So far, I really like this truck and have no gripes of any real consequence, unlike many of our unfortunate brothers who bought the 6.0 Ford. (Brand Loyalty...is there any worse thing a car buyer can have? Seriously, I feel very sorry for those guys. I hope Ford gets it ironed out soon.)

But...as with any machine, there is always room for improvement.

1. This is one of the harder trucks I've owned to get in and out of. The door is shaped such that I have to really twist my neck to keep from banging my head when I get in. And that is with the seat in its lowest position.

2. The A pillar, visor, and RH mirror conspire to make a very large blind spot on that side of the truck. Twice I have caught myself about to pull out in front of a car that was hidden in that spot.

3. Can't find a really comfortable seating position, in spite of (or maybe because of) having adjustable pedals and 8-way seat. The demo truck I drove had an 8-way seat with non-adjustable pedals and it seemed fine, but I have yet to find the 'sweet spot' in which to sit.

That's about it. That's a pretty short list and when I look at some of the problems people are having with the 6.0, this truck is essentially perfect. Only 3400 miles so far, and mileage (kept from day one) on the overhead indicates just slightly under 19, creeping up slowly. The original oil is still pretty clear, and has not used any that I can tell.

So far, a happy new Dodge owner.

 

I'll tell ya what I don't like. I don't like not knowing if my order for the '04 went in because I want the protection group. I also don't like having the possibility of getting a motor with EGR. And I don't like having to wait for this thing to arrive. Oh, I keep forgetting, the biggest thing I don't like about it is that it's for my better half. We're getting rid of her Blazer for it and she keeps telling me that I have to submit a request 1 week in advance to drive it. Good lord, I spec it out, she picks the color and bug shield and I have to keep driving my Expedition.. :'( It should be the other way around... I should be getting the pickup and she needs to drive the SUV!

 

Crabjoe, I'll tell you, you have a bigger problem than the truck, that is she's wearing the pant's around your house. You better find a way to get them off her and on to you!

 

LMAO Crabjoe,
I just placed an order for a 2004 slt HO 6 sp, and my wife is already telling me how we are jetting rid of the car and how she will drive the truck

 

What 03ramman said. Pants Dude, pants!! (Honey, do you know where MY pants are?) :-[

100 Proof

 

I have a company vehicle I drive to and from/for work. It really dosn't make economic sense to spend $51,000 (cdn after tax) on a vehicle that spends almost all it's time in the driveway. Besides, this way I get to hang onto my old '93 ctd (for now, sentamental reasons... )

 

Strange - I love the new seats. My 98.5's seats weren't comfortable for me for much over 2 hours. These seem like I could sit in 'em for a whole tank of gas!

I agree the door opening takes a little getting used to, but I haven't hit my head yet. My "cover" (navy term for hat for all you non-squids out there) sometimes gets scraped if I'm wearing it, though. BTW, I'm 6' and have my seat all the way up.

Havent' noticed a big blind spot on my right side yet. Maybe because of the difference in our seat positions?

So far I REALLY like my truck!

 

My gal wants a diesel too.
She is leaning towards a Toureg [sp?] when and if they are available. A close friend of hers owns the VW dealership here.
She wears pants sometimes...when its cold out.

I drove a few 3rd gen Rams...first thing I noticed was how user friendly and comfortable they were compared to the 01'.

Time will tell if theres something that will agitate me in it.
Usually takes a few miles to learn it all on a new rig.

Kinda curious as to how the adjustable pedals and the seat will work...might need to pack a lunch for the first time tweaking the adjustments.

Does the Laramie have memory seats/pedals?

Scotty

 

I have driven my truck for up to 15 hours straight and never had a seat problem. Drove it a couple of times for 12 hours straight and no problems either. My wife has also been with me for a couple of 12 hour drives and she has not complained about the seats.
Never hit my head climbing in either, althought two days ago my wife somehow hit her head on the the hand grab. Can't imagine haow she did this because she always holds this to assist her getting in. She is fairly petit.
Yes, there is a bit of a blind spot and I have learned to move my head when moving out into traffic.

 

Scotty, yes, the Laramie has the 8 way seats and adjustable pedals.

I have to agree with cp regarding the seats. :- I took mine on a 3500 mile trip in July. No matter how I tried, I just couldn't find the comfort spot for the seats. My wife doesn't have a problem on the passenger side. I feel quite comfortable for the first hour or so driving, but then my lower back starts aching, and I just can't seem to find a good seat/lumbar position. Since I'm using the cruise, I don't think the pedal adjustment is the problem; however, I did resort to adjusting them when not using the cruise to see if it helped. It didn't. What I miss is a foot rest for my left foot! I think that could be what is possibly giving me problems! ??? I can't remember if my '95 had one or not, but I never got the lower back ache with it. Anybody else having back problems driving long distances???

 

Good Day!
Try this:
1)set the seat flat and the pedals all the way forward (toward the front of the truck).
2)tilt the seat back (using the front tilt) until you feel good.
3)raise the whole seat [i]slightly[i].
4) place the lumbar support fully out (toward your back).
This should solve your dilemma. Let me know if it works.

 

[quote author=t6_man link=board=20;threadid=19296;start=0#msg181416 date=1062884652]
...What I miss is a foot rest for my left foot! I think that could be what is possibly giving me problems! ??? I can't remember if my '95 had one or not, but I never got the lower back ache with it. Anybody else having back problems driving long distances???
[/quote]

I agree. When I arrange the seat and pedals such that I can rest my foot on the angled portion of the floorboard, I can't get in and out without bonking my head and the steering wheel seems way too close. When you have to rest your left foot flat on the floor, I think that contributes a lot towards discomfort.

 

What is this EGR thats comming on the new trucks? Any articles i can read to keep up on this stuff?

 

EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation. To mollify the enviro-*****, the CTD will soon have EGR.

The human equivalent would be to have a fart be a portion of each breath you take.

I doubt if our engines like it a whole lot better.

 

hahaha great explaination