Oh yes, luxury of keyless entry is great. I can lock the keys in the truck and not have to worry about dropping them or misplacing them on a trail ride. (Or when I’m running/biking/hiking and don’t want to carry the keys.)
And yes to tie downs in the bed as well. DH especially likes this feature.
Phew, I’m going to have to win the lottery because that sounds like my dream truck right there.
Okay,but same question for the automatic I found: same year and same trim as the manual. It can only haul 16k lbs according to the chart, but the owner, when asked, said “30k.” How is this possible? The GCWR isn’t even 30k lbs. I have no need, desire, or expectation of ever hauling 30k lbs, but I don’t understand and none of my googling helps.
Also thanks for the Diesel explanation, I’m a bit of a geek as well so the more I know, the more I’m sure I’m making the best decision possible.
He doesn’t know that. It is what it is listed on the sheet - technically.
Really, the truck can pull whatever you want. Making sure your suspension can handle it, and your tires don’t explode, and you can stop it - that’s where the problem arise.
But the spec sheet is the spec sheet.
Geek out all you want. I have a '15 Ram 3500 with the Aisin tranny. I have an exhaust brake - look for that feature (I think it’s standard?). Anyways in tow/haul mode with my exhaust brake on, all I have to do is take my foot off the gas and that truck starts slowing down - sometimes too fast. The heavier I have it loaded, the better the exhaust brake works. I love that feature.
Someone upthread mentioned the cost of DEF being $100 for 10 gals. Are you kidding me??? Wow. I pay about 7.99 for 2.5 gals, and I most assuredly do not go thru 10 gallons every 1000 miles, even when towing from Oregon to Colorado a couple summers ago.
Knock wood, I haven’t had any issues with my model year/brand.
I have the same truck, but a 2016 with an aluminum flat bed. I get my DEF at truck stops when I refuel back with the big trucks, and I go months on a tank of DEF. My DEF tank is either 7 or 8 gallons.
DEF is $3.199 a gallon at my local truck stop today at the pumps.
My exhaust brake is the sole reason I haven’t gone bigger/staged. It is a bad MFer, but I will say - make SURE your engine is warmed up before you use it, because it puts 60+psi of backpressure on the head when it engages. Don’t want to blow a gasket.
(Why yes, yes I do have gauges on everything, monitoring everything, that’s how I know how much pressure it holds when the vanes close, lol)
That’s good to know! And I did not! I use it even for daily driving, as a way to save my brakes. Maybe I should not…
OK so not to derail - but where are those places in truckstops that you can fill your DEF tank? I HATE trying to fill the tank with the wonky tubes and box that I buy from Walmart. And then I can’t get the whole box full in the tank and now I have to haul around a half filled box. Just in case. I would love to be able to fill up just what I need.
The Love’s chain of truck stops/ convenience stores has DEF at the pumps. They are spaced out regularly along the interstate highways here in the South. Checking on line there are 500-plus of them in 41 states. They are based in Oklahoma.
It’s good to use it every day, so the vanes don’t stick. Just wait until the truck is 180+ on the coolant before turning it on.
Go to where the big 18 wheelers fuel at truck stops. The DEF pump is usually at the same pump as the diesel fill, but has a different hose and fill nozzle. If you look at the signs pulling into the pumps, they will usually will say which pumps offer DEF.
Yeah, I never buy individual boxes or jugs.
I use a pump that comes w CocaSoya or Lubrysin. It fits the DEF square jug and doesn’t make a mess.
Thank you for this! I had the same question, and this was super helpful. 
I live up in the mountains outside Salt Lake City. I always have to drive over Parleys to go anywhere… 2 horse warmblood sized bumper pull with dressing room. I’m no engineer, but I know what I like and what works for me.
I have a 4 year old Nissan Titan XD (Cummins diesel engine) 4WD (you must have 4WD to live where we live and drive where we drive.) It’s a nice truck. I did have to have the DEF pump replaced this year, which wasn’t cheap, but other than that, it’s been reliable. It’s plenty of truck to do everything I need to do with it. The mileage isn’t great, but it isn’t completely awful for a big truck.
It’s also pretty luxurious. I’d been driving the ancient basic beater for 20 years, so I went for it a bit on this one, and it has every option known to man (or woman.)
I generally tow alone, so anything that makes my life easier is important to me. Backup camera for easy hitching, really good up to date satnav so I can easily find where I am going, handsfree communications that even reads my texts to me while I’m driving, electric seats so I can do minor adjustments to my position so I don’t get set in stone on a long drive, comfortable and supportive leather seats that wipe clean, really good climate control, all that kind of stuff.
I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off.
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