After all the great advise I got from so many of you PP members, I thought I would show you what I finally settled on.

It is Dodge 3500 with the new H.O. Cummins diesel. This one has all the bells and whistles, more than I wanted even, but it was on the lot and the price was right.

I do think the absolute best price you can find is at Dave Smith. I took the Dave Smith quote to the Bellevue Dodge dealer and they immediately came down to waaaay less than they had been offering.

Anyway, here's my new baby.

Ya gotta love 600lbs of torque.

The Rhino lining and the camper are coming, dunno bout the winch. I thought I would try not to drive it into anything the 4 wheel drive and 600 lbs of torque wont get me out of.

sweeeeet...... truck Dave

Very nice truck.Aunty M is right.Needs a warn Winch.You get that thing stuck and the tow bill will be about the same price as a winch.I dont know many people with 4x4 that cant resist giving it a good try out.It is hard to get something that pretty,muddy the first time though.

Congatulations on 1 fine looking new truck!!!

Looks just like mine. Except mines graphite. You won't be dissappointed.

Congrats
Kris

so, where did you finally get it and how much?
Im interested to know if dave smith was it or they came down to your level in the local area?

Very nice truck!

FishDoctro;

I got it at Bellevue Dodge. I paid $35,600, which was about $1,000 under invoice. It has all the bells and whistles, including leather seats, towing package, automatic, power everything. I could have gotten a similar package from Dave Smith for about $500 less. I just didn't want to make the trip for that price diffrence.

Nice truck Dave, I came up next to one of those new dodges at a light the other day, and boy was it quiet. I am sure you are going to enjoy it, and don't worry about the winch, if you happen to get stuck.....just call and I'll come pull you out with my Ford...JK...LOL.

Steve

Rino liner good, camper good, winch bad, no need spending money for something you don't need, let the other guy's buy there own winch (jk) nice truck have a 98 24valve not the ho but i like every thing it's done for me sofar

That sure is a nice big truck Dave.

You sure know how to make Georgie some money with the great mileage (for the fuel companies) that you'll be getting.

How many miles per year are you planning to be driving it?

It's not all that important that you follow an estimated plan cause for sure you'll be deserving of your own seat at the next Kyoto Protocol Convention.

Beautiful truck Dave!

Begs the question: Which came first, the truck or the boat to pull behind it?

600 lbs. of torque will get you un-stuck from some pretty bad places...the thing to watch with that long wheelbase is narrow dirt roads with no decent turn-around spot...that's a true 40 acre rig!

Mike

Well said Dave

Amazing how some people think you have to justify what you do. I wonder if he is as hard on himself as he is on others.Probably just another hipocrite,

Dave you owe no one an aoplogy or even an explanation. That is a nice truck with an efficient and quiet, yet powerful engine. Like I told a holier than thou guy at the Costco gas station when he asked how much fuel my Suburban took: I said 45 gallons...AND the boat behind it takes 150 gallons..now if I could tow this boat with that little Honda I would but it won't so I don't.

SWEEEET.

SWEEEET.

Congrats.
No more worries about being able to move a 9' slide-in camper! And it seems like it's QUIET enough.., compared to the other one you looked at.
Good luck with the new rig.

J.D.

Right on Dave, good response, and once again beautiful truck! I just can't believe some of the guys on this board.

Steve

Nice looking Truck. Not to poo poo the topic too much, but does it tork everyone else off as much as me that as soon as you leave the lot with your new truck you have to go drop close to a $1,000 on new tires.

A logging road will turn those tires into 4 flats faster than a big native steelhead can turn and head back upriver on you.

Keep listening to us Dave,And will turn that $35,000 truck into a $45,000 truck real fast.But then,what are friends for.

Bulls eye Plunker. I declare game, set and match for Plunker.

Cowlitzfisherman

WOW, thats a dream truck. I guess I should start writting books too, wait, I don't know anything about fishing, CRAP!

Sweet Truck Now you need a 4-6" Lift; with some Trxus Mud Terrain tires and a warn 12,000 ....Ross

Nice wheels Dave.

Let the monkeys fling their poop.......it's only landing on them.

Is Dan right

nice ride Dave!! Just remember that with all that torqe and power it just gets you farther from a pay phone when you have to call someone with a FORD to come pull you out!!
As far as some of the other comments, well there are some folks if you gave them a million dollars in a suit case they would complain it was to heavy to carry to the bank. They can't fathom an opinion that is not their own.

Wow, Dave.....that's a keeper!! It's got to be exciting to hop in a new rig like that! Congratulations!

Dave How does the room in the back seat compare to a ford or chevy? The back door looks small; maybe is just the picture. That is still an awesome truck in my book ......Ross

You should have gone to Dave Smith and also enjoyed a night of 'Wallace' entertainment.
Some friends at WSU used to go there a couple times a year.

Well, maybe you and Plunk oughta get in your Priuses and do a protest drive in opposition to his capitalist-pig overindulgence.

Fling away, my primate friend.

PS: I flushed the same load TWICE today......you guys aern't gonna get mad about that, too, are you?

That must have been quite the load Dan.

Who woulda thunk you had it in ya!

Super nice truck!!! From an ex-mechanics point of view (used to be one then I broke my back) after the break in period drive it like you slammed your hand in the door, cummins seem to like heavy feet. Maybe you should bring it over to my house with your boat say about 5 a.m. (don't forget your fishing gear) so I can inspect it and we can see how well it backs a boat down the ramp then pulls the empty trailer back up. Then after a long day fishing we will see how well it pulls the boat back up the ramp. This is a must do test and will probably soon be factory recommended.

Gee plunker who [Bleeeeep!] in your oatmeal? If we all drove Hondas then gas prices would be at 3.00 dollars a gallon sounds like to me grandapa your doing more than your part in keeping the highways going, Mike with 600# of torque that truck will turn around anywhere if any thing gets in his way run over the top of it, I guess that was a little more than my .02 worth oh well

Cool! Are those stock running lights on the roof?

Plunker ??? a Ford 150 with 6 cyl that gets 50 % better milage ??? Did it hurt when your brain got cut out???

The Cummins one ton will give up 20mpg...50% better than that would be 30mpg....Not likely on any full sized pickup...Nonetheless it is amazing how just about any topic on this board ends up in personal attacking....

Plunker can take it.. I suspect his skin is pretty thick. If your gonna make a dumb statement like that, what would you expect ??? Guy buys a new truck and gets hammered on about what ????

Nice truck Dave. I would proudly ride with you to your nameske river!!

Now there's a definate advantage to working at home and fishing waters nearby. I can't even remember the last time I put under 20,000 miles in a year on a pickup.

If you continue at that rate, your diesel is going to last you forever.

is that thing got a hemi? SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!
i prefer the ford f-350 tho

Nice truck Dave! What color are they gonna paint it? :p OBTW, did it come with "Flash Friday" mud flaps?

Beezer

I am just now reading this thread.

Wow, Plunker, your initial post was rude, but this follow-up "apology" is a real dandy.

It's this kind of BS that can cause people to get so disgusted that they will leave a BB for good.

Hopefully, Mr. Vedder will recognize your comments for what they are: malicious, unbased, childish insults. It would be a shame for PP to lose D.V.!

And why is it you guys end your hateful posts with "peace"?

Just plunk one in Dave.

First of all let me congratulate you Dave on a fine piece of machinery. My fishing buddy just purchase the one ton dually with the cummins diesel... Verry Nicce...

Second of all... I just thought I would throw this out for no particular reason...

The EPA is currently imposing strict environmental standards on motorcyle emmisions, tier one to go into effect in 2006... and tier 2 in 2010...

Talk about going after the source of the real polluters out there... It makes me laugh! fortunately we dont have to retro fit the older bikes...

I can still pollute the air and the ears with a clear conscience!!!!

If it was me I would go with Line-X. IMO I think it holds up better than Rhino lining.....Ross

When I was at the sportsman's show last week, the last thing on my mind was a truck bed liner.

Then I saw the booth for ArmorThane bed liner for $295. It's 1/4" thick on the bed and 1/8" thick on the sides. They say it's guaranteed for life and that they will repair any damage even if from abuse.

The outfit that applies it is in Marysville. They sprayed over 1800 truck beds in '02.

I think that I'm going to go for it. Since I always haul a canopy, I'll get the tops of the side rails partially covered (included in price).

I know of people that have had bad luck with the slide-in plastic liners. They tend to rub the paint off the bed and trap moisture beneath. When you remove the liner years later, you discover you have been growing a rust garden underneath.

4salt, the object of a bed liner with a camper is too have it "not" slide. I have a linex in my current truck and before that it was Rhino lined. I plan on buying a rubber mat to place under the camper on top of the bedliner to prevent the sliding of my camper. I have read some RV forums and they all recommend this.

Dave some airbags are recommended also, but not necessary if you have the overloads.
The list goes on and on when adding accesories to our trucks doesn't it.

Steve

Hmmm, If my camper didn't slide, I'da had a helluva time loading it by myself. It seems like the rough surface of a spray-in liner would have chewed the wood bottom of my camper pretty good?

Oh well, sorry for giving you bad advice Dave, I guess there IS a good reason that I sold the camper and bought the trailer other than my wife's complaints!

Sorry Dave, didn't mean to offend. Just thought that guys of "our era" and who spend as much time in the garden as you and I do would like a little "snappier" looking truck. I was thinking candy apple red or jet black, chopped & channeled and with flames on the hood. Nothing too flashy, just kool man.

Beezer

4salt, maybe I am missing something or not understanding your post. I don't slide my camper onto my truck, I lift it with the camper jacks until there enough clearance to back under it. It would scare the beejeebees (SP) out of me to have the camper rocking if it slid in.

Let me know what you are talking about so I can get a better understanding of it. Not looking for flames, just trying to give some advice.

Thanks

Steve

Steve,

My situation may have been somewhat unique. My secondary driveway (where I had to store the camper) sloped in 2 directions. Like you, I jacked it up as far as I felt it would safely go to drive my truck underneath. Because of the downward slope I could only get my truck about 2/3rd's of the way under the camper at it's full height.

After the truck was in position, I lowered the jacks (hydraulics by the way, I wish I'd had electric) to the point where the weight of the camper was resting on the truck. I would then get behind it and push it forward until it was resting against the front of the truck bed. Then I would attach the hardware to the frame jacks on the truck and I'd be ready to go.

The plastic bed liner allowed me to do this. I could also make adjustments, centering everything up by pushing the sides of the camper.

In 8 years, I never had any problems with the camper sliding around while moving down the road. It weighed 2500lbs. wet, and carried suprisingly well in my K2500.

Obviously spray in type bed liners are the way to go for everyday use, but in my situation I wouldn't have been able to as easily load and maneuver the camper if I was trying to slide it over the coarse, sandpaper-like surface of a spray in liner.

Beezer

Sometime you should show Dave a picture of the heap before it died.

Now that truck had flash

I used to have one of those f150's with a 5 speed and the 6cyl and I got 2 mpg less than I get in my 1 ton dodge with more than twice the power.

Wonder what they put in the water up in the ol skagit valley?

Things that make you go HMMMMMM!!!!

Line X or who cares..... As if a scratch in the bed is going to save you thousands in re-sale value.... I suspect Dave will have this truck for years...

I have herd the new Dodge cummings trucks are getting around 20mpg But I can't seem to remember my buddy comming even close to 30mpg in his 1/2 ton ford with the 6cyl in it.
I need to wait a year or two but I would like to have the 3/4 ton dodge cloud slinger in treehugger green.