First test drive of a '05 CTD DRW G56

[EBottema]

FatCat what is wrong with your old 12v that cannot be fixed?



You can thank hydroform frames. Stiffer but not as strong ahahah Don't ya love technology?

 

[FATCAT]

FatCat what is wrong with your old 12v that cannot be fixed?



You can thank hydroform frames. Stiffer but not as strong ahahah Don't ya love technology?

Nothing wrong with it other than the steering delay I have in the wheel. The only other thing that might be "wrong" with it is that I can't put a 3-4 yrd. dump on it with a 8K-9K lb. capacity (excluding the dump body). That would be nice so I could get rid of my dump trailer ... plus I would like to have 4 doors.



Anyway ... maybe what I precieved as "lack of power" in the new '05 was just that it only had 40 miles on it and was not even close to being broken in. Maybe that is how the new motors are for the first 20K miles.

 

[fj40dave]

I just put a PacBrake and gauges in an '05. This one caries a 3Klb camper all the time.

It has a lot of get-up-n-go... . I was quite impressed, and that G56 shifted a lot better than my NV!

Going to be swapping out the transmission fluid soon, maybe some Red Line MTL or Amsoil.

 

[jtsandbird]

that trucks a beauty, Greg. i like that silver color.

 

[JCBerry]

Fatcat

You checked out my dually in Maynard Ma the day I picked it up.

I can honestly say I LOVE THIS TRUCK.

The power is much better than the 04. 5 I had, and even with 12K travel trailer it wants to go.

Kept telling my wife to get the Ford Excursion 7. 3L out of the way on our Vacation trip, she had that on the floor towing a 4 wheeler and a small aluminum boat on a equip. trailer maybe 4K and I was in 6th goin uphill with tons of power had a 4 wheeler in the bed and 38' 12K travel trailer behind, This was in the mountains of Maine.

Her truck has modified exhaust, reprogrammed computer, AFE stage 1 and still doesn't compare to the 3500.

Thought you'd be interested to know. Maybe you drove a dud.

 

[jimnance]

And FWIW,my Dodge took every bit of the 10000 miles to feel loose and torquey,this first 10000 was BORING as hell,but now I love it.



After a few hundred miles I hooked up our big fiver and drove her a few hundred miles up and down the hills like I stole her. After that, she came alive. I firmly believe that you don't want to baby the truck during break in. Yeah, don't try to kill it the first few hundred miles, but putting a good load on the engine early on helps speed the break in.

 

[FATCAT]

Fatcat

You checked out my dually in Maynard Ma the day I picked it up.

I can honestly say I LOVE THIS TRUCK.

The power is much better than the 04. 5 I had, and even with 12K travel trailer it wants to go.

Kept telling my wife to get the Ford Excursion 7. 3L out of the way on our Vacation trip, she had that on the floor towing a 4 wheeler and a small aluminum boat on a equip. trailer maybe 4K and I was in 6th goin uphill with tons of power had a 4 wheeler in the bed and 38' 12K travel trailer behind, This was in the mountains of Maine.

Her truck has modified exhaust, reprogrammed computer, AFE stage 1 and still doesn't compare to the 3500.

Thought you'd be interested to know. Maybe you drove a dud.

Hey JC, good to hear from ya ... glad your loving your new truck (no problems this time and you got the CORRECT transmission).

Maybe I did drive a dud (and I know for sure I released the parking brake before the test drive :-laf ). The truck sounded good, idled nice, no skips or surges as I drove it, just no speed (The 'Creeper" gear is nice).



Anyway the 3500 is just too small anyway, but it was fun too drive. Just hope the 5500 will be hear soon ... I keep finding myself these days looking at Truckpaper.com and looking at the M2's and Sterling's with flatbed dumps.



Good luck JC and enjoy the new truck.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

We took the 06 dually 4x4 G56 up HWY 38 to Big Bear City this weekend. Our 17. 5K horse trailer was in tow with 2 big quarter horses alont. I figure at least 20K Lbs. Well that truck pulled the hills like nothing else. I could drive as fast as I wanted, only slowing for the downhill sections. The only thing this truck needs is an exhaust brake. We were at 386 miles at the begining of the trip. Put on another 250, pulling a hill 7,000 feet tall. I am very happy with the new style of the 06's and the interior is far superior to my 03. It is good to see DC still trying to improve on an already great truck. This truck gets my vote for sure. Only problem was a leaking cab clearance light.

Greg

 

[EBottema]

The 02-05 interior of the ram trucks looked good but the dash material looked really cheap with all the teenage acne. The new 06 looks more "expensive" but dodge once again over did the square straight lines. An ugly square front matches an ugly square dash and a mega square cab.