Fourth Generation

[mr.mindless]

Split this from the High Miler topic.

Fourth Generation since it's a 4th gen Ram and also my 4th tow rig.
IDI Ford F250 7.3, Dump Bus, High Miler, and now here we are with the 113,500 mile 2018 5500



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Insurance was a problem. I got a progressive commercial policy on it after striking out a few times. I’ve had everything with State Farm for 10-15 years and they could not write it - I have not had a commercial policy with them and they aren’t writing any new commercial vehicle customers in NY. Same with the next two I checked.

Have lines out to two independent agents too, but at least I’m covered. Hope the independents can find a bit better rate.

[etk300ex]

I use JD Chapman Agency in Canandaigua

[mr.mindless]

Bed is in a little worse condition than I expected. CM typical finish failure.

Brake booster is weeping power steering fluid. No other faults noted beyond a couple cosmetic issues.

Furthest he’d move on price is to include the ramps. I did it.

[carchameleon]

Congrats!

[M]

Yah!

[mr.mindless]

Home safe. Trailer wiring needs work and I missed a broken signal repeater on the passenger mirror.

Weird automatic transmission torque management does t give any power in first or second and I hate it already. Need to look into that.

The truck feels like it has great power on the highway but I had a scary left turn once because it has a tenth that much power right off the line. It’s weird.

Lie-o-meter said high 12s to 13.1 grossing 14300 with the i3

[mr.mindless]

[M]

Time for a new thread! 

That's so cool.  Those ramps look robust!

[etk300ex]

Nice! The camper looks more proportional on this unit.

[mr.mindless]

the ramps it came with are 2' longer than Mark's that I bought and have been using, but they are meant only to hook to a rub rail, and even though they are sticker rated for 8k/axle they are smaller than mine rated at 6k, and are bent from his use of a year of loading a micro skid steer. lame.

I'll split the topic sometime soon.

Just gathered insurance info to start shopping quotes around. it's almost exactly 2x what the '07 is for same coverages, and it's a similar difference for every single line item all the way down. 1988/yr vs 1115/yr.

[mr.mindless]

I looked at the trailer wiring issues and found four things:
1. no more TIPM. back to a more standard (and very high count) fuse and relay block.
2. blown 'trailer tow' fuse - I'm now charging the camper batteries from the gooseneck plug, I think it was happy up to about 12 amps.
3. blown 'trailer light' fuse - that explains the rear hitch giving no lights,
4. even with (3), gooseneck plug did give lights. interesting.

Didn't check voltage drop with draw on the rear hitch 7 way plug yet.
But do I care? or do I just tow a single car trailer with the camper on the truck now, and maybe retire the goose? Got plenty of weight capacity, and I should be fully legal with a 9999 trailer and not have a care in the world or reason to be nervous about anything regardless of 19,500 in the door jam.

[M4wdFab]

does it have an upfit box with extra relays and 5 switches in the dash?

[mr.mindless]

Fuse box:



IIRC yes I do have the upfitter switches. PTO prep enabled too, so I have high idle.

Noticed a “lube your front driveshaft every oil change” sticker under the hood. Pretty sure it had one explode. Noticed dents in the exhaust that seemed possibly like it, and when the transmission wiring issue was fixed they found a cracked extension housing. He put like 8 grand into the truck having someone else do that. That and full four wheel brakes were the only paperwork I got, and it’s on new 225 highway tires all around.

Planning to bring it Wednesday.

[M4wdFab]

let me know if you find any grease fittings on your front shaft, i have never been able to find any.  same warning in service schedule

[mr.mindless]

Just talked to a service advisor about remote keyless.

His guess ends up a little different than mine based on the features the truck has.
I do have power windows and door locks, and a feature code for "hard wired remote start"
I do not have a feature code for remote keyless entry. Service advisor's unguaranteed suspicion is that the reciever is probably present, may not have an antenna, and will probably work for remote start from close range and *maybe* work for lock/unlock.

My guess is that feature code for hard wired remote start is part of the PTO prep package and really means hard wired, so you can start/stop the truck from remote PTO controls at a pump or in a bucket or whatever and that if I have them program a part number 68508721AA key, which does show as a possible key for my truck - same fob as Smike has for his - that it should absolutely be able to be cut for the doors and programmed to start the truck and HOPEFULLY to unlock and remote start.

Key programming with them is $82. I did verify that keys are single use, so a used key is useless. They've had relatively good luck with knockoff keys lately, so he did actually suggest going ebay or amazon instead of a $170 Mopar key especially when it's really unknown if it'll work.

I don't know if the Snap-On scanners are able to do key programming on these trucks? There are several listings that include DIY OBD boxes that claim to match the key to the vehicle too. Without any keyless remote going on I'm unsure if I'd have worse luck programming a remote or same... but I rather suspect my truck might not have a receiver.