ONLINE ARTICLE on '03 intro & welcome to the Next Generation forum

[Steve St.Laurent]

Welcome to the Next Generation forum. Robert Patton and I attended the press introduction of the trucks yesterday. We spent a couple of hours grilling the engineers and crawling all over the trucks. I just finished an article that I wrote with tons of pictures and insider info that you won't find anywhere else. Check it out at https://www.turbodieselregister.com/hdlaunch/hdlaunch.htm !

 

[pmartin]

03 Dodge

Steve, thanks for info. Reference the 3:54 diff being replaced with 3:73. Will this gain in pulling power be for real or will it be offset by larger tires? I have always thought the 3:54 was to high and 4:10 to low with a 3:73 being about right. Do you know anything about performance/durability of the new brand axle? Since I plan to replace my very dependable 96 with a 2003 model I am very interested.



One last question, do you know tow rating of 2500 as compared to 3500 both with HO CTD and 6-speed?

 

[John_P]

Steve:



I also want to thank you for providing us all with the

information and your execellent report and pictures!



---------

John_P

 

[Fireman Dave]

Great write-up, Steve! Thanks!



And I'm glad I have my '01.

 

[Cumminpwr11]

Steve



Great job on your write up. I am drooling all over the place. I wanted to see it in LA but they were no where to be found



Any news on when a real crew cab was gonna reach the streets? If its gonna be in 2004/5 i need to start saving my pennies instead of bombing my truck IF its way later then let the bombin comense Oo.



Thanks for all the pic too



great job





Chris

 

[csevers]

2003 DODGE'S

I like the write up you did it is very informative and had good pics I am a die hard dodgeman but not totally happy about some of the things they have changed with the new trucks like the american axels replacing dana and the shoe horning of the engine even farther under cab and less room under the hood. I like a good ride but sounds like they are trying to make it ride like a car, and i am not sold on the new look yet !? I hope it is everything they say it is it the press release it should take even more of the truck market from f and c. I will no doubt try to test drive one as soon as possible to see if I need to go in to debt more to get one. Good luck to DODGE .

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

pmartin - not sure on the axles because I don't have any data on them yet, that's one of the things I'll have more info on next week when people get back in their offices - they didn't have that data on them. I should have more information on the tires tomorrow, early next week at the latest. Lastly, they didn't have the tow rating information broken down by model - they only gave the peak numbers that I quoted, I'm going to try to get more on that next week too.



Chris - no information on when or if there will be a true crew cab in the future - they were very tight lipped about future product introductions. I was only able to get a few small tid bits out of them.



-Steve

 

[rmrc]

Steve,



Your report on the new 2003 models was exceptional! The only thing that I'm not impressed with in the decreased space under the hood. It looks like DC must have used bearing grease to shove that engine in there. I fear that working on the engine will be a nightmare!



I was really looking forward to the prospect of possibly getting one of the new designs untill I saw the engine compartment. Time will tell!!!!

 

[wcaldwell]

Steve,



Excellent article. Thanks boucoups for all of the outstanding information.



Wayne

 

[46mech]

OOPS!!... ... for whatever reason I didn't see this thread before I posted my own new thread praising Steve for his intro to the '03.

 

[JFitzgerald]

Great info, thanks Steve.



I still like my old 1st gen though. Good thing as I don't see myself laying out the cash for an '03 for a while. Too may toys.

 

[Jim Weed]

Ordering info

When will one be able to order, & How about retail prices. Great work on the 2003 info, keep it comeing. Thanks, Jim weed----- Anyone know if there will every be a Diesel pickup rally in the central U. S.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

No info yet on when you'll be able to order them or prices - sorry.



-Steve

 

[otis]

Steve your a good man! I think that DC might be squeezing more money out of me again.

 

[dieselgirlanddan]

Great write up & pics Steve!

I'll Stay with my first genner for now. See how '03 turns out. Nice truck though.

 

[gbraden]

Steve, I'm confused. Also, I'm a newbie to this board and am trying to get up to speed on Dodge Cummins. I do plan to order one within the next year. Here's a question:

For those of us who live in Calif. and purchase a 2003 Dodge Cummins 4x4 truck, will we be able to get the 6-speed manual transmission?

Glenn Braden

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Good question Glenn, I'm not sure about that actually - but my guess is that you can order the 6 speed, but you'll only get the 235 hp/460 lb-ft engine with it. The one thing I know is that you won't be able to get beyond 235/460 until the EGR system comes online in '04. 5. I'll verify that next week with my contacts.



-Steve

 

[TxDieselKid]

Steve is getting popular....

Looks like your story made it across a lot of forums... .



PickUpTruck.com...

CarAndDriver.com...

Ford-Diesel.com...

Some "other" Diesel Ram site...



You can send the check with the next issue of TDR! Oo.



Andrew

-----------------------------

I do not get paid to post on other sites!

 

[HBarlow]

2003 Dodge Rams

Steve,



Thanks for an exceptional article and professional-quality photos. I couldn't stop reading before I read every word of your article as well as the Dodge official press release articles you linked us to.



My membership dues in the TDR are worth every dollar.

 

[RKelly]

Thank You Steve:

You spoke to things that we actually care about, unlike most guys in the general press that talk about things like the number of cup holders.

Going out to change the oil in my '99. It's 32 degrees out, and I'm glad I can get to it easy, and change it quick (are you listening Dodge? -- little miss on the '03 there). oh well.

Thanks again Steve.

Ray