Dodges cost cutting, Again/still.

[brobeson]

I just picked up my new 3500, what a nice truck, but the more I look at it the more I find that Dodge advertises and shows in the sales brochures but leaves off the truck.

1) Lighted vanity. (My wife uses this all the time)

2) Rear cup holders. (Anyone in the rear seats uses these).

3) Insulation under the hood. It's just not there.

Here is what my dealer said!

"Hi Bob.

Sorry that there are some unexpected deletions from the listed equipment in the brochure. The 2001 truck brochure, like all vehicle brochures, has a disclaimer on it. The Dodge ram truck one is on page 37. It says that “DaimlerChrysler reserves the right to discontinue models or change Specifications without notice or without incurring obligation".

So in other words they can change anything that is not a extra-cost option. I went and checked and the cup holders and the hood insulation are items they no longer include as standard equipment. I was unaware of this change, but they don't give dealers any written notice of these things they just change them. "

Just leaves a bad taste in your month, ya know what I mean?



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2001 3500, SLT+, Green, Tan leather, Duel Power Seats, HO, 6 speed, 4X6, 4. 10, Towing Package, Trailer Tow Mirrors, Camper Package, Sliding rear Window, Jacob’s E-brakes (Dodge), Electric Steps (Dodge), Mud Flaps on all 4s (Dodge) Line-X over the rail bed liner, 20K Reese 5th wheel Hitch with Gooseneck, 30” toolbox and tailgate box. Factory ordered, Picked up on 5-15-01. WOW!

Also have a 1998. 5, 2500, SLT, Red over Driftwood, 24V, 4X4, Auto, 4. 10, Light Group, Camper Special group, Convenience Group, Travel Group, Trailer Group, Keyless entry, 5 band EQ and 6 disk changer. (truck is 4-Sale)

 

[Bad340fish]

TDR member Hiperf360 just got a 01. 5 3500 SLT+ Sport Pacage. We noticed right off it had no hood insulation. He called his dealer and they got one for him free of charge.
Clark

 

[EMDDIESEL]

I still cant believe my 01 does not have the vanity mirror lights. It has leather, heated seats, dual power seats, but no friggin vanity light? how much does it cost that they had to delete it?

 

[Bad340fish]

If you take the cost and multiply it by however many trucks will be made it adds up. My 99 cloth equiped SLT has lighted vanity mirrors. From what I have read 99 was the year with the most bang for the buck as far as standard stuff goes
Clark

 

[Shovelhead]

Kinda hard to beleive that we're talkin about a Big Bad CTD (insert Tim Allen primal grunt here)and complainin' about foo-foo stuff like cupholders and lighted mirrors.
Still I understand when you expect to get a dollar's worth of stuff and only get $. 75 worth of stuff, it's kinda upsettin. #ad

ps. My 99 Sport's got all the foo-foo stuff on it #ad


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Ed Anderson
99 3500 Sport,6x4,QC,Black,Auto,4. 10,Everthing 'cept leather,stock until warranty runs out.
'76 H-D FLH, '98 FLHTCUI
"Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly"

 

[M_Pulling]

My 01 (not 01. 5) has cloth seats and lighted vanity mirror on the Pass and Driv side. Cup holder in the back on the floor under the center console and hood insulation.

Pretty cruddy mid-year deletion. But hey you have disc brakes in the rear now.

Take the savings per truck and then (if you are DC) think of those of us that really would like to have the option. No problem charge twice as much for the option in the parts department. Now add all that together and see if DC is making more on the new truck.

IMHO

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2001 2500 QC 4X2 Flame Red Clear Coat
Magalia Ram

[This message has been edited by M_Pulling (edited 05-17-2001). ]

 

[illflem]

Just wait, the '02 will have the passenger seat optional. #ad

 

[Shrimpy]

I'm waiting on the steering wheel to become an option!!!!! someone said it right, list it in the parts catalogue thru the parts department for 5 times more than it cost and you will reap rewards $$$.

 

[John]

You think that's bad... the '00+ Cummins/Dodge OE (black) valve covers weigh 3 3/8 lbs. less than the '98. 5/'99 valve covers.

..... guess they had to up the production of Toyotas... and needed all the extra aluminum they could get their hands on. #ad


The rear seat bottom profile on the '98. 5s look much nicer than the later design.

In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the '98/'98. 5 was the best year in many respects. Beginning with the '99 model year they started cheapening everything up. However, at first I thought the headlight switch was an improvement until many Rammers started experiencing melted switches. #ad


..... I take it back. . well sort of, the '99+ Sport headlights and grille are a significant improvement over my '98. 5 Sport counterparts.

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John Treibel
'98. 5 2500 QC 4x4 Sport, Glasstite Vision II, 285 BFG A/Ts on M/T Challengers, Warn 4X Boards, Mopar fender flares & tow hooks, NW Custom s/s-rubber mud flaps and accs. , Mag-Hytec diff. cover & DD trans. pan, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Reese Titan V hitch, Jordan Research Ultima 2020 trailer brake controller, SPA gauges (3), Dynamat, '00 Sport grille and headlights/PIAA Super White bulbs, "special" Brite-Box, PIAA Dual Sport 900 aux. lights, BD exh. brake, Amsoil Dual Remote Bypass w. trick billet block adapter and Aeroquip Teflon-s/s hoses, Optima Yellow Tops, DD3s and DD TTPM, Aeroquip AQP s/s fuel hoses, tricked out Cummins valve cover, tricked out Banks High-Ram and 14 cm2 (wastegated) turbine housing, ATS 3-piece exh. man. , Banks 4" dia. s/s exh. sys. , DTT 93% TC, DTT custom tuned VB, BD modified trans. front pump (enhanced by DTT), Air Bulldog induction hood (with NACA ducts), plus MANY other trick modifications

COMING ATTRACTIONS: break out those sun glasses! Plus, BLACKOUT gets a "BIG GULP" (ordered)

NRA Life (Patron) member

[This message has been edited by John (edited 05-17-2001). ]

 

[tntway]

wouldn't mind the optional steering wheel as long as a joystick and hand throttle is standard, but would need a real big fuel tank for all that JP-4...

 

[GA Nightcrawler]

I have a new ETC 2500 slt+ 4x4 due in next week. Should I expect the deletions listed above on my truck as well? Or is this just the 3500's? I just checked out dodge's website and they still list insulation and vanity mirrors as inclusive options.

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New flame red 2001. 5 2500 QC longbed 4x4 on the way. Everything but snow plow prep.

 

[dresslered]

I'm still upset that I had to hook up my own Halo Light! #ad


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David Dressler
2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, 155 inch WB, HO Cummins ETH/DEE, SLT+, 3. 54 LSD, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Heated Leather, Sliding Window, Jacob's E-Brake, Rhino Liner, VDO Vision (pyro, boost, engine + diff. temp. ), Autometer Ultra-Lite (electric fuel pressure, vacuum), Weather Guard Diamond Plate Saddle Box, Tork Lift camper tie-downs, Mag-Hytec, Mopar Tow Hooks, SmittyBilt Outland Sport Bumper Gaurd, 2-LO kit, AND functional Halo light!
Bigfoot 3000 10. 11 Slide-in Camper. "Do it in a Dually"

 

[Pete Peterson]

Went to the dealers lot and looked at some trucks coming off the transporter, One black sport had the hood liner, one silver sport did not have a hood liner????? Go figure..... Pete

 

[rob10858]

i hope you dont have a light colored truck if it has no hood insulation. dc will be paying out of the a. . when you have to have your hood repainted every year. we all know about the sometimes shoddy paint jobs that our 2001. 5's have, theres no way that they will stand up to the heat, condensation, etc without some kind of ins. id push this one hard with my dealer.

 

[RustyJC]

Dang, maybe I should just hold onto my poor old 96! #ad


Rusty


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96 4x2 Driftwood 3500 Club Cab SLT V-10, automatic, 3. 54 axle, trailer & camper groups, all the 96 goodies, factory CD changer, Reese 14K 5ver hitch, B&M auxiliary trans cooler, 205* fan clutch, Smittybilt side step tubes

Towing a 13,500 lb 36' triple slide 2000 Jayco Designer XL 3610RLTS 5th wheel.

Looking for 2001. 5/waiting to order 2002 bright white/tan leather 4x2 Quad Cab 3500 SLT+ Sport ETH/DEE, 4. 10LS axle

2000 Durango SLT+ 5. 9L, bright white/tan leather, all the goodies (wife's ride)

 

[Missouri Mule]

If the items are not on the standard equipment list were they moved to the optional equipment list?
Lighted vanity mirrors in a truck come on guys! #ad

Hood insulation OK I can see that.
Cup holders? Be nice but you can buy better ones at a discount store.

[This message has been edited by Missouri Mule (edited 05-19-2001). ]

 

[_Hyde]

I added the passenger side grab handle to 01. 5 for the SO. She had a hard time when we would go wheeling. I went to one Dodge dealer to buy it and they told me Dodge dropped that in 99 and when I asked for one for a 98 he proceeds to tell me that I might lose my warranty for doing so, there might be a wiring harness back there or something. As I was leaving the dealership I noticed 2 or 3 2001s that had the handle was about to go back to argue before I decided to take my biz elsewhere.

Why not delete mufflers or silencer rings in turbos? How much could they save by not putting those 'Void' stickers on? How about the trailer towing pkg w/o the cheesy factory hitch? Just some thoughts, anybody have any other ideas?

Darren


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2001. 5 2500 4X4 SLT, ETH/DEE, 275s, Amsoiled, Mag-Hytec, Walker 21468, Passenger Side Grab Handle That DC No Longer Installs as of 7-00, Michael Brolin CB Mount, 26K@050701, ICQ: 103247365, IM: xxtreme223

 

[SlyBones]

Im with Rusty, my 97 ( leather and all the trimmings ) has all that stuff. Wife likes the vanity lights on the pass side. Drivers side has never been used.

Comparing the equipment lists I checked, the newer trucks have heated mirrors, heated seats, and wood grain dash. And the quad cab. Anything else, "stuff", the new trucks have? console stuff, trip computer?

I could buy wood grain dash from Geno's ( how do those look? anybody do this? )
I can get those cool new heated power vision mirrors.
Anybody know how to add heat to those seats.
I quess I will have to live without those 2 extra doors.



[This message has been edited by SlyBones (edited 05-20-2001). ]