Hunting rig questions...specific questions about Dodge Mega Cab

GDuck · 12-10-2008, 10:24 PM

I need to do something here. We have the mommy van for everything else, but when it comes to hunting or anything needing a 4x4 that also needs to haul around the family as a second vehicle, I am stuck. My basic level Chev extended cab is killing my back and other things from surgeries on long road trips, and the lack of leg room in the back means the kids are kicking seats, etc. I used to pull a trailer, and will again in the next few years. For now, the rig sits during the week, I use it on weekends, and doubles as the hunting rig then as the go to rig for family trips where a 4x4 may be needed.

My thought was that as crew cab 4x4 was the way to go. With fuel prices likely to be pretty high combined with the fact we won't put that many miles on it in a year (less than 10k) I'm thinking that a used Dodge Mega Cab diesel or a Ford Super Crew diesel would be the way to go. The alternative is get an even older diesel rig or a newer gas one since they are so low in price, then maybe have another small SUV to run around in. I'd hate to have 3 cars with all that insurance.

Anyone had this dilemma and what did you do?

I know some of you have the Dodge Mega Cab with the 5.9, I'd like to hear the pros and cons, PMs appreciated. I've had Ford and Dodge in the past, just never had the need for more second seat room.

Thanks,

GD

DTSportsman · 12-10-2008, 10:42 PM

Can't comment on the Mega Cab for sure, but my '04 Dodge Crew cab works great, and enough room for our 3 kids (9,7,&5) in the back with 2 in boosters, and leg room for all. I own a Dodge but like Fords too, so I suggest a 5.9 Cummins, or 2006 6.0 Power Stroke, they are the best of those motors, and you'll be able to pull the house and watch it flap in the wind, over any hill. I get 15.5 mpg consistently with quite a bit of in town driving, and 11-13 mpg pulling an 7,500 lb 30 ft travel trailer. Good luck and have fun.

baltz526 · 12-11-2008, 12:54 AM

the running gear on the 2007 with 5.9 in my dodge seems to be about the best of the bunch. mine is the standard cab so i can not help you with the big 4 door. pulling the big trailer (about 9000lbs) that catches lots of wind it gets 9.5 to 11.5mpg. pulling the car hauler with samauri and wall tent camp (about 500lbs) it gets about 15mpg. cruising empty at 62mph it gets 18.3mpg at over 4000' elevation. I-5 cruising in the valley it gets 19.4 approx on cruise empty. mine has the auto trans which i really like. i bought mine as a pure pleasure/hunting rig, i'm running stock tire size with 2 sets, one for winter/hunting then the factorys for summer/towing big trailer. this trucks only fault as a hunting rig, is it's low ground clearance under the differentials. it has huge differentials to take the power the diesel puts out.

Old Goat · 12-11-2008, 04:19 AM

I have a 2006 mega cab. We like it. We have the short box. Turning radious is about the biggest concern I would have with the mega with long box. Kids have more room than they did in the Suburban back seats. 1500 is built on a 2500 chassis. 1500 has the 8 lug, 17" tires. We have the Hemi and like it a lot. Gets 16+ mpg on trips with freeway driving. We have never had the rig to the dealer for warrenty work. Dont know what else I can tell you.

huntercgr · 12-11-2008, 04:51 AM

My Dad has the '04 Dodge diesel, crew cab, short box. We took it to Colo. on my elk hunt this past fall. Loaded down, pulling a 10' trailer with about 1600 lbs, we got 19 mpg.

Thought I'd throw this out there for comparison.

ORsouthpaw · 12-11-2008, 06:51 AM

First off I have a 04 Ford, CC, 4wd, Diesel, etc,etc. I love it but I can tell you that as far as these trucks go I would stay away from the 03-and early build 04 model years due to the numerous engine issues. (heads, turbos, etc) If your buying one look at the 06-07's or the earlier 7.3 liters.

I have heard that the late 07 and 08 Dodges are coming up against some motor issues also due to the stricter emissions requirements but I can't say for sure. I was told by a friend that works for Dodge that the 04-06 model years were the best built and most reliable overall. Another friend of mine has a 04 Quad Cab and it has been problem free. On our last hunting trip he averaged around 19mpg while my Ford was only at 13.5mpg (My truck is lifted 6 inches with 35" Mud tires so it's not an apples to apples comparison) however I do believe the Dodges get better mileage in general. No matter what you get have the dealer run an oasis report so you can see the vehicle maintenance history.

If your in the market to buy a big truck there are a lot of good deals so be patient.

GDuck · 12-11-2008, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTSportsman

Can't comment on the Mega Cab for sure, but my '04 Dodge Crew cab works great, and enough room for our 3 kids (9,7,&5) in the back with 2 in boosters, and leg room for all. I own a Dodge but like Fords too, so I suggest a 5.9 Cummins, or 2006 6.0 Power Stroke, they are the best of those motors, and you'll be able to pull the house and watch it flap in the wind, over any hill. I get 15.5 mpg consistently with quite a bit of in town driving, and 11-13 mpg pulling an 7,500 lb 30 ft travel trailer. Good luck and have fun.

That is one of my big concerns....the booster seats. They aren't forever, but.....I am continually getting kicked and everything else that goes along with it

in the back seat. That was why I was wondering about the Mega cab. The price diff between these rigs is unbelievable. Standard quad cabs are very affordable even with the 5.9. The megas.....wow. (I'm talking used here) The used Megas I've found aren't selling, but they won't budge on the money either.

Any of you Dodge owners had ball joint or other problems? I did on my 2nd Gen 99 Ram....as did my friend who had the same thing...

If the one Mega I have spotted was more affordable I would likely just go do it. I did love the short wheel base of the 99 short bed quad cab I had. Sounds like the Mega takes an acre to turn around in?

G

stlhdr1 · 12-11-2008, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDuck

That is one of my big concerns....the booster seats. They aren't forever, but.....I am continually getting kicked and everything else that goes along with it

in the back seat. That was why I was wondering about the Mega cab. The price diff between these rigs is unbelievable. Standard quad cabs are very affordable even with the 5.9. The megas.....wow. (I'm talking used here) The used Megas I've found aren't selling, but they won't budge on the money either.

Any of you Dodge owners had ball joint or other problems? I did on my 2nd Gen 99 Ram....as did my friend who had the same thing...

If the one Mega I have spotted was more affordable I would likely just go do it. I did love the short wheel base of the 99 short bed quad cab I had. Sounds like the Mega takes an acre to turn around in?

G

Personally, I'd go with the megacab. It's everything you ever wished for in a truck. They will be discontinuing the Megacab in 2010 and going with a Crew Cab more along the lines of a Ford sized truck....

Keith

SlipKnot · 12-11-2008, 08:03 AM

I've got a 06' Mega Cab 5.9 Diesel and love it. It's been absolutely flawless so far.

You can absolutely baby it and get 20+mpg or romp on it and have plenty of power. I don't think it has nearly the off the line power of the new ones or the Chevy off the line but it will pull your house down the street if you need it too.

The back seat is incredibly big. You can easily fit three big guys back there and they have a ton of leg room even with the front seats all the way back. You can fold the back seats down and fit a queen size aero bed in the back seat for sleeping! Yesterday, I fit an office desk and a file cabinet in the back seat. If there are only two people hunting, you can basically fit most of your gear in the back seat if you don't have a canopy.

The only down side is that you give up the ability to have a long box for a large camper. I put a 8 1/2 foot camper on mine and towed by 22' boat like it wasn't even there.

They are NOT as cushy as the Chevy's. Not sure about the Ford's. I try not to ride i them for fear of transimission explosion.

I haven't done a darn thing to mine except for a 2" lift and new tires. Great truck that I will probably keep for a long time.

RogueFishr · 12-11-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlipKnot

I've got a 06' Mega Cab 5.9 Diesel and love it. It's been absolutely flawless so far. You can absolutely baby it and get 20+mpg or romp on it and have plenty of power.

This entire post is dead on. I bought my 60 Mega Cab brand new. I have not had ANY problems with it. It has more power than I could imagine needing. I recently got 19mpg pulling my boat over to the coast and back. I can get 17mpg in town and 20+ on the freeway. There is a bedroom in the back seat. Plenty of room for adults. The only drawback, is that is does not have the sharpest turning radius. But I would not get rid of mine for anything.

RF

GDuck · 12-11-2008, 10:20 AM

I haven't done a darn thing to mine except for a 2" lift and new tires. Great truck that I will probably keep for a long time.[/quote]

I appreciate the replies! Hey out of curiosity......can you elaborate on the lift and tires? Was this a leveling kit? What did the lift involve?? When you put tires on it, did you up the size on the factory wheels, or go with bigger wheels?

Thanks for indulging...and the PMs.

GD

No Fences · 12-11-2008, 10:27 AM

I love mine. It's an 06 mega cab diesel and is way more truck than I use. I used to tow a 22' Intruder jet over to the coast and would get passed by NOTHING with power to spare and great MPG's. I had an 03 and an 05 Ford CC diesels and this a way better truck. THe fords were more comfortable interior wise, but the mega has a ton more room and would pull a Ford 6.0 backwards.

I have 3 kids ages 16, 6 and 3 and have no room issues.

Ildor · 12-11-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTSportsman

Can't comment on the Mega Cab for sure, but my '04 Dodge Crew cab works great, and enough room for our 3 kids (9,7,&5) in the back with 2 in boosters, and leg room for all. I own a Dodge but like Fords too, so I suggest a 5.9 Cummins, or 2006 6.0 Power Stroke, they are the best of those motors, and you'll be able to pull the house and watch it flap in the wind, over any hill. I get 15.5 mpg consistently with quite a bit of in town driving, and 11-13 mpg pulling an 7,500 lb 30 ft travel trailer. Good luck and have fun.

We've got the '05 with the same cab. All 3 kiddos are still in car seats. I love the 5.9. Plenty of power and should be on the road for years to come. You might want to wait a little bit, see how this auto bailout/loan shakes out. If congress starts to drag their feet, which it looks like that's beginning to happen, we may see some almost never seen before deals on brand new rigs that would put the employee pricing deals of a couple years ago to shame.

RogueFishr · 12-11-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDuck

Hey out of curiosity......can you elaborate on the lift and tires? Was this a leveling kit? What did the lift involve?? When you put tires on it, did you up the size on the factory wheels, or go with bigger wheels?

Before I rolled it off the dealers lot, I had a set of MT 325/60r18's put on it. They are about 33.5" tall. All I had put on was the front end leveling kit. No clearance problems. Have ran them with tire chains on all 4 corners as well with no problems.

RF

K950 · 12-11-2008, 10:20 PM

I have an 07 quad cab 3500 short bed cummins. It is leveled in the front and has 35inch E rated mud tires on it with 17inch wheels. I also put a cold air intake on it and that it. I get 14 city and 19+ on the highway. This is my second Dodge Ram diesel and would not ever consider owning anything else. I have had several buddies all huge guys sit in the back seat and all were very impressed with the room and it tows anything. Just my experience

DTSportsman · 12-11-2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDuck

That is one of my big concerns....the booster seats. They aren't forever, but.....I am continually getting kicked and everything else that goes along with it

in the back seat. That was why I was wondering about the Mega cab. The price diff between these rigs is unbelievable. Standard quad cabs are very affordable even with the 5.9. The megas.....wow. (I'm talking used here) The used Megas I've found aren't selling, but they won't budge on the money either.

Any of you Dodge owners had ball joint or other problems? I did on my 2nd Gen 99 Ram....as did my friend who had the same thing...

If the one Mega I have spotted was more affordable I would likely just go do it. I did love the short wheel base of the 99 short bed quad cab I had. Sounds like the Mega takes an acre to turn around in?

G

Come meet me some time and you can put your car seats in it with the kids and take it for a spin.

My buddy has the Mega Cab, and it's awesome for room but with $$$$ being a big issue and the age of your kids I don't know if the extra 18" is all that worth it for the next 10 years.

No Fences · 12-12-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTSportsman

Come meet me some time and you can put your car seats in it with the kids and take it for a spin.

My buddy has the Mega Cab, and it's awesome for room but with $$$$ being a big issue and the age of your kids I don't know if the extra 18" is all that worth it for the next 10 years.

The extra room sure is nice when you load the family for a trip and want room lunch/snacks, bags, gear.

leadeyedbugger · 12-12-2008, 07:57 AM

Great trucks.....sounds like you guys are getting better mileage then my neighbor and my uncle who both have 06 megacabs. they are running 13-17 mpg. the tons of room is really nice. I can't stand the way overstiff ride though....it is horrible.

baltz526 · 12-12-2008, 08:13 AM

over stiff ride? never felt that with mine. rides like a big car with an attitude

RGB · 12-12-2008, 09:14 AM

I have a 2006 Mega Cab. It's been a great rig, not one problem. I have two small kid's, so we went for the extra room. I average 18 mpg commuting, and 21 mpg on road trips if I keep the speed down. I'm planning on putting it up for sale at the beginning of next year. The company my wife works for is not doing well, and we don't want to get caught with our pants down. PM me if you want to talk about it, or just take it for a drive.

SlipKnot · 12-12-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDuck

I haven't done a darn thing to mine except for a 2" lift and new tires. Great truck that I will probably keep for a long time.

I appreciate the replies! Hey out of curiosity......can you elaborate on the lift and tires? Was this a leveling kit? What did the lift involve?? When you put tires on it, did you up the size on the factory wheels, or go with bigger wheels?

Thanks for indulging...and the PMs.

GD[/quote]

It was simply a 2" front end leveling kit. Had Schwab do it and I've been very happy with it. I also put air bags on the back. Rarely use them but they sure some in handy with the camper or other heavy towing situations.

My buddy just built a huge 24 X 12 coffee drive through place that was very well built and heavy. I hooked it up to my truck and towed it to his spot like it wasn't even there. Airbags kept the truck perfectly level.

I immediately got rid of the junk stock tires and put 33" SXT's on the stock rims. I probably good have gone one size bigger but I don't really see the need. I use my truck as a truck and I don't really want it any higher because it makes it a PITA to load the camper and anything else. When I bought mine new in late 06, Dodge had $12K off sticker so those trucks were a smoking deal IMO. They were already way less than Chevy and Ford and a no brainer with the rebates.

I don't think the seats are very cushy but I don't find the ride particularly rough like others have mentioned. I've driven mine 700-800 miles in a day numerous times and have found it plenty comfortable.

GDuck · 12-13-2008, 09:06 PM

Thanks for all the replies! I talked to a friend of a friend in Texas that is a broker.....even with fuel prices down the market is really soft for rigs. The auction prices apparently came up a bit but they are still taking a beating on these rigs. The difference between what some dealers are wanting used and what they auction for are pretty astounding.

One big argument I have with myself: consider the same truck we've been discussing. Diesel, say with 40k miles, SLT, etc. real world they are selling 22-24k depending (auction, etc) where in the US it happens. A gasser, same rig, selling for thousands less. Fuel won't stay this low forever, but I don't drive it but on weekends mostly......gas rig will run 6-8k less from what I am seeing. True, that buys a lot of fuel, but even with higher prices the diesel gets better MPG and pulls harder. I think Baltz went through this argument until he bought his diesel....

Anyway thanks again, RGB PM sent.

GD

Blktalhunter · 12-13-2008, 09:43 PM

You might look into the pre 05's and their fuel pump issues. (diesel rigs) I've got an 04 quad cab and had to replace my transfer pump. Not cheap and after talking with some of the dealerships it sounds like they have to replace them alot. That was at 55k it went out and sounds like that is when alot of the pre 2005's go out. I heard they changed the fuel pump system after that to fix the problem. Other than that I don't have any complaints with mine.

boatman · 12-14-2008, 05:52 AM

With back trouble be sure you get power and heated seats. They are a dream after rowing all day. I have the 03 quad cab,105,000 light probles.

mike carlson · 12-14-2008, 09:04 AM

[i have the 05 dodge 4 door 8 foot bed 5.9 Cummings one ton great truck have it chipped exhaust split cold air intake gets 24 to 20 depends how hard i drive it pulling four horse trailer east filled up at Pendleton put in 19 gallons fourth dodge for me no complaints mike

GD[/quote]