Dodge 2500 orrr?

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

Hey all,

Pretty set on a Dodge 2500, 5.9 cummins, 6 speed. Want something my girlfriend and I can drive out somewhere and sleep in the bed to get away from the city. I'd like something I can daily drive as well. Don't really foresee much towing. I haul a decent amount of mountain bikes and work with a few contractors so I'll definitely be moving material some days. I'm set on the Dodge look but I enjoy Ford style too. I've heard the 6.0 ford is a nightmare but I've only ever owned a mustang so far. Any help or tips would be much appreciated.

 

[thz71]

Why a 3/4 ton of you don't tow?

 

[Seabass]

Those cummins engines are awesome. But, if your not planning on towing you might not like the expense. I've owned several diesels- they are always taking money. Be it oil changes, or parts- it's all going to cost. Now that diesel fuel costs more than gasoline it's not that great of a savings unless you can get that 20mpg some claim their oil burners get- and you put a lot of miles on every day. They run awesome! It's hard to make a gasser run like a tuned up diesel. If hot-rod is what your after, go for it. But a half ton or even a gas powered 3/4 ton will cost a lot less up front and maybe leave money for camper shells, suspension upgrades, tires, recovery gear, or maybe help finance a few extra trips. Just something to consider. Oh- and I think your correct to avoid a 6.0 ford. Great trucks- bad engine if it isn't upgraded with the right parts. 7.3's are great-so's the cummins- and the duramax ain't bad neither. But there's a ton of great running gas engines now. They have lots of power and last two or three hundred thousand miles. In the half tons they even get reasonable mpg's. Good luck.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

IF you don't need heavy load or towing capacity, look at the Rem EcoDiesel. Reports on the web show fairly consistent 26mpg, and I spoke with a guy locally who has one in 4WD Crew Cab and claims almost 30mpg at highway cruise. I have a Dodge 2500 Hemi and it is by far the best truck I have ever owned, but it is thirsty. Another good gasser alternative would be the Tundra. A pretty good alternative if you want to buy used might be a Super Duty 250 with the gas engine. Those seem to be pretty soft in the used market because most people think they "need" a diesel in those trucks.

 

[chet6.7]

There are pluses and minuses to gas and diesel,one of the pluses for diesel is range.You can also get an extra fuel tank with diesel,I don't know if that is legal anymore with gas. A pre- DEF diesel has more fuel tank options.
If you are looking for a 6 speed manual trans you may have a better chance of finding that option in a Ram,I believe GM and Ford stopped offering manuals.

 

[rlyoung112]

I wouldn't call the 6.0 a nightmare. If you are the hands on type, they can be made reliable quite inexpensively.

The big 3 all have their benefits/drawbacks in diesel offerings. I'd opt for a manual trans in the Dodge flavor, if you can find one...



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[Regcabguy]

Ford spent over $600 million on warranty repairs on the 6.0 resulting in litigation with Navistar. There's a host of aftermarket fixes for it.
The suckers run like the wind when they're new and everything's kosher.
The in house 6.7 seems to be working out for them. Install a Carli 2.5 pintop on one and you have a fine handling and running truck.

 

[Mr Nice Guy]

Might wanna consider distances you'll be driving to, diesels really dont like short gas station strips, it will plumit your mpg.

If your not towing and only doing the occasional load, inown a 06 2500 with the hemi, and while thirsty there is plentyof power there for anything from a pallet of versa loc to my 2 horse steel stock trailer.

 

[verdesardog]

I love my 06 ram CTD. In my estimate it is not any more expensive to operate than my 1994 Dakota was. It get the same fuel mileage and around here diesel is not the same or lower than regular gasoline. my Dakota needed mid grade gas. Both truck are/were daily drivers. Every vehicle is going to need regular maintenance If you do your own wrenching there's not much difference in a gas or diesel motor costs.

 

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

I love my 06 ram CTD. In my estimate it is not any more expensive to operate than my 1994 Dakota was. It get the same fuel mileage and around here diesel is not the same or lower than regular gasoline. my Dakota needed mid grade gas. Both truck are/were daily drivers. Every vehicle is going to need regular maintenance If you do your own wrenching there's not much difference in a gas or diesel motor costs.

Yeah in SoCal here it's about 20 cents a gallon cheaper at most at places than gas.

Might wanna consider distances you'll be driving to, diesels really dont like short gas station strips, it will plumit your mpg.

If your not towing and only doing the occasional load, inown a 06 2500 with the hemi, and while thirsty there is plentyof power there for anything from a pallet of versa loc to my 2 horse steel stock trailer.

I do have a lot of long distance driving. From the girlfriends family in Sacramento, to trips to San Diego and San Francisco as well. My regular commute is a 60 mile or so round trip daily.

Ford spent over $600 million on warranty repairs on the 6.0 resulting in litigation with Navistar. There's a host of aftermarket fixes for it.
The suckers run like the wind when they're new and everything's kosher.
The in house 6.7 seems to be working out for them. Install a Carli 2.5 pintop on one and you have a fine handling and running truck.

What's up with the 7.3, any news there?

I wouldn't call the 6.0 a nightmare. If you are the hands on type, they can be made reliable quite inexpensively.

The big 3 all have their benefits/drawbacks in diesel offerings. I'd opt for a manual trans in the Dodge flavor, if you can find one...



Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Yeah big reason I want the cummins is that 6 speed Dodge offers

There are pluses and minuses to gas and diesel,one of the pluses for diesel is range.You can also get an extra fuel tank with diesel,I don't know if that is legal anymore with gas. A pre- DEF diesel has more fuel tank options.
If you are looking for a 6 speed manual trans you may have a better chance of finding that option in a Ram,I believe GM and Ford stopped offering manuals.

If I go diesel it'll likely be the 5.9 cummins. Is that pre DEF?

IF you don't need heavy load or towing capacity, look at the Rem EcoDiesel. Reports on the web show fairly consistent 26mpg, and I spoke with a guy locally who has one in 4WD Crew Cab and claims almost 30mpg at highway cruise. I have a Dodge 2500 Hemi and it is by far the best truck I have ever owned, but it is thirsty. Another good gasser alternative would be the Tundra. A pretty good alternative if you want to buy used might be a Super Duty 250 with the gas engine. Those seem to be pretty soft in the used market because most people think they "need" a diesel in those trucks.

A new truck is definitely not in the budget. Looking for as much truck at or near $20,000 as possible

Those cummins engines are awesome. But, if your not planning on towing you might not like the expense. I've owned several diesels- they are always taking money. Be it oil changes, or parts- it's all going to cost. Now that diesel fuel costs more than gasoline it's not that great of a savings unless you can get that 20mpg some claim their oil burners get- and you put a lot of miles on every day. They run awesome! It's hard to make a gasser run like a tuned up diesel. If hot-rod is what your after, go for it. But a half ton or even a gas powered 3/4 ton will cost a lot less up front and maybe leave money for camper shells, suspension upgrades, tires, recovery gear, or maybe help finance a few extra trips. Just something to consider. Oh- and I think your correct to avoid a 6.0 ford. Great trucks- bad engine if it isn't upgraded with the right parts. 7.3's are great-so's the cummins- and the duramax ain't bad neither. But there's a ton of great running gas engines now. They have lots of power and last two or three hundred thousand miles. In the half tons they even get reasonable mpg's. Good luck.

Yeah I love seeing 5.7s and 5.0s that sound like dragsters rumbling down the street. We'll see what ends up in the market in about 3 months when I can finally go pick one up

Why a 3/4 ton of you don't tow?

I like the solid front axles for wheeling. And I do tow a decent sized trailer occasionally. I'd rather buy too much truck and not need it than buy too little and end up stuck up a creek without an axle to coin a phrase.

 

[rockskullz]

I have an 07 5.9 CTD with a 6 speed and absolutely love it!!! If you do go this direction don't settle for an auto trans as manuals are hard to find in SoCal and when you do they think there worth 2-3k more. I bought mine out of state (Vegas) and brought back to Cali. Had no trouble getting the registration changed over since all of the trucks are the same no "Cali" trucks. The DMV will make you get it VIN verified, weighed at a certified scale, smog cert and I think that was it.

Gas mileage is better than my old 1/2 ton gaser. I get 18-20 on the hwy with 35's or 37's. No joke.

Maintaining this truck so far has been no more than any other car I've owned.

Downside is it will drive like a 3/4 ton truck.

 

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

I have an 07 5.9 CTD with a 6 speed and absolutely love it!!! If you do go this direction don't settle for an auto trans as manuals are hard to find in SoCal and when you do they think there worth 2-3k more. I bought mine out of state (Vegas) and brought back to Cali. Had no trouble getting the registration changed over since all of the trucks are the same no "Cali" trucks. The DMV will make you get it VIN verified, weighed at a certified scale, smog cert and I think that was it.

Gas mileage is better than my old 1/2 ton gaser. I get 18-20 on the hwy with 35's or 37's. No joke.

Maintaining this truck so far has been no more than any other car I've owned.

Downside is it will drive like a 3/4 ton truck.

That's the kind of real world I like to hear. What kind of maintenance have you done? How many miles? All that good stuff.

I wouldn't mind a 3/4 ton bouncy aircraft carrier. Been in small cars too long now.

 

[got_cummins?]

I will say my opinion might seem bias, but ive been around these motors for ages. I think most can agree that the cummins 5.9L is the best motor hands down in any heavy duty pick up truck at the moment, after that i believe its the international 7.3L. Your mind seems pretty much made up on the cummins but if for whatever miracle you decide to look at something else go for the 7.3L.

Now my first hand experience comes from my father being a trucker and his rigs all have had cummins except one that had a cat. the 5.9L are basically small replicas of their big brothers. My father also has friends who tow cars up and down the U.S. and these guys have owned the big three. They all say it the 5.9 is the one that takes the beating the best. My father also has a 2005 2500 ctd quad cab 2wd 120k miles and the only thing motor related that has giving him an issue has been two water pumps that have failed aside from that, nothing else. As for manual vs auto, yes these trucks came with not so great auto's but as long as your not towing 15k lbs all day the auto should last you very long, my dads still shifts on point. I towed once a 36 foot contender with triple 300 verados and that was the only time i thought the tranny was gonna sign, but nothing happened shes still rolling.

I also own as of two weeks ago a 06 3500 megacab 4x4 5.9 ctd auto that i just picked up. Ill also be buying a cummins 6bt 12v for my expedition project truck. As for the ram ecodiesel, the numbers sound great but from my understanding this is an untested motor. I think its the first time its placed in production vehicles. I believe the initial purpose for this motor was for a cadillac sedan. Either way i rather go for whats certain, plus cummins retain resale value much better then the others.


Good luck on your purchase and show us when you get it.
Bottom line is every truck is gonna have its quirks, but overall i believe a ctd equipped truck with the right maintenance makes one hell of an expedition vehicle.

 

[RememberTheAyyLmao]

I will say my opinion might seem bias, but ive been around these motors for ages. I think most can agree that the cummins 5.9L is the best motor hands down in any heavy duty pick up truck at the moment, after that i believe its the international 7.3L. Your mind seems pretty much made up on the cummins but if for whatever miracle you decide to look at something else go for the 7.3L.

Now my first hand experience comes from my father being a trucker and his rigs all have had cummins except one that had a cat. the 5.9L are basically small replicas of their big brothers. My father also has friends who tow cars up and down the U.S. and these guys have owned the big three. They all say it the 5.9 is the one that takes the beating the best. My father also has a 2005 2500 ctd quad cab 2wd 120k miles and the only thing motor related that has giving him an issue has been two water pumps that have failed aside from that, nothing else. As for manual vs auto, yes these trucks came with not so great auto's but as long as your not towing 15k lbs all day the auto should last you very long, my dads still shifts on point. I towed once a 36 foot contender with triple 300 verados and that was the only time i thought the tranny was gonna sign, but nothing happened shes still rolling.

I also own as of two weeks ago a 06 3500 megacab 4x4 5.9 ctd auto that i just picked up. Ill also be buying a cummins 6bt 12v for my expedition project truck. As for the ram ecodiesel, the numbers sound great but from my understanding this is an untested motor. I think its the first time its placed in production vehicles. I believe the initial purpose for this motor was for a cadillac sedan. Either way i rather go for whats certain, plus cummins retain resale value much better then the others.


Good luck on your purchase and show us when you get it.
Bottom line is every truck is gonna have its quirks, but overall i believe a ctd equipped truck with the right maintenance makes one hell of an expedition vehicle.

Fantastic info!!! Thank you. I do love the 7.3. Just prefer dodge styling at that point. Only superduty that would tempt me away looks wise would be the 2008 generation but I can't get past how thirsty the 6.4 is. Showed my wife a 2500 done just about how I want it and it's gotten her stamp of approval so now it's just time to wait until February or so when my credit cards are all paid off finally!

 

[Texan1983]

My 04 CTD has been the best truck I've owned reliability wise. Apart from the rust issues I fixed this year (i hate Iowa), no real issues. Pushing 250,000 miles still on original engine, auto trans, and drive train.