Tell me about your new 1-ton rigs

benmack1

benmack1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Location
USA
I've been thinking about getting a used F350 or Dodge/Chev 3500 version to haul my junk to the trails but the more I look the more I am thinking about taking the plunge to get a new one. Honestly, I am not sure what I'll do yet used vs. new. I was going to wait until I retired to do this, but my current truck is only an F150 and getting some years on it. My wife and I have been talking this over and maybe now is the time to do it up right. We plan to get a 5th wheel trailer and do some traveling while the kids are still young enough to enjoy it. For dragging stuff to URE and around NC I am not too worried about a used rig but if we pack up and head west on vacation, i don't want to worry about reliability with the family is my thinking. So......

Maybe I am just dreaming and having a mid-life crisis, but whatever - Tell me about the good and bad of the new stuff. I've done my homework on the older rigs (staying clear of the mid-2000 fords, dodge VP and block 53 stuff etc etc), but I haven't read squat on the brand new configurations of any of these rigs. Any problems known about the Ford, Dodge or Chevy rigs? Just to be clear - I am talking the 1-ton models, dually rear end, diesel, 4x4, auto trans as a first intent but of course any personal experience with other trucks that would have the similar drivetrain - motor/trans/etc would be appreciated.
 
Love my new dodge 3500 drw. I got it loaded with all the bells and whistles that I wish I had in my 07. I haven't towed heavy with it yet so I can't tell you how it pulls compared to my 07. I have towed 24k+ several times with my 07 and other than stopping it handled it great. An exhaust brake would have made a world of difference with those weights. I can tell you I like the new dodge interior the best of the big 3. I deleted my 12 before it turned over 1000 miles and love it even more now. That being said I would still buy another 3rd gen. I just turned 88k on mine the other day and it hasnt given me an ounce of trouble that I didn't cause beating on it. I don't have any experience with the duramax but I drive my brother in laws 08 f250 with the 6.4 alot and am not impressed with the comfort of the seats or the power in comparison to either of my trucks. Don't get me wrong the 6.4 makes good power but if I drive it all day and get in either of my trucks I can feel a difference. And his truck is deleted also. This is his second 6.4 the first one he bought new and kept for 40k miles before selling and never had a problem out of it. His new one he just picked up used and it has 185k miles and is was all stock until I put the deletes on for him after it broke down in middle of highway with dpf iissues. These are my observations, experiences, and opinions YMMV.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
Love my new dodge 3500 drw. I got it loaded with all the bells and whistles that I wish I had in my 07. I haven't towed heavy with it yet so I can't tell you how it pulls compared to my 07. I have towed 24k+ several times with my 07 and other than stopping it handled it great. An exhaust brake would have made a world of difference with those weights. I can tell you I like the new dodge interior the best of the big 3. I deleted my 12 before it turned over 1000 miles and love it even more now. That being said I would still buy another 3rd gen. I just turned 88k on mine the other day and it hasnt given me an ounce of trouble that I didn't cause beating on it. I don't have any experience with the duramax but I drive my brother in laws 08 f250 with the 6.4 alot and am not impressed with the comfort of the seats or the power in comparison to either of my trucks. Don't get me wrong the 6.4 makes good power but if I drive it all day and get in either of my trucks I can feel a difference. And his truck is deleted also. This is his second 6.4 the first one he bought new and kept for 40k miles before selling and never had a problem out of it. His new one he just picked up used and it has 185k miles and is was all stock until I put the deletes on for him after it broke down in middle of highway with dpf iissues. These are my observations, experiences, and opinions YMMV.
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Sorry for this stupid question but what do you mean when you say 'deleted my 12' and 'his truck is deleted'? I assume this has to do with tuning but can you elaborate a bit?
 
Its means removing the egr and dpf. It voids the warranty but im not worried about that.
 
Also a federal felony. Don't forget that part.
 
I'll chime in with my thoughts, but this is all just opinions.
I've been in the market for the same. I've driven all three at the highest trim levels multiple times and differnt dealerships.

Power the new Ford Scorpion diesels are in a class by themselves. (for those that don't know me, I work for cummins and have for a decade now) I am skeptical about the long term stability of the scorpion because of its data sheet numbers to be honest. But seat of the pants in a new truck it will amaze you.

The Chevys have the best ride to me and it isn't real close. That said they are off my list BECAUSE of the ifs, which is what gives it that good ride.

What's shocked me was the fit and finish on the new dodges. For years dodge to me has been "great motor shitty box" ...gotta be honest driving all three I'm not sure that dodge doesn't have the slickest interior now. I just hope it stands the test of time.


Really you can't go wrong with any of them, they are new and have a warranty.

I just can't get to the part where I pay 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS for a truck. My first house didn't cost that much.

I'm seriously considering it. And I CAN afford it...it's just the step back and think of it that's killing me. As I told my buddy last night. My 07 is paid for. I can buy and replace the 6.0 if it ever gives me trouble ten times for the price of a new truck. So...my advice?

Don't really have any. Them new trucks sure are purty and ride great and makes gobs of power.....I may just be too much of a tight ass.
 
Ron said:
I'll chime in with my thoughts, but this is all just opinions.
I've been in the market for the same. I've driven all three at the highest trim levels multiple times and differnt dealerships.

Power the new Ford Scorpion diesels are in a class by themselves. (for those that don't know me, I work for cummins and have for a decade now) I am skeptical about the long term stability of the scorpion because of its data sheet numbers to be honest. But seat of the pants in a new truck it will amaze you.

The Chevys have the best ride to me and it isn't real close. That said they are off my list BECAUSE of the ifs, which is what gives it that good ride.

What's shocked me was the fit and finish on the new dodges. For years dodge to me has been "great motor shitty box" ...gotta be honest driving all three I'm not sure that dodge doesn't have the slickest interior now. I just hope it stands the test of time.


Really you can't go wrong with any of them, they are new and have a warranty.

I just can't get to the part where I pay 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS for a truck. My first house didn't cost that much.

I'm seriously considering it. And I CAN afford it...it's just the step back and think of it that's killing me. As I told my buddy last night. My 07 is paid for. I can buy and replace the 6.0 if it ever gives me trouble ten times for the price of a new truck. So...my advice?

Don't really have any. Them new trucks sure are purty and ride great and makes gobs of power.....I may just be too much of a tight ass.
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I totally hear you on the price thing. Sounds like I may be in the same boat as you. I could do this, but not sure I want to do this. I also worry if I got a new one, I'd not want to actually use it for worry of scratching it. I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Helps me organize my own thoughts.
 
Here's my thoughts on this -

After trying to tow with older rigs for years (1/2 tons, 3/4 ton w/big block, 1 ton chevy 6.2 diesel = junk, , 3/4 ton 1st gen dodge cummins), I decided to upgrade to something better. I figured I might as well try to find a newer dually. I knew I didn't want to fork out the $50K for a brand new truck so I started looking at used ones. I looked for a pretty good while and almost bought an 08 F-450. Nice looking truck with plenty of power but it sold before I could make a deal, so I kept looking. I ended up finding an 06 Duramax 3500 for less than a 1/3 of the price of a new one. It has all the bells and whistles, very comfortable ride, more power than I ever imagined, and I am very happy with it. It tows my Jeep with no problems at all. It also tows a 38 ft. fifth wheel camper very nicely. It has a few very small dings and scratches, not bad, but I'm not too worried if I put another scratch on it.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the big 3, they all make good trucks and they all have plenty of power. If you got the money and don't mind paying over $50K for it, get a brand new one. However, there are plenty of nice used ones out there for a lot less money. I would also say that I am glad I went ahead and got a crew cab dually. It is probably more truck than I need in most situations, but it is there when I need it. I wish I would have had a truck like this years ago, it makes towing anything so much better.
 
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tlucier said:
You're more then welcome to take mine for a drive if you want. '08 Ram 3500 dually, auto, 4x4, Cummins 6.7l.
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Thanks Tom. You're sort of the problem here. I rode in yours now I gotta have one. Dammit, you're gonna cost me a fortune here!!!!:mad:
 
If you are looking for brand new vehicles, Ram changed a lot of things for the 13 year, and GM is supposed to for the 14 year so I hear. Just something to keep in mind.

Duane
 
There's always the optin of building a truck to suit you, but that's just my take. I like Chevy trucks and want a Cummins, so I made one :D

Other than that....I suggest that if you don't NEED a dually then don't get one. Otherwise, that's just two extra tires to buy, a little more fuel to burn, and more weight to haul around. They can be a pain to keep the tires rotated on too. Not to mention that one time you forget about those rear fenders being stuck out there!

That being said, I've always wanted one and if you get one I'll be a little jealous.

Are you gunna go 4x4? I don't think I could own a diesel truck that wasn't. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to back up and had to get out and lock a hub...even on 38s! My truck is so damn nose heavy.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
There's always the optin of building a truck to suit you, but that's just my take. I like Chevy trucks and want a Cummins, so I made one :D

Other than that....I suggest that if you don't NEED a dually then don't get one. Otherwise, that's just two extra tires to buy, a little more fuel to burn, and more weight to haul around. They can be a pain to keep the tires rotated on too. Not to mention that one time you forget about those rear fenders being stuck out there!

That being said, I've always wanted one and if you get one I'll be a little jealous.

Are you gunna go 4x4? I don't think I could own a diesel truck that wasn't. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to back up and had to get out and lock a hub...even on 38s! My truck is so damn nose heavy.
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Definitely yes on the 4x4. I am settling in on 4 full door, DRW, 4x4 as a minimal requirement. Now trying to determine new vs. used. I think just finding the right used one in a reasonable amount of time for the right price will be the deciding factor.
 
I saw that too, pretty nice truck!
 
They're a dealer in NC that's selling new 2012 leftover dodge dually's for decent prices. They still have full warranty's and the 2012's didn't have the diesel exhaust fluid. Just don't buy the navy blue one cause that's the one I want lol
 
***on eBay forgot that part
 
Probably kernersville Chrysler jeep dodge. They have tons of trucks like 100+
 
So the 6.0 Fords were a disaster - any common problems on the 6.4 or 6.7 Ford diesels. I haven't seen anything obvious but wanted to ask the crowd.
 
At work,back in 08,we decided to get 2 new crew cab work trucks.This was our first time stepping off in the wonderfull world of small truck diesels.After much research and pricing,my truck which is a 08 GMC Durramax/Alison came in cheapest so I got it.Two months later,a comparable 08 F350 with the 6.4 was picked up for the other foreman.The prices had changed and it was the cheapest.Out of the 2 trucks,the Ford has had the most issues with turbo/plumbing problems being most prevalent.Cab off if any work has to be done on it.My GMC is a man and handily out performs the Ford on pulling our equipment.I want to make it grunt on a pull but haven't yet.The turbo lag on the Ford will hit you hard when turning left across traffic.The only issue with mine has been rear tire wear from the axle locking up on turns to the left.
 
A friend has a 12 Dodge Laramie quad 1/2 ton 5.9 gas, w all the options. Rode to Columbia S.C. last week for 2 days of surveying property lines in some nasty thick woods. The seats are VERY comfortable and his were factory heated and cooled. The seats cooling effect on my ass/back was awesome when we jumped in the truck to cool off in the AC on those hot afternoons.
 
benmack1 said:
So the 6.0 Fords were a disaster - any common problems on the 6.4 or 6.7 Ford diesels. I haven't seen anything obvious but wanted to ask the crowd.
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The 6.4 is essentially a 6.0 with a dpF and a second turbo.

The heads have the same too few bolts.

I don't think the 6.0 is the disaster you do, but if you are scared of the 6.0 RUN from the 6.4
 
All of them are going to have issues down the road and some initially. Its mechanical, its going to wear out and break eventually.

I'm with Ron on this as well. I'm in the market for a new truck to replace my 6.0. I want a new one but I absolutely refuse to pay $50k for a truck. So, I'm stuck considering used. I'm mostly a Ford guy. The GM rigs I've driven in the past have left me stranded more than I care to count. Never owned a dodge, so I can't comment on those too much other than I like the newer ones a lot.


I'll argue the 6.0 is NOT a disaster. I've had a couple and have one currently. I've completely neglected it and it still keeps going. Yes, I just put 2 injectors in it and an EGR vavle, but thats it with nearly 300k miles on it.

Many of the 6.4 issues seem to be dealer related and throwing parts at an issue rather than actually fixing the problem (from what I've read). Like any engine, a couple upgrades to the problem areas, regardless of what engine you get, will get you a reliable truck. Or, buy a "disaster" 6.0 for cheap and run the crap out of it without issues. Use the $ saved on something cool for yourself or kids :)
 
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