Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
DGamelin
TDR MEMBER
She's Finally Here
Got a call, my new truck was in. It was supposed to have the GPS put in the radio, a fuel cap and the mud flaps on. They said it was done and ready to go. Drove 300 miles to pick it up. They were in a big hurry to get me out of there. No GPS, fuel cap or mud flaps. So fine I will have the GPS put in somewhere else, buy a cap, but a dually needs mud flaps to be legal. They said duallys don’t come with mud flaps anymore and it’s not their problem. Oh and the instrument panel mounted auxiliary switches (a great idea) comes with a pack of wiring plugs and schematics, it was ripped open and some parts were missing. They said they would send a new one. I sure dread buying a new truck.
On the way home (O boy) there was so many buttons to play with. It got 17mpg at 68mph, much better than I expected.
Got back to the shop and started looking it over, found the urea line pinched in the exhaust hanger. The vent tube for the rear axles was getting pinched in the fold of the air bag and the kicker springs were off to one side, only caching part of the bump stop on the leaf spring.
Man the bottom of this truck is impressive. Round tube cross members, the size of the rear U-joints are huge, and the pitman shaft and tie rod looks like something off a much bigger truck.
Installed a B&W gooseneck hitch and wiring. So I could make a run to TX, the rest of the goodies will have to wait
I towed an empty 6,400 lb 32’ PJ low profile gooseneck with 8k axles, 110psi G ratted tries. The truck got 13.9 mpg on the way down. It had 400 miles on it when I left. I thought that mpg was ok.
With no trailer the air ride rode just a little bit better, the bumps were just a little less sharp. After hooking up a trailer I was able to play with the air leveling button. The ride with a trailer is really impressive. It is much better than I expected. I run my tires at 65psi. I was concerned about axle wrap. When you lower the truck to the level setting it loads the springs. The kicker springs should be tighter on the level setting helping to control axle wrap. Makes me wonder what it looks like under heavy braking and it twists the other way.
The trans works really well as does the exhaust brake. The only thing I noticed, is when you slow down, almost stop, and roll through a stop sometimes it hunts for a gear between first and second. It almost felt like a quick shutter but it’s not. It’s just making up its mind. This was more noticeable on the way back. The trailer and load was about 15,500 lbs. The load was low and the truck dealt with it like it wasn’t there. It never downshifted more than one gear in the Ozarks. It did go back and forth too often at times it seemed but I haven’t driven it enough yet.
Things I don’t like; the GPS could work better, the truck has to be stopped to program it, seen as though the passenger can’t use it either, why not tilt the whole thing towards the driver, making it easier to see. The lack of running boards, I don’t care for tube bars. They offer no rocker protection. I can’t find real running boards like the 04 had. When the bed liner is sprayed in I will have the bottom side of the rockers done also. Worst of all the electric 4WD on the dash. I would like a stick on the floor. I even looked at changing it, but after the truck was here I saw that there are two different cases, that ends that. I will set up a switch to lock and unlock the axle when I want it to. The front suspension is very much like Ford’s, giving up a lot of ground clearance. When you’re under it you’d think you were working on a Chevy. The Borg Warner transfer case again reminds me of Ford parts. I wonder why they made that change. With my 04 I drove hundreds of miles at a time in 4WD shifting in and out for corners at any speed with no problem. The sub-woofer was disappointing and the carpeting fits like it came from JC Whitney. My 04 seemed to be more truck like and less of a grocery getter. I like the 4x4 stick on the floor, I put manual hubs on (great for manual transmissions). I like the truck being a little shorter, made it easier to pull tandems, and I liked the looks of my 04. But it is hard to beat the ease at which this new truck pulled its first load. It was definitely less work to drive. The new truck has no problem keeping up in stop and go traffic and the brakes and exhaust brake took very little effort, even in panic stops, to whoa the truck up. I’m curious to see how it pulls a heavier load that is less ayro friendly.
Just got the bed liner sprayed in, getting a CB mounted for the next run. We’ll see if this load is any bigger.
------------------------------------------
2000 2500 2WD XC Auto 355
2015 3500 4WD CC Dually Aisin 410
04.5 3500 4WD CC Dually 6-Speed 373 (Replaced)
![IMG_1816[1].jpg](https://xf2dev.turbodieselregister.com/attachments/img_1816-1-jpg.92209/ "IMG_1816[1].jpg")
Got a call, my new truck was in. It was supposed to have the GPS put in the radio, a fuel cap and the mud flaps on. They said it was done and ready to go. Drove 300 miles to pick it up. They were in a big hurry to get me out of there. No GPS, fuel cap or mud flaps. So fine I will have the GPS put in somewhere else, buy a cap, but a dually needs mud flaps to be legal. They said duallys don’t come with mud flaps anymore and it’s not their problem. Oh and the instrument panel mounted auxiliary switches (a great idea) comes with a pack of wiring plugs and schematics, it was ripped open and some parts were missing. They said they would send a new one. I sure dread buying a new truck.
On the way home (O boy) there was so many buttons to play with. It got 17mpg at 68mph, much better than I expected.
Got back to the shop and started looking it over, found the urea line pinched in the exhaust hanger. The vent tube for the rear axles was getting pinched in the fold of the air bag and the kicker springs were off to one side, only caching part of the bump stop on the leaf spring.
Man the bottom of this truck is impressive. Round tube cross members, the size of the rear U-joints are huge, and the pitman shaft and tie rod looks like something off a much bigger truck.
Installed a B&W gooseneck hitch and wiring. So I could make a run to TX, the rest of the goodies will have to wait
I towed an empty 6,400 lb 32’ PJ low profile gooseneck with 8k axles, 110psi G ratted tries. The truck got 13.9 mpg on the way down. It had 400 miles on it when I left. I thought that mpg was ok.
With no trailer the air ride rode just a little bit better, the bumps were just a little less sharp. After hooking up a trailer I was able to play with the air leveling button. The ride with a trailer is really impressive. It is much better than I expected. I run my tires at 65psi. I was concerned about axle wrap. When you lower the truck to the level setting it loads the springs. The kicker springs should be tighter on the level setting helping to control axle wrap. Makes me wonder what it looks like under heavy braking and it twists the other way.
The trans works really well as does the exhaust brake. The only thing I noticed, is when you slow down, almost stop, and roll through a stop sometimes it hunts for a gear between first and second. It almost felt like a quick shutter but it’s not. It’s just making up its mind. This was more noticeable on the way back. The trailer and load was about 15,500 lbs. The load was low and the truck dealt with it like it wasn’t there. It never downshifted more than one gear in the Ozarks. It did go back and forth too often at times it seemed but I haven’t driven it enough yet.
Things I don’t like; the GPS could work better, the truck has to be stopped to program it, seen as though the passenger can’t use it either, why not tilt the whole thing towards the driver, making it easier to see. The lack of running boards, I don’t care for tube bars. They offer no rocker protection. I can’t find real running boards like the 04 had. When the bed liner is sprayed in I will have the bottom side of the rockers done also. Worst of all the electric 4WD on the dash. I would like a stick on the floor. I even looked at changing it, but after the truck was here I saw that there are two different cases, that ends that. I will set up a switch to lock and unlock the axle when I want it to. The front suspension is very much like Ford’s, giving up a lot of ground clearance. When you’re under it you’d think you were working on a Chevy. The Borg Warner transfer case again reminds me of Ford parts. I wonder why they made that change. With my 04 I drove hundreds of miles at a time in 4WD shifting in and out for corners at any speed with no problem. The sub-woofer was disappointing and the carpeting fits like it came from JC Whitney. My 04 seemed to be more truck like and less of a grocery getter. I like the 4x4 stick on the floor, I put manual hubs on (great for manual transmissions). I like the truck being a little shorter, made it easier to pull tandems, and I liked the looks of my 04. But it is hard to beat the ease at which this new truck pulled its first load. It was definitely less work to drive. The new truck has no problem keeping up in stop and go traffic and the brakes and exhaust brake took very little effort, even in panic stops, to whoa the truck up. I’m curious to see how it pulls a heavier load that is less ayro friendly.
Just got the bed liner sprayed in, getting a CB mounted for the next run. We’ll see if this load is any bigger.
------------------------------------------
2000 2500 2WD XC Auto 355
2015 3500 4WD CC Dually Aisin 410
04.5 3500 4WD CC Dually 6-Speed 373 (Replaced)
