Quality

travelnutz wrote:
The junkyards are filled with rusted out etc Dodge/Ram pickups, more than there's GM or Ford pickup trucks in them according the salvage reports of types of vehicles that are in their yards. Add in that Dodge/Ram is one of the 3 BIG 3 yet only has sold 1 out of 7 of the new pickups average for over 3 decade or more. the big 3 have sold.

This was in an written about in Automotive News and the Detroit Free Press less than a year ago now. Common knowledge here in the Midwest and most of the east coast as seeing is what's there. Very poor resale values. In the Midwest, it's almost strange to see a Dodge or Ram pickup that is 5 years old or more without rust already showing on the bottom of the doors and/or the bed area by the rear wheel wells or on the outside fender joints/ around wheel openings. So unlike either GM or Ford pickup trucks which seldom have any rust at all showing before they are 10+ years old.

What good is a rusted out truck body sheet metal, usually cracked/crumbled I/P, and shredded passenger seats etc even if the engine or transmission still will run with needed repairs? It's the wrapper the entire driveline is included in that makes it a usable vehicle on the roads!

That's a big part of what "Reliability" means and only is revealed after miles are on the odometer and/or time has passed. BTW, a lot more by far people and trucks are owned and driven in the eastern half of the USA than west of the Rockies and it's the same for Canada too.

I agree that the western US is far nicer than anything in the midwest or east coast. Better scenery and outdoor access, nicer weather, fewer people...it isn't even a contest. That was your point, right?