Factory Order - My Full Experience & Timeline

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jono71

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When's Ram going to the Allison 10 speed transmission for their 6.7 diesel? The 2022 order page still shows the 6speed...Why?????
 

GTyankee

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Has FCA/Stellantis ever mentioned that they were thinking about putting an Allison Transmission behind a diesel.

Or is this something that you are hoping for
 

68PowerWagon

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Has FCA/Stellantis ever mentioned that they were thinking about putting an Allison Transmission behind a diesel.

Or is this something that you are hoping for
There has been several articles written on the web stating that FCA was going to come out with a ZF tranny for the Cummins or have the Allison 9 speed. Most of those articles were saying Q2... but then that was pushed back to Q3... now we are in the 4th & still no upgraded tranny.
 

Jonathan Tripp

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I know factory orders are a topic of frequent discussion on the forum. I decided to document my experience for any considering going that route. I'll start with the timeline, which seems to be the biggest question for most, then dig into the truck and other details.

Timeline: 10 Weeks and 4 Days from Order to Delivery
3/29/21 - Placed Initial Order w/ Dealer
4/12/21 - Received email from FCA Customer Care confirming order, giving me a VIN, and giving an estimated delivery date of the week of 6/4/21.
5/5/21 - Truck built. I had been using the FCA Equipment Listing Search Tool everyday. When the truck is built, the full equipment listing pops up on that site.
5/7/21 - Dealer update that truck was in the 'body shop' to be painted and should ship within a week.
5/20/21 - Dealer update saying truck was on a railcar headed across the country.
5/28/21 - Dealer update saying truck was scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on 6/8. Expect arrival at the dealer (in Harrisburg, PA) the following week.
6/9/21 - Call that truck had arrived at dealership!
6/11/21 - Took delivery of the truck! 74 Days after my initial order. 10 weeks and 4 days of much anticipation.

The Truck: 2021 Ram 2500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 6.4L Hemi. Bright White Paint and Night Edition. 4.10 Axle Ratio, Tech Package, Protection Group, Bed Utility Group, Level B Equipment Group, Anti-Spin Rear Diff, Power Sunroof, Cab-Length Side Steps, Rear Wheelhouse Liners, Mopar Rubber Floor Mats.

More Details and Why We Factory Ordered: We purchased a camper in the summer of 2020. We parked it at a campground and have been able to utilize it, but we want to actually travel with it. To do so safely, we needed a truck upgrade. We had driven a Ford F250, checked out a Chevy, but ultimately settled on a Ram 2500. At this point, the manufacturers are all pretty close in capability, but the Ram felt like the most luxury and technology for the price. We briefly considered buying used. But with the shortages and delays in the industry today, used trucks are at an all time premium. We we're finding that it wasn't too much more expensive to just buy new than to buy a used truck in good condition that suited our needs. We just needed the patience to find the right truck or wait out an order.

There is virtually no new inventory in our area. When we went to test drive a 2021 model, the dealer only had one 2500 on the lot. There were several 'on order' or 'in transit', but only one on the lot. That particular truck was a Cummins. And while we loved the truck, we didn't need the diesel or the extra cost that comes with it. I had already spec'd out a truck online and knew exactly what we wanted. The dealer searched inventory within about a 250 mile radius for a truck matching what we were looking for, but no luck. At that point, we made the final decision to factory order. It was a fairly simple process, we we're able to get exactly what we wanted, and we we're still able to negotiate on price.

At the time of order, the dealer set an expectation of 8 to 10 weeks until delivery. I was a bit skeptical of that timeframe and was prepared to wait longer. Ultimately, that ended up being pretty accurate at 10 weeks and 4 days. I was pleased with the experience and the dealer. I would recommend the factory order process to somebody that has specific requirements for their truck.

Finally, for what it's worth, I've averaged 15.0 MPG over the first 600 miles with the truck. That's a combination of highway and 'around town' driving. No towing yet.

I'll try to answer any questions that might pop up on this thread.
 

Jonathan Tripp

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I know factory orders are a topic of frequent discussion on the forum. I decided to document my experience for any considering going that route. I'll start with the timeline, which seems to be the biggest question for most, then dig into the truck and other details.

Timeline: 10 Weeks and 4 Days from Order to Delivery
3/29/21 - Placed Initial Order w/ Dealer
4/12/21 - Received email from FCA Customer Care confirming order, giving me a VIN, and giving an estimated delivery date of the week of 6/4/21.
5/5/21 - Truck built. I had been using the FCA Equipment Listing Search Tool everyday. When the truck is built, the full equipment listing pops up on that site.
5/7/21 - Dealer update that truck was in the 'body shop' to be painted and should ship within a week.
5/20/21 - Dealer update saying truck was on a railcar headed across the country.
5/28/21 - Dealer update saying truck was scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on 6/8. Expect arrival at the dealer (in Harrisburg, PA) the following week.
6/9/21 - Call that truck had arrived at dealership!
6/11/21 - Took delivery of the truck! 74 Days after my initial order. 10 weeks and 4 days of much anticipation.

The Truck: 2021 Ram 2500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 6.4L Hemi. Bright White Paint and Night Edition. 4.10 Axle Ratio, Tech Package, Protection Group, Bed Utility Group, Level B Equipment Group, Anti-Spin Rear Diff, Power Sunroof, Cab-Length Side Steps, Rear Wheelhouse Liners, Mopar Rubber Floor Mats.

More Details and Why We Factory Ordered: We purchased a camper in the summer of 2020. We parked it at a campground and have been able to utilize it, but we want to actually travel with it. To do so safely, we needed a truck upgrade. We had driven a Ford F250, checked out a Chevy, but ultimately settled on a Ram 2500. At this point, the manufacturers are all pretty close in capability, but the Ram felt like the most luxury and technology for the price. We briefly considered buying used. But with the shortages and delays in the industry today, used trucks are at an all time premium. We we're finding that it wasn't too much more expensive to just buy new than to buy a used truck in good condition that suited our needs. We just needed the patience to find the right truck or wait out an order.

There is virtually no new inventory in our area. When we went to test drive a 2021 model, the dealer only had one 2500 on the lot. There were several 'on order' or 'in transit', but only one on the lot. That particular truck was a Cummins. And while we loved the truck, we didn't need the diesel or the extra cost that comes with it. I had already spec'd out a truck online and knew exactly what we wanted. The dealer searched inventory within about a 250 mile radius for a truck matching what we were looking for, but no luck. At that point, we made the final decision to factory order. It was a fairly simple process, we we're able to get exactly what we wanted, and we we're still able to negotiate on price.

At the time of order, the dealer set an expectation of 8 to 10 weeks until delivery. I was a bit skeptical of that timeframe and was prepared to wait longer. Ultimately, that ended up being pretty accurate at 10 weeks and 4 days. I was pleased with the experience and the dealer. I would recommend the factory order process to somebody that has specific requirements for their truck.

Finally, for what it's worth, I've averaged 15.0 MPG over the first 600 miles with the truck. That's a combination of highway and 'around town' driving. No towing yet.

I'll try to answer any questions that might pop up on this thread. Thanks!View attachment 462410View attachment 462411
Great looking truck and camper. Where do you our that chair set, or is that part of the site?
 
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MMiller

MMiller

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Great looking truck and camper. Where do you our that chair set, or is that part of the site?
Haha not the question I expected to receive, but I'd be happy to answer. We actually got the set at a Big Lots a few years ago. It's help up surprisingly well for being 'discount furniture'. We just keep the cushions stored when not in use. I would link it but I don't see it on their website anymore.
 

68PowerWagon

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Sorry, I just saw your message. If you're still in the process, yes, I was able to negotiate a price prior to placing my order/down payment. As usual, it took some time to negotiate and a lot of back and forth with the dealer. But I had a price in mind below MSRP that I was expecting to pay based on my build and prior research. We we're ultimately able to get down to that price.

I was at a couple of dealerships over the weekend & I was surprised to hear that the deal you made at the beginning of the order, may not be the same as when your vehicle arrives. That is a load of CRAP! They say you have to go by whatever incentives are running when the vehicle arrives. If when you ordered there was 0% going on & now when your vehicles arrives it's 2.9%... that could be a lot of money depending on what you ordered. I have never ordered a vehicle under these terms & I have done several over the years.
 
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MMiller

MMiller

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I was at a couple of dealerships over the weekend & I was surprised to hear that the deal you made at the beginning of the order, may not be the same as when your vehicle arrives. That is a load of CRAP! They say you have to go by whatever incentives are running when the vehicle arrives. If when you ordered there was 0% going on & now when your vehicles arrives it's 2.9%... that could be a lot of money depending on what you ordered. I have never ordered a vehicle under these terms & I have done several over the years.
I was told the same thing; the price we agreed to before ordering was locked in, but incentives from FCA were subject to availability upon delivery of the vehicle. We basically did not account for any incentives/special financing when ordering. We ended up getting an extra $500 'cash' towards the purchase or something like that when we picked up the truck. The delivery window is pretty wide, so even if you know what deals/incentives may be forthcoming, you can't count on it. I'd say, whatever price/budget you're aiming for, don't plan on any special incentives/financing to get you there. Even though it's an extremely competitive market today, dealers still want to make deals. So pick a price point assuming no incentives and find a dealer that's willing to meet you there.
 

Treburkulosis

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I was at a couple of dealerships over the weekend & I was surprised to hear that the deal you made at the beginning of the order, may not be the same as when your vehicle arrives. That is a load of CRAP! They say you have to go by whatever incentives are running when the vehicle arrives. If when you ordered there was 0% going on & now when your vehicles arrives it's 2.9%... that could be a lot of money depending on what you ordered. I have never ordered a vehicle under these terms & I have done several over the years.
That is what we were told too. We built what we wanted for "A" price and when talking to them they said there would be all of the extra charges and that doesnt include tax and the destination charge. So basically the price we saw online when we built it was a load of crap.
 

68PowerWagon

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That is what we were told too. We built what we wanted for "A" price and when talking to them they said there would be all of the extra charges and that doesnt include tax and the destination charge. So basically the price we saw online when we built it was a load of crap.
Oh yeah there is the accessories fee, government fees, Proc/Doc fees, and then taxes. I know there would be tax & title fees, but then he starts with these accessory fees. I was like wait/what!?! Well that's the paint protection, the interior protection, & the premium floor mats. I said buddy for $1,800 I don't need any of that crap!
It's just not a great time to buy a vehicle with this chip shortage. Everyone thinks that once a bunch of the chips makes here, all of those vehicles built waiting for them, will flood the market & prices will go down. I have a bad feeling they are going to trickle in & the market is not going to change that much.
 

Treburkulosis

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Oh yeah there is the accessories fee, government fees, Proc/Doc fees, and then taxes. I know there would be tax & title fees, but then he starts with these accessory fees. I was like wait/what!?! Well that's the paint protection, the interior protection, & the premium floor mats. I said buddy for $1,800 I don't need any of that crap!
It's just not a great time to buy a vehicle with this chip shortage. Everyone thinks that once a bunch of the chips makes here, all of those vehicles built waiting for them, will flood the market & prices will go down. I have a bad feeling they are going to trickle in & the market is not going to change that much.
It put the Jeep we wanted into Wagoneer territory. I wish she liked the height of it, but non the less she wants something that drives like a car...
 

RamGuy110

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I just ordered a Limited 3500 and was told May.
 

Irishthreeper

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A lot to be said in favor of ordering a truck but after reading this thread and others I feel like I got lucky back in March. Found a ‘21 2500 Tradesman with almost 10k in upgrades that included nearly every item I was looking for. It arrived at the Florida dealership on one day and I drove it home the next. I bought MOPAR wheel to wheel step rails and installed them at our campground, using a Lowe’s 5 gallon bucket as an assistant to hold up one end :). Love this truck!
 

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Jconnor55

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I'm new to the forums although I have been browsing for a while. I currently have a 2017 3500, crew cab dually, 8ft box, diesel. Being curious as to how much my truck was worth during this "premium used prices" I decided to look into trading. As we all know, local inventory is next to zero. After working with my dealer, I decided on a new 3500 diesel, Big Horn, crew cab, 8ft box, SRW. I had to order as a new build and told about 3 months delivery time. I'm anxious to see the actual time.
 

inthe307

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New here, too, though I've been lurking since I ordered my '22 2500 back in August, and I really appreciate the way in which you guys share info and insider information (like how to follow your build status).

"Big Red 1" arrived yesterday after being ordered on 4 August 2021. It's a 2500HD, 6.4L, Bighorn, Off-road trim, in IH Red (worth the wait, and the first limited color my dealership says they have ever received). Yup, the truck exceeds my expectations, and I look forward to running it for years to come.

Glad to be here, and looking forward to learning and sharing.
 

daleone3

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Nice truck!! I’m starting the process of ordering a Rebel. I’m waiting to negotiate the price prior to my down payment. We’re you able to negotiate a good price?
I just ordered a 2021 express with the blackout option. Reg cab shortbed Dealer said price was the price due to shortages but I was saving the $4k mark up all the dealers around here Massachusetts are racking on MSRP on trucks in inventory. Dealer said 8-10 weeks. Ordered last week so the countdown begins
 

daleone3

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Ye
I was at a couple of dealerships over the weekend & I was surprised to hear that the deal you made at the beginning of the order, may not be the same as when your vehicle arrives. That is a load of CRAP! They say you have to go by whatever incentives are running when the vehicle arrives. If when you ordered there was 0% going on & now when your vehicles arrives it's 2.9%... that could be a lot of money depending on what you ordered. I have never ordered a vehicle under these terms & I have done several over the years.
yep. Was told the same thing. Hopefully January incentives will be good
 

GTyankee

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Terlllarry316
How long ago did you get that Build Sheet ?

If it was within the last week, there is a possibility that you will see it this month
Unless the plant down in Saltillo Mexico does their paperwork differently

Usually they don't print the build sheet until the Ram is real close to being built & they only take about 16 hours to build a Ram

Once they send you the Window Sticker, you will know that it is built
 
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