# Cummins, Power Stroke, Duramax .......here we go



## Ol' 30-30 (Sep 5, 2007)

This is liable to fire up more people than any .223 for deer, black cougar, crossbow, or hunting over bait thread.

I started a thread a while back about diesel vs. gas (that ended up getting deleted by the mods cause of some people name calling) and was wondering what yalls thoughts were on Cummins, Power Stroke, or Duramax.  I'm leaning towards the GMC now but I'm curious to hear from actual owners of each.  I don't trailer a lot or anything extraordinarily heavy.  Usual farm equipment and a boat here and there.  Really just want something that I can drive for the next 10 years and put 250-300k miles on.  What are yalls thoughts.


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## cball917 (Sep 5, 2007)

if you go powerstroke 7.3 if it has low miles. these are hard to find, the only other one that i would get is a duramax. i work at a chevy dealership. duramax has 365 hp and 660 ft lbs torque at 2200 rpm we never have problems out of them


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## SnowHunter (Sep 5, 2007)

I like the Cummins and Powerstroke...but not the new ones.

I prefer the 12v Cummins, that they stopped makin in 98 (or right around there) and the 7.3 Powerstrokes they made around 95-97 timeframe. Although the pre-6.0 Strokes (00-02) were alright too.

Oh and on the Duramax..I'm just not a chevy fan, so its a no go for me.


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## Ol' 30-30 (Sep 5, 2007)

cball, would you consider 50,000 low miles?


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## ALLBEEF (Sep 5, 2007)

My friend just bought the new Duramax - and I drove it the other day - MAN it is like driving an F-16 or something - that thang has too much power!!!! I think you would be very satisfied with the Duramax.


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## huntnnut (Sep 5, 2007)

According to the October 2007 issue of Diesel Word whom tested Chevy, Dodge and Ford the Chevy came out on top in total points which included both performance scoring and subjective scoring.

Performance scoring included Dyno HP, Dyno Torque, 1/4 Mile ET, 60-0 Stop, 60-0 Loaded and Fuel Economy with the following outcome for each.

Ford      (Total 168)
Dodge   (Total 220)
Chevy    (Total 232)


Subjective scoring included Interior, Exterior, Fit & Finish and Overall Towing with the following outcome for each.

Chevy    (Total 246)
Dodge   (Total 248)
Ford      (Total 281)


Personnally, I like the Chevy/GMC due to the fact that they have the Allison Transmission in them which are known to be work horses and with the high torque put out by the diesels you need a reliable transmission.

The perfect truck IMO would have a Ford Body with a Cummins Engine and a Allison Transmission.....


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## Ol' 30-30 (Sep 5, 2007)

I really like (and would prefer) a GMC/Chevy but a Dodge is definitely cheaper........but if might be one of those "get what you pay for" deals.  I'd like to hear from a Cummins guy.


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## huntnnut (Sep 5, 2007)

Ol' 30-30 said:


> I really like (and would prefer) a GMC/Chevy but a Dodge is definitely cheaper........but if might be one of those "get what you pay for" deals.  I'd like to hear from a Cummins guy.




Not according to the MSRP on similarly equipped trucks, though drive-out after negotiations may be somewhat different....


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## Nate23 (Sep 5, 2007)

I was wondering what happened to your old thread...


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## Ol' 30-30 (Sep 5, 2007)

I'm looking at used (can't hang with some of you 2007 and 2008 guys).  I've seen a lot of GMC's with 40-50,000 miles cost the same as a Dodge with 10-25,000 miles.


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## stev (Sep 5, 2007)

Duramax fer sure.


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## badger (Sep 5, 2007)

The Cummins is the only Medium Duty rated full size truck diesel with a projected 350k mile lifespan between overhauls. Both the Powerstroke and Duramax diesels are rated Light Duty with 200k projected overhaul cycles. That said, there are plenty of all three brands with way more than 350k miles on them still in good shape. I do know of a few Dodge trucks with Cummins diesels that have over a million miles on them without overhaul.
The 12 valve engines are still king when it comes to horsepower, but the common rail 24 valve engine are catching up with some at the 900 hp mark. I know of one common rail truck (2003 model) with over 600k miles on it still running well.........


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## ScottG (Sep 5, 2007)

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three as long as you stay away from the 03-04 6.0 and the pre-commonrail 24 valve cummins (due to the lift pump not the engine).  Each brand has good and bad trucks out there.  If you want a 4x4, Ford and Dodge have a solid front axle, the GM truck ride nicer with the IFS.  As said before the ultimate truck would be a Ford body, Cummins/Allison powertrain.  I'll think about that after my 7.3 dies.  I wouldn't worry about a 50,000 mile truck.  It is broke in and you won't deal with the low mpg that new diesel get until around 20k.  I bought my 2000 F350 used in 2002 with 98k.  I changed out the fluids and checked everything out, put 1K into it and still got it way cheaper than a brand new one.  A word of caution, if you get one and decide to start putting aftermarket performance stuff on it, you will want to keep adding performance stuff on it $$$$

Scott


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## Hunter Blair (Sep 5, 2007)

going strictly with company name... you can't beat the cummins... i would wait a few years on the new 6.7 cummins but if you are looking used, i know a lot of people with the 5.9 cummins that absolutely love them, not to mention they will last forever, but that said, the duramax's are great, i have driven them and man to they have power but i am not a GM guy... i guess huntnut said it right... match up an allison tranny to a 5.9 cummins and put it in a ford truck... but don't hold your breath on someone to do that... now on the other hand... for a little money you can put a cummins engine in a ford truck fairly easily (just a conversion kit and the price of the engine) ... just depends on what you want...


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## Reformed Yankee (Sep 5, 2007)

I guess i"m a bit of an oddball.  I work for Cummins and drive an o6 f-250 with the 6.0 powerstroke.  I can't knock either engine.  When I bought mine I test drove 4 or 5 Dodges and they all had excessive rattles in them.  I think it has to do withe fact that the Dodge is built in Mexico and the Ford is built in kentucky.  The new 6.7L Cummins is impressive but I'm not a big fan of all of the emission control stuff on it.  As for the Duramax, at my old job I had an 05 GMC 4500 and had nothing butproblems with it.  In the first six months it had two sets of injectors, a completely new wiring harness and some work done to the tranny.  When it ran it had good power and fuel economy though.


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## ScottG (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree on the emmisons stuff.  Find an '06 or older.


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## beginnersluck (Sep 5, 2007)

I just bought a 2005 F-250 with the 6.0 and I wasn't sure if I would like it (compared to the 7.3)...but it's done really well.  I'm pleased with it's power and it seems to get good mileage.  As for longevity issues...I'll have to get back with you in 150-200k more miles


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## pbplayer1 (Sep 5, 2007)

I think all 3 of them make great diesels, but personally im not a ford or dodge person, i will only buy GM. All of them trucks will last forever. I have a few friends who have duramax's and they will pull about anything. Me personally would get the duramax, but i don't think you would go wrong with any of them.


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## Eroc33 (Sep 5, 2007)

huntnnut said:


> The perfect truck IMO would have a Ford Body with a Cummins Engine and a Allison Transmission.....



i agree lets make one.


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## huntnnut (Sep 5, 2007)

Eroc33 said:


> i agree lets make one.



I wish we could, we'ed be set for life financially if so....


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## fulldraw74 (Sep 5, 2007)

I may be the black sheep here but i just got rid of a duramax and dont plan on ever owning another. It was great until 105,000 miles (warranty ended at 100,000)

injectors-------$3200


114,000

injector pump----------$1400


124,000

A/C Compressor-------$500


had a continious problem with loss of power approx. 4-5 times a year and nobody could figure that problem out.
125,000 traded for a new Tacoma.......


On the positive side it was alot more "peppy" than the cummins or power stroke (although not as strong IMO)
Decent MPG   17 in town and 21 on highway
Its also a little less noisy than the power stroke and cummins


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## Todd E (Sep 5, 2007)

..................


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## dfhooked (Sep 6, 2007)

*duramax*

have yet to have any problems out of mine... knock on wood. I know of about 15 or so people who have em and no problems what so ever. time will tell but to me it is the best matched truck with the allison transmission on the market, one heck of a pullin machine and gets great fuel economy once you chip it. I get 21.7 as an overall average.


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## badger (Sep 6, 2007)

Its CUMMINS, not CUMMINGS...............


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## SnowHunter (Sep 6, 2007)

If ya go with a Ford, imo, stay away from any year model 6.0. Hubby's work truck has had injectors replaced 3 times in less then 2 years and many other problems.


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## cball917 (Sep 6, 2007)

50 k miles is low on any diesel. as far as problems i have seen some but not enough to mention. i would definately stay away from 03-04 6.0, like it was stated before the duramax and allison powertrain is awesome. sent you a pm


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## jinx0760 (Sep 6, 2007)

*Cummins!*

The new 07 Dodge has a Aisin-Warner 6-spd auto tranny that will run with the Allison.  It only comes with the 6.7L engine.  The Cummins has the fewest parts, the longest rebuild cycle.  If you look at most heavy equipment it has an in-line engine for power and durability.  The Cummins is the only in-line engine of the bunch.


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## Hogtown (Sep 6, 2007)

They all have their positives and negatives. I have a 2006, F-250, 6.0 and love it - I would buy another one tomorrow. The 6.0 problems were solved in late 04/early 05 - the mid-2005 to present are great engines.  I prefer the Ford over the GMC for various reasons, but one of the main ones is the size. Ford shifts upward in size at 3/4 ton while Chevy/GMC shifts upward at 1 ton.  I do however find the GMC's quieter than my Ford. Regarding the Dodge - they are mighty noisy and I don't think the fit & finish is up to Ford or GMC standards. Also friends that I trust have told me that the Cummins is the best engine of the bunch, but the Dodge transmission is the worst of the bunch.


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## ATLRoach (Sep 6, 2007)

Hogtown said:


> Dodge transmission is the worst of the bunch.



That would be a the Autos.. The NV4500 and 5500 are far from weak manual trans.


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## goob (Sep 6, 2007)

Ive got a 2000 7.3L F-350, my Dad has a 1996 Dodge Cummins, both are dually's, I like them both, It took me a long time to find my Ford but it was worth the wait!    My work truck is an E-ONE Typhoon with a Cummins motor and an Allison tranny, It does okay but I think its a little more truck than you would want.


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## Hogtown (Sep 6, 2007)

ATLRoach said:


> That would be a the Autos.. The NV4500 and 5500 are far from weak manual trans.



You are correct. We were only discussing automatic transmissions. The topic of manual transmissions in the Dodge, Ford or GMC never even came up.


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## badger (Sep 6, 2007)

ATLRoach said:


> That would be a the Autos.. The NV4500 and 5500 are far from weak manual trans.




Pre 2003 47RE. The 2003 and on 48RE has been every bit as good as the Allison & better than the 03-04 Ford tranny............


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## Bladeslinger (Sep 6, 2007)

*Cummins, power stroke, duramax*

Well just thought I would give some of my thoughts on Fords vs Chev vs Dodge. I have driven Fords all my life, my wife, and kids ,and all my family on my side and my wifes. Ive owned 7 diesels 1- 7.3  what a truck, great all around. Then 5- 6.0 I have never in my life been so disapointed in my life. As I was adding up how many times ,and different problems I had out of this 5 units I couldnt believe it. Over 5 yrs. thats correct I had a new truck every year, I put around 50000 a year on one, they were in the shop a total of 105 days. Everything from wheels seperating , injectors, turbo, brakes. Needless to say I was done but didnt know what to buy because I was a Ford man. Well  drove a Dodge and a Chev. They all have good thing but my Chev. has 47988 miles and havent turned a bolt yet. Lots of power and drives like a dream. It would be nice to have the Dodge body with the Ford suspention and the Chev. Diesel , trans  and  rearend. Just my thoughts!


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## wandering cowboy (Sep 8, 2007)

I have a 05 F550 with the 6.0L and a auto. I wouldn't buy one with my money. As far it goes I think the older non intercooled 7.3L Powestrokes are the best engine out there! with the 5.9L I6 12V being a close second. As far a the Duramax goes, for what most of us do with a pick-up truck they are fine, but at work we have notice dthat the duramaxs that we have lack significant power when loaded heavy 26,000lbs. Me personally you will NEVER he me recommend an auto trans behind a diesel engine Allison or otherwise, they all shift hard under heavy loads and high RPM's. Much prefer a manual trans for pulling. If you feel like working with a diesel to improve mileage and performance etc I feel that the older Natural Aspirated 7.3L are the way to go, they're bullet proof and easy to work on and have little in the way of emissions or computer controls.  Now if you want a theoretical best engine drivetrain combo, I'd opt for either a C12 or 3406 Cat with a 10 spd Eaton tranny!!!!!
Nathan


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## B Young (Sep 8, 2007)

I own a 2001 Dodge 2500 with the pre common rail 24V.It is backed up by a 6-speed manual tranny. 
I love mine. It rattles a lot and is noisey on the outside but it is quite on the inside. As far as where they are made mexico or usa, does it really matter? As mentioned earlier the expected life between overhaul 300k+! That speaks for itself. I have plenty of power and can pull ANYTHING made to be pulled buy a pickup truck and get 20 mpg doing it.

I bought mine for 12,500 with 98,000 miles on it, it now has 123,000 and I have not had a single problem out of it. 
I do not expect I will have to buy another truck anytime soon.


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## cburke (Sep 13, 2007)

24v cummins the truck on my avatar has 170k ,if ur going to get a diesel get a strait 6 not a converted v8 the truth of the matter is ,its not a deisel  in less its a cummins .with the edge comp chip get 18.5mpg in the city and up to 20mpg adds 125 hp /but im not saying that there isnt a stronger engine out there but they will out last the converted deisels


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## bearclaw88 (Sep 16, 2007)

I have a 02 F-250 with the 7.3 with 160,000 miles on it. This is by far the best truck i have ever owned. Stay away from the early 6.0 engine. A buddy of mine had a lot of problems out of his till he sold it and bought another 7.3


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## grizzlyblake (Sep 16, 2007)

As stated earlier, Cummins is the only Medium Duty engine of the three. As for being concerned with American-made products, Duramax is an Isuzu design. Ford uses the Cummins in their medium duty trucks. Cummins is an industrial engine designed for hard work and long life. Powerstroke and Duramax are light duty engines designed for light pickup use only. Check out the Cummins website to see what the motors are used for....OTR Trucks, Barges, Towboats, etc....


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## MudDucker (Sep 16, 2007)

Ol' 30-30 said:


> I really like (and would prefer) a GMC/Chevy but a Dodge is definitely cheaper........but if might be one of those "get what you pay for" deals.  I'd like to hear from a Cummins guy.



Cummings is a great engine...what Dodge wraps around that engine ain't so great 

I've had all three.  My new Duramax has a lot of power, but really sucks the fuel.   Your mileage may vary.


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## grizzlyblake (Sep 16, 2007)

staying off boost and under 2k rpm I can get 19 around town around 21-22 hwy. But thats at 60 mph, I have the 4.10 gears, great for towing and 4L but bad for speed


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## cburke (Sep 19, 2007)

MudDucker said:


> Cummings is a great engine...what Dodge wraps around that engine ain't so great
> 
> this is true keeping tranys behined the cummins is a problem but can be solved by using 5or6 speed man.


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## all ducked up (Sep 19, 2007)

id rather be cumming than stroking!!


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## Reel Time (Sep 19, 2007)

Just to add: I am a Ford man. Have had fords all my life. I drive a 06 f250 with a 6.0. I have had it for 14 months. So far I love it. Before I got this truck I drove the Dodge and the Chev. Took all of them home and keep for a day. I was pleased with each. The Dodge had less get up and go than the Chevey or Ford. The Ford and Chevey were very close in pick up. The Chevey was the cheepest . The Dodge cost the most. The Dodge looked like it had more plastic and looked like it was not put together as well as the other two. I came close to getting the Chevey but had a problem with the sailes manager at the dealer ship. So I went down the street and drove the Ford home. All three have good points and bad. It will come down to which one you like. That is why they make all diferent kinds. Good luck. I think you will love driving the Diesel I know I do. The best part is when you hook something behind your new truck and you have all that power to haul what ever you wish.


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## bubbabuckslayer (May 27, 2008)

7.3 all the way baby!!!!!

i know a guy that has a 2000 model 250 with a 7.3..heres a pic..
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




it has airbags the biggest warn winch made-16.5 tons,that bumper 2 piaa's,xd wheels,soon 2 have a banks power package,i wouldnt wanna hook it to any thing of mine,it has too much power it'll burn tires runnin 10 mph...it pulls great.and gets 18-20 mpg


theres another guy who has a 97 350 flatbed dually work truck that has a 7.3,he used to pull rodeo bulls 2 colorado with it ,it now has 550,000 miles on it and still runnin strong!!!



CUMMINS AND DURAMAX???

WHO ARE THEY??


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## badger (May 27, 2008)

bubbabuckslayer said:


> CUMMINS AND DURAMAX???
> 
> WHO ARE THEY??



You don't get out much, do you?


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## G Duck (May 27, 2008)

All I can speak for is the powerstroke 7.3. I have owned two of these. Put 250k on the first one, and the one I have now has 155k. Im not sure where the 200k recomended overhaul came from. The one I sold (with 250k) is still running up and down the road. I wish I still had it. The one I have now is just as tight as a new one. No sqeeks and rattles like GM products I have owned in the past. Heaven forbid, if any of us are rushed to the hospital, it will most likely be in a Ford Powerstroke Ambulance.


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## centerc (May 28, 2008)

Cherokee ford has a 06 f250 with leather for 26k $$$$$


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## jon c anderson (May 30, 2008)

uh, what about fuel prices ? i have a 99 f-350 that i'm parking. only going to use it when needed.


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## G Duck (May 30, 2008)

My 02 is parked,used only when needed. Driving a toyota to comute.


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## Ol' 30-30 (May 30, 2008)

luckily mine isn't a daily driver.....I have a work truck so I only drive it on the weekends.  I ended up with a cummins.......06 Dodge 2500 Quad Cab 6-speed.



-


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## cptbb77 (Jul 22, 2008)

*Great Choice*

You won't be disappointed.

Cummins has been making diesel engines for decades.  Most of the tractor trailers out on the highways are inline Cummins powered.  And the rough terrain variable reach forklift my company took to Kuwait and Iraq had the inline 5.9 inline engine.  Always worked, needed no repairs, and got great fuel economy for a piece of heavy equipment.

ENJOY your "Goat Head"

MAJBB77


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## jnester (Jul 22, 2008)




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## BRANCHWYNN (Jul 22, 2008)

longevity.....CUMMINS....NO DOUBT......A TRUE DIESEL.....DOWN SIDE TO DURAMAX---FUEL MILEAGE(AND IF YOU GOTTA WORK ON THAT ALLISON BIG MONEY...AND YOU WILL BEFORE 250K-300K)-----DOWN SIDE TO FORD---COST TO REPAIR...IT IS A V8 NO MATTER WHAT WAY YOU SLICE IT....BUY A 5.9L CUMMINS ..USED 07 AND YOU WONT REGRET IT...TRY TO FIND A MEGA CAB...GONE AFTER THIS YEAR WITH A COMBINATION OF MEGA CAB AND 5.9L CUMMINS 4X4....YOU'LL HAVE BUYER 10 YEARS FROM NOW FOR IT. YOU WILL HAVE PUT A MOTOR IN THE STROKER BEFORE THEN AND BURNED 5 MORE MILES PER GALLON IN THE FORD AND DURAMAX. OH YEA...I AM DRIVING A 2001 F250 STROKER...AND WOULD LOVE TO OWN ANOTHER DODGE. IF I COULD FIND THE TRUCK I JUST DESCRIBED, ID BUY IT MY SELF.


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## BRANCHWYNN (Jul 22, 2008)

*nice*



Ol' 30-30 said:


> luckily mine isn't a daily driver.....I have a work truck so I only drive it on the weekends. I ended up with a cummins.......06 Dodge 2500 Quad Cab 6-speed.
> 
> 
> 
> -


 
good choice and you'll love the turnin radius over the competition....keep weight in the bed itll ride better and handle like a half ton...


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## 12mcrebel (Jul 23, 2008)

[


CUMMINS AND DURAMAX???

WHO ARE THEY??[/QUOTE]



It pretty funny that he said that and  his truck is a dodge!
idk if his is a cummins though.

i am a ford guy but everybody likes different things...


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## Ol' 30-30 (Jul 24, 2008)




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## huberbanjopicker (Jul 25, 2008)

cummins is the only way to go, but wait till 2010 when ford puts the cummins in the ford trucks.


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## BRANCHWYNN (Jul 25, 2008)

*?*



huberbanjopicker said:


> cummins is the only way to go, but wait till 2010 when ford puts the cummins in the ford trucks.


 
I doubt it.....but LORD knows they need to.


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## huberbanjopicker (Jul 25, 2008)

My dad knew a guy that worked at Cummins, He said that dodge got mad because cummins would not lower the QUALITY of there engines. Dodge said they were building a "300,000 mile max" truck and cummins was building a 1,000,000+ engine. Cummins refused to lower the quality of there product, they told dodge to raise the quality of there truck. You can resleeve a cummins and run it forever, A man that lives here in clayton has a 1995 dodge with the cummins engine, he has replaced everything except the motor and that truck has over 999,999 miles on it. Thats alot of miles.


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## BRANCHWYNN (Jul 25, 2008)

Its funny.....been around the business all my life....used to tickle me how alot of the DIE HARD FORD OWNERS would say..."FORD OWNS CUMMINS....If it was a good engine they'd put it in their trucks"....I hope they don't....might trun the CUMMINS name into another STROKER disaster....or better yet.....make it start suckin fuel by loadin up with too many horses.....CUMMINS=LONG TERM POWER....NOT SPEED. As for the DODGE parts replaced on a million mile truck.....its better than buying a new truck every 200k.miles afterall....repalcements parts cost how much? REMAN-ED DIESEL ENGINES COST $10,000.00.


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## Ruger#3 (Jul 25, 2008)

*Dodge*

I have the 1999 2500 series automatic, it has been more than enough truck for everything I have hooked to it. It has hit 160K and ran into my first big ticket item this week. Fuel injector pump went bad, it's recommended to change the lift pump along with the injector pump so your at $2,000.

That being said I have been happy with the truck and can see the body falling away from the engine some day. Some day I'll get another Dodge Cummins to replace it and make sure that one has 6 speed stick.

If anyone has to change the injector pump FYI, the high output pump is the same price as the stock one. Gets you more torque and better milage if you dont romp on it. I'm getting about 22 MPG in this old rig.


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## gomangort (Nov 10, 2008)

*cummins*

A friend of mine has a stock 95 one ton flatbed with over 750,000 miles, most as a hotshot pulling a 28' trailer, with no problems at all.

Mark in La.


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## copenhagen cowboy (Nov 10, 2008)

my buddy has a '07 Dodge 2500 4x4 with a power programmer. Truck has alot of power, speed, and torque. But he has put 3 trannys in it since new.


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## sewer hog (Nov 10, 2008)

thats because of the programmer, and no other reason.


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## BrandonJCdude92 (Nov 16, 2008)

Simply Duramax...


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## firewalker (Nov 19, 2008)

I've put about 250k collective miles on the 7.3L Ford.  I have no complaints.  These miles were on a 99 F-250 4x4 and my current 2002 F-250 4x4.  No service has been required on these vehicles except brakes, tires and oil changes.   

I take care of my trucks but they do have to pull equipment and some of that pulling is in some rough places.

I'm driving another vehicle when I can to keep miles off my 02.   I love that thing and will park it in the barn when it retires.  When that sad day comes I'll probably go cummins for my new daily truck.


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## Full Pull (Nov 19, 2008)

Cummins .
Enjoy 30/30


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## hammerz71 (Nov 20, 2008)

IMO the Cummins 5.9 available up until last year was bulletproof, the best diesel engine ever produced for a light truck, and ran anything you put in it.  However, I know many people that have had a lot of issues with the new 6.7.  Every issue seems to be with the emissions system.  Leave it to the govt. to screw up a good thing!!!


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## fireman1501 (Nov 25, 2008)

huberbanjopicker said:


> cummins is the only way to go, but wait till 2010 when ford puts the cummins in the ford trucks.



Already got them in the 550 and 650 .  worked on diesels for six years. the best engine for dependability is the cummins . major stuff was replaced around 300 thousand. for ford 7.3 it was about 250 thousand. the GM's was always in the shop from new to 100 thousand after that most farmers trade it. the first GM diesels should have never been produced. still a few out there. its bad when the local GM dealer send us the work because they did not want to deal with them.


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## iceman64 (Feb 23, 2009)

i have a 99 f-250 with 200,000 miles and its still running strong! no leaks or any problems! 7.3 is the best diesel motor ford has made!


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## Mission (Feb 23, 2009)

sewer hog said:


> thats because of the programmer, and no other reason.



exactly, the dodge trans is fine up to 400 hp. people put a programmer on, load up a heavy trailer, put programmer on "crazy larry" and drop the hammer. and then complain when the trans grenades.

put in a aftermarket vb and tc in the dodge trans, and you can run on "crazy larry" all you want


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## Mission (Feb 23, 2009)

nice CTD tecrsq, truck looks familiar


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## Mission (Feb 24, 2009)

my horse

06 ctd, stock, minus the silencer ring and a straight-pipe


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## bonecollector123 (Feb 24, 2009)

I am the service manager at Nations Truck in Fl we sell every make I am  a Ford guy I have a 2002 f250 with the 7.3 it is my second one never have any trouble out of it the dodges have a good motor but I swear I work one a dodge everyday rarely the engine it is the tranny or a/c comp or something stupid and dodge and if you break a mirror glass you have to buy the whol mirror 425.00 ford or gmc make a better all around truck all things being equal and I get 23 mpg with 35 inch tires I have the superchip cortex in it I can get them for you guys cheap if you need one for any truck they do research on our trucks so they give them to me cheap oh yea dodges get lousey fuel milage just my two cents dont get mad fellas


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## JoshM (Feb 24, 2009)

I'd take a GM Duramax truck if they didn't have the front end design of a compact car...


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## win270wsm (Feb 24, 2009)

sweet ride!!!
I want one!


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## Mission (Feb 25, 2009)

bonecollector123 said:


> I am the service manager at Nations Truck in Fl we sell every make I am  a Ford guy I have a 2002 f250 with the 7.3 it is my second one never have any trouble out of it the dodges have a good motor but I swear I work one a dodge everyday rarely the engine it is the tranny or a/c comp or something stupid and dodge and if you break a mirror glass you have to buy the whol mirror 425.00 ford or gmc make a better all around truck all things being equal and I get 23 mpg with 35 inch tires I have the superchip cortex in it I can get them for you guys cheap if you need one for any truck they do research on our trucks so they give them to me cheap oh yea dodges get lousey fuel milage just my two cents dont get mad fellas



yeah, my 06 ctd only got 23.5mpg [hand calc'd]on a recent trip to disney. me, wife, 2 kids and luggage.....*lol....thats horrible for stock*

its never had a programmer on it.... yet


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## dtrusty (Feb 25, 2009)

*diesels*

I used to work on diesels all the time. (not that long ago) The 6.0 problems were NEVER fixed. We have 05 and 06 6.0s that can't stay out of the shop. The 6.4s don't seem to be much better. Transmission is an Allison wanna be. It is not. It is an improvement over what Fraud used to used.  The OLD Cummins over all is probably the best engine of the three but the rest of the truck is junk. Asian Warner transmissions are NOTHING when you compare them to Allison. They are about like the old chevy 400 or ford c6.
The duramax is a good engine. since 03 no real injector or injector pump issues. They have actually improved while the others fell off a cliff. Just the opinion of someone who actually has worked on them and drove/used all of them. We put peoples lives in danger everyday using Ford ambulances. We are switching to Chevy. My advice stay away from the blue oval and look up dodge in the dictionary. The company even tells you what to do. JMO


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## badger (Feb 25, 2009)

bonecollector123 said:


> I am the service manager at Nations Truck in Fl we sell every make I am  a Ford guy I have a 2002 f250 with the 7.3 it is my second one never have any trouble out of it the dodges have a good motor but I swear I work one a dodge everyday rarely the engine it is the tranny or a/c comp or something stupid and dodge and if you break a mirror glass you have to buy the whol mirror 425.00 ford or gmc make a better all around truck all things being equal and I get 23 mpg with 35 inch tires I have the superchip cortex in it I can get them for you guys cheap if you need one for any truck they do research on our trucks so they give them to me cheap oh yea dodges get lousey fuel milage just my two cents dont get mad fellas



Take a breath will ya Thats quite a long sentence........

My Cummins mileage is 18-19 in town, 20-24 on the highway. Pretty lousy, huh?


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## JoshM (Feb 27, 2009)

The Cummins/Duramax motors both get better than the Powerstrokes...


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## E_Catron (Feb 27, 2009)

i was a snap-on tool dealer for 2 years and in and out of 100's of shops. including diesel shops ive been in. 

i can tell you if you are looking for a diesel truck anything you buy will be fine with the exception of power stroke 6.0 or 6.4

i did see more fords in diesel repair shops (including 7.3) but look at the sheer number of units sold verses cummins and duramax. 

also my tool truck had a cummins common rail 5.9 with an allison 1000 trans. that truck ran about 12 hrs a day 5 days a week for 3.5 years (i bought it used)
and the only repair ever needed was to replace (1) injector (that did not even fail the balance test it just caused a minor vibration so i had it replaced) also i had all of the ring gear bolts sher leaving me stranded on the side of the road (this is not related to the engine but it was a very odd problem to have!!)

and the only Duramax trucks i saw being repaired (4) 3 of which were having the water pumps replaced after 200,000 miles and 1 having (8) injectors and injector pump replaced. the mechanic doing the work said the truck was only ran on off road diesel (illegal i know) and the only time he had seen multiple injectors and a pump go bad were when they were ran on off road diesel. (keep in mind this was a county truck he was working on)


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## Hawkbill (Feb 27, 2009)

*Power stroke*

I have owned 4 power strokes and all 4 7.3, i have one now and it has been above and beyond the best thing ever and has 200k on it and i have done nothing but service it and put batteries in it. If i could not find a 1999-2003 with a 7.3 there is no doubt i would go with the duramax!


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## REDMOND1858 (Feb 27, 2009)

I have a duramax and i love it will pull anything and get pretty good fuel milage too, one of my friends has a cummins and i love drivin it. It pulls better than anyhting i have ever driven and gets excellent fuel milage. Two of my buddies got powerstrokes about 3 months ago and they both have  been  in the shop already, i dont think i have herd one good thing about the newer fords. Go with the chevy or the dodge


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## REDMOND1858 (Feb 27, 2009)

Badgers correct. My buddies dodge gets 18mpg in town and 21 on highway. No chips just cool air intake, dont sound too  lousy to me either


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## JigNchunk (Mar 1, 2009)

our company has 2 '08 Cummins 6.7 a 2500 and 3500. both are in the shop every two weeks. they have 10,000 miles and both trucks have been in the shop 6 times each. the 3500 just won't pull anything and both avg 12-13 mpg not towing and 7 mpg towing.


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## grizzley30814 (Mar 3, 2009)

1997 F-250 HD ext cab just rolled 200,500. I've had it since 9000 miles. Ford had to replace the flywheel @ 99,973 miles. Yes, that is 27 miles before the warranty was due to expire. Couple of glow plug changes and a fuel pump. Wouldn't sell it unless I was getting the same truck in a crewcab.


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## badger (Mar 3, 2009)

JigNchunk said:


> our company has 2 '08 Cummins 6.7 a 2500 and 3500. both are in the shop every two weeks. they have 10,000 miles and both trucks have been in the shop 6 times each. the 3500 just won't pull anything and both avg 12-13 mpg not towing and 7 mpg towing.



What have they found wrong with them?


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## Rays123 (Mar 3, 2009)

first off all you people who knock the 05-07 6.0s are dumb as a box of rocks. this engine once they got all the kinks out would run circles around a 7.3 and if you dont believe me  bring it on over to the house and we'll line em up. as far as dodge and chevy goes stay as far away from a duramax as you can but the dodge are great diesels only other truck id own besides my 6.0 ill post some pics in a few


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## Mission (Mar 3, 2009)

Rays123 said:


> first off all you people who knock the 05-07 6.0s are dumb as a box of rocks. this engine once they got all the kinks out would run circles around a 7.3 and if you dont believe me  bring it on over to the house and we'll line em up. as far as dodge and chevy goes stay as far away from a duramax as you can but the dodge are great diesels only other truck id own besides my 6.0 ill post some pics in a few



i agree, my 03 f350 with the 6.0 was like a racecar, its too bad it had so many bugs, and left me stranded to many times. i think that motor was pushed through r+d before it was ready for release. 5 years is a very short production run. i dont think anyone is saying the 7.3 had better performance, just better reliability


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## 30 06 (Mar 4, 2009)

I have an 04 Dodge 3500 Cummins , and get very good fuel millage with it. I have not tried the power stroke or Duramax but think its a matter of your personal taste. I have always been a fan of cummins. I have a friend who has the Duramax and likes it. Either of the trucks kept serviced should give you a good 200 or 300 thousand miles of service life.
just my two cents


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## Rays123 (Mar 4, 2009)

ryann said:


> i agree, my 03 f350 with the 6.0 was like a racecar, its too bad it had so many bugs, and left me stranded to many times. i think that motor was pushed through r+d before it was ready for release. 5 years is a very short production run. i dont think anyone is saying the 7.3 had better performance, just better reliability



so your sayin new injecters every 15,000 miles is more reliable? bc thats how my 7.3 was


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## RouDaddy (Mar 4, 2009)

6.0 is like a rock with a new headgasket and EGR delete - once these two flaws are dealt with its a great product.  Dodge 5.9's are great too but I am a Powerstroker for sure.


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## AKguy (Mar 5, 2009)

Anyone had experience with both a 7.3 and a 6.0?  I'm interested in an 01-03 7.3 or an 05-06 6.0.


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## Rays123 (Mar 5, 2009)

AKguy said:


> Anyone had experience with both a 7.3 and a 6.0?  I'm interested in an 01-03 7.3 or an 05-06 6.0.



ive had both. id go with the 6.0 bc people  act like the 7.3 has no problems when its goin through injectors like crazy and a turbo every 60,000 or so and it has a few electrical issues but thoughs dont show up real often and dont forget the tranny problems. just get a 6.0 and get headstuds installed. costly at first but saves a lot of headgasket problems. and if you go with a tuner only use an SCT on either 6.0 or 7.3. if you need more info pm me


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## 30 06 (Mar 5, 2009)

badger said:


> Take a breath will ya Thats quite a long sentence........
> 
> My Cummins mileage is 18-19 in town, 20-24 on the highway. Pretty lousy, huh?
> 
> I second that , my dodge 3500 gets great mileage pretty much the same


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## injun joe (Mar 5, 2009)

I've had both and I'd give you two 6.0's for one 7.3 if it's been given proper maintenance. The 7.3 is a rock solid performer with a proven track record if cared for. I've had 4 7.3's, all with over 300,000 miles before major service.(One of them did spit a belt tensioner at about 80,000 miles and I burnt a tranny in one carrying a load of fire hydrants in overdrive.) I bought a 2004 6.0 and drove it for 40,000 miles before it started having injector problems. After the second set (under warranty), I gave it to one of my employees to drive and bought a used '03 7.3. It now has 187,000 and I'm still driving it.6 liter is faster but you can turn up the boost in the 7.3 and get the same performance.


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## Rays123 (Mar 5, 2009)

injun joe said:


> I've had both and I'd give you two 6.0's for one 7.3 if it's been given proper maintenance. The 7.3 is a rock solid performer with a proven track record if cared for. I've had 4 7.3's, all with over 300,000 miles before major service.(One of them did spit a belt tensioner at about 80,000 miles and I burnt a tranny in one carrying a load of fire hydrants in overdrive.) I bought a 2004 6.0 and drove it for 40,000 miles before it started having injector problems. After the second set (under warranty), I gave it to one of my employees to drive and bought a used '03 7.3. It now has 187,000 and I'm still driving it.6 liter is faster but you can turn up the boost in the 7.3 and get the same performance.



sorry but you cant turn the boost up on any ford with a stock turbo. the computer is set to shut down the engine if it experiences to much boost. even with those dumb boost foolers you can get on ebay which is a waste of money bc its impossible on a stock turbo.


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## Mission (Mar 5, 2009)

Rays123 said:


> so your sayin new injecters every 15,000 miles is more reliable? bc thats how my 7.3 was



lol!!! the 7.3 just had a longer production run, and longer time for them to work out the problems. if they hadnt pulled the plug on the 6.0, by now the bugs would have been worked out of it.

seeing my brand new f350/6.0 getting towed 6 times in 2 years wasnt reliable to me. dont get me wrong i loved that truck and motor, i just lost any trust i had in her. injectors, sensors, the head had to be removed twice. i should have went with the 7.3

my trucks are not grocery getters either, i own my own construction co, my truck is my office, lumber truck, estimates, hauls my work trailer, etc. i *have* to have it everyday. the 6.0 just let me down [stranded with a trailer attached] to many times

i think we got used as the guinea pigs with that motor, instead of another year of r&d it could have used before release


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## AKguy (Mar 5, 2009)

ryann said:


> *i think we got used as the guinea pigs with that motor, instead of another year of r&d it could have used before release*



You can thank the democrats for that.  Navistar had to rush the 6.0 into production to meet emission standards, and unfortuneately, hadn't worked everything out.


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## 84yoda (Nov 13, 2009)

good looking truck man good choice


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## Knotwild (Nov 13, 2009)

7.3 Powerstroke unless you are a hotrodder who wants to modify for HP. Take care of them and they are bulletproof. Mine is 12 years old, 194,000 and 30,000 of that has been on B100 manufactured under my shed for less than $1.50 a gallon. And, it burns no oil between oil changes at 5K. That basic block was around long before Dodge and GM even realized there was a diesel market out there.


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## ShellShocker (Nov 15, 2009)

Im my opinion I would prefer the Duramax over the Cummins or the Powerstroke anyday. I have driven all three with a load. The Powerstroke is too loud and it feels like I'm stepping on a grape every time I go. The Cummins is a good truck but you cant beat that Duramax. My dad has an '04 with 270,000 miles on it and it still running like a new one the only thing we had to replace is the fuel injectors(under warranty) and the transfer case. My cousin on the other hand has an'03 Dodge dually with less miles, it dropped a valve and went through the turbo, causing the whole engine to get rebuilt.


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## Rays123 (Nov 16, 2009)

beginnersluck said:


> I just bought a 2005 F-250 with the 6.0 and I wasn't sure if I would like it (compared to the 7.3)...but it's done really well.  I'm pleased with it's power and it seems to get good mileage.  As for longevity issues...I'll have to get back with you in 150-200k more miles



ill tell you the best thing to do is delete the cat,muffler and the egr system, it will save you so much trouble, also you could put headstuds in it and with these three mods youll have a bullet proof 6.0


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## ArmyTaco (Nov 16, 2009)

That was the truck I wanted. You can add a leveling kit to fit 35's and get more MPG's...check out www.dieseltruckresource.com


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## Swamp Star (Nov 16, 2009)

6.0 here ya go my dodge pullin a broke down ford to the shop. This truck is on its 5th motor in 110k miles so I'll stick to my Cummins, 7.3's, and Duramax's. If I ever sell my Dodge it will be replaced with a D-Max no dought about it.


My truck is a 01 3500 4x4 6-speed with about 400hp on the ground and 201k miles still runnin strong and about 120k have been at 400hp.

If you wanna pull alot of weight go with a Cummins. For pullin some 7.3. For goin really really fast and lookin good D-Max. Not sayin that powerstrokes and D-max's wont pull they just wont pull like a Cummins.


Gettin the ford to the shop.






Movin Truimph motorcycles show trailer. This thing was HEAVY about 25k lbs worth of heavy.





Heres just my truck.


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## SWS (Nov 17, 2009)

i had an 05 cummins big horn six speed 2500 and it was a awesome pullin truck. it had aem intake, banks bullet chip and diamond eye exhaust got around 20 mpg empty and 11 mpg pullin a 28' camper. Now i own a 06 duramax/allison 2500 with aem intake, PPE standard chip and diamond eye exhaust, it gets 18 mpg empty and 11 pullin the same camper. the dodge has a lot more power off the line due to its lower gearing, but the chevy is a lot faster and more comfortable to me. iv got 85k on the chevy so far and not a problem yet. only problem i had out of the dodge was it didnt wanna start sometime. im all for the chevy but that dodge was a pullin machine


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