dodgestang

I have an 08 quad cab 2500 SLT short bed Diesel auto 4x4.

I traded my 05 quad cab 3500 SLT long bed diesel dually auto 4x4.

The reasoning at the time:
1. The trans was starting to slip
2. It was going to need tires in 3-4k
3. I really missed my old 97 gasser on 38 inch tires

So I decided to downgrade and get something I could lift.

Flash forward 12 months, I hate many things about this truck, here's why:

1. It only gets 16.5 MPG and I gave up the dually thinking I could get better than the 19 I was getting.
2. Towing with it sucks. I had to buy a $700 weight distribution setup just to drive 60 MPH with my 24 foot trailer and not feel like I was going to die
3. The short box is a pain sometimes. I lived 8 years previously with a short box with a dual/single roll bar in it with lights on it, but after having the 8 foot I miss 3 scoops of mulch instead of 2, 3 scoops of wood instead of 2 etc....
4. After a year, I've come to terms with the fact that I am never going to lift this truck. I believe I have actually grow out of the lifted truck phase of my life. We got rid of the old truck and then sold the her Jeep that was on 35s when the wife was 8.5 months pregnant because she couldn't get into any more. So I miss my 6 tires.


So here's the choice:

08 quad cab 3500 SLT long bed diesel auto dually 4x4.
08 mega cab 3500 SLT short bed diesel stick dually 4x4

Here's the problem:
I have a 2 yr old and we are already taxing the inside cabin space on the quad cab when we need to go out with him. My wife's car is an a3 and it just doesn't have enough space in it to go anywhere for more than a day or two (2 adults, dog, baby, luggage, etc...) so we end up taking the truck on those occasions.

If I go with the quad cab I will still have the interior space problem but will eliminate the issues I have with the short bed. On the flip side, with the mega I could buy a nice cover and have a very large trunk space (I don't particularly like long beds with covers I have aesthetic issues ).

If I go with the mega I gain the interior space which would be nice. We could fit 2 baby seats and 4 adults in a pinch....right now when we go out with friends we always end up in 2 cars which isn't much fun. BUT, the wife can't drive a stick so I would have to teach her, AND I'm not too sure how much fun low speed maneuvering would be with my 24 tag along. And i give up the 8 foot bed and the wide fenders that I like for essentially a flare.

Both are going to end up costing me virtually the same with the numbers I am getting from the dealer. Both are the same color, both have the same packages basically aside from the auto/stick.

I'm really stuck.

BTW - it isn't all bad...I know neither will get me back up in the MPG but the 6 speed auto really is a vast improvement over the old one and the factory jjake brake is REALLY nice.

snoyes

Well,

Unfortunately, neither truck is going to fix your fuel mileage issues. Depending on what you want to spend, you can get a mega cab and get the long bed conversion for about $5K. If interior spcae is an issue, then I don't think it will get much better as the kids start getting older. And with the mega cab they can't reach far enough forward to kick the seat as you drive. I would not be afraid of the new 6 speed auto, does sound like it is holding up OK... Out of the box thinking is obviously get the quad cab and get the wife a bigger car for road trips, or you can also purchase a Ford or Chevy Crew Cab Long bed and have more interior room with a 8 foot bed.

megacabdad

I am gonna vote for the MegaCab...

But I'm kinda biased...

Mega's are great if you have passenger's in the rear seats...they are not breathing down your neck, and don't complain about sitting back there, which makes any trip much more enjoyable!

HTH...and good luck in your search.

rich

get the mega cab i wish i had when i bought my 07 the frame lengths are the same if i remember so dragging a trailer shouldnt matter

xtoyz17

Get the mega cab, and deal with the smaller bed for the time being. Stretch the bed when/if the time is right for you. I'd go with either transmission. It seems like money isn't a huge issue, so I'd spend the 5k to stretch it and never need another truck again.

Shawn

dodgestang

A stretched mega really isn't something I would do. It would make the truck un-maneuverable on my lavish country estate . AKA It would actually be physically impossible for me to turn my trailer around on driveway....the long bed quad cab was at the limit and backing down my 1/16-1/8 or so mile long driveway entrance plus flipping the rig around up on the main road and using my neighbors drive way (since I wouldn't able to turn it at the bottom of my driveway) gets old . Couple that with the many many times I've been required to flip a u turn at places where no truck and trailer in their right mind should...too long of a wheel base has some drawbacks.

Also needing 2 parking spots all the time would get to be a pain in some places (many of the shops locally I have to go to do not have 2 spots open to each other and only have dead end spots that the QC long bed used to hang out a lot in)

kjp

Speaking form a similar expirence stand point, I would go with the QC and buy a larger car for the wife. Thats what I did. JMO

Mocho

My dad got a mega cab for more room, but no one can sit in the back seat for long before they have a sore back because of the terrible seats we always take the QC anyway, so the mega cab was a complete waste, but I guess you already have a 08 and know about the seats. I would get the stick for sure if you don't mind shifting, autos will never last forever and I find the 6.7 auto is ALWAYS lugging the engine if you are in a gear at say 1800 rpm and slow down a bit they are just a headache for towing IMO.

n2moto

It sounds to me like none of the above. For your requirements you need to rethink your entire fleet of automobiles. Could be the wife needs a mini van and you need a qcab 8' bed. Or you need a minivan and a reg cab 8' bed truck.

98whitelightnin

Get the mega and stretch the bed to 8ft and you got the best of both worlds.

dodgestang

The seats on the 08 (driver anyway) take 10k to break in and get comfy...after that they are fine. This is interesting about the rear seats being uncomfy...are you saying that your family finds the rear of the mega less comfy than the rear of the QC in general or simply because you don't like the 08 seats themselves so you think the material and cushioning in your different year QC make the difference? As for stick...I haven't driven one in years and never really daily drove in traffic with one. I assume it becomes second nature in short order, but with a trailer with one of my older trucks trying to back up my trailer and park it next to my barn wears my leg out on the clutch pedal.

dodgestang

Naw...this can't be the case

The wife loved her Jeep and her job as an environmental scientist means we need to have vehicles that go certain places in any weather. The all wheel drive made the A3 was a suitable replacement for the Jeep for her, we went out to buy a slightly larger stripped down a4 with the big trunk but she fell in love with this fully loaded hatch back (which cost more ). She likes cars that are small and zippy. On occasions when she needs to go to something more than a simple primitive road or muddy site, she takes the 4x4 Dodge. Otherwise her car works for all of her daily activities.

We all make certain trade offs in the vehicles we decide to own and so I guess we end up with being cramped on occasions when traveling to family or out with friends. FWIW, mini vans will never be owned in this house

Mocho

I'm comparing it to the seats on my 04 QC. The mega cab has 36k miles on it and all the seats are terrible, but I find the rears the worst because you can't adjust the angle of the backrest. The drivers seat is probably the best because it is used the most, but it is still unbearable besides for short trips. I've had a 6 speed for the past year and a half and wouldn't have it any other way, it gets annoying in heavy stop and go traffic, but the relieability and towing control is unmatched. The clutches on the new trucks are pretty soft compared to older trucks.

dslpwr81

Get an 06 Mega. Better mileage with the 5.9. (IMO) and then stretch the bed out like previously posted. 3.73 s. There, now you have good mileage, lots of room, and a long box.

dodgestang

LOL...well it is obvious to see why some dealers (and manufactures) go out of business. Before investing the time to drive 100 miles to the one dealer we had discussed at length the price on the truck and what my trade would be and what I expected monthly payments to be and had arrived at a what sure as heck sounded like a gentleman's agreement.

Went to look at the long bed quad cab today and left without it. The dealership is not motivated to sell the truck. And I was there to buy. Would have been at $500 over invoice price because I wanted a lot for my trade and know there are HUGE discounts from the factory right now that can get that price thousands lower still. But I get there and suddenly I'm standing there with an offer 12k less than I owe on my trade. All the discussions on the phone was nothing more to get me to come there and attempt to high pressure me into a deal.

They weren't too happy when I mentioned they still have another $4600 to move on the invoice price before even tapping into their holdback because of rebates. Gave me the sob story that they aren't going to make any money and that my truck will only bring X on the wholesale market to which I pointed out an 07 similarly equipped truck sitting USED on their lot with more mileage for $1000 more than my payoff on my truck.

Sigh

Hopefully the local dealer with the Mega will be more motivated, the discussions on the phone have been about the same so I am obviously worried now, I have an appointment with them tomorrow.