diesel truck help can't decide what to get

[farmerjim]

well i've been looking at diesels for about a month or so. and i still can't decide what to buy. this is a huge step up for me as i currently have a ranger and am going to a 250/2500. i need the extra size for shuttling hay wagons and some other equipment. i decided on a diesel because i have a 60 mile roundtrip commute each day and figured it would be the best mileage,plus i may also end up getting a small commuter car in a year or so. i've test drove every brand gmc,chevy,ford and dodge. they all seem pretty similar, but i really like the gmc and fords the best. the dodge seemed to have the most power/torque, but i'm hesitant in dodges as we have those at work and the trannys /rear ends seem to go within 60-70k, although they're vans not trucks. the chevys were good as well but the gm seemed a step up from the chevy. just wondering what you guys/gals would suggest, thanks in advance.

[Nat]

I've had Dodge deisels for years and never had a problem with any of them.
I doubt you can go wrong with any of the Big 3. I currently have the 2004.5 Dodge with the 325 HP 600 # torque and it pulls my 11,000 5th wheel all over the country, no problem, and gets 18/20 mpg running around home.
Later, Nat

[jimbrown]

I vote GMC 2500 Duromax 6 speed allison. Gmc and Chev are the same but I agree with you I seem to get more stuff from the GMC. Plus I like the big red GMC.

[QRTRHRS]

Keep in mind that a diesel is going to cost you about 6k more than a gasser buying new. Then, figure in that highway fuel is running 30 cents or so more per gallon then regular. The payback comes with generally better milage especially if you are talking a bit of weight. You might find a good used one since there are a lot of people who only wanted a big diesel truck for driving until the fuel went through the ceiling.

There are websites favoring each brand. Read what the owners have to say. They all have problems. Consider your maintenance costs. Check out the fuel and oil filter prices for all three makes. Disregard any post that would imply that their brand is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Focus on the owners that discuss their trucks honestly.

I myself have a 97' Dodge dually with 180k on it. The engine is turned up, uses no oil and has not been babied. I did lose 5th gear which was a common problem with the Dodge. I have also put in a stronger clutch. I have replaced the front end track bar several times (also a common problem since solved on newer models and on older by retrofit). I am not necessarily a Mopar fan but I am passionate about the Cummins engine.

[mfaley]

OK.....now thats a question that is likely to spark some debate. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

We looked around in '02 and ended up with a Dodge for pulling our horse trailers and around the place. We have the HD HO version with a 6 spd and have had no problems whatsoever. I think the only thing I would do would be to add an exhaust brake.

We started looking at a replacement since prices are so good and at this point all 3 are good. I still think I would lean towards the Dodge because of the Cummins with a 6 spd manual. Next would be Ford with the 6 spd.

I have noticed that, at horse shows, Dodge and Ford are almost a tie in terms of haulers with Chevy a distant 3rd. Not sure what that means but most of these folks haul a fair amount with a big expensive load every year and most use as ranch trucks as well.

my 2 cents.
Regards,
Mark

[QRTRHRS]

Mark

Add the brake. An exhaust brake adds a definete layer of safety when you are towing. I use mine constantly. It is really nice to take the "edge" off when you are going down a hill. In fact, I got 110k on my original front brake pads before I changed them.

Brian

[Buckeye_Jim]

Mark,

I have owned a F250 diesel PU and have since sold it because of continuing repairs. Had over 300K miles when I sold it though. Last August I bought a 1994 Dodge 2500 with the cummins diesel. It had 175K on it when I bought it for $ 5200.

So far I have been very happy with this vechicle, strong engine, starts up right away everytime, economical on fuel consumption. It's been very reliable. It is my first Dodge. I also own two ford rangers, 2 f150's, a chevy 1500, and E350 van, (all for business use). So, I am not just a Ford guy.

Jim

[tbolt]

I bought a new GMC in '05. 2500 ext. cab. 4wd with Duramax diesel. I looked at em all and to me this was my pick. The allison transmission is one of the major plusses. It has transmission braking, sorta like jake brakes but works off tranny instead of engine compression. This really helps on hills with big loads. It's very quiet, you can actually hear when you pull up to a drive through.Ford does have the electronic brake unit built into the truck but I added one to mine for about 50 bucks, never had to drill any holes and the wiring harness plugged right in. About a 30 minute installation. I like the ride of the GMC/CHEV. and the truck came factory with On-star, Sattelite radio & 5disc cd changer with Bose speakers. The on-star is handy. I use it way more than I thought. Part of the on-star is the built in phone. My wife can call me and I just set there and talk to her hands free, or vice versa. Tell it who to call or a number to dial and the rest comes through the stereo speakers. My truck listed for almost 46,000.00 but I dickered with about 5 different dealerships till I got it for 37,700.00. Then about 5mos. later the employee discount thing came into affect and I could have bought it for just under 36,000 (no haggle) But thats the way my luck goes. The duramax has 300 hp. and 605 ft. lbs. torque. The 06 model has 360hp. and 650 ft. lbs. torque. I love the truck, the way it drives and the towing power. I get about 20mpg. and if it were to do over, I'd buy the Duramax. I have a 20ft. skeeter bass boat it jerks down the road like it aint behind it, the surge brakes on the boat It don't even need. I also have a factory 18ft. dove tail trailer with steel bed and 8" channel rails(weighs 2250 lbs.)and Century 3045 with fel.bucket, back-hoe attachment and forks hung under side of bed. It scoots it down the road at any speed you wanna go.

[Pat]

I have no axe to grind, brand wise as regards diesel pickups. In addition to taking a look around the parking lot at various AG shows, stock auctions and the like where folks tow significant loads, cruise through some RV parks where folks are towing large 5th wheel RV trailers. Don't just collect stats by counting the number of each brand. There are always a sizable group of folks who have bought their first diesel and didn't have a clue (may have thought they did but know now they didn't.). Chat with some folks who are on their 2nd, 3rd, or higher numbered diesel pickup and tow heavy loads. You will find out which brands/models/years have what attributes, good and bad.

NO ONE with credible experience ever seriously puts down the venerable Cummins. It has been too good for too long for that. Every maker tries to have some spec or feature to brag up/hang their hat on. Ads are B.S., talk to owners wth credible experience. Just owning such and such for X years and xxx,000 miles is not automatically qualifying as credible experience. What service was rendered, hauling familly groceries or 10-12 steers.

I live near a trailer manufacturer (I know the owner and his extended family and several employees) and frequently see commercial outfits show up with a diesel pickup to take a load of trailers. They will usually hook up to a large gooseneck trailer with 5 or 6 each of the 16 to 24 ft trailers loaded on top of it. A couple partners used to each drive a tow rig with several trailers on behind. They had matched Dodge/Cummins rigs. I have never seen another brand used for this. Maybe I just wasn't looking when all the Fords and Chevies showed up but so far I have never seen a Ford or Chevy used for this. Surely some where some are, I just haven't seen it in thte last 5 years.

I owned an '84 Ford diesel and it did OK but was noting special. I have a '97 Dodge/Cummins now and I have both carried and towed loads in the flats and in the mountains of the American west. I note what passes me and who I pass and what they are carrying/towing. Due to a "missing" gear between 3rd and 4th in the Dodge auto-trans some grades were a real nightmare for me. If I was heavy wnough to have to shift down from the top (overdrive) gear, then I was stuck in 3rd at way lower speeds than neccessary. This didn't happen all the time but enough to be an irritation so I added an aftermarket aux tranny on the output of the auto tranny. This "gear splitter" (OverUnderDrive) gave me a gear between each gear so I always had "the right gear" for the grade and my load. After this was installed it has been a reare event that anything loaded similar to me ever passed me on a grade unless I was holding back.

I also have an exhaust brake which is worth many times its cost. Anyone heavily loading, towing heavy, or both with a diesel pickup should have one of these. If you drive in hills, you need one of these even if you don't load very heavy. It makes the difference between being marginal and being safe and having good control. Just to make it "PERFECTLY CLEAR", needing an exhaust brake is NOT just a Cummins thing, it is a diesel thing.

Gas engines close down on the air intake when you remove your foot from the accelerator forcing the engine to work harder to suck air through that restriction. This is "engine braking." Diesels DO NOT CLOSE DOWN THE INTAKE at all, ever! The intake of a diesel is wide open at all times. That is why diesels do not hold you back worth snot when coasting. That is why to get engine braking you need an exhaust brake. It closes down the exhaust and forces the engine to work llike an air compressor. Big rigs do not use exhaust brakes. They have Jake (Jacobs) brakes which employ a mechanism to change the valve timing and cause the engine to make compression during what would have been a normal exhaust stroke. You can ID the wanna bee big rig jockies, as they are the ones who call the exhaust brakes on their diesel pickups, "JAKE BRAKES."

What I'd like to see is a Cummins powered pickup with an allison 6 speed auto tranny. Manual tranny is OK but there are times when an auto is far superior. No matter how good you are, it is difficult to feather the clutch for a velvet smooth launch up a grade wth a heavy load with really poor traction. For example off roading with a 1 ton with a heavy camper. You may get stuck or burn out a clutch trying to do with a manual tranny what an automatic does with ease. Same story launching or recovering a heavy boat on a slipery ramp. What takes luck, skill, and a minor miracle with a stick is pretty easy for an automatic. On the other hand if you NEVER drive in the hills off road or on a boat ramp or anything like that there is a definite plus to the simplicity and long maint life of a good stick.

Hope some of this may help clarify or illuminate an issue that needs consideration.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[tbolt]

Can't argue with you there. Cummins is a heck of a diesel engine. My friend is in the horse trading business and has two of them , A 97 and the other one I think is the first year Dodge put the cummins in. He pulls heavy loads of horses across the mountains into NC and Tennessee and has never had any engine work done to either one, transmission problms is the only problems he has had out of either truck. My neighbor has a '97 he bought new and my brother had a Ford with the 6.9Liter he bought new then finally traded up for a Powerstroke, He was in the mobile home moving business. I think GM got a bad start with the diesel on the first ones they started puting in. They gave a lot of problems. As far as the Duramax or any other for that matter, I think it is a matter of opinion. It all depends on what you want. I'm happy with my GMC but don't pretend its better than any of the rest for one minute. If GM puts a Cummins in a truck and bolts it up to an Allison Tranny, I'll consider buying one. Until then I'll drive what I got. I think with the transmission braking that comes standard with the Allison, there may not be a need for "Exhaust brakes" but then again thats my opinion. Whatever you decide, youll be happy with a new Diesel to tow with but somebody will have better fuel mileage or can tow more than you wherever you go. Just look at all the specs and buy what you want, not what somebody else wants you to buy. As far as Chev. or GMC, the only difference is the hood, grille, and taillights.