Age old debate, which truck & motor

[jcmseven]

JB,

I believe our OP had seemingly been thinking of smaller trucks, though he was entertaining larger ones also. Your point is well taken, those are very nice trucks. I really like the Cummins engine.

John M

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Well the brand discussion was inevetable. If you guys are reading my first post you should be able to give the constructive advise solicited here. I already own a diesel ford truck. I'm happy with it, I have an new baby on the way. It seems time for a crew cab for the new addition(this will be my second in under 18 months). I was contemplating a gas option and looking for relevant experiances. But I mostlikly will end up diesel again since I know I'll ultimatly end up disappointed after owning diesel. I like to look and overall fit and finish of ford. That said, I realize that gm and dodge have some advantages over for in the drivetrain. I was looking for some real world expericance with the other brands and the 6.4 I really wasn't impressed with the dodge appearance. I do like the gmc offering from before 08. Not real impressed with the body styling. The front end on the gm is the a gift and weakness. The ride is superior but not as hd(I'm sure builder will disagree).

Matt

 

[gemini5362]

I wont get into specifics of the brand war game. If you are looking for a 2007 duramax it should be a 2007 classic those are basically still the 2006 body style and 2006 engine and transmission just in a 2007 model year. That is the last duramax that I am aware of without the extensive exhaust emission controls.

6ft bed versus 8 ft bed. I still have my old 1985 srw F-350 crew cab. I never drive it any more but I have it in case I want to do something that is going to be hazardous to the paint job. When I drove it on a regular basis you could forget anything that had a drive through. I could not make it through a Mcdonalds drive through because most of them have a curve that the truck was too long to get around. Same in a lot of banks etc. Now I have a 6 foot bed. I can make it through the drive through window approach area. I can even get a big mac if i am in the mood. The 8 foot bed is a LITTLE bit more convenient. I figured when i bought it that with the price of a new fully loaded silverado ( about 50,000 on the sticker closer to 40,000 in reality) I would not want to load a bunch of stuff that is going to mess up the bed on it. I figured I would use my trailer for those items. After owning my truck for a couple of years I have found my reasoning to be pretty accurate. If I am going someplace that i might be going to haul something big I just take my 16 foot trailer. I have found that the convenience of having the shorter bed is a lot handier in my situation. Another poster mentioned parking here the shorter bed is a lot handier. Twice now I have parked in a parking lot and came out to find someone had cut there wheels too short as they were pulling out and hit my truck bending in the rear fender right behind the wheel. I know that they would hit an 8 foot bed there also but that would be just that much more metal to fix.

 

[JB4310]

Well the brand discussion was inevetable. If you guys are reading my first post you should be able to give the constructive advise solicited here.
Matt

Yeah sorry, I had this thread mixed up with the one where the guy was pulling a heavy trailer load.
So you need a bed and a 4 door. Dodge does not offer that Aisin tranny in pick ups unfortunately.

Just based on looks alone I think Ford wins, I was trying to find a picture someone put up recently on a thread here of a bright red superduty, the thing was the beautiful, nicest looking truck I've seen, was gonna say I wished I could have my drive-train in that truck.
When Dodge came out with the rounded front body style back in 94? everyone went crazy for it and IMO Ford caught on and came out with there own version of it, which I think is an Improvement.

Unfortunately I could not make such a major decision on looks alone (almost could) since my livelihood depends on that decision.

If alot of your expected use for your new truck will be family use (new, little babies) then you should probably go for that superior ride of the GM. The truck is a little smaller all around, (that's what I don't like about GM) but should be more compatible to family life, and it can still be a serious work truck as many will tell you.

JB.

 

[tractorman99]

If you are happy current truck than I would keep it Because it has Low miles for a diesel. But if want the new truck smell then now is the time to buy.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Very good point. It would take a lot of arm twisting to get me to change my mind and the 2 times it happened I was disappointed. Get what you like. That is why there is different brands with different mind sets on building trucks.

On that note you should really also consider a SRW F-350. A lot more truck for about $600 more. There I am telling you what to buy.

Chris

Well you may be tell me what to buy, but do you think i will listen TO YOU.____for just $600 and a lot more truck.__YES

I hadn't really checked them out, but i will because when paying over $40000 for a truck, want does $600 mean when you can get a lot more truck.

I had my F-150 with auto tran. when i bought that F-250 and i let a salesman talk me into a manual shift, and i have a left wrist that doesn't bend and I've had 3 major surgeries and another one being discussed, but that truck was a mistake for me.

I know that it would really hurt me, but they can try and twist my arm to buy something else but it won't happen, my arm may twist but my wrist won't budge.

Bill

It's kinda hard to have this discussion with out biased opinion, even though OP hoped it wouldn't become a "brand war"
Luckily folks here on TBN are extraordinarily civil towards each other.

I will say again, if you don't need a pick-up bed, look into the Dodge cab/chassis, it just came out 2 years ago and with dismal economy and commercial truck sales in the dumps, most people know nothing about them.

It's got the 6.7 Cummins (nuff said?) and a new "to die for" 6 speed tranny (AISIN) yes it's Japanese, but once you get over that it's supposed to make Alison look like a toy. Now I know that will ruffle some feathers and I'm not a gear-head so I don't have all the specs for comparison, it's just what I've heard from those who are supposed to know.

We are all biased and when you spend $50,000.+ for something then you want to think you made the right decission, it just human nature.

JB.

JB,

My dad has been a ford man as long as i can remember, until about 5 years ago when he bought his first dodge. I thought his mind was getting bad or something, he is 65 and has owned 3 in 5 years.

But this is the reason that he went from Ford to a Dodge.

My cousin bought a dodge dealership and he gives the family a $6000
discount, my dad has tried to get me to change to a dodge but i told him i might when i get up in age a little more.
So i really don't know if he likes the dodge, or the discount, he says the truck.
But if i had a second pick, i would rather own a dodge than have a Chevrolet anytime.

Bill
________________________________________________
*I'm not referring to no one on this, just the way i see it.*


When i see a thread that turns to an argument over something, like what to buy or how to build something and etc... etc...and ETC...

Most of the time its not a person trying to start trouble, but the knowledge that person has or the experience he has whatever the discussion may be.

 

[LBrown59]

It's kinda hard to have this discussion with out biased opinion, even though OP hoped it wouldn't become a "brand war"
Luckily folks here on TBN are extraordinarily civil towards each other.

I will say again, if you don't need a pick-up bed, look into the Dodge cab/chassis, it just came out 2 years ago and with dismal economy and commercial truck sales in the dumps, most people know nothing about them.

It's got the 6.7 Cummins (nuff said?) and a new "to die for" 6 speed tranny (AISIN) yes it's Japanese, but once you get over that it's supposed to make Alison look like a toy. Now I know that will ruffle some feathers and I'm not a gear-head so I don't have all the specs for comparison, it's just what I've heard from those who are supposed to know.

We are all biased and when you spend $50,000.+ for something then you want to think you made the right decission, it just human nature.

JB.

What are these?

 

[GreenWannabe]

What are these?

Hi, LB. If you are asking what is a cab/chassis truck, it is a truck without a pickup body to which a body must be added to make it a complete vehicle. A body could be a platform with a dump hoist, for instance. If you are asking specifically what the Dodge cab/chassis is, go over to Official Dodge Site - New Autos, Trucks, Minivans, SUVs, Cars, Wagons to get all the information. If you click on their shopping tools tab, one of the options to is get a brochure, which can be mailed to you or you can download as a .pdf file. Dodge is offering the 3500, 4500, and 5500 models according to their web site, either regular cab or quad cab, 4x2 or 4x4, in a variety of wheelbases. Have fun shopping!

 

[Builder]

Well the brand discussion was inevetable. If you guys are reading my first post you should be able to give the constructive advise solicited here. I already own a diesel ford truck. I'm happy with it, I have an new baby on the way. It seems time for a crew cab for the new addition(this will be my second in under 18 months). I was contemplating a gas option and looking for relevant experiances. But I mostlikly will end up diesel again since I know I'll ultimatly end up disappointed after owning diesel. I like to look and overall fit and finish of ford. That said, I realize that gm and dodge have some advantages over for in the drivetrain. I was looking for some real world expericance with the other brands and the 6.4 I really wasn't impressed with the dodge appearance. I do like the gmc offering from before 08. Not real impressed with the body styling. The front end on the gm is the a gift and weakness. The ride is superior but not as hd(I'm sure builder will disagree).

Matt

Matt,

If you read my post carefully you will see that I did in fact point out that the Ford front end IS more heavy dtuy than the GM front end. It was pointed out here in my post:

Ford may have heavier GVWR's, but most of the extra capacity is in the front axle, not the rear axle. GM's front axle is typically rated at 5,000 lbs. Ford's is more like 6,000 lbs. That's where the bulk of their payload superiority is found.

I'm not so brand loyal that I don't admit Ford has areas of superiority.
I also agree that Ford's are better & more macho looking trucks.

 

[Builder]

Builder, I agree with most of your info. The GM drive train is a good one now in the later model year trucks. There are a few facts you do have wrong. The Ford SRW F-350 on my truck is 11,500#, not 11,200#, not a big deal but just giving this guy the facts.

Also you will argue this until you are blue in the face and so will I but the Ford Torque Shift is a 6 speed tranny. Granted it only uses 5 gears depending on outside air temp or if its in tow/haul mode. So actually Ford was the first of the Big 3 with a 6 speed. I know they only use 5 but its still a 6 speed tranny. Again just the facts as you say.

Also I do not see where you get the "Dummy Light" thing. Both my 04 and 06 have a Tach, Spedo, Oil Pres, Water Temp, Trans Temp, Fuel Gauge, and Boost Gauge. No dummy lights for these primary functions. It does have dummy lights for things like low fuel, check engine, ect. But all the other functions like Tranny Temp have a gauge. Again just the facts as you say.



Chris

Chris,

I stand partly corrected. You do have gauges, but some of them, like the tranny temp gauge, is not controlled by a sender. It is controlled by the PCM. It is a dummy gauge, not a dummy light.

What I am trying to stress is that the GM tranny guage is activated by an actual sending unit immersed in transmission fluid. The Ford guage is not, unless they changed it in the last couple years. There was much discussion on the old Ford diesel website as to how the gauge does not accurately depict transmission temperatures. It doesn't tell you the transmission is overheating until it's too late.

Here's a discussion on this very topic:

Transmission Temperature Gauge - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums