Ford, Chevy, or Ram?

[Tbos]

I'm looking at getting a late model used (2012 or later) or maybe new 1 ton dually. Trying to figure out which truck brand will suit me the best. I'm interested in your opinions and experiences regarding towing, reliability, and maintenance. Thanks in advance.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

[cardinal96ss]

Tbos, you have likely started a very long thread. I'll get it going by saying that I love our 2013 Silverado LTZ 3500 dually. It provides plenty of towing power and gives a great comfortable ride both when towing or not. Mileage is 11-16 mpg. No problems so far.

[66joej]

Are you towing your current RV with the new truck? If yes a dually would be overkill. JMO

[Javi]

Are you towing your current RV with the new truck? If yes a dually would be overkill. JMO

I haven't seen any particular criteria for that determination outside of personal opinion... I can't think of a single downside to a dually towing his current trailer..

[chuckster57]

I haven't seen any particular criteria for that determination outside of personal opinion... I can't think of a single downside to a dually towing his current trailer..

I agree 100%.

[SAABDOCTOR]

I AGREE ON THE DUALLY! As to which brand well i'll go get my helmet and flack jacket can't live through another which truck is best thread!:hornets: find a truck that you like with the options you want and have a great time

[JRTJH]

The answer to the "Which is better, Ford, Chevy, or Ram?" question is simply, "YES" (whatever 'thrills" you).....

That said, if you're buying new, the easy way to get the right truck is to buy (or special order) what you want after running the numbers to make sure that the truck has the capacity to do what you want it to do.

If you're buying a "used" truck, then you're pretty much in a position of looking until you find the truck you need (or the truck you will "settle for"). Depending on what you're looking for, that may be very difficult. You may find "exactly the truck" you're looking for, in a Ford, but you wanted XX. You may find "exactly the truck" you're looking for, but it's blue and you wanted red. You may find "exactly the truck" you're looking for, but the truck bed is damaged. You may find "exactly the truck" you're looking for, but it has 300,000 miles on it and the driver's seat is completely "wallered out". You might find "exactly the truck" you're looking for, but the dealership won't negotiate the price and it's way to expensive...

Buying used puts you in a position of "taking what's available". Sometimes you can find it by going to one dealership, sometimes you search for weeks, months, maybe years and never find "exactly what you want"......

[PARAPTOR]

I AGREE ON THE DUALLY! As to which brand well i'll go get my helmet and flack jacket can't live through another which truck is best thread!:hornets: find a truck that you like with the options you want and have a great time

Love it !!!!, Thanks for the heads up, going to dig out my gear :hide:

[sourdough]

I know dualies are nice but there IS a downside to them :hide:. They won't fit in a regular garage - which is mandatory for us. Sitting under our pecan trees would ruin the finish on a truck in a season unless I washed it every few days....which I don't want to do or add onto the house to enlarge the garage:nonono: A 2500 is hard enough to get in there with all my "stuff":o

As far as which brand is best.....I've owned new trucks from each of the big 3. I was a Chevy guy, then a Ford guy and now I'm a Ram guy (I know; not much of a fanatic). They all make good trucks these days. I buy a truck based on whatever criteria is important to me at the time. I think everyone is the same so we have fervent advocates for each of the big 3....nothing wrong with that. Just pick what fits your needs and put it to use.

[Tbos]

I will eventually upgrade to a 5er once I sell the house next year. Hence the search for a dually diesel. I have friends that are die hard GM and others that are the same for Fords. I'm interested in what issues you've had, etc... and why you bought the truck you did. My list of must haves is smaller than the DWs. But since I'm the primary driver I think I'll win out overall. Anything bigger than my 1500 won't fit in my garage and I'm not looking forward to scraping frost off before I can go to work. I've had a garage for 8 years now but when the house is gone the garage goes too. I appreciate everyone's inputs. I also understand everyone has their own opinion. I'm interested in knowing what helped you form that opinion. Thanks again.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

[Desert185]

This is very similar to asking what kind of woman you should marry. What works for one sure as heck isn't going to work for another.

Make sure you drive it before you buy it, because you're the one making the decision and living with it. You have to make a like connection with the truck.

Don't overlook/omit limited slip on the rear diff.

[the sodfather]

I will eventually upgrade to a 5er once I sell the house next year. Hence the search for a dually diesel. I have friends that are die hard GM and others that are the same for Fords. I'm interested in what issues you've had, etc... and why you bought the truck you did. My list of must haves is smaller than the DWs. But since I'm the primary driver I think I'll win out overall. Anything bigger than my 1500 won't fit in my garage and I'm not looking forward to scraping frost off before I can go to work. I've had a garage for 8 years now but when the house is gone the garage goes too. I appreciate everyone's inputs. I also understand everyone has their own opinion. I'm interested in knowing what helped you form that opinion. Thanks again.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

:popcorn: get your popcorn ready...

I'll save the frost issue for you...buy anything with remote start.:D.

[Jime]

I tow with a 2013 F-250, 6.7 Diesel, King Ranch, had air bags installed-Love it. 3710fl Montana.

My son tow with a 2015 Dodge Big Horn, Diesel, had air bags installed, not sure model of 5er but approx. 40' Alpine. He loves it.

Find what appeals to your eye and enjoy!

[bsmith0404]

As you can tell, everyone is avoiding the question. Kind of a forum etiquette to not argue over which brand is better. You want to know what formed our opinions and our experiences so I'll give you that. Keep in mind for just about everything I say, good or bad, someone else's opinion/reasons could be 180 degrees.

I have GM, why? Main reason is that's what I grew up with. My dad always drove GM. I've owned one Dodge and will never own another. I've never owned a Ford.

My thoughts for the diesels. Cummins is very simple yet effective engine, my experience as a transporter is that they didn't get as good of fuel mileage as GM, but for the average person who only drives a few thousand miles per year, that's not really an issue. Not worth making a decision on a truck over a few dollars per month in fuel. I don't trust their transmissions or front ends and their seats have been known to give out early. You can google that for more information. I would say the Cummins has been known to go further than the others, but it depends on how long you plan to keep it to determine if this is a concern. Are you looking for a 1,000,000 mile engine or a 500,000 mile? I don't intend to keep mine that long, so I don't care either way. I don't like the mirrors.

With the GM, the Allison transmission is arguably the best in the industry. The early Dmax (01-04) had injector issues, they added extended warranty to account for that. The years you're looking at have had that problem corrected. The seats are known to be one of the most comfortable of the 3. I have 150,000 miles on my truck and the seat is still like new, including the leather. But there is one member on here that absolutely hates the seats in the GM and he drives a Ford because of it. GM does not have a lift pump which has caused some problems over the years. Some of us have added FASS systems to remedy that. The FASS system also provides better fuel filtering and air separation so it serves multiple purposes. I also like the torsion bar suspension system better on the GM. As for mine, over 150k miles I have changed the #2 Nox sensor in the exhaust under warranty at 48k miles (it was a known problem with the 2011), one Exhaust Gas Temperature sensor at 120k miles, and the engine block heater under recall, they had a problem with some of them leaking coolant. I have added a deeper pan to the Allison and completed a double fluid change to Transynd fluid which and Allison tech said is the best to use and is good for 150k miles. I also added a deeper differential cover to help with fluid cooling and rear end life (an upgrade I'd recommend regardless of brand). I found the Eaton rear end that GM uses is very fussy as to which type of fluid you use. Mobil 1 or the OE grape juice seem to be the only reliable options. I tried another brand that led to some rear end chatter while backing.

As for Ford, I've never been a Ford guy and I don't know many people who have them....actually, don't have any close friends who own a power stroke. I do know they have had many issues over the years with different engine configurations and have gone through more changes in that department than the others. IMO, Ford does do a better job with innovation that the other 2. The power extending/folding mirrors are nice as well as a few other things they have come up with for comfort and safety. For example, their 911 service with the Ford Sync system is always available and dials direct to 911 vs. onstar which dials an onstar operator who then plays middleman. I don't believe the onstar emergency service works if you don't have a subscription.

So there you have it. As you can probably gather from what I have written I have fewer concerns with GM than the other 2, but that's why I drive one. I tried to be fair and point out the things I do like about the others as well, but keep in mind my knowledge on them is limited. I wish GM would keep up with Ford on innovation. I do wish the Dmax was known to run as many miles as the Cummins. For me and my money, I weighed those things against what was more important for me and where I felt comfortable. As I stated, others on here could easily build a similar list with brand X having more pros and GM having more cons. I'm not going to say one is any more right or wrong than the other, it just leads us down the path to where we spend our money. You can spend days on google reading about the good and bad of each. In the end we all have opinions and we all know what opinions are like. One other item you may want to look into is the warranty. All 3 have a very good warranty package for their diesel trucks. I know GM has a 100k mile warranty on anything that falls under the diesel engine system, that's why my Nox sensor was replaced under warranty at 48k. I'm pretty sure the other 2 have the same or similar warranty, but I'm not the expert on that so I'd say do your own research and make sure you have accurate information.

[Lic0rice]

The first thing my wife and I did was to drive a 3500 from F, D & GM. Neither of us liked the ride of the Ford (I have owned 4 F150s), so it was taken off the list. I then spoke to the owner of a local transmission shop (he has an excellent reputation). He told us that the Allison is the best transmission on the road and he would have to do something else for a living if all he did was work on Allison.

I then spoke to a friend who is a retired diesel mechanic. He said the Cummins is the best diesel but the Duramax is a very close second. But, he pulls his horse trailers with a Chevy 3500 DRW.

So, we decided that either the GM/Chevy or the Dodge would be excellent choices. We drove both trucks again and liked them equally. It then came down to price. I tried to get a deal from 2 Dodge dealers but both of them were hard to work with. Next we went to a GM dealer and walked out the proud owner of a GM Sierra 3500.

Probably would have been just as happy with the Dodge but spent close to $2k less for the GM.

[msp2jxr]

The thing that sold me on the Ford is the power mirrors. Since I garage my truck being able to push a button and have my mirror fold in was important. At the time I was looking Dodge did not even offer that feature which may have changed. I still think Ford has the best mirrors for towing which was an important feature for me. With that said if you buy a lesser model I think you can be money ahead and buy power mirrors and install them yourself. I believe they after market power mirrors for most brands. JM2C Jay

[mtofell]

My progression in vehicles over the last 20 years: Subaru - Toyota - Ford - Nissan - Chevy - Ram

So I'm obviously not brand loyal. For the HD trucks I sure liked my 2006 Chevy Duramax. That was one great truck. I only sold because the miles were getting up there and didn't want to start replacing big time parts that start to creep up after 200K miles.

I think you really can't go wrong with any of the big 3. They all make great trucks. Ram seems to give you the most for your money but from reading message boards (totally unscientific study, I know) they seem to have more problems. I'm currently in one and it's a decent truck. The tranny did blow at 38K miles for absolutely no reason (I was sitting in traffic). I suppose that's just a fluke.

I'd stay away from any of the Ford diesels before the 6.7 for sure. I know there are plenty of folks out there that haven't had problems but I'd personally avoid rolling that pair of dice.

If I were looking at used I'd probably not rule anything out but just see what's out there and what you can get the best deal on.

[PARAPTOR]

Good job !! I am impressed !! thought this thread would be on fire by now. Indication of members getting older ?? :nonono: Maybe too early? and we need to wait awhile longer :popcorn:

[Outback 325BH]

The answer is easy: Ford!

Government Motors: nope
Fiat: nope

See, problem solved!

I'm sure we're all adults here and can agree, no? He, he, he...


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[msubobcats]

I have told Patti that when I die I do not want to be taken to the cemetery in a Ford. Don't like them and have never had any luck with them holding together, mostly work related trucks.
Others love them.
I could drive a Dodge truck but at the time have a 2002 Silverado, look at sig, and love it. No, not a diesel.
As has been said before, drive them and see which you like best...

[66joej]

I have told Patti that when I die I do not want to be taken to the cemetery in a Ford. Don't like them and have never had any luck with them holding together, mostly work related trucks.
Others love them.
I could drive a Dodge truck but at the time have a 2002 Silverado, look at sig, and love it. No, not a diesel.
As has been said before, drive them and see which you like best...

No worries about the trip to the cemetery. Most funeral homes still use Cadillacs.:lol:

[Don_T]

My opinion is go drive all of them and buy the one you are most comfortable in. They are all good unless you get the odd one that is troublesome. That can happen with any of them. I have had and been happy with all of the big three. This time I went with the best deal. The local Ford dealer was trying to get rid of the '16 trucks to make room for a bunch of new aluminum '17s.

[dcg9381]

I own the Ram. Ford and Chevy both drove fine. I like the (relatively) simplicity of the I-6 6.7L diesel and with 800-900 ft/lbs of torque, it really doesn't matter which one of the 3 brands that you pick.

[notanlines]

My friends that work at Ford are told first thing that any MSU Bobcat fans from Portola are NOT to be allowed to ride to the cemetery in a Ford! (I couldn't help myself)

[fjrandy]

i have a 16 GMC Denali HD gas motor. 6.0 is the motor size and the gas mileage it gets with a Carbon33 on behind. Love the truck other than the MPG.

[bagged123]

I traded in my '16 GMC 2500 and went back to Chevy and got a '16 3500 DRW. Love the ride of the chevy's both towing and just riding. We went with a DRW for when we decide to upgrade to a 5'er. We just have a 32' TT but now, I have the truck to upgrade the camper

I test drove a ford and a few of my buddies have fords, and the ride was just too stiff, I couldn't imagine towing with one. As for Rams, they have a good payload and towing, but too many issues. A buddy of mine has a Ram 2500 and it's in the shop more then he drives it, he's trading it in shortly.

Each have pro's and con's, it'll come down to what you really want and your budget

[Tbos]

Thanks everyone. My search for a diesel DRW continues. I haven't driven a Ram yet.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

[Javi]

Thanks everyone. My search for a diesel DRW continues. I haven't driven a Ram yet.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

Fly down here where even the soccer moms drive a dually... by the time you drive it home it'll be broken in and ready to tow...:D

[Tbos]

Fly down here where even the soccer moms drive a dually... by the time you drive it home it'll be broken in and ready to tow...:D



Javi, I have family in Gunbarrel so I've done some internet searches within 150 miles of there. Prices for used seem to be close to what they are in this area. If I find something there I'll be heading that way.


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[Javi]

Javi, I have family in Gunbarrel so I've done some internet searches within 150 miles of there. Prices for used seem to be close to what they are in this area. If I find something there I'll be heading that way.


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Look up around Hutto, I paid $38K new for the truck in my signature.

Javi

[Tbos]

Look up around Hutto, I paid $38K new for the truck in my signature.

Javi



What's the zip code in that area? Thanks.


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[Javi]

What's the zip code in that area? Thanks.


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78634

Javi

[gearhead]

My thoughts.....I have always been a Chevy guy but have had Fords and now a Ram. The Ford diesels seem to be more hot rods than the Rams. Higher RPM's. Nothing fits me better than a GM seat. In my Ram I'm always having to slide across the seat to get closer to the window to feel right. Then I get a great view of the A pillar grab handle. But..that Cummins is a monster. Great low end torque. I have almost 20,000 miles on it with no issues. If I found any of the 3 that was what I wanted, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on any of them.

[ctbruce]

I've always driven Chevys and they have never let me down. My dad retired from Chevrolet and we've been loyal forever. It has worked for us. I'm sure others on here have done the same thing with other brands. What I do know is that I am familiar with the products. They don't change that much year to year and that makes taking care of them and maintenance easier. Good luck with what you decide. It's really hard to go wrong unless you don't buy enough truck!

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2017 3500HD Silverado LTZ

[ckduallie]

FORD, FORD and FORD!

[Cabindweller]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I've had trucks from all three and I've found that I prefer Rams.

If one company could get ahold of the Cummins and the Allison transmission, that would be the truck to have! Until then, buy the one you like the best and enjoy.

[Todd727]

I will say if you can find a dually with wide-track front end, you will be even happier. Ford's F450 pick-up has it. There are some years of the F350 that came with it too.

[MattHelm21]

:bow:The wide track front end was an option on the F350 and standard on the F450 for my model year. I can definitely recommend this. 40 degree wheel cut. I know this sounds like nothing compared to any medium duty or heavy duty truck with the 55 degree wheel cut but the turning circle is still better by far than my 2000 Chevy 3500 and 2004.5 Chevy 3500 HD dually's and that with 4 wheel drive. The negative though is that there are more turns of the wheel to achieve it. Gives you a good workout. :bow:

[the sodfather]

Alright I'll jump in and be bias.

Did you know that Dodge and Ford both have heated tailgates? Yup, so your hands don't get cold when pushing them.

Just buy a Chevy or GMC...

[sourdough]

Alright I'll jump in and be bias.

Did you know that Dodge and Ford both have heated tailgates? Yup, so your hands don't get cold when pushing them.

Just buy a Chevy or GMC...

Sort of like FORD = fix or repair daily? :angel:

I have no dog in this hunt but I can tell you that I am a very particular, analytical person. My son is a car salesman (GM) drives a Chevy and tells me I need to buy a Ford. I have bought more new trucks than he has ever dreamed about and I have different views.

Ford: so so engine/drivetrain; so so longevity. Interior has always been one of the best but they have just not kept up with Ram with the interiors. Price is mid range of the 3 (more or less).

Chevy/GM: Allison tranny - tops. Duramax - good but nothing special - Ford and Chevy tie on this. Ergonomics, for us, fails. Price is ridiculous for what you get compared to the other 2.

Ram: Cummins - the other 2 can't compare. Aisin vs Allison...the Allison is better but the Aisin ain't no slacker. Ford....well..... Ram has the best interior based on several tests by various publications. Best towing (last I remember), and best pricing usually.

All that said; I've purchased 21 new Ford trucks for personal use. I stopped. Used to love their ergonomics but their drivetrains were always last. I've only purchased 3 new Chevy trucks (years ago). Loved the engines, did not like the trannys and the interiors were Spartan. I never dreamed of buying a Dodge truck - ever - until they started the new body style. Even then it was 2001 before I bought a 1500 Off Road 4x4. The 5.9 w/4.10 was great. Since 2001 I've purchased 8 Dodge/Ram trucks. They improve constantly. The interiors are best in class confirmed by most truck tests. The Cummins can't be touched by the others. The 6.4 hemi is exceptional.

All of this is 100% subjective and many will not agree. That's why we always have the Ram/Chevy/GMC/Ford debates......there is no winner so we all inevitably walk away with the same preconceptions we came in with...........

[chuckster57]

I've said time and time again:
Give me a Cummins engine
Allison transmission in a
Ford truck and I'd be a happy camper.

[Tbos]

I'm the OP and I just bought a Used 2016 Ford XLT CC with a payload of 5601 and a GVWR 14000. It only has 17,500 miles on it and is spotless. This is the first step towards an eventual upgrade to a 5er. Thanks for the inputs everyone.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

[chuckster57]

Congrats on the new truck.

[Javi]

I'm the OP and I just bought a Used 2016 Ford XLT CC with a payload of 5601 and a GVWR 14000. It only has 17,500 miles on it and is spotless. This is the first step towards an eventual upgrade to a 5er. Thanks for the inputs everyone.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green
Congratulations on the truck, wander what the 400 pounds difference in our payloads would be. Maybe carpet and seating.

Javi

[JRTJH]

Javi,

It could be as simple as the inclusion of spray in bed liner, different running boards and the chrome vs black bumpers/grill with fog lights.

I was very surprised at the difference in payload between the XLT and the Lariat. It's almost 400 pounds there as well. All those heated/cooled seats, dual temperature controls, leather and extra "electric stuff" (like 10 way seats with power recline, power inverters and extra 12 volt power outlets, mirrors, bed lighting to name a few) subtract much needed payload that I'd prefer be left alone for stuff in the truck bed..... But of course, they only put in the "bling" that sells, so who am I to wish.... :whistling:

[Tbos]

Congratulations on the truck, wander what the 400 pounds difference in our payloads would be. Maybe carpet and seating.

Javi



A friend has a 2017 F450 DRW loaded to the hilt and his payload is only 4900 lbs. I guess all that fancy electronics weighs a lot.


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[ctbruce]

Congrsts, Tbos. It's a process. Step one, check!

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2017 3500HD Silverado LTZ

[sourdough]

Congrats on the new truck Tbos!!

[Cabindweller]

Congratulations, sir!

[Desert185]

A friend has a 2017 F450 DRW loaded to the hilt and his payload is only 4900 lbs. I guess all that fancy electronics weighs a lot.


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Bling is heavy. :)