Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Warning, Warning…. . this will turn into a rant!!!!!
After several weeks of great anticipation, my new 2006 Megacab 3500 4x4 Laramie had finally arrived that I had ordered from Tomeygun. My wife and I boarded a plane in Houston, TX on Sunday, November, 20th heading for the great city of St. Louis. We were very excited to visit St. Louis since neither of us had ever visited St. Louis before and to see the new truck since we had never owned a dodge…we’ve always owned chevys…make note!
Tomeygun graciously picked us up at the hotel bright an early on Monday morning and headed to the dealership getting more excited every second. We arrived at the dealership and Tomeygun had everything ready to go……. signed, sealed and delivered, we were in and out in less then a hour and feeling like we had just won the lottery. The truck was truly huge and truly beautiful.
We spent the rest of Monday site seeing in St. Louis and looked forward to heading to Louisiana early on Tuesday morning to see the family for turkey day and to put some miles on the big bad dodge.
We got on the road early Tuesday morning for the 750 mile journey to Louisiana and I had a grin on my face the whole way…. the 4 tons of Cummins beauty was purring, the wife in the back watching movies on the DVD…. life was good. I’m asking myself why did I wait so long to buy such a grand truck…. life was good.
On Friday, I decided to put the truck to work, I mean that’s why I bought the truck in the first place was to work, not just cruise down the highway. I hooked up my 20ft, 12,000lb utility trailer that I use to haul concrete rip/rap (broken pieces of concrete) that I use for a bulkhead on some river property I have and headed to a land fill where I load the concrete. Man, the Cummins is purring and I’m loving life.
I load half of the trailer, then need to move the trailer back about six feet, so I hop in the truck and put it into 4lo because the ground is very uneven and I wanted to place as little stress on the drive train as possible. I place the trans in neutral and switch the 4wheel drive indicator to 4lo-- Just like my chevy. The transfer case engages, I place the trans in reverse, and back up six feet. Man, the Cummins just idles back, it appears much easier then my chevy ever did…. I’m pumped…. life is good.
I finish loading the trailer and can’t wait to head down the road and see how this 4 ton pulling machine works. I hop in the truck, crank up the Cummins, wipe the grin off my face then place the trans in drive so I can get to some level ground before I take the transfer case out of 4lo. I give the go peddle a little juice and nothing…I’m not moving. I look around in somewhat disbelief that I must have done something wrong…I make sure the truck is in drive, which it is, then give the go peddle a push……nothing…. I’m not moving!!!!!
I look down at the 4wheel drive indicator switch and notice that the N is lit on the 4wheeldrive indicator signifying that the transfer case is in neutral. I’m like neutral…. . who the hell put it in neutral…. I just had it in 4lo because I backed up six feet!! I then proceed to get the owners manual out thinking that I may have missed something even though I’ve been driving 4x4 for more then 15 years, I may have missed something. Well after reading the manual for more then an hour I come to the conclusion that the transfer case is in neutral!!!!
I’m also clueless on how the freakin transfer case got into neutral in the first place because after reading the manual it’s easier to suck mud through a straw then to put the transfer case into neutral…. . stop the engine…. press the brake peddle…. . get something pointed to stick into the freakin tiny hole…. wait 4 seconds…lights will blink the earth will shake…yada…yada…. yada. I only put the SOB in 4lo.
So at this point, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere with several tons of concrete strapped to a 4 ton, $54,000, 5 day old truck that can’t move itself an inch to save it’s freakin life!!! I figure the best placed to start to try and resolve this situation is to contact Tomeygun.
I give Tomeygun a call and explain the situation to him and he tells me the service department is closed but that he will try and see what he can find out and will give me a call back. He tells me to try and disconnect the batteries so the computer can reset itself. Then he calls me back in about 30 minutes and tells me he’s got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that DC has issued some kind of recall, service bulletin whatever you want to call it, which states that the transfer case can inadvertently switch to neutral and that a “Flash”, the good news, will fix the problem.
I’m like a “Flash”……. . I’m in the middle of freakin nowhere and I can’t much less flash myself much less have DC do it!!!!!! Tomeygun suggest I contact the local dodge dealership for assistance. I manage to find the number to the local dodge dealership and explain to the service manager the situation. He tells me that he is short handed because of turkey day and that he can take a look at on Monday!! I’m like dude, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, I’ve got several tons of concrete loaded on a trailer hooked up to a 4 ton, $54,000, 5 day old truck and I’ve got to be 250 miles away in Houston on Monday for work……. can you please try and help me out!!!!!!! He finally understands the situation and says he will send a tech over to take a look at the truck…. . I’m like thanks I really appreciate it.
Two hours later this tech dude shows up the star tool and starts flashing and flashing and flashing…I’m like hey. . making any progress????? An hour later he tells me that he is going to have to go back to the shop and get…. guess what……a freakin flash he does not have…. . I’m like you got to be kidding me!!!!!!
ANother 2 hours later……. . the service manager shows up in his personal car and tells that he has a wrecker coming to pick up the truck that apparently the motor on the transfer case that switches between 2lo, 2hi etc is burnt……I’m like burnt……. the ********** is only 5 days old…. . you mean to tell me that sh** on this truck only lasts 5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say at this point I’m about to come unglued!!!!!! I then call my friend to come and get me and the loaded trailer with his 1 ton ford.
You guessed it……2 hours later the wrecker shows up ( a ford) and the driver says, man that’s a big truck and it has a Cummins, I hear that that is a great motor. I say, yea man, it’s a great motor, it powered the AC the whole time I’ve been stranded on the side of the freakin road…I don’t know what I would have done without it!!!!!!!!! At this point my friend shows up in his ford and the wrecker driver asks me where I want him to bring the truck…I say I don’t give a **** where you bring it, I’m going home!!!!!
Now, I know some of you will say,,,,you still own the truck. Yes, unfortunately your right, I still do own it and at this point hoping someone will steal, burn or whatever to this pile of junk!!!!!!!!!!
So now I’m in Houston, the truck is 250 miles away in Louisiana, and I don’t know what my options are. Can I give this thing back to DC? Will DC cover my costs getting back to Houston? Will DC cover my costs getting to work each day? Will DC bring my truck to Houston once it’s fixed, or do they think I’m going to drive another 500 mile trip back to Louisiana to pick it up?
Now, I know some of you will say, I driven my dodge 1 million miles, hauled cargo from here to BFE without any problems…. . and all I can say is that I wish it were me!!!!!
Thanks for listening…I almost feel better!! If anyone has any suggestions on how to resolve this situation I’m listening…………. signed…missing my chevy
After several weeks of great anticipation, my new 2006 Megacab 3500 4x4 Laramie had finally arrived that I had ordered from Tomeygun. My wife and I boarded a plane in Houston, TX on Sunday, November, 20th heading for the great city of St. Louis. We were very excited to visit St. Louis since neither of us had ever visited St. Louis before and to see the new truck since we had never owned a dodge…we’ve always owned chevys…make note!
Tomeygun graciously picked us up at the hotel bright an early on Monday morning and headed to the dealership getting more excited every second. We arrived at the dealership and Tomeygun had everything ready to go……. signed, sealed and delivered, we were in and out in less then a hour and feeling like we had just won the lottery. The truck was truly huge and truly beautiful.
We spent the rest of Monday site seeing in St. Louis and looked forward to heading to Louisiana early on Tuesday morning to see the family for turkey day and to put some miles on the big bad dodge.
We got on the road early Tuesday morning for the 750 mile journey to Louisiana and I had a grin on my face the whole way…. the 4 tons of Cummins beauty was purring, the wife in the back watching movies on the DVD…. life was good. I’m asking myself why did I wait so long to buy such a grand truck…. life was good.
On Friday, I decided to put the truck to work, I mean that’s why I bought the truck in the first place was to work, not just cruise down the highway. I hooked up my 20ft, 12,000lb utility trailer that I use to haul concrete rip/rap (broken pieces of concrete) that I use for a bulkhead on some river property I have and headed to a land fill where I load the concrete. Man, the Cummins is purring and I’m loving life.
I load half of the trailer, then need to move the trailer back about six feet, so I hop in the truck and put it into 4lo because the ground is very uneven and I wanted to place as little stress on the drive train as possible. I place the trans in neutral and switch the 4wheel drive indicator to 4lo-- Just like my chevy. The transfer case engages, I place the trans in reverse, and back up six feet. Man, the Cummins just idles back, it appears much easier then my chevy ever did…. I’m pumped…. life is good.
I finish loading the trailer and can’t wait to head down the road and see how this 4 ton pulling machine works. I hop in the truck, crank up the Cummins, wipe the grin off my face then place the trans in drive so I can get to some level ground before I take the transfer case out of 4lo. I give the go peddle a little juice and nothing…I’m not moving. I look around in somewhat disbelief that I must have done something wrong…I make sure the truck is in drive, which it is, then give the go peddle a push……nothing…. I’m not moving!!!!!
I look down at the 4wheel drive indicator switch and notice that the N is lit on the 4wheeldrive indicator signifying that the transfer case is in neutral. I’m like neutral…. . who the hell put it in neutral…. I just had it in 4lo because I backed up six feet!! I then proceed to get the owners manual out thinking that I may have missed something even though I’ve been driving 4x4 for more then 15 years, I may have missed something. Well after reading the manual for more then an hour I come to the conclusion that the transfer case is in neutral!!!!
I’m also clueless on how the freakin transfer case got into neutral in the first place because after reading the manual it’s easier to suck mud through a straw then to put the transfer case into neutral…. . stop the engine…. press the brake peddle…. . get something pointed to stick into the freakin tiny hole…. wait 4 seconds…lights will blink the earth will shake…yada…yada…. yada. I only put the SOB in 4lo.
So at this point, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere with several tons of concrete strapped to a 4 ton, $54,000, 5 day old truck that can’t move itself an inch to save it’s freakin life!!! I figure the best placed to start to try and resolve this situation is to contact Tomeygun.
I give Tomeygun a call and explain the situation to him and he tells me the service department is closed but that he will try and see what he can find out and will give me a call back. He tells me to try and disconnect the batteries so the computer can reset itself. Then he calls me back in about 30 minutes and tells me he’s got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that DC has issued some kind of recall, service bulletin whatever you want to call it, which states that the transfer case can inadvertently switch to neutral and that a “Flash”, the good news, will fix the problem.
I’m like a “Flash”……. . I’m in the middle of freakin nowhere and I can’t much less flash myself much less have DC do it!!!!!! Tomeygun suggest I contact the local dodge dealership for assistance. I manage to find the number to the local dodge dealership and explain to the service manager the situation. He tells me that he is short handed because of turkey day and that he can take a look at on Monday!! I’m like dude, I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere, I’ve got several tons of concrete loaded on a trailer hooked up to a 4 ton, $54,000, 5 day old truck and I’ve got to be 250 miles away in Houston on Monday for work……. can you please try and help me out!!!!!!! He finally understands the situation and says he will send a tech over to take a look at the truck…. . I’m like thanks I really appreciate it.
Two hours later this tech dude shows up the star tool and starts flashing and flashing and flashing…I’m like hey. . making any progress????? An hour later he tells me that he is going to have to go back to the shop and get…. guess what……a freakin flash he does not have…. . I’m like you got to be kidding me!!!!!!
ANother 2 hours later……. . the service manager shows up in his personal car and tells that he has a wrecker coming to pick up the truck that apparently the motor on the transfer case that switches between 2lo, 2hi etc is burnt……I’m like burnt……. the ********** is only 5 days old…. . you mean to tell me that sh** on this truck only lasts 5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say at this point I’m about to come unglued!!!!!! I then call my friend to come and get me and the loaded trailer with his 1 ton ford.
You guessed it……2 hours later the wrecker shows up ( a ford) and the driver says, man that’s a big truck and it has a Cummins, I hear that that is a great motor. I say, yea man, it’s a great motor, it powered the AC the whole time I’ve been stranded on the side of the freakin road…I don’t know what I would have done without it!!!!!!!!! At this point my friend shows up in his ford and the wrecker driver asks me where I want him to bring the truck…I say I don’t give a **** where you bring it, I’m going home!!!!!
Now, I know some of you will say,,,,you still own the truck. Yes, unfortunately your right, I still do own it and at this point hoping someone will steal, burn or whatever to this pile of junk!!!!!!!!!!
So now I’m in Houston, the truck is 250 miles away in Louisiana, and I don’t know what my options are. Can I give this thing back to DC? Will DC cover my costs getting back to Houston? Will DC cover my costs getting to work each day? Will DC bring my truck to Houston once it’s fixed, or do they think I’m going to drive another 500 mile trip back to Louisiana to pick it up?
Now, I know some of you will say, I driven my dodge 1 million miles, hauled cargo from here to BFE without any problems…. . and all I can say is that I wish it were me!!!!!
Thanks for listening…I almost feel better!! If anyone has any suggestions on how to resolve this situation I’m listening…………. signed…missing my chevy
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