Salutations my 6.7 Brethren! I have a friend, currently a Ford 7.3 owner ('01), who is going to buy a new truck. Her Husband owns a pre-DEF 6.7 Dodge and she has driven and liked it, however she really has blue blood and asked me to help her decide which of the two she should buy. I'm hoping some of you did a comparison of the latest Dodge vs. the Ford you likely ended up buying and can help me out with some of the current pros and cons between the two. I'd appreciate it if we could avoid the Dodge haters jumping on this thread , unless they have some objective relevant input -- please?

The basics: she will order the truck to get exactly what she wants (for example she wants a supercab), but the rest is: L/B F350 SRW 4x4, the highest optioned model available (Platinum?). She has a fairly light slide-in camper and a 3 horse trailer. GM is not even a consideration, btw.

Right off the bat, I know Dodge doesn't have anything close to the basic configuration since it dumped the quad cab, so she would have to settle for a crewcab Dodge. She likes the auto's manual shifting, tow haul and Jake Brake options the Dodge has, I don't know what the latest Ford has. She also would like the 4x4 to be automatic -- is there a feature like this in the new SDs? (Like Auto 4wd?)

Lastly: does anyone know of a way to get an X-plan PIN? She might qualify on her own (retired telephone co. employee), we're not sure yet.

Thanks in advance -- I'm betting it won't take too much convincing, I think Ford still has the most customizable factory order truck out there...

 

Most of the options she is looking for are addressed on the second addition 6.7 being released on the 2015 model year, x-plan are based by company sponsored generic names won't cross, which telephone company. There's a list on Diesel stop site.
best of luck.

 

You cant get a super cab kr, so I'm gonna bet the same with platinum. Crew cab only, just a thought...

 

With the latest Dodges (er Ram) they finally have upgraded their suspension components. How durable remains to be seen.

Ford will give the better payload though 1 ton vs 1 ton.

A 3/4 ton in the Ram should not even be a consideration as they went to the coil springs in the rear now.

 

As far as getting a X plan pin you have to enter your social security number and if you qualify you will get a pin. I did this back in Oct. when I got my 2013 F 150.

 

I would say the only way to make a determination is the drive them both. I would not rule out 2500s unless the payload number don't work. Word on the street is the new coil suspension not only is capable, but far more comfortable than the old leaf springs. New isn't always better.... but often new is better.

The new DEF system in the RAM should yield similar fuel economy as the Ford. As well, the 3500 (in the spring will have 1 spring leaf and air suspension as an option) has the option for the Asin tranny which is a true medium duty piece of hardware (I would say equal or better than the Ford tranny).

JMO, the Ram interior is very nice, but there is no super cab. She will have the crew or the mega. That might be an issue for her.

I have not driven the RAM so I couldn't say which I'd rather have. I do know the Ford 6.7 truck has been very reliable and enjoyable. It is tough to trade reliability for an unknown of the RAM. That being said, I don't consider any Ford after the 7.3 to be reliable, so everyone can change if given the right motivation.

She has a tough choice ahead of her.

 

I drove both, and ended up with a RAM. However, they were very close. I'll list out pros and cons that my wife and I identified while looking between the two.

Ford Pros:
Very dialed-in ride.
Very nice interior (King Ranch)
Hot Rod like power
Very smooth shifting transmission
Electronic Gauge Set
Sync system superior to Uconnect in my experience
Has long set the bar for chassis durability
Large aftermarket for upgrades
Tow mirrors are better!
Diesel engine is extremely quiet
FTE community is pretty great (RAM community seems a little less tolerant of newbies and such)
Fully manual gear shifting and lockout

Ford Cons:
Still c-channeled frame from cab back (not an issue to some, but I believe there is merit in a very stiff frame)
Visibility made me feel like I was more in an armored car. Windows were a bit small for my taste
Pull handles are not as durably mounted as on the RAM
Gauge set was not as easy to navigate as the RAM
Complexity of the Scorpion diesel setup should it ever require heavy servicing out of warranty (I plan to keep my truck quite a while)
Not a really powerful exhaust brake (To be fixed in 2015 rollout)

RAM Pros:
Heavily upgraded suspension (pretty much an homage to Ford's front suspension setup)
Cummins ISB and good accessibility to do almost all maintenance/repairs on it. DEF system really made this an easier motor to deal with
Free access to Cummins quickserve for a private ride showing how to service just about everything on the engine.
Fully boxed frame end to end, steel now matches Ford's 50kpsi steel
Heavily upgraded interior (Bighorn in my case)
Better visibility from the driver's seat
Heavily upgraded cooling system (2 engine radiators, 2 transmission coolers, oil cooler, power steering cooler, really huge air-air intercooler)
Cooling system is still far simpler than Ford's
Aisin AS69RC transmission, pretty much indestructible
2 backup cameras, 1 on the tailgate, and another in the cargo lamp for gooseneck and 5th wheel hitching
Can order factory supplemental air suspension (3500) or factory rear air suspension (2500) to replace the coils
Larger electronic gauge setup with easier to navigate options/features (at least for me)
A functional DEF gauge
Has gear lockout
Really Awesome Exhaust Brake
Cummins Rattle

RAM Cons:
New Chassis setup has a pretty small aftermarket since it's only been around really for half a year.
Less Power than the Ford
Legendary RAM Tow mirrors (I just don't like the tilt mechanism as much as the power scope setup)
68RFE transmission had some weird shifting patterns (did an update to fix this on my truck so it's shifting the way I like)
Uconnect 8.4 system is known to have freezing issues (thank goodness I own the 5.0 series)
CD player is not standard LOL, it's an add-on option
chassis fuel filter is in a pain in the *** location to get to, but well protected so it's give or take
Currently RAM fuel filters cost more than Ford fuel filter kit.
Does not have manual trans shifting
Cummins Rattle

What made my wife and I pick the RAM over the Ford were namely my familiarity with the Cummins ISB motor and free access to servicing manuals from the engine manufacturer. She also preferred the interior of the RAM over the Ford. Funny thing is, she preferred my F-150's interior over the RAM, but I needed something bigger with more payload capacity.

 

I spent 5 months researching both Ford and Ram on forums such as this one before deciding to buy. After all of that research, I decided that my options were: Buy a 2014 Ford, Buy a 2015 Ram, or wait until 2016 and see what things look like then.

My reasons:
2014 Ford over Ram due to Ford having worked out the majority of the bugs in the emissions systems, whereas Ram is having lots of issues at this point with sensors, etc as the first few years of Ford and GM with the SCR.
2015 Ram over Ford due to the introduction of a new turbo and fuel system for Ford. I do not want a first year major mechanical design change from any manufacturer.
2016 wait and see because by then, hopefully both manufactures will have stabilized their designs a bit and reliability will have been proven. Then, it is a matter of whos features I like best, and what complaints I read in the forums. To me, the best way to get an unbiased opinion about anything, is to read about it in a forum. If two guys are standing around the coffee pot talking about their rides, neither one will ever have an issue with what they own, because theirs is the best, and everything else is inferior. Get him on a forum though, and suddenly he has issues that make him question his decision to buy.

Things that I didn't like about the Ram included the front drive axle disconnect (which separates the axles from each other to eliminate dry pavement binding, but still spins the spider gears, front drive shaft, u-joints, etc. costing fuel mileage and potential long term reliability issues), the tow mirrors irritate me for some reason, the capless fuel filler system (doesn't seem to work as well for Ram Diesels as it does for Ford gassers), and the new SCR system reliability issues for now.
Pros for the Ram for me were Cummins and Aisin.
After all was said and done, for me, the Ford won out. It was a much tighter race than what I thought it would be. Ford did not clobber Ram as I thought they would. It wouldn't take much for Ram to win me over. I have always preferred Ford products, but if I'm expected to pay $60k for a truck, I want the best - regardless of brand. I work hard for my money and don't want to throw it away because of brand loyalty. All manufactures seem to show us more each day that loyalty is a one way street. You can be loyal to them, but they will not return the favor. (Again, an opinion based on what I've read on forums for both brands - I have thankfully never had an opportunity to prove it right.)

Good luck with your (her) hunt. Surf the forums and get unbiased opinions.

 

Holy Mohly -- you guys are Awesome! Jus2shy: it is great to see you still hanging around, and some very unbiased feedback, and also from EO2SeaBee (well really from all of you )

So the upgrade to the Aisin and air spring option on the Dodge is out now? Or does she wait 'til spring to see both new models (assume that it's this spring for the next round of Ford upgrades?).

You guys really are terrific. I would have blindly told her to go Ford and don't look back. But I think she does need to check out the new versions of both trucks now. And here I thought it was the end when Fiat gained control of Chrysler.

These days you maybe just have to put your money with who's makin' the right product and let the chips fall where they may... Competition should be a good thing...

I appreciate ALL the feedback and if there's more, keep it comin'!

And I do plan on trolling some other forums: EO2SeaBee any recommendations for Dodge ones you found helpful?

 

Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum

This is one of the ones I was using. As with FTE, it is broken down into generations, so you can select between SCR and non-SCR versions, but they discuss all problems rather than just Cummins issues.

 

I also remembered one more pro/con that I didn't add on my original post. Ford allows a person to have full manual control of their transmission or just lockout the top gears. RAM only allows you to lock out the top gears (no manual shifting). However, RAM currently has the best exhaust brake on the market, and it has some serious retardation when it comes on at a lower gear. If you have patience though, the 2015 Ford will have a new exhaust brake setup. Seems like they're going with a larger, more conventional turbo that can handle exhaust braking duty, along with more power and torque.

Also, for the newest 2013+ RAM, I check out Cumminsforum. It's a tougher forum and it seems like the guys there aren't as forgiving to newbies. But they do seem to have one of the most active forums in regards to the newest trucks. I also check out turbo diesel register as well, but it isn't as active with the newest generation of RAMs. I find FTE a much better forum when it comes to getting help and issues resolved without getting ribbed too hard . I also still like Fords, it isn't like I ever hated Fords... GM's and Tundras are another matter though .

 

"Lastly: does anyone know of a way to get an X-plan PIN? She might qualify on her own (retired telephone co. employee), we're not sure yet."

I got X-Plan from my dealer without a PIN just by asking. When first discussing numbers for a deal, he initially asked if my employer was an X-plan partner, to which I replied that they were not, then I suggested that perhaps he or one of his associates could give me a PIN that they weren't planning to use. He said he would check on that - which I assumed meant "don't hold your breath". Within a few minutes, he came back with an offer on a deal which included X-plan with no PIN, and saved me $$$ over the system they usually use, which is "True Price". Your dealer can offer you whatever they are motivated to offer.

 

website:

https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/login.do

Looking to see if I can determine if she is qualified.

Check this link out:
http://xplanfamily.com/

 

Diesel Dan... go ahead and recommend a 05 Duramax!

I would recommend going for a test drive in each truck since the power band on the Powerstroke vs. the Cummins is very different. I test drove some '13 RAM's earlier this year and the Cummins 6.7 power felt like my old 6.0 Powerstroke, where as the 6.7 Powerstroke feels much stronger.

In addition I would avoid the 68RE tranny in the RAM like the plague. I believe you have to go with a 3500 RAM to get the Aisin. The RAM's also seem to have CEL issues in both the '13 and '14 MY.

 

"In addition I would avoid the 68RE tranny in the RAM like the plague. I believe you have to go with a 3500 RAM to get the Aisin."

That was one of the things that I read repeatedly in the Cummins forum. They have also experienced rough shifting of the Aisin though much like the first few years of our trannys.

"The RAM's also seem to have CEL issues in both the '13 and '14 MY."

Which is why I said if I decided to go Ram, it would have have to have been a 2015. The emissions system is kicking their butts. Maybe by '15, they will have it figured out. They are experiencing the same growing pains now, that they used to make fun of Ford and GM for having with the SCR type system.