Looking for suggestions on a Tow Vehicle

[drdarrin]

Darn! I screwed up and bought the 4x4.


The trailer has since been replaced but it was a pleasure to tow thru the National Parks in southern Utah this summer. I absolutely love that exhaust brake.

[Dasmoeturhead]

Originally Posted by drdarrin

Darn! I screwed up and bought the 4x4.


The trailer has since been replaced but it was a pleasure to tow thru the National Parks in southern Utah this summer. I absolutely love that exhaust brake.

No you didn't screw up. 4wd comes in handy.

[Dasmoeturhead]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

I spent 12 years driving I80 across Wyoming from SLC to Cheyenne. One way everyweek, 440 miles of the same thing over and over. So, I started playing a game. I noticed alot of rv haulers towing new rvs to dealers. About 80% of these pro haulers used Dodge 1 ton dually 2 wheel drive 4door longbed, with black steel wheels. Few used any 4wd. The other 20% was split about evenly between Ford and Chev, but again, most were 2wd dually. Dang few 4dr shortbed 4wd mom trucks.

Mom's truck. Get a life.

[SeabeckS]

Originally Posted by Dasmoeturhead

Mom's truck. Get a life.

+1,

[Cummins12V98]

"I did just have a valve body replaced in my Aisin transmission at 31,000 miles :-("

I have heard of two others they had a casting defect and they just replaced the whole trans. I think those were on 13's.

Symptoms?

[Cummins12V98]

Originally Posted by drdarrin

Darn! I screwed up and bought the 4x4.


The trailer has since been replaced but it was a pleasure to tow thru the National Parks in southern Utah this summer. I absolutely love that exhaust brake.

NICE!!!

You better put some bricks in the bed so that Cummins can earn it's keep.

[Dasmoeturhead]

Originally Posted by Cummins12V98

"I did just have a valve body replaced in my Aisin transmission at 31,000 miles :-("

I have heard of two others they had a casting defect and they just replaced the whole trans. I think those were on 13's.

Symptoms?

In freezing weather, or or below, the Trans won't shift out of 2nd gear. Manual shift button stays in drive. Even after the truck is warned up good. There was no rhyme or reason when it would decide to start working again . Usually after 1-2 hours it would start working again. Mil light would stay on, until you cycled the key from off to start several times, then it would clear. I pulled a code, and it was a shift solenoid high voltage. Dealer couldn't figure it out, so Ram told them to replace the entire valve body. I will say the Trans works better now. No more slop when in town and also sounds a lot better when shifting from drive to reverse (no clunking). Still haven't checked to see if it works in the morning on start up, and in freezing weather. Aybe tomorrow, it's going to be 27 degree F

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by Dasmoeturhead

Mom's truck. Get a life.

X2

That came from someone driving a Cheetah

Sorry for dissin ya TonyMac.
The reason those guys drive those long box 2WD Rams is because they are simple raw power. They are purposed for hauling on the highway and must be set up to haul anything of any size. They aren't used for luxury.

We use our trucks for more than that.

My 2015 Ram 3500 Laramie SB SRW is a luxurious ride. Far nicer and more comfortable than any of the coaches I had and my Monaco Dynasty's and Beaver Patriots were pretty nice coaches.
Having a 4x4 lets me do more than run on the highway. Having a SRW SB lets me keep it in my garage.

These "Towing Beasts" are FAR from a Mom's truck!

[TonyMac]

Yeah, my appologies for the Mom Truck comment. It's something I heard from my oil field buddies, a crude but fun lot. Alot of those shorter trucks are pretty great trucks. My point was a vast majority of the pros drive Dodges, from my extensive observations. Especially here in the mountian west, 4x4 comes in handy, and it's all I have, but again, observations have proven to me that the guys who do this for a living drive 2wd drw longbeds by a wide margin.

[runsdeep]

To the OP if your still looking there you have it!, sounds like from the dodge owners you need to go get one. Do your homework and find the truck that's right for you. BTW just ran from north Mi. to so. Fla & new GM & Fords trucks out numbered rams pulling big trailers,, we was watching all up down I-75. Must be a logistics thing...BTW I like my moms 4x4 short box crew.

[SeabeckS]

My daughter's Mom really enjoys our short box, crew cab F-350. But then, as a teen she operated heavy equipment ( D6 Cat, road grader) for her dad. Drove 66 passenger school buses in high school and college for pocket money. The 350 is a good fit...lol.

[SDCOToyhaul]

I guess about the only thing I could add (if considering a Ram gasser) would be to get the lower 4.10 gearing. Probably would have to be a special order but I personally think it would be worth the few $ extra cost and month wait time. In diesel, towing 10k, the standard 3.43 gear will do just fine.

[IronCobra]

Just drive them all. RAM will probably discount a $75k truck to $15k ($30k RAM incentive and $30k dealer incentive) to get rid of it. Then drive a Super Duty....and you'll buy one.

If you like to poke your dash all day and say "ah that's squishy" then buy a RAM (don't poke too hard or you'll crack it). If you want to actually drive a truck that can do some real work, buy a Super Duty....

Regardless of what any pro RAM posters say, they know that Super Dutys greatly outnumber RAMs and GM trucks in all lines of business and government. Down here it's 10-2 Ford vs RAM in the oilfield. 10-1 in Public Sector. 10-3 in Private Ambulance fleets.

Now, I'm done bashing..

Drive them all, get the one you like the most.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by IronCobra

Just drive them all. RAM will probably discount a $75k truck to $15k ($30k RAM incentive and $30k dealer incentive) to get rid of it. Then drive a Super Duty....and you'll buy one.

If you like to poke your dash all day and say "ah that's squishy" then buy a RAM (don't poke too hard or you'll crack it). If you want to actually drive a truck that can do some real work, buy a Super Duty....

Regardless of what any pro RAM posters say, they know that Super Dutys greatly outnumber RAMs and GM trucks in all lines of business and government. Down here it's 10-2 Ford vs RAM in the oilfield. 10-1 in Public Sector. 10-3 in Private Ambulance fleets.

Now, I'm done bashing..

Drive them all, get the one you like the most.

The reason there are more Fords is they are cheap to buy and throw away! LOL