well cummins guys...

[K_Josh87]

Welp Boys, Test drove an 07 mega cab with the 6.7 with six in a line and a manual 6 speed... Kinda liked it...

I have drove nothing but fords all my life, and the only dodge we had as a work truck (99ish half ton) went threw trannys like i eat worthers originals... I have only drove a older mid-late 90s cummins 1 ton with a dump bed on it as a loaner truck... and it was load... very meaty, but a loud rattle box...

Soap, I really do not know much about these things... pros cons? What breaks? What doesn't. Advantages manual vs auto... overall reliability... and longevity of the powertrain in general...

do the rear ends hold up?

Also, curious as to major differences in 2500 and 3500, I am assuming mainly suspension, and possibly brakes... will a 3/4 ton handle a 20,000+ lb trailer...

How is milage on these rigs?

Any modifications needed for longevity? And are there any modifications that SHOULD be done, or SHOULD NOT be done...

Thanks!

[K_Josh87]

I should ad, I am seeking input from guys who USE these trucks... not ramrod the P*** out of them, but work them daily/weekly... this would be a replacement to my powerstroke which i use (when its running) as my work truck, pulling etc. weekly if not daily...

[GSP4ME]

my 07 has well over 400,000 on it and has pulled a loaded horse trailer almost daily since it was new. Haul two horses and on average 10 dogs all over the midwest and west. I dont know how much more I could use it. I love mine. I had the powerchokes when they were in the 6.0 and could not stand the how unreliable they were. THe Ford fit and Finnish and the ride is better but for what I need the Dodge is the only way to go, Mine is the dually and has the 6 speed manual, I regret that dodge is not making that set up any more. I have the BullyChip in mine and can get running empty around 26 with it towing my 3 stall trailer loaded I can still get around 18-20. I would pull the trigger agin on one with out a doubt

[K_Josh87]

in 400,000 what issues have you come across? Other than obvious steering/suspension wearable components etc...

[Ryan_V]

At 400k I imagine his major cost was fuel!!! Ihave an 08 and love it. I don't use it enough though, I drive a company vehicle for work, so the truck doesn't get driven daily. I pull a camper in the summer with it. I got a great deal on it from a family member when I bought it. I have had a couple minor issues, but they were derived from the "under use" and were covered under warranty. The dealer told me I'm to easy on the truck and I should take it out and abuse it, thats what the truck wants!! These trucks are made to WORK, WORK, WORK!!! I am usually looking for towing jobs to get some use of the truck and make a little extra $. Pull the trigger, you will not be dissappointed in the truck. Like was stated, the other brands are "finished" nicer, but for a truck to work and pull all day long, dodge is the way to go, I like to look at rigs in the campgrounds in the summer. the big campers, the retired "rv'er" are all towing with dodge.

[PurpleFloyd]

I have an 08 3/4 ton ram Cummins that I have had for about 2 years. I use it in my cabinet business to pull a 20' cargo trailer almost daily. Having driven ford,chevy,dodge I would say the chev and ford have a better ride but the dodge is tough to beat for a workhorse pulling a trailer.

Not sure if that one has the exhaust filter or not. Mine has the blu tec diesel that has the filter to meet the pollution control without DEF. That is the weak link in the motor and lots of guy remove them. You have to have them periodically cleaned to remove the soot buildup at a cost of about 500 bucks at the dealer or do it yourself.

Other than that, as far as MPG, we took it to yellowstone last year and on the 2000 plus miles I drove through mountains, long stretches of interstate hwys etc I did the mileage with pencil and paper and got 20.5 for the trip. Interestingly I paid attention to how many of what brand diesels I saw pulling things out there and back, Closer to Minnesota and through SD there were definitely more ford/chevy's but not as many as I thought but as we were in the mountains there were more ram's. I suspect the engine brake is a hit with guys pulling trailers in the mountains as is the torque of the 6 cyl.

When I am pulling my trailer the mileage varies with speed and wind. If I am pulling with no wind and at 55 I can get in the 14-15 range. In the wind or faster speeds on the interstate it runs 11-13.I have never logged mileage under 10 pulling in any conditions.Although I will say that I try to drive very smoothly and if you like to put your foot into the throttle as you take off or accelerate it can drink much faster if you push it. Compare that to a ford diesel of a similar year that someone I know who also has a cabinet shop but pulls a 16 foot trailer and his truck gets 9-11 tops pulling and never more than 14 empty.But his interior is a lot nicer.

[K_Josh87]

Interior finishes are for people with money to spend on it in my opinion... So not a huge issue for me... I have rubber floors in my duty right now, and it was one of the reasons I bought this particular one, and I like it a lot.... So... the "blue tec" is with the exhaust filter, and this can be removed without issue? I found an 08 dually 1 ton for the same money and less miles in IA that really tweaks my interest... but it is blue tech... Is this a real issue to remove? I am not a fan of the pollution dump they put in these things... If they would lax on that, and let them push for mileage I think it would be a much better scenario IMO...

Thanks for the input thus far! Main thing is I have to get the stroker running good enough to trade it off first...

Then see if I think it will hold together a couple years or not.. and if not, It will be gone... either way I think there will be a change of motor brands next time...

[PurpleFloyd]

Well, I am not going to advocate anything but with the newer trucks you have 2 choices- you get a truck with a urea injector and deal with that or you get the ram and deal with keeping the exhaust filter clean. If you remove it prior to the 100,000 mile warranty then the warranty will be voided and even if you take it off, have trouble and reinstall it prior to taking it in for service I have been told they will know and void you. After the 100,000 miles I have heard of guys that have replaced the filter and chipped their trucks and found mileage and performance gains.

I will also tell you that with the exhaust filter you will need to watch your oil quality as the regeneration process the truck goes through to self clean the filter will shorten the life of the oil from what you are used to seeing on a diesel. At least that is my experience.

Once you pull a truck with the exhaust brake you won't want to go back to one without.

[GSP4ME]

new clutch at 300,000 other then that just the normal wear and tear type of things. I could not be happier . I agree the fit and finnish on the ford and chev are better but for what you need in a work truck its all there.

[PurpleFloyd]

One other thing to note. I have the auto trans but the manual trans trucks have a much lower torque output than the autos do. This kinda goes against what I remember being the case for cars and trucks but it is something to consider.

I believe it was like a 40 lb/ft difference in the first few years (610 vs 650), 200 after that (600 vs 800) and now with the 2013'3 you have 3 options of 660 with the Manual, 800 with the auto and 850 with the Aisin trans. The 850 rating also gets you the elimination of the particulate filter and adds the urea injection which gets you a 10% increase in economy along with the boost in power and torque.

[GSP4ME]

IF you are doing a lot of towing I would always go with the manual. I go through the mountains out west about half a dozen times a year and being able to keep that gear low is great. I just have never trusted the dodge automatics.

[K_Josh87]

I'm not afraid of the manual... only thing is plowing, but I think once a guy got used to iut it wouldn't be a big deal... Now I get a sore left shoulder from reaching over to shift while running the remote with the right hand... I would be able to shift with the remote in hand and my left leg will go sore from running the clutch... way i see it its a horse a piece...

[MJ1657]

I'm not afraid of the manual... only thing is plowing, but I think once a guy got used to iut it wouldn't be a big deal... Now I get a sore left shoulder from reaching over to shift while running the remote with the right hand... I would be able to shift with the remote in hand and my left leg will go sore from running the clutch... way i see it its a horse a piece...

Just a thought I had and I have no idea if its right.

What is the speed like in reverse? I can remember guys that didn't like plowing with manuals because reverse was geared so low.

That may have changed with the newer trucks.

[Scott K]

When I used to plow, I hated a manual tranny