go from point A to point B. Not to tear into it and throw another 200hp into it , just to see if the transmission can take it. That is just plain stupid. About as stupid as a few here that choose to slam and flame me for giving MY opinion of this thread.

If anyone has ever noticed, 99% of all dealers remove trailer brake controlers, hitches, and gauges as they know that most people know that when they are on a car or truck, it means it has most likely been abused.

I tow about 10k pounds and never worry if Im going to get there. The guys that haul my horses across the country drive mostly Dodges and none of them bother with any mods or gauges. They just load the truck and trailer to the max and put 400k + miles on their truck and then trade it off and get a new one. They even state that it just a waste of money and not worth it. Too much information! (and Im not the first to say it)

I see that some of you have no sence of humor and are way too attached to your trucks. It a hunk of plastic and metal. To each his own, I choose to keep my trucks stock. That way there is never a warranty problem when you are out on the highway and don't have to worry about re programing the computer back to stock before the tow truck arrives to save any warranty you may have left.

To the guy that already has 125k on his 04. 5, Im happy for him. I will never own a truck, (except my 72 Chevy) longer than the factory warranty. Life is just too short to have to wake up in the morning and worry about my gauges on my ride! :-laf :-laf Enough of the negative remarks. I don't need them and Im sure other guys think the same. Calling people stupid along with flaming their opinions to any thread only shows the level of, or should I say, lack of, intelligence you may have. Lets all be nice and keep our sence of humor

Hey Hot dog,I did not call you stupid. Please show me that in my post. If you look at my signature,you can tell my truck is stock. I plan on keeping it that way. You can ramble on as long as you choose to. Good luck my friend. coobie

 

[PJ]

Hey Hot dog,I did not call you stupid. Please show me that in my post. If you look at my signature,you can tell my truck is stock. I plan on keeping it that way. You can ramble on as long as you choose to. Good luck my friend. coobie

Never stated you did. It was Forest. The second generation owner that implied it.

 

[tschwab]

I think gauges are necessary if you tow really heavy or if you modify your truck for more power. Third gen trucks run pretty hot stock - with 3500lbs towing in the mountains I was able to hit 1100 just doing 65mph up the hill. I'm sure with 10,000lbs you could melt something if you were really getting on it. .

Even for stock trucks, an EGT gauge is nice to judge when you can safely shut your truck off as far as protecting the turbo is concerned. . For those that intend on keeping their trucks a long time, it's nice to have.

DC has tested these trucks over many miles and all kinds of conditions. If your truck is stock, you do not need gauges. As far as hitting 1100 towing, that has all been tested by DC and is not a problem or they would not have produced a truck that hits 1100 towing. BTW - 3rd Gen trucks do run hotter, that is part of the reason they have piston cooling nozzles on the HO.



Not knocking guys that have gauges, if you like being tuned into that, plus watching the road, plus watching the tires on your fiver (yes, I had a blowout and constantly watch the tires in my truck mirrors for blowout), more power to you, for me, not having to watch an EGT, Boost, Trans Temp or Fuel Pressure gauge is a relief. Someday you might be there.

 

[coobie]

Right and wrong. Im fairly well off but the only tools I feel I should ever need is a Cell Phone and my AAA card. THe tow truck can tow my truck to the nearest 5 star and AAA pays the hotel and meals. Now that is what I call smart. I didnt spend $43k fopr my truck as some of the smarter guys did. I happened to get that $43k truck for $32,800 out the door! That is good business. I refuse to spend more of my time worrying about my truck when I have better things to do.

If I was to ever buy a used CTD, I would walk away from the one that has a dash pad covered with gauges. That would tell me that someone traded in his hot rod and it most likely been used hard with all the high school mods. I bought my truck to go from point A to point B. Not to tear into it and throw another 200hp into it , just to see if the transmission can take it. That is just plain stupid. About as stupid as a few here that choose to slam and flame me for giving MY opinion of this thread.

If anyone has ever noticed, 99% of all dealers remove trailer brake controlers, hitches, and gauges as they know that most people know that when they are on a car or truck, it means it has most likely been abused.

I tow about 10k pounds and never worry if Im going to get there. The guys that haul my horses across the country drive mostly Dodges and none of them bother with any mods or gauges. They just load the truck and trailer to the max and put 400k + miles on their truck and then trade it off and get a new one. They even state that it just a waste of money and not worth it. Too much information! (and Im not the first to say it)

I see that some of you have no sence of humor and are way too attached to your trucks. It a hunk of plastic and metal. To each his own, I choose to keep my trucks stock. That way there is never a warranty problem when you are out on the highway and don't have to worry about re programing the computer back to stock before the tow truck arrives to save any warranty you may have left.

To the guy that already has 125k on his 04. 5, Im happy for him. I will never own a truck, (except my 72 Chevy) longer than the factory warranty. Life is just too short to have to wake up in the morning and worry about my gauges on my ride! :-laf :-laf Enough of the negative remarks. I don't need them and Im sure other guys think the same. Calling people stupid along with flaming their opinions to any thread only shows the level of, or should I say, lack of, intelligence you may have. Lets all be nice and keep our sence of humor

Form got to add,I know you are alot smarter than me,BUT my truck listed for $41,000 I paid $32,000 with my employee discount. coobie :-laf

 

[Forrest Nearing]

well, I never called you stupid...



I said I wish I had more money than brains... and I stand by that statement!!!



but, I will appologize for the flame towards you... fair enough?



Forrest

 

[Forrest Nearing]

BTW - 3rd Gen trucks do run hotter, that is part of the reason they have piston cooling nozzles on the HO.

don't all 5. 9's have cooling nozzles? I know the 12v's do...



Forrest

 

[PJ]

well, I never called you stupid...



I said I wish I had more money than brains... and I stand by that statement!!!



but, I will appologize for the flame towards you... fair enough?



Forrest

Sounds good to me. lets all get back on the subject! Group hug. . naw, Im not go'n that far!

 

[BHolm]

I think that it is pretty hard to argue against, "IF you leave the truck stock, gauges are not something you NEED. " I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping tabs on your truck if that is what turns your crank but I am like PJ, mine is stock and I don't worry. I also agree that as a used truck, the one with gauges is going to get the lower trade number at a dealer. It is a sure sign of a hot rodded truck.



My dually has hauled a 20k trailer over several Mtn passes in Colorado. I have no idea what the egt's were but it is still running great. I also plan to put 250-300k miles on before trading my two work trucks. As for the '05, my personal truck, I'm like PJ there too, cycle them every couple years. I have no desire to own one out of warranty. You can definately "afford" to do it without being "rich" whatever that is. I traded my '03 Chev for the '05 Dodge and my payment dropped $400 with no money down. Got to love the 0% loans from the manufacturers



As to the guy plowing snow, if it is with an auto trans, you NEED a transmission temp gauge. I wouldn't plow without one. I haven't plowed with a CTD but my Ford plugs the trans cooler with snow and you can see it coming on the gauge. I got 200k miles from the original transmission on that truck. It plows snow and tows big loads. It would have fried early on without that gauge.

 

[tschwab]

don't all 5. 9's have cooling nozzles? I know the 12v's do...



Forrest

Forrest, your probably right on that, however - they have added additional nozzles or cooling to handle the hotter EGT. I'll stand by my original statement - Gauges are not needed on a stock truck, you may want them, or may like them, but they are not needed. If somethings go wrong..... well then DC is my warranty station.



I've been down the other road of BOMB'n, it was fun at the time, but I prefer to keep my 325/600 stock and not worry about if this mod or that mod is going to screw something up. It is pretty cool that you can get a 325/600 straight from the factory with a 7/70 warranty and peace of mind that I AM NOT my own warranty station. The 3rd gen does not allow the tolarence's that the 2nd gen did for modding.



All stock for me, call it boring or whatever you want, but it works for me. If it doesn't work for you, BOMB away, but YOU then become your own warranty station.

 

[LesStallings]

You guys don't pay cash for your trucks???

 

[PJ]

You guys don't pay cash for your trucks???

As a matter of fact, I did, but I wasnt going to add that bit of salt to the wound.

 

[Punkineater]

PJ you moaned and groaned about your other Ram and now you moan and groan about your present. To compound the problem you let your Service Manager dump whats left in his empty mind into yours and value it as good information. IColeman the young buck 20 year old has posted the most intelligent factual post on this topic which I guess blows the old adage older and wiser completely out of the water.

The reason manufacturers don't put additional gauges in our trucks in the first place is all about $$$. Just because they don't put them there doesn't mean they are not needed. Just the pain and hassle of dealing with DC over a warranty item and being out my truck for the period of time it costs to fix it is reason enough for me to monitor the overall health of my powertrain. If you really don't care about the health of your truck then why do you subscribe to the TDR? If it's just to whine well then I for one could do without it.

 

[DPohl]

Well said post! There is not much humility in stating that you paid cash for your vehicle especially when the other post referencing that was in sarcasm. Who cares if someone paid cash for their vehicle, does not put anyone higher on the food chain than the next guy.

 

[LightmanE300]

Calling people stupid along with flaming their opinions to any thread only shows the level of, or should I say, lack of, intelligence you may have. Lets all be nice and keep our sence of humor

Kinda funny how you're pointing out people's 'lack of intelligence' and you spell the word sense wrong in the same sentence. :-laf

 

[LightmanE300]

DC has tested these trucks over many miles and all kinds of conditions. If your truck is stock, you do not need gauges. As far as hitting 1100 towing, that has all been tested by DC and is not a problem or they would not have produced a truck that hits 1100 towing. BTW - 3rd Gen trucks do run hotter, that is part of the reason they have piston cooling nozzles on the HO.



Not knocking guys that have gauges, if you like being tuned into that, plus watching the road, plus watching the tires on your fiver (yes, I had a blowout and constantly watch the tires in my truck mirrors for blowout), more power to you, for me, not having to watch an EGT, Boost, Trans Temp or Fuel Pressure gauge is a relief. Someday you might be there.

Did you even read the first sentence of my post? I said they were good for those doing really heavy towing or those that have modified trucks. It's NICE to have it on a stock truck, but not NECESSARY. Also, if you had read more closely again, you would have noticed I said I hit 1100 with only 3500lbs. If I had 10-12k behind me on those grades, I might have melted something had I not known the temps.



You guys crack me up that brag about blindly operating your trucks and think you're special because you're covered under the warranty blanket, or sell your trucks before warranty periods are up. You probably shouldn't be on this site. This site is for enthusiasts - and most of us really like to get the most life out of our trucks that we can. Thats why we wait for our turbo's to cool before we shut down(as it says in the owners manual), among other things. If you think you can just guess as to when your truck is cool enough to shut down, you're mistaken.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

yeah, it kinda gets under my skin that guys abuse trucks and then put 'em back in the "pool" for the po' boys to buy later...



but then I shrug it off because I'll never own a 24v!



Forrest

 

[BHolm]

Lightman300, You're cracking me up now. You say that at 3500lbs you got it too hot and that if you had 10-12k you figure you would have melted something? That is absurd. I ran both of mine clear across CO last year, one with 20,000lbs behind it, the other with 17,000 lbs behind it. Pedals were to the floor for the hour it took to climb Monarch pass at 40 mph. That was almost a year ago, both trucks continue to run flawlessly and both have logged another 40k miles since then. They both still haul 15k lb loads daily, niether have any extra gauges on them and it appears that they do not need them either. It is a crazy assertion that because I don't monitor some extra gauges that I am damaging my trucks. The manufacturer rates them to haul a certain amount. The undoubtably build a cushion in there to avoid a slew of warranty claims. Then somehow I am not an enthusiast because I don't care? Funny... if I am not an auto enthusiast I have been fooling a lot of people for a long time. If I listed my current fleet I would be subject to all that "rich guy who doesn't care" BS. The simple fact is, the trucks were purpose built to be worked. The engineers involved put tons of thought into the trucks systems, and they work as they are. As has beeen said all along here, if you bomb it, you need gauges, if not you don't.



Oh and I didn't pay cash because 36 months at 0% is the same thing, and I can use the cash elsewhere to make money with

 

[PJ]

Wow, did this thread start a PI$$ing war or what. You have your opinion and I have mine. That goes to everyone here. Enjoy your trucks guys, and Ill enjoy mine.