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2003 Dodge Ram 4X4 Hemi

9K views 74 replies 19 participants last post by  sirsweatsalot 
#1 ·
We're looking at a new truck this year to buy pretty soon. We are going to possible plow as a sub for one of our friend's companies. We found a red 2003 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton 4X4 long bed (want a long bed) standard cab (don't want ext. or quad cab) with the new Hemi. I have heard really nice things about that new motor and I was wondering want you guys KNOW (not heard from a freind of a friend's brother type thing) about these new trucks. I have only sat inside the new 1/2 ton Rams and liked the space but not the interior. Are these good trucks? We can pick this one up for about $27,000 and 0% financing for 5 years so that is the main reason we are looking at this one.
 
#2 ·
I can tell you this much-- I have a 1999 F350 Super Duty. This is the greatest truck I have ever Owned! 101,000 Miles- never had to have a front end alignement, still has not needed Brakes. I have a 8 ft Western Pro Plow on it and pull my trailer all the time. It really has been a good truck. My friends with Dodge's can't say the same thing (although I have never owned a Dodge). But I would tell you to really look at the Ford. I paid 23,200 for my Truck in 1999. I ordered mine so I had to wait almost 6 months, but well worth it!
 
#4 ·
Originally posted by SIG
I can tell you this much-- I have a 1999 F350 Super Duty. This is the greatest truck I have ever Owned! 101,000 Miles- never had to have a front end alignement, still has not needed Brakes. I have a 8 ft Western Pro Plow on it and pull my trailer all the time. It really has been a good truck. My friends with Dodge's can't say the same thing (although I have never owned a Dodge). But I would tell you to really look at the Ford. I paid 23,200 for my Truck in 1999. I ordered mine so I had to wait almost 6 months, but well worth it!
Over 127K and still on the first set of brakes and no front end work, or alignment at all. The first 100K were doing LC in town, stop and go traffic. The 27K have been towing a huge trailer with the complete load weighing more than Ford thinks should be carried on a F 450. I only hope that when I do do brakes that the new pads are identical to OEM.

I love the truck.

FORD RULES
 
#5 ·
Is there any proof that hemi heads are of any benefit in this day and age? This reeks of Detroit marketing (maybe Dodge was frightened by the GMC's "We're Professional Grade" marketing- "Yer a desk job candyazz yuppie, but you'll be a real man if you drive our alloy wheeled 4x4, er, I mean AWD, and don't be suprised if someone dumps a bucketful of dirt into the back of yer truck."


You're not in '69-70 anymore, Dorothy
 
#8 ·
sounds like a good engine, but I am also a diesel man. I have a 1994 3500 dodge with a diesel engine. Has 220,000 miles and hundreds of hours pushing snow. 14.5 miles per gallon loaded or empty. I have a snow removal contract which requires me to be there when they get a half inch of snow till its completely clean after snow quits. I can run 34 hours on a tank of fuel. Like it so much I bought a 2002 dodge quadcab with the diesel. Kept the old truck still has a lot of life. I wouldn't ever buy a new truck that wasn't diesel. You may want to look at this engine also. good luck in your desision.
Dennis
 
#14 ·
Manufactured picture.


Easy to tell, if that was a stock truck the butt would be dragging on the ground. I have seen plenty of stock Didges with much less load than that sag more than what this one is. The only way this STOCK Dodge has that hooked to his truck is if the jack is supporting the weight, and he just backed under the trailer for the pic.

In Alta's own words, this is a totally stock set up. Gotta again at your own game. :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
#18 ·
Com'on on guys. I specifically asked about the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 with the Hemi. I pull landscape trailers with power equipment and landscaping materials. I just want to know if these are good trucks that can plow, have good MPG (supposedly 16-18), can tow, maneuverable, and are okay to drive normally when I'm not working. Any of you guys have real experience with that?:angry:
Please if not... don't ramble on about your specific brand of loyalty.
 
#20 ·
Hey if Mopar can say its a HEMI!!!!
Its gotta be a great motor!!!!
In the 60's and 70"s NO other motor could catch the hemi! In the car and driver report the same car and driver you see on the news stands and tv (Quoted) top ten fasest cars of 1970 1st was a HEMI. Due to the hemisfericle head design made the monster motors fast! So if mopar kept to the legendary design there gonna have another mean motor!
 
#21 ·
Originally posted by AltaLawnCare
Depends on how the load is distributed on the trailer, how much tongue weight.
Absolutely right, but this truck has most of the weight on the front of the trailer.
Easy to tell, go back and look at the pic, by far the majority of the weight is on the tongue of the trailer. With the front axle of that truck at the front of the trailer, those I - 6 engines Randy likes so good are very heavy, hence a ton of tongue weight.
I will be the first to admit a stock Ford would hang down in the butt too, but so would this Dodge IF, IF, IF, IF the trailer were resting all its weight on the truck.

MDB for once you and I agree on a truck issue. :D
They have a good engine, but.............................

If I was planning on pulling this load on this rig because of weight distribution I would have loaded the tractor with the back duals right on the end of the trailer. This way the weight is centered just ahead of the trailer axle, it should ride good this way.
 
#22 ·
Summitgroundskeeping:

I feel your pain. You know how some guys get when it comes to brand loyalty. I think most of it is based on their personal experience. IMO, when it comes down to it all three brands are so close in performance and capability stock from the factory that your choice can probably boil down to which truck you like the best as far as looks and comfort. As far as the new Dodge Hemi engines are concerned, they are so new that I don't know that you will find many guys with any experience with them. 16-18 mpg?? I would be really surprised unless you are talking about running straight and level on the freeway with no load. The 345 hp sounds like a lot, but that is up around 5000 rpm. I'm not sure where peak torque is, but if its anything like other late model gas engines it will be up around 3500 rpm or so, so I don't know how usable that torque would be. If I were to spend the big bucks on a new 3/4 ton pickup to plow snow and pull trailers with, it would be diesel, because they have the guts at low speed where you need it. If I were just a poser who wanted a truck with big tires but never a need to do any work with it, I'd get a gas engine. Speaking of gas, I've probably just thrown a little more on the fire!:blob2:
 
#23 ·
Originally posted by summitgroundskeeping
Com'on on guys. I specifically asked about the 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 with the Hemi. I pull landscape trailers with power equipment and landscaping materials. I just want to know if these are good trucks that can plow, have good MPG (supposedly 16-18), can tow, maneuverable, and are okay to drive normally when I'm not working. Any of you guys have real experience with that?:angry:
Please if not... don't ramble on about your specific brand of loyalty.
Relax,the trucks are fricken' 2003's. Nobody is going to have had enough time on them or to have put enough miles on them to give them a fair shake. Any info is going to be BS or speculation anyways.
Personal opinion, diesel only. They don't put gas motors in semi's or dump trucks or ANY truck that is going to be used to get something done and get it done with reliability. I don't see gas motors in skidsteers or loaders either. WORK vehicles and related equipment get diesel! Pickup trucks are turning that direction very much so. Like horsejockey said, you need low end torque hauling heavy loads, you don't get that with gas motors. Enough said.

This should rattle you gas guys! Giddyup! :D
 
#24 ·
OKAY! Finally! I can get on here, my computer wouldnt let me get on this thread for some reason. :confused:

First off, that dumb *** picture. You must be joking. Come on! This semi truck has almost all of its weight in front of the trailer axles, and the truck isnt sagging at ALL?! You could put a 1000 pound weight on the tailgate of any truck (Ford included) and it would sag (barely, but it would sag) and this one isnt sagging at all, even under that huge load? Doesnt this seem a little suspicious? Also, look closely right behind that Dodges back tires, what do you see? Looks to me like trailer lifts, on the ground holding the front of the trailer up! More Dodge propaganda.

Secondly, this is to whom it may concern, dont get ticked at us with our brand loyalty! We are having lots of fun argueing about this, and if you dont like that, DONT READ IT! Its that simple. Ford Freaks and Dodge Dummies and Chevy Chasers will always argue, its a part of the great American culture! Like baseball and apple pie, crazy truck owners argue!

This is simple as well, remember this and you cant go wrong. Ford rules, Dodge sucks, Chevy sucks even worse, and gas, well, dont get me started on gas!

Seriously, get a diesel, both the mighty powerstroke and the cummins are excellent engines (the Powerstroke is better though) but stay completely away from teh Duramax. It really sucks. It may be more expensive to buy diesel at first, but they pay for themselves by being reliable, long lasting, and pulling darn near anything that you can ask it to! I have a 1995 F-350 with 241000 miles on it, that will out tow darn near anything out there, including the new trucks! And it still runs just as good as the day it was bought!
What I am saying is, dont get the Hemi. I had a second cousin on my grandfathers side who had a brother that had a friend who's father had a friend who's uncle.....just kidding!:D No, my Dad had a Dodge 2500 Hemi once upon a time, ( I drove it a lot) and it got bad mileage, didnt tow so well, (it was fast though) and it seemed like it was constantly in the shop. He sold it and got a F-250 diesel.


FORD RULES!!!!


:cool:
 
#25 ·
I got more pitures,...
But, since everyones getting so uptite, I'm not gonna post them anymore.

I guess its OK to brag about your truck, and others like it, only if its not a Dodge! :rolleyes:

I won't show the pictures of Drag races, sled pulls, documented Dyno tests, pulling a jumbo jet, etc. :(
Or my personal favorite the pictures of the pistons and rods of a Powerstroke, Duramax and Cummins side by side.

I'll go away now, and leave this friendly little battle fully defeated. And thes past three years, here I was thinking I had a good truck....oh well Silly Me!

I'm just gonna have to face the music that everything I own is junk.

Worst of all is the fact that I tied up this thread from all the many who I'm sure has many road miles on a new Hemi....:cry:
 
#26 ·
Now hold on a second! I wanna see a picture of a truck pulling a jumbo jet!
Sorry if I got a little to excited there, just got carried away in the heat of the moment! :D
I am not saying pickups cant haul that stuff, I know my truck could tow a semi, and a jumbo jet, if it was modified enough. What I am saying is a stock truck couldnt do those things. If we get into modified equipment we get into a whole different ring.
Please, post all the pics you want, just dont be surprised if we Ford Freaks find every inaccuracy in them!
I would like to see that picture about the ramrods though, could you post that one? I have always wondered just how much thicker those things are.


:cool:

(Ford still rules)
 
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