looking for tow vehicle advise?
 

I want to buy a new 3/4 ton diesel truck, but which one?? I have heard both good and bad about all Three: Ford, Chevy and Dodge.
I thought I had my mind made up to buy a Ford until I heard the new 6.0 has allot of problems. I was hoping that some of my fellow OSO members can shed some light of these three different power packages.

I think that they have fixed a most of the problems with the 6.0 with an injector change over. Remember all three of those trucks if you go and look on line you will wonder if any of them are any good. I had some problems with mine when I first got it but as of late nock on wood it is fine (7.4 Power Stroke). I would go with the Ford as the few people that I know that have them are very happy.

Jon

I bought a Dodge 2500 HD extended cab V-10 4X4. It tows my 311-SR1 Formula and does not even know it's back there. BUT, the transmissions in them are chit. They have a problem with the "governor transducer" and the "solenoid" which when they crap out it prevents the trans from automatically shifting back into low gear when you come to a stop. You have to manually shift it down. When you first start to drive it, it will wind way up in rpms before shifting into second, sometimes taking 30 seconds before it will shift up into second. After doing extensive research on this problem, I have found that Dodge has had this problem since the body changeover back in 94'. Mine happened at 50,100 miles. Some have happened as early as 8,000 miles, most seem to happen between 50 and 60 thousand. This particular problem happens A LOT... Apparently, every three out of four, or four out of five, happen when the vehicle is out of warranty. A Dodge dealer usually gets around 600-700 bucks to repair them. And they make so much money off of the repairs, that they can afford to fix one out of four or five for free and still put bucks into their pocket. Since it has turned into a cash cow for them, they have intentionally never fixed the problem. I paid almost forty thousand dollars for my truck and was told "it could tow the earth". When I got through with my research, I screamed at the Service Manager so loud I was hoarse for two days. He offered me 10% off the repair bill because I'd bought two new trucks off them (99' as well). Told him to stick his 10% you know where. I'm looking to swap rigs within the next few months. I have heard nothing but good about the new Duramax's and the Allison trans. I personally would consider nothing else. I have a buddy who drives/tows for a living, has a Duramax with Allison, has already put almost 300 thousand miles on it, and only changed the oil and flushed the trans. He swears by it. I got a ride and could not believe how quiet that Duramax Diesel was. Made my mind up right then and there. I would definitely check that combination out, either Chev or GMC. If you get a Dodge, you WILL have tranny problems, guaranteed.

I too have seen to many tranny problems with the Dodge. Nice information about the DuraMax and Allison.
With that said, I would lean towards the GM products.
I am not brand loyal when it comes to vehicles. In fact, we own one each from the Big Three.

Hey RLW, are you a "Russ", I am. Outlaw

I have a 7.3 PSD , but the Duramax/Allison combo is tough to beat right now;) .
I'm not convinced of the 6.0 Ford yet:( , time will tell:rolleyes:

I have the 6.0 and love. It has the Allison trans with the Tow/Haul mode which will automatically downshift, and hold the gears longer before shifting. The Chevy has the same. I also have not experienced any of then problems with the motor, except a rough idle.

I love my 6.0 PSD 250. Bought it in June. Have about 6K miles and no problems. Great mileage and the acceleration is the balls. :) Stump pulling torque too.

I am having alot of problems with my 6.0 litre, its 2 mos old and has been nothing but problems. Motor has been reprogrammed, but still has hesitation problems when accelerating hard off line, rough spuratic idle at times. The latest problem is the rear end, when cold backing up out of the driveway when only turning the truck bucks, like its in 4whl drive, something to do with the clutches. A new rear end has been ordered. The tranny is ok but will know over time. Right now Im not 100% pleased, hopefully they can fix the problems cause the truck tows and has a little more room that the GMC it replaced, but powertrain wise GM has the clear advantage and I really miss my Duramax/Allison combination and wish they were in my Ford Truck.

Well a best freind owned a 2000 Dodge and had the BIG chip intake and exahust on it and when he got his new 2003 GMC stock would take the Dodge. And he uses them for towing a big car trailer. Rag's my .02 for what it is worth (0.02) :D

I've got an 01 Dodge /Cummins 4wd, this is my third Ram, first diesel and I towed the boat in the summer and sleds in the winter and have had absolutley zero problems with the trans. in either trucks.
Right now I've got and Edge EZ , 275injectors , and exhaust and have had 40k problem free miles. I am completly satisfied with this truck. Best mileage not towing on the free way was 22 and towing 15, city/highway 17-18.
Now the 03/04 HO's are unreal. A friends 4wd HO with only the addition of a fueling box went 15.20@91 in the quarter and on the chassis dyno made 380hp at the rear wheels.

All the new trucks are good , buy what you like and kind find a deal on but don't rule out the Dodge. The new ones have an upgraded trans and should not have the problems some had in the past.

The new Dodges are the best by far...I had 2 Duracraps and a 7.4 Powerstroke before the HO Cummins. Drive a HO Cummins/Auto and you will love it!!@! The SO is a dog and that is the one most compare too since the HO is so new...Keep us all posted on what you do.

Thanks guys!
I think I will look at a Dodge and Chevy a little closer.

My only beef with the Dodge is the **** transmission. Now they've got that 7 year, 70,000 mile drive train warranty, that makes a bit of a difference. at least I was told that this afternoon. It's just annoying as hell to me to pay that kind of money and have a trans that craps at 50,000 miles that's been babied. How quiet is the new HO Cummins? I drove several before I settled on the V-10, mostly due to the noise factor. Any feedback here? Thanks....

Work for a GMC dealer and we have very little problems with the Duramax/Allison combo. Ike has one and tows his 41 Apache around with no problems!!! If you don't go diesel the 8.1 and the 6.0 are great gas motors. 8.1 is a little hard on the fuel but then again you are towing something around!!! Good luck on your choice!!:D

Formula Outlaw,
The trans. is fine on the new Dodges (03 and up). Man, that is going to be one hard thing for Dodge to shake. The new diesel is just as quiet as the other two.
That was a great marketing ploy for GM , teaming up with the Allison trans. ,as far as i know there where know problems with original transmissions they used. To bad the other OEMs couldn't have picked up in it.

As far as quiet diesels go, when listning to them on the outside the General is by far the quietest, with Dodge 2nd and Ford 3rd. Now on the inside, General is still first, with Ford 2nd and Dodge 3rd. Thats what we have noticed around our shop.

The Chev rides & drives the best...IFS really helps.
Give Ford some time to get the 6.0 together...
Dodge ?....Well....Never mind

BTW.....I own a PSD Ford...It is a heavier duty truck than the Chev..but most dont need that. The Chevs drive sooo nice

Ford did build a new hydraulic trans to go along with the 6L but troutly's right it's not an allison. As far as your other dodge comments troutly...:eek: :crazy:

I'm probably a little biased because i can get the A-plan from ford, knock off another 5 or 6k and the decision is a lot easier. As far as dodge goes I agree they do look good however, everyone i have known that owned one has had nothing but problems with the drive train. From the trans through the rear end they have not been able to hold up if you plan on working them. Someone mentioned the HO option with the automatic trans, last I knew this was not an option so if it is now maybe they fixed some of the reliability issues with the drive train and the higher HP.

The allison/Duramax combo from what i have seen is an awesome set up, i haven't heard of too many problems with them. I have a friend with one and it has been in the shop a few times but in general he's pretty happy with it and it tows it 9,000 lb trailer without a problem.

Ford as you know has been having problems with the 6L so far, but like troutly said buy an '04 and hopefully the problems are fixed. I have two friends that own them and neither of them have had any problems so far, one's only a couple months old but the other is about a year old. They also have the new trans but i haven't heard of any issues with it just with the motor.

So IMHO! from what i've seen and heard i'd recommend a ford or Chevy. I will probably always own a ford because of the discount but i wouldn't have any problems buying the Chevy because of their reputation and what i have heard about them.

Although I don't have a diesel powered truck (yet), when I do upgrade it will be a Ford.

I've had no trouble with any Ford I've owned. My current F250 LD has 105K on it with no trouble...ever. The '87 Bronco I had went 150K with no trouble.

Every Chrysler product I have owned was a headache. Every one had electrical gremlins after a few years. And usually it started after the warrenty ran out.
All of them had switches and knobs fall apart, interior pannels fall off, exterior door handles that quit working, etc. The last one had holes melted in the tail light assemblies due to excessive heat from the bulbs.
Do I have to say that I'll never by another Chrysler product again?

I have an 04 Ford 6.0 PSD and have not experienced any of the problems mentioned above (knock on wood). I tow a 35' Formula with it and the truck pulls great. I installed a Bullydog module and the results are staggering. The module has three settings, stock, +75hp and +115hp. In the "hot rod" setting, this thing is like a 8000 pound sports car (OK an 8000 pound sports car that handles and brakes like a 3/4 ton truck). I tow in the 75hp setting and have not been concerned with lack of power. My vote is for the Ford, however, I am a Ford guy.

Ford is the only choice I will go with unless I upgrade to a Freightliner. I like GM except their suspension and brakes can't hold a torch to Ford's. Dodge is a definite "NO"
I bought a brand new GM and had absolutely nothing but problems. More than we have room for here. Sold it bought a Ford 7.3TD 4x4 crew cab and have pulled just about everything out there with it. Getting ready to upgrade the exhaust and computer to handle the bigger boat. Wanted to start looking at the new Ford's but are waiting until they straighten out the engine problem with the diesel.

Just my .02 worth also.

Good hearing different owners opinions since we all own different trucks and pull different loads.

Love my 02 7.3 Liter Power Stroke, but got a chance to drive a new 6.0 pulling a 35 Fountain and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!

That new 6.0 is AWESOME.

The Duramax is nice, I just do not like the truck.

Drive everything and decide what is best for you.

As far as I know , (and I sell diesel performance parts ) , the 04 Ford 6 litre is NOT fixed yet ! :( The 03's have tons of problems but I dont' think it is fixed yet for 04 . That is from my performance parts manufactuers.

I have had them all and do prefer Ford, But the Chevy (right now ) is the best bet . The new Dodges have some little problems like the throttle sticking at high speeds !:eek: and a few others little things ....

Chevy has been out long enough to weed it out, I think .

I do have an 03 ford anyway ....... it idles rough but I still love it ! I usualy get a new one every year but I may wait now till 05 .

tesheer, That bully dog box has problems with it . Be careful . I just sent my last one back . And I do mean LAST ONE ! I used to sell them . Who ever sold it to you should know about it . Bully dog does ! I am not ,,,, Oh , never mind . Don't get me started !:rolleyes:

We are getting our 03 Excursion with the 6.0 taken back under the lemon law. It has been a major POS!!! We will be ordering a Chevy with the Duramax and Allison.

Semper Fi is also having problems with his 6.0 that he bought a few weeks after ours. They should have stuck with the 7.3 until the 6.0 was right.

I own a 7.3, there geart motors, but would not purchase another Ford until they get all the bugs out of the 6.0. I have heard of nothing but problems with the new motor. I would definetly go Dura-Max over the new Power Stroke.

Havasu Cig - It was nice kind of meeting you this weekend, we should hook up down at the Yard House or something and run out in the pacific!!!!

That is just because I towed your 36' Outlaw and I got better MPG than you did in your FERD!:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

AND...I GOT 18 MPG ALL THE WAY BACK HOME WHEN I DROPPED YOU OFF AT THE HOUSE W/THE BOAT!!:p ;)

<<<<<<<one of these, get one of these!!!! 7.3,start with a 4" Turbo back Magnaflow, DI 4 pos flip chip, K&N, Say goodbye to them all at the light!!!! Next, Propane, Injectors, Mini Me, Intake mod,BB Turbo. Then Nitros!!!!! You now have 450hp w/1000lbs torque.

Boot, we have installed the Edge and Quadzilla in the 6.0s and found the Edge works real well. The Quadzilla boxes have had some problems, but the Edge has worked execptionally well. As Troutly said 9-29-03 was the first day the "New" engine was supposed to be built. A fair number of real late production 6.0s have still had the "dead pedal" and leaking rear main seals. It is too bad as when they run they are very impressive. Time will tell, as many are anxiously awaiting the new engine.

Mitch,
All that work and only 450hp? Is that at the flywheel or at the rear wheels? If it's at the rear wheels it is impressive.
Read up a few posts, 2003 Ram with just a WD fueling box and a flow thru muffler made 380 at the rear wheels, which should be close to or a little more than 400 at the crank. Unfortunaltey the chassis dyno had a problem with some sensor so they couldn't get the torque. We are assuming around 800 ft/lbs.
We definitly have to hit the trails this year, I have absolutley no grounds for excuses this year. New sled and no girlfriend , Bring on the snow:)

3DO,

Nice meeting you as well...Maximus is awesome!! We left our boat out in Havasu, but will probably bring it home in a couple of weeks. A catalina run would be fun.

Chris

Hey 26, you are right, at the rear wheels, and that is conservative. I will hold you to the sledding, I am ready when you are, 10 inches in Marquette already this year. My phone is 616-886-0077 so call me or PM me when ready. I'll meet you in Grayling or Lake City if you take 27.

I run a gmc with the duramax after owning a ford 7.3 stroker, the duramax is a little quiter inside and out, runs just as good when both are stock, fords pull a little better loaded, but chip them both and they run head to head. Would recommend the duramax and allison set up. I tow a 40 hustler w/ trips no prob and the truck is all stock. Only thing to do to the chevy/gmc's is change the receiver hitch to a titan hitch. check the gmc's, different front end and about same money. Also check the rebates, they were about 5,000 and then you can wittle from there. good luck

The Edge is what I had in my GMC Duramax, and now in my Ford 6.0 litre . I found excellent results in both applications, at stage 3 @ 110hp/260tq very little smoke, very pleased. I still have that hesitation off the line and dropped it off today to get the computor reflashed and get the new rear end installed.

Does anyone know if I was suppose to disconnect the EDGE before the reflash, will that effect anything:confused:

Jassman, You should have taken it out . They probably can't do the reflash. if they do it will not be right ...... Haveing chips or boxes on the truck ,sends back false readings to the scanner. If it is a good dealer , they will take it out for you and hand it to you . I hope !:D

The edge works pretty good . I do see higher exhaust temps with them then on my favorite . Also ,they are a little shy on the power . But thats OK , anything is better then stock ! Oh, wait , I just remembered , I got a call today from a guy with a dodge that cracked an exhaust manifold ! I told him NOT to use THAT box ....... Now he wants to pay me to fix it AND get him the right box !

Mitch, What type of intake mod you talkin ? And whats the "BB" turbo ? If you do all that , and it works , you better buy a performance trans ! :cool:

Boot, the dealer is cool, he allready knows about the EDGE, even gave him a ride in it. I will go and disconnect it in the A.M., if they got there program, this is Mississippi, we are still 10 years behind the times:eek:
So what programmer do you sell that is the best, and please dont tell me its Western Diesel. AND what other mods do you sell to make my truck slightly faster,thanks Jeff.:D

Calibration update survey, From Diesel stop . com RC-6, B27.9, hope this helps.

Just wanted to say thank you for all the valuable input. I never considered Dodge at all. I went to look at one and bought a left over 03 Dodge CTD HO with 6 speed manual trans, Laramie. So far I love the truck but it only has 70 miles on it yet.

Good going w/the manual tranny. The auto tranny can't handle the torque and towing requirements. So if you tow a lot, good choice;)