TDC

Everyone is talking about five and six speed autos. As you can see from my signature I have had a five speed auto and I can tell you I did not like it. Yes it shifted smooth but on the slightest hill it would go in and out of OD. This new 48re shifts just right for me and it holds in OD much better. I hope they keep the four speed.

FiverBob

Sure glad you like your new truck. I love the ride and handling compared to the Ferd. I have 6 speed and am impressed with the pulling ability.

TDC

I'm really an old Dodge guy, I've had three others, a gasser and two CTD's. I went to Ford in 01 for the four doors and had little trouble with it but it was far from a Cummins. I sold my 01 at a good price and needed another so I went to Dodge again but I could not get the HO in the automatic. This is when the nightmare started. The 03 6.0 Ford leaked oil from delivery until buy back, at start up it would just about jump through the garage my wife would not even drive it, it hunted in and out of OD on small hills, it was in the shop at least thirty of the approx. fourty five days I owned it and I could go on. My Ford dealer did all he could and I don't have a complaint with him. Oil filters were 50.00 air filters were 100.00 and the engine bay was very very tight to say the least. I am not sayint that Ford does not have a good product in the future but the Powerstroke will not be for me. The guys on the Ford fourm are very sensitive about their new baby and will tell you they will live with some of the new problems. Not me I think if they are going to release a product then it needs to be a lot better then what they have. When they were working on my truck the dealer could only call the Ford and Navistar Techs. because they had no manuals, **** poor planning. The first time I checked on my truck I noticed the tech cutting my fan shroud in half. When I asked why I was told Navistar told them to and to screw it back together. I said I wanted it replaced with a new one and was told the books (that they don't have) called for them to be cut to remove the fan belt. Well like I said I could go but it would take up too much time. Man I love my Dodge.

Chester

Glad to hear you like the 48RE. I had a 99 Ram 2500 with auto and didn't like it when I pulled my 5er. Then I bought an 01 with the CTDHO and 6sp. Loved it. Have now ordered an 03 3500 with the 48RE and hope I like the way it works as well as you do. You make me shutter at the Ford story. I almost bought an 03 F350 with the 6.0 and the 5 sp auto. My neighbour is in New car warranty at FORD Canada and advised me to stay away from that truck until they fix some issues. After washing my mouth out with soap (maybe beer) I went back to the Dodge. I hope my experience with the 48RE is as good as yours.

FiverBob

I was very close to buying an 02 Ford 450 with a special RV bed for towing our fiver. Very nice truck but rode so hard and it took a city block to turn it around. I just could not fancy driving that monster over the pass in Glacier and going to the store for milk. I wanted four doors, but didn't need the wheel base like Ford and Chev. I was really happy when reading the specs on the Dodge. So, I ordered, sight unseen, and hoped for the best. I was a happy camper when I fired that baby up and took it for a drive. My V10 was a good truck, just not enough truck for towing 16000#. Now, just need the time and get some stuff out of my hair so I can put some miles on it. Getting antsy.

spots

Hey Notputtinonthemilesbob, we can switch trucks for a month. I'll have no problem piling up the miles for ya.. <br>Paul 4 weeks=6k (and this is the slow season...... )

GrandpasRam

Hey loadpullingbob... Glad you like you new CTD I know what you mean about not being able to get the miles on. Picked mine up yesterday at the dealership, and can you believe I have to work today instead of driveing around to get some break-in miles on? :'( :'( :'( Well, maybe I can do something about that this weekend... must be time to make a beercamp, er, deercamp visit....

Hummin Cummins

I like Rowing my own<br><br>An am a chevy 6.5 turbo-d defector...the typical problems sent me running away after living with it for 3 years thinking someday it would run for more than 8000 miles.

Vittorio

About what RPM is the 3500 HO, 48 R, 4 x 4 with 3.1s' running at 85 mph unloaded? Looking forward to trying out Dodge Country. Thanks y'all.

KenR

My early experience solo with my 48RE was jecky shifting. That has gone away (maybe it learned?) and the transmission shifts fine solo now. I have 5,300 miles on it and 2500 miles of them are towing. When towing my 9800lb load the transmission is jerky in shifting to the higher gears. Holds OD very well with my load and I am pleased.<br><br>I would not give it back and am still glad that I got the Automatic. Works for me.<br><br>I get 13mpg at 60-65mph towing and 20mpg in interstate (65%)/city (35%) daily driving<br>I like my truck. It is heads above my 1996 2500 Ram Diesel

Hunter

Mileage sounds AWFUL high there KenR<br><br>Hunter

KenR

[quote author=Hunter link=board=20;threadid=11560;start=0#139725 date=1053318114]<br>Mileage sounds AWFUL high there KenR<br><br>Hunter<br>[/quote]<br>Hi Hunter,<br>I appreciate your concern but it is what I get (within +- 1/4mpg). I always drive with a light foot. I guess I am just too old to go fast. Try not to be in a hurry. I live in the country and drive daily 3 1/2 miles to the interstate (50mph), then 3 miles on the interstate to the next exit (60mph), then drive 2 1/2 miles at 35-45mph to city roads and then another 2 miles to where I am going at 30-35mph. Light traffic early in the morning. Return trip is the same. I do this 5 days weekly to meet my breakfast buddies. That is where I get my 20mpg. Flat roads.<br>After re-looking at the towing mileage I will restate the towing speed to 60mph and of course no mountains. Again, not a heavy foot.<br>My friend who has the same equipped truck as mine lives in the city, so all city roads, traffic and I believe he gets 15.5 to 16.5 mpg and towing (2,000 less pounds) 13.75 at 65mph.<br>That is my experience. What do you get?

Hunter

KenR<br><br>Total weight, trailer, truck and gear 20,000#<br><br>8.5 to 12.3 MPG<br><br>Empty, mixed city and highway, 16, highway only 20.8<br><br>3.73 with 6 speed, there is no auto in the world gonna get better &quot;honest&quot; mileage than a manual!<br><br>Hunter

KenR

[quote author=Hunter link=board=20;threadid=11560;start=0#140097 date=1053401522]<br>KenR<br><br>Total weight, trailer, truck and gear 20,000#<br><br>8.5 to 12.3 MPG<br><br>Empty, mixed city and highway, 16, highway only 20.8<br><br>3.73 with 6 speed, there is no auto in the world gonna get better &quot;honest&quot; mileage than a manual!<br><br>Hunter<br>[/quote]<br><br>Hi Again Hunter,<br><br>Let’s see if we can put this mileage issue in perspective. Your GCWR=20,000. Mine Equals 17,000; yours being 18% higher than mine. Your high towing mileage is 12.3mpg, guessing, but probably occurred on flat ground. I feel that my stated 13mpg flat ground towing is certainly in line with yours when you compare flat ground to flat ground and differences in GCWR. At highway speeds does it matter as to type of transmission? I would guess, but don’t know for sure, that Overdrive and 6th gear should produce about the same. Maybe not. Someone better qualified than I am can answer because as I would just not know for sure.<br><br>Now let’s look at the facts for the interstate/city driving. I looked up the weight differences (Dodge web site) between the 2003 QC 2/4, 48RE SB SRW and the 2003 QC 4/4 SB SRW 6 speed and came up with 685lbs increase +- for your truck plus the difference the Long Bed adds (if you have a LB). Did not find the LB SRW. That is an 11+-% increase in weight that you are carrying around solo. Most all of the driving I identified that produces 20mpg occurs in overdrive except the last 2 miles. Overdrive is where the mileage is. I identified the type of interstate/city driving that produces the 20mpg and I stand by it because it is consistence. Type of driving, heavy/light foot and weight are also is in the equation. If I increase the % of city over interstate driving, my mileage will decrease.<br><br>When you look at all the facts I hope you will agree that what I presented was an “HONEST” (I will take it that you did not mean that I was dishonest) representation on the mileage that I get with my type of driving on my 48RE. <br> <br>