Hello everyone, I am new. I would like to buy a Dodge Cummins Ram 3500 but I only want to use it to pull a fiver I am also buying, and that will not be during the winter, and only a little in the spring and fall, and a lot in the summer. People have mentioned that it is not good for it to sit idle during these long periods, but one of your members said there are things I can do to keep it "healthy" while idle. Could those of you with experience please advise me? I am afraid to buy the truck until I know I can use it sporadically and keep it healthy. I want to use my little 16-year-old Toyota for normal city driving (a lot easier to drive and park, and better gas mileage). I also wonder if any of you have ideas about insuring for liability (not comprehensive which should be always) only when I use it. My insurance company won't do that.

Thanks for your help, Eileen

Wow. Where to begin. First let me say you may decide it is way more fun to drive the diesel than the little Toyota, maybe not in the city but you will love it out on the open road. Are you buying new or used, Automatic or standard? There are a lot of things to consider before buying a fifth wheel. If you are considering a larger trailer you may want to go with the standard trans so you don't need to add upgrades to the automatic. I towed a 36' triple slide and had to get an exhaust brake and an ATS transmission modification to keep the trans locked up so I wouldn't keep going through brakes. I have a 99 2500 with air bags on the back to help with the weight. I think fuel is more stable now than in the past but you will probably still want to take it out for a spin once a month or so during the winter. A good source for more info is the Turbo Diesel Register web sight. For Dodge diesel owners. I have a motor home with an 8.3 cummins in it and only take it out around 4 to 6 times a year, and have had no problems. Its good to get it up to operating temp though to make sure it burns the contamenants out of the oil. There is alot to know before choosing the right truck for your paticular needs. You will find a lot of great people who will love to help you discover all the potential your truck will have. Any more questions we would love to help. Betty aka DieselLady.

Thanks so much for your lengthy reply, Betty. I feel comforted that you only take your motorhome out 4-6 times per year. I'm not sure what else to ask right now. Perhaps it would be good to know about additives to help keep the fuel OK when it is sitting. I do know it is big enough for the fifth wheel.

Thanks again, Eileen

Hi again Eileen,
The most important thing to do your homework on is the transmission. A friend here just bought a new 04.5 2500 and he is a hunter. He goes out with a toy hauler 5th wheel and does quite a few hills. On his first trip he went up a windy mountain road in the summer and his trans temp light came on. There is no doubt that the truck is big enough to handle almost 5th wheel you pick. But if you choose an automatic trans you will have to do some modifications to it if you will be pulling hills. Dodge does not warrenty the automatic if you use an exhaust brake and if you are coming down long steep hills you will NEED an E BRAKE. If you are buying a used truck alot of them already have the mods to the automatic trans. Once you get the trans all bullet proofed you will have no problem going where ever you want. Ask your dealer what the deal is with the automatic. They usually get real tight lipped because they know it is a problem. They have no answer for my friend now that he has the truck and is experiencing the temp problems. What happens is the clutches inside unlock when you take your foot off the gas and don't lock up at all in second and first gear. ( this is sort of like riding the clutch in a standard shift. It slips the clutches and creates heat. ) eventually the torque converter will fail which won't be a problem if you are still under warrenty but I doubt you will be if you are only using it a couple times a year. Food for thought. Nothing worse than spending lots of money and still worrying about your truck when you tow. P.S. Ford and chevy have the same problems. The engines just put out so much power that the automatics can't keep up. Aftermarket transmissions are pretty much indestructable. I still think Cummins is the best choice as the engine reaches an AVERAGE rebuild life at 400 k miles. Keep us posted on what you decide. Betty

Wow Betty, that's kind of scary. What am I supposed to do to bulletproof the transmission? I am not a "car person." I'm glad you told me about this. It is REALLY hard to find used diesels like that, and I was going to try to get a new one (with a friend's employee discount). What would I actually need to do to it? I have to factor that money in too.

Thanks again for your help, Eileen

Well don't panic yet. With your friend discount you will probably still save more than you will spend to do the trans. Check out www.atsdiesel.com and for around $2500.00 to $3000.00 you can bullett proof the trans. Remember you will have the dealer warranty for the first 36 months and 36K miles. I would not recommend buying the extended warrenty because you will not need it for the engine. Cummins already warranties the engine for 100K so you are wasting your money on the extended warranty. Even if you pull some radical hills and totally thrash your trans you will be covered. Than save your pennies and plan to go to ATS for a new "Torque Converter" and "Valve Body" . this will take your where ever you want to go for a long long time. Most of these guys that are using thier trucks for sled pulling are using ATS or Suncoast. I have the ATS and prefer it for Technical reasons and for thier service. They are located in the Denver area and ship all over the U.S. and have dealers all over that they can send you to. Then if you want to top things off you can add a Transmission Lock up device and an Exhaust Brake. this will help you to slow down on long steep hills so you don't ware your brakes as fast.
I know this all sounds very complicated but don't let it intimidate you. You will not find a gas truck that will be as dependable and have nearly the power or fuel economy as a diesel. And since I own a Dodge it would of course be my favorite. To give you an idea. I did the above mentioned things to my truck plus I chipped the engine to give it bunches more power and did a full set of gauges ( that would be 5 gauges not 3) and did it for right at $5000.00. But I have to pull the Grapevine here in Calif just about anytime I go anywhere,(Very long and Steep) or if I go to Vegas I have to do Baker grade, another long and steep one. Before I was doing them both arout 35 mph in 3rd gear (I have an automatic.) Now I do them easy at 55 in 3rd, and Baker grade is more like 65 in overdrive with plenty left to spare. You will enjoy your truck, Just know that the trans is the weak link and with a little knowledge you will be able to make the truck much better than the factory. By the way. What state do you live in. Is it flat or the Rockies??? Oh and don't worry about picking our brains about anything you want to know. In here everyone is totally addicted to diesels and we LOVE to talk about them. The guys at ATS are great to talk to too. They will help you alot if you need to call them with questions. Ask for Clint or Matt, or Mike. they are great and don't make you feel like your asking a dumb question.
If you buy a Dodge, you should join the TDR. There is probably a TDR group already in your area. You will meet a bunch of great people who will love to help with questions. Let us know when you get your truck. Happy Thanks giving. Betty

Eileen, the Allison is bullet-proof from the factory, there is NO reason you need to do anything to it unless you plan on putting some serious horsepower mods on the engine.
It is the best automatic there is on the market. IMHO

Stabil is your best friend. It stabalizes the diesel when your not using it. Diesel spoils. Well so does gas but diesel does it faster.

Id recommend jacking it up and putting it on stands so your tires dont go square. Stabil and jackstands should be all you need. Start it once a month to charge the batteries or put a battery minder on it.

The manual is better for towing heavy objects. I wouldnt worry about upgrading the auto unless you have problems. Dodge covers it now to 70k miles. Autos waste hp and create excess heat. The dodge 6 speed manual is a very stout unit.

When a diesel is idling the timming is retarded and this is what's bad for diesels. Most new ones have an automatic fast idle setting that will ingage after sitting for a short while. If not, they can probably be programed for fast idle or you could have one installed.