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Potential buyer. What to beware of.

LaxDfns15

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What exactly are you looking for in the tow package? My truck, that doesn't have the tow package, has everything the tow package does except the mirrors. I wanted the power folding, and if I tow something requiring the extra visibility I can buy cheapo Amazon extenders. You can get the Class 4 hitch and trailer brake controller separately.

As others have said, if you properly set it up towing 7-8k pounds is easy with the Hemi and 3.92.
 

slatersan

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Hello chat, new member here.
I’m actively testing out Rams in the Charlotte area and wanted some insider scoop on what to look out for.

I currently drive a 2018 Expedition and we have a very active chat forum over at expeditionforum.com. One of the great things I’ve gotten out of that chat forum is the support from other owners sharing problems/solutions they’ve encountered.

I love my Expy, but I’m looking for a long term relationship 😂 And the cam phaser issue with some Ecoboost motors is not something I feel comfortable gambling with.

I went from an F150 to the Expy and didn’t think I would miss the truck bed that much.
I was wrong. 😁
So that’s how I ended up looking for a Ram.

I would love to hear some thoughts on what to avoid when looking to buy a new Ram. Ideally I’d like to find a used ‘20 or ‘21. Must have 4x4 and tow package.

Thanks and cheers 👍


Lack of inventory and ridiculous price of used trucks. Watch out for that.
 

Idahoktm

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Agreed. This is undoubtedly the worst time I can remember in decades to purchase a car, new or used.
If you don't NEED to buy a car now, I personally wouldn't. Better to sink a few hundred into your existing ride to keep it going for another year.
I disagree on the purchase of a new vehicle. There are still a lot of dealers willing to discount new trucks. I know guys that wait around for perfect timing to buy a new vehicle and that day never happens.
 

slatersan

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Discounts this time last year for well equipped and in-stock trucks...18-20% off MSRP was commonplace and attainable with a little effort. Now? Heh.
 

UnloosedChewtoy

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Discounts this time last year for well equipped and in-stock trucks...18-20% off MSRP was commonplace and attainable with a little effort. Now? Heh.

I partly disagree. 18%-20% in certain areas with a lot of good competition, sure, maybe. But in my area, for example, 10%-12% was good. To get better would have required travelling 6+ hours.

That being said, I do agree it was easier to find more money off brand new. Most dealers in my area are offering 4%-6% off right now on some of their inventory. A lot of it is for sale at MSRP.
 

BluegrassMotorsport

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Maybe I'm a little more pessimistic than you guys are, but I think this "pandemic" and ensuing "crisis" are changing things in a more permanent way. I don't think things will ever be the same as they were before. I'm not disagreeing with you about this being a bad time to buy a vehicle. I'm just not sure when we'll be seeing a good time in the foreseeable future.
I don't think you're pessimistic - I think it's realistic. At first I figured prices would come back down when inventories built back up. But many of the manufacturers are shifting more toward customer orders and less toward dealer inventory. If that continues, there won't be big inventory to discount at month-end or year-end. I'd say discounts like the ones found at Mark Dodge are about as good as it's going to get in the foreseeable future.

OP: I've been researching the same things here for a couple of months. These seem like great trucks aside of a few gremlins like the rear window leaks and less-than-impressive gas mileage (but hey, it's a truck). The ride quality is certainly better than the competition.
 

IvoryHemi

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I disagree on the purchase of a new vehicle. There are still a lot of dealers willing to discount new trucks. I know guys that wait around for perfect timing to buy a new vehicle and that day never happens.
Yes some dealers are discounting the same % as pre-chip shortage.

yet the reduced manufacturers incentives and MSRP price increases are still driving up overall transaction prices
 

Idahoktm

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Yes some dealers are discounting the same % as pre-chip shortage.

yet the reduced manufacturers incentives and MSRP price increases are still driving up overall transaction prices
Yep, some of the incentives were gone by the time I bought my truck, but I didn't lose any sleep over it. There are still good deals to be had but if a couple grand worth of incentives are a deal breaker for you, then you'll probably have to wait a while.
 

NukeLife205

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Be careful about the "tow package" on the earlier models, as this strips you of quite a few options (no power tow mirrors, no surround-view cameras, etc.). You could equip a Ram with everything in the tow package (e.g. trailer brake controller) and keep all of the other benefits if you avoided the trailer-tow group on the pre-'21 models. I *believe* this was fixed with upgraded tow mirrors in 2021 models. I was fortunate to find out about this before ordering my '19 in May 2018.
Good information. Thank you!
 

NukeLife205

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What exactly are you looking for in the tow package? My truck, that doesn't have the tow package, has everything the tow package does except the mirrors. I wanted the power folding, and if I tow something requiring the extra visibility I can buy cheapo Amazon extenders. You can get the Class 4 hitch and trailer brake controller separately.

As others have said, if you properly set it up towing 7-8k pounds is easy with the Hemi and 3.92.
Primarily, the appropriate rear end gearing and a transmission oil cooler are the most important to me.

My Expedition’s tow package includes a larger radiator, the transmission oil cooler, 3.73 rear with 2speed 4x4 transfer case and locking rear diff, and the brake controller with Pro Trailer backup control knob / cameras.

And yes the backup control knob is for girls…😂 but I have to say, it works REALLY well. lol
 

NukeLife205

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Lots of good thoughts and contributions so far guys. Thank you for the replies.
And as far as the timing goes, yeah, I’m pretty flexible so I can afford to wait until the right one comes along, but I’m in the same camp of those who are looking at our current screwed up world as not changing significantly anytime soon. Unfortunately. 🤷‍♂️
 

slatersan

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I partly disagree. 18%-20% in certain areas with a lot of good competition, sure, maybe. But in my area, for example, 10%-12% was good. To get better would have required travelling 6+ hours.

That being said, I do agree it was easier to find more money off brand new. Most dealers in my area are offering 4%-6% off right now on some of their inventory. A lot of it is for sale at MSRP.

The deals were there, you just chose not to drive for them. You proved my point by saying that 10-12% off was good near you, now youre seeing 4-6% or MSRP.
 
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IvoryHemi

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Primarily, the appropriate rear end gearing and a transmission oil cooler are the most important to me.

My Expedition’s tow package includes a larger radiator, the transmission oil cooler, 3.73 rear with 2speed 4x4 transfer case and locking rear diff, and the brake controller with Pro Trailer backup control knob / cameras.

Transmission cooler is standard equipment. The 3.92 rear end is an individual $95 option

Since you’ll be towing i’d also highly recommend the 33-gallon fuel tank, brake controller and 4-corner air suspension.

Unlike your Expedition’s tow package, Ram’s Trailer Tow Group doesn’t add any towing ability


  • Trailer Brake-Controller
  • Trailer Light Check
  • Trailer Reverse Steering Control
  • Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System
 

UnloosedChewtoy

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The deals were there, you just chose not to drive for them. You proved my point by saying that 10-12% off was good near you, now youre seeing 4-6% or MSRP.

You said "commonplace" and "attainable with little effort." Can you please explain to me how a 6+ hour drive or a couple hour plane ride is "little effort" and how it "proved your point"? I think you and I have different definitions for a couple of those phrases.

Maybe its just the long day at work that has given me a bad attitude.
 

slatersan

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You said "commonplace" and "attainable with little effort." Can you please explain to me how a 6+ hour drive or a couple hour plane ride is "little effort" and how it "proved your point"? I think you and I have different definitions for a couple of those phrases.

Maybe its just the long day at work that has given me a bad attitude.


I said 'a little effort' not 'little effort.' Subtle difference that makes a big impact in the meaning. A 6 hour drive to save an additional 6-8% on a 50-75K truck seems worthwhile to me. It took a little effort. I did 10+ round trip and saved 8% (5k) more than I could locally. I don't often make or save 5k in a day, so that effort paled in comparison to the savings for me and my family.

Your words proved my point that deals are tougher now than last year ("Now? Meh." )when you said last year near you 10-12% was good, yet now dealers at at 4-6% or at MSRP.
 

NukeLife205

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Transmission cooler is standard equipment. The 3.92 rear end is an individual $95 option

Since you’ll be towing i’d also highly recommend the 33-gallon fuel tank, brake controller and 4-corner air suspension.

Unlike your Expedition’s tow package, Ram’s Trailer Tow Group doesn’t add any towing ability


  • Trailer Brake-Controller
  • Trailer Light Check
  • Trailer Reverse Steering Control
  • Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System
All good info. Thank you!
 

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