waited just over 2 months for my order but IMO it was well worth the wait. I think the interior and exterior is milestones ahead of previous years. I think Dodge (RAM) did it right. Kinda funny they are called "Rams" now but "Dodge" is still plastered in several places in the truck.

Ive had a chance to drive about 300 miles both highway and city to get a feel for the truck, and play with teh gadgets. Here are my likes and dislikes


Exterior - I really like the entire exterior look. The factory fender flares are a good fit and look great. The smoke color cab light are kick butt. Ive always hated the stupid orange ones and when i saw i could order the smoke color i jumped on it. The hood has a raised hump in the middle and gives a similar view as if you have a hood cowl. My previous 04.5 had the SRT-10 hood and this new hood is similar with the Drivers view. The towing mirrors is similar in design but has a better "outer mirror" than the older small square one, allows for a better view.my mirrors are chrome which actually looks good, and has a puddle light that shines down. Took me a few minutes to figure out where that blue light shining on the ground was coming from. The tailgate design looks kinds neat (same as 1500's) and its nice that it has the lift assist. Brief look underneath and underhood - brakes are HUGE. too much crap on the exhaust, and too much junk under the hood but there is not much choice, at least for now . Ride is much better than my 04.5, i noticed this right off the bat. It reminds me more of a 1/2 ton than a 3/4. must have a snow plow prep or front hitch deal as i noticed square tubing pointing down off the front frame behind the bumper. I didnt order that but maybe its standard???

Interior -overall i am more impressed with the interior. Although some claim it is cheaply done, i think it is very nice. Is it Cadillac, Mercedes, or Lexus quality? No, but i really wouldnt want to pay for that kind of quality on top of what these are now. I think the quality is very good considering this is a Dodge truck. I have the leather bucket seats with ventilation and yes i have read the horror stories. I will deal with the issue if and when it arises, but for now, the bucket seats are very comfortable, moreso than the 04.5. I turned on the ventilation and i think it is very nice. I dont think the leather quality is that great but i think it is worth it. The center console has a fair amount of room, not quite as much storage as the other design, but there is plenty more storage inside the vehicle that makes up for it. 2 glove compartments, nooks and crannies here and there, and super double secret rear floor storage bins provides plenty of space to store junk. The instrument display is extremely nice, reminds me of our old escalade (yes that nice IMO). I really think having all that info right there is safe and convenient. you can scroll to show fuel economy, temp outside, tire pressure, digital oil pressure (along with regular gauge) tranny temp, radio station, and alot other vehicle information that i cant recall right now. The cruise control lever is not as inconveniently placed as others have claimed. its a lil stick about 5:00 behind the steering wheel. Once you memorize the control, its easy to tap to set, resume, etc.... The factory remote start is nice, not sure how long it will run before shutting off, but i found it nice that it automaticallt turned my seat warmer on and heated steering wheel on as well. I used to make fun of people who had heated seats but i sure enjoy them along with the steering wheel. I didnt get the navigation because for $800 i didnt think it was worth it. My iphone can tell me the same info. However, i have the premium sound with the screen display and it is very nice. It has touch screen which is handy. There is an ipod connect in teh glove box which would be good if you ahd an ipod that wasnt also your phone. Im a little disappointed that there is no bluetooth for media (to sync ipods) but the bluetooth for the phone is nice. I have all my music on my computer anyway so im going to upload all my music to the trucks hard drive so i wont have to mess with plugging in an ipod or messing with my iphone.. The 115 volt power outlet is cool too, i dont think my wife can blow dry her hair using that outlet but for small things i think it will come in handy. I will admit that around the touch screen there are various controls and buttons that are illuminated with the (what i call) old school green color. I would have to say this was a poor choice for them to do this and kinda takes away from the rest of the great interior. I think it would have been easy to use a light blue or white illumination for these buttons and it would have looked great. The stereo system is great except teh subwoofer sucks IMO. I guess for the average person it may be fine, but i was expecting a bit more thump when the bass was turned all the way up and stereo cranked. My 04.5 without the sub had about teh same amount of bass with teh door speakers. Dont get me wrong, im not one of those bass heads, i was just especting a bit more out of a factory sub. Im gonna go to the audio sotre and talk about how to get more out of it.
The exhaust brake which is standard on all 6.7 models works remarkably well. It works better at higher RPMS and with the manual gear selector button, you can almost come to a complete stop with no brake by downshifting with the exhaust brake, very cool.
With the stock bologne skins they put on these, i knew i was going to get bigger tires, in fact, i had already ordered them. I had 35's on the old truck adn found some good e rated nittos at 34" and figured that would be a good combo with my 4.10 gears. I choose the 4.10's because i have a 15k trailer that i pull 10 -12 times a year. the old 4speed auto, 3.73 gears and 35" tires was a bad combination while pulling. i like the look of a bigger tire so i figured the 4.10's would be better. with the stock tires at 75mph im runnin about 2100 rpm, 70 mph about 1950. The bigger tire should reduce a hundred and half or so (just ball park guessing) and i think this is ok for me. I understand empty i cant run 80 mph anymore as the mileage will be bad, but this may save me from speeding tickets also. I think if a guy kept stock tires, and having the new 6 speed with the ability to lock out OD and select gears, i think the 3.73's would be fine even up to 14k trailer occasionally.
Lastly, the crew cab is great, much more leg room than the quad cab. Im 6'4" and have room even with front seats all the way back. This is a great improvement, and although the megacab is nice, having a long bed is nicer IMO.

Anyway, this is what i can come up with now. Overall an awesome truck. Ill get some pics tomorrow. I have some pics of the truck on the day purchased, and will get some tomorrow with the levelling kit, tires and wheels

 

thanks for the write up. I'm still waiting on mine.

 

Good write up DJ!

 

Sounds nice, Congratulations!

 

I did not like your write as I now want one. COGRATULATIONS

 

Djcheez,

Since you did not get the GPS (which I believe is the 730N Nav pkg), is the Tranny Temp, Fuel Econ, Tire Pressure etc displayed on the large screen in the center, or the little one above the steering wheel? What is displayed on the large screen if not those items?

Trying to put one together, but the dealers don't have them on the lots to exam.

Thanks,

J

 

i dont have the GPS but still have the touch screen for radio satellite etc.. It shows radio stations, sirius stations and allows you to change channels etc.. by touching the screens. This screen is also where you manage your hard drive with music and pictures (not sure what pics i would upload). I dont think the navigation screen will show the tire pressure economy etc... Only the screen in the middle of the instrument cluster. i wanted the backup camera ($200) but when ordering i was told i had to have NAV also ($800). This still doesnt make sense to me but oh well.

 

Google "lockpic" it's an add on to the back of the radio that allows DVD viewing and Nav browsing while in motion. It allows you to turn on multiple cameras while in motion as well.
Not sure but it might get you the ability to have a backup camera, if it will work with your system. It's kinda pricey too.

 

pics of the truck at the dealer, and afterwards with tinting, tires/wheels and levelling kit. Also a pic of the touch screen without Nav. This is one of the views that it shows. It can go into more detail when switching views

 

Nice. Did the leveling kit cause the front axle to move back noticably?

 

it moved back but i dont think any more than on my 04.5. i didnt have any issues with that so im hoping i don twith this.

 

Quote: "The smoke color cab light are kick butt. Ive always hated the stupid orange ones and when i saw i could order the smoke color i jumped on it."

Do they come that color or do you get the orange ones unless you specify the smoke ones?

I have one on order that is very similar to yours and I ordered the clearance lights, but don't remember any reference to the color of the lenses.

 

i believe they are all smoke color. no orange

 

Great Looking Truck!!!

 

Looking good. Did you order the truck with the flares? It seems like the Laramie package is the only way to get them.