Driving myself insane deciding on a new tow vehicle

[mrbb]

Older ones yes probably pre 2010-2012 had problems but ram has for the most part fixed it when they installed rear fender liners. I have 2014 w/ 110k on it and no signs of rust and most miles are winter miles. To the original post I went form suburban to pickup just couldn’t pay the price of new suburban and didn’t want to go with the smaller size of the midsize suv, still want to hall stuff when needed. But I will admit it until 100k was never a daily driver, most miles were state line to state line.

I will have to dis agree, have owned nothing but dodge/rams last 30 yrs(typically a new one very 2-3 yrs)and they all had major issues with rust ruining fenders (bumpers too), mostly on rear , the design of them have a LIP on the inside of the rear wheel wells between liner and fender, and it HOLDS and traps salt and other things,(some body shops here actually CUT them off and coat with better products to TRY and prevent this rusting out area) and the OEM PAINT on the edged of there body panels is THIN,
my 2016 had rust showing on wheel wells a year after I got the truck NEW, and things never got better!
started a warranty claim(as they have coverage stating RUST ON PAINTED PANELS) and in the past 4 years since rust getting worse, DODGE/RAM and who ever is in charge of it, claims Its NOT BAD enough to call for repair,
as if rust gets better as time passes??
NO there just waiting for the 5 yr warranty to expire then its on ME!
have tons of friends here that all own ram;'s of 2014+ and ALL have same rust issue's in same places

SO, NO DODGE/RAM< has NOT solved there rust problems !
and I doubt they ever will as they just DON"T CARE TOO<
no money in things if they last too long, JUST LONG ENOUGH< is the name of the game in vehicles, so you buy again and again!

and YES I wash my vehicles often,. both top and bottom as a fact I ever coat bottom with anti rust products, paint any area that starts to rust with, rust converter paints as well
DOESN"T MATTER
road salt and that chemical they spray solution is just metal , paint eating crap
if more folks would LEARN how to drive in snow, and wouldn;t be so lawyer happy to SUE,
we wouldn;t wast so much money on salt, and vehicle damages from it! IMO
but know that will NEVER happen!

 

[chunk06]

I will have to dis agree, have owned nothing but dodge/rams last 30 yrs(typically a new one very 2-3 yrs)and they all had major issues with rust ruining fenders (bumpers too), mostly on rear , the design of them have a LIP on the inside of the rear wheel wells between liner and fender, and it HOLDS and traps salt and other things,(some body shops here actually CUT them off and coat with better products to TRY and prevent this rusting out area) and the OEM PAINT on the edged of there body panels is THIN,
my 2016 had rust showing on wheel wells a year after I got the truck NEW, and things never got better!
started a warranty claim(as they have coverage stating RUST ON PAINTED PANELS) and in the past 4 years since rust getting worse, DODGE/RAM and who ever is in charge of it, claims Its NOT BAD enough to call for repair,
as if rust gets better as time passes??
NO there just waiting for the 5 yr warranty to expire then its on ME!
have tons of friends here that all own ram;'s of 2014+ and ALL have same rust issue's in same places

SO, NO DODGE/RAM< has NOT solved there rust problems !
and I doubt they ever will as they just DON"T CARE TOO<
no money in things if they last too long, JUST LONG ENOUGH< is the name of the game in vehicles, so you buy again and again!

and YES I wash my vehicles often,. both top and bottom as a fact I ever coat bottom with anti rust products, paint any area that starts to rust with, rust converter paints as well
DOESN"T MATTER
road salt and that chemical they spray solution is just metal , paint eating crap
if more folks would LEARN how to drive in snow, and wouldn;t be so lawyer happy to SUE,
we wouldn;t wast so much money on salt, and vehicle damages from it! IMO
but know that will NEVER happen!

My 16 ram has no body rust and frame still looks decent. It's the GM trucks that rust out now. GM also does not paint their frames so they get crusty quick. The 2007-13 GM trucks are really rusting out around here. We had to start watchinh out who was parking on Driveways of our new constructions when it is raining. The rust drips off the frames and puts spots on the concrete. You can pick apart every brand they all have weak points, but GM really needs to get away from the wax coated frames.

 

[DamageInc]

You won't get a Lariet or an FX4 or a Platinum or a King Ranch for 38 K. You might get a XLT for cheap in a normal year but this year the new car lots are pretty sparse. Plus the new redesign Ford is coming with will surely come with a new higher price tag. I don't see any big discounts to sell remaining 2020s.

FX4 is not a trim level. It's an off-road package than can be added on to any trim level from XL to Platinum.

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My 16 ram has no body rust and frame still looks decent. It's the GM trucks that rust out now. GM also does not paint their frames so they get crusty quick. The 2007-13 GM trucks are really rusting out around here. We had to start watchinh out who was parking on Driveways of our new constructions when it is raining. The rust drips off the frames and puts spots on the concrete. You can pick apart every brand they all have weak points, but GM really needs to get away from the wax coated frames.

That wax coating is the primary reason why I no longer drive a Chevy pickup truck.

All of the new trucks have their flaws, and nobody makes the perfect pickup....yet. Most of those flaws are intentionally created by government regulations, such as cylinder deactivation, thin sheet metal, $hitty water-based paints, and direct injection. If government would get out of the way, we would have much better trucks.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

I will have to dis agree, have owned nothing but dodge/rams last 30 yrs(typically a new one very 2-3 yrs)and they all had major issues with rust ruining fenders (bumpers too), mostly on rear , the design of them have a LIP on the inside of the rear wheel wells between liner and fender, and it HOLDS and traps salt and other things,(some body shops here actually CUT them off and coat with better products to TRY and prevent this rusting out area) and the OEM PAINT on the edged of there body panels is THIN,
my 2016 had rust showing on wheel wells a year after I got the truck NEW, and things never got better!
started a warranty claim(as they have coverage stating RUST ON PAINTED PANELS) and in the past 4 years since rust getting worse, DODGE/RAM and who ever is in charge of it, claims Its NOT BAD enough to call for repair,
as if rust gets better as time passes??
NO there just waiting for the 5 yr warranty to expire then its on ME!
have tons of friends here that all own ram;'s of 2014+ and ALL have same rust issue's in same places

SO, NO DODGE/RAM< has NOT solved there rust problems !
and I doubt they ever will as they just DON"T CARE TOO<
no money in things if they last too long, JUST LONG ENOUGH< is the name of the game in vehicles, so you buy again and again!

and YES I wash my vehicles often,. both top and bottom as a fact I ever coat bottom with anti rust products, paint any area that starts to rust with, rust converter paints as well
DOESN"T MATTER
road salt and that chemical they spray solution is just metal , paint eating crap
if more folks would LEARN how to drive in snow, and wouldn;t be so lawyer happy to SUE,
we wouldn;t wast so much money on salt, and vehicle damages from it! IMO
but know that will NEVER happen!

wow mrbb...your posts have become increasingly hard to read lately. why so may arrows and capital letters? do you talk this way as well? i couldnt finish reading your post, sorry. LOL
P.S. im not trolling or bashing you, just stating what i feel when i read your posts. seems most of your posts are interesting to read, just hard to get through

 

[G]

FX4 is not a trim level. It's an off-road package than can be added on to any trim level from XL to Platinum.

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That wax coating is the primary reason why I no longer drive a Chevy pickup truck.

All of the new trucks have their flaws, and nobody makes the perfect pickup....yet. Most of those flaws are intentionally created by government regulations, such as cylinder deactivation, thin sheet metal, $hitty water-based paints, and direct injection. If government would get out of the way, we would have much better trucks.

When I ordered my '15 FX4 Lariat there were option groups available that included moonroof and 4 corner radar and gps and nav. Why anyone would build an XLT and then option it out to the max I do not understand. Just buy a Lariat. By the time I was done mine is loaded up similar to a Platinum. But it does not have the 20 inch wheels like a Platinum which I personally hate.

 

[chunk06]

FX4 is not a trim level. It's an off-road package than can be added on to any trim level from XL to Platinum.

- - - Updated - - -



That wax coating is the primary reason why I no longer drive a Chevy pickup truck.

All of the new trucks have their flaws, and nobody makes the perfect pickup....yet. Most of those flaws are intentionally created by government regulations, such as cylinder deactivation, thin sheet metal, $hitty water-based paints, and direct injection. If government would get out of the way, we would have much better trucks.

The new paint is horrible. A few moths ago my wife had to drive her 2017 chevy through some muddy fields. She wanted me to pressure wash the mud off before she went through a carwash. To my surprise the pressure washer started to take the paint off, then i noticed the fender wells are some kind of stupid material and the pressure washer was blowing that off too. I have been pressure washing things for years and never had paint come off a vehicle.

 

[scott_l]

Dickmsp this might get a little long but I was in a very similar situation a few years ago so I’ll provide my input.

I was driving a 2008 Silverado with a V8 (I think it was a 5.3 but not positive) no topper had the Z71 package. At that time my trailer was a 8.5’ x 12’ drive on drive off with the fiberglass top that swung both ways. I only felt the trailer back there when there was a stiff cross wind. Fast forward it was time for us to upgrade the truck, we looked at SUVs, we looked at trucks. We decided against the SUV for a couple reasons, one reason is we knew in the near future we would be getting a larger trailer. Second reason was cargo space, we have two boys and when we go north for the winter weekend (who am I kidding, any weekend) we pack twice as much as we need.

We purchased a F150 with the 3.5 eco (first Ford I have ever owned). Purchased the truck in September of 2018 and have been very happy with it, the only issue so far has been a recall on the block heater. Plenty of power, nice ride, lots of leg room in the back. Went to pick up trailer from storage and on the way home the trailer was ALL over the road when I got up to freeway speed (put the trailer into storage with the “old” Silverado). Actually pulled over checked tires, crawled under it and what not. The Ford does sit higher and has the aluminum body (less weight). With the Chevy I was using a 2.5” drop receiver (pretty sure on the drop height) and I was using the same receiver on the Ford when I picked the trailer up from storage. Purchased a 6” drop down receiver and played with the height of that, moved the sleds forward back ward but was never able to get the trailer to pull great, after adjusting better but never great. Good friend has a 2017 Ford and I even tried pulling the trailer with his truck and same problem. Even had a local shop look over the trailer and check the tires. To this day have no idea what or why but got up to 60-65ish and trailer would vibrate.

Ok with my problems with the trailer not pulling great and adding a sled for the boys that accelerated us looking for a different trailer. Ended up purchasing a 8.5’ x 20’ aluminum enclosed trailer (the short height gull wing 4 place style). The Ford pulls that trailer very nice, respectful mileage, with the cruise set at 60 it still has plenty of power to pass some one when needed again only really feel it back there with a strong cross wind.

I think you where the one that mentioned it above who knows what kind of incentives any manufacturer will have this fall as most manufacturers ran their inventory down during the COVID shut down. Good luck!!

 

[hudson056]

Ive always pulled our 4 place open with my 3.5 eco, just this year picked up a 7X24+5'V, and thought I may have to upgrade to a bigger truck, but to be honest the new trailer pulls a little better than the open did, and for the 3 or 4 trips a year that we do, I think it will be just fine.

 

[UP RIDER]

We have them all, Chevy, Ford,Dodge the newest in the Fleet is an 2018 Chevy with no rust through on panels yet but the frame is orange and some of the bright work is pitted.

 

[jedoyle]

Ive always pulled our 4 place open with my 3.5 eco, just this year picked up a 7X24+5'V, and thought I may have to upgrade to a bigger truck, but to be honest the new trailer pulls a little better than the open did, and for the 3 or 4 trips a year that we do, I think it will be just fine.

You will be fine pulling that trailer with your 3.5 eco.

 

[DamageInc]

When I ordered my '15 FX4 Lariat there were option groups available that included moonroof and 4 corner radar and gps and nav. Why anyone would build an XLT and then option it out to the max I do not understand. Just buy a Lariat. By the time I was done mine is loaded up similar to a Platinum. But it does not have the 20 inch wheels like a Platinum which I personally hate.

Most people buy off the lot, and don't order a truck. Some people want a simple XLT, but with a few extras like FX4 or leather seats, and don't want all the crap that comes with higher trims, like two-tone paint, chrome everything, or lane departure warning system.

FX4 also includes a locking rear diff, which is an important feature to many who actually use their trucks off-road. Two-tone paint and chrome are waste of money and look hideous.

 

[G]

I don't buy pickups off the lot. I am going to drive it for awhile so i am going to have to live with it so I order what I want. Also try and find a pickup on a lot with a 6 and 1/2 foot box. Just about all of them are those useless 5 and 1/2 foot jobs which are about worthless as far as I am concerned if you are going to use it like a pickup. I can put my sled in my 6 and 1/2 box if I need to and I have sometimes when it is necessary. Also I get the rear end gear ratios I want and the tires I want. I have a buddy that bought a Platinum last fall and it came with the most worthless tires on the earth. They might be OK for freeway driving in Texas but total junk on snow and ice. So if you buy something for cheap and start having to buy new tires right away just how good of a deal did you get? I use my pickup for a pickup. Of the 80000 miles on it 15000 are tow miles. If you are just a curbside cowboy a lot of stuff that matters to me won't matter to you. Also service is important just as it is on a snowmobile. I have 4 Fords in my family. When something breaks or wears out or gets a recall and one of my Fords has to go to the hospital my dealer has a free loaner ready to go. That counts for something too.

 

[jedoyle]

Both my F150's have had 5 1/2 boxes & they work great. I have hauled many a sled, including a 144" Switchback Assault, in the back of them over the years with no issues. All of the weight on a sled is up front. I have hauled dirt, mulch, firewood, furniture, the list goes on and on. Now if I worked in construction then yeah a 6 1/2' box might come in handy but for the non-construction guy the shorter one is A OK.

 

[xcr440]

I have a buddy that bought a Platinum last fall and it came with the most worthless tires on the earth. They might be OK for freeway driving in Texas but total junk on snow and ice. So if you buy something for cheap and start having to buy new tires right away just how good of a deal did you get?

Tires are one of the most important components on any vehicle that are overlooked way too often. IMO

My truck sees most of its usage in the winter so it gets good tires for that. Just have to take it easy in the summer. If you are going to drive it year round as a daily driver, the best thing is to have two sets, one for winter, and one for the other 7-8 months of the year.

 

[G]

If rust is a concern then you pretty much have to buy a Ford. The other mfgrs made fun of the aluminum box at first but they are all now quietly switching to all aluminum bodies also. I have the usual dings and scratches inside the box of my 15 but there is NO rust.

 

[srt20]

I hauled my 163" RMK in my 5'5" box 3 hrs home from M&M in MN.

I was planning on buying a 6.5 box, but it just looked to goofy on a crew cab F150.

I bought a Lariat off the lot with every available option minus ACC. I would have bought a Platinum or Limited but I couldn't stand the chrome or tailgate plaque. I got a 502A with special edition, sport, and FX4 packages. Not a speck of chrome.

The only reason why I bought the Ford over the Ram was the aluminum body. I like the Ram better. But was harder to find a Ram truck without chrome as well.

 

[DamageInc]

If rust is a concern then you pretty much have to buy a Ford. The other mfgrs made fun of the aluminum box at first but they are all now quietly switching to all aluminum bodies also. I have the usual dings and scratches inside the box of my 15 but there is NO rust.

The bodies are aluminum, but the frames are still steel, and they are making them extremely thin.

 

[G]

The bodies are aluminum, but the frames are still steel, and they are making them extremely thin.

As they all are. The timing is perfect. My next pickup will be an EV. And I will keep my 15 for long trips and towing. The electric will be fine the other 85 percent of the time.

 

[srt20]

The bodies are aluminum, but the frames are still steel, and they are making them extremely thin.

Ford has 3 different frame thicknesses depending on model and or package.

 

[DamageInc]

As they all are. The timing is perfect. My next pickup will be an EV. And I will keep my 15 for long trips and towing. The electric will be fine the other 85 percent of the time.

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Ford has 3 different frame thicknesses depending on model and or package.

Yes, and the thickness of the frames varies at different points. All of them are thinner than any other brand. If they would put a better coating on them, it wouldn't be as big of a deal, but they don't. Not going to last long with heavy exposure to road salts, especially with salt use getting worse, and the crap they put in the brines to make it stick. I just sold my 2016 F150 a few weeks ago.