Switching to Ford

[Diesel Man]

Well for sure, I am going to call it like it is. Yes I bought a new Ford and, so far, its problem free.

But if I have any trouble at all with it, I'm going to post it here and let you guys know. I'm a firm believer in open discussions on Diesel trucks and I think it benefits everyone to know how each truck peforms and holds up under use - good or bad!

I did not buy the Ford thinking it was perfect. I am still concerned about the 6. 0 engine. However, I also had concerns about the newly designed and hotter running Cummins. So I simply had to choose one and go with it. But, I really don't believe much in brand loyality unless a company really proves it unquestionably builds better products than its competition. And so far, in the Diesel pickup arena, its just too close to call. Each truck has its good and bad points.

But regardless, if this Ford gives me any trouble, I'm gonna squeel like a piglet! Oo.

 

[diesel DOG]

LEAST YOU DIDN'T BUY A mEXICAN SPECIAL

 

[frtendtech]

5 speed trans

it a piece of ford junk they are blowing lft and right with no parts avalible. 6. 0

runs good if you can keep it running hope your state has a lemon law when your

new truck sit at the dealer for a month waiting for trans part or 6. 0 diesel parts.

dont trade in you'lll need some thing to drive.

 

[y-knot]

I too would like to wish you Good luck on your Ford purchase. If I were in the market for a new dually, or SRW 3500 I too would buy a Ford. I think they have the best HD truck available now. The automatic is heads above this POS Dodge is offering, and I have no doubt that Ford has their engine problems behind them now. I personally think the new Dodges are ugly and old looking, while the fords are large and in charge looking. I like the ride so much better in the ford, that new front suspension is great, and I hope you like it as well.

 

[DPKetchum]

Well I'm not sure the engine problems are behind anything but a tow truck so far. Some problems are gone but lots still being posted on the Ford web sites and NONE really have any miles on them yet(05models). Then its going to change to a 6. 4. Not because I own one but Dodge looks hand downs better then the Fords. The Fords kinda look like they have for years and years,just bigger and more round. Dodge first then if I had too a D/Max. Lot less problems about these being posted then the new Fords by a long shot. Oh and the D/Maxes to me are really ugly.

 

[DPelletier]

Well I'm not sure the engine problems are behind anything but a tow truck so far. Some problems are gone but lots still being posted on the Ford web sites and NONE really have any miles on them yet(05models). Then its going to change to a 6. 4. Not because I own one but Dodge looks hand downs better then the Fords. The Fords kinda look like they have for years and years,just bigger and more round. Dodge first then if I had too a D/Max. Lot less problems about these being posted then the new Fords by a long shot. Oh and the D/Maxes to me are really ugly.

I agree. My buddy has 5 PSD's (four 6. 0 and 1 7. 3) and even the new ones are having some issues. If I couldn't buy a Dodge, I'd be driving a Ford gasser.



Dave

 

[Fred Swanson]

Okay, I have a die-hard Ford customer with at least 10 different year models. He has one 03(4x4 Reg Cab) that had some early issues that programming has corrected. He has 70K on it now, and tows at least once a month grossing 31K through higher elevations between Utah and Arizona.

He says it tows better than his modded 03 7. 3(4 door LB 4x4). He's ready to buy a new 05 4x4 dually, with the 4. 30 gears to take over the heavy hauling chores. He was seriously looking at the Dodge DRW 6 speeds, but can't get as good of a deal as he can on his Ford. His main reason for looking at the Dodge was to do the heavy work. He knows which one to use for the real work. And if his load gets up around 40K, that's what his Kenworth is for.

 

[KBalzuweit]

There is a husband and wife that haul campers as team drivers and they have a 04 f350 crewcab w/ a sleeper and the last time I talked to them in December they had just hit 240,000 :--) :--) :--) . They bought it new and started hauling in Jan. 04 with it. He had said other than replacing 3 or 4 injectors, the only breakdown was a burnt up trans. They are always the #1 producers in the yard I pull out of.

 

[DPKetchum]

Reading some of the Ford sites only a small few(I'm sure there are more like your posts)that have posted about 6. 0s with high mileage. I'm sure they 're out there. Just not much mention of them. Still after the JD Powers report and knowing a Ford service manager,reading the Ford sites no way I'd purchase one of those puppies,new or used. Maybe in the next few years.

 

[KBalzuweit]

There about the only ones I know that got lucky. Since the 6. 0 came out the cycle has again began, alot of the guys that went ford in 99-01 to get the bigger cab are now going back to Dodge or even to d-max land. The 6. 0 problems do not take long to get around. Plus in this business if the wheels are not rollin your going broke!!!

 

[amsoilman]

There is a husband and wife that haul campers as team drivers and they have a 04 f350 crewcab w/ a sleeper and the last time I talked to them in December they had just hit 240,000 :--) :--) :--) . They bought it new and started hauling in Jan. 04 with it. He had said other than replacing 3 or 4 injectors, the only breakdown was a burnt up trans. They are always the #1 producers in the yard I pull out of.

WOW!... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... that's 20,000/Month! or

714 Miles/day for 7 days per week... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ! When do they rest?



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[DPKetchum]

There pulling like a regular over the road team. Friend on mine runs over road and the quota he gets is 1000 miles a day and he's out around 27/28 days a month. Plus he's not a team. Just him. Said he makes BIG bucks but he buts in BIG time too. I think thats kinda a norm over the road trucker. Wonder why they fall asleep/wrecks etc. Last night had one turn around on I-20 right outside Atlanta in the median and go the wrong way on I-20 and hit another 18 wheeler head on. Both carrying STEEL. Shut ther interstate down for hours. One lived!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I wonder by percentage, what brand truck the serious hotshotters and trailer haulers drive? If they feel the need to put in those kind of miles to exist, they CERTAINLY must have as reliable a tow vehicle as possible...

 

[EBottema]

Your right, the new dodge is junk. Bye bye throttle cable and lift pump and say hello to your electronic friends!



New fords are very nice looking, don't care for updated body style. Motor is junk imo. You will be replacing IPR valves, Camshaft sensors, and turbo pipes every 75k miles atleast. But hey get the warranty, trust me Good luck, 40k a little much? no better deals??

 

[DPelletier]

Your right, the new dodge is junk.

Erik,

Thanks for the info. As always, your posts are very usefull. I think I'll put my two third gens up for sale and look for a couple of 9 year old trucks. :-{}



Dave

 

[EBottema]

Hey Dave, No offense to you or any other 3rd gen owner, not personal, just an opinion. Where you going to start looking for that most reliable 12v decade old truck? :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Your right, the new dodge is junk.

Hmmm,... looks like we have an authoritative source. :-laf

not personal, just an opinion

Oh, who would have thunk I would take someone calling my truck junk, personal. :-laf



You, can call my horse names, run off with my wife, throw sticks for my dogs, but insult my ride... ...

 

[RJOL]

... the main reason is simply that Ford is building the best product at this point. The new front suspension, the heavy duty 5 spd auto, the fact that the transmission has a drain plug & an external spin-on filter, the engine oil and fuel filters are mounted on top and easy to change and it's made in the USA instead of Mexico!...

I hope they have got a handle on all their problems with the engine... That's a lot more money and time to fix then a filter and drain plug... I've got over 53K on my 2001 and consider it to be the best truck I've every owned. Oh well... nothings perfect...

 

[DPelletier]

Well, I was just talking to my buddies wife (He'd never tell me about problems with his Fords, he's a died-in-the-wool blue oval lover c/w '56 F100, Mustang GT convertible, etc. Won't drive anything else). He has six PSD's including five 6. 0L units and four of them are two months old. The torqueshift auto in one of the new ones took a dump yesterday. He dropped it off at the dealer and asked how long it would take to rebuild/replace the transmission. They informed him that it would be at least a week because they have four other torqueshift equipped trucks awaiting transmission replacements in the shop at the moment!

I drove up to the ski-hill in one of his 6. 0 equipped trucks last weekend and the truck hesitated and almost stalled a half dozen times. He was with me at the time, but I didn't say a word, just looked at him. He stammered with some embarrassment that this was the first time that this truck had done this, although one of his crew complained of similar symptoms lately in one of the other 6. 0's.

On top of it all, driving the 6. 0 auto just made me love my Cummins/6spd even more. The truck would move out when you got close to its 4000 rpm redline, but pushing on the throttle at low speeds was just aggravating; the transmission would immediately downshift, rpm's soar and the truck would eventually catch up with itself. Really dissappointing. I don't know how you could drive both trucks back to back and not come away realizing that the Cummins/6spd is far superior.



The grass is not always greener on the other side.



Dave

 

[Diesel Man]

One thing about internet forums like this is that anyone can say anything they want to make their case for or against anything. This often makes it difficult to separate facts from BS.

However, one thing I have definitely noticed on all of the forums I read is that any story that starts off with "my buddy owns" or "a friend own's brand X, Y or Z", is just about always bs.

If you don't believe me, go to the Ford or GM forums and you can read the EXACT same stories about Dodges and all the horror stories about them. And it always starts the same way "my buddy owns... . "

That's why I completely disregard posts like that. Not that some my be true but that most are not.

And its usually pretty easy to tell which is which.