Well some of those disadvantages are spilled down even to the 5.9 guys like me like you can only buy CJ oil now and only diesel fuel I'm finding is ULSD.

 

Also, here is a way to think of it. Oil changes cost twice as much, but you get to go twice as long. If your a bit mechanically inclined you can change the fuel filter yourself every 15K for a fraction of what the dealer wants.

If I were in your shoes I'd buy a 3500 quad cab, dual rear wheel, 4x4, Auto, 3.73 gear and just go for the 6.7 if you can't find a 5.9. If you get a 5.9 look at the 6 speed manual, but don't get one with 4.10 gears because it will be screaming at hwy speed, 3.73 will keep the rpms down. Unless you are professionally hotshotting heavy loads, pulling heavy everyday or are going to go with 35+ inch tall tires then 4.10s are a waste IMO.

Reason I say dually is because I'm thinking an 11K pounds + a lot of other stuff including cargo and driver/passenger.... Plus you can upgrade to a bigger trailer someday if needed.
A 2500 will pull it no doubt but that added stability might be necessary over the hwy across the country. Seems like you are buying the truck to pull this so might as well go all the way. But, if for other reasons mainly parking keep you from buying a DRW then a quad cab long bed SRW 2500 or 3500 might be in order.

If looking other than dodge I'd tell you to beware any left over 07 Ford 6.0 trucks! Just my personal opinion. The rest of them seem to be ok, the newer emissions trucks such as new style chevys, 08 Superdutys and 6.7 Cummins are going to be more likely to have hiccups along the way.

When looking dodge look at the laramie because I think the seats have more padding in them... At least that's how I felt when I drove mine.

 

My wife and I love 'camping', if you can call it that, in a 5er. We would like to go at least twice a month. and the trips could range from 200 mile round trip to hopping accross the country. My father always tried to pound into my head to plan ahead. Don't base decisions on just your current situation, but look ahead. Take a realistic look at what you have planned, and consider that as well.

The 11K trailer weight was the max gross weight of the trailer. Though the truck will be a daily driver, when it comes time to plan a trip, I do not want to have to plan my route based on avoiding as many hills as possible. I have friends that are currently in that type of situation.

With gas prices hovering at $3 plus a gallon and I expect to see it go higher, MPG also has alot to do with it. A diesel will get better MPG than the V10 gasser towing or not. At least that's what I'm hearing. A friend of mine has a Dodge 2500 diesel that he says get 18 - 20 MPG highway non-towing.

Another factor is longevity. I can't tell you how many times Ive heard "heck at 50K miles, that engine is just getting broken in real good". If I am retired, I definately won't be able to afford to replace the truck 80k - 90k miles.

Thanks for all your replies. This is the kind of information / opinions I'm looking for.

 

Yeah, if you are daily driving it then it's a toss up between 2500, 3500 SRW and 3500 DRW... Depends on if you want dual rear wheels? Then check to see registration on the 3500 because it might be a chunk more over a 2500. I'm pretty sure the 2500 is rated 1000-2000+lbs over what you plan on pulling. I think the 2500 is like 12,700lbs, forgot really... Although it seems like most people don't pay attention to those numbers.

If it was me I'd just find anyone of them that i could get a good deal on that I liked in 4x4. They all three have the same motor/transmission/axles.

 

I know at least one guy on here that pulls about a 32 foot Cougar 5'er with a little tiny two wheel drive short bed and it handles the load very well and is a very nice daily driver (and has been known to take it down the dragstrip a time or two also).
It all depends on what you want to spend and how big of a vehicle you want.

 

I am on my 3rd Dodge Diesel. My total weight towing a 5th wheel is about 18,500. I love my Dodge.

Remember most of the folks on this forum are modifying their Dodges to produce more power and that tends to show in their postings. This truck and my previous truck remained completely stock. If you leave the engine alone then:

1. You don't really need gauges.
2. You don't need any fuel additives (Read the manual. It says none needed)
3. I think oil changes are up to 15k miles now. I don't agree with synthetic oil. The engine will be in good condition long after the average person trades to a new one or the truck falls apart. These engines will go hundreds of thousands of miles. Why spend the extra money on oil when it makes no real difference for most people.
4. The new 48RE auto transmission does fine in stock form. I had a 2000 Dodge with the 47RE transmission and it sucked. I just got back from a 7500 mile vacation towing the 18,500 pounds and I am very impressed with the 48RE. The Tow/Haul mode really works and with 2nd gear torque converter lock up, long mountain pulls is not an issue. Overheating is not an issue.
5. You pay $5000 more for a new truck but get it back on the trade in.
6. Winter warm up is not really an issue (Again read the manual). Start it up, check oil pressure, drive gently for a couple of miles. No problem. The cabin heater on mine gets warm just as quick as any gasser.
7. The 100,000 mile engine warranty is a comforting feeling if you leave the engine stock.
8. My stock 2007 5.9 has 325HP. During my 7500 trip I never once thought I needed more power. More power just burns more fuel and wears the tires out faster. More power is fun, but if you are not into that, these trucks have all the power you really need.
9. I agree with the guy about the current 6 speed. The ratio is stupid. It makes the engine RPMs too high at highway speeds. The auto is the only practical choice for a good combination of towing/daily driver.
10. If you have enough skills to remove an oil plug with a 3/8 ratchet then you can do your own oil changes. Get the filters from Geno's Garage, I buy Rotella from Wal-Mart or Sams Club. I can change oil in 15 minutes. Beats wasting 2-4 hours taking it someplace and waiting for someone else to do it. After you have changed the fuel filter once, you can do the next one in 3 minutes, in dress clothes.
11. I keep a box of latex gloves under the seat from Harbor Freight (They have XL sizes). I use one each time I fuel up as Diesel fuel does not evaporate and I hate the smell of it on my hands.
12. My truck puts a smile on my face every time I floor the go pedal and feel the torque pushing me back in the seat. I can usually squeal the tires on takeoff if I want to show off. Not bad for almost 4 tons of truck.
13. You have to sit in the MegaCab to believe it. My boys never ride up front anymore with me. They want to sit in the back.
14. I don't know squat about the new 6.7 Cummins so none of this may apply to that truck.


Sorry for the long post. Nothing against the folks that make the power mods. I did on my 2000 truck. But it is very addictive and you can never get enough once you start. I just wanted to point out that my 2007 5.9 truck is very capable in stock form.

Bobby

 

I pull a 31.5 Wildcat 5ver with my 2wd SRW with no trouble at all. My advice to you is, SWITCH!!!!! As far as not knowing much about diesels, thats what this site is for. You'll LOVE IT!!

 

Had I known then what I know now (and what I've spent) I would have never touched mine.

 

I'm not the type to do a whole lot in the way of mods. I learned a hard lesson on a truck I used to own. It was a toyota (that was the first problem) and it only had 3K on it. One screw up cost me a new master cylinder, and a new brake caliper. Plus, in the process, I managed to get brake fluid on my new paint job without knowing it. Yes, it will screw up the paint in a hurry.
So now I just stick to stock. While I might add some external stuff, radios, lights, grill guards and such, I try to leave the drive train stock. Keeps me out of trouble, and thus, out of the dog house.

 

Owned a lot of gassers and liked them at the time. Now having towed with a CTD I will never go back to gas. There's no explaining it, you have to experience it. While our 7200# Sunnybrook is not the biggest TT, it's still a load to pull over the passes around WA. My '05 with the 48re does a great job and is a lot less stressful to drive than my last Ford gasser (460-auto). I'm a fan of leaving 'em stock until the warranty runs out.

Not knocking the gas guys, we all have our preferences.

Buy a little more truck than you need right now 'cause you are bound to upgrade. When you do you won't have to worry about the truck.

 

I was real nervous also.
I recently switched to a diesel. I pull a 9K load(2500# trailer and 6500# Blazer on it). Call it 10K for reference. I had an F150 with a 4.6 and there was no way that truck would pull the load.
I ended up buying a first gen. Read as 92 D350 dually. I love it. I will have a diesel from now on. This was my first diesel, first turbo, first dually and first 8 foot bed. Did I say I love it? It has become so handy to have a big bed.

The only downside I have found is that I cant go through drive throughs. Banks or fast food. Diesel is alot cheaper than gas, where I am, and the big diesel gets better mileage than the small gasser. I am hooked.

When I first go it the wife would say that the diesel was too loud and smelled funny. That lasted about a week. She drove it through one of the worst rain storms we had in a while and was completely comfortable. It didn't slide or hydroplane and she remembered me telling her not to worry about getting water on the motor. When she needed something to go pick up some furniture she was glad to have it. And this weekend we are borrowing a camper, to go camping and she knows that we would be tent camping if it wasn't for the truck. She hates tent camping.

 

iwent from pulling 20,000lbs of trailer and backhoes with a 1 ton chevy w/ 350, and 4spd man, getting about 3-5mpg to a 99f250 with the 7.3 pulling the same weight getting about 10-11mpg at faster speeds, or i should say she wasnt struggling to hold 55mph. also, pullin with a dually vs srw with a hard side wind hitting you makes a world of difference, especially when you got 15-20 head of cattle or 7 horses moving around in the trailer behind you. those extra 2 wheels reallymake a difference. they also help for traction in the mud or loose surfaces ive found out. the sound, the smell, the feel of a diesel compares to nothing. i remember when i was in my ole ford a while back, i pulled out into some traffic, and cars started to move to the other lane. i wasnt taking off like a jet, but i got up to speed pretty quick, and when you pass someone pulling a load, they look at you like your from another planet. oh, and with the stacks on her, it usually scares the crap out of just about everyone around, and puts a smile on the ole face.
just my .2cents.

 

Soon-2-B-Rookie - That's too hard of a name to type. Sorry I'm a bit late to join in on this and if I repeat something someone else said, I apologize.

First - What to tell your friend. Tell him to take a test drive some day in your (diesel) truck and see for himself the difference. Let him make his own decision. Except you will want to strongly steer him away from a PSD 6.0L, or he will no longer want you to be his friend. No s---.

2nd - Your dad was right, think ahead. With that said, if you're going to pull a 5'er, get a dually and be done with it. Don't let the DRW assemblies intimidate you (if that's what's happening). With the 'thinking ahead' concept in mind, the general tendancy for campers (as in people who like to go campering), is to slowly (or sometimes not so slowly) get into larger and larger campers. You never know, you may see a 5'er that's larger than what you originally considered, and fall in love with a used unit that is cheaper than the new unit you originally planned. Making a dually necessary.

I tow a 33 footer with a 2500 SRW. I am about 500 # over GVWR, not so bad. But if I had to do it over again, I would have gotten a dually, no doubt.

3rd - The biggest thing I had to get used to - Being able to cruise on the interstate at interstate speeds with a huge trailer/camper. And the additional fuel range I have with my 5.9L Cummins, versus the 5.7L Chevy Suburban (but mine was an old school 1988 model). Both empty and towing. I could get 21 mpg empty before ULSD, now it's right on the line of 20 mpg with ULSD.

4th - What was something I missed about my old gasser - Being able to seat 6 adults comfortably with only 2 (bench) rows of seats. My Suburban was a 1988 3/4 ton 4X4 Scottsdale edition. Meaning it was sort of stripped down, well very stripped down. Manual windows & locks, no 3rd row seat (that was no issue for me at that time). But man, that 2nd row was mega comfortable for the largest adults, and 3 wide. It was 4 doors, so those full size adults could get in very easy. Not so with a quad cab. Harder to access, and nowhere near the room. But it's no family hauler, I have an Odyssey for that.

5th - I think the maintenance of a Cummins to the 5.7L is basically a wash. No substantial cost up, nothing that needs continuous baby sitting. Don't worry about the maintenance.

Sorry for the length, but wanted to give you as good a feel for what you're getting into as possible.

 

That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. As far as moving up, I'm kinda the never satisfied type. Always looking for the bigger, better. My wife keeps me grounded (read thretened). She is satisfied with the popup that we have. I'm the one that hates the setup work with the pop up. I also love the room of the 5er. As well as (from what I hear) their well mannered towing. All that being said, I will probably end up in the 30 -32 ft range with a Max GVWR of around 11K. I know the suburban won't tow a travel trailer in that weight class. So I know I need to upgrade the tow vehicle. If I go with a 3/4 ton diesel, then it won't matter whether we end up in a travel trailer or a 5er. The truck will handle it!

As far as buying new or used, I'm probably gonna look at the used market, since the new prices scare the He** out of me. But thats a different topic down the road

What to look for .VS. What to look out for. I know I'll need some advice in that area as well.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm really leaning towards a diesel in the future.

 

If you're gonna buy used, you should orta really look at duallies. It's virtually a free upgrade (used). My 5'er is about 9,500 lbs. and I would prefer to have a dually (when towing it). I'm not trying to sell you a dually, but keep this in mind.