Considering buying a buying a newer truck, looking around 2012ish. Want reg can long bed. Slim Pickens.
don't want 13 or newer with electric power steering.
Prefer not white. But that's what I'm finding not the end of the world. Most I'm finding are 4.7s around 90k miles or alot more. If it was a 318 or 360 I wouldn't think twice I'd already have it.
I remember in the early days of the 4.7 they were a sludge monster if the owner wasn't **** retentive about oil changes. Still true?
I see by 12-13 model year they were up to 10:1compression and 310 hp if that can be believed. More than any 318 I have had (and I have had many)
The other thing that bugs me is that the timing chains are tensioned by plastic guides. I had enough fights with. 2.7 intrepids no thanks.
I ain't seeing any reg cabs those years with the hemi but which would be worse to deal with/ plastic timing chain guides or cylinder cutoff? Seems like trading one issue for another.
And though u don't tow alot, usually a pop-up camper or a utility trailer with a garden tractor, but my wife is wanting to send the pop-up down the road for something (a little) bigger self contained style. Thoughts? Red flags?

 

A "little bigger"? I would be looking for a truck with a hemi. MDS isn't really all that bad, though yeah, it IS another potential failure point, but, when you put the truck into tow/haul mode, MDS is disabled in any event.

Any particular reason you don't want a larger cab? Or is it the long bed that you really want?

 

I want the long bed and don't have a crew to haul, with these silly short beds the trucks today look so out of proportion, almost caricature or cartoonish. They are ugly. I also don't want to have to haul a trailer as a matter of course every time I have to go to the lumber yard or pick up a mower.

 

What I'm wanting is basically what you typically see the local Fastenal place driving around, except for color. They don't offer many for sale like they used to. I should have bought one of the ones I was looking at 2-1/2 years ago when I bought my 99 Dakota instead.

 

Well I bought it. I'll have it tomorrow. Bank closed about a half hour too early on me to get it all done today.
Clenching my teeth til the 4.7 can prove itself. Not familiar with them. At least hoses, thermostat and such are cheap at rock Auto, it's 10 years old (newer than anything I've had since my wrangler passed that mark in 2007) so as far as I'm concerned it's time to change all the belts and hoses. Just as a matter of maintenance. As soon as I get it home I'm gonna order those and all the tuneup parts at least.

 

I have both an 2016/2020 ram 5.7 hemi's with 4wd 3.92 gears, eight speed trans. I wouldn't even think about the smaller engine if you tow/haul anything. The new hemi has decent power to tow, but nothing to heavy. The newer hemi's just have the 3.21 gears and that just doesn't work if you tow anything decently of weight. Not sure if the either truck could really tow 10k lbs as claimed by mopar.

 

I wish they still had the 318/360 as engine options in newer trucks. I would feel alot better as those are much more familiar territory for me

 

Indeed they are, but, the newer engines put out more power, are more efficient, get better gas mileage, etc.....

 

I wouldn't take a 4.7 If I got it for free.

 

I Thought that for years I guess this one is gonna either prove that theory or blow it out of the water. Unfortunately I found some super nice 318/360 trucks but the bank won't loan on something that "old" so I had to go with something new enough that they would.