orange150
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2005
- Location
- Fairfax City, VA
Thought y’all might find this interesting.
A fleet managers take on truck brands
- Thread starter orange150
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
The fawking Toyota guy doesn't know what he's talking about.
Dodge hasn't made a truck in years.
EugeneTheTJ
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2010
- Location
- North Carolina
I generally agree with these conclusions. Ram and Toyota ftw
rcalexander105
JV Wheeler
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2017
- Location
- High Point
I can get w/ you on the yota stuff, but when the first bullet of your "Pros" section starts off with "pretty decent..." that should be your sign
It DID say Offroad and for a fleet truck, that’s probably pretty rare.I can get w/ you on the yota stuff, but when the first bullet of your "Pros" section starts off with "pretty decent..." that should be your sign
My F150 3.5 EB was a rental fleet truck. I’m had zero problems and when I have to sell it in 9k miles, I’ll probably try to find another one. Probably a zero % chance of that right now.
shelby27604
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2013
- Location
- Efland NC
This list feels like it was written regarding a fleet of gas powered, mid 90's to early 2000 trucks.....
After owning a half a dozen IFS GM trucks.....I am actually not impressed with the way any of them drive compared to a solid axle Ram....but to each his own.
After owning a half a dozen IFS GM trucks.....I am actually not impressed with the way any of them drive compared to a solid axle Ram....but to each his own.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Location
- Stanley, NC
I've owned a couple IFS GM trucks also, and I like the way they ride, but I agree, I don't like the way they drive. Too floaty.
My experience after nearly 20 years of driving company trucks:
2003 F-150 XLT 4.6 2wd SuperCab Short Bed - About 90k worth of driving
Vault quiet inside, very comfortable, underpowered and over-geared (3.08s). Could beat the snot out of it and never really needed anything other than normal maintenance. Great fuel mileage, couldn't tow worth a damn. Very good handling when moderately loaded.
2004 F-250 XLT 5.4 2wd SuperCab Short Bed - About 10k worth of driving
Seats felt like fabric covered plywood (mind you I am a small person), steering very vauge, engine made a lot of noise but didn't really get anywhere, would tow a house but not very quickly, felt cheap inside and not "substantial". Poor fuel mileage, needed only normal maintenance. If the front tires were even a tiny bit unbalanced this thing would get death wobble. I hated this truck and it soured my thoughts on Super Duties forever more.
2006 Dodge 2500 ST 5.7 2wd Quad Cab Long Bed - 164k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
Seats were cloth but TERRIBLE for the first six months, just would not break in then all the sudden they were great. This truck had more than 40k worth of towing miles on it. Only repair items were a rear axle seal somewhere above 110k, the parking brake release handle (my fault), and the ignition switch would cut the engine off once in a blue moon from a huge bump in the road (had a heavy key ring). It never felt powerful (3.73s and the 325Hp version of the engine) but easily towed everything I threw at it up to the max GCWR of 15k. Good fuel mileage (up to 16 highway) and could easily keep up with traffic. This was my favorite truck of this group here.
2010 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 2wd Crew Cab Long Bed - 127k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
Very comfortable interior. Front suspension too stiff, rear suspension too soft. Towing without weight distribution always bobbed the chassis. This vehicle was a maintenance nightmare. Wheel bearings, alternator, power steering box, air conditioner, front brakes. Vehicle was hard on tires. Deep 1st gear in the 6L85 (4:1) was awesome for pulling off the line. The G80 locking rear actually worked when it needed to and got me around in lots of snow.
2014 Chevrolet 1500 WT2 5.3 2wd Double Cab Short Bed - 146k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
More comfortable than the previous 3/4 tons above, powertrain screamed (3.42s and 355Hp), would pull harder than all the above vehicles with a load. Half-ton chassis with P-metric tires did not impress for towing stability or brakes but with weight distribution it never let me down. The transmission started taking a dump around 130k because the mesh media filter started to clog up and reduce line pressure so the torque converter clutch was not working right and other things started going wrong. Mind you the dealer did the transmission service. This vehicle was also a maintenance headache with multiple air conditioning issues, multiple sets of front brakes, lots of tires, a few random check engine lights, blown catalytic converters around 90k. Great fuel mileage early in life (18-20mpg), dropped to about 16-17 later. Always smoked the tires. Chassis would sway and bob with cornering. This was my second favorite truck here.
2016 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 4wd Crew Cab Short Bed - About 30k worth of driving
Same interior as above 1500 but better sound deadening with the LT so the interior was quieter. Suspension similar to the 2010, too stiff up front, rear was a little better. Towed well, strong brakes. Fuel mileage was deplorable (12mpg) with 3.73s. During the time I had this vehicle it saw very little for repairs, just normal maintenance. It really needed two front wheel bearings by about 100k they just did not get replaced.
2015 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 4wd Double Cab Short Bed - About 2k worth of driving
Same interior as above 2500. Suspension similar to the 2016 but choppy due to the short wheelbase. Towed well, strong brakes. Fuel mileage was deplorable (11mpg) with 4.10s. During the time I had this vehicle it saw very little for repairs, just normal maintenance. Felt REALLY SLOW and ponderous as it was geared too low.
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Other trucks:
2001 Nissan Frontier SE-V6 3.3 2wd King Cab - Same one I wheel, but before I wheeled/axle swapped it. Ordered it brand new, picked it up the day it was delivered to the dealer. 75k on it now.
I love this truck. I still love this truck, 21 years later. The interior was comfortable, if a bit small (now). Vehicle felt powerful (but really wasn't). Great on fuel when stock (up to 24mpg highway). Towing capacity with the 5 speed was low (3500#) but it towed my 21' ski boat around if it had to. Had an 02 sensor crap out early, other than that it just needed normal maintenance (until I started taking it wheeling). Shares parts with a lot of earlier Nissan trucks so repairs are reasonable if necessary. After I converted it to factory-style 4wd and put a locker and other items in it I beat the ever living crap out it and if never left me in the woods. Never. Even with broken motor mounts, broken CVs, and other items it always came out of the woods under its own power.
2019 Chevrolet Colorado LT 3.6 4wd Crew Cab Short Bed - Rental for four weeks, multiple work and highway trips.
Surprisingly quick. Auto 4x4 worked well in the wet weather. The "bed" was a laughable vestigial appendage that was so tiny I filled it on a dump run. The interior was comfortable, fairly quiet. Very good on fuel (23mpg highway)
2012 Ram 2500HD SLT 5.7 4wd Crew Cab Long Bed - My "new" tow rig, owned five months now with a few thousand miles on it.
A bit tall climbing into. Suspension rides like a Conestoga wagon even with the tire pressure reduced to a reasonable number. Steering is vague and requires some regular correction on backroads (no, nothing is loose!). Brakes are strong but not awesome. Transmission needs a deeper first gear as it is a little slow off the line (has 3.73s) but once it is moving it will hustle (has the 383Hp 5.7 HEMI). The cab is HUGE and cavernous, feels must more spacious than that last Chevrolet 2016 2500HD Crew Cab work truck I had. Reasonably quiet interior. Surprisingly complicated vehicle electronics but the vehicle is also surprisingly easy to work on. Lots of panels and parts are easily removed with a screw or two and lots of clips/snaps. Tows well with weight distribution and feels very stable. Shares parts with a long line of Ram trucks so repairs are fairly inexpensive and parts are easy to obtain. I like it, not sure I love it yet, but glad I did not buy a GM or a Ford.
2003 F-150 XLT 4.6 2wd SuperCab Short Bed - About 90k worth of driving
Vault quiet inside, very comfortable, underpowered and over-geared (3.08s). Could beat the snot out of it and never really needed anything other than normal maintenance. Great fuel mileage, couldn't tow worth a damn. Very good handling when moderately loaded.
2004 F-250 XLT 5.4 2wd SuperCab Short Bed - About 10k worth of driving
Seats felt like fabric covered plywood (mind you I am a small person), steering very vauge, engine made a lot of noise but didn't really get anywhere, would tow a house but not very quickly, felt cheap inside and not "substantial". Poor fuel mileage, needed only normal maintenance. If the front tires were even a tiny bit unbalanced this thing would get death wobble. I hated this truck and it soured my thoughts on Super Duties forever more.
2006 Dodge 2500 ST 5.7 2wd Quad Cab Long Bed - 164k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
Seats were cloth but TERRIBLE for the first six months, just would not break in then all the sudden they were great. This truck had more than 40k worth of towing miles on it. Only repair items were a rear axle seal somewhere above 110k, the parking brake release handle (my fault), and the ignition switch would cut the engine off once in a blue moon from a huge bump in the road (had a heavy key ring). It never felt powerful (3.73s and the 325Hp version of the engine) but easily towed everything I threw at it up to the max GCWR of 15k. Good fuel mileage (up to 16 highway) and could easily keep up with traffic. This was my favorite truck of this group here.
2010 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 2wd Crew Cab Long Bed - 127k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
Very comfortable interior. Front suspension too stiff, rear suspension too soft. Towing without weight distribution always bobbed the chassis. This vehicle was a maintenance nightmare. Wheel bearings, alternator, power steering box, air conditioner, front brakes. Vehicle was hard on tires. Deep 1st gear in the 6L85 (4:1) was awesome for pulling off the line. The G80 locking rear actually worked when it needed to and got me around in lots of snow.
2014 Chevrolet 1500 WT2 5.3 2wd Double Cab Short Bed - 146k of driving (had this "cradle to grave")
More comfortable than the previous 3/4 tons above, powertrain screamed (3.42s and 355Hp), would pull harder than all the above vehicles with a load. Half-ton chassis with P-metric tires did not impress for towing stability or brakes but with weight distribution it never let me down. The transmission started taking a dump around 130k because the mesh media filter started to clog up and reduce line pressure so the torque converter clutch was not working right and other things started going wrong. Mind you the dealer did the transmission service. This vehicle was also a maintenance headache with multiple air conditioning issues, multiple sets of front brakes, lots of tires, a few random check engine lights, blown catalytic converters around 90k. Great fuel mileage early in life (18-20mpg), dropped to about 16-17 later. Always smoked the tires. Chassis would sway and bob with cornering. This was my second favorite truck here.
2016 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 4wd Crew Cab Short Bed - About 30k worth of driving
Same interior as above 1500 but better sound deadening with the LT so the interior was quieter. Suspension similar to the 2010, too stiff up front, rear was a little better. Towed well, strong brakes. Fuel mileage was deplorable (12mpg) with 3.73s. During the time I had this vehicle it saw very little for repairs, just normal maintenance. It really needed two front wheel bearings by about 100k they just did not get replaced.
2015 Chevrolet 2500HD LT 6.0 4wd Double Cab Short Bed - About 2k worth of driving
Same interior as above 2500. Suspension similar to the 2016 but choppy due to the short wheelbase. Towed well, strong brakes. Fuel mileage was deplorable (11mpg) with 4.10s. During the time I had this vehicle it saw very little for repairs, just normal maintenance. Felt REALLY SLOW and ponderous as it was geared too low.
-----
Other trucks:
2001 Nissan Frontier SE-V6 3.3 2wd King Cab - Same one I wheel, but before I wheeled/axle swapped it. Ordered it brand new, picked it up the day it was delivered to the dealer. 75k on it now.
I love this truck. I still love this truck, 21 years later. The interior was comfortable, if a bit small (now). Vehicle felt powerful (but really wasn't). Great on fuel when stock (up to 24mpg highway). Towing capacity with the 5 speed was low (3500#) but it towed my 21' ski boat around if it had to. Had an 02 sensor crap out early, other than that it just needed normal maintenance (until I started taking it wheeling). Shares parts with a lot of earlier Nissan trucks so repairs are reasonable if necessary. After I converted it to factory-style 4wd and put a locker and other items in it I beat the ever living crap out it and if never left me in the woods. Never. Even with broken motor mounts, broken CVs, and other items it always came out of the woods under its own power.
2019 Chevrolet Colorado LT 3.6 4wd Crew Cab Short Bed - Rental for four weeks, multiple work and highway trips.
Surprisingly quick. Auto 4x4 worked well in the wet weather. The "bed" was a laughable vestigial appendage that was so tiny I filled it on a dump run. The interior was comfortable, fairly quiet. Very good on fuel (23mpg highway)
2012 Ram 2500HD SLT 5.7 4wd Crew Cab Long Bed - My "new" tow rig, owned five months now with a few thousand miles on it.
A bit tall climbing into. Suspension rides like a Conestoga wagon even with the tire pressure reduced to a reasonable number. Steering is vague and requires some regular correction on backroads (no, nothing is loose!). Brakes are strong but not awesome. Transmission needs a deeper first gear as it is a little slow off the line (has 3.73s) but once it is moving it will hustle (has the 383Hp 5.7 HEMI). The cab is HUGE and cavernous, feels must more spacious than that last Chevrolet 2016 2500HD Crew Cab work truck I had. Reasonably quiet interior. Surprisingly complicated vehicle electronics but the vehicle is also surprisingly easy to work on. Lots of panels and parts are easily removed with a screw or two and lots of clips/snaps. Tows well with weight distribution and feels very stable. Shares parts with a long line of Ram trucks so repairs are fairly inexpensive and parts are easy to obtain. I like it, not sure I love it yet, but glad I did not buy a GM or a Ford.
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