Whats engine/trailerweight/ rear end? My 06 pulling ~8,000 was getting ~12-13 doing 80 heading up north and coming back
5.7, 8,000 lb (give or take), and I couldn't tell you what rear end it has. Had to swap out the coil springs in favor of airbags to keep the headlights from lighting up the moon. The trailer is a double axle, and we've got most of the weight over the axles. It tends to get between 7-9mpg with the trailer. We used an '07 Ram 5.7 previously, and I thought that towed better (and looked a hell of a lot better). This truck has been riddled with problems - so much so that it will likely be the last Chrysler he buys (fingers crossed). :lol:
The build quality / fit and finish of these trucks has come up on numerous other forums I frequent. It usually ends up with me sounding like a miserable bastard that has something against Chrysler, so I took pictures and videos of some of the "little" things that make it seem/feel like a cheaply put together truck. Things like running boards that are loose and have been since day 1. Two different dealerships have told him (my dad) that they could not be further tightened, however, I know bullshit when I hear it. So many oversights that should not come on a truck purchased brand new off the dealer floor.
A couple things that I think are so simple, it's stupid.
The gaps on the windshield trim are uneven. The glass was never replaced. But these things pop out if you look at 'em funny. There is about a 1" difference in gap size between the two sides.
B pillar tape...really?
All four of them look like this.
This was replaced 2 weeks ago.
It's the driver side fender.
The front bumper and passenger fender were replaced within the first year of ownership due to the same thing.
The top, right plastic "crosshair" insert, which was supposed to be chrome. Well it was brown when he got the truck. They said it was "tarnished" and replaced it. I wasn't aware that shiny plastic could tarnish. themoreyouknow.jpg
Running boards. Videos! Click 'em, they'll open a new window.
Driver side:
Pass side:
There was a morning early on in ownership where it simply wouldn't go out of park. Jim Reihl Dodge sent a flatbed truck for it and apparently some valve in the trans had malfunctioned.
About a month ago I got a call from my dad asking me what a "rod knock sounded like". I guess it was really, really loud. Oil level was fine, and it eventually went away. Took it in to the dealer and they said they had no idea what it was. They said it very well could have been a knock, and that it's possible for them to "go away". That would be news to me. :lol:
The moral of the story is that I think the truck is very nice if you intend to drive it to work and back (aside from all the "little" problems). Maybe haul a few small/light items from time to time. But as a work truck, it should not have even been considered (like I said from day 1).
The shame of it is that I was not with him when he made the purchase. I'm the asshole that focuses on the small details and notices all of the "quirks". Dad doesn't see well, and is always going a million miles per hour, so he doesn't notice these things. It's only at this point he's really taking my recommendation of an F250 with a PSD to heart. I think this might end up as the back up truck before the year has ended.
It is my understanding that the techs at the dealers are the ones that profit most from little fit and finish issues. The shit is simple to fix, and they can likely knock out a whole list of issues upon new-car inspections in a relatively short period of time - make a few easy bucks in the process. Hopefully not too many make it to the hands of customers without the issues being addressed. Perhaps my standards are high, but there is no excuse for any of it.
Sorry for the rant and blatant thread-jack. The moral of the story is that the Ecoboost is fucking cool, and I want one. :lol:
