In preparation of going full time this year, I’m in the market for a new RAM 3500, crew cab, 8’ bed, 4x4, dually with the Cummins, Aisin transmission, 5^th wheel prep, etc. in either a Big Horn, Lone Star or Laramie. I don’t mind traveling out of state (Colorado) as long as it is a good deal and not too far. Does anyone have any dealer recommendations?

Thanks

Mike

We've got a beautiful root bear brown/gold one we picked up for a steal last year.  We traveled form CA to IL to get it!  Great people, did the whole deal over the phone and e-mail.  Crazy!  Douglas Dodge in Clinton, Ill. 

Kev and Vi....this is off topic but I just looked at your website name...We Must Getaway....Love it!!!!!! Us too....The "For Sale" sign went up last night!!!!! Can't wait to join you because we need to get away too!!!!

Count me in for next spring. At $60,000+ for a diesel dually I want to have at least 1/3 down, more if possible, thus my time frame.

3500 Laramie Longhorn, crew cab, 4x4, 8' box, diesel dually, aisen tranny, 4.10 rear, dual alternator, etc., prairie pearl/white gold(?).

Dave Smith and Dennis Dilloin in Idaho. Bought my 11 at DS. AutoNation in Seattle killed DS on trade in so I bought my 15 RAM Dually LongHorn Crew from them.

i.imgur.com/OsKHq66l.jpg">

I'm going to look at a 2015 big horn, $51,500 I'm in for fleet price if i can get it.

I'm coming to this rodeo a tad late but....

Any of ya'll Veterans? If so, join USAA - their truck buying service is a no-haggle $300 over TRUE invoice deal. Sweet! You go into their car/truck buying service, deck your truck out like YOU like and USAA gives you the TrueCar price and a list of dealers close to you (you define close). Go to the dealer and, of course the dealer cannot find a truck with your options (our dealer said the closest match was over 2K miles away) sooooo, they have to honor the price and factory build it for you! Dealer says our truck would be delivered in 6-8 weeks. We are going over this weekend or next to pull the trigger

3500 Western Brown-Pearl two-tone Longhorn Laramie, Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed dually with the Cummings-Asin powertrain. Every option except the snow plow

Question though....would the fleet sales "group purchase" be even better? I'm willing to bet that our dealer (Champion in Decatur AL) would be willing to broker...and I would be interested if we had to choose a more central dealership to accommodate all the forum members! I have a couple weeks before we put our order in so let's all speak up!

"3500 Western Brown-Pearl two-tone Longhorn Laramie, Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed dually with the Cummings-Asin powertrain. Every option except the snow plow"

I would advise against the cargo camera because it places the backup camera in the rear view instead of the Nav. The cargo viewing is not good enough in my opinion to hook up with.

I would advise to go with the rear air ride, I really like mine.

I would advise to go with the 4:10's.

This is is mine with rear air. Just over 5K sitting on the truck in pic. Will look like that up to the rear axle rating.

i.imgur.com/eZVTXfOl.jpg">

-- Edited by Cummins12V98 on Wednesday 10th of June 2015 07:07:51 PM

Cummins12V98 wrote:

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"3500 Western Brown-Pearl two-tone Longhorn Laramie, Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed dually with the Cummings-Asin powertrain. Every option except the snow plow"

I would advise against the cargo camera because it places the backup camera in the rear view instead of the Nav. The cargo viewing is not good enough in my opinion to hook up with.

I would advise to go with the rear air ride, I really like mine.

I would advise to go with the 4:10's.

This is is mine with rear air. Just over 5K sitting on the truck in pic. Will look like that up to the rear axle rating."

Thanks for the advise Cummins!

That's disappointing to hear about cargo camera :( I was really counting on it as a hitching solution...what would you recommend?

Air ride was a definite add on our build as well. We are also opting for the 3 additional switches for any other components we add aftermarket.

4:10 noted. What type of mileage are you getting? Towing? Not towing?

Love the Bike mod on your kingpin! Our Cardinal comes with a Class 2 Hitch...but still, tell me about your mod so I can pass it on to others in our RV club who are struggling without the factory hitch!

 

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OK folks so let's accessorize!!

Opinions and comments on these two items:

The "Fuelbox" a flush mounting (i.e., can use a Tonneau) toolbox + 70 Gal Aux Fuel Tank

http://www.thefuelbox.com/products/fuelbox-ftc70/

and I saw this on a friends truck and wonder if it would act as a tailgate replacement?

http://www.pickupspecialties.com/toolboxes/Unique/5th_wheel_fifth_wheel_tool_boxes_unique.html

Can't decide if the V-Box 5th Wheel tool box with lids or the Goosneck toolbox would be best.

My thinking is the box with lids would be completely inaccessible when hooked up & the gooseneck box would let you access all the compartments even when hooked up.

Finally...would you STILL want to have a tailgate with the 5th wheel toolbox? I would imagine that the only reason would be so your backup camera would still function.

If tailgate, anyone have experience with this one?

http://www.huskyliners.com/Aluminum-5th-Wheel-Tailgate

Thoughts? Opinions?

HSVBamaBob wrote:

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Cummins12V98 wrote:

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"3500 Western Brown-Pearl two-tone Longhorn Laramie, Crew Cab 4x4 Long Bed dually with the Cummings-Asin powertrain. Every option except the snow plow"

I would advise against the cargo camera because it places the backup camera in the rear view instead of the Nav. The cargo viewing is not good enough in my opinion to hook up with.

I would advise to go with the rear air ride, I really like mine.

I would advise to go with the 4:10's.

This is is mine with rear air. Just over 5K sitting on the truck in pic. Will look like that up to the rear axle rating."

Thanks for the advise Cummins!

That's disappointing to hear about cargo camera :( I was really counting on it as a hitching solution...what would you recommend?

Air ride was a definite add on our build as well. We are also opting for the 3 additional switches for any other components we add aftermarket.

4:10 noted. What type of mileage are you getting? Towing? Not towing?

Love the Bike mod on your kingpin! Our Cardinal comes with a Class 2 Hitch...but still, tell me about your mod so I can pass it on to others in our RV club who are struggling without the factory hitch!

 

I would advise against the toolbox at the back of the truck.  My Dad had one and he sold it saying it was hard to get into when hitched.Leave the factory tailgate.  You don't want to be without the backup camera!

 

I am getting just under 14 with city/freeway.  I can see at 70 freeway I would get 16 and at 60 18mpg.  I have not towed enough with it to know towing mileage.

 

Unfortunately I can't use my bike rack hitch I made on our new 39TKSB3 MS because the front of the rV overhangs the kingpin now.

 

Swagman XTC2 I believe was the rack.

 

 

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I had a vee box and liked the convenience of having my tool box at the back of the bed. It is very easy to hook up the fifth wheel, but if you have a fuel tank in front of the hitch and the tool box behind it, you will have almost no place to store anything in the bed. 

When I bought my new truck I put a tool box on top of the L-shaped fuel tank and freed up the bed for storage.

Question then - we are getting the 8' bed - will this have the same problems?

Oh and question - do you *really* need a tailgate with a V Box? (other than for back-up camera perhaps?)

HSVBamaBob wrote:

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Question then - we are getting the 8' bed - will this have the same problems?

 

Oh and question - do you *really* need a tailgate with a V Box? (other than for back-up camera perhaps?)

-- Edited by HSVBamaBob on Saturday 13th of June 2015 07:16:50 PM

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 My opinion is get a BIG bed height tool box for the front and leave your tailgate alone.

For us at least, the truck is a means to pull the 5er (A Forest River Cardinal 3450RL). It won't be a "working" truck, so having storage space for the items I would rather not have in the basement is an attractive option.

I did some measurements and with the 8' bed and the fuelbox + tailgate toolbox installed there will be just over 4' of "cargo" space with the hitch removed. Ya'll are correct though - with the hitch installed it will either be store it in the toolboxes or someplace else

Since I really want my Traeger Tailgater grill to tag along on the long trips I am rethinking the tailgate toolbox.

Now...next question: Anybody here use the Husky 5th wheel tailgate? It's got a feature where you can transfer your OEM tailgate camera to the Husky - that sounds like the best of both worlds! Anyone have any experience with this?

Cummings - you were right about the Bed camera. I went to our Dodge dealer this weekend and had the chance to test drive a 3500 Dually with the bed camera in it. You are absolutely right that having your backup camera transferred to the rearview mirror makes it almost worthless!

Here's my solution: Ditch the factory installed cargo camera and instead buy the optional wireless camera for our Garmin RV760GPS. Mount the camera above the bed light and wire it in. Then, whenever I put the truck in reverse the Garmin will be the bed camera and I will still have my tailgate camera on the Truck's 8" display - best of both worlds!

I am probably different from others, but I don't really see much of an advantage to the "V" type tailgates.  The one exception is to have the expanded metal that would allow air to flow through and "maybe" save some fuel.  In our case, I'm 69 years old and the tailgate on my F450 has the "man-step" that comes out and has a handle that raises that allows me a lot easier access to getting into the bed of the truck.  I'll never give up that step.

As for hooking up, I also use G-O-A-L (Get Out And Look) philosophy when performing that duty.  Even when I drove 18-wheelers, I double checked my fifth wheel connections before moving the truck.  I also did a pull test (with the front landing gear close to fully extended.

Terry