Hemi Ram

[GottaJet]

I just wanted to get some opinions/experiences on Dodge trucks the hemi in paticular. Good? Bad? Ugly? Thanks GJ

[Kilrtoy]

Looks cool, but no first hand knowledge

[Tom Brown]

I second that, Kilr. They look way better than the Ford.

[Moneypitt]

Ask Gary, (e ticket). He has a new 1 ton with the hemi. It certainly runs well, and tows like a dream. The 4 wheel drive came in handy at the Parker race last weekend as well. If you contact him, ask him about the long lost lumbar support in the drivers seat................Probably 10-12 I-40 trips already, no complaints, and it really has "that" sound...............Moneypitt

[vdrivenman]

we HAD a 2003 3/4 ton heavy duty. in the flat country of se Texas it did ok, but in the hills and mountains with a load a POS.
powerband is too narrow, shifted way too much. after a trip to sturgis & yellowstone the trans & rearend were toast. plus 8-9 mpg empty or loaded . they Dodge bought it back from us. we went back to the 1-ton cummins. the ONLY truck to own. we had one proir to the 3/4 and since wifey pays the note she wanted to trade. after 2 hours behind the wheel fighting the hemi, she traded as soon as we got home !
spend the funds on a diesel !
we have 2004 wi th H/O cummins, great truck !

[Mandelon]

One of the guys at work has a 2004 1500, 4 door with the Hemi. It seems to haul ass just fine when he drives me around. He's towed our equipment trailer around without complaint.
It would definitely tow your new boat without a problem. You would feel it on the hills, but I bet it could keep 55 without a problem coming back over the fwy 8 grade.
I can arrange a test tow if you need.
-->Man (sure is being nice lately ;) ) <--delon

[NOTALENT]

I love the Hemi but I would watch out..They have a huge recall on there engines right now. they had such a high demand they started to build them to quick and messed up alot of the engines. Not sure what exactly but I would get with ur dealer and check on it..

[dmontzsta]

I think they look nice and seem to be a good truck.
But I am sick of all the stupid owners playing in to the hype and thinking they are race cars. I run in to about 3 per day that want to race me on the way to or from work, I love beating them down and putting them back in their place.
Good truck, but some owners are just dumb by it.

[ratso]

Originally posted by Tom Brown
I second that, Kilr. They look way better than the Ford.
ROTFLMAO!:D

[Outnumbered]

The Rams are nice trucks but stay away from the Hemi. The tranny is the weak link. The Cummins is way better and has the beefy tranny. We have near 20K on ours and its still tight and has no problems. We had a 2004 Ford Exploder as a rental recently with only 5k on the clock. It had more rattles and was way looser than our 2003 Dodge. The build quality has come a long way in the last few years since they were merged with Daimler (AKA MBZ).
Get the Diesel.
OL

[DoubleDown]

Well, Here is my 2 cents on the Dodge trucks. My story is... I've been driving my parents' 2003 Dodge Ram Quadcab 1500 with the HEMI for the last 8 months. The truck is fully loaded and I loved it. It's interior is quiet, the stock exhaust sounds beefy on the outside. I had zero problems with the truck, It was fast, rides really smooth and I couldnt have been happier... So I thought. My parents decided to give the new ram to my 16 year old brother. That was a major downer to me. Ive always had trucks and now i was going to have to get something else. Well, long story short, I went in for an oil change on the HEMI the weekend after they told me the bad news. Well... I didnt leave with the HEMI. My dad came to pick up the HEMI from the dealership and I left with my 2004 Dodge Ram Quadcab 2500 with the new HO Cummins Diesel. I am much happier with this truck than the HEMI. Essentially theyre the same truck, I got this one fully loaded too. But, the diesel has way more power, gets better gas mileage, and can tow pretty much anything with a hitch. Now, for the books, both trucks have the 4:10 gear ratio in the back. The Diesel is much heavier obviously and it pulls harder than the HEMI does. Unfortunately, gas prices are now higher for diesel, but, the diesel seems to get 15+ miles a gallon no matter how i drive it. The HEMI got 10-12. Now, it all depends on what you need the truck for, however, Dodge outdid their HEMI with the Diesel. I am very impressed and very happy with it. If youre in southern california, I recommend Tuttle Click Dodge in Irvine. We bought both trucks from them and had great experiences both times, Talk to the sales manager Marcello. My neighbor has the 2500 with the HEMI and he gets under 10 miles a gallon with it. It's the 1500 with less power and performance. All i'm saying is, if you get a 1500 with a HEMI, you'll love the truck. If you get a 2500 GET THE NEW HO DIESEL. You can't go wrong. OK, so that was more like 10 cents. But, good luck and if you have any questions, just ask.
DD
:D

[superdave013]

I have a Dodge hemi 1/2 ton and I like it.
It's snappy and fun to drive. I've towed with it a few times and it does ok. I'm pretty jadded as the 496 in my surban (when it runs) has way way more pulling power.
But when paired up next to each other empty the dodge will kick it's ass.
I drove the dodge over the Grapevine today empty. It scoots right up it both ways @ 85+ no problem.
They are nice trucks. Love the inside of the cab, the storage under the back seat is nice and the fold down cargo deal under the back seat slick too. The bed is nice and deep. And the rack and pinion steering is kick ass!
Mine gets around 10MPG around town. It will do a little better if I baby it (that will never happen).
I got mine from McPeek's in Anaheim.

[dankirk]

I've had my 2004 1500 Ram Quad-Cab with the HEMI since December. I've put about 4000 miles on it. This is the first Dodge that I've owned, after a long line of Chevy's. I love this truck. It sounds, runs, and looks alot better than the other trucks, IMHO. It is just fun to drive.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/617DSC01056-med.JPG
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/617DSC01062-med.JPG
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/617DSC01188-med.JPG

[GottaJet]

Thanks Guys I think you might have me convinced..The wife however will be a little tougher and unfortunately that's my job;) GJ

[6 balls]

I've had my '04 1500 Hemi since November. It's also my first Dodge and am pretty happy with it. I have put on 12,000 miles without any problems yet.
As you can see, the truck will not see much in the way of towing, as we usually tow the toys with the motorhome.
Lowered 2/4 with Hotchkis kit, this truck handles like a sports car (well... maybe a big sports car)!
Doug
http://members.cox.net/dla/images/dlaram0.jpg
http://members.cox.net/dla/images/dlaram1.jpg

[6 balls]

Oh yea, Without babying it I average 15 mpg city and have gotten up to 19 on the highway.

[gnarley]

Originally posted by 6 balls
Oh yea, Without babying it I average 15 mpg city and have gotten up to 19 on the highway.
And what's the rated tow capacity on that?

[6 balls]

Originally posted by gnarley
And what's the rated tow capacity on that?
Dodge say's 9,200 lbs :eek: