I have had Fords for years too, I have a F150 crew cab FX4 with the Lariat package top of the line talk about Texas Caddilac have had no problems close the windows I hear nothing outside, and it gets it when you full throttle it, :3gears: its a great truck all the way around.
At 52+ I have owned about everything with wheels and came to the cunclusion that the BEST muscle car is a 70 stage 1 buick, the BEST race car is a factory aluminum front and door hemi plymouth, the BEST truck is dodge cummins diesel. I have been certain of my above choices for at least the past 15 years and I was pretty sure before that. TRUCKS have cats,detroits,and CUMMINS! Dodge with cummins is a truck the rest are pickups
Good advice... Having worked as a fully-certified Mechanic in a very busy shop for the last 15 years, I would say you should spend the extra money and buy a GMC or Chevy 2500 with the Duramax diesel engine. I work on a lot of troubles with the Fords and Dodges, but very, very rarely see the GMC/Chevy's in for anything but regular maintance. Plus with a couple easy mods you can get 700 hp and enough torque to pull anything imaginable. :3gears: And you have the Alison tranny that is near bullet-proof....can't say that about the other brands. Pete :TU:
Dave Falley (gsdave here) has an 03 Dmax with over 100K on it already and the only thing he does is change the oil and filters every month...............
I have bought a new cummins every other year since 89. Normally we trade at 225 to 250k. Interstate miles with 40ft gooseneck. No turn ups no chips just work NEVER any trouble with the cummins. NO trans problem, but we buy only sticks. Cummins is a TRUCK engine . I would agree that dodge probably does not have the best pickup, but I feel they have the best Truck when equipped with the cummins.
And just for the record ....the D MAX is a "Truck" Engine, it was taken from Izusu's 1.5 to 2.5 ton trucks........ then modified to make over 500 lbs of reliable torque. I only have 32K on my 02 and I have no problems pulling away from anything else on the road. I have a stick also. Pulling 23,000 lbs back on a 3 car trailor from Houston TX at over 80mph I still got over 10 mpg and only pulled it down a gear 2 times in 12 hours of driving, the rest of the time it was on cruise control. Most of my race buddies wont keep up once we get on the highway, (well gsdave has no problems)
Im not sold on the Dura max.... We use them a company trucks, 2500HD with later racks and full utility box, and atleast a third have had engine/tranny issues... We hav about 75 to a 100 in the San Diego area... But I cant wait to get mine :laugh: Michael
Anyone had a look at the new Honda ridgeline? Maybe they put in alot of effort to get in on the market?
As you all can tell, truck owners are some of the most loyall buyers around. Most buy one particular brand and stick with that same brand forever. I love it when I hear a Dodge, GM or Ford truck owner talk about another truck as if it's a piece of junk, knowing that person has probably never even owned one (I'm not picking on anyone here, I do the same thing myself). I have owned 2 Super Duties, both were Power Strokes and now own a GMC with a DuraMax. I can honestly say that I never had any problems with any of them. I have good friends how own Dodge trucks with the Cummins engine as well, again none of these people that I know have ever had any issues with there trucks. BTW leo455, all GM, Ford and some Dodge trucks are built in the states. Toyota Tundras are now being built in Mexico as well as Indiana.
I had 3 brand new fords in a row before I went GM the first one was a powersmoke It blew up by 7000 miles and ford ended up buying that one back. The second another powersmoke lasted about 8000 miles but was in the shop 14 times, it spent more time in the shop than I got to drive it. So I replaced it with a gas 460 but it had so many brake problems I finally got rid of it at 18,000 miles for an older GMC 454 dually that I drove for over 7 years and did nothing to it till it had 140K on it. I upgraded to the Dmax only after I researched that model to see what problems they have. Also I found the main problems with most people and Dmax trucks is that they dont get fuel always from a well traveled area (sometimes) and the fuel filters get clogged and they dont change them often enough so it cloggs the injectors once the filter goes to bypass mode. I see that at our dealership alot now.
I have (2) 2500 HD Chebbies. Lots of towing capacity, but the brakes suck. Have to replace pads and rotors every 24 months/24000 miles. 6.0L has great power. Friend just bought a new 250 Super Duty 4 weeks ago. Has been in the shop for 3 weeks now. It quit running and they can't get it started. Have replaced fuel system, computers, everything electrical to no avail.
Some GM trucks are built in Oshawa, Canada. http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/021210.htm Up until 2004, F-150s were made in Ontario, Canada. http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/112_news040701_heritage/ Seemed like you were trying to paint Toyota as un-American, when just like every other auto maker they have a global prescence.
While driving my GS conv(live in FL) around the last few days, I have had the pleasure??? to stop at a light and have the Dodge w/Cummins diesel next to me and a new Duramax on the other side at the same light. You could not even hear the Duramax because the Cummins was making so much noise. When the light changed, I left and the Duramax was right next to me as we headed to the next light, you can not even tell the Duramax is a diesel. I do remember reading when GM went into partnership with Isuzu heavy trucks for the Duramax development that noise was one issue that was going to be a design parameter. All I can say about the designers is job well done! If you plan on towing or heavy hauling and plan to keep the truck, get a diesel, they are much more efficient and will last 2-3 times longer than a gas engine. Contact Jim Haas, Buick528 here, in Miami. He owns Diesel Power and Injection and can give you all the info you want on the three diesel engines.
BamaWildcat: I was'nt trying to paint the Tundra as un-American. I'm sure it's a good truck. I was'nt aware that GM still had a truck plant in Canada, but none-the-less, I'd much rather buy a vehicle that was built in Canada than Mexico IMHO. Mike: It sounds like you've had some bad luck with the Ford's and I don't blame you for switching over. I race with a guy who is a GM tech and he told me the same thing about the fuel filters getting glogged up. I think he mentioned something about the EGR could get clogged up too. Oh well, no problems with me yet :grin:
Ford 3/4 ton or 1 ton.... I can tell ya from a guys perspectives who sprayed herbicide off these kinda trucks.Even though I own a 00 chevy 1 ton I will fully endorse Ford Trucks ,the 3/4 std cab even with the 5.4 could take the worst beating I could give em,and I did a run up a red clay mtn. access rd ( can you say switchbacks)with rain comin down, and I beat it like a redheaded stepchild,it got me up without complainin a bit. I got plenty other stories,but all I can say is theyre really built tough,the trannies on the Dodges were always sick and the chevys start makin racket in the front end after 20k miles.I havent driven a Duramax yet so I cant say one way or another but the older 6.5s were absolute dogs compared to any Powerstroke.well thats my 2 cents worth..fish
I am generally a gm guy . When I went to buy a new dually at the time in my area I couldnt find a duramax. This was at a time when they were having trans issues so I am kinda glad I couldnt find one . I went to the first Ford house I could find and although they didnt have one on the lot like I wanted they ran a report and had one driven from West Virginia in 24 hours and I drove away in it . The GM is definitly the quietest, the dodge is the loudest, but after sitting in all three the ford was the biggest inside . My race operation takes at least three people to run so a big cab was important . As my 7.3 has broken in and with it chipped ,unloaded I have gotten as good as 17 mpg.Fully loaded I am getting 12. That is a crew cab dually that tows my 44 foot goose with the race car , golf cart, big snap on box, and all my equipment like its not even there. I remember the weights there when I have to stop but thats to be expected. Its still a "passanger truck". Next move for me is to move to a toterhome and a stacker trailer-- at least its got a "real" truck motor,tires,and brakes. I think anyone can have bad experiences with any make but I think you can find more who have excellent experience with any particular make . Just pick the one you feel comfortable with and go for it. I wish the best of luck. George in DC
Depends on what you have for the truck 4x4 eats fuel Daves 3/4 ton 4x4 gets about 17 mpg @ 80+ When we went to wisconcin we had a car on the trailor and ran 85+ all the way there and got about 14 mpg pulling a 69 GS 400 on the trailor. My dually gets 17-18 mpg with or without a trailor on the highway empty and the big red trailor (enclosed) I average 12-14 at 80mph I have heard of several that get in the 20's with no load. Drive it nicer and it will do better....
