Currently waiting buy back of my 03 6.0 ford in the next few days on my third ford in 6 months with less then 5000 miles total on all three

looking at the HO 3500, due to the fact i have a 28 foot toy hauler and carry a 1000lb rail plus racing fuel on many weekends in the past years, automatic transmissison
have question about the on the fly Vs manual 4x4 any information will be appreacted
need the quad cab

no off road time sense 7/1/03 due to a truck that will not tow with out dying or stalling.

i need a truck that will deal with a winch set up and at least 285. tires even what brand tires work best on the dodge but still do not ned a lift kit

future changes will be exhust upgrade turbo back

rick

 

First of all, welcome newbie. Lots of folks here with good information as well as strong opinions. As far as options go, since you will be towing, get the towing package and towing mirrors. If you are getting 4x4, get the protection group option as well. It is up to you as to whether you are more comfortable with a manual vs. auto transmission, but if you decide on the auto many on this forum will tell you to get the 4.10 diff ratio. I have a standard 6 sp. (high output engine only comes with 6sp manual or 48RE auto), and with 3.73 rear diff I find towing a breeze (see signature for trailer). An Jacobs E-Brake (exhaust break) is a real advantage, but is not yet avaiable with the auto, so that is one thing to consider. With either one, I strongly recommend putting in the aftermarket guages that most of us have (pyrometer,boost,fuel pressure, and with an auto the trans temp guage). Most options past these are "creature comfort" and everyone has their own requirements as to which of those they need and won't live without, so that part is up to you. The HO (high output) engine option is recommended as well, as loosely referred to above in the transmission options. Hope this helps you narrow it down a bit. Also, if you are planning to put 285's on the truck, be sure to get single rear wheel instead of dual, unless you intend to get custom wheels for the dually that will give more separation to allow wider tires on back without rubbing. Happy shopping. Incidently, Cummins Luke (a sponsor of this website) will give good no hassle prices from what I've seen, so you might just send him a private message to make contact, if you are interested.

 

Sure I'll shoot ya a price, I am pretty far from you, but I have had people come as far as New Mexico and Arizona to buy from me. Only you can decide weather you want to go auto or 6-speed. But I'll say this, I used to be an auto hater, wouldn't even stock one. But since the 48re came out you couldn't get me to drive a 6-speed. I pull heavier than most, as much as 30K+ sometimes, and my HO/48re has been flawless. However, if you do opt for the 48re, do not get 3.73's if you plan to tow a 28' trailer. You will be much happier with the 4.10's like i have.

 

I gotta agree with both the above posts. If you are worried about some droan noises, some people with auto trannys have some noise issues. (buzzing if I recall) I have a 6spd and would not consider anything else. Just my preference. 21k as of tonight and 6 months and has been a great truck. Good luck with your decision.
BTW if you are afraid of EGR (buying the 6.0 I would assume you are not) apparently the Cummins after Jan 01 will be EGR equipped. If this is a concern order now to avoid it. Dodge 4wd is a full time kinda thing, hubs always engaged, not like the Ford. Kinda crappy IMO. But that is the way Dodge designed it. Manual lever or automatic does not engage the hubs, only locks the driveline together. Check your pin weight of your trailer you might need a dualie.

 

[quote author=spots link=board=11;threadid=18602;start=0#msg174637 date=1061333613]
Check your pin weight of your trailer you might need a dualie.
[/quote]

2nd that. first things first (I'm buying the truck first, no trailer yet...) but I did a little trailer shopping and discovered that my 02 2500 truck would be overloaded due to the hitch weight of an example trailer, even though the combo was well within the 20,000 Gross combination weight rating. So 3500 SRW it is for me. I like to go offroad empty and need a truck that will do it all

Some of those larger trailers with bedroom slideouts get pretty heavy on the hitch pin and you might want to give up the short turning radius and offroad capability of the SRW and get a DRW. those are awesome towing animals.

But I do agree with Ford on the front hubs -- those would be nice . for some silly reason, Dodge thinks that people who run 4wd trucks on the highway want to spin their front axle shafts all day long. oh well. But they still get better mileage than the Fords, the system is arguably more robust, and one other thing -- you won't have any pitted gears in your front diff because you don't run them often enough

 

Definitely get the towing mirrors! I got the HO with the 48RE and 3.73 rear end. Had no problem on my last 3400 mile trip pulling a 30' 5er. The few inclines it did slow down on, I just locked out the OD, and it regained back to my cruising speed. The HO is awesome!!! ;D A BIG difference over the '95 12v 5 speed I had. the '95 couldn't hardly even GET to the speeds my '03 cruises at! However, I wasn't in the Rockies. I know it'll be a different story there...