Dodge diesel vs. Ford diesel

[hwm3]

OK, since the new horse trailer the truck gets 6 mpg towing. Yep, 6 mpg. This has made the move to a diesel essential, most likely a dually. The question is Dodge vs. Ford.

Anyone have anything good or bad to say about either of them?

[Kitzy]

I hate my 07 Dodge 2500 w/Cummins.  Good motor, horrible everything else.  Had a bad torque converter under 25k.  I've had the transmission overheat backing up a short steep incline with a 20' enclosed trailer loaded to prbably around 8k or so.  Maybe more.  Its loud.  Has rattles.  Feels cheap.  Looks cheaper.   Can't even keep the mirrors from moving.  Eerytime the passenger closes he door I have to readjust and the power mirror on that side barely works so he usually has to do it by hand for me.  To do it on my an I have to move it up and then down just to move it n a hair and keep doing that until its where I want it.  We have a Ford F350 standard cab long bed with the 5.4 and while I lacks power, its a damn solid truck.  To be honest, I absolutely love the boss's GMC 2500hd wth the duramax and Allison combo.  Quiet and solid.  Can't speak on gas mileage though.  I don't drive it nearly enough and I've only pulled with it once.  The Dodge is getting something like 10 MPG wth a lead foot and minimum probably 7k in tow. 

[Robby32]

Can't help you with the Ford vs. Dodge - Always been a GM guy.

Have a 1500 GMC (2011) 5.3 Alum. block, 6 speed really like it.

Has tow package but not set up for the big stuff.

[Rollingrock]

OK, since the new horse trailer the truck gets 6 mpg towing. Yep, 6 mpg. This has made the move to a diesel essential, most likely a dually. The question is Dodge vs. Ford.

Anyone have anything good or bad to say about either of them?

Harold the new 2011 is a tow beast.   You won't even know you are pulling a rig.

I hate Dodge but if you were to find one, find a 5.9 used...best engine to date. 

The fit and finish of the Dodges are terrible.   Ford builds a much beefer truck if you ask me.  The new 11's are amazing.

[Blown F-150]

The only reason Dodge sells at all is because of the motor. The '08 Megacab I borrowed a few months back had the 6.7 and pulling maybe 5k it got 13mpg. the interior has always been cheap and plain on dodges (I had an '05 and '07 halftons as work trucks) and I couldn't stand the seats. I hear the new body style is much better, but there has been complaints of rattles at less than 20k.

There are at least 5 PSD's in my family and for the most part they have been happy with them, a few motor issues but nothing big. I do really like the new GM's, the tranny is incredibly smooth and they seem to be getting decent mpg's when towing.

just my take on it, but the only reason I would look at a dodge is for the motor and the cab, everything else goes to the Ford.

[hwm3]

The reason I ask about the Dodges is that easily 50% of the trucks we see at the races pulling big living quarters trailers are Dodge. The rest are mostly Fords, with only a couple Chevys. All I read is bad and stay away, but there sure are a lot of people using them. The are also about $5k cheaper.

I know the interior on the old trucks is terrible, but we are looking at new trucks. An SLT Dodge is supposed to compare very well to the XLT Ford, which is the trim level we will get. Tough decision.

On another note it will definitely be a dually. Tongue weight is a little over 2400lbs empty.

[Rollingrock]

The reason I ask about the Dodges is that easily 50% of the trucks we see at the races pulling big living quarters trailers are Dodge. The rest are mostly Fords, with only a couple Chevys. All I read is bad and stay away, but there sure are a lot of people using them. The are also about $5k cheaper.

I know the interior on the old trucks is terrible, but we are looking at new trucks. An SLT Dodge is supposed to compare very well to the XLT Ford, which is the trim level we will get. Tough decision.

On another note it will definitely be a dually. Tongue weight is a little over 2400lbs empty.

Pin weights on the Dodges have always been far behind Ford and Chevy/GMC   I suspect that most of those folks pulling big rigs are way over weight.   

I would stay away from the older 4 speed Dodges, those trannys are just pure junk.  Cummin's are pulling engines for sure and they don't like to be daily drivers.   biggest complaint around dodges I see are RV.net are transmissions, interior fit and finish and low pin weights.   

The new one on the other hand magically got new Gross rattings...a move needed by dodge to stay competitive.   

But really at this rate, ANY of the Diesels will do you better than a V-10 but don't expect to get 18 pulling.    Real world, you will see 10-14.  14 being tail wind.   :)

[Zaairman]

My complaints about the Dodges are the interior sucks, the AC sucks, and the motor is thirsty. 

[GreyMichFX4]

The Cummins is cheaper to fix and mod than the Dmax and Power Stroke and holds up to mods better than either of the other two engines. The wrapper around the engine just plain sucks, a friend and I took an 06 for a test drive a few months ago and neither of us were impressed with the truck.

[hwm3]

I'd be very happy with 10mpg towing. Based on 10k miles a year that would save me over $2k/year.

Looks like I just need to be patient and wait for Ford to offer 0% again.

RR, what does your camper weigh?

[Rollingrock]

I'd be very happy with 10mpg towing. Based on 10k miles a year that would save me over $2k/year.

Looks like I just need to be patient and wait for Ford to offer 0% again.

RR, what does your camper weigh?

Around 12K loaded with about 25 gals of water.    I haven't weighed it in a long time.

[hwm3]

Around 12K loaded with about 25 gals of water.    I haven't weighed it in a long time.

See I'm gonna be pushing 14k loaded for a weekend race. 

My Ford dealer has an '01 Crewcab dually with the 7.3l. One owner truck and very clean. I was thinking about checking it out.

[GreyMichFX4]

What is your combined weight going to be? With my SRW F350 6.0 4X4 CC 6.75ft bed I can be 23k combined and I have yet to weigh the truck and I am guessing with me, full tank, and hitch I am between 8k and 9k.

[hwm3]

What is your combined weight going to be? With my SRW F350 6.0 4X4 CC 6.75ft bed I can be 23k combined and I have yet to weigh the truck and I am guessing with me, full tank, and hitch I am between 8k and 9k.

With the current truck it's just about 22k.

[GreyMichFX4]

You could get by with a F350 SRW 6.4, if you want let me run my truck across my BIL's scale at his truck yard and see what it weighs.