What truck should I get?

[knightjp]

I had a Ram 1500 SLT 4x4 with the 5.7 HEMI V8. I was recently in an accident that declared my truck a total loss.

I chose to take the insurance settlement and then replace the vehicle. The plan is that I take the insurance money and use that to purchase the vehicle. I want it to be another 2014 Ram 1500 with MDS and the 8 Speed box.
I don't really want to go in for another finance. I just want to use the insurance money, buy a used vehicle with and hopefully get back to what I had with my old truck.

Honestly, looking online and checking the used car lots, it isn't an easy search to find one within the budget.
There were quite a few GM trucks and 2013 Ford F150s (V8 models); but not many Rams.

Honestly, while the GM trucks seem to have better reputation for reliability, they have issues with their cylinder deactivation on their engines. Doesn't work as well as MDS; and the ones I am looking at only have 6 speed boxes which means that fuel economy will be less. The cabins have really cheap feeling plastic and somehow when I sit in a GM truck, I feel that they don't have as much visibility as others. I feel like I'm sitting in a large sedan. I guess anyone who has owned one will be able to explain why that is so, but I don't feel that is good for going off road.

Ford.. Based on the budget, I would have to go in for the 2013 models which literally don't have any infotainment at all and the interior plastics are just as bad as the GM trucks. I could remedy the infotainment with one of those Android units, however we all know those aren't really the best. There were a couple of 1st Gen Raptors and my brother suggesting I go in for something different and get one of those. The sound of those engines are awesome, but frankly, that is all the Raptor has going for it. I spend most of the time on the road rather than off it. Secondly, I would like my truck to be an all rounder like my Ram was. My brother used it to move house twice. A friend borrowed it to do the same. Its good for everything. The Raptor would not have been able to do that.

Toyota Tundras are great, but the internet is just too full of condescending Tundra owners - filling every single Youtube video and forum with comments about its reliability and how much it is better than any other truck on the planet. Add the fact that the interior is incredibly dated for the year, its really thirsty on fuel and the infotainment is horrible - no, Tundras are not for me. Plus, Tundras over here have the Toyota tax; just way too expensive for what they are, even with higher mileage.

Maybe I'm biased after having a Ram for almost 6 years. Right now, I feel I need to get another RAM. It just has the best of everything.


Any thoughts?

[JordyStepho]

Pretty hard to get anything other than a RAM once you've tasted one.

[knightjp]

Originally Posted by JordyStepho

Pretty hard to get anything other than a RAM once you've tasted one.

Absolutely correct.. Hence why I settled on a 2014 Ram 1500 SLT again; just like the one I had.
The truck came with a Borla exhaust and a Mopar performance intake. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the purchase.

[zavierskeyde]

I think you should buy a truck from Toyota. I recommend buying a Toyota Tundra.

[knightjp]

Originally Posted by zavierskeyde

I think you should buy a truck from Toyota. I recommend buying a Toyota Tundra.

It seems that you can't go anywhere on the internet without a Toyota fanboy offering unsolicited comments on how the entire world should only buy one make of vehicle. Thanks for the comment, but I would not buy a Tundra. I admire the truck, particularly the facelift 2nd gen from 2014 onwards, but no, it is not for me. The fuel consumption is far too high, and I don't believe that if offers anything great in terms of value for money. Toyota has to be the only vehicle company in the world that will sell you a car with wind-up windows, basic sedan for the price of mid range or full option vehicle of another comparable make. And I'm not talking cheap Chinese or Korean stuff. I'm talking Hondas or Nissans. And I don't think that you're getting anything less reliable with those other brands.
For one, where I live, the only Tundras available are imports, which are most likely accident cars; so there's no warranty. And even there was warranty, good luck getting any Toyota dealer to admit a fault with one of their vehicles. Secondly, far too overpriced - with the Toyota tax. People believe that they buy Toyota, thinking that they're buying piece of mind, reliability.
I don't believe that Toyotas are any more reliable than any other comparable make. Maybe they once were back in day, but with our modern electrics and stuff, no.
A couple of years ago, I was stopped at a traffic light. A Tundra was in front of me. Light turned green and the guy in front wouldn't move. I got out to check what is the matter. The driver, completely at a loss for words. His truck just shut off and wouldn't start again. Complete failure of all engine electrics. I suggested a dead battery, but he said it was a new one - only a week old. So I used my supposedly "most unreliable truck" Ram 1500 to tow him to the side of the road and await a recovery.
I caught up with that same guy a few weeks later and he said that he had to replace the entire engine. He still had no clue what happened to it. Just that Toyota had suggested to change the engine and he had to pay full price for it. No warranty.

I would put that down to an isolated incident, until I saw a video where something similar had happened to someone else while he was on a road trip in a Tundra that he borrowed from a mate.

Again, these might be isolated incidents, but my point is that these guys bought Toyota because they presumed that it would be "reliable" and would never face issues. Guess what, they did.

He still drove the truck.
That's why I drive a Ram. I know its not the best, but it hasn't let me down yet and as long as I treat it right, I'm guessing it never will.

[jeffmorris]

I watched "I do cars" video where Eric disassembled the 5.7 HEMI V8. He found bad lifters and camshaft with one bad cam. He thinks that the owner didn't change the oil but there are no springs on the rocker arm shafts which allow the rocker arms to move back and forth on the shafts.

[knightjp]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

I watched "I do cars" video where Eric disassembled the 5.7 HEMI V8. He found bad lifters and camshaft with one bad cam. He thinks that the owner didn't change the oil but there are no springs on the rocker arm shafts which allow the rocker arms to move back and forth on the shafts.

There is an entire thread on the ram forums dedicated to engine oil and stuff. Take it from someone who has faced the dreaded Hemi tick 3 times on two different trucks.

Anyone who has just purchased a Ram 1500 (new or used) with the 5.7 HEMI should do the following right away. This should also work for anyone who has a vehicle with the same engine.

1. Forget what the manual says because manufacturers are only chasing EPA ratings. This the only reason for pushing thinner oils. I've noticed that elderly users who have been having V8 vehicles from the 60s, treat their newer trucks the same way. Thicker oils and shorter change intervals, which brings us to..

2. Keep the oil change intervals short. I'm doing it at every 5000 kms (approx 3000 miles). Use an oil that will last 6000 miles, but always change it at 3000 - 4000.

3. Use a good 5w30 or 0w40 oil as soon as possible. If you can use it from the very beginning of the engine life, you're done the best thing for that engine.
Recommended oil for the 5.7 Hemis are:
- Redline 5w30 - if the budget allows and you can use it, then you can take the change interval to about every 5000 miles. The additive package of Redline works really well with Hemi engines, but it is expensive.
- Mobil 1 Fully Synthetic 0w40
- Pennzoil Ultra Platinum or Platinum 5w30 with Lubegard Biotech
- Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0w40

Other honorable mentions are:
- Valvoline Fully Synthetic 5w30
- Castrol Edge 5w30 / 0w40
- Castrol Magnatec SUV 5w30 C3

4. If you have a Hemi lifter tick, and you don't want to do a rebuild, then use Redline HP 5w40 first and then RL HP 5w30 continuous after. Another recommended combo is Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w30 with Lubegard Biotech.