I had a 2002 2500 HO 6spd and traded it for this truck. I like a couple of things on this truck over my last one. I love the quad cab and I like the three point seatbelt in the middle of the rear seat. I like the rear marker plate bracket, on the 2002 the plate was loosely attached to a piece of plastic not the bumper. The headlamps a little better on this truck, but they could have went a little further and put some brighter lights on the truck.

I could go on for hours on the stuff I liked better on the 2002, but a couple of biggies...

Plastic center hubs on premium wheels.

I don't like anything about the interior of the truck over the 2002....even the bag holder addition isn't enough to make me change my mind on that one.

Where is the garage door remote holder, and sunglass holder on the trip computer....how much could they have possibly saved cutting that out of the trucks?

Smaller fill hose, I can't use the truck diesel pumps now at the station. I have to wait in line with all the VW's

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by coolslice
[B]I too switched from my beloved Toyota Tacoma. Toyota IMO makes the best cars and trucks. I just wanted a big truck and Toyota does not (yet) offer a "big" truck.



i couldn't agree more i too have been a Toyota man for many years .. my truck 04.5 only has less than 2000 miles on it .. i too am disappointed with he fuel mileage and the comfort of the seats .. nothing like the comfort of my 4-runners seats . but oh you gotta love the space in the cab.if i can get the mileage(500km on her so far) out of this truck like i have from my Toyota's i will be one happy camper !!!

 

I've got 21,000 miles on mine now and like enjoy this vehicle more than any other I've owned. My mods are a AFE Pro 7 stock box filter & an EZ Edge - they are both very easy to install and effective. I'd prefer a Allison 5 speed trans and a bit softer ride, though.

 

Traded in a 99 CC 7.3 F250 for my Ram, glad I did.
No big problems with the F250, only minor stuff that the dealer never could seem to fix or fix right on the first visit. Got rid of it with a oil leak they had supposedly fixed 6 or 7 times, just got worse each time I brought it back.
The Ram doesn't have the room the F250 CC had, but it has enough, we rarely go all together (4) anymore. The Ram has way more power than the F250. MPG is about the same now, but the first 2K miles had me worried, really noticed an increase after towing 5K for about 100 miles. Kids will be starting college in a few years, and I won't be able to afford to buy a replacement vehicle for some time, I think the Ram is up to the challenge, but only time will tell.

Ted

 

Received my truck on April 10 and now have over 33,500 miles on her. I love it. Problems: replaced one bad injector at the 30,000 mile mark. Glad it was under warranty because I'm sure they're not cheap. Other than that, no other problems. I like just about everything about the truck. The seats are very comfortable to me (my back never gets sore), the interior is great (although more open space on the dash for things like brake controllers and CB radios would be nice), the 4wd system is the best on the market and the rest of the drivetrain is top-notch, best-looking trucks on the road, love the ride, steering, brakes, and even the quietness of the engine (never thought I'd say that). This truck has done everything I've asked it to do. That includes towing with a GCW of 42,100 lbs a couple hundred miles in NV and eastern OR and many trips with a GCW of just over 30,000 lbs (farm equipment). WAY OVER maximum but she did it without a hitch. Simply awesome.

 

Received My truck in February LOVE IT the only real problem for me is the seat I'm almost 6''255 ponds. The first problem is the seats feel like your seating on the metal runners on long trips your but gets well not very comfortable. Now for the mileage with 20K 17/21 city/hi way. I will tell do use your truck pull some good lodes your mileage will in prove. I have added sum MOD's BOMED "BETTER Off MODIFIED BABY"

 

This is my second diesel (the other was a gm) this ones alot better comes stock with all the power I need,

 

Everyone has their own idea on how to drive, how to do this and that, what gear is best... One thing is for sure. You lug your diesel down your milage will fall off. A diesel is designed to keep her revved up in the right rpm range. Let her lug down and you have lost her best performance.

My truck at www.GoRowan.com/2004ram

 

This is my 2nd diesel truck. My first one I bought about a year ago, a GM with a 6.5TD. When that threw a rod, I decided to upgrade to a real truck. Got my 2004.5 from a dealer in Irving, TX (near Dallas). Had basically the exact truck I wanted on the lot, so I bought the thing and drove it home. That was a bit over a week ago, I now have 1700 miles on it.

On the highway drive back I found I was getting 14.9 mpg going 80-85 mph according to the trip computer, and I saw about 16.5 on 70% backroads 30% city. It seems that the high speeds really make the mileage drop. That said, I was in a hurry, so mileage wasn't much of a concern.

In my around-town commute (~6 miles each way of light stop & go) I'm getting around 15.5. I will start in 1st or 2nd gear depending on how quickly the traffic ahead of me is going and shift at 2000 rpms. Only when I slip up do the revs get below 1000 in a gear, so I pretty much keep it between 1000 and 2000 rpms for around town. Of course, as I put more miles on the truck I'll find out more.

My truck is a 2004.5 325/600 with a 6-speed manual, 3.73 limited slip, and 2 wheel drive.

 

Picked mine up 4th of July weekend, 9500mi on it so far. The door seal is torn, and I think the radio reception could be better.

Mileage seems to pick up a bit after each long highway trip towing. And it's better if I don't do 75-80, but I find that hard to avoid. Not many highway miles without a trailer. But my total average MPG so far is 15.095 at an average MPH of 39.72. Average tanks going to/from work unloaded is ~16-17. Not bad IMHO.

 

I have just over 2000 miles on my 04.5. Mileage started off pretty bad with the truck getting a combined city/hwy of 13.8. After that, I figured that driving slow wasn't going to make my mileage all that great, so I started driving like I wanted to. I do jackrabbit starts and always have my foot heavy on the accelerator. Heck, I bought my truck because I liked the power and sound, and that pretty much dictates how I drive it. Anyway, my last tank averaged 14.3, and it was 100% stop-and-go city driving.

My truck's 48RE also does a weird shift into overdrive. The final shift seems like it slips or hesitates for a second. The funny thing is that, if you count the gears as it shifts, that final shift would put it in a 5th gear. Obviously, it is a 4 speed, so I read some old posts on the issue. Somebody in an old post said that the "funny shift into 5th or overdrive" was actually the torque converter locking up and that this was normal for the 48RE. I am not mechanically inclined and have no way of knowing if this is true.

The seats don't bother me because I am only 5'8". Maybe a short guy designed the seats and forgot about everybody else.

The only thing that I don't like about the truck is that if you floor it from a dead start, it barely moves for a couple of seconds. It will really get your attention if you pull out in front of traffic and need your truck to move out quickly.

 

Big Sky;
The torque converter is probably locking in 3rd before shifting and unlocking in fourth. With the lockup in fourth, it would seem like a fifth gear. I had a '96 GMC Suburban that did the same thing. Because I have a 6 speed I don't notice these thing on the Rams.

 

Odd. I've used the "big boy" pumps just fine. Are you sure you're getting it in right?

Geez, what am I saying......

Seriously, I've never had an issue with any nozzles.

 

Mine's still got the 1" fill neck just like my 02 had. I wonder if that smaller fill hole isn't some kind of emissions crap they do in certain areas.

 

WhiteSport, I have had no problem filling mine at the 'big trucks' pump, I have a big opening in my fill neck. Do you happen to live in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia?