For several reasons, which I won't bore you with, I decided I wanted a new truck. I talked my wife into it and we started looking and talking about it. Regardless of the brand, we decided we were going to jump up to a 2500 (from a 2013 Silverado 1500, 5.3, 3.42). We knew we wanted a gas engine and after doing a lot of research and reading, we went to look at a RAM 2500 with the 6.4L HEMI. Although we have been happy with the Chevy overall, the 6.0L engine GM is still using just doesn't seem to measure up. For the record, GM's recall and ignition switch issues played no part in our decision not to buy another GM and I would still consider them in the future. We looked at a Tradesman, but decided we wanted a few more bells and whistles. Another dealership had an SLT that had everything we needed and wanted. There was a lot of wheeling and dealing involved, but eventually we drove off with the new truck below. We have only driven it about 100 miles and won't tow with it until next weekend, but so far I am impressed. Can't wait to hitch up the 7,500 pound trailer and see the difference!Here are a couple of cell phone pics my wife took in a parking lot today:

Wow, that looks like a huge cab!Congratulations on the new truck, and have fun camping!Fred.

You may double check your manual and see if there should be a few more miles on it before you tow anything.Nice looking truck.

I couldn't find anywhere in the manual that says to allow for a break in period before towing. It does say something about driving conservatively for the first 300 miles. The "truck guy" (you know how that goes) at the dealership said it's not necessary. Regardless, I'm going to get it up to at least 500 miles this week before we tow. It has the 3.73 gears and I'm aware that the 4.10 would be preferable for towing. It is almost impossible to find a 4.10 on a dealer lot and I got a decent deal so I didn't want to mess with ordering one. Also, I know everyone says to plan for the future trailers, but I can safely say we are not getting a new trailer any time soon and when we do, it will still be a travel trailer and not be much bigger than what we have now. No 5'ers until retirement which is well down the road. I talked to someone who tows a 7,000 pound travel trailer with the 6.4 and 3.73 gears and he said it is a breeze. Here is a link to the truck on the dealer website with the specs. It is a stock picture so ignore that. We paid 34K (before TTL) in case anyone is wondering. I got them down to 37K and they gave me 3K more than I owed on my trade. I also negotiated in 5 years of oil changes and tire rotations (maximum of 10 oil changes and 5 rotations) and tinting the front windows. http://www.championcjdindiana.com/new/Ram/2014-Ram-2500-1f57d1fd0a0a00644872c496e622b147.htm

Sorry GM, I switched to RAM | Good Sam Community

95 Replies

Dog_Folks
Explorer
Aug 16, 2014
Francesca Knowles wrote:
So...how about them...um... 1985 Yugos! Now, there was a lousy car.

And if anyone wants to argue with me about that, I'll Meet You Outside!

;)

This is the RV.Net, someone will argue! Not me.
Superduty123
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
What is wrong with some of you people? The keys do not and have never "fallen out" of the ignition switch.

The issue is if anything heavier then one key (according to GM not me) is put on the key ring and you hit a bump the ignition switch can and DOES rotate out of the RUN mode! This turns off the vehicle disables the air bags and seat belt tensors, you lose your power steering and brakes. For a full grown man this is not and issue, for a young teen male or female and most women, this is a oh-$hit moment. It can and HAS caused at least 13 deaths and GM has known about it for a very long time and did nothing to fix it!

Don

Yea, hes' right, this is what happened. If you can't find it, then you have not looked at the national news over the past 4 months while the GM Chairwoman has been hauled in front of congress. To the poster in North Dakota, this was clearly not a situation of people trying to make money, this was simply a GM engineering team knowing exactly what the problem was for years and will to take the "costs" in victims, which correctly above was mostly young women who had no clue what was happening an lost control of the cars

Thanks GM
Perrysburg_Dodg
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
What is wrong with some of you people? The keys do not and have never "fallen out" of the ignition switch.

The issue is if anything heavier then one key (according to GM not me) is put on the key ring and you hit a bump the ignition switch can and DOES rotate out of the RUN mode! This turns off the vehicle disables the air bags and seat belt tensors, you lose your power steering and brakes. For a full grown man this is not and issue, for a young teen male or female and most women, this is a oh-$hit moment. It can and HAS caused at least 13 deaths and GM has known about it for a very long time and did nothing to fix it!

Don
AH64ID
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
I know that our 1992 chev pickup would let you pull the key out of the ignition after about 150K miles. That wasn't the first time I had seen that on the old style GM ignition. I actually liked it. Put the key in turn to ACC, pull the key out and go.

No clue about new stuff.
Charlie_D_
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
minnow wrote:
Charlie D. wrote:

Ignition is a BIG issue but GM has owned up to it. There are a couple of other manufacturers with the same problem but not as huge as GM.

Never heard that keys fall out of the ignition.

The issue is not that they've "owned up to it", but rather the very long (10 years to travel) roundabout road they were dragged down before they came clean. Anyone who thinks GM is an honorable corporate citizen in this society is only fooling themselves.

I have tried but an unable to find that GM has had an issue with keys FALLING out of the ignition that you and Superduty123 mention.

From July: Chrysler said Monday that it is adding about 696,000 minivans and SUVs to a 2011 recall to fix faulty ignition switches.

The latest recall covers some Dodge Journey SUVs and Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans from the 2007 to 2009 model years. Most were sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Chrysler recalled 196,000 Journeys, Caravans and Town & Countrys in March of 2011 because the ignition keys could unexpectedly move from "run" to "accessory" and shut down the engine.

I know that GM's recall was irresponsible and millions more than Chrysler but I suspect that more recalls from manufacturers will be occurring because, as someone else stated, so many of the parts are interchangeable among car companies.
2RR2NV
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
what was this thread about? oh yeah.. . You bought a new RAM! SAWEET!! GRATS!

I went with the smaller CC because I don't really need/want a HUGE cabin. yes, they are nice, but I'd rather have a big bed. just me. Beautiful looking rig ya got. Enjoy for all it's worth. I can't wait to pull something big. First big load will probably be loading up the house and moving it all to the new house. WOOT!! then get a 5er down the road.

Have fun!

Scot "Z"
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
So...how about them...um... 1985 Yugos! Now, there was a lousy car.

And if anyone wants to argue with me about that, I'll Meet You Outside!

;)
Superduty123
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
gmc6000 wrote:
Superduty123 wrote:
gmc6000 wrote:
Sorry, but I don't buy this key issue. First I guarantee not one of these vehicles turned off on there own with the keys that came equipped with the vehicle. Not going to happen. Is it GM's fault that these idiots added 5 extra pounds of******to the key chain? No it is not. I also would not expect a key switch to last 10 years. Great if it does, but not something I would expect.

Secondly, I have yet to ever see a vehicle that if it was powered off, I could not steer or stop with the brakes.

People need to be accountable for their own stupidity.

Dude, your really have no clue. Would a 16 year old girl know what to do when the key falls out and the steering wheel locks. do some research and see how many people died with this key falling out and the engineering team knew full well it was a problem. I have been driving for 42 years and with probably 30 different or more vechiles, I have never seen anything like that. To think that a friggn key can fall our because the lock is worn out after 10 years is BS (most of these cars were less than 6 years old) you haven't looked at any of the facts. As I said before, you can point to all the manufacturers but GM is by far the one with the most epidemic issues around safety and quality

First off, keys just don't fall out on their own. Second, unless the transmission is in park, the steering wheels don't lock, designed that way. I have seen the so called "facts". In this day and age of "Its somebody else's fault", I don't believe most of these stories.

Yea, and the world is flat

Oh, and BTW, GM has signed an memorandum of findings of the court admitting to the fact that they knew about the keys falling out of the ignition, locking steering wheels and causing the accidents. They are simply in the phase now of trying to figure out how many accidents there where and how many people where effected. The court hired the law firm that settled all the Florida oil spill claims to arbitrate the settlement

You don't seem to know any of the facts. Do people look for a freebie and blame other people in this country for financial gain, all the time

But in this situation genius the company has admitted to the facts, fired the engineer in charge (who is taking the 5th) and is settling the claims

Now,as the other posted said, most of these cars where driven by a demographic of younger people and especially young woman

If your daughter died, when they knew for years it was a problem, would you want to take a settlement, or go find the SOB who was responsible and settle it that way

Keep blowing smoke up there in the north, you must need the heat
gmc6000
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
Superduty123 wrote:
gmc6000 wrote:
Sorry, but I don't buy this key issue. First I guarantee not one of these vehicles turned off on there own with the keys that came equipped with the vehicle. Not going to happen. Is it GM's fault that these idiots added 5 extra pounds of******to the key chain? No it is not. I also would not expect a key switch to last 10 years. Great if it does, but not something I would expect.

Secondly, I have yet to ever see a vehicle that if it was powered off, I could not steer or stop with the brakes.

People need to be accountable for their own stupidity.

Dude, your really have no clue. Would a 16 year old girl know what to do when the key falls out and the steering wheel locks. do some research and see how many people died with this key falling out and the engineering team knew full well it was a problem. I have been driving for 42 years and with probably 30 different or more vechiles, I have never seen anything like that. To think that a friggn key can fall our because the lock is worn out after 10 years is BS (most of these cars were less than 6 years old) you haven't looked at any of the facts. As I said before, you can point to all the manufacturers but GM is by far the one with the most epidemic issues around safety and quality

First off, keys just don't fall out on their own. Second, unless the transmission is in park, the steering wheels don't lock, designed that way. I have seen the so called "facts". In this day and age of "Its somebody else's fault", I don't believe most of these stories.
LowRyter
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
hope you enjoy the seats after a 14 hour ride.