Do’s & don’ts when ordering a truck

[Sassy]

Anyone have any pointers on ordering a new truck? Joined TDR back in 93 when I bought my first W250. Kept it for thirteen years and sold it to another TDR member who was extremely happy with my thirteen year old W250. Bought a 2004.5 HO 3500 Laramie dually and was a proud papa of two trucks. When asked by my wife what am I going to do with two trucks I told her, “one is for hunting (W250) and the other brings home the groceries (3500). This worked for a year, then came the bad news, the wife said, “either you get rid of one of the trucks or I’m leaving” when I told her that I was going to miss her needless to say it began to snow that summer so I was forced to say goodbye to the hunting truck (W250) but it went to a good home, to another TDR member. So now I have a 2004.5, 3500 dually with 69,789 miles on it and I’m looking to order a new truck due to me getting older. If anyone can provide firsthand information on the experience of ordering a new truck, the information is welcomed. Thanks to anyone that provides your firsthand knowledge of what to expect when ordering a new truck. I understand the waiting period but I’m looking at prices and things like that. Again thanks TDR members.

 

[Ozymandias]

Just one from me - if you have a Larry now - don't even think about a Tradesman. M2c.

 

[endoscott]

You might check out Lithia Chrysler, Ram in Eugene, OR. I had a good experience with their service department when we blew up our engine. There was a writeup in some magazine about their online buying experience, kind of supposed to be a no BS deal like Dave Smith used to be, prior to change of ownership. Also heard good things about Dennis Dillon in Caldwell, Idaho. Keep us posted as you go along.

 

[nukegm]

i e mailed 5 ram dealers near me with the truck/options i wanted. asked if they could order me what i wanted and what the price would be. only 1 dealer got back to me. i drove down there and 30 min later walked out with the order sheet... i gave them a small deposit ( 1000.00 ). they called 3 months later and i picked it up. super easy. no bull. i gave the sales guy a chipotle gift card and a bottle of his favorite spirits for not acting like a typical salesman, which i hate. best of luck sassy. cheers!

 

[Sassy]

I didn't know Smith changed hands, good info. Nukegm, was your price msrp and or was your price affected in anyway? I realize the large volume dealers can manipulate the price drastically and it seems like a great idea for all of us buying a truck in present climate. Some say that they’ve gotten better price by ordering than mark-up with the stock levels being low.

 

[Sassy]

I want to thank you guys for your input too.

 

[nukegm]

I didn't know Smith changed hands, good info. Nukegm, was your price msrp and or was your price affected in anyway? I realize the large volume dealers can manipulate the price drastically and it seems like a great idea for all of us buying a truck in present climate. Some say that they’ve gotten better price by ordering than mark-up with the stock levels being low.

sassy - truck was msrp. also, like you i have heard that you can order a truck and get a much better deal than ones on the lot due to the chip shortage. i ordered my 18 2500 in 17 ( back in the good old days ). cheers!

 

[Sassy]

Thank you nukegm. I’m sliding towards my seventies and I’ve never looked forward too MSRP! It’s sick. Ive just finished a buildem session on the RAM site and prices are up 2k’s across the board. I like to purchase trucks with as much applicable amenities for resale down the road. My current ride is still really nice but my mind is a lot younger than my body and I have enough responsibilities. It was so nice to walk on to a dealers lot on a Sunday afternoon and watch the dealers fight for my business. It was bad enough deliberating the trucks of past but this time the dealers may hold the raines.

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

If you don't mind the drive, check out Mark Dodge in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They are selling at below dealer invoice. Yes, dealer invoice, not just below MSRP. You can also join Tread Lightly to get access to affiliate pricing 1% below dealer invoice at a local dealer that honors the program.

I used the affiliate program with a local dealer 10 minutes from my house. The savings vs. going to Louisiana wasn't worth it to me with the travel costs and the time to drive it home.

 

[AH64ID]

Dennis Dillon in Caldwell, Idaho has prices that are hard to beat and a non-aggressive sales team.

The Ram website is a little behind on current option availability, but Costco’s build and price is very accurate and also shows you invoice vs retail. Use both the websites for package/option descriptions, as well as the fleet guide.

With supply chain shortages there are option package changes and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Laramie Level A vs Laramie Level C is that level C doesn’t have power folding mirrors, but I had to read it several times to figure that out.

Some options take longer than others to build due to shortages. 4-6 months is sounding more like the norm right now.

 

[Sassy]

Thanks guys. I’ll check into the tread lightly program too.
When I began my search I was looking at D Dillon and continue watching his website. I stumbled across Costco and their affiliation with our trucks and did enter the necessary info but didn't hit “send” before gathering info about placing an order for a new truck. I appreciate the two of you offering additional input.
Regards
Sassy, the hairy monster