Ahhh no I did a BIG mistake today.

Bigdaddy · Sep 19, 2017

BossHogg said:
Good choice for towing a fifth wheel.

Just so you know, I spend a year researching, reading, etc. before I bought anything including our RV. I knew absolutely nothing about RVs and how to tow them.

Forums were of little help, the few reasonable folks that tried to help were pushed aside by the big-mouths who knew everything and owned nothing. I'm not suggesting that happened here but it happened to me over at rv.net

Of course, car dealers and RV dealers are yes people, I think General RV would have hooked up our Montana to a 1500 if that is what I drove in to pick up the RV. On the other side, you have a facet that insists you need a dually with 4:10s to pull anything over 1,000 pounds.

What my wife and I did was visit campgrounds over the summer and spoke with folks about their RV, dealer experiences, and towing. Very eye-opening but also very educational. Campers are typically friendly and outspoken and shared everything. We learned from their mistakes.

Once my wife decided on an RV I had the weight information needed to select a tow vehicle. Clearly, the pin weight of most fivers put the TV in 3500 territory. What is left is SRW or dually, Aisin or 68RFE.

As anxious as I was to get a tow vehicle and picking up our RV I had to put my excitement to the side, I wasn't going to settle for whatever a dealer could find for me. I wanted specific options, the rear air leveling, RAM's fifth wheel prep package, cargo camera, Longhorn non-filigree seating, SRW, 68RFE. I had to order which also meant a better deal since the dealer gave me back 100% of the holdback. It was a long nine weeks but I'm in my third towing season and have zero regrets on the decisions my wife and I made.

The takeaway from my rant is get exactly what you want and if you have to order one to get it, do it.

Interesting and thank you I have already had a few people told me that go lesser but I pretty much know what I want, and thanks to forums like these. I'm kind of getting cold feet from all of this but I'm suppose to go tomorrow and talk to a salesman.

The only plus is that the people in my church and my daughter know the owner of the dealership. The owner have give our church donation over the years and pretty good one at that.

My daughter that know the owner work at the bank that they use so I'm hoping that will be a plus but will find out tomorrow.

Skrap said:
BD, any reason you are not ordering a truck form a dealer so you get all you want and nothing you don't? I'd at least give DD a call for a quote at the minimum.

Yes I have thought about them, I bought my last truck from them I call the guy when I was coming back from ours camping trip from Vegas last week. He said that he had to order me one but have never gotten back with me so he either don't need the sale or he is too busy.

The dealer that I'm going to tomorrow, they have one that will work for me as I don't need a lot of the options just a big horn which they can get me one.

They have a 2500 diesel that have everything I want but I'm trying to get the 3500.

GsRAM · Sep 19, 2017

good deal BD stick to your guns and get what you want. I would not settle for a 2500 with the rig you hace and don't let anyone talk you out of it.

i truly believe if you settle for the 2500 you'll regret it.

Skrap · Sep 20, 2017

Bigdaddy said:
Interesting and thank you I have already had a few people told me that go lesser but I pretty much know what I want, and thanks to forums like these. I'm kind of getting cold feet from all of this but I'm suppose to go tomorrow and talk to a salesman.

The only plus is that the people in my church and my daughter know the owner of the dealership. The owner have give our church donation over the years and pretty good one at that.

My daughter that know the owner work at the bank that they use so I'm hoping that will be a plus but will find out tomorrow.

Yes I have thought about them, I bought my last truck from them I call the guy when I was coming back from ours camping trip from Vegas last week. He said that he had to order me one but have never gotten back with me so he either don't need the sale or he is too busy.

The dealer that I'm going to tomorrow, they have one that will work for me as I don't need a lot of the options just a big horn which they can get me one.

They have a 2500 diesel that have everything I want but I'm trying to get the 3500.

Don't settle. Get the 3500. My next one will be a 3500 6.7 Aisin Mega Cab SRW Laramie or one step above in trim.

Bigdaddy · Sep 20, 2017

Well guys I am sorry to disappoint you but I went with the 2500, but I got a killer deal on the one they had. It was a long day but all in all I am happy, and I believe that I can make this work.

The truck was $65,*** so they mark it down to $55,***, so I meant the owner of the dealer, the owner have been giving donation to our church, the guy is a really nice guy, down to earth. The 3500 was not as low as the 2500 because they were more rebate on the 2500.

From $55,*** after we got to talking and mark it down to $49,*** plus tax and with my military discount it went down even more. Since I have the gooseneck hitch in my truck I couldn't transfer my gooseneck over to the 3500 so I would have lost money since I just had it install.

With this 2500 diesel I'm able to transfer my step bar and my gooseneck over to the new 2500. Even though I didn't get the 3500 I can still make the 2500 work for me since it 's just the wife and I, not planning on upgrading 5th wheel no time soon because we have spend a lot of money. The payload is 2,3xx lbs and towing is 17,***

Now what it got in it.
Big Horn
Sunroof
backup camera
front and rear sensor
18' wheel
8.4 Nav and Sirius
folded minor
and a hold lot more.

How do I post pics, since I don't have photobucket I can't post any, maybe I can figure it out.

Bigdaddy · Sep 20, 2017

Since I want pick it up until Thursday I just took a few pics, they letting me take everything off of my so I can put it on the new one. I have to take off my 20' light bar and my firestone air bag and a lot of other stuff.

They even going to take off my step bar and gooseneck hitch, just bought it. Thank you guys for all of your comments.

Now give me some tips, where do I get the DFI stuff or whatever you call it, oh boy we are off to a good start, lol.

BossHogg · Sep 20, 2017

Bigdaddy said:
Now give me some tips, where do I get the DFI stuff or whatever you call it, oh boy we are off to a good start, lol.

DEF (diesel exhaust fluid). You can get the stuff from any auto parts store, big home box stores (Menards. Home Depot), Walmart, etc. Most guys like to get it right from the pump at the truck stops thinking they will get the freshest stuff. Prices are all over the map, I use Walmart's brand, around 8 bucks for 2 1/2 gallons. DEF is regulated so any difference in retail price is simply all about profit.

DEF has a shelf life that you need to be aware of, shelf life is a factor of temperature and sunlight exposure. You will also need to know how to decode the date of manufacture so you know you have fresh DEF.

DEF Date code decoding;
DEF Date Codes and API Certification

All about DEF, from the horse's mouth;
https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/sites/default/files/MB10033.pdf

smiley · Sep 20, 2017

Easier to get at a fuel station so you don’t have to mess with those jugs and can pump just like you were pumping gas or diesel.

Bigdaddy · Sep 21, 2017

Thank you guys, can't wait to pick her up tomorrow they let me hold off for a couple of days so I can take all of my stuff off of my hemi.

Bigdaddy · Sep 21, 2017

BossHogg said:
DEF (diesel exhaust fluid). You can get the stuff from any auto parts store, big home box stores (Menards. Home Depot), Walmart, etc. Most guys like to get it right from the pump at the truck stops thinking they will get the freshest stuff. Prices are all over the map, I use Walmart's brand, around 8 bucks for 2 1/2 gallons. DEF is regulated so any difference in retail price is simply all about profit.

DEF has a shelf life that you need to be aware of, shelf life is a factor of temperature and sunlight exposure. You will also need to know how to decode the date of manufacture so you know you have fresh DEF.

DEF Date code decoding;

DEF Date Codes and API Certification

All about DEF, from the horse's mouth;

https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/sites/default/files/MB10033.pdf

smiley3303 said:
Easier to get at a fuel station so you don’t have to mess with those jugs and can pump just like you were pumping gas or diesel.

I'm pretty sure that I will probably do both.

BossHogg · Sep 21, 2017

Bigdaddy said:
I'm pretty sure that I will probably do both.

You do not use much DEF, the harder the engine works, the more DEF is used than running empty. I've never used DEF from the pump simply because, around me, the truck stops charge more for diesel, around twenty cents a gallon more. Once you get away from freeway exits, the prices drop drastically but so do truck stops.

Here is another tip, the DEF gauge on the instrument panel is not linear, not even close. I hold off adding DEF until the DEF gauge needle starts to get into the red territory, then I buy a 2 1/2 gallon jug of DEF which takes the level back to near full.

I haven't read much about it lately, ever since the SCR recall, but before the recall, dealers were blaming the customer for emission's issues due to what the dealer claimed as bad DEF. I got into the habit of taking a picture of the date code on the DEF jug and a scan of my receipt just in case I found myself in a similar situation. Pretty sad one has to do this. Like I said, no talk of this anymore since the SCR recall.

Bigdaddy · Sep 22, 2017

BossHogg said:
You do not use much DEF, the harder the engine works, the more DEF is used than running empty. I've never used DEF from the pump simply because, around me, the truck stops charge more for diesel, around twenty cents a gallon more. Once you get away from freeway exits, the prices drop drastically but so do truck stops.

Here is another tip, the DEF gauge on the instrument panel is not linear, not even close. I hold off adding DEF until the DEF gauge needle starts to get into the red territory, then I buy a 2 1/2 gallon jug of DEF which takes the level back to near full.

I haven't read much about it lately, ever since the SCR recall, but before the recall, dealers were blaming the customer for emission's issues due to what the dealer claimed as bad DEF. I got into the habit of taking a picture of the date code on the DEF jug and a scan of my receipt just in case I found myself in a similar situation. Pretty sad one has to do this. Like I said, no talk of this anymore since the SCR recall.

Thank you, I'm loving the mileage that I'm getting now and I just pick it up today.

Bigdaddy · Sep 22, 2017

Some more pics bring it home, those other pics didn't come out so I put some more pics in.

Bigdaddy · Sep 26, 2017

Wow, I'm liking this diesel I just did a 290 miles road trip and was getting 20.4 mpg and that is with the Fuelly.com.

GsRAM · Sep 26, 2017

Bigdaddy said:
Wow, I'm liking this diesel I just did a 290 miles road trip and was getting 20.4 mpg and that is with the Fuelly.com.

is that towing your 5th wheel or running empty? Running empty I'm up over 19mpg average on the highway

Bigdaddy · Sep 30, 2017

No sir it's empty, I never could get that when I had my 6.4L Hemi but I had the 4.10 gears.

GsRAM · Sep 30, 2017

Ok, thanks. Yes, I'm very impressed with the fuel mileage on my 6.4\3.73 combo on the highway. Around town, not so much, i think I'm down around 11-12 average around town, but i didn't buy this beast because i was worried about that. I do love these rigs.

Good luck with that diesel BD. I'm sure it's awesome and has a ton of torque that makes you smile all day long. If i was towing heavy I'd have to get me one.

Congrats on the new truck. She sure is a beauty!

MADDOG · Sep 30, 2017

Beautiful truck buddy.

The mileage (empty) gets better.

I won't mention mods. Don't want you to start down that road until you are ready.

Bigdaddy · Oct 1, 2017

GsRAM said:
Ok, thanks. Yes, I'm very impressed with the fuel mileage on my 6.4\3.73 combo on the highway. Around town, not so much, i think I'm down around 11-12 average around town, but i didn't buy this beast because i was worried about that. I do love these rigs.

Good luck with that diesel BD. I'm sure it's awesome and has a ton of torque that makes you smile all day long. If i was towing heavy I'd have to get me one.

Congrats on the new truck. She sure is a beauty!

Thank you sir and yes we didn't buy these for their great gas mileage.

Bigdaddy · Oct 1, 2017

MADDOG said:
Beautiful truck buddy.

The mileage (empty) gets better.

I won't mention mods. Don't want you to start down that road until you are ready.

Great! I have little over 500 miles on it.

Bigdaddy · Oct 4, 2017

I started to transfer my mod from my other truck to the new one, I will be getting my gooseneck hitch and spray bedliner install tomorrow. I wanted a clean install so I took my time to do it right and I have it coming out through my license plate.

Ahhh no I did a BIG mistake today.

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