Traded in the jeep with 180000 mi and upgraded to a 2015 ram tradsmen a couple weeks ago. Today I had a chance to get 3 loads of wood about like this. 1 1/2 load of walnut, and the rest was white elm and locust. I hauled everything before is small trucks toyota s and was use to stacking wood way above the cab, then with the jeep I used a 5x8 trailer and wood get about 1/2-3/4 of a cord per load. These full sized 1500 trucks I learned today dont like to be stacked much above the box. May have to get some suspension helpers for this truck. All and all I like the truck and it was a good day of cutting.
Can't see the wood that well but it is a nice looking truck. Which flavor is it? I have a 2013 Ram 1500 Sport which my wife loves. She is first out in the morning and uses any excuse to take it, "It's snowing" or "It might snow later." or "It might rain." or, my favorite, "It's cold and the truck has the heated steering wheel." Enjoy the new truck... KaptJaq EDIT: Your second post answered my question, enjoy it.
Mine is about the most basic 4x4 tradsmen you can get 5.7 liter,6 speed tranny, carpet floor and seats,cruise,air, and power windows. Still way more stuff than I wanted or need. Never owned a domestic or full sized truck until now.
My last pickup was a 2002 Nissan Frontier 4x4 with a small 6 & a 5 speed. Loved that truck, it went every where I needed to go and hauled whatever I had too. The kids quickly outgrew the back seat so we needed something with room for 5 passengers. It was a 2013 leftover that we bought in early 2014 and has way more gadgets than we were looking for but we got a reasonable price. Enjoy it... KaptJaq
You sound alot like me. I have 2small kids and needed something with more room, and you shop the deals also! Got mine on the march sales event and used my father inlaws employe discount also, he retired out of Chrysler in the 90's.
I have 1 ton 6" lift springs in my 95 f150. Next truck will be an f350. If Ford made a bare bones, manual everything, with a stock transmission pto, rubberized interior, 5.13 gears and dual alternators F-350; I would be in line at the dealership ready to sign the papers. But no, they've turned the work truck into a luxury vehicle...
Looks just like my wife's truck North woods. Same wheels and same colour. She never had a 4X4 before and loves it. I'll have a four wheel drive someday...
White elm is fun to deal with as far as splitting goes, unless you have a wedge and a maul, or a splitter, but pretty good firewood. Burns hotter than anything other than primo hardwood from my experience and usually comes standing dead for a while.
Yea since when can you not get a work truck in a manual shift, why would they not offer it. I wish I could have a manual shift but they seem obsolete in these new trucks. I wanted the rubber floor also but would have had to order it that way and then I couldn't get my rebates if I did. I think it's all about the yuppies now days when they build these pickups. Don't get me wrong these new trucks are nice but like you say they turned work trucks into luxury vehicles. I don't do a lot of serious work with a truck to need much more than a 1500, hauling wood is about the extent of it. The most I pull is a 16ft boat or a small trailer,trips to the lumber yard and stuff like that.
Yeah you should see me load it right now climbing up in the box and stacking each piece of wood gently in place! I got the spray in bed liner also.
I have a fiskars but didn't attempt to split any yet knowing how elm splits. In the garden shed sits a brand new dirty hand tools hydraulic splitter that just needs fluids. I picked that up on Black Friday and plan to get it fired up in the next couple weeks when I find time. Alot of the walnut was knotty and big so I just noodled it enough to get it into hand able pieces, the rest will get split when I get the machine running.
The new 1500 hemi's get pretty good gas milage. I get 15 mpg around town and low 20s on road trips. On long trips, if I keep it around 65, I can get upper 20s, it also runs on 4 cylinders once it gets to speed. But yeah, they have become yuppie commuters. I hate feeling like I have to clean my boots before I get in my truck. KaptJaq
I have a 2004 Ram 1500, getting tired, looking to trade in on a newer Ram. Thanks for the info on the load capacity. Guess I'll be looking at a 2500 or 3500.
You must be able to order it that way, except I've heard that you can't even get a stick shift anymore.
Northwoods, i have had domestic trucks forever and had to "re-spring" one of them. I have always had intentions of adding helpers to the 1/2 tons I've had, but never followed through with it. DO NOT BE LIKE ME! Make sure you get the helpers! Every truck has had the springs weakened by repetitive firewood loads. I try not to drive at night with a load in the truck now, because everyone on the highway flashes their brights at me, due to the sagging springs. I am in the market for a replacement truck and have started to consider dodges. Please keep posting about your experiences with yours.
