the low rateing is from DC, they are trying to keep people from pulling excessive loads, but put 23k behind it and it will pull it.

I know it's bad to say it this way, but just cause the sticker says one thing doesnt mean you can do alot more, it's just DC covering their butts

 

Wait for the mega cab, 5.9 cummins. great truck. I own one myself. Great tq, hp, and sooooooo much room. great for towing. I hauled 4 , H-6 ( horizontaly oposed 6 cylinder )aircraft engines and 4 propellers on a tralier for 3500miles. Milage wasnt great, but thats about 23000lbs, with lots of power to spare.

 

hey Martin and jdew,
i have an 04.5 QC, 4x4, LWB, cummins, 6spd. as far as the payload goes, i like to load my truck up alot, with various items....for $179, i got a set of adjustable helper leaf springs that can allow you to haul/tow like a 1 ton and then still drive unloaded like your stock ride. they bolt on and are pretty easy to adjust. so don't let a "suspect" payload number keep you away. by the way, mine is a loaded up SLT(i don't need leather either) and i love it.

 

to add to mike, airbags will increase payload as well.

 

Now I'm thinking I may just go with a 1/2 ton truck it really would fit my needs - unless I decide to go with a diesel in that case I'd have to go bigger.

I actually stopped by the Dodge dealership yesterday and they had a Mega cab there - sorry but that is too big for me. There'd be no hope of ever putting that thing in the garage. I actually think Dodge would be better off offering a more reasonable size for a crew cab. I can see the appeal of the Mega Cab, but quite frankly when I first looked at that thing I just though - "that's ridiculous".

I'm going to go back and probably test drive a 2500 with a Cummins, but I did get in one Quad cab to just check it out. Front seats were plenty roomy, but back was kind of cramped. I also didn't really like the dash layout and the materials seemed kind of cheap to me - it was that really hard plastic all over the dash. This was an '06, not sure what the '05's were like.

 

I would personally wait for the mega cab 6 speed manual.

 

Drew,

Why did they switch from the NV5600 if it is obviously the better transmission? Was it because they wanted a transmission with shorter gearing?