Help with Decision

[dcscott]

My '03 will be two years old in May. So far a u-joint and one injector and no other problems. Except I regret buying the darker color and driving around 35k a year my wife and I have really come to hate the SLT seats. Two of our relatives have gen 3 Laramies and we find the seats to be much more comfortable. This past weekend, after riding in one of the Laramies, my wife suggested we trade the '03 in on a newer Laramie. I don't like the looks of the '06 so was thinking about picking up an '05. I was dismayed to find that the NV 6-speed is no longer available. We haul a 4000 lb ski boat about 600 miles a year and a 7800 lb 5th wheel about the same distance. Other then that most of our miles are empty.



So here's the question, do I gamble on the new 6-speed or go with the auto?

 

[GRudy]

dcsott, Ask your dealer to call DC and do a dealer search. I just got home from my dealer here in PA. He was to get me a reg cab 3500 dually with the G56 but after reading here all weekend I had many of the same concerns. He made a call this afternoon and found me two Quad cab duallys equiped the way I like with NV5600 tranys. I laid claim to the silver one but there's a nice patriot blue one here in eastern PA for the takin! These were built back in november 04.

 

[dcscott]

Thanks - I may try that route. What I'm hoping to find is a 3500 SRW Laramie in a light color. The only problem that I can see with a Dealer Transfer is that I am NOT willing to commit to a purchase until I've had a chance to test drive the beast. Will they transfer from another dealer without a firm commitment?

 

[GRudy]

Good Question. My dealer is bringing the silver Dually in for me on a hand shake. No money has changed hands yet. I will check it out and if all looks good she will be mine by the end of the week.

 

[abdiver]

Scott, I am kinda in the same dilemma. I am a manual transmission guy, So I either got to find a NV5600 NOW or consider an Auto later as at this time I feel an auto would be better than the G56. The G56 unit may prove to be as good a the NV5600. but that may take a couple of years. Most of my buddies have autos and like them. I see a lot of guys on this site tow with the auto's. It appears to me that the autos are good for about 120K miles and I would imagine that a clutch (manual transmission) would just about last that long. With the auto you should have gage to monitor temp. Also the 06 auto should be upgraded to handle the Exhaust Brake



I am just checking out the pics of an 06 I like the interior better than the 05s Got to download pic of exterior cab and see how I feel about its looks compared to a 05, I hope some some with knowledge add to this thread.



Good luck Bill T

 

[dcscott]

Bill,



Thanks for you comments. I don't think the '06 is going to be an option for me. I agree that the interior looks better but I can't get my arms around that droopy suckerfish front end. From the front it looks bad enough but from the side it's got that same look that I dislike about the Durango. So for me its try and find a leftover '05 with an NV5600, switch to the automatic, or take my chances with the G56. Unless someone can give me a good reason not to do so I'm probably going to have to break down and get the automatic The G56 just sounds like to much of a gamble.



Dale

 

[wneubauer]

I like my 05 SLT seats way better than the "cloth-middle" leather ones in my old 04 Laramie..... Too each his own, I guess.....

 

[abdiver]

"Unless someone can give me a good reason not to do so I'm probably going to have to break down and get the automatic The G56 just sounds like to much of a gamble. "



Dale I totally agree with your above statement. I have been look'n at the pic of the 06 vs the 05 I did note that looks like in 06 they are going to the painted plastic car look/type bumper. AS to the Sucker Fish Look I am going to go back and look at the pic's again.



Bill T

 

[2Gen3Gen]

The leather in my Corvette is just too hot. I really like the cloth in my 2 Dodges. I wasn't impressed when I saw the Dodge leather after 50k miles. There was really bad wear on the drivers seat. Ive seen this on more than one truck. Just my 2 cents worth but I would go with the cloth. Soooo much cooler in the summer and it still looks new after 100k miles!

 

[DJennings]

Color I can't help with, but I talked to an auto upholsterer that does a lot of ergonomic seat adjustments. My problem was my outside leg would basically fall asleep.



I took the seat apart (very easy to remove) and found the problem. There are two pices of hard velcro that run front to back to hold the stitched seams in the cloth seats. You can see those seams about 14" apart on your cloth seats. I put a strip of 1" foam over that, then I carved another piece of 1" foam to fit the contour of the seat (and slightly level it). When you open the door now, the seat bottom looks flat, but the foam is soft enough that it still cradles a little, but I can't feel that seam anymore.



FYI - the easiest way to cut foam is an electric turkey knife!



Anyway, I am heading out tomorrow for a road trip, so I will know for sure if it did any good.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Another option:



I am in the process of looking for a 98 12v 4x4 3500 5 speed dually to replace my 2004 305/555 4x4 3500 dually 6 speed. The truck has 35K on it and doesn't vibe and hasn't had injector, bad mileage, or any other problem. I had the dealer check the ball joints two weeks ago and then I checked them because I'm coming up on the 3/36 warranty. It was built in 12/03 so it was one the last of the pre-emission trucks. That way you have the best of the 3Gs trucks, don't have to bear the "off the showroom floor" depreciation costs, and have a tested truck that has never been bombed or driven hard (65 mph in WY). It has been garaged since day one and the box hasn't seen much use since I've had a flatbed on it.



I'm not totally convinced I should do this because of the advantages of the 3Gs (brakes, steering, did I say steering, 6 speed, did I say 6 speed, ride, four doors, hydroframe, quietness, CP3, interior styling, and etc. ) but I want to get off of the truck payment treadmill. So, I've been thinking about getting an older CTD for firewood, hunting, and hauling my camper,and a volkswagon TDI for highway cruising.



If I'm crazy - somebody cuss me out :-{} please.