Thread: Switch to Dodge RAM 2500...please talk me out of it!

I am a car dealer who sells the stuff nobody else wants to. For instance, land rover and jeep. Have you had issues with the Landy? Have you been disappointed that not many mechanics like working on them? Are parts hard to come by? Consider this... it will be 5 times harder with a dodge. We have had dodges (jeeps, chryslers) with only 60k on them and they go into limp mode. Ok you may say, that happens... But even taking it to the dealer, they can't fix it. I mean CANT. despite months of liasing with Chrysler use tech support. They are quite Simply, a rubbish product. I am in communication with NSW fair trading quite a bit. One rep told me that he saw a jeep pull out of a dealership BRAND NEW and a warning light came on. They drove straight back in. The dealer couldn't fix it. In summary, I still sell Chrysler brands. But not to my friends.

I don't want to turn this into a Jeep slanging thread, but...............................
I purchased a Wrangler in 2011 in Melbourne, and 6 hours later in Horsham (on the way to Adelaide), it broke down, and was off the road for 4 weeks.
The dealer (in Bendigo I think), knew the problem, but could not fix it.
Eventually Jeep Australia send another diesel Wrangler to the dealer and said just keep swapping bits until it is fixed!!!!!
After that, it was OK - just OK.
Local dealer warranty support was poor to abysmal and after 3 years, when the warranty was up, I sold it and bought a Perentie.

I think the issue on service support is that these vehicles sell in such low numbers in Oz that it is hard to build up a knowledge base on how to work with/fix them.
Add to that the current problem of so few well trained mechanics, versus "computer programmers", and it leads to more problems.
CJD (Chrysler Jeep Dodge) does not have a good reputation even here in the USA and that is why there is so much aftermarket support and servicing over hear.
BUT there is also a much bigger base of knowledge due to the higher volumes of product over here.

I've always liked the RAM trucks - they have a "look" about them, and with an 8inch lift, dual exhaust stacks, super wide tyres and all the bling, they really look the part on the 405 freeway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck if you go with the RAM, but hopefully you were a Boy Scout, and you learned to "be prepared"!

The Ram is in the same line of parts and dealer support that Jeep is, i would be looking at a different tow vehicle. They are pretty awesome vehicles for dragging big loads about legally and at speed, but if our van ever got to exceed the 3.5t rating the rangie has then I'd be looking at a Hino or Isuzu 4x4 light truck. Fantastic support, hi quality engineering, automatic transmissions and car like interiors now and a customer of mine moved from a p38a to a dual cab 4x4 Isuzu truck to tow his 4t boat and it was the same price drive away as a new 200 series...

Jc

Spotted this kit the other day



Bugger I don’t have the pic with caravan, pretty sure he had a Bush tracker holed up.

Something else to consider is the day to day use and the simple art of finding a parking space that a RAM would fit in. Could well be quite a challenge.
Are you able to re arrange some of your 'expectations' and sift out the bits and pieces that you don't actually need or use. In other words try and shed some weight. Sort of trying to apply the KISS theory. That might be a whole lot cheaper and simpler to do.
Cheers, Simmo

Keep the Disco and get a smaller van . Sometimes less is more.

Do you go to remote area's or is it just up and down the east coast.
If remote go a 70 series cruiser then mod it to suit. If east coast then get a low km f250/350 that ford aust imported as their will be back up.
Or get a gvm upgrade on your current rig.
With a truck unless you do some serious reworking of sispension and seats it will be very very rough

Originally Posted by lyonsy

Do you go to remote area's or is it just up and down the east coast.
If remote go a 70 series cruiser then mod it to suit. If east coast then get a low km f250/350 that ford aust imported as their will be back up.
Or get a gvm upgrade on your current rig.
With a truck unless you do some serious reworking of sispension and seats it will be very very rough

We had an f250 in convoy with us doing the canning stock route, it absolutely loved it, was so much more capable in the sand and dunes than the 79 series i was in.
And it wasn't the first time he had done it either