What A Great Truck

[MasterChief]

When I decided to buy a new Heavy Duty Truck my first choice was a F-350 PSD. I was a day away from closing the deal when my wife asked me if I wanted to test drive a Dodge before I put any money down. I had already test drove the Ford four different times and thought it was a great truck, that was until I got behind the wheel of the SLT Dodge 3500 CTD. It didn't take long to realize that the Dodge was simply a much better truck. I could spend a hour talking about the things I like better about the Dodge. The only thing I liked better about the Ford was that it had more back seat room. I have about 8000 miles on my new truck, and love it. The mileage isn't great, average about 16MPG, but who buys a truck like a Dodge 3500 and stresses about the mileage. This baby is built to pull big loads! I just finished washing it and looking it over from head to toe. One can not help but be impressed with the structural design of the frame and drive-train. I can't wait until we hook up to our new 13,000 lb 5th wheel. Towing my 7000 lb traval trailer is like having a little red wagon behind me :-laf



Mike

 

[jwduke]

Congradulations on you purchase of your new baby, Mike! And welcome to TDR.



I had a Ford before my 1st Dodge, and like you, it will and does pull circles around the Ford. I pull a 29' Holiday Rambler 5th wheel with my current one, and I have to look in the rear view mirror to see if it is really there.



Good luck & enjoy!

 

[HBarlow]

Mike,



Congratulations on a very wise decision. I had exactly the same experience in 2001 when I bought my current truck . . . which now has 303k miles on the odometer.



You may have not yet learned just how wise a decision you made. The Fords, sadly, have temporary engines. The 6. 0 Navistar is comparable to GM's Oldsmobile V8 gasoline engine that was converted (well, sort of converted) to a diesel in the '70s. In a word, junk.



I'm a retired MCPO(SS), USN. After being fully retired except for my rental houses for six or seven years and becoming bored, I started delivering travel trailers all over the US and Canada a year ago. In the RV transport industry it is common to find Generation II Dodge-Cummins with 600k, 700k, even a million miles on their odometers, still pulling trailers reliably. Mixed in among the Dodges are a few 6. 0 Ford owners who, with less than 200k miles, are on their second engines. Lots of RV transporters who are Dodge owners are former 6. 0 Ford owners who suffered catastropic failures and major financial losses to dump their Fords. The 6. 0 is simply not a commercial duty engine. They are probably okay to drive to the golf course on weekends, maybe even to pull a boat or travel trailer on an occasional weekend trip, but in commercial high mileage applications they ALL FAIL catastrophically. I've seen several good-looking new Fords shined up and looking good on the back of roll-back wreckers on their way back to dealers and a few alongside the road, dead, waiting for a wrecker. I feel sorry for their owners.



Welcome to the TDR.



Harvey

 

[J.Post]

How's that 49RE auto working out?

 

[jjdiesel]

Welcome

Mike, Congrats and welcome to TDR. If you have'nt already, you'll find that you like the TDR ALMOSTas much as your truck!

 

[MasterChief]

So far so good, I haven't had any issues with the tran.