Tow Vehicle for 2014 23 LSV...Ram 1500? GM or Ford...

[NHolladay]

What lakes do you hit in CO?

We belong to Empire a private lake in Wiggins. Cherry Creek for the weeknight rides. Usually hit Horsetooth, pueblo and that is really all. McCanaugh and glendo maybe once a year. But obviously those are in WY and NE. 32nd week we head to Powell and leave out of Bullfrog. You?

[NHolladay]

Yeah, all of the trucks are very nice. Will see how the Ford Eco Boost does today and will report back. Question for you though, why was the Dodge out so quick? I have reservations due to quality concerns, but not sure if they are justified.

I drove the Tundra Platinum, GMC Denali, and Dodge Laramie Longhorn all back to back and the Dodge surprisingly impressed me the most...I plan to drive them all again, just kind of threw me off as going into it was pretty sure I would be sticking with GM.

We tow minimum of an hour every time we go out, mostly rolling hills, and then 2-4 trips through the mountains each summer. I want the towing to be "easy".

No different then the Bu's we buy, Champagne problem I know, but big decision none the less.

Will report back this evening, unfortunately due to the temperatures and snow I can't hook on to try towing, so just driving them.

I have the same reservations about dodge. Don't get me wrong they are nice. The ride is the best but that is suspension, which I did not judge too hard as I would be adding cab adjustable air bags either way I went. But I can't pinpoint exactly what it is but feel better about the Ford. And I cannot believe I am saying that. Did I mention mine will fall under my works fleet service so maintenance was not a big concern either. Which I did not look to hard so not sure who is lower long term.

[CJAY]

We belong to Empire a private lake in Wiggins. Cherry Creek for the weeknight rides. Usually hit Horsetooth, pueblo and that is really all. McCanaugh and glendo maybe once a year. But obviously those are in WY and NE. 32nd week we head to Powell and leave out of Bullfrog. You?

I've got a good friend on empire, has a yellow and black LSV. Man that place dries up awfully quick. We are on standley lake, and hit powell on the 10th of sept out of page

[NHolladay]

I've got a good friend on empire, has a yellow and black LSV. Man that place dries up awfully quick. We are on standley lake, and hit powell on the 10th of sept out of page

Yes sir it does. But it is already full and with all of the snow this year up in the hills I am hoping we make it to Sept.1 this year. I think it can happen

[85 Barefoot]

I find it pretty funny the dodge reliability concerns when it has the best warranty. 100k on power train. Go figure. Just sat in a new limited 3/4 ton. My 2010 interior is well done. That limited is unworldly. Like the nicest wheel dash gauge materials accents of all time. Comparing it to that Toyota interior isn't even close IMO.

[CJAY]

Yes sir it does. But it is already full and with all of the snow this year up in the hills I am hoping we make it to Sept.1 this year. I think it can happen

I thought it was an irrigation lake, it's not on a river basin. I know if the summer is hot and dry it will be dry by the 4th of july, snow pack doesn't really dictate it. The farmers who own it use the water to keep their crops alive. Now if it's super hot and they have to purchase more water they have been known to refill it mid summer. So you want either a super hot and dry summer where they have to refill it, or a really rainy one. The last few years my buddy has been lucky to make it to July there. WE thought about joining his group till we saw how quickly the water was gone every year.

[Eddy88]

Update...

Drove a 2014 Ford F150 Platinum with the Eco Boost in it today. Nice truck, love the looks of them, and I really like the spacious cabin. Also they feel really solid, ie. the doors, tail gate, etc. the truck is "built tough" without question. That said the interior does not match up to the new GM or Ram. More hard plastic in comparison and the knobs, vents, etc. just don't look as nice, IMHO. Noticed a couple rattles on the test drive as well. The 2015 is coming out and I am sure the interior is completely different, but the 2014 IMO is not as nice. As for the Eco Boost, plenty of power there, drove nice and like the response, but still not a V8. I love the growl of a V8 and the raw power, thats just me. As for the ride, I thought it was ok, but pretty stiff, I think the Toyota is a little stiffer ride yet, but the GM and the Dodge are definitely a nicer ride. Again, depends what you are looking for. Being as I drive mine for work 80% of the time around town and on the Highway, I prefer a nicer ride. Also find the GM and Ram to be quieter.

Unfortunately, as much as I like the look and roomy interior, the Ford is looking like it is out for this guy.

I plan to go look at the Tundra, GM and Ram one more time, but as per my previous posts I am really starting to lean towards a Ram 1500, Laramie Limited, Hemi V8.

Will update again after I drive those 3 again between now and Tuesday.

Thanks for all the input.

[Eddy88]

I find it pretty funny the dodge reliability concerns when it has the best warranty. 100k on power train. Go figure. Just sat in a new limited 3/4 ton. My 2010 interior is well done. That limited is unworldly. Like the nicest wheel dash gauge materials accents of all time. Comparing it to that Toyota interior isn't even close IMO.

I agree, and think I need to get over my concerns. I run my truck through my company and flip every 3 years, so I think there should be no concerns, you would hope you could make it 3 years without issue. Just have a few horror stories, one is the friends we sold our Tige to this past fall, and their 2008 Ram was an absolute lemon. Rear Diff went twice, electrical went, had and electrical fire, etc. and they are pretty light users. That said also know guys who have 200,000 plus KM without issue, no different than any other manufacturer.

As for the interior on the Limited, I agree, it is awesome. Pretty plush. Love the materials they used, all the soft touch, stitching, that massive screen for the UConnect. It is nice.

Sounds like you might be ready to upgrade...

[beat taco]

I'd be all over the Tundra! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj5EbnLbk-o

I'm a Chevy guy so the Ram would be out too. Can't figure out why Dodge has great engines but everything that goes 200k in a Ford or Chevy lasts 70k in a Dodge. In the end I gave up a 2500 Vortec 7.4l for the Eco. Have fun could be doing much less fun things then picking a new rig!

[Arctic Slalom]

the (newish) 8 speed tranny in the dodge is suppose to be sweet….just saying.

[thethrillofspeed]

I think the Ram 1500 with the diesel deserves a test drive, that one is high on my list.

[stonelx]

I know there is a thread running, but it seems focused on the Ford's, so starting a new one to keep it fresh as I am looking at everything...

Have you considered a NIssan Titan?

Just picked up a 2013 Pro4x this last fall and love it.

Huge incentives from Nissan going on now too for 2014's.

[TenTwentyOne]

I owned a 2010 Ram 1500 with 5.7l Hemi, and coil spring rear suspension. It was far and beyond the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. Off the top of my head- Ball joints replaced twice, steering column, rear axle pinion bearings, both front hubs (bearing failure), driver seat track, cam position sensor, serp belt idler pulley, passenger window lift motor, spare tire winch, RR abs sensor, alternator, transfer case, and the air bag module...... I am sure I am forgetting a thing or two.

This was all in less than 40k miles, and 1.5 years of ownership. It was all under warranty, which was a lifesaver. That said, it was a huge pain to have the truck in the shop once a month.

We all have horror stories for one brand or another. In my case, I will never consider a Ram again, but that doesn't mean that they are not a good truck. There are good ones, and there are bad ones.

One thing I can say, is that Ram needs to ditch the coil spring rear. Yes, it rides nice, but it is terrible towing with any kind of tongue weight. I would never tow a 23 foot boat with one, without adding airbags. It is a trade off. I would say the Ram has the best ride, but it comes at a price.

[NHolladay]

I thought it was an irrigation lake, it's not on a river basin. I know if the summer is hot and dry it will be dry by the 4th of july, snow pack doesn't really dictate it. The farmers who own it use the water to keep their crops alive. Now if it's super hot and they have to purchase more water they have been known to refill it mid summer. So you want either a super hot and dry summer where they have to refill it, or a really rainy one. The last few years my buddy has been lucky to make it to July there. WE thought about joining his group till we saw how quickly the water was gone every year.

CJAY, it is on a chain of 5 lakes that are fed from the North Platte. There is a constant feed and pull. When the snow pack is large the feed is more then the pull and the lake stays full. We spend every July 4th week out there and have never had an issue. 4 years ago it was full all summer and this is shaping up to be the same. Keep in mind there are 5 clubs with all different access some of them do to there location lose access to the water from their launch spot. I can assure you the snow pack does dictate how long the lake stays full. There is a managing water district that sets all of the per a meters.

[rabiddawg]

I am not a fan of gm's system that kills cylinders at cruise speed. I traded a 2012 gmc for a 2013 f150.

The gmc had 30k miles on it, 20" tires and a 3.42 rear gear. I think that is the reason the truck was sluggish/ unresponsive in town and the cylinder killing thing constantly switched from 4 to 8 back and forth when cruising less than 65 mph. Drove me nuts.

Another thing i hated was the recirculate button on the ac had a mind of its own.

I havent towed the boat with the ford but i expect it to do better because it has 18" tires and 3.55 gear. Pay attention to the gear!!

I get slightly better fuel mileage with the ford 5.0 4x4 than i did with the gmc 5.3 2wd.

[Lance B. Johnson]

Have you considered a NIssan Titan?

Just picked up a 2013 Pro4x this last fall and love it.

Huge incentives from Nissan going on now too for 2014's.

What was the main reason for buying a Titan? Just curious, I own one too.

[jbjcrash]

Ram 1500 all the way. Trailer sway control. 5 link rear suspension. The Hemi has plenty of power and the new diesel rocks.

[tjklein]

One thing with the rear end is that you have to take into account what the actual transmission gears are. 3.42 in one truck might be comparable to 3.55 in another due to the actual transmission.

Something to think about.

Edited March 10, 2014 by tjklein

[Eddy88]

Hey guys...thanks for all the input, is much appreciated...keep it coming.

Lots of options out there. As I said Friday I plan to drive everything again this week and will report back later in the week. Hope to make a decision sometime next week.

[stonelx]

What was the main reason for buying a Titan? Just curious, I own one too.

I owned a 2002 Chevy S10 4x4 Crew cab which I actually did pull my sunsetter with, but only short distances.

It was getting very old and broken down, you know... the point where you open the door and all you're holding

is the door handle.

So it was time to upgrade. I really liked the compact truck segment but the choices were few since GM, Dodge and Ford dropped

their compact truck lines. My only choices were the Frontier and Tacoma. I test drove both.

Liked the Tacoma, but I couldn't get it with options I wanted. Toyota wouldn't custom order me one neither.

(Really Toyota? Your 2013 Tacoma does not have a locking tailgate?)

The frontier had a weird interior color that I just couldn't get over. So, I was prepared to go one more winter with

my S10 and re-shop summer 2014.

Then Nissan came out with huge incentives on their 2013 line up of Titans around October. I thought might as well test drive it.

Loved the test drive! Handled well and had great power. The interior worked perfect for me and the truck had every option

I needed or wanted.

With the incentives, they were cheaper than the Frontier's so why not, and way cheaper than what the big 3 were offering on their

1/2 ton trucks.

A dealership 9 hours away had the truck with the color I wanted, so I emailed him and got the truck for the price I was willing

to pay. Ended up paying $10,600 below invoice minus my trade.

Got screwed on my S10 trade in, but there's much you can do about that.

Anyway, I'll have a new rig to pull my sunsetter and can't wait for the ice to melt!

[thtrog]

I've read your reviews...still say Ecoboost and never look back, unless you want to see all the others in your rearview.

[Eddy88]

Well I finally made a decision...

Unfortunately due to demands at work and dealing with some family illness my hunt for a truck was put on the back burner for a bit, but got back to it last week and made a decision over the weekend.

On Monday I ordered a 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited - 5.7 L Hemi, 3.92 Rear, Limited Appearance Package, Limited Slip, Air Ride, Ram Box, etc. Should be here in 8-10 weeks.

I test drove everything out there but the Nissan, and some of them a couple times. First off I will say these are all great trucks, I am not a FanBoy of anything and went into this to find the truck that best suits my needs. With my needs being a vehicle that I drive around town and on the highway 95% of the time for work and personal needs and then approx 20-30 times a year will tow our 2014 MALIBU 23 LSV (Ya Baby!) to and from various bodies of water...here is what I drove in Alphabetical order so not too offend anyone! Ha...and my final thoughts on each and why the Ram won in the end:

2014 Ford F150 Platinum EcoBoost - Exterior is up there, like the looks of these trucks, interior IMHO is dated after sitting in the Ram and the new GM's but I will give it props for the huge back seat and flat floor and storage that is impressive, the interior is still nice just not as plush, overall ride good but a little stiff, definitely a truck, EcoBoost was ok did not do a whole bunch for me drove fine, sound not there, maybe I am just a V8 kind of guy! Infotainment pretty good, I have a 2013 Stang GT and like the Sync/My Touch, not as good as the UConnect IMHO, but still good once you learn how to properly use it...rest of truck was pretty good...the Ford was 2nd for me, it came down to this truck or the Ram, had I needed more Payload Capacity, and more of a work truck this would already be in my driveway.

2014 GMC 1500 Sierra Denali 5.3 L - Exterior is at the top of my list, interior 2nd to the Ram, Infotainment ok but I would say behind Ram and Ford but ahead of Tundra, overall ride was ok and nice and quiet but the 5.3L did not excite me a whole bunch and with the 6.2 L being so hard to find and I could not order one, as well as Sunroofs and rear sliding windows an issue to get it got crossed off the list early in my hunt...which was a big surprise as this was the truck I was planning to buy, had already built it at least a half dozen times on line...

2014 Ram 1500 - Exterior ok, not my favourite but apparently going to learn to like it, interior is awesome and the Limited Package trim the interior is equal to that in Luxury vehicles, Hemi V8 is awesome especially when matched up with the 8 Speed Transmission and the 3.92 rear in it, these things haul a**...the UConnect Infotainment with a 8.4" screen is by far the best and most user friendly IMHO...once I get it and spend some more time with it will know for sure, but first impressions it is very good...will add more at the end of my post

2014 Tundra Platinum - Exterior pretty good, I like it but the new wheels are horrible, would have to put rims on it immediately...Interior just ok to me, lots of hard plastic, looks nice but just not as plush as the others...drove ok, plenty of power and low end with that 4.10 rear in it, had no problem "losing traction" on the test drive...but I will say overall I was disappointed, I had the Tundra at the top of my list as I like the look of them, quality and large back seat, however the lack of innovation, fuel milage, weak infotainment, just left me disappointed as I was really expecting a lot more...

So back to the decision, it came down to the F150 Platinum and the Ram 1500 Laramie Limited for me, and as I said had I needed more payload and more of a working mans truck the F150 would have got the nod. But for me most of my driving is on flat pavement and you cannot beat the ride, interior, and overall experience of the Ram which was a complete surprise to me. Going into this I did not even have the Ram on my list, only reason I went and took it for a ride is because a good friend of mine is head of Marketing at the dealership. As I said the exteriors are not my favourite so was just kind of like meh, then I got in and was like holy sh$t, these are nice...then I drove it and was like yeah, these are quiet, the 8 Speed Transmission with the Hemi is great, and the plush interior with all the features was getting my attention. As for the features - there are a lot - Keyless Entry, Push Button start, huge 8.4" Uconnect touch screen with Nav system, and then every option possible, plus all the storage compartments are great...then one big seller for me is the RamBox Cargo System...I have similar, but smaller boxes on my Avalanche and love them, use them all the time...the Ram Box is similar but better, plus the boxes and the tailgate all lock on the Key Fob when you lock your truck, I will be putting a hard folding Tonneau on it, so it is awesome for leaving stuff in the back and not having to worry about it, will always be locked up...

So then I hit the internet, and may I say (as I type this book) what a time waster, very informative but my OCD had me reading review after review and comparisons on everyone of these trucks. Lots of great info but I will say I am tired of the FanBoy's out there, again these are all GREAT trucks, so get over it, just find the one that best suits your needs. If you are in the market for a new tow vehicle, drive them all, they are all different and have their own strengths and weaknesses. In the end the Ram won me over, hoping all those features don't lead to issues, but will see how it goes...I will throw up a post once I have towed a few times just for anyone that is curious or dealing with the same decision. Thanks again for any input.

So now the wait is on, till then I will enjoy my 2011 Avalanche which has been a great truck and wait for summer...if it ever comes...

[Tims]

Good write up. Looks like you did your homework. I went through the same process a year ago and came to the same conclusions you did except went the Ford 6.2 vs. the Ram. 5.7. If that 8 speed had been available, would have probably gone with it, however it would have been hard getting used to looking at that goat attached to my truck.

[BlastRlxi]

Congrats on the new truck. Best of luck with it.

Not to sidetrack, but how do you like your 2013 Mustang GT? I have an 06 GT and am hoping to upgrade to a 2011+ with the 5.0 just as soon as the 2015's come out and a whole bunch hit the used car market.

[Eddy88]

Good write up. Looks like you did your homework. I went through the same process a year ago and came to the same conclusions you did except went the Ford 6.2 vs. the Ram. 5.7. If that 8 speed had been available, would have probably gone with it, however it would have been hard getting used to looking at that goat attached to my truck.

Thanks and I hear you...I have been in a Chevy for the past 8 years, going to be a bit of a change, but looking forward to it. Going to have to customize it once it gets here to get it to my liking, but that should not be too hard.