So there was this Dodge....

Okay, so I bought a Dodge today. Yes, I still have my '03 Silverado, but my wife REALLY wanted this Dodge. I have to admit, it's one hell of a truck. It's an '03, 3500 (single rear wheel) quad cab 4x4 with the HO Cummins and the 6-speed manual. Good lord, after driving my Silverado this thing feels like it would pull a house off it's foundation! So, have I sinned? Cause I have to admit, pound for pound this thing blows the doors off of my Chevy (I hate having to say that;))

Umm...dunno what to tell ya but my old k1500 beat a Ram 2500 with a hemi and he was all about racing.....

Dura-Max will kick it's ass.

Dura-Max will kick it's ass.
Gotta disagree. We drove a new 2500 Duramax as well. The Cummins was not only "seat of the pants" more powerful, but smoother as well. It also had a MUCH better warranty and any Cummins center can service it too. I love Chevy's, but I have to admit, the Cummins seems to be a better choice.

My parents have an '03 Durango with the 4.7L. I like the braking and steering of the Dodge much better than my Chevy... Having never driven a V8 Silverado I could only begin to imagine how much better it'd be than the 4.7. That little V8 will still move pretty good. Don't get me wrong.. I'm Chevrolet all the way. Just like the Dodge brakes and steering. Blind spots in that Durango suck though.

My only question is why the hell did you get something so big?

The only good thing you did for yourself was get a manual tranny, Do$%^'# auto tranny sucks B&*@#. Seen enough of them at the tranny shop... :rofl:

My only question is why the hell did you get something so big?
Ummmm I'm compensating for something else ;) No, really, we have a 26' 5th wheel and a Sea Doo boat. In Montana, you can tow tandem but the Silverado wasn't too fond of the task. Hence the diesel 3500.
About the manual, I have heard the same. I've always been an auto guy, but supposedly the Dodge auto sucks balls. Some guys are only getting 45,000 miles out of them. Granted, they are probably pulling tons and tons of weight around with them, but the manual is reported to be much better. I only wish Dodge had the Allison tranny. Best Tranny out there IMO.

I'm jealous of the Montana as I will finally get a three week vacation July/Aug to visit the old homestead this summer. And to think my dad a religeous GM man went D$%&@ to pull his 28' trailer over the mountains, not hills, mountains.

I wish i could jump on this one but i cant, reason being is cause i actually havent driven the new cummins deisel. But I will say this, alot of times somthing feels better but actually isnt true. The reason that the Duramax shifts so much harder and different is because it's using a MUCH MUCH stronger and POWER ROBBING tranny. The alison is vertually indestructible and thats probably why you dont see many in the shop nor do they offer rediculous warranties on it, cause if you break it you were doing something completey insane!!! DOdge uses the same trannys on the 2500 as the do in the 2500 cummins and the 3500 cummins, The only real diff is of course spring load in the rear for higher towing cap, and a larger rear differential to hold the power the trans is trying to put to it. The duramax uses a what is compared to a DANA 70" rear ( also vertually indestructable!!)

I just traded in a 03 ram 2500 with the ho cummins in on a 05 3500 silveradow with the duramax. And there is no comparison in the power,the dodge has more than the duramax has by far.I work my truck everyday.I haul a 6500lb work trailer for my buisnessand I have a 11000 lb fth wheel that I pull a 2000 lb boat behind.the cummins will outpull the duramax.this thing cant handel the hills without dropping gears. the dodge never slowed down. have had the chevy almost a month.it not as peppy and the millage is not as good.Had 4 different cummins and this is the first duramax,not impressed at all with the power.everyone said how pwerfull they were,wrong,the guy that sold it to me admitted there was no comparison.the chevy rides smoother,but the metal isnt as heavy.the 2500 dodge was heavier than this 3500 is.hope it holds up.hope the employee discount was worth it in the end,this is my first chevy since my90 blazer that was a lemon,bad experiance,wasnt worth the money we saved by buying it with the discountsaid back then no more chevys,gave them the benifate of the doubt tried it again

the 06 duramaxes are way better with 360HP and 650TQ

Tuckerdog,

I'm confused. Didn't you test drive vehicles several times before making a decision? A major purchase like this for your business such as you describe would certainly almost require very careful evaluation. As you describe it - there is a big difference in power - why wouldn't you have noticed it at the test drives? The reason I'm asking - is you describe how you haul heavyweight on a daily basis - I would think a decision of changing truck brands would be a big decision and you'd be very observant BEFORE the pruchase. Certainly the employee pricing can't be the motivation - as Dodge also has employee pricing just like GM. What aren't you telling us? Something doesn't seem to fit in this story.

Nothing to be confused,there is a big diff between just drivig a truck and actually haulling with it.If the dealerships would let you pull with them before you bought them things would be different,also when i purchased the truck the only discounts were the Gm discounts,witch I can get anyway.My cousin owns a masonary buisness,he has a forklift that is 26,000lbs with out the trailer.He is pulling it with the cummins,he also has a powerstroke and a 04 duramax,He told me after I bought this that the duramax will not pull his gooseneck trailer very good,he has to put the truck in low lock to back it up.not trying to ruffel feathers,just stating facts.I pull with these everyday,and there is a diff between them.they just chipped the duramax so we will se if it helps his first

I don't think Dodge has a better truck.............but Cummins IS a better engine. GM is having alot of trouble with the aluminum heads on the Duramax. And if you have chipped your Duramax, you CAN shell your Allison, yeah it's a hell of a tranny, but it's not bulletproof.

I wish GM would get in the diesel business. All they have produced previous to the Duramax, were crappy diesels with the converted 350 gas, the 6.2L and the 6.5L. and now their big dog is built by Isuzu??

My perfect truck would be a Chevy with a Cummins and a six speed.