Would you convert Dodge to a Ford

[Snow man]

MA buens,I did exactly what you said,I hopped out of my 2000,and into my buddies 2001 duramax,yes it is a much nicer truck,and there is no power comparison,at the time i had an ez only,and no way would i even try to race it empty or pulling,my 2000 would have gotten blown away. I bought the Dodge for the Cummins,and i love the Dodge part too,i just need a crew cab. and to be honest my 91 GMC drives better than my 2000 Dodge,mostly due to the IFS,but never the less,I can drive my GMC with one finger on the wheel,the Dodge requires your full attention,even with a new track bar,tires,and alignment. It s just the nature of the beast. I know the crew cab short box is long,that what i want,i dont live in a city,I live in the country,plenty of room for parking,and I dont park my truck in the garage anyway. As for MPG,when i towed with my friend we got the same mpg,with 1/2 mpg of each other,he actually got beter than I did with an EZ. Reliabitly is questionable with either Gm or Dodge,if anything id have to say all of my GM's and Dodge s have been reliable,but the GM;s do age much slower,the Dodge seems to age quickly,and little things start to nickel and dime me,at about 50K. Interior materials,paint,door hinges,all sag more on the Dodge. Id be proud to own a new truck,but i find it hard to buy a truck tha doesnt fit my needs,when it is only 2K lesss than a truck that does. For now im cramming everything into my 2000 quad cab,which BTW is smaller than my 91 GMC's excab,but its getting old quickly.

 

[Pit Bull]

I would not be interested in buying the Ford or Chevy. I really don't have a good reason, it is just how I feel about the trucks. I bought the Dodge CTD because of several things that the other trucks won't give me. I love the looks of a Dodge 3500 4x4 (10 times more than the Ford or Chevy) I know they say that beauty is only skin deep but Ugly does go clear to the bone (example Ford PSD Crew cab single rear wheel). I love the sound and the engineering that the Cummins provides (the PSD will CACKLE and it sounds bad IMHO). I like my 4x4's to have solid axles and I like the frontend with coil springs not leaf springs (like an old buckboard). I guess many of the chevy and ford owners are right when they say that in some ways their trucks are as good or better than the Dodge CTD. I guess you could say it boils down to "PERSONALITY" Thats it Personality. The Dodge CTD has personality. Plus I like it and that is what counts when I am spending my dollars.

 

[LarryB]

I wouldn't buy anything new. For me my vehicles must be dependable, inexpensive and easy to work on. No such thing on the new market. All new vehicles are designed to get money out of consumers pockets, period. Every single decision regarding products offered is centered on this. Service departments must also make a profit. Sales departments must make a profit. Anyone who thinks Ford, Dodge, GM or any other manufacturer of anything has the consumer interest at heart deserves to be laughed at. Brand loyalty?:-laf There are no brands loyal enough to DESERVE my money. Besides, I like to create my own machinery to a point. That's just me!

 

[MABurns]

I agree with you 100% Big Toy. The Dodge CTD does have more personality. Your money, your decision!



I do not pull, haul, plow , off-road everyday, so IFS works for me. With the CTD my daughter use to run to the window when the garbage truck or a school bus came by and yell "daddys home". I like the quiet Duramax.



I think they are all good, and the competition will make them better.



I'll give DC a few years. If they raise the bar above what I think I have now, I'll buy it. I have plenty of practice in accessorising them.

 

[MABurns]

Snow Man,



Where in the Hudson Valley?



MB

 

[jelvington]

MABurns



I believe I am the one that said "definitley would not give in to a Duramax". I did look at the Duramax not long after they came out because I just like diesels. But, when I get the Chevy then I have to get the Allison to do any decent towing, the $$$$ amount is just too much for me. They do have a nice ride and they are nice trucks but the combined amount of money in the Duramax and 5th wheel is just too much. I am not a full timer I just do it for fun. True... your money, your decision.



I do like the Fords but like I said the ones I know, they don't get the best mileage and I have heard Ford owners say they don't like the acceleration of the PSD. I have always driven Fords this is my first Dodge. I have a friend who is an RV repairman and some of this information comes from what he hears in the shop. For price, reliability and mpg of the Cummins that is why I will stick with the CTD. I drive my CTD every day to work and back and tow my 5th whl on the weekends for fun with the family. I just love it.

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by MABurns



my daughter runs to the window when the garbage truck or a school bus comes by and yells "daddys home".

MABurns

So your working two jobs to pay for that DuraMax? Man I heard they were expensive



Hope you have a good sense of humor, I could not resist

 

[mimprevento]

New Trucks

I have to respectfully disagree with the notion that the Big Three do not take into consideration SOME consumer feedback- after all there is a full fledged diesel noise and horsepower war going on right now- Cummins didn't design a 3rd generation mill because they felt like it- the PSD G2 and DMAX scared the crap out of Dodge and they reduced the noise upped the torque and HP and kept the rugged suspension that sold us including me- focus groups, consumer complaints and wish lists are considered( along with some old fashioned industrial espionage) and suited to the bean counters input but enough gets through that we win to a certain extent- if we do not buy they find out why and give us the choices that a free market economy produces. I do agree that a softly used truck is by far the wisest choice and that is what I am going to be looking at when I can.

 

[LarryB]

mimprevento



Oh, don't get me wrong. They do very much care what the consumer will buy. They do all the things you mentioned and then some. They also spend Billions telling us how bad we need it. How our lives will be improved. How much better we will look. How we will get more women and be more successful. Our lives will really be better if we just keep buying more stuff. Why do they do all this? Because they like us? WRONG! They want us to buy lots of stuff we don't need, latest, "best", most, biggest, coolest, hottest. Oh, and of course it is expensive, it's the best!



Course you can't blame the manufacturers, that's how the system works. Honestly, can you justify spending $45,000 for a new pickup when you can buy a used one for under $10,000? You could spend over $400 in repairs/improvements every month for 10 years and still come out ahead with a used one.



This is all just the way I see it. My way fits my needs but certainly not everybody's. That's what I love about this site. I get to say what I think, BS and all.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by MABurns

With the CTD my daughter use to run to the window when the garbage truck or a school bus came by and yell "daddys home".

The Cummins ISB has been known to scare women and children. That is what I like. In fact I am going to eventually make mine louder. My wife says she can hear me from a mile away, I know she is wrong... My dad was a truck driver and he loves the Cummins, he has a Ford Diesel and he still goes nuts when I let him use my truck...

 

[MABurns]

I didn't get a second job.



But my wife went back to work... ..... I hope she doesn't see this... ... ... :{

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by MABurns

What I meant by the world is flat comment is that many of the people who would post on this type of thread will use phases like:



When hell freezes over... ... .



Definitely would not give in to a Duramax!



Similar events would be necessary for a Chevrolet, except I would consider the loss of a child or two first.









Just like A. A. the first step to recovery is to admit there is a problem.

A "problem"?



I don't have a problem. I love my mopars, and they have given me unequalled service. If you can't be loyal to something, then what's life? A river seeking the least resistance?



Loyalty is why people can be married through hard times. It is why men flung themselves onto a beach in France and got mowed down by bullets to regain ground lost. It is why athletes will still be cheered in their home town, even when they now play for the opposing team. Loyalty is one of the noblest of virtues... And I fail to see why it's a "problem" to apply it to what we drive.



I see it over and over again... Especially from GM owners... that "brand loyalty" is stupid, dumb, a problem, a sign of (insert favorite term here), and so on. Yet many of those same people will still rip, criticise, tease or even insult people for NOT driving what they drive. I guess following hte crowd to GM or Ford is not loyalty... and perhaps if they weren't following the crowd, loyalty would have them elsewhere. Maybe that's why the GM and Ford sites have trouble with brand loyal "visitors".



Or maybe not.



I just know that I think loyalty is a good thing, not bad.

 

[LSMITH]

Applied with solid reasoning loyalty is a good thing. Blind loyalty for the sake of loyalty alone is stupid.



IMO, brand loyalty where vehicles are concerned makes no sense, each of the makers has an edge in one area or another. Pick the traits that suit you in a vehicle and look to see what kind it is last.



There are plenty on this site that criticize anything other than Dodge or mopar vehicles too, just like the ford and chevy sites. Regardless of brand favored by the individual the ignorance they show leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Snow man]

I feel loyalty is important,but certainly not to huge companys like GM,DC or Ford. That is rediculous,Gm screwed me over peeling paint,should i have stayed with them?that would have been stupidity,not loyalty,I now own a CTD,and if I was loyal,id be driving a 6. 5 TD right now. I am loyal where it matter,s to my spouse,family,friends,employees,and my children,and anyone who earns my respect over time.

 

[JConley]

Would I buy a Ford?



I already did, and it is a great cross country ride. (see sig)

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by JConley

Would I buy a Ford?



I already did, and it is a great cross country ride. (see sig)

2001 PSD Excursion Rancho 9000 5 Speed shocks, Helwig Rear Sway bar. (had to buy the Ford since DC has no clue what a crew cab is)

JConley, what does that Excursion weigh with that PSD? What kind of mileage does it get?

 

[MABurns]

A "problem"? I don't have a problem. I love my mopars, and they have given me unequalled service. If you can't be loyal to something, then what's life? A river seeking the least resistance?

My comment about AA was not a reflection on loyalty to any given brand.



It was a comment made to the individuals that say a Quad Cab is "good enough" and that Crew Cabs are over rated. I guess it is easy to come up with reasons why you don't want a crew cab when they (DC) don't make it. It makes the decision easier to accept.



I am one of many that choose the other fork in the road because DC didn't give me the chance to decide. No fork in the road with DC, just a "one way" street.

 

[JConley]

Pit Bull.



It weighs around 8500 as I recall. We get around 18. 5 on the highway running 70. At 60 MPH it gets 20 MPG. With the 44 Gallon fuel tank, It will go a long way between fill-ups.

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by JConley

Pit Bull.



It weighs around 8500 as I recall. We get around 18. 5 on the highway running 70. At 60 MPH it gets 20 MPG. With the 44 Gallon fuel tank, It will go a long way between fill-ups.

Wow thats great. Thats what I get in my Cummins with summer fuel and it weighs 7500 lbs with me in it. I really like the looks of the Excursion and it would feel safe and roomy traveling cross country in it. It would be nice to see more competition in the Diesel SUV market.

 

[DiTrani]

I still think the F350 SRW SD is the best looking truck on the road. I was all set to buy one with a V10 when I decided that I'd regret it if I didn't break down and get the long-wanted CTD.