$100,000 Chevy and Ford factory pickup offerings

[Dirtman]

But do you really want any idiot with 70 or 80k hooking up to 30,000lb trailer behind a 9000 lb pickup?

Good god no! But its life now... people buy f150s and tow 30 foot boats. First trailer i ever towed was 16,000 pounds. I didnt know how to take turns or brake properly. I'm confident in the 450 now towing what I tow but ill bet any class A cdl driver just out of school would put me in my place.

You can't replace towing capacity with knowledge.

 

[Ranger850]

my point about the fit and finish on the interior was, if they don't do well in the cabin, where we spend 100% of the time in the truck, then they probably do the same elsewhere. Dodge has alway had garbage interiors, and like mentioned above, they are either brand new or ancient.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Back in the 90's if you wanted 20,000 pounds moved it was not an easy endeavor without an actual CDL. Or it was sketchy at best... non cdl trucks these days move what 35k?

I think CDL is required at 26k, they don't really care what the rig is as long as it isn't a camper (a bathroom and bed make all the difference in the world) or farm within so far from the farm.

my point about the fit and finish on the interior was, if they don't do well in the cabin, where we spend 100% of the time in the truck, then they probably do the same elsewhere. Dodge has alway had garbage interiors, and like mentioned above, they are either brand new or ancient.

As long as it doesn't break easily or rattle I really don't care much about the fit and finish youtube reviewers rave about.

"but this isn't soft feel..." Yeah it won't feel like a slimy fish after my sweaty arm touches it, big deal.

My '02 is supposed to be from the dark ages of domestic fit and finish, it hasn't broken/cracked after 17 years 180k and doesn't rattle. Sure the gaps are not all dead nuts even... I don't really care. If they made a semi boring dash and a bulletproof powertrain... I like the way they think.

 

[adsm08]

I've heard of those newer Hemis putting rods through the block under 60K miles.

One guy I talked to about it said his punched through below the bottom of the cylinder, so he slapped a new rod and piston in it, welded a plate over the hole, and kept going.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I've heard of those newer Hemis putting rods through the block under 60K miles.

One guy I talked to about it said his punched through below the bottom of the cylinder, so he slapped a new rod and piston in it, welded a plate over the hole, and kept going.

The new coyotes have some horror stories too.

 

[8thTon]

It's all just a function of cheap and easy credit and a culture of debt. It's about to be 2008 all over again, probably worse, and suddenly people will remember why it's not such a great idea to take on huge debts to get a toy that won't last as long as the payments they can no longer afford.

The reason I'm on this forum is to keep my 15 year old truck running so I can haul stuff for projects on my house. Vehicles are really a shitty investment.

 

[sgtsandman]

Every vehicle maker has it's weak points. Dodge had a bit of a bad reputation with their automatic transmissions and things don't seem to have gotten any better with Daimler or Fiat running the show. To each their own on what they chose to spend their hard earned money on.

 

[don4331]

I think CDL is required at 26k, they don't really care what the rig is as long as it isn't a camper (a bathroom and bed make all the difference in the world)

How the rules were explained to me:

CDL is required at 26k lbs GCWR and/or trailer of 10lbs GVWR.

e.g. Truck of 26k lbs GVWR​

Truck of 21k lbs GVWR + trailer of 5k lbs GVWR = 26k lbs GCWR​

Truck of 9k lbs GVWR + trailer of 10 lbs GVWR = 19k lbs GCWR​

Doesn't matter if truck/trailer is unloaded; if the GVWR/GCWR exceeds those federal limits, you're supposed to have CDL with exempts for farm and campers.*

*Except if you're from Saskatchewan; the flatlanders want you to have a heavy trailer endorsement if you want to tow that camper of 10k lbs or greater out to lake.

And being able to buy more vehicle than you can handle is nothing new - the day after I passed my motorcycle learner written test, I could have bought a litre crotch rocket. And that was some time ago.

 

[snoranger]

How the rules were explained to me:

CDL is required at 26k lbs GCWR and/or trailer of 10lbs GVWR.

e.g. Truck of 26k lbs GVWR​

Truck of 21k lbs GVWR + trailer of 5k lbs GVWR = 26k lbs GCWR​

Truck of 9k lbs GVWR + trailer of 10 lbs GVWR = 19k lbs GCWR​

Doesn't matter if truck/trailer is unloaded; if the GVWR/GCWR exceeds those federal limits, you're supposed to have CDL with exempts for farm and campers.*

*Except if you're from Saskatchewan; the flatlanders want you to have a heavy trailer endorsement if you want to tow that camper of 10k lbs or greater out to lake.

And being able to buy more vehicle than you can handle is nothing new - the day after I passed my motorcycle learner written test, I could have bought a litre crotch rocket. And that was some time ago.

Close, but not exactly...
You need a CDL if:

It's 26,001 lbs gvwr on any single vehicle.

It's 26,001 gcwr IF the trailer is 10,001 or more. (It's non CDL if the truck is 26K and the trailer is 10k.)
The weight ratings on the manufactures tags are what they are supposed to go by. Not what it's registered at, or the stickers someone put on.

Anything labeled HazMat.

Anything designed to carry 16 or more passengers.

The exceptions are: farm, fire dept, military, and RV.

Air brakes... that's a touchy subject. There's no federal law that says you need a CDL to drive an air brake truck, but everyone things there is. Even the police.

I'm one of the 2 CDL instructors in our department . We deal with it all the time. We found its best to just make everyone get their class A.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

but ill bet any class A cdl driver just out of school would put me in my place.

I wouldnt go that far. Most these schools are literally driver mills that just churn out drivers in order to feed the machine. In an industry with a 100%+ turnover rate you need a steady stream.

But what do you expect when you make a guy live on the road and only pay him 40k a year?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I have one. 6.4/6 speed.

Yes. You do have a reason to own one.

The only reasons you'd have to not own one are that you hate cars, or that you hate freedom.

You are an active member on an automotive forum. Therefore, it is obvious that you do not hate cars.




Communist.

Dude you got all the cool shit lol

 

[stmitch]

But what do you expect when you make a guy live on the road and only pay him 40k a year?

Average truck driver salary is like $57k these days:

Truck Driver salary in United States

The average salary for a Truck Driver is $80,818 per year in United States. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most.

www.indeed.com

If you have a good enough driving record, WalMart drivers average almost $90k:

Walmart is hiring hundreds of truck drivers and paying them close to $90,000 a year

The country's truck driver shortage has forced Walmart to increase its annual wages to $87,500 in order to better attract new workers.

www.cnbc.com

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Average truck driver salary is like $57k these days:

Truck Driver salary in United States

The average salary for a Truck Driver is $80,818 per year in United States. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most.

www.indeed.com

If you have a good enough driving record, WalMart is starting people at almost $90k:

Walmart is hiring hundreds of truck drivers and paying them close to $90,000 a year

The country's truck driver shortage has forced Walmart to increase its annual wages to $87,500 in order to better attract new workers.

www.cnbc.com

Yes thats the average. Those are the companies who hire experenced drivers.

My comment was more reffering to the swifts of the world who hire anybody.

As far as wal mart, yep its a good gig, but i like being home everynight.

 

[91stranger]

This is what I see ALL the time. Old people driving 45' class a motorhome with air brakes and no special license to drive it. It's unreal that they are allowed to do that. Most of the ones I see are older people who have slow reaction times, can't read well, can barely walk and yet hope in a 40,000 pound class a and go cross country. I think all drivers should take an engine-breakdown class where they can identify all the major parts/components of an engine and what those parts do. I swear most new drivers can't tell you how to check their own oil let alone the basics of an engine.

 

[OldMan2]

Maybe the camper industry has a strong lobby to influence the vehicle laws....? There is a lot of money in campers and motor homes.