Is a dually needed?

[Diamondpilot]

That is a very nice truck. It's amazing that that they have made that much improvement in 10 years compared to my 2003 Dodge. The interior is simply beautiful.

Chris

 

[newbury]

Congrat's Drew, it sure is a beauty!

 

[daugen]

thanks guys. And for 53 grand out the door, I thought good value. a mid line model with the nicer interior.
and for sure a stronger tool than I likely need, but I like good tools.
I will likely have this truck until they cart me off to the ccc at some point.

 

[dave1949]

Looks nice! White whale LOL. Well, you could follow up on that theme to create a unique and er... unforgettable truck.

Get some artist to recreate the classic scene of Capt. Ahab lashed to Moby-Dick with harpoons and ropes and decorate the side of the truck with that.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Nice Ride...

 

[KubotainNH]

Nice rig, thanks for posting in this thread too.

 

[daugen]

thanks. Interesting, I spoke with the dealership's general manager and he said he had seen the dent in the bumper, which is really tiny, and had told his underling, the sales vp to report it to me. which never happened. He confirmed my guess, detailer got to the end and called for help, first my sales guy who then upped it to the GM who of course now says to report it to me. Sigh. Who cares at this point. I was offered a free bumper, which I declined. Just tucking that one away for some slack on additional work being done. So the dealership boss, not the big boss, has now caught his employee in a lie. Or an absurd bit of forgetfulness. He had gone over to the detail center and i wondered what was taking so long. Now I know, big powwow on what to do with my bumper. And the GM admitted it was fresh damage.

Shenanigans and tomfoolery. Caveat Emptor for sure.
What a different approach at the Toyota dealer for my Avalon, good lord.
These Ram guys are really second world compared to the Toyota staff...
The good news is I won't have to deal with them anymore, once I move.

 

[daugen]

Foreman, isn't this what they call a Texas Cadillac? Or does it need a few longhorn emblems?

Dave, marvelous Moby Dick idea, something extra in your coffee this morning?
would fit right in at the Feed Mill...

I got a quote of about a grand for the hard panel bed cover, without install. Sounds a hundred or two high but I'll mosey on down to the customizer place
I've been to, where I got my last BakFlip bed cover, and see what they would charge for the same thing. Two hours to install. They also wanted about 1500 for a 25K fifth wheel hitch that fits into the holes in the bed. Again, hundreds high. I will do my homework and see if they price match.
Hopefully the Service dept has its act together better than sales.

Lastly, I looked up Nexen tires. Oldest tire company in South Korea, and partnered with a Japanese rubber company for technology.
on the surface that sounds positive. But they sure could use some American marketing help.
Roadian HTX RH5 | Highway Terrain SUV/LTR | Nexen Tire

Do I really want my head to radiate, much less in an improved fashion?

 

[foreman Etexas]

Cowboys Cadillac

 

[daugen]

so if I drove this to Texas, it would be sure to impress the ladies...

hint hint where are those two Texas TBN gals...

 

[foreman Etexas]

so if I drove this to Texas, it would be sure to impress the ladies...

hint hint where are those two Texas TBN gals...

It will get them looking for sure,lol.

 

[daugen]

well foreman, in this area, where volvos and priuses range, all I get are looks from the guys driving pickups or Tahoes. The ladies, well, no...most are too busy texting for their next nail appointment.

truck goes back to the dealer today to get my running boards installed, plus the mudflaps and Bilstein shocks. Hope the latter will help the ride.
next week a rollback aluminum cover goes on, and it's done, and I can finally get stuff out of my back seat and into the bed.

2014 Ram 3500 HD Laramie Longhorn First Test - Motor Trend
I found this on motortrend, on a fancier model. Interesting how much slower the accel is on this than the Duramax. Even with 4.10 gears like mine.
Well all I can say is that unloaded, which is all I have experience so far with, if one puts one's foot in it in lower gears, it has zero problems "keeping up" and for sure, I can outaccelerate most cars who aren't gunning it. Stoplights aren't the point of trucks, we all know that, what I want to feel is that steady long surge of torque pulling me up a long hill. where before the gasser was just wailing away as I played foot ballet with the accelerator trying to get the right gear on an up or down shift. That motorhome just loved grabbing two gears and going right to 4800rpm. Never got to a place where I needed to keep that going for more than a second or two, and usually because of the cruise control being on. With a diesel I bet I can use the cruise more. I love being over in the right lane doing 62 in a 60-65 while everyone else flies on by and I just mind my own business and watch out for onramp flow. really is life in the slow lane, and since I usually meet up with many of the fast movers at the next light or two, well not like I'm wasting my life over there...

It is hard to turn off being strong and competitive in business, and then not be competitive on the highway. The right lane does that nicely for me. No expectation of going fast over there. If it's a busy road, I'll stay in the middle lane. Recently, I've noticed on both rv and car travels that if half the state of NC would get out of the left lane, where they think it is normal to drive in, the rest of the world wouldn't be over in the other lanes desperately trying to get by. Headed back down there tomorrow, in my car; boy are the roads nice once you hit the lower DelMar peninsula heading towards the tunnel and Portsmouth. Having a stiff suspension "up here" in pothole land is brutal.

Not sure this truck will fit under the garage door in the new home I'm looking at, maybe...but at least there's a metal shelter cover there I can use for awhile.
Lastly, I was happy to get my insurance bill and my company Westfield classed it as the largest truck they would allow on a normal car policy, and fully covered for under a grand a year. Totally non business use of course.

 

[daugen]

am pleased to report that the new truck is running fine. Dealership got the black running boards, and the all black heavy rubber mudflaps on, while the truck accessory place installed the rollback bed cover and the fold down step for the rear bumper. sorry, pics to follow.
I asked if they could make a tan colored rollback and no, just like Ford, black, black, black.

Lastly, the front Bilsteins went on fine, and boy do they make the front ride plush. really, almost like a car...
Alas the rears had the wrong mounting bolt setup and could not be installed.
So the rear bounce remains, though not unreasonable. funny, dealer said bilstein simply does not make a set for the rears. hard to believe...
I had sort of hoped they would have come back and said well dummy you ordered the wrong parts but here are the right ones, for a hundred bucks a piece instead of 80, or whatever. But nothing. I'll keep looking. what worked on a 2012 does not work on a 2014; different shock mounts apparently. wonder why there isn't an adapter kit...

and I even tried using the Jake brake. Funny little chuffing noise but one uses the brakes about half as much up until the last part of stopping.
Without a load on, I'll leave it off.

sure doing a poor job of "breaking it in"...the thing is just loafing along in local traffic, often at light throttle doing its pleasant rattle rattle at 1100 rpm, still pulling...
only the slightest of throttle is needed. I try to run up the rpm at lights once in a while if i can, but I'm sure not putting any kind of load on this thing, and won't for a while. Need a tractor pull sled to make it break a sweat...

 

[wmonroe]

Very nice truck! Use the exhaust brake as much as you would like, it cycling on/off actually is good for the turbo as it helps keep the variable vane slide nozzle clean (poor explanation, lol).

 

[Fordman1981]

am pleased to report that the new truck is running fine. Dealership got the black running boards, and the all black heavy rubber mudflaps on, while the truck accessory place installed the rollback bed cover and the fold down step for the rear bumper. sorry, pics to follow. I asked if they could make a tan colored rollback and no, just like Ford, black, black, black. Lastly, the front Bilsteins went on fine, and boy do they make the front ride plush. really, almost like a car... Alas the rears had the wrong mounting bolt setup and could not be installed. So the rear bounce remains, though not unreasonable. funny, dealer said bilstein simply does not make a set for the rears. hard to believe... I had sort of hoped they would have come back and said well dummy you ordered the wrong parts but here are the right ones, for a hundred bucks a piece instead of 80, or whatever. But nothing. I'll keep looking. what worked on a 2012 does not work on a 2014; different shock mounts apparently. wonder why there isn't an adapter kit... and I even tried using the Jake brake. Funny little chuffing noise but one uses the brakes about half as much up until the last part of stopping. Without a load on, I'll leave it off. sure doing a poor job of "breaking it in"...the thing is just loafing along in local traffic, often at light throttle doing its pleasant rattle rattle at 1100 rpm, still pulling... only the slightest of throttle is needed. I try to run up the rpm at lights once in a while if i can, but I'm sure not putting any kind of load on this thing, and won't for a while. Need a tractor pull sled to make it break a sweat...

A couple of things.

1. The exhaust brake on the 2013 and 2014 is a smart brake. I do t remember the details right off hand but one press is one mode 2 presses is another and a 3rd press is off.

2. It says in your manual to break the cummins diesel in with a load. Refer to your manual for details.

Enjoy your truck it's a nice one.

 

[some zilch]

and I even tried using the Jake brake.

that's not a jake brake, there sunshine; its an exhaust brake. also known as a "flapper". jake brakes open exhaust valves when activated; your system is a flapper in the exhaust pipe. an improvement over just the juice brakes, but not anything like a jake brake.