Help us choose a new diesel TV

[wgriswold]

After grinding up the mountains again in first gear at 35mph again I am looking to replace the 1999Suburban with a diesel pickup. I want to ask your help in deciding between the three options.

The most important thing for us is seat comfort. My wife had three level spinal fusion surgery fifteen years ago and her comfort is most important. We will get the highest option of seats. I have sat in them and it is hard to tell how they will perform with only a few minutes in the seat. The seats seem pretty hard compared to the seats in the Suburban which are more like living room furniture. So i would like advice from those of you with the highest level seats in Ram, Ford, and Chevrolet.

The second consideration is reliability. The Ford has reports about head gasket problems and the Ram has had problems with steering and vibrations. The Chevrolet has had DEF problems but that may have been solved for the 2015's. Of course, these reports are from the internet and may be exaggerated.

I want to preserve the option of a camper or a fifth wheel in the future. That means a one ton, long bed. The Ram and Ford can come with a fifth wheel, goose neck hitch option but the Chevy does not offer that. How difficult is it to add that later?

I think that any of the three will be capable of meeting our weight requirements, so which to choose?

So, what is your experience? Thanks

[slopeoft]

What you're asking is a personal decision. I can tell you a had a LMM Duramax prior to my 2014 Ram. I chose Ram because of price and as of 2014 model year you can by dealer order get a tranny that is every bit as durable as the Allison. The Aisin tranny was only available with the 5500 chassis cab, now it's available by order with the light duty pick ups. It's a true medium duty tranny like the Allison, also I like the interior of my Laramie. But, like I said it's a personal choice. Find what YOU like, and buy it!!;)

[Big_Katuna]

There are very good after market seating AIDS like ROJO, Memory foam, etc that can greatly enhance seating comfort.

[LIKE2BUILD]

wgriswold wrote:
After grinding up the mountains again in first gear at 35mph again I am looking to replace the 1999Suburban with a diesel pickup.
I want to preserve the option of a camper or a fifth wheel in the future. That means a one ton, long bed. The Ram and Ford can come with a fifth wheel, goose neck hitch option but the Chevy does not offer that. How difficult is it to add that later?

I recently bought a 2014 RAM 2500 and I'm amazed at the smooth ride of the coil rear suspension. I've done some searching and the 5th wheel prep package can be added later, but it's much better if you order it with the truck.

Keep in mind that on the 2014 and newer RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks rear air suspension is a factory option!! :B So if ride comfort and 5th wheel options is an absolute must, I'd suggest you get one with both 5th wheel prep package and factory air ride. That would give you one really smooth tow vehicle.

And yes, I'm biased. I towed for 10 years with a Chevy 2500HD and I thought it was great. Then I got this RAM and I'm completely spoiled!!!!!
KJ

[transamz9]

Tvov wrote:
I don't know about the newest trucks, but in general I've found Chevys to have the most comfortable seats. Then Dodge, Ford last. I love Ford, have always owned Ford, but for whatever reason they cannot make a "comfy" seat.

The seats in my 2008 F250 are supportive and fine for long drives (two trips up and down the East Coast), but I wouldn't call them nearly as comfortable as friends' Chevy 3500 trucks.

Maybe the newest trucks are better!

I had a 93 F350 that had the captains chairs in it and they were the cat's meow of factory truck seats.

[Tvov]

I don't know about the newest trucks, but in general I've found Chevys to have the most comfortable seats. Then Dodge, Ford last. I love Ford, have always owned Ford, but for whatever reason they cannot make a "comfy" seat.

The seats in my 2008 F250 are supportive and fine for long drives (two trips up and down the East Coast), but I wouldn't call them nearly as comfortable as friends' Chevy 3500 trucks.

Maybe the newest trucks are better!

[dodge_guy]

I`m still stuck on the Big Block Burb doing 35mph uphill. I think you have a fuel supply issue or something. I would figure out what's wrong with your current TV, as those year Chevy's road nice and with the big block should have enough power for your current trailer!

[mileshuff]

After reading these threads I've compiled the results as follows.

Ford is better than GM
GM is better than Dodge
Dodge is better than Ford

Keep repeating the above cycle until you pick your truck!

[Charley67]

As has been said, they are all good trucks. If you go 1 ton, they are all going to ride like trucks. I love mine, but it doesn't nearly ride like the wife's Cadillac. It actually rides better towing the 5er, than it does empty. I've had two Ram 2500s, and I thought they rode real good empty, but kinda rough towing. Yep, let the wife pick out which one she likes.

[richardcoxid]

Look at Dave Smith, Dennis Dillon and Peterson Stampede have to offer. They all are "one low price" dealers and will pick you up at the air port etc.

The RAM 2500 has coils springs in the front with a self leveling AIR Ride option in the rear. It should ride the smoothest of them all.

[Crambo]

I've got a 2015 ram 2500 and it's been a great truck so far.

[IdaD]

Well I'll chime in with my two cents because I recently went through the same process.

GM: Didn't like the IFS, really didn't like that the DEF tank hangs way down in a vulnerable spot and I didn't love the way it felt more like a half ton than the Ford or Ram (that last one is subjective, obviously). I also wasn't very excited about the CP4 injection pump because it's pretty prone to very expensive failures.

Ford: Didn't like the track record with diesels and didn't like the way the structure of the truck felt (it's a very old chassis design and is much less stiff than the GM or Ram). The Powerstroke also uses the same CP4 injection pump as the Duramax. Other than those issues, I really liked the Ford and gave it some serious thought.

Ram: I was leery of buying an FCA product in terms of reliability, but I felt far more comfortable with the Cummins than I did with the Powerstroke or Duramax in terms of longevity and reliability. Subjectively I liked the ride and handling the best, and I really liked the coil suspension setup on both ends with solid axles. The Cummins uses a more reliable CP3 injection pump. Overall I really liked the Ram the best hands down, even though I expected to drive away with a Super Duty when I went into the buying process. I've only put about 5000 miles on the truck but so far it hasn't had any issues and I love it - great tow vehicle, family hauler and daily driver.

[PRodacy]

Take long test drives in both. Our local GMC and RAM dealers let us take their trucks on a 2 hour drive. The Ford dealer said we could only drive on their "designated" route. We immediately eliminated the Ford. After driving the other two each over 100 miles, we picked the one that felt better to us.

[TenOC]

You may want to check out the difference in the "locking rear ends". My RAM 2 WD has been stuck a number of times. I never had a problem with my older Chevy 2 WD. There are lots of information and YouTube if your Google RAM vs Chevy.

[Frostbitte]

I'd look at a newer RAM 2500 or 3500. The 2500 RAM now has coil suspension which might ease the jarring ride of a heavy duty pickup. I haven't ridden in one but those that have say they're nice. The other option is to get air suspension option for either the 2500 or 3500. Again, it helps smooth out the harsh ride without sacrificing payload. As for Ford or Chevy, I haven't ridden in either newer versions but they're both leaf spring setup so the ride will probably be more harsh.
If I were you, I'd grab some coffee and book a bunch of test drives see what will work for you.