The Green Industry's Resource Center

LCAAR · #51 09-02-2008, 07:35 PM

I've had them all. Chevy's not since the 6.5 liter diesel I had. Ford not since the 7.3 Damn good truck I might add. Currently we have three Dodge diesels. A 98 w/ 24v engine a 2000 and a 2001. All have been pretty good trucks. Had a little trouble with the 98 and 5th gear coming off. Otherwise all have 120to 160 thousand miles and all have origional injection pump. Lots of track bars and ball joints. Lots of heavy towing. They ride like crap drive like crap when front end gets any wear but they seem to work hard.
Can't really say for Chevs as the ol 6.5 left a bad taste in my mouth after a 6.2 left a bad taste in my mouth too. Never went back.
Ford's were good except starting in the sub zero temps when they near 150 thousand miles, but my cousin who has a fleet of trucks says stay away from fords until they get their diesels worked out. Don't know guess he's had some real bad luck. Dodge and Chevy didn't have big enough trucks available for what he does until this year.

nosparkplugs · #52 09-02-2008, 08:14 PM

One of the main reason Ford has dominated the truck market has been Dodge's absense in the 4500 & 5500 segment for years. Their have been reports of waiting lists for the 4500 & 5500 Dodge trucks, so those needing a new truck and cannot wait for that new Dodge 4500 or 5500, are reluctantly purchasing Fords, that I do not understand will spend over $45,000 for a truck, but won't wait for Dodge to build one?

TXNSLighting · #53 09-02-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomberLawn

Have you ever had a Dodge Cummins? My Cummins routinely gets over 20mpg, driving country roads, not open highway. Pulling the trailer around town, 17-19. My brother's 2002 gets about 22, which includes running fire calls with the volunteer fire department. My grandfather's 1995 Cummins, with over 300,000 miles, gets 22-23mpg average. A friend of mine has a 2006 or 2007 4x4 with a few modifications (chips, exhaust) and got 30 on the computer on the way home from the beach. Driving around town, he gets about 20-22, hand calculated, and he's got a lead foot. Don't knock something just because you haven't experienced it.

I'm very pleased with my truck. I plan to keep it for a very long time. I've seen many Cummins owners put 500k, even 1 million miles on their trucks. I'd like to do the same. I'm over 1/10th of the way there!

My post said 20 highway... The original poster said his friend was getting low 30's...Not going to ever happen. Yes i have had a cummins and no it didnt get anywhere near 20. But i know alot of them do. I just dont see a 4x4 8000 pound truck getting 30 mpg. even a 4x2 wont get that good.

sorry.

You're not going to experience 30's in an 8k # truck.

LCAAR · #54 09-02-2008, 10:33 PM

x2 a little unbelievable.

DBL · #55 09-02-2008, 10:40 PM

of our 5 trucks 2 are dodges and they have no more problems than the next truck....one is my personal and the other is with the mowing crew

TomberLawn · #56 09-02-2008, 10:48 PM

Don't be hatin', I'm just telling you first hand experiences of people I know. There's a guy on a diesel truck forum I visited a while back that got HAND CALCULATED 33mpg in a Dodge 2500. The truck had an 8 speed transmission and custom air dam to improve aerodynamics. A man with a 3500 dually reported 28mpg. Driving smart get's a lot of mileage. I've seen average mileage on my computer as high as 27.5 mpg empty. Sure, the computers are usually a couple miles off, but that ain't bad. Yes, you have to coast a lot and not rev it up high when you accelerate, but to say it isn't possible is just not true.

I've read articles about guys getting over 100mpg out of Toyota Priuses, which have an EPA rating of 45-48. Driving style has lots to do with it.

LCAAR · #57 09-03-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomberLawn

Don't be hatin', I'm just telling you first hand experiences of people I know. There's a guy on a diesel truck forum I visited a while back that got HAND CALCULATED 33mpg in a Dodge 2500. The truck had an 8 speed transmission and custom air dam to improve aerodynamics. A man with a 3500 dually reported 28mpg. Driving smart get's a lot of mileage. I've seen average mileage on my computer as high as 27.5 mpg empty. Sure, the computers are usually a couple miles off, but that ain't bad. Yes, you have to coast a lot and not rev it up high when you accelerate, but to say it isn't possible is just not true.

I've read articles about guys getting over 100mpg out of Toyota Priuses, which have an EPA rating of 45-48. Driving style has lots to do with it.

I'm not hatin. Just so you know! I guess it could be possible, maybe. I'll just take your word for it! No hard feelings my way.

davis45 · #58 09-03-2008, 03:02 PM

My overhead reads 15.6mpg

I think i'm actually gettin about 14mpg. However, my trans is going so its shifting wierd and slipping. Hell i'm not complaining, it's the original trans with over 200k on it. Not too shabby if you ask me. As soon as I get a new trans it will be chipped with an exhaust system and an intake, i'll see how it does then.

pclawncare · #59 09-03-2008, 03:46 PM

Thats amazing for a dodge trans. My v 10 made it 110000 and my 12v w 220000 mi on it is on its third tranny mostly due to heavy stop and go trafic it incountered in cali fryed a couple torque converters

nosparkplugs · #60 09-03-2008, 04:52 PM

I'm averaging 185,000 out of my Dodge transmissions with daily towing, one 1997 Dodge 2500 V8 magnum truck has 375,000 miles on the truck to date, and only one transmission rebulit at 197,000, and fuel pump replacement at 110,000, nothing else has went bad period. That truck got me through some tough times, when I really had limited money to fix it if I needed to.

Sort of Like my Dodge Cummins now almost zero maintenance cost, Dodge has treated us well.