I really want some real world experience from actual owners to aid me in which new truck to buy. First off I am a die hard Chevrolet owner but from the price quotes I have been getting they are out of my price range regretfully. 1. 2017 Chevrolet 3500 crew cab DRW 6.6 diesel Allison trans. best price I found on lowest trim level was $50,000. 2. 2017 Ram 3500 tradesman crew cab DRW 6.7 diesel with Aisin trans. for $43,000. 3. 2017 Ford F-350 XL package 6.7 diesel crew cab DRW for $45,000.All are basically equipped the same but I want real world advice pertaining to issues you have had with yours and your likes and dislikes. Just want to make the right decision for our future pulling needs of around 20,000 lbs as everyday use as this will be my daily driver also. I owned a dually before so I know the downfalls of that in itself. Just advice on particular models themselves. Thanks!!!!

My advice to you is to spend a Saturday and drive each one. When I was truck shopping it was obvious to me after sitting in the cab and a test drive which truck I wanted. My fishing buddy recently bought a new GMC and that truck rides and sounds like a car, very nice truck. Also, have you tried anything like Costco or your credit union for deals on your preferred truck? You should be able to get a loaded 2017 cheap with 2019's about to roll out.

I've always been a "Chevy" guy so cannot compare how others compare with real world towing or driving. I'm on my 3rd Chevy dually, long bed, crew cab. First was a used gasser. It was a magnificent towing beast. The previous owner used it tow horse trailers and we could never get the horse poop smell out of the cab. But we adjusted. It was a bit older when we bought it, and within a very few years, my Chevy repair shop guy told me I was in danger of frame failure if I continued towing. It had rusted out that bad.Thus we bought the second Chevy dually, long bed, crew cab, diesel. Now it was also a towing beast. We loved that truck. It was definitely a nicer machine, more comfortable, and another magnificent work beat. We bought it 2 years old, it was prior leased vehicle and had after market equipped brake controller that yanked us to death or seemed to not work at all. I was constantly adjusting the controller to adjust to the driving speed so we wouldn't get neck whiplash or rear-end someone every time I hit the brakes. Interesting though, the look and feel of the interior was still very much similar to the 1995 Chevy Suburban we owned before all of this. The reason we traded it, was because it had a fiberglass body, and the fat fenders were spider cracking out. I was afraid someday I'd hit a bump in the road and half the fender wheel wells would fall off. At the tune of $4000 a side to replace them, this was not an option. We traded and still got $18,000 trade in value from the dealer.Third truck is the one we have now. 2014 Chevy 3500 Dually, long bed Crew, Duramax 6.6 diesel HD. OMG! What a sweet ride! All metal body, integrated brake controller, all the bells and whistles (except heated seats), tows and breaks with the trailer unbelievably smooth at any speed (that integrated brake controller is absolutely magnificent!It's used for a combination of back-up daily driver and towing the camper and utility trailer. Fuel mileage is 18.5 when not towing and driving 55 mph, and 11.5 when towing my 11,000 pound TT. It tows unbelievable. With the integrated brake controller, exhaust brake, and cruise control, on highways, flats, or mountains, just turn on all 3 and sit and drive. It holds the speed wherever you set it. It has 4x4 and I use that a lot in the winter as we live in the country and our roads don't always get plowed in the winter as quick as we'd like. The only problem with this truck, the tail is light compared to the front. But that is true of any pick-up truck. When roads are wet (and especially snowy or icy), I have to brake a little more careful because the rear has a tendency to go into a skid. I've learned how to adjust my driving, but in a crisis moment, it's not always possible. It's just something I noticed a lot more with the newest truck that I didn't experience as much with the 2 previous trucks.I'm a Chevy guy and I love my truck. The list price on the truck (brand new) was $80,000 3 1/2 years ago. After trade in and a few discounts we ended up financing around $50,000. We have about 1 more year and it will be paid off.

This truck with the Medium Duty Cummins and MD AISIN trans with Factory Rear Air Ride and factory towing puck system in the trim level you want. 3.42's up to 28-29K and over that 4.10's.Ford still uses the Bosch CP4 injection pump that GM recently dumped because of too many warranty claims and they now use the DENSO pump. Cummins uses the tried and true CP3 pump.Pic shows how well the rear air keeps the truck at a proper towing ride height even with full RAWR of 9,750#.Notice what's in the background? Those are RAM Ambulances that are replacing Ford Ambulances.

Dutchmensport. I have very happy with our 05 chev dually for towing our 35 ft 2001 Alpenlite. We paid in the low 30K for middle model and it works great for our needs. Full timing folks need to have larger fifths than we need but we are 6 months in ours with less time on the road as we are getting close to being done rving. However we see very much larger fifths than ours being towed with 2500 SBpickups and if asked bout what they have the answer is not about power but they seem to feel power is everything not the size of their little pickup.Power seems to mean more to some than others.Be safe everybody on your trip back home. (snowbirds)chevman

I would agree to go and drive them to see which one you are most comfortable in and which one works best for you ergonomically.One big consideration should also be how long you intend on keeping the truck and putting some thought into the long term ownership costs. This was a huge consideration for me because I plan on keeping my truck a long time. A look under the hood of each one will give a clear indication which one is simplest (Ram Cummins). I was a 20 year die hard Ford guy until I got caught up in the Ford 6.0L diesel fiasco with poor reliability, expensive repairs, and a complete lack of confidence when travelling far from home with the RV. When I was looking for a new truck I looked at the new Ford 6.7L diesels and one look under the hood convinced me that I was not about to put my hard earned money on such a complicated animal that will undoubtedly cost a lot of money in the future on repairs. The CP4 high pressure fuel pump failure issue also convinced me to stay away from them because it will certainly fail some day if one keeps the truck long enough. The city I work for has predominantly Fords, however we have made the switch from diesel to mostly gas because of a long history of very expensive repairs.I made the switch from Ford to Ram 4 years ago and do not regret my decision one bit. Good luck and please let us know how you make out!

Need actual owners experience on which 1 ton to buy.

Campinghoss
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2018
I ran a 2004 6.0 F 250 for 200K miles without any issues. Most of the miles were pulling our old Sunnybrook fiver. We then did a dp Class A for a few years with a Cummins 5.9. After a lot of thought we went back to a fiver. Since the fiver is heavy I looked at upgrading the TV. We went with the 2017 F-350 dually 6.7. Personally I want ride comfort as we are retired and travel a lot. In looking for a tv I would look not only at the mechanical aspects but the longevity of all the components.
Lexx
Explorer
Mar 20, 2018
All the 3 truck mfgrs make a great truck nowadays. I'd chose one over the other based on features and price. I don't plan on keeping mine forever so if it has issues down the road, I'll sell it and move on to another.

To put this in a slightly different perspective, since most of us tow - compare the quality of the RV's with the quality of our trucks. The RV industry is rife with all sorts of sloppy manufacturing. RV dealers are shadier than used car dealers. Service at RV dealers is non-existent to slow as molasses. If this were the car industry, these RV mfgrs would go bankrupt in a heartbeat!

Enjoy your rides!
JAC1982
Explorer
Mar 19, 2018
We like our 2017 Ford so far. Prior to this, we had a 2015, we liked that too. Towed our 38' hauler like a dream. Like I think someone else mentioned, these days, I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the big trucks from the Big Three. But even our 2017 rides way smoother than the 2015 did. The 2015 was a Platinum, this one a King Ranch.

FWIW, my FIL just retired from the HotShot business, mainly doing oil field runs. He used GMCs and Dodge/RAMs for his business as he could usually get them at a better price than Fords. He still has a 1998 GMC 2500 with over 200k on it and it runs like a champ.

I do know though, when I was looking to buy my Explorer, I didn't feel like any of the other manufacturers compared when it came to the motor and the interior finishings. The GMC Acadia I looked at was awful compared to the Explorer, drove like poo too. But that's not what we're talking about here :)
Bedlam
Moderator
Mar 19, 2018
I had a Ford for 10 years and needed a bigger truck. I was happy with the the Ford, but the 10 percent savings on a comparably equipped Ram changed my mind. There are differences between them: I was used to the acceleration of a V8 diesel over the churn of the I-6 - The first one gets up to speed faster while the latter holds the speed better. Ram instruments and base radio are better than Ford's - I swapped my Ford radio out for a Nav unit and used a ScanGauge II veses using the stock Ram gear. Seats and controls were better in the Ford base XL trim - My Tradesman Ram does not have lumbar support in sculpted seats and the controls are not tactile requiring you to look at the button label.

For me the base trim brings alot of value and I am not impressed with all the extras upper trim lines bring with them. I would suggest getting the cloth seats or covering the vinyl ones with more comfortable slip-ons.
larry_barnhart
Explorer
Mar 19, 2018
My friend had his built 3 times for big $$$. He laughed at our 3500 with the Allison. Nothing is perfect.

chevman
1jeep
Explorer II
Mar 19, 2018
My point was that they have all had issues I the past, I don't think you could go wrong with any of the 3 now, however every brand has their lemons.

As far as my experience, the last tranny was a good one, I just got sick of the other issues the truck kept having.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 19, 2018
"but I know you ram guys will say mine was the only one to have had any issues."

I agree the trans was a problem for some. But a quality rebuild would have made it one of the toughest 4 speed auto trans out there.
ppine
Explorer II
Mar 19, 2018
Thanks to Cummins12.
Some people like to tow heavy and stay on the interstates and main highways.
I like to go light and go everywhere.
In Canada there are main highways that have 10% grades if I remember right.
1jeep
Explorer II
Mar 19, 2018
Wow..yet another brand war ...lol

I have throw my 3 cents in, while my current 16 ford 6.7 doesn't have many miles my previous 2011 6.7 did have about 120k trouble free miles before I traded for a DRW. I know just a matter of time before my pump implodes and pulls me and my family into a black hole to never return.

BTW..i did own a dodge once, back in 95 ...3 transmissions and many other parts later I dumped it...but I know you ram guys will say mine was the only one to have had any issues.
alexleblanc
Explorer
Mar 19, 2018
JCR-1 wrote:
No one seems to mention the FORD body mounts that turn to dust after a few years. Ford has been using body bushings (mounts) for years and they will not stand behind their ultimate failures which too are a PITA to replace as well as expensive. Ford keeps on repeating and using failed components and does not stand behind their known and repeated failures.

I don't think any of the big three have had body mount issue since the late 90's?

and to be honest, I don't really care what's a maintenance nightmare for the truck's 3rd or 4th owner anyways.