test drive a bunch till you find a setup ya like...afterall you are the one paying the cash and you are the one driving her...i cant remember how many i test drove before i found the one i bought...good luck finding (or keeping) the one ya want

 

I agree with mrb1986, it's your money. Don't buy one until your sure you can live with it and enjoy driving it everyday!!!

 

I'm with the rest. If you're happywith your current truck, hold on to it until you find another one you're happy with. Never "settle" on anything if you don't need to.

 

I think I'll keep what I've got for the time being and wait for the perfect Hemi to come along. Though there's nothing wrong with the power a 360 would provide in that '02, I'd actually be giving up some towing capacity with those 20" wheels.

There are tons of '02 -'04's on the lots with the 4.7L with decent prices, but I won't be buying one. I have a good friend who thought he would save $$ a couple years ago and not get the Hemi. He also tows a camper like mine and wishes he had opted for more power.

It's ironic that we're probably going to sell out travel trailer this Spring, so I won't be needing all that power. But I guess it must be a "guy thing" to have the best and biggest under the hood!

 

I've got the 4.7 and the first time I put a 5000 lb camper behind it with that big flat surface area catching all the wind, I knew there were going to be problems using it as a tow truck. It's a good, stout little engine but a 4:56 gear swap brings it to life. Unless you plan on modding the heck out of the 4.7, I say get the big engine if you're going to tow. The gear swap was not that expensive initially but with as much money as I have in the truck from trying to get the gear swap done and redone correctly, it would have paid for the larger engine or even a whole new rearend. I still have to put it back in the shop. Seems as though they can't get the backlash set correctly. I half regret doing the swap and half don't.
Now, had the gear swap been done correctly the first time, I might have a different opinion because the truck as it is now, will light up the tires and s#!t and git......

 

HI everyone. Im a newbie here and can say i enjoy reading up all this stuff its great .
I know this post is a little old but i just want to add that i own 03 5.7hemi and 03 5.9L both an big wheels and i use them for work mainley the 5.9 .
I pull hyodrolic dump trailers an a dailey basis the 3.5 ton full of shingles give or take about 3-6000 pounds . These trucks love the work , i use overdrive and have no problems at all. I noticed the HEMI does support moer go power up hills were the 5.9 always drops a gear to mentain the speed. I drive easy and relaxed when with trailers so just my opinion of the two , the outcome could be different if pedals wrere to the flore but i dont work the engines i work with them.Now for speed and pick up the 5.9 when i drop the pedal it goes , very fast truck, but it feels like its pullin the tuck behind the engine, and the 5.7 hemi when its dropped it very powerfull push and its clearley big hp difference , the hemi is a slepper in till its pushed. Overall happier with the HEMI , for work almost even , also when geting going the 5.9 response is better then the 5.7 almost like the 5.9 is lighter ? . I think out of the two the 5.9 burns more gas towing and in citydriving.
I hope this helps someone out there,lol
Merry ChristmasandHappy New Year Everyone.