I just don't like the fact that EVERYTHING but the motor is made in MEXICO!!! It is to bad cuz Dodge lost all my business. I like to buy american

 

I'd buy American if I could, too, but I think (could be wrong) that all the big three in this region come from south of the border.

Anyway, I really like my 06. It's a Laramie with the heated leather and all the other goodies, G56 trans, jake brake, navigation, 6 disk MP3, Sirius.

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Those new ones though have excellent fit and finish, the 6 speed auto is awsome (would tempt me to own my first auto trans). The steel bed sides on the dually are nice, but mainly the extra rear seat room has me interested.

Good point on the magazines and/or car and driver. I saw one knocked the Ram 1500 for having too high of a step in height. They skipped over that it had the best ground clearance, best acceleration alone, and when towing their test trailer.

They write truck reviews as though their audience is elderly ladies looking for a full size 4x4 truck as a grocery getter.

When I'm looking for a heavy duty truck I want to know how it will handle 17,000 pounds of trailer and how it will do getting me out of elk camp after we get burried in an unexpected snow storm.

I care how it does on their cone/parking lot handling course about as much as a sports car shopper cares about how the lates porshe boxer does towing 17,000 pounds...

 

Jeffin, I'd keep the 06. I am a Dodge man... used to own nothing but Fords, but I have to say I am well pleased with my 06 Cummins. My personal opinion, but I think the 5.9 is a stronger motor. Witness just about every puller iin the known world is using it over the 6.7. They have to know something I don't. Even in stock form, there is very few that out pull it. I hear the new Ford is a stout piece. Will take some time to see if it will last. I still to this day cannot understand why Ford didn't buy into CAT when they were on the ropes. I suspect there would be a ton of guys runing around with CAT on their ball caps if they had. I do admit though that I have been looking there too. But I have to say, I won't be getting a new Dodge. That new beast is a face only a mother can love. Why they take a decent looking truck and screw it up I cannot start to understand. My preference, really was my 03 Ram. But it was a Hemi, and I needed the 4x4 and diesel power. So that is what I am currently driving. I suspect this truck will pretty much last me to my grave.

 

I had an 03 Ram, too, and would have kept it but I was looking at 5th wheels in the size range that require a dually.

The 555 HO in 03 was more fuel efficient than the 600 motor that came out in 05 (no cat required).

I don't care for the new front of the Dodge either, but they are the only one that meets 2010 emissions without urea injection. Cummins seems to have been ahead of the curve when it comes to meeting ever stricter emissions requirements.

Cat actually discontinued building on the road diesel engines all together due to the cost of design and development of emission controls...

 

Jeffin that's a beauty of a rig.

 

Thanks. IMHO Dodges of that era are pretty nice looking.