Ditch the 80 for a Power Wagon?

The_Dude

Adventurer
Some of these responses are definitely swaying me away from the Dodges. Thank you for your input guys. My 80 is paid for and shaken down. I am going to keep it for sure. The only possible replacement in the future would be a 5th gen 4Runner or 100 series.


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johnnyG

Observer
A 100 series is in my future as well. My boy will be driving in a few years and he'll take my 80 and I'll buy my fathers low mileage '06 lx470 :) like I said though, I think a truck is a great investment, and I've always had one for daily driving in addition to my land cruiser. I like the analogy above of the truck being a rifle and an 80 a pistol. Good to have both if possible...
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
There a lot of reliability issues with Dodge but then again I just read an article in Four Wheeler Magazine about their 10 year test with a PW. They have had minor issues with it and have only had to replace a few things...Might be hit or miss.
 

Arktikos

Explorer
...Might be hit or miss.

Wanna play Russian Roulette with a truck purchase?
I posted in the other discussion involving a Tundra about our local shop teacher's misadventures with his brand new Ram pickup two summers ago. While on a family trip, just a few miles into Canada, the truck died. Turned out to be a faulty computer, so the only fix was a new part. The worst part of his story was the poor customer service from Dodge, which I won't go into. Well, last summer he was on the Alcan once again in this truck, heading up to Bristol Bay for summer fishing, and the damn thing died again! Same problem. After 2 months of waiting, they've finally decided to cash him out of the truck. This is what he wanted, of course, but it's minus dollars for mileage, etc. A very unhappy customer, needless to say.
 

Box Rocket

Well-known member
There a lot of reliability issues with Dodge but then again I just read an article in Four Wheeler Magazine about their 10 year test with a PW. They have had minor issues with it and have only had to replace a few things...Might be hit or miss.

I suspect advertising dollars are playing a part in that review. Four Wheeler Magazine lost all credibility when they awarded the Jeep Cherokee the Four Wheeler of the Year award last year. I would look any number of places for more reliable data on vehicles before turning to Four Wheeler Magazine.
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
I suspect advertising dollars are playing a part in that review. Four Wheeler Magazine lost all credibility when they awarded the Jeep Cherokee the Four Wheeler of the Year award last year. I would look any number of places for more reliable data on vehicles before turning to Four Wheeler Magazine.

I guess that could be true...either way, I was just letting the OP know about it.
 
Some of these responses are definitely swaying me away from the Dodges. Thank you for your input guys. My 80 is paid for and shaken down. I am going to keep it for sure. The only possible replacement in the future would be a 5th gen 4Runner or 100 series.

The decision, to me, is not a very cut and dried one. It boils down to need. Do you need a truck? Do you need to tow? If not, then keep the 80.
 

crismateski

American Adventurist
I have 185k miles on my 06 wagon (I bought it 4 years ago with 72k) Only problem I have had is I lost a TIPM computer, not a huge deal.
 

The_Dude

Adventurer
The decision, to me, is not a very cut and dried one. It boils down to need. Do you need a truck? Do you need to tow? If not, then keep the 80.

I like the utility of a truck. I really don't need a 3/4 ton. A Tacoma is about all I need but when built they get the same mileage as my 80 or close to it. The bed would be nice for a slide in camper. That's what the end goal would be.


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Viggen

Just here...
Sure, buy a vehicle from one of the most unreliable and lowest quality American manufacturers owned by one of the most unreliable and lowest quality international manufacturers. Chryco/ Fiat stuff is first rate garbage. Jeeps and Dodges/ Rams rank high on the Hot/ Crazy matrix.
hot-crazy-matrix-banner2.jpg
 
I think that's like saying all apples are red. It's a gross generalization.

Americans build one thing very well: full size trucks. You cannot compare a Dodge Ram with a Fiat. Even mid size trucks from American MFG's are riddled with problems from manufacturing and basic design flaws, so I don't even consider them to be in the same category as full size American trucks.

A few Dodge owners have chimed in on this and most of them have good things to say about their Dodge trucks (or Ram trucks as they now want to be called). I would tend to take the word of someone with particular experience rather than a gross generalization.
 

garwhal

Observer
I don't drive an 80 or a 100 series, but I drive a Ram truck. I have been very pleased. This is my third and it has been a great vehicle. Trying to decide between a truck and a SUV changes as much as the weather does. Some days I loathe to have a truck and others I want the SUV. My wife says it is a psychological issue. Whatever you have enjoy it and use it to the max.


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ripperj

Explorer
Keep in mind that for every Ram issue you hear about, there are many more on the road with no issues. I don't wheel my 2500, but 2.5 yrs and 50k miles with no issues. Tie rod was replaced under recall (It did take a while to get the part, but I was driving it anyway)

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sgiandubh

Observer
I have not owned an 80, but I have owned an '06 Dodge 2500 quad cab (diesel, not a power wagon) and currently have a FJ60 and UZJ100 Land Cruiser. I will admit right off the bat that Toyotas have treated me exceptionally well over the years and I am guilty of being a bit of a fan boy so that may skew my perspective slightly. I put almost 30k miles on the Dodge and I never had a breakdown. However, what drove me to sell it was that I really didn't need a 3/4 ton truck, the ride on anything less than pavement was unbearably stiff, articulation was negligible in the rear and I grew to hate the TIPM setup as it kept shutting off my AC. I also had an intermittent tach issue that supposedly is unique to 06 trucks, the seats were uncomfortable on longer rides (personal preference) and the interior plastics were cheap (silver paint rubbed off the dash components easily and handles broke off the rear under seat storage). Granted aside from the gripes associated with the 3/4 ton chassis, it may not be a fair comparison to a newer PW. However, for my uses, a Land Cruiser (I looked hard at 80s before I bought my 100) is far superior to a 3/4 ton truck. I have a utility trailer for household truck bed type duties and a military trailer for camping when it all won't fit in the Cruiser. While the Dodge did some things well, it was my determination that the Dodge was the wrong tool for the job I wanted to do (DD, kid hauling, camping, off-roading).
 

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