szewczyk_john
Well-known member
In January we purchased a new 2017 3500 Laramie long box dually with Aisin tranny and 4.10 gearing. Yesterday was the first time I was able to use it to tow my trailer and we are all set up outside the paperclip known as Martinsville Speedway enjoying 75 degree sunny weather. This truck worked so much better than anything I could have thought of or things that I have been told by other owners on this forum.
-fuel milage is down from the 5.9 but I still got 9.9 MPG and was pulling up to 70 MPH. New engine only has 2700 miles on it so the engine is not even close to reaching its potential. this will improve.
-the cab on this new truck is amazingly quite and well insulated. very little noise comes into the cab and the alpine speaker system produces awesome sound.
- I used the travel link system to find the lowest priced diesel on the way down and that was slick but the navigation did not function anywhere near as good or as clear as I thought it should. This is the navigation system thru the travel link app and not the normal navigation.
- the rear air bag suspension system worked flawlessly. After hooking up the trailer the bags took air and raised the load. When I hit the alternate trailer height option the bags let air out and the ride was lowered. very neat stuff.
-due to the dually rear end, I had to purchase a step stool to air up the air hitch and so that I could reach the jaws lock of the hitch.
-really like having the wire in the bed of the truck instead of hanging out over the tailgate.
-integrated trailer brake was amazingly easier to set up and use. worked so much better than the Prodigy unit I installed on the old Ram.
-exhaust brake is twice is solid as the one one the 2006 Ram. Amazingly brought truck down in speed while in cruise control and seems just so much more powerful in helping control the entire setup when slowing down.
- I really liked the fact that the options stayed active after shutting down the truck and restarting. The old Ram would disengage the trailer tow/haul mode and you would have to remember to activate it. This truck left the exhaust brake/tow/haul/alternate trailer height so it is one less thing I need to remember to do.
-Long box allows or so much more in the bed but I do miss the old Mega Cab. There was just so much storage space in the cab and I do miss all those storage areas. I have to keep some stuff in the bed and it is harder to get to then just reaching behind the rear seats.
-the dually is just so incredibly solid and stiff. I can not believe the difference between the DRWs and SRWs. I can't believe how much more stable the entire unit feels under all conditions. From dead starts, highway speeds getting passed by semi going 20 MPH faster, slowing down. I is so much better and I am not sure that I can even put it in words to make those doubters understand. Not only does the unit seem easier to drive but I felt better the nI ever did before after almost 8 hours of travel. I was not worried about situations like I would be thinking about them in the old truck. I have said this before and I am sure that I will get negative comments for this posting but opting to get the dually model was the right way to go. I have already admitted that I do not need this big of nor this powerful of a truck for the unit I have. However, the $1200.00 option is money well spent. I use this as a daily driver so this was a very difficult decision for me and I am so **** pleased that I made the one we did. I will gladly give up the MPG and the $1200.00 dollars for the piece of mind I had while I was behind the wheel yesterday. The doubters can make any comment they want to me, I felt safe, in control, and more sturdy then I ever did when I was pulling with the SRW. One photo I snapped after filling up on the way.
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-fuel milage is down from the 5.9 but I still got 9.9 MPG and was pulling up to 70 MPH. New engine only has 2700 miles on it so the engine is not even close to reaching its potential. this will improve.
-the cab on this new truck is amazingly quite and well insulated. very little noise comes into the cab and the alpine speaker system produces awesome sound.
- I used the travel link system to find the lowest priced diesel on the way down and that was slick but the navigation did not function anywhere near as good or as clear as I thought it should. This is the navigation system thru the travel link app and not the normal navigation.
- the rear air bag suspension system worked flawlessly. After hooking up the trailer the bags took air and raised the load. When I hit the alternate trailer height option the bags let air out and the ride was lowered. very neat stuff.
-due to the dually rear end, I had to purchase a step stool to air up the air hitch and so that I could reach the jaws lock of the hitch.
-really like having the wire in the bed of the truck instead of hanging out over the tailgate.
-integrated trailer brake was amazingly easier to set up and use. worked so much better than the Prodigy unit I installed on the old Ram.
-exhaust brake is twice is solid as the one one the 2006 Ram. Amazingly brought truck down in speed while in cruise control and seems just so much more powerful in helping control the entire setup when slowing down.
- I really liked the fact that the options stayed active after shutting down the truck and restarting. The old Ram would disengage the trailer tow/haul mode and you would have to remember to activate it. This truck left the exhaust brake/tow/haul/alternate trailer height so it is one less thing I need to remember to do.
-Long box allows or so much more in the bed but I do miss the old Mega Cab. There was just so much storage space in the cab and I do miss all those storage areas. I have to keep some stuff in the bed and it is harder to get to then just reaching behind the rear seats.
-the dually is just so incredibly solid and stiff. I can not believe the difference between the DRWs and SRWs. I can't believe how much more stable the entire unit feels under all conditions. From dead starts, highway speeds getting passed by semi going 20 MPH faster, slowing down. I is so much better and I am not sure that I can even put it in words to make those doubters understand. Not only does the unit seem easier to drive but I felt better the nI ever did before after almost 8 hours of travel. I was not worried about situations like I would be thinking about them in the old truck. I have said this before and I am sure that I will get negative comments for this posting but opting to get the dually model was the right way to go. I have already admitted that I do not need this big of nor this powerful of a truck for the unit I have. However, the $1200.00 option is money well spent. I use this as a daily driver so this was a very difficult decision for me and I am so **** pleased that I made the one we did. I will gladly give up the MPG and the $1200.00 dollars for the piece of mind I had while I was behind the wheel yesterday. The doubters can make any comment they want to me, I felt safe, in control, and more sturdy then I ever did when I was pulling with the SRW. One photo I snapped after filling up on the way.
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