Goodbye Old Friend (Recommendations for a new truck)

[Timmy!]

I'm liking Ford again - I was anti Ford for quite awhile and then got a new '06 Mustang a few years back and absolutely love it. I almost bought an '08 F250 diesel and I'm glad that I didn't - the fuel mileage on my buddy's is absolutely horrible but other than that they are very nice trucks.

[scoot18]

x what ever # we are on

And X's that again.

"BUY AMERICAN," OUR ECONOMY NEEDS IT! ALWAYS HAS, AND ESPECIALLY NOW!

[gman]

CHEVY DURAMAX

[TeamAllen]

It looks like the most American made truck is the Chevy Silverado at 90%, Ford F-Series 85%, Toyota Tundra 80% and the Dodge Ram at 74%.

http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/int.../07-10-06.html

[brody66]

I had a duramax and loved every minute of it but realized it was not needed so from now on i have been running halftons love them, i also had a 2007 3/4 ton gas, stay away from that, lots of power but you wont pass a gas station. Heard a lot of good things about the vortec max in the new body 1/2 tons, that may be a good truck for you.

[Pro-Fab]

Dodge Ram 3500 cummins..... I recently purchase one and This thing is a beast. I sold a 97 ford powerstroke before I bought this and the Ford was hog wash. the powerstroke is under powered and a compilcated machine for most people to learn and expensive. if you go diesel buy nothing but a CUMMINS. The CUMMINS gets about 18-20 MPG and the ford gets 15 mpg.

My wifes 2004 dodge ram 1500 4x4 Hemi with a 6" lift and 35" tires with 4.56 gears also towed the boat well but fuel milleabe was about 8 mpg's with the boat, and 13 mpg with out.

[TigeTrojan]

Wow, thanks. I asked this question then went out of town, so I just read all the responses for the first time. I was thinking of going with the Titan because I really liked the Frontier. I was especially hard on it, put down 120k miles in four years and asked it to do a big job pulling that boat around. I never had a single problem with it until the last one.
Something broke on the transmission and it mixed the coolant and trans fluid together then sent them both through the engine and the tranny. That could be repaired, but running that crap through the engine does not make for long engine lives. Plus coincidentally, the catalytic converters went bad and living in the great state of California makes that a very expensive fix. All those $60 aftermarket cats are no good here. The only place that sells the CA legal cats is the dealership and they come with a $700+ price tag.

I know any full size truck will be plenty to pull this boat, but since I have a daily driver car now, I don't think that it's possible to have too much truck, right? I have a fantasy of me in a diesel super duty pulling one of those double decker trailers with the Tige on the bottom and a couple of jetskis up top through Page, AZ. You know what I mean?

[NICKYPOO]

My buddy just had to put a new tranny in his Titan. Had had a few other nagging issues as well.

Duramax.

[Pro-Fab]

I say what ever you go with buy a diesel and buy it used. Diesels are strong, reliable and fuel efficient. They are built for longevity and will make towing your boat a lot easier and more efficient.

I have had the experience of driving all three... Ford, Dodge and Chevy diesel trucks. (or International, Cummins, or Duramax)

Ford super duty carries a v8 diesel that came in 7.3l forms from 1995-2003 this V8 is heavy duty and pretty reliable except the sensors, (specifically the cam position sensor)That was WAY under powered. after that came the 6.0 litre v8 this engine was a bit peppier yet still lacking in the power department and had a ton of issues that made this engine a big mistake for ford to use. Now they have a newer engine that I do not know much about.

Dodge used a 5.9l Cummins non computerized 12 valve engine from 1989-1998.5 This engine was extremely versitle and easily upgradeable. Gains of 100 hp could be added just by adding a fuel plate to the injector pump, this engine is to be known as one of the most saught after engines in the diesel world.

From 1998.5-2002 Dodge used an electronically controlled 24 valve engine using a Bosch VP44 injector pump. Automatic engines had the HY35 turbo while the 5 and 6 speeds had the more powerful hx35 turbo. The vp44 pump was having a tendancy of going out, and was a costly repair of $1100+ just for the pump. It was later found to be that if the lift pump was monitored and didnt drop below 5 psi the injector pump would not work so hard as to wear its self out.

2003-2007.5 dodge used the 5.9l common rail cummins. this engine was basically the same as the previous 24 valve engine except the fuel system was upgraded to use a different pump than the vp44.

I am unsure of the workings on the duramax but I have had two friends with them that have had a lot of problems with the alison transmission and complaints of not enough power in hills will towing.

[mneal]

Trouble with the Allisons? Huh? IMO the Allision trans is the best reason to buy a Duramax.

I say what ever you go with buy a diesel and buy it used. Diesels are strong, reliable and fuel efficient. They are built for longevity and will make towing your boat a lot easier and more efficient.

I have had the experience of driving all three... Ford, Dodge and Chevy diesel trucks. (or International, Cummins, or Duramax)

Ford super duty carries a v8 diesel that came in 7.3l forms from 1995-2003 this V8 is heavy duty and pretty reliable except the sensors, (specifically the cam position sensor)That was WAY under powered. after that came the 6.0 litre v8 this engine was a bit peppier yet still lacking in the power department and had a ton of issues that made this engine a big mistake for ford to use. Now they have a newer engine that I do not know much about.

Dodge used a 5.9l Cummins non computerized 12 valve engine from 1989-1998.5 This engine was extremely versitle and easily upgradeable. Gains of 100 hp could be added just by adding a fuel plate to the injector pump, this engine is to be known as one of the most saught after engines in the diesel world.

From 1998.5-2002 Dodge used an electronically controlled 24 valve engine using a Bosch VP44 injector pump. Automatic engines had the HY35 turbo while the 5 and 6 speeds had the more powerful hx35 turbo. The vp44 pump was having a tendancy of going out, and was a costly repair of $1100+ just for the pump. It was later found to be that if the lift pump was monitored and didnt drop below 5 psi the injector pump would not work so hard as to wear its self out.

2003-2007.5 dodge used the 5.9l common rail cummins. this engine was basically the same as the previous 24 valve engine except the fuel system was upgraded to use a different pump than the vp44.

I am unsure of the workings on the duramax but I have had two friends with them that have had a lot of problems with the alison transmission and complaints of not enough power in hills will towing.

[Timmy!]

Yeap, most diesel people I talk to want a Superduty cab with a cummins engine and an Allison tranny.

[TigeTrojan]

I always thought the Allison was the best, and it was a major factor that was leading me toward a dodge if I go Diesel.

[G-MONEY]

I always thought the Allison was the best, and it was a major factor that was leading me toward a dodge if I go Diesel.

You meant Chevy right?

And yes it is the best. I tow our 24V to havi and laughlin all the time.

All I can say is what hill and what boat, it has more then enough power and the 07 classic is extremely quiet as far as Diesel go.

[TigeTrojan]

You meant Chevy right?

Ya, sorry about that. I was leaning toward the Dodge because I heard such good things about the Cummins, but the Allison was pulling me to the GM, especially considering my last truck's transmission problems.

[buffman]

Allison Tranny FTW - I will never get another truck with out it!
Not to mention the Duramax is POWERFUL and quiet too!