2003 Dodge 2500 Hemi vs. 2001 Ford F250 V10 - discuss!

What to do, what to do?
Looking for a tow vehicle on a budget is a pain in the noggin. I am narrowing my search down, and currently have 2 trucks standing out as front runners for the price I can afford. Keep in mind the primary purpose for thie vehicle will be towing a trailer likely 8X16 in size, and a SXS. Also, will realistically only put maybe 6,000 mies per year on the truck, and that estimate is a high one. The contenders:
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 - crew cab, short bed
5.7 Hemi
139K miles

2001 Ford F250 4X4 - super cab, long bed
V10 Triton
118K miles
Assuming the condition of the trucks is similar as well as features AND both have the original transmissions, rear end, etc....I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on a winner. :)

Well being I'm a Ford man I would say Ford lol. I don't know how much your going to spend but if that you are interested one of my buddy's has a F350 powerstroke regular wheel base very nice truck it has the 7.3 in it crew cab I think he is asking 23000 for it

WELL JUST FROM MY KNOLEDGE the ford i had a 2002 v10 got at 110000 miles ran to 180000 and no problems with the truck just the coils on the plugs and bought new ones off of ebay around $120 and it fixed it that was the only problem i had , and had a excusion v10 from 97000 miles to 150000 and the only problem was the alternator put new one on and fixed it ,but i had them seveice every 3500 miles to 4000 miles and change transmision fluid at 100000 miles on excusion and changed the truck fluid when i got it , now have a 6.0 f350 so i am parcial to ford but they have not let me down k, i know a few people that have had trouble with dodge transmision but the were pre 2000 years

I have a 03 quad cab dodge diesel as my personal vehicle, and unfortunately drive fords at work. My vote goes dodge

IMHO it's a toss up. Both are good trucks, however both of them will suck the chrome off of the trailer hitch of a gas tanker, if ya know what I mean. That said if all you are going to do is tow now and then it won't be to bad. 6,000 miles @ 8 mpg (towing = 750 gallon @ $3.40/gal =$2,550

Ford. They build a better product. Chevy and dodge ain't in the truck market. The v 10 is reliable and very easy to work on. Great proven motor.

I have owned them all and the only one that did great was the fords.
The ford truck have been the best selling truck for over 35 years now. It's this years truck of the year and they are tough as nails.

Ford is the best. Plus they didn't need Obama to survive

No more trailer than that is I would go with a half ton, would be cheaper an better on fuel also

I have a F350 dually with 7.3 powerstroke and I get 19.8 miles to the gallon with the do tuner and age cold air and banks exhaust oh and sun coast tranny 9.3 in an 1/8 mile eat mustangs up at Farmington drag strip

Dp tuner

Ford

I would get the Ford. Not bashing the Dodge by any means but I've heard of right many tranny issues in those year model Dodge trucks.

Steve , I have a 03 Dodge Crew with the Hemi , true there is no gas milage there , maybe 13 around town , 8-9 towing . I have a 8x16 enclosed with cabinets and beds made in and it pulls it fine( with a RZR in the back loaded ) . Personally I like the comfort in a Dodge , it and a Chevy is a big mans truck .... I have only had a few issues with the Dodge that was a front hub , and a sensor that detects the gas cap off ... Motor has given no problems and just turned 110,000 . Plus , the Dodge is just a mean looking truck , it turns heads everywere you go ..... Also , seems like there was a issue with the V10's pre 03 , something in the cams that fails ....

I will follow up with this.........
Read reviews on the net like edmunds.com. Go look at both trucks and u can tell which one u like.
I know I said the stuff above.......every guy loves their brand. Just research some and you can tell if it's a good truck or not.
I am with tracker1 on this. You really don't need all that truck. A silverado 1500, f150, and ram 1500 would do fine. I would strongly consider one of those. Get what you like because it's what you are paying for.

Fords are tough to beat though. :)

Thanks for the input all. I am going to drive them both and see which one I like best. Drove the Dodge tonight, plan on the Ford tomorrow. Personally I like the looks of the Dodge a little better, but there are some compelling reasons for me to lean toward the Ford in my case (one of these being I have essentially a brand new set of tires on the truck I am trying to sell currently that has the same size wheels as the Ford). I can switch the tires, and not loose that $1000 I spent there. :)
Best I can tell, the MPG on both trucks is going to be about the same based on research across several Ford and Dodge forums. Both have pros and cons, I just have to decide which ones are more important.

If they are both automatics and have been used much for towing, I would say plan on a trans rebuild in the near future. The brakes on those years of fords suck really bad, maybe not to much of a problem in states that don't get so much snow. The rear caliper mounts fall off them all the time here, and the rotors warp as soon as you stop one good time. I've heard the v 10 gets 10mpg empty, don't know how hard they run it though. Looks, and quality of the interior goes to the dodge for sure. The Hemi is a great engine, but the auto behind it is trouble.

If one of them has a manual trans, that would be one I would buy.

Ford all the way....

the thing about a diesel truck it needs to run not sit around like you are talking thats just somthing to think about no more than you are pulling or going to drive it a gas engine is the way to go

Well as much as I wanted to like the Ford more than the Dodge, I just couldn't. Granted, it's not all about the interior/exterior look, but for me I just liked the way the Dodge drove and handled a lot better. Having kids, the crew cab is also a plus with kids who will inevitably end up riding along.

I don't care what make it is but I would only buy a Crew Cab period

Agreed Bobby, the Ford supercab was a lot smaller than I bargained. At least now I know.

I agree! Crew cab is a must! Congrats! I'm glad you got what you wanted! That's all that matters buddy!

TBONE21 wrote:

I agree! Crew cab is a must! Congrats! I'm glad you got what you wanted! That's all that matters buddy!

Thanks, but I don't have one yet. Still on the lookout though.... :)

Yep, I say it every day...I wish I had got the double cab Taco, not the extended cab. Good for nothing but putting junk back there.

I really like the looks of the newer dodges. Get 4 full size doors, no matter what truck.

ncgrizz wrote:

TBONE21 wrote:

I agree! Crew cab is a must! Congrats! I'm glad you got what you wanted! That's all that matters buddy!

Thanks, but I don't have one yet. Still on the lookout though.... :)

Well if that's the case then get a ford crew cab!

I have a 2005 Dodge 2500 with the Hemi & a 2010 Ford F-350 with the 6.4 Powerstroke. There are thinks I like about each one.

I like the Dodge for the fact that the windshield wipers will clear a load of snow off of the window where the Ford's will not. My Dodge has the shift on the fly 4X4 where the Ford has the locking hubs. I prefer to put a truck into 4X4 solely from within the truck and not have to get out to lock the hubs. I also love the temp gauge in the Dodge where as the Ford requires my to subscribe to Sirius to get an area temp off of the internet.

As for the Ford, I like the upfitters switches, the built in trailer brake control, nav system (for traveling on person trips only, it sucks for running my route) & the backup camera. I have the Ford for towing my 11,000 lbs toyhauler which the Dodge struggled with in the mountains. Other than that I have not had the Ford long enough to make further comparisons.

Both were required to have 8' beds, quad cabs, fold flat floors under the rear seats, snowplow prep packages.

As for maintence, I have had much work done on the Dodge but in all fairness, it WORKS daily. I plow snow for a living, pulled that toyhauler and run a route. It had 210,000 miles on it and one can't except a truck to work like that on a daily basis without repairs. And yes I had tranny problems right about 120,000 miles.

I would say to go with which has the features you want, the better maintenance records from the previous owner at the price you are willing to pay. You might also want to consider what you might do with it after you get it. I got my Dodge before the toyhauler and it really is too heavy for the Dodge to pull. Once you have the truck, you might consider putting a plow on it for example....

Thanks guys.
@Tbone - I wish I could, but personally the interior of the Fords I have a budget for (no more than $11k) in a 4x4 make want to hurl. :)

@RHarrah - Many thanks for the input. Luckily I am probably safe on the plow part. We pray for snow here just to get to see it. ;)

I am probably shooting myself in the foot here. There are some lower mileage Ram 1500s here with 4x4 and crew cabs. For the weight and relatively few miles I will be putting on the truck per year, they would probably be perfectly fine, however I do like how the 2500/3500 sits up a bit higher.

I did pull my 16 ft with my Tahoe once .... that is why I have the 2500 Steve . The lack of spring pressure to hold up the trailer makes the front of the truck light and makes it dance( Dodges are bad for this ) . A load leveler hitch would help but you adding 500 to the cost of the trailer ( for one with sway control ) and more to hook up in the rain ( yep your gonna get wet hooking all that up ) ... You are probably looking at $1000-1500 in diffence but well worth it in ease of hooking up , drivablity , resale .... If you were pulling a smaller trailer the 1500 would work great , that is just the size you need that larger truck in any brand you choose ...