Hey guys, I need some help deciding on a new truck.  The truck I have now is great but it doesnt really fit my needs.  I got the truck because my dad sold it to me for cheap and I didnt have much money at the time and I needed a truck for work.  I work construction and I tow about a 7000 pound trailer around a few times a week and carry alot of stuff around in the bed and my truck works great for that but I need more interior room.  My trucks a regular cab and it works fine for work but on the weekends  and after work I need more room for people hauling.  My little brother comes and stays with me and my girlfriend alot when my parents are out of town, and it gets pretty cramped in my truck with all three of us in there.  I also want to do some upgrades to give my truck more power, but at 320,000 miles I dont want to put alot of money into something that might not last to much longer.  So i decided im going to buy a new truck and I need some help deciding what to get.  Im trying to decide primarily between a Dodge 2500 or an F-250.  Im not a big fan of the duramax.  I dont want to spend more than 15000 or 16000 but I need something thats reliable, gets good gas mileage, and can work when I need it to.  Just from my experience I know that the Cummins are very reliable but Ive also heard some good things about the Powerstrokes.  Im not going to turn this truck into a hotrod but I would like to be able to leave tailgaters in a big cloud of black smoke when I feel like it.  I also plan on upgrading whatever I get to either 33s or 35s and I love to go off roading.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  

as far as people hauling the ford will have the best amount of interior room. the dodge crew cab is just a little bigger than a  ford ext. cab. and you can get some good power out of a psd. however it wont come by as cheap and easy as it would with the cummins. the 99-01 7.3 is the better years for that engine, it had a lot stronger internals, and can handle more hp with out getting into the engine. and 05+ is ok to go with a 6.0 but id be very learry of an 03 04 6.0 a lot of people have had big problems with them. and some have had absolutley no probs its hit and miss. but seeing what price range you were wanting to stay in youd probly be better of with a 7.3 anyway. hope that helps with a rundown on the fords. as ive never owned a dodge ill let someone who nows more about them break that down for ya. good luck  

Thanks 06powerstroke Im leanin torwards a Ford because I like the stylin better than the dodges and gms and I like the interior and Ive heard there pretty good for towing but how are they with mpg? I dont want to buy a new truck and find im only getin 14mpg  

when i had my 2000 f-250 on the interstate it would range from 17 - 20 just depending on how fast i was driving and that was on 35's without a programmer everything pretty much bone stock except leveling kit. and it towed good as well. the main problem with the 7.3's is the cps and its a cheap and easy fix.  

cps?  

cps..cam position sensor..the 7.3 had some issues with this sensor, but they have revised it and the problems of the past are that, in the past.  As for fuel economy, all the brand new trucks are terrible because of the new DPF, active regeneration and all the other pollution garbage the tree huggers have made the OEs install. Stick to an older 7.3 or an 05-07 6.0.  As for the Dodge, they really got it right with the 5.9 Cummins, the problems you will have will be with the rest of the truck...transmission, brakes, hub bearings and ball joints.  Dodge is the only company I know that employs 3, yes 3 wheel anti lock brakes. How accurate is and ABS system reading both rear wheels and 1 front? What the hell were they thinking?!? As for the Duramax, Chevy finally has a decent product in the engine, but the rest of the truck is worse than the Dodge(Allison trans being the exception), and parts pricing and availability for anything for a Dmax is ridiculous!   I know many will disagree on this site, but as an owner of a diesel shop and towing/recovery company  I have learned things the hard way$$$$.  Ford is my only option because the whole truck is just built to withstand more  abuse.  This may sound like a biased opinion, but I have owned them all and learned the hard way. My opinion is based on what I had to spend to keep the trucks up and running. Dollar for dollar and mile for mile the Fords have always cost me less and lasted longer. No matter what you buy, you are buying at the right time.  With fuel prices being so high you can steal a full size truck!!! Good Luck  

Ok thanx smokenblack any dodge guys want to chime in?  

Well im a dodge guy but if you are going to be towing constently i would go with the 7.3 ford. They seem to get the best mileage towing and like some one else said they have the most cab room too.  

Unbiased opinion? I think that's a contradiction in terms. I don't know if you'll get an "ubiased" opinion on here, but you'll get some informed and experienced ones.    

I just dont want somebody to tell me to get something because in their opinion it is the "best".  I just want to know what the best choice would be to fit my needs  

keep running what you like and works best for you. i like my LBZ but my nipples still drip when i see a nice cummins!!!! drive a bunch of trucks a bunch of times. take your time. wish i would of!!!  

If you really, surley aren't going to go nuts on it I think a 7.3 would work, just remember it takes major cash to get big power out of them.  What about buying a lower mileage 4dr version of what you have now?  

i like the 7.3 fords alot have one in the family but i also like my dodge truck and its hard to beat the cummins. the 4 door ford has more interior room than my 4 door dodge. the breaks on the ford feel like they are a ten year older design 97 vs 03 the turning radius on the fords kinda sux but both are good trucks.I have always liked cummins best. i wouldnt buy brand new. a bunch of newer used diesels are for sale in my area and prices dropping every day with rising fuel  

so have you gotten any prospects on anther truck yet????  

Hello I drive a 2004 Dodge Cummins quad cab in the avatar to the left. Honestly Im really not trying to Discriminate or Brag. Im A Dodge guy by choice, My truck back when it was totally stock except 35 inch tires on it, pulled a 26 ft tongue pulled trailer that weighed 5K and a 18,000lb backhoe 45 miles to the job site no problem, the gas mileage wasnt horrible but wasnt decent either. It averaged about 10-11 while towing it, but doing that for a few months tore the transmission up. So I decided not to do that any more, the cummins is great for pulling but i can honestly say when someone gets in that back seat, all they do is complain about how there is no room and the seats stick straight up, and how uncomfortable it is. Its all about personal preference really. Hope this helps.