New friend for the diesel family

jinman · May 26, 2001

Nice looking rig! When I bought my 3/4 ton Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel, my girlfriend called it my Dodge R.P.M instead of Dodge Ram. When I asked her what she meant by R.P.M, she said, "Rural Pimp-Mobile, of course." Honestly, I don't know where she came up with that, but it stuck. All my friends call my truck "The R.P.M."

JimI

Anonymous Poster · May 26, 2001

If you can't say something nice about a PowerJoke p/u truck don't say anything at all.

Them be some good lookin' tow hooks, could come in real handy.

cowboydoc · May 26, 2001

Hi Pat,
Can I ask what you might have against the #1 selling truck, and diesel truck for the last 16 years straight? Must be something good about them that keeps people buying them. Or what you have against the Navistar powerstroke which according to JD Power and assoc. has been the most reliable diesel since 1985?

GrantMO · May 26, 2001

Patrick,

I hear nothing but good things about the Powerstroke series. If I were in the market for a tow vehicle that's what I'd get. In fact, if Richard wanted to trade me straight across for my 96 Yukon I'd do it today. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Anyway, damn sharp truck Richard!

cowboydoc · May 26, 2001

Thanks for the comments everyone, appreciate it. Grant have to pass on the trade. Might be kinda tough to put a gooseneck on the Yukon!!

bsauter · May 29, 2001

Hey Richard, If you like your new truck just half as much as I have enjoyed mine you will be a happy man! I have a '99 F350 CrewCab SRW with the Powerstroke and have not had one problem in 57,000 miles. A great puller for my 'Bota and my wifes horses when she can pry it away from me. Congrats on the truck.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978

cowboydoc · May 29, 2001

Brad,
Do you have the automatic or the 6 speed? I got the automatic but didn't really want one. My wife wanted it. Anyway I've heard that they had some problems with the auto and just wondered if you had had any.

bsauter · May 29, 2001

I have the auto. Wife didn't want manual either. I have not had any problems with it. I keep the fluids changed every 20,000 miles. I also have it chipped with a Western Diesel chip and the shift points are a touch firmer and more positive not to mention the power (300hp and 605 ft/lbs torque).
I do know they have had some problems in some units but when I bought my 95 Dodge Ram I heard the same thing and I was fine. I had heard of Chevys spitting out trannys too but my wifes 94 3/4 ton Suburban diesel has been fine too for 137,000 miles. Maybe I have been lucky with tranny's.

Of course the best thing to do would be getting a temp gauge for the tranny so you can keep an eye on it. I have been hearing that backing up with a loaded trailer for any distance tends to heat up the tranny. Just drive and manintain it and you will should be fine.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978

cowboydoc · May 29, 2001

Thanks Brad that's kind of what I thought but wanted to hear from someone that acutally had the auto. I'm putting a superchip on it and all the gauges, boost, pyro, and tranny temp. Just to be safe I think I may put another cooler on it and I got an inline filter as well to put on it. Thanks for the info.

Anonymous Poster · May 29, 2001

Dr Rich,

One of my customer's has a superchip installed in his Ford International diesel, and if I remember him correctly, he said the superchip added about 80 HP.

He goes back and forth from here {upstate New York} to Florida with a 38' {I think} travel trailer. He was coming back up and the Ford started "quitting" or "shutting down". He had other work done by Ford and had to bring the truck back, so he pulled the superchip {afraid of voiding any Ford warranties} and continued up to New York pulling the trailer.

He said, he got so used to the extra 80 hp, going through the Appalachian Mountain area, it was like a dog without the superchip.