*drool*

[Center Stage Auto Detailing]

I knew they'd eventually come out with "something" that would make me want to trade my truck.

f-150 Raptor by SVT
http://jalopnik.com/5072517/ford-f+150-raptor-hits-the-trail-for-more-video-teaser-action?autoplay=true

Looked at an 09 xlt 4x4 yesterday.  It may grow on me but right now I didn't like the over all look of it at all.

[Rollingrock]

I think Dodge is going to sell a ton of trucks in 09.....hate to admit that....

[Chris@GlimmerGlass]

I do like the look of ford full sizes, but just cant bring myself to own one 

[Rollingrock]

I do like the look of ford full sizes, but just cant bring myself to own one 

I feel the same about Dodge, it pains me to say that I may consider a Dodge 2500 for 2010...but that wheel well storage the new dash, interior infloor storage, that will be a good truck.  If I could have a F250 with a Cummins and an Allison tranny I would be a happy guy, 

[Mike2301]

Someone i know just paid $25k to have a duramax/allision put into a hummer with 215k miles on it

Trans is acting up now and i've got to fix it since the place is across the country  :sblah:

[Rockpick]

It's always good to have options but, the 2009 Dodge was a *dog* compared to --well, the Silvy, the Tundra, and the F-150.  Of the four, it was a very close race for last place (Tundra & Ram).

Yeah... I'm biased but, that's my honest driving all of them -- even towing with all of them.

[Rollingrock]

It's always good to have options but, the 2009 Dodge was a *dog* compared to --well, the Silvy, the Tundra, and the F-150.  Of the four, it was a very close race for last place (Tundra & Ram).

Yeah... I'm biased but, that's my honest driving all of them -- even towing with all of them.

Don't get me wrong my blood is as blue as it gets. I think what Dodge has done is send a clear message, a line in the sand if you will.  They have decided to shorten the tow cap of this truck.  I somewhat agree with this b.c it seems that the 1/2 ton market is pounded with "tow as much as you want" mentality and is offten used as a benchmark. 

As an avid camper towing a 5er I see LOTS of people towing things they shouldn't be wiht 1/2 tons in the parks we visit and I think that part of the probelem is that we are saturated with that as a marketing ploy. 

Given that, I feel Dodge is saying, hey tow what can be towed with a 1/2 ton respectivly use a 3/4 or 1 ton outside of the ratings of this truck.

I "really" like the in floor storage and the fender flare storage on the new 09's...and its said that the 2009 3/4's and 1 tons will have that...if that happens and Ford or Chevy don't respond to that, I will take a hard look at the Dodge for my next truck for that reason alone...well that and the Cummins. 

Ford to me is the creme de la cream of trucks, Chevy/GMC is my second pick, great engine and great tranny but the interior is lacking of quality.   Dodge to me is a budget truck with a great powerplant.  (3/4 with Cummings)

It hink the next few years are going to be interesting for all the manu's.

[Kitzy]

I drive an 07 Dodge 2500 w/Cummins and overall, I don't really care for the truck.  I feel like it's going to rattle apart.  At 17,000 miles there are all kinds of creeks and rattles, and air is rushing through the driver's door already.  The motor has a ton of dead spots in it where it just absolutely doesn't want to go any faster when cruising.  My biggest issue is with the transmission.  I don't trust it.  There's times when it shifts eratically and I've already had it overheat and refuse to move the truck anywhere.  I was towing a 20 foot enclosed trailer probably around 8 or 9,000 lbs and I was backing it up a steep driveway when I didn't even make it 3/4 of the way and it took a crap on me.  I stopped and let it cool down and continued in 4-lo.  Hopefully some of those things were addressed in the new Dodges.  Atleast the gigantic, awkward headlights are gone.  Boss has an 06 GMC 2500 Duramax/Allison combo that lacks some of the power the Cummins puts down but is overall a nicer truck.  I tried for a Ford but it just didn't happen.

[hwm3]

The Dodge is a great motor in a cheap package. My next truck will most likely be a 3/4 ton, and the new Dodge will have to be a HUGE improvement for me to consider one.

Chevy is automatically out since I can't get past having IFS on a heavy duty truck, so I will likely end up in a SD.

[Rockpick]

RR -  That's a very interesting take.  One of the Edmunds.com guys that was at the Ride & Drive event asked if Ford thought that they were cannibalizing the Super Duty by making the F-150 so tow-worthy. 

Their response was that they saw the two markets as very different types and that more people were actually going away from the 3/4 ton market to a 1/2 ton in an effort to conserve gas and get a bunch of truck for less money.  They kept referring to these guys as 'core truckers'. 

To a point, I concur... I mean, the people who are core truckers are going to have a truck, in some capacity, no matter what.  The guys that are using their trucks for work every day are a tad different than the majority of folks who are towing, IMO.  You'll see work trucks with trailers but, it seems to me that more towers are guys with boats, RVs, and 'toy haulers' than are the guys that own a plumbing business (damn that Joe guy!  Anytime you say plumber, you're now obligated to talk about Joe!).

[Rollingrock]

Rock

I have towed with my old 1/2 ton and only pulling 7K and getting 5-6 mpg is Ford's idea of saving gas? 

The whole I reason I moved to a 3/4 was for the mpg's while towing.  Always better to have more truck than you need right?  Now pulling our 10K 5er I still get better than double what I got with my F150 and that was after spent thousands trying to make it town better, including, in take, troyer tunes, blah blah blah.

The problem really is the weight for the 1/2 marketing but pulling at 25-35ft cinder block down the highway is where I think the 1/2 tons suffer...

Boats, totally different story. 

One of our past times while camping is watching campers come and go while we are parked...it is just amazing what people tow with 1/2 tons...if the weight police every decided to check weights, most would be overloaded.  Its not uncommon to see 1/2 tons pulling a family of 4 in the truck, the bed totally loaded with bikes, grill, coolers, etc pulling 35 TT's.