Community Forums

jjackrash · 02-26-2019, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhagfo

Sorry your are intimidated by the size of your crew cab long bed.
I think your issue is you don’t drive it enough. My Ram 2500 was a daily drive, and there wasn’t a place I would not go with it. Drove it like a compact.

If you try the underground garage under Columbia Center in Seattle you might find you need a big metal chop saw or a big excavator to get it out.

sam-3 · 02-26-2019, 11:31 PM

This is our second F250. It is higher than our previous truck. Parking garages are a no no as we are too tall. This is our only vehicle. I drove our old truck and never smashed it up. Seemed to have a perception problem with parking and pulling far enough ahead in a parking space. Use your mirrors and slowly park. Hard to fit in a regular parking space as the door can't be fully opened. Due to RX I don;t drive our new to us F250. Love being up higher when we do drive. Just fold in the mirrors when parking.

consolenut · 02-27-2019, 05:28 AM

i drive a C4500 Topkick everyday. i get in and out of Tulsa ir Oklahoma City all the time. my turning radius is alot smaller then a 250, 350 etc. Back in and stay out of parking garages and drive thrus at the bank

Freqz · 02-27-2019, 06:30 AM

I dive my F350 DRW everywhere. It’s really not a problem— I’ve even parked in a parking garage here and there in a pinch. If the hips won’t fit in the parking spot your door won’t open anyway.

I’ve only gone through the drive through with it a time or two since but that’s something I generally don’t do.

Learn to back in.

I’d prefer the turning radius of the 450 but that’s a lot of extra dollars in out the door price.

Wileykid · 02-27-2019, 07:01 AM

Can't address the width part, as I don't have a dually, but as far as height, I generally avoid parking garages. A good number of them are 7', with some even less. My truck, stock, is 6'6", and leaving only 6" clearance is to close for me. Put a speed bump in there, and nah. If the clearance is more, than I have no problems using a parking garage.

I usually park in the back 40, only for the reason I don't like dealing with the amount of traffic that has to have that front spot. I park in the back even with a car.

Rhagfo · 02-27-2019, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freqz

I dive my F350 DRW everywhere. It’s really not a problem— I’ve even parked in a parking garage here and there in a pinch. If the hips won’t fit in the parking spot your door won’t open anyway.

I’ve only gone through the drive through with it a time or two since but that’s something I generally don’t do.

Learn to back in.

I’d prefer the turning radius of the 450 but that’s a lot of extra dollars in out the door price.

Well this is part of it, our 2016 Ram DRW is our only vehicle as full timers. The more you drive a bigger truck the smaller it gets.
It is also much easier to back in to parking spots than to dive in. It is also more considerate to the cars next to you as the "HIPS" are less likely to block their doors.

The biggest issue is height, know how tall you are, don't go where it is too low.
As stated before you will walk a bit further is some lots, and there might be a parking garage you can't use. We use a very tight bank drive through, that requires a slight adjustment on both 90 degree turns.
When driving on streets and bridges just keep centered in your lane.

Scared the heck out of a salesman on a test drive. Went over a bridge where the rail is about 2" past the edge of the road, I was likely 6" to 1' off the rail. I will add KNOW where your hips are when centered in the traffic lane, that last thing to do and I DON"T do is look in a mirror (side View) while passing other traffic. If you are both in your lane you will miss it, if you look in the mirror you might drift that direction.

As your only vehicle you will get use to it, and it will no longer be an issue.

grindstone01 · 02-27-2019, 11:01 AM

Parking garages will have a yellow/black plastic clearance pipe hanging across the entrance. If you clear the pipe, you will be good to go into the garage. My DRW Chevy will stick out of most garage parking spaces, so I look for a corner or end spot.

aknavy · 02-27-2019, 12:17 PM

Depends on the area you're in. If you're in bigger/older cities, it can be a pain to get around and park. Parking garages, even if tall enough for you, suck. Back into parking spots so you can always get back out when someone parks in your way.

But the biggest drawback is no drive thru car washes! Couple that with no washing at campgrounds, and mine is usually dirty.

tuffr2 · 02-27-2019, 12:21 PM

If you hit the pipe going into a parking garage it will smash your clearance lights and cause a leak. It will also cause roof damage. I never tried it nor thought about trying it.

I had a 2012 F-450 that was easier to park than my newer F-250.

I have seen dually trucks with a dent in the hip fenders. I have seen lots of tail gates dented...including mine, even with sensors and rear camera. I hit higher than the sensors and the camera is accurate. But by the time you realize it you have a dent.

My dually never got and door dings. Not sure if the running boards protected the doors or not.

Again, I liked driving it and walking is good for you.

Don_T · 02-27-2019, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

I am not intimidated by driving it, just saying that some places are too tight to effectively manage such a vehicle. Such as trying to fit a 20 ft long pickup truck into a 14 ft long parking space in a parking garage.

I have had to park in the Medical Center many times. The older garages are very difficult to get in and out of. There are, however a couple of new garages that are not a problem to get through. If you have to do it again, you can contact the location you are going to and ask about better parking.

Jshopes81 · 02-27-2019, 01:01 PM

I drive a ram 3500 cclb every day. Watch your height when going into some places, otherwise, youll get used to it. Dont plan to park in the first space, and get used to the length overflowing a parking space. Theres nothing you can do about short spaces so you either laugh about it or dont look at it.

Rhagfo · 02-27-2019, 03:15 PM

Well I just went out and measured my 2016 Ram 3500 Crew cab Long bed DRW. It is 21'-6" long and 8'-1.5" wide at the rear fender lip, it is 6' 7" to the top of the sirius antenna. So any parking garage with 7' clearance should be game.

What I see in this thread, is those that are comfortable with the large TV, and I use the term Large only for their benefit.
Then there are those of us that see our trucks as not a compact car, but not so big as to be an issue.

What I had done previously was compare our 2001 Ram 2500 to the new truck, just don't see that much difference other than the 18" difference in length. I never gave a thought to where I was going to park the 2500, never feared a parking garage, or a drive through. I still don't fear them, I will say they do get a little more respect.

Isaac-1 · 02-27-2019, 03:23 PM

The parking garage issue is not just dealing with the yellow hanging bar, but also the potential of a tight spiral exit ramp where you are within inches of clipping the front right fender as well as the drivers side running boards at the same time.

mrgrayaz · 02-27-2019, 04:08 PM

We have both a F-350 SRW, and a now (a recent addition) 2001 Nissan Pathfinder.

For around town, drive through, car washes, the grocery store, and certainly any dirt road, I will take the Pathfinder without a 2nd thought. Can you do it in a F-350/dodge/GM? Sure. Is it desirable or enjoyable? Not really....
a DRW is only worse in those respects.

Totally doable, and we did it for years, but enjoyable? eh.