Lots of Fords

otrfun wrote:
When I was in the market for a new 1-ton, I tried to keep an open mind and test drove all the big 3 diesel offerings. The test drive themselves didn't sway me one way or the other. They all drove great. Yes, I did notice the Ford and Chevy were a little quicker off the line than the Ram. They all impressed me equally in terms of styling and features.

However, when it came down to the wire, there were two significant reasons I went with a Ram Cummins. One was price. Checking prices nationwide, Ram Cummins were discounted about $3k-$6k more than comparatively equipped Ford or Chevys. Price isn't everything, but I can do a lot with 3-6 thousand dollars. Number two, I personnally visited a number of independent diesel repair facilities over the course of a month. Both in-town and out-of-town. The vast majority of the mechanics I spoke to commented on the reliability of the Cummins 6.7. It's very hard to ignore that kind of endorsement.

I've never been much of a Dodge/Chrysler/Ram fan. In fact, I've never owned a Chrysler product new or used till now. In the early days I stayed with GM, then later moved on to Honda/Toyota/Nissan. Honestly, if Toyota made a 1-ton that would have been my first choice--even if it costed $3k-$6k more. Toyota's "overall" reputation for quality engineering has been proven to me time and time again.

In any case, I've got 4,300 miles on my '16 Ram Cummins. Yup, I was disappointed to have a improperly positioned radiator shroud take out my radiator at 800 miles, but hey, the local dealer did a super job of getting it fixed quickly and professionally. Experienced some of the best customer service I've experienced in quite a while---was very pleasantly surprised. Beyond that burp, I've been totally impressed with this truck. Just got through pulling our new 12.5k (loaded) 5th wheel on a 1,000 mile trip through many thousands of feet of elevation changes in 112 degree heat. Performed flawlessly while providing almost 12 MPG! Fit and finish on the interior and exterior is excellent. My only complaint? Cheap-ass Firestone tires--lol!

My cousin has been a diesel tech since '93 and worked only on Ford diesels until a couple of years ago when mostly the 6.0/6.4 PSD were out of warranty. He has been working in the Chrysler shop working on ram diesels now and the ford shop has reduced it's diesel techs almost 50%. He also reported the red tape is terrible with FCA whereas in the Ford shop they were given more wiggle room to handle warranty repairs without pre approvals. The emissions equipment, injectors, transmissions, suspension overhals, and electrical grimlins keep's him very busy in the Chrysler shop.

Good luck with your truck....