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to 3rd gen or not to 3rd.
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Vaughn MacKenzie
TDR MEMBER
Sasquatch said:
Just like jmeeham says, great post Sasquatch
You're certainly been places in your truck! I didn't know you've been to the Northwest, you drove within 30 miles of me going up I84 through Umatilla. I've only had my truck about 4 months but I've been places in my '96 as well. I just drove all the way across the US from Washington to Maine, then down to Pensacola Florida, Texas, and back to the NW. Covered 9000 miles in all, got home 2 weekends ago.
I was in your neck of the woods the weekend of Oct. 9th. We spent the afternoon in Kennesaw at their fall festival in front of the Civil War Locomotive Museum. The kids had a blast. Went through downtown Atlanta on the way out that night, and thought the one building with the exposed framework on top all lit up looked really cool.
Sounds like we could compare a few stories Oo.
Vaughn
Vaughn MacKenzie
TDR MEMBER
crobertson1 said:
crobertson, you were quite lucky on your '01 'cause there was a short crossover time between when they started putting disk brakes on and deleting many items off trucks.
Vaughn
I enjoy my 94 most of the time (except when it fails on me) but now that I have one daughter thats getting to big for her car seat and another baby on the way I am starting to look more towards something a little more refined and roomier. My how things change when ya goto looking for a pick-up when ya have to factor in the wife and kids.
I doubt I'll end up in a 3rd gen. But if I had my choice, leaving out the small issue of price, I'd be in one.
Nathan
I doubt I'll end up in a 3rd gen. But if I had my choice, leaving out the small issue of price, I'd be in one.
Nathan
Yo Hoot
TDR MEMBER
I have to laugh when I read posts about how the new electronic controls and computers are taking away from the simplicity of these trucks/engines/transmissions.
Often we forget the old days of chokes, points, crank windows and manual door locks. No intermittant windshield wipers or cruise.
No antilock brakes, CD players... . or CD's for that matter. Remember rewinding tapes or waiting for the tape search feature that would never stop?
Remember Chrysler vehicles from the sixties... ? They would either not start or run like crap in the rain? Forget running through a puddle. You were done.
My point is, even the first and second gen trucks have evolved electronics and computers and as technology and packaging get better, these things only make life easier, not more complicated. They also get easier to diagnose and repair as the manufacturers demand it from developers and suppliers so their warranty costs don't go through the roof. Remember, the end user isn't the only ones paying the prices of poor design. They can't keep raising prices to pay for mistakes or "cheapness" or they will lose in the end.
Some people prefer candles over lightbulbs. The candle is easier to understand and fix.
Often we forget the old days of chokes, points, crank windows and manual door locks. No intermittant windshield wipers or cruise.
No antilock brakes, CD players... . or CD's for that matter. Remember rewinding tapes or waiting for the tape search feature that would never stop?
Remember Chrysler vehicles from the sixties... ? They would either not start or run like crap in the rain? Forget running through a puddle. You were done.
My point is, even the first and second gen trucks have evolved electronics and computers and as technology and packaging get better, these things only make life easier, not more complicated. They also get easier to diagnose and repair as the manufacturers demand it from developers and suppliers so their warranty costs don't go through the roof. Remember, the end user isn't the only ones paying the prices of poor design. They can't keep raising prices to pay for mistakes or "cheapness" or they will lose in the end.
Some people prefer candles over lightbulbs. The candle is easier to understand and fix.
The only things I like better about my second gen are the 5 speed manual (my 2003 is automatic) and the BMW 16 way seats that I installed in it. The 03 has better power, better brakes, better ride, better handling, more comfort, and a better bed and tailgate. I wouldn't go back! Find a good 03 for a good price, like I did, and add the Bully Dog Torque Dog. You'll be more than satisfied.
Yo Hoot:
Your post reminds me of that overused analogy about black and white vs. "shades of gray".
I know you weren't responding to my post, specifically, but let me just say this: As these trucks get larded with increasing amounts of "technology," they get harder and harder for us shade-tree types to play with and work on. As a guy who used to be able to replace a drive belt or head and keep his "eight-track" tape deck cranking out "House of the Rising Sun," I gotta say that I used to view the advent of the CD player as a mixed blessing. This was in the eighties, of course, when new CD players were both unreliable and cost five times as much as an eight-track.
CD players are great, now, but that's partly because they're also disposable: they've gotten so damned cheap, nobody even thinks about cracking one open to repair it.
The graph charting the costs of a new Ram looks somewhat different; if my throttle cable breaks (this happened on my '97), I know I can repair it (if necessary with a pair of vise-grips) and limp to shelter. I don't want to be hovering over a bank of micro-processors in the dark at the side of the road, and wishing I'd taken that correspondence course from M. I. T. But, that's just me...
I don't fault anybody for appreciating the technological advances present in his new Ram, but the rest of us are not Neanderthals, because we enjoy being able to "fix what's broke" on our vintage sleds either. Again, this doesn't have to be a case of "I'm brilliant, and you're an idiot. " The TDR is a brotherhood of like-minded Ram enthusiasts, and everybody drives his truck for different reasons, and enjoys it for different reasons.
I enjoy mine because it sounds and smells like a farm tractor, and I can skin a knuckle over it. For those of you that want refinement, quiet, and a Chrysler mini-van interior, I'm 100% behind your decision and wish you only the best.
When I was a kid, my family always had a Chevy Suburban. These things used to be built like Sherman Tanks, and you could stretch out in the back seat and sleep in a rest area. My father was driving through a blizzard on Interstate 80 near Snow Shoe, PA in the early '80s, when a tractor trailer jack-knifed in front of him. As dad swerved to pass him, the tipping trailer's wheel rims caught, and the load of lumber came slewing off the rear quarter of the flat-bed (strapping and all), and most of it tried to re-style the Suburban's roof and rear and side windows. Dad survived the encounter, largely because that Suburban was three tons of not-too-bright US steel.
Again, I'm not an advocate for "stupid" and brutish, but I think there's a diminishing return on some of this new technology, and we've damned near crossed that Rubicon. I can't fit into the latest model Suburbans. They've been so "Yuppified," and "down-sized," and padded with ergonomic creature-comforts, drop-down flat panel displays for the kiddies, cappuccino makers for the metro-sexual set, consoles that advise us (inaccurately) about our "mileage 'till empty," and CRT-directed HVAC systems, that I'm at a total loss when I occasionally try to sit in one. I feel like I'm in a video arcade instead of a truck. That's what a Suburban used to be, by the way: "a truck".
When the Hummer came out, it was kick-ass. Then they supplemented it with the "H2," which was universally acclaimed "an improvement". Now 80 pound women can look stylish as they transport their kids to ballet recitals, but car lots down here are overflowing with unsold H2s; periodically some GreenPeace agent drives by and torches them...
You know a lot of this is hyperbole, and I'm having some fun with you, but, seriously, a little technology in a working truck which is -- first and foremost -- designed to be tough and dependable, goes a long, long way.
And, don't knock candles, man. They may not be glamorous, but next time a hurricane (we've had four blow over us recently) leaves you in the dark for a week, you'll become a life-long worshipper at the altar of paraffin.
Your post reminds me of that overused analogy about black and white vs. "shades of gray".
I know you weren't responding to my post, specifically, but let me just say this: As these trucks get larded with increasing amounts of "technology," they get harder and harder for us shade-tree types to play with and work on. As a guy who used to be able to replace a drive belt or head and keep his "eight-track" tape deck cranking out "House of the Rising Sun," I gotta say that I used to view the advent of the CD player as a mixed blessing. This was in the eighties, of course, when new CD players were both unreliable and cost five times as much as an eight-track.
CD players are great, now, but that's partly because they're also disposable: they've gotten so damned cheap, nobody even thinks about cracking one open to repair it.
The graph charting the costs of a new Ram looks somewhat different; if my throttle cable breaks (this happened on my '97), I know I can repair it (if necessary with a pair of vise-grips) and limp to shelter. I don't want to be hovering over a bank of micro-processors in the dark at the side of the road, and wishing I'd taken that correspondence course from M. I. T. But, that's just me...
I don't fault anybody for appreciating the technological advances present in his new Ram, but the rest of us are not Neanderthals, because we enjoy being able to "fix what's broke" on our vintage sleds either. Again, this doesn't have to be a case of "I'm brilliant, and you're an idiot. " The TDR is a brotherhood of like-minded Ram enthusiasts, and everybody drives his truck for different reasons, and enjoys it for different reasons.
I enjoy mine because it sounds and smells like a farm tractor, and I can skin a knuckle over it. For those of you that want refinement, quiet, and a Chrysler mini-van interior, I'm 100% behind your decision and wish you only the best.
When I was a kid, my family always had a Chevy Suburban. These things used to be built like Sherman Tanks, and you could stretch out in the back seat and sleep in a rest area. My father was driving through a blizzard on Interstate 80 near Snow Shoe, PA in the early '80s, when a tractor trailer jack-knifed in front of him. As dad swerved to pass him, the tipping trailer's wheel rims caught, and the load of lumber came slewing off the rear quarter of the flat-bed (strapping and all), and most of it tried to re-style the Suburban's roof and rear and side windows. Dad survived the encounter, largely because that Suburban was three tons of not-too-bright US steel.
Again, I'm not an advocate for "stupid" and brutish, but I think there's a diminishing return on some of this new technology, and we've damned near crossed that Rubicon. I can't fit into the latest model Suburbans. They've been so "Yuppified," and "down-sized," and padded with ergonomic creature-comforts, drop-down flat panel displays for the kiddies, cappuccino makers for the metro-sexual set, consoles that advise us (inaccurately) about our "mileage 'till empty," and CRT-directed HVAC systems, that I'm at a total loss when I occasionally try to sit in one. I feel like I'm in a video arcade instead of a truck. That's what a Suburban used to be, by the way: "a truck".
When the Hummer came out, it was kick-ass. Then they supplemented it with the "H2," which was universally acclaimed "an improvement". Now 80 pound women can look stylish as they transport their kids to ballet recitals, but car lots down here are overflowing with unsold H2s; periodically some GreenPeace agent drives by and torches them...
You know a lot of this is hyperbole, and I'm having some fun with you, but, seriously, a little technology in a working truck which is -- first and foremost -- designed to be tough and dependable, goes a long, long way.
And, don't knock candles, man. They may not be glamorous, but next time a hurricane (we've had four blow over us recently) leaves you in the dark for a week, you'll become a life-long worshipper at the altar of paraffin.
Last edited:
We're in serious danger of having an amicable discussion here!
Sasquatch and Yo Hoot,
You've both made some good points and I'm comfortable agreeing with both of you. To Sasquatch, I'd simply repeat my earlier observation that I think that such comparisons of technology are more accurate comparing a 12ver to a 24ver and later truck; my 2001. 5 had all the electronic goodies that my '03 has including ECM's, PCM's, power everything, computers, sentry keys, CD players, etc. etc. I don't dispute your point of view, just the contention that the 3rd gen trucks have substantially more electronic control than late 2nd gen trucks.
Which truck is better for whom depends on what your specific circumstances are. For me, I have no time to perform anything other than routine maintenance on my truck. I sometimes even pay people to wash it for me. I'm not proud of these things, it is just a reflection of my lifestyle. So, for me, it doesn't really matter how simple or complicated the systems are because I won't be the guy fixing it. What is important to me is the reliability that is typically inherent in a brand new vehicle. The warranty is also important to me and my 2003 HO has enough power for me to haul my stuff without engine mods (unlike my 2001. 5).
Funny thing is that I'm definitely a "simpler the better" kind of guy. I always used to buy a truck with minimum creature comforts and cared way more about drivetrain options, etc. I rolled my eyes when I bought my 2004. 5 ST work truck because it comes with a/c. It also came with tilt, cruise and a CD player. Far from the "plain janes" that we used to get! I remember buying a new F-150 in 1990 that didn't even come with a radio or a rear bumper. Times are a changin.
The last few trucks I've had, I've bought the usual options just because it is hard to sell a plain truck these days. Then I got used to having them and I shamefully submit that it's too late for me! I want all that stuff now.
Vaughn, I just wanted to say that one of my least favorite things about my 2001. 5 was the steering (despite a box replacement). I see you have a 2wd, so I'm not surprised that your truck steers OK. Just wanted to say that the steering in the 3rd gen 4x4's is a BIG improvement. The brakes are too.
I like all Dodge Cummins trucks and I am in the (long) process of converting my fleet to be all Cummins powered. At this point, I am keeping my eyes open for a cherry 2001. 5 or 2002 ETH DEE truck and also the elusive 1998 QC 12V 5sp, as well as keeping an eye on the latest offerings.
Dave
Sasquatch and Yo Hoot,
You've both made some good points and I'm comfortable agreeing with both of you. To Sasquatch, I'd simply repeat my earlier observation that I think that such comparisons of technology are more accurate comparing a 12ver to a 24ver and later truck; my 2001. 5 had all the electronic goodies that my '03 has including ECM's, PCM's, power everything, computers, sentry keys, CD players, etc. etc. I don't dispute your point of view, just the contention that the 3rd gen trucks have substantially more electronic control than late 2nd gen trucks.
Which truck is better for whom depends on what your specific circumstances are. For me, I have no time to perform anything other than routine maintenance on my truck. I sometimes even pay people to wash it for me. I'm not proud of these things, it is just a reflection of my lifestyle. So, for me, it doesn't really matter how simple or complicated the systems are because I won't be the guy fixing it. What is important to me is the reliability that is typically inherent in a brand new vehicle. The warranty is also important to me and my 2003 HO has enough power for me to haul my stuff without engine mods (unlike my 2001. 5).
Funny thing is that I'm definitely a "simpler the better" kind of guy. I always used to buy a truck with minimum creature comforts and cared way more about drivetrain options, etc. I rolled my eyes when I bought my 2004. 5 ST work truck because it comes with a/c. It also came with tilt, cruise and a CD player. Far from the "plain janes" that we used to get! I remember buying a new F-150 in 1990 that didn't even come with a radio or a rear bumper. Times are a changin.
The last few trucks I've had, I've bought the usual options just because it is hard to sell a plain truck these days. Then I got used to having them and I shamefully submit that it's too late for me! I want all that stuff now.
Vaughn, I just wanted to say that one of my least favorite things about my 2001. 5 was the steering (despite a box replacement). I see you have a 2wd, so I'm not surprised that your truck steers OK. Just wanted to say that the steering in the 3rd gen 4x4's is a BIG improvement. The brakes are too.
I like all Dodge Cummins trucks and I am in the (long) process of converting my fleet to be all Cummins powered. At this point, I am keeping my eyes open for a cherry 2001. 5 or 2002 ETH DEE truck and also the elusive 1998 QC 12V 5sp, as well as keeping an eye on the latest offerings.
Dave
My Decision
Hello All
Thank you for the candid posts and replys to my to the start of this thread
to 3rd gen or not to 3rd gen I never would have thought that this much heated conversation would come of the question. a few points here before
I tell you the decision.
1 Sasquatch what a wonderful post you are very gifted with the written word. I too Have driven my 99 across country and thru canada several times and I have loved every min of left seat time at the command of THe CUMMINS the mighty 6, when I tell my wife that I am going on yet another road trip I am not sure if she is jealous of me going on a trip or the time I spend with my CTD??? she has no complaints about the truck she just does not share in the true joy of that rumbling CUMMINS.
2 I was not trying to start a war bewteen 2nd geners and 3rd geners.
to quote a famouse quote we all have 1 thing in common Dodge Cummins Turbo diesels "Cant we all just get along" I know easier said than done
3 I changed the lift pump friday only took me only 20 mins this time still pisses me off that I only got 7000 miles out of my last 170. 00 investment.
I use fuel additive to keep it lubricated and I am not heavly bombed so I do not really know why they are failing.
4 I got into the new car mode yesterday while shopping for my wifes next new car, she drives a 2000 durango now and she wants a new Jeep liberty
she says she will look really CUTE in a jeep liberty I mentioned they are going to put a diesel in these very soon. How A mighty NO came from such a little woman I will never know, Well anyways we orderd her flame red jeep liberty limited edition yesterday. "Gasser"
while looking around the car lots the dodge dealership had a 04. 5 3500 drw 4x4 fully loaded auto 4dr that just showed up yesterday only 4700 miles and the price was right I took it as a sign time to go to the next gen. I took it for a test drive it was a beautiful truck but it just did not have the feel as my 99 from the inside it just did not speak the cummins talk to me but I told my self I will get used to it it will be ok I finished the test drive. parked away from the selling section and stepped out only to have a gentelman I did not know snatch the keys out of my hands and tell me I can not have the truck that it is his, Seems He Offerd $2000 more than what they were asking while I was out test driving it. I guess he really wanted that truck. So AT that point I took it as A sign that I am gonna keep the old trusted 99 I came home and gave the 99 a big hug I do not really think I wanted to sell it but that 04. 5 sure was nice myabe the new car bug will be fixed for me when the wifes new jeep liberty flame red limited GAsser comes to live next to the 99CTD
thanks for all the interest
Chris
Hello All
Thank you for the candid posts and replys to my to the start of this thread
to 3rd gen or not to 3rd gen I never would have thought that this much heated conversation would come of the question. a few points here before
I tell you the decision.
1 Sasquatch what a wonderful post you are very gifted with the written word. I too Have driven my 99 across country and thru canada several times and I have loved every min of left seat time at the command of THe CUMMINS the mighty 6, when I tell my wife that I am going on yet another road trip I am not sure if she is jealous of me going on a trip or the time I spend with my CTD??? she has no complaints about the truck she just does not share in the true joy of that rumbling CUMMINS.
2 I was not trying to start a war bewteen 2nd geners and 3rd geners.
to quote a famouse quote we all have 1 thing in common Dodge Cummins Turbo diesels "Cant we all just get along" I know easier said than done
3 I changed the lift pump friday only took me only 20 mins this time still pisses me off that I only got 7000 miles out of my last 170. 00 investment.
I use fuel additive to keep it lubricated and I am not heavly bombed so I do not really know why they are failing.
4 I got into the new car mode yesterday while shopping for my wifes next new car, she drives a 2000 durango now and she wants a new Jeep liberty
she says she will look really CUTE in a jeep liberty I mentioned they are going to put a diesel in these very soon. How A mighty NO came from such a little woman I will never know, Well anyways we orderd her flame red jeep liberty limited edition yesterday. "Gasser"
while looking around the car lots the dodge dealership had a 04. 5 3500 drw 4x4 fully loaded auto 4dr that just showed up yesterday only 4700 miles and the price was right I took it as a sign time to go to the next gen. I took it for a test drive it was a beautiful truck but it just did not have the feel as my 99 from the inside it just did not speak the cummins talk to me but I told my self I will get used to it it will be ok I finished the test drive. parked away from the selling section and stepped out only to have a gentelman I did not know snatch the keys out of my hands and tell me I can not have the truck that it is his, Seems He Offerd $2000 more than what they were asking while I was out test driving it. I guess he really wanted that truck. So AT that point I took it as A sign that I am gonna keep the old trusted 99 I came home and gave the 99 a big hug I do not really think I wanted to sell it but that 04. 5 sure was nice myabe the new car bug will be fixed for me when the wifes new jeep liberty flame red limited GAsser comes to live next to the 99CTD
thanks for all the interest
Chris
Chris, thanks for your generous critique; others, too. Thanks a lot.
I feel very lucky to have discovered this resource and such a great group of fellow diesel lovers.
This is a mostly good-humored bunch, and from a broad cross-section of America; I'm amazed at the compulsion my fellow, TDR, diesel-pushers have to help perfect strangers with advice, especially considering there's nothing in it for the advisor. It gladdens the heart, and reaffirms my faith in people.
I've sat in on several other lists, (e. g. , a real estate investment group, a remodeling/home construction list, etc. ,) and I've never been in better company than this group of soot-sniffers.
I feel very lucky to have discovered this resource and such a great group of fellow diesel lovers.
This is a mostly good-humored bunch, and from a broad cross-section of America; I'm amazed at the compulsion my fellow, TDR, diesel-pushers have to help perfect strangers with advice, especially considering there's nothing in it for the advisor. It gladdens the heart, and reaffirms my faith in people.
I've sat in on several other lists, (e. g. , a real estate investment group, a remodeling/home construction list, etc. ,) and I've never been in better company than this group of soot-sniffers.
DPellitier:
Thanks. Don't get me wrong. I just didn't want to sound biased to 2nd gens. I absolutley love the look, sound and feel of my '02. I am very content and pleased with it. I even have a buyer standing by, should I want to sell it. But I don't. It has all the major stuff I really wanted, like the HO, Six speed and disc brakes, plus the bench seat in the back (vs. the jump seats in my '93) and quad cab doors. I am no where near ready to move to the 3rd gen and don't need to. And like I said before, the only reason I traded up from my '93 was for the back seat. My old stock '93 pulled the hell out of my trailer, not as well, but not bad enough to trade up. This is the 4th Dodge truck I have owned and the 2nd CTD. I have always had very good experiences with them, (engine, transmissions, body holding up, etc)that is why I still drive them today. Regardless of what generation you buy, you're getting the best truck out there.
Thanks. Don't get me wrong. I just didn't want to sound biased to 2nd gens. I absolutley love the look, sound and feel of my '02. I am very content and pleased with it. I even have a buyer standing by, should I want to sell it. But I don't. It has all the major stuff I really wanted, like the HO, Six speed and disc brakes, plus the bench seat in the back (vs. the jump seats in my '93) and quad cab doors. I am no where near ready to move to the 3rd gen and don't need to. And like I said before, the only reason I traded up from my '93 was for the back seat. My old stock '93 pulled the hell out of my trailer, not as well, but not bad enough to trade up. This is the 4th Dodge truck I have owned and the 2nd CTD. I have always had very good experiences with them, (engine, transmissions, body holding up, etc)that is why I still drive them today. Regardless of what generation you buy, you're getting the best truck out there.
1st 2nd and 3rd gen trucks
all three are great trucks for different reasons and opinions. We could definately argue for years over which one is best. But it all comes down to
needs and wants, my 1st gen was reg cab but had a few kids so went to 2nd gen ext cab. Now kids are getting bigger so need 3rd gen quad cab hopefully
soon make a true crew cab. Will always miss things of previos trucks like the
fact 1st gen had manual locking hubs and 410's. Whatever your decision
good luck. One thing to the guy who stated something about cold weather starts, I live upstate NY and I can tell you this we had a week of cold weather probably -20 and all the GM's 6. 2 didn't even bother trying to start them. The powerstroke's were left idling for hours at a time and for the Dodge's they all started fine, *THE FIRST GEN BEING THE BEST* so much for
electronics.
all three are great trucks for different reasons and opinions. We could definately argue for years over which one is best. But it all comes down to
needs and wants, my 1st gen was reg cab but had a few kids so went to 2nd gen ext cab. Now kids are getting bigger so need 3rd gen quad cab hopefully
soon make a true crew cab. Will always miss things of previos trucks like the
fact 1st gen had manual locking hubs and 410's. Whatever your decision
good luck. One thing to the guy who stated something about cold weather starts, I live upstate NY and I can tell you this we had a week of cold weather probably -20 and all the GM's 6. 2 didn't even bother trying to start them. The powerstroke's were left idling for hours at a time and for the Dodge's they all started fine, *THE FIRST GEN BEING THE BEST* so much for
electronics.
Picked up my 2004 in TX Friday (Bought it on e-bay!) & drove it home to SC. After driving & enjoying my 2001. 5 for the last year and a half (24K miles), I have to say the '04 is quite a step forward. Power, handling & steering feel much better. I bought the truck mainly for the 6 speed, as I'm not comfortable towing my 15,000 # horsetrailer with the stock automatic in the '01. 5 (Also a great excuse to get a newer truck w/HO motor).
After 1K miles, I love it! Certainly, there's nothing wrong w/2nd gen trucks, but I guess as my age increases so does my interest in creature comforts. I like the power seat & mirrors, & look forward to using the drive-thru without having to shut off the truck. The power & feel of the HO w/6 speed is quite impressive, and I don't see the need to BOMB (famous last words!).
(Got 18+ MPG on the way home running at 65 - 75)
Bob
After 1K miles, I love it! Certainly, there's nothing wrong w/2nd gen trucks, but I guess as my age increases so does my interest in creature comforts. I like the power seat & mirrors, & look forward to using the drive-thru without having to shut off the truck. The power & feel of the HO w/6 speed is quite impressive, and I don't see the need to BOMB (famous last words!).
(Got 18+ MPG on the way home running at 65 - 75)
Bob
ChrisOlson,
I currently have a 99 CTD 3500 auto transmission. I love the truck the only problem has been the transmission. My truck is garage kept and looks brand new in and out and it runs like new. That said and this the sad part because i never intended to get rid it of is my mistake in selecting an auto transmission when i ordered it . I allways have had manual transmission trucks and for some unknown reason,maybe an out of body experience , i went with the auto. That decision has haunted me ,at 26k first tc lock up failure . 7k later same problem ,luckly i have DC extended warranty. My truck has only 34 k on it right now but i had enough with the transmission failures while towing.
By the way i hardly ever towed , only 3 times a year 160 miles round trip all highway. Having a daully that had these failures is unaccetable, heck my old 76 1/2 ton 4wd chevy with a straight 6 gasser and a manual trans towed the same trailer every weekend for 5 years prior to the buying the 99 ,granted at a much slower speed , with no problem.
The last trans failure is what put me over the edge , i ordered an 05' ctd 3500 2wd 6spd.
Funny , the salesman tried to sell an 04. 5 auto ctd that was on the lot . After the experience i went through with the auto transmission i wanted reach across his desk and choke , him using
the "A word "( auto ) in my presence.
Had it not been for the problem i would have gone to a 3GEN .
More than my $. 02.
Good Luck
I currently have a 99 CTD 3500 auto transmission. I love the truck the only problem has been the transmission. My truck is garage kept and looks brand new in and out and it runs like new. That said and this the sad part because i never intended to get rid it of is my mistake in selecting an auto transmission when i ordered it . I allways have had manual transmission trucks and for some unknown reason,maybe an out of body experience , i went with the auto. That decision has haunted me ,at 26k first tc lock up failure . 7k later same problem ,luckly i have DC extended warranty. My truck has only 34 k on it right now but i had enough with the transmission failures while towing.
By the way i hardly ever towed , only 3 times a year 160 miles round trip all highway. Having a daully that had these failures is unaccetable, heck my old 76 1/2 ton 4wd chevy with a straight 6 gasser and a manual trans towed the same trailer every weekend for 5 years prior to the buying the 99 ,granted at a much slower speed , with no problem.
The last trans failure is what put me over the edge , i ordered an 05' ctd 3500 2wd 6spd.
Funny , the salesman tried to sell an 04. 5 auto ctd that was on the lot . After the experience i went through with the auto transmission i wanted reach across his desk and choke , him using
the "A word "( auto ) in my presence.
Had it not been for the problem i would have gone to a 3GEN .
More than my $. 02.
Good Luck
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