My Favourite Trucks

Here we have, three heavy weight champions.

Ford F-350 Ranch King



Chevrolet Silverado 3500



Dodge Ram 3500 Longhorn

If the fights in boxing history have had speculation, then these three trucks even more so.
Ever since the birth of the heavy duty truck, there have been These three great workhorses.
Personally after having driven some, they all are incredible workers. They pull like dreams, and with newer models boasting up to 25 MPG they are not so hard on your wallets either. Although for an average Englishman used to driving a 2.5 Land Rover Defender, these HUGE engines will give the feel of a fish out of water.

Ford F-350 Super Duty  6.7TD

Chevrolet Silverado 3500 6.6 Turbodiesel

Dodge Ram 3500 Longhorn 6.7 Turbo

Well, how else can we get a good idea of what these are? Ask the Experts! 

"Even if the western theme isn't your cup of iced tea, you sort of have to appreciate the commitment to a theme and the attention to detail that's gone into the 3500 Laramie Longhorn's cabin. Sure, there are a few odd bits here, some ugly hard plastic there, but largely the Longhorn pulls off the look. It's sort of hard not to like it.

Standard Uconnect tech
In addition to having seats that look like cowboy boots and a giant "3500 Laramie Longhorn" belt buckle on its door, the Longhorn is also a luxury trim level that comes loaded with cabin amenities: heated and ventilated seats with power adjustment and multiple memory positions, a heated steering wheel, even heated second-row seats. The steering wheel doesn't telescope, but the pedals are power-adjustable.

Okay, so I'm talking a lot about seats again, but this Ram's dashboard is also packed with some interesting technology, including the newest generation of the Uconnect infotainment and navigation system. Built around an 8.4-inch colour touch screen, this system features large icons along the bottom edge of its interface for the seven major functions.

Jumping into the middle of that row, we'll find a button for navigation. Previous generations of the Uconnect system lifted their navigation system wholesale from Garmin and, when you pressed the nav button, the entire interface changed to look like a giant Garmin Nuvi in your dashboard, complete with its own menu system. I'd bet my hat that in this new version of Uconnect the maps and routing algorithms are still provided by Garmin, but the entire system has been reskinned and reorganised to integrate seamlessly with the rest of the infotainment interface. I've used enough navigation devices over the years to recognise the menu structure, but if you weren't looking for it you wouldn't even notice the rebranding."  

Reviews.cnet.com

"The new Chevy has the chiseled profile of a classic pickup, with a blocky grille and sheetmetal reminiscent of GM’s iconic C/K pickups of the 1980s. Yet the on-road behavior of the four-door, four-wheel-drive models we drove was anything but old school. The independent torsion-bar front suspension is still exclusive to the segment, and when paired with the relatively quick and accurate steering, it lends a connected and confidence-inspiring feel to the helm. That’s important when you’re towing up to 19,600 pounds with the conventional hitch. Most impressive, though, is the ride quality, which is now nearly as plush and controlled as the lighter 1500’s. We’re anxious to experience the Silverado HD on Michigan’s cratered roads, but the long-wheelbase rigs floated over Arizona tarmac without any of the bucking and hopping normally associated with unladen heavy-duty pickups."

"After receiving upgraded brakes, increased towing and payload capacities, and a luxed-up Platinum trim level for the previous model year, the Super Duty lineup is unchanged this year.

Overview
Large, in charge and not particularly subtle, the F-350's exterior styling reveals much of what you need to know about this truck - especially the locomotive-like hood and grille, which hints at the big power that lurks beneath.

The standard engine is a 6.2-liter gasoline V8 that produces 385 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, but most buyers opt for a 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 that boasts 400 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of earth-moving torque. Both engines shift through a six-speed automatic transmission.

When properly equipped, the F-350 has a maximum payload capacity of 4,930 pounds. Conventional towing capacity checks in at 14,000 lbs, while adding a fifth wheel increases that figure to 16,700 lbs

Opting for the dual-rear wheel setup will boost those figures across the board. Max payload jumps to 6,520 lbs, while standard and fifth-wheel towing jumps to 18,500 and 22,600 lbs, respectively.

The F-350 is available in Regular Cab, Extended Cab and Crew Cab bodystyles. The Regular Cab features two doors and a singe row of seating, the Extended Cab adds a small second row of seating and the Crew Cab has four doors and an expanded rear cabin area. All three can be outfitted with either a 6.75- or 8-foot bed.

Rear-wheel-drive models use a twin I-beam front suspension, while four-wheel-drive variants utilize a live front axle. Both feature a live rear axle along with leaf springs at all four corners. These suspension setups play a big part in the F-350's strong payload and towing ratings, although the tradeoff comes in the form of jittery ride without a load in the bed. The same, of course, can be said for most other similarly sized and similarly capable pickups. Handling is predictable for the most part, although aloof steering means it can be tough to place the big truck accurately at times."

So here we have it. Three great trucks.  It's up to you now, what one you think is superior. 

Leave a comment, and tell me of your experiences with these trucks.

Pull hard!