Drove one today!!

[Posm]

I went by a dealer in Buchanan GA today and they had a 03 3500 DRW on the lot. This is the first one I had seen so I stopped to check it out. The salesman came out and said it was the first one in GA. I told him it had too many tires. He told me he had 3 3500 SRW that just arrived. All trucks were high outputs. We walked back and he had two 2WD and a 4WD. I got the keys and checked out some things that I wanted to know. The GVW is 9900 LBS just below the 10K threshold for higher insurance and DOT requirements.

The next thing I looked at was the Track bar. They have retired the undersized POS tie rod end and replaced it with a joint similar to the axle end.

I fired the engine and about fell out. This thing is quiet!!!!. I believe most gassers are louder. The 4 inch exhaust definitely needs a muffler-ectomy.

The truck drove well with good steering feel and the six speed shifted better than I expected. Seat of the Pants feel was about the same as my 5 speed with EZ. The fit and finsh were first class and the door and tailgate had a Mercedes/Lexus feel. I only have 140K on my Y2K and would like to take it to 200K and by an early 04 without EGR. That should give them time to fine tune the beast.

The only flaw I noticed was the air cleaner indicator pulled down with just a short test drive. They either have to much restriction in the box or the plumbing, or they have the wrong indicator installed.

 

[Chris N5CWM]

They're nice. I drove a 2500 4x4 with

4 doors, ETC and 5 speed. But I have

to wear my '01 out before I can justify

getting a new one; only 26,000 on mine

so far in a year.



Another dealer had a 3500 SRW 2wd

4 door short bed HO but I did not have

time to drive it.

 

[Fireman Dave]

I drove one and looked them over at Columbus. Did you know that the single rear wheel 3500 is only different from a 2500 because of a rear helper spring? Otherwise it's the same exact truck. Same as the 2001s - a 2500 manual with a Dana 80 is the exact same truck as a 3500 (except for the 2 less wheels). Kind of funny that they make such a big deal out of the single rear wheel 3500 for '03 when it's not really different from a 2500.

 

[Chris N5CWM]

hmmm..

Does that justify me putting 3500 on my 2500? It has the

Camper Special Group helper springs!

 

[Fireman Dave]

Yup!

 

[jwilliamson]

What's the 4 x 4's stance like? I assume it doesn't stand as tall as the 02's.

 

[Fireman Dave]

It seemed lower to me, but not by too much. It didn't seem like I had to hop quite as high to get in. The new design could be misleading when trying to compare. They all come with 17" rims now, too.

 

[Snow man]

A 3500 SRW is a big deal. since the extra leaf is put in at the factory,the truck is certified,and legal to 9900 lbs. Anyone who works their 2500 CTD hauling stuff,knows how little they can legally carry. 1100lbs is over 50% more payload.

 

[Posm]

They are not as low as a Ch**y and not a lot lower than 2nd Gen.

The tires were a pleasant suprise. I was scared the Badyears would be on all trucks, but they are on the 3500 DRW I saw and the Michelin A/S tires were on the SRW.



I have read that they are actually going to lower the GVW on the 2500 to about 8400 and the truck is 100LBS hevier than previos models. That could put the pay load at less than 1000LBS on a 4X4 with a tool box and tools on board. No slide in campers for the 2500 without going over the limit. I know the trucks are nearly the same, but you tell your insuranse that after you have had a wreck. Most lawyers would have a field day in the court room if they found you to be over the vehicles "intended" limit.

 

[JRG]

3500 SRW

The 3500 SRW also comes with front sway bar standard.



JRG

 

[EShaw]

Hey guys,

I drove the 2500 4 door automatic today... ... ..... very quiet indeed.

I had the hood open and was having a conversation with the engine running. Warnock Dodge in East Hanover, NJ

Yes, I am a salesman.

Eric

 

[Peter Campbell]

Well they may have seen the market for those of us that live in high toll areas. I would not want a DRW for regular commuting and occasional towing. But some 1500 owners may want a 2500 CTD. Now they can sell to them with a comfortable ride. A SRW 3500 means I will have an order placed for an early 04. Legal for what I want to do. It has no more disadvantages for commuting that I am dealing with now, and more capacity.

 

[amsoilman]

I test drove a QC short bed 2500 4X4 5-speed yesterday at Hinkley Dodge in Ogden Utah. All I can say is WOW!! I think DC has done a great job on these trucks. My wife even said if I had not told here it was a Diesel, she would not have noticed! Ride, steering, power, comfort, room, is outstanding!





Wayne

amsoilman

 

[DIESELMAN]

I just got back from my bait and switch dealer. The result is another story, but the truck was A+++.



3500 QC SB SRW HO 6spd 4X4. Very Quiet, but unmistakeably cummins. It is still louder than the V10, side by side with my V10 2500. And yes, you can hear it 200' away and know what it is.



It does have wheel well liners, and is essentially identical in every way except 1-1/2" lower than my 2500 V10 which has the Camper Prep package ( Overload springs/sway bar ).



The 3500 SRW is for all intents and purposes, a camper prepped 2002 2500 equivelent with an extra leaf.



Ride Quality same as any Ram, close your eyes and you can't tell. This was an HO 6spd, the transmission feels the same as last years, maybe not as notchy, but there is more power and you feel it immediately. Power is available somewhat lower than a 2002 HO 6spd. The clutch seems to be better and smoother too.



The engine revs very freely and there is very little lag, push the peddle and it moves quickly.



Four Wheel shifts the same as before, though it comes out of 4 low a little easier.



Brakes stop on a dime without much wheel hop. The only squeel is from the protests of the salesman



Exhaust sound is great! Everything else about the truck cab is Ram 1500 comparable.



Inside noise level is much lower, with AC on above medium the engine sounds like the V10, but you can always feel the engine.



The RAZ Stereo is finally worth at least half what they charge for it, and the leather seats are nice, no problems here.



While I was there, a salesman was getting very frustrated trying to create a code for a 3500 Reg Cab, SRW. It doesn't exist but you couldn't tell him that, he was just convinced into beleiving that the 3500 SRW exists at all!



AAA+++ Score, can't wait for MY truck to show up.

 

[Fireman Dave]

Someone at the Nationals - I think it was the Dodge rep - said the SRW is now the standard 3500 model. The dual rear wheels is an option. Hope this helps. Oh, and according to KC Jackson, the SRW 3500 is not available in a regular cab - quad cab only. There's another thread going about that. Here it is: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55017

 

[DIESELMAN]

It's not so much that its an option, there are 2 dr long and 4 dr long and short in each line, just that the 2 dr long is not offered in SRW 3500.



I know this is the wrong thread, but after looking these over, I think that the SRW 3500 2dr (ne) would essentially be a 2500 with an additional leaf, overloads and sway bar.



The Front Coils may be a higher rate but I doubt it.



Is this because the gross weight on a 3500 SRW 2dr would be non-competetive or repetetive with what is already offered?



I think its brilliant that dodge deals with only 2 wheelbase lengths for the 11 models. Who is really going to miss a 2 dr SB? Compare that to Fords 14 combinations of 5 wheelbase lengths. That assembly line must suck!



So what prohibits the 2dr SRW 3500?



My earlier post about the confused salesman is simply that it is dissapointing when the customer is much more informed that the truck fleet specialist!

 

[Fireman Dave]

I agree, Dieselman. They should be able to slap overload springs and 3500 emblems on a regular cab 2500 and call it another option.

 

[DIESELMAN]

Oh - Did I say I LIKED THE TRUCK... ... . WHERES MINE!!!

 

[Big Don]

Drove one too!!!

I drove one of the new trucks saturday. It was a 3500 Single rear wheel 4 door shortbed. I thought it was a 1/2 ton 4 door until I saw the badges. It was a 5 speed 3. 73 gears, 4x4 with the standard engine 250 hp.

It was a turd. I almost cried after I drove it. It wouldn't hardly get out of it's own way. At 55mph in fifth gear I mashed it to the floor. Absolutely nothing happened. I think we actually slowed down instead of accalerating.

I own three trucks 89, 99 and 00. Think I've bought my last new one. I do want to drive a HO before I rule them out. I still like the 12 vavle trucks, I like noise and raw torque. I like being able to tune on them. Maybe the aftermarket will offer some cool hopups for the next gen trucks, till then I'll keep my old trucks.



I don't mean to sound so negative but it is dissapointing that the newer trucks don't seem to have the kick to them that the older trucks did. Again I don't really care if it's quiet or not, I just want it to go when I hit the loud pedal.



later

Don

 

[Chris N5CWM]

Don,



I thought the same thing the other

day when I test drove a 2003 2500

4x4 QC long bed with the 250HP

and 5 speed. Nothing impressive at

all, but sure it is quiet. My 2001 is a

235 HP with 5 speed and it seems to

run somewhat stronger, and with the

Edge turned on, MUCH stronger.



I can't wait to drive a new HO to see

just what a stock 555 Ft Lbs Cummins

feels like. I don't expect it to run like

mine with the Edge fueling module on

max of course but it better have some

get Up N Go or the DMax and PStroke

guys will never let us hear the end

of it!