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Pickups Pickups - Archived Discussions 2000 Dodge Ram - II 
322 messages, Last post on Aug 27, 2000 at 4:03 PM
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| Sorry gwmoore,I didn't see your post before I made mine. We said essentially the same thing. I wouldn't be without power mirrors.......good idea....right up there with sliced bread and indoor biffys. | |
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Its pretty funny now. The sales geeks really know little about the products. With all the information available to the consumer, especially through the internet, the buyer can know much more about the vehicle, and know it sooner, than the salesmen. I know salesmen aren't researching while they are at work - of course I'm not either  . I'm also guessing few go home and research on their computer either. I don't think the manufacturer or dealership do any real education about the vehicles or update the salesmen on new changes. I'm sure most of the salesmen are more concerned about new selling techniques than the product they are selling. The end result is that the buyer knows more about the truck than the salesman. It cracks me up, what are they good for now? I guess they are good at pointing out the cup holders.
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| You're probably best off to go to the service department and talking to a mechanic about what things are good and what are having problems. Although I don't know if they are allowed to talk, or would give you the strait goods either. That one GM mechanic on one of these forums gave great info. | |
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I recently ordered a 2500 regular cab 4 wheel drive on 12/12 and the dealer said it might come in as a 2001 in 6/8 weekes he said it has to do with the goverment and gas milage. A few months ago i remember someone posting a telephone number that you can call to see where your truck is Does anyone know it?? |
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Hello kcram etal, After a lifetime of drudgery, my wife and I will be retiring come June. Our long-considered post- retirement plans call for a year long grand tour of this wonderful country in a pickup and fifth wheel. After the tour, we'll probably park the trailer at a lakeside lot and use it for a "vacation home" and for intermittent month long cross country trips. We've decided upon the fiver; a 10,000# (gross) unit but have yet to finalize our decision on the pickup. I started this process certain that what I wanted was a Ford 150 stepside extended cab shortbed 4X2 with automatic and gas V8. Months of research have convinced me that what I actually need is a 2001 Dodge Cummins 2500 QuadCab long bed 4X2 6 speed with limited slip and LT265/75R16 tires. I'd been waiting until the 2001's came out to order. You say DC is now accepting orders and I'm ready to sign on the dotted line but for a couple of questions. Here goes... 1. Should I expect to have to pay an adver- tising fee on an ordered vehicle? 2. While on the road with the fiver, we'll probably drive for a day, park for a week, drive for a day, etc. and will be traversing all types of terrain. I know you typically recommend a 4.10 rearend but don't you think a 3.55 would adequately satisfy our needs? 3. How do you feel about an exhaust brake? 4. You've mentioned that Dodge has fixed its shift gate problems on the five speed but now has manufacturing problems with the six speed. I've driven the six speed and found it quite satisfactory but wonder about its long term reliability. What do you think? 5. Do the 1500 and 2500 Rams share the same chassis? 6. How do you feel about extended warranties? Thanks |
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trambitis, Congrats on the retirement. My mom retired in July and my dad retires this coming July. They deserve the quiet. To answer your questions: 1) You should expect to pay the national ad fee. This is on the invoice from DaimlerChrysler, and dealers generally pass this on to consumers. Do NOT pay a markup on it. 2) Because you will shift for yourself, you should be able to get away with the 3.54 axle. Be sure and check the 2001 tow ratings when they are released to make sure you can handle that much, although the 2000 was able to handle a 10K fifth. 3) Excellent investment for the manual trans. There are several available for the truck, but Cummins recommends the Jake - click here for info. 4) By the time you get it, it should have been sprayed with enough "Raid" to get the bugs out. Make sure whatever maintenance is specified in the owner's manual is followed, and you should be just fine. 5) No. The 2500 shares with the 3500. Dodge dropped the light-duty 2500 several years ago. 6) I swear by them, after some major repairs on previous trucks. One nice touch to the Chrysler extended is that it also extends your roadside assistance to whatever length plan you buy. A major plus, since you plan on touring the USA and won't be near the selling dealer for quite a while. There are alos aftermarket companies that sell them, but no dealer is obligated to honor it, and some may require YOU to pay the bill and let your warranty company reimburse you.The factory warranty is honored by any Dodge, Chrysler/Plymouth, or Jeep dealer, and the dealer has the option to authorize warranty repairs to the nearest Cummins factory shop if it's engine work they can't handle. Another recommendation I would offer is the Cummins Owners Club. You get parts and service discounts at Cummins factory shops, and they have social events for Cummins-poewered Ram and RV owners. If you have other questions, please ask! kcram Community Leader/Smart Shopper Conference |
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KC, After reading other posts, I understand there is a price increase. Can you tell me what items went up? The ETH is $5225 MSRP? Is this right? Here's what I want to get- 2500LWB QC, 2HH, AGG, AHC, AHJ, ATK, DEE, DHG, DSA, GFD, and of course the ETH. Do you know if the prices of those options increased from the 2000 pricing? Please excuse my brevity, but I think you probably know the codes. It is now crunch time with going to the dealership. I just want to go in there with the right prices in mind (on paper) and not have some salesperson saying that certain items I've chosen have inflated drastically. Invoice prices on options are 15% less than MSRP prices, right? I really appreciate all your help on this. I've been researching Rams, diesels, negotiating, and pricing since 4/98 and I want to have the ol' ducks in a row. Thanks |
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You've once again proven yourself a thorough asset to all those topics having to do with the Dodge Ram. Indeed, your responsiveness and expertise are in part the reason I've chosen Dodge over Ford. I'm especially glad (and somewhat suprised) that you consider the 3.54 adequate for my needs; you've been a most consistent advocate of the 4.10 in those many postings I've read. My co-pilot has been in my ears incessantly about fuel milage and this should mollify her somewhat. By the way, my December copy of Trailer Life rates the 2k 2500 Ram QC at 13,850# with a 5 or 6 speed and 3.54 or 4.10. I suspect the 2001 will pull at least as much. I also appreciate your words on the extended warranty. Research has yielded another source of repair coverage I might consider. My son just recently bought a 2K Silverado and purchased his warranty through Allstate Insurance. $420 for a 60/60. I don't know if you'd consider it "bumper to bumper" but it seemed to cover all the essentials. A nice feature is that you can have the repairs accomplished at any garage, not just a Dodge dealership. Question: Will a Cummins repair shop perform warranty work on a Dodge Cummins? Also, I prefer heated, power side view mirrors and so don't know that I will order the new pivoting trailer mirrors. Do you know of a particular brand of "mirror extender" that I might attach temporarily to the standard mirrors whenever I'm towing? Thanks again, Trambitis |
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| Also...Can you tell me if the Farm Bureau rebate is offered with the 2001 Ram 2500? Thanks again | |
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tram, Thanks for the compliments  just helping fellow Rammers when I can.The axle ratio is a little more important with the Cummins because of the limited rev range. Unless you're dragging a house, the 3.54 will work very well behind the V10. One thing about third-party warranties: many of them are "breakdown" policies, meaning you can only get coverage when something fails. The factory warranty is always in place, and I have had a few warranty jobs performed on parts BEFORE they failed by eagle-eyed mechanics at my dealer. Considering dealers get less for warranty work than for a regular repair, that means A) I have a great dealer, and B) they are probably more willing to do that because there's no hassle in getting it approved. Your dealer can authorize a Cummins shop to do warranty work, but you cannot bring it to a Cummins shop on your own for warranty service. As for the mirrors, there are a few manyufacturers of clip ons - I will look up a few and provide some links. The Farm Bureau discount is not currently listed, but may be institued for the 2001s. A dealer would have that information sooner than I will. kcram Community Leader/Smart Shopper Conference |
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