My 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel fuel system went again (also in 2012). I had just put several thousand into it since I had a wheel bearing explode and the shrapnel ripped apart the wheel and front end.
I'm not spending another dime on the truck!
I've put literally thousands into it in the last four months!
Anyway, I'm in the market for a newer used Ram and have found three candidates, in my price range, so far:
2005 2500 4x4 4dr with 5.7L, 56K miles, and a fisher minute mount plow.
2005 2500 4x4 4 dr with 5.7L, 60K miles, and a cap.
2010 2500 4x4 4 dr with 5.7l, 71k miles and all stock no extras but set up for tow - brake controller, plow prep pkg, tow pkg

All are automatics. I tow frequently - I have a 5 ton flatbed to tow the occasional car (long distance Carlisle, etc), tractors, snowmobiles. I have a 5 ton dump trailer to haul green hardwood, demolition, etc.
I also live in NH so I used to plow all winter with my truck.
I'm looking for opinions - all three trucks are within $3K of each other. I have no experience with the newest generation Rams. I've had my 2000 since 2004 and I have worked the heck out of it. Besides towing I have also skidded wood lots with it and pulled boulders and stumps with it.
I have decided I can live with a gas over diesel at this point.
Given those three options and my needs, Is the 2010 Ram such a better truck than the 2005 Ram to warrant picking it over the 2005's both of which BTW have 3.73 gears.
I'm open to any and all opinions except two - I am not going diesel and it has to be dodge.

BTW this is what happens to your rim and tire when a wheel bearing blows at 65 mph!

If you had a gas motor you could have heard that a mile away

If I could only pick between those trucks you have listed I would take the 2010, miles don't bother me as much as years

Oh and the 2010 has like 50 more HP, eagle heads and VCT. It does not have MDS like the cars and 1/2 tons.

Like you, I have tired of dumping money into Dodge Rams, with having had 4 Rams from 94 to present, and dumping dollar after dollar into trannys, countless 4X4hub replacements, endless brake jobs, fuel pumps, beautiful looking trucks, but mechanically poor engineered unreliable junk.....consider something else, like a Toyota Tundra or Nissan Titian, if American GMC/Chevy

Everyone that I knew that was a dedicated Dodge Ram owner has slowly and inevitably gone to Ford, Toyota, Nissan, or GM/Chevy and never looked back, this summer I'll be looking for something "Non-Ram"

You can have all that ferrin junk, I would gladly live with unreliability than succumb to enemy, ALL truck makes have their issues. If it were me, and the 2010 is only $3K more it would get the nod easily.

a 2500 series with gas motor has to be a pig on gas.

i have a '14 ram 1500 and around down it struggles to get 10mpg. on the high way its great though getting 20ish.

honestly in that year range, a chevy 2500 is probably a better pick, in that they are cheap and fairly bullet proof.

ironically, i sold my 99 k2500 when i got my ram 1500

I guess I doing something wrong. Been driving Dodges forever and rarely have a problem with them. First new truck was an '89 Shelby Dakota which I kept for nearly 20 years, basically oil changes, tires and batteries was all that was ever done to it.

I bought a new 2005 1500 because I wanted something a little bigger to pull a trailer with. Drove it for 5 years, 1 tune-up, oil changes, and tires. I planned to keep it a lot longer but was asked what price would it take to get me to sell it. Priced it high enough I thought I'd scare him off...but he bought it instead.

Which brings me to my current truck, a 2010 1500 regular cab short bed 4x4 with a Hemi and 3.92 gears. I love this truck and plan to keep it many more years. I have about 60k on it, had plugs put in it at 50k, other than that nothing but oil changes and tires.

I don't know about the 2500s but the later 1500s ('09-up) seem much improved over the previous style, and the additional hp is nice.

BTW, before I bought my 2010 I actually test drove a comparable Ford, partly thanks to the Ford lovers on this site constantly saying how much better the Fords are. It was a nice truck but had less power and cost more. I passed and found my current truck.
However, a friend bought the Ford I test drove. He drove it for a couple of years and the trans started giving him problems. He is an older guy who doesn't pull a trailer like I do. Anyway, the dealer finally got the trans fixed but the gas mileage went way down, and they never were able to get it back up where it was previously. So, he trades it off..for another Ford, an eco-boost..lol..
Dallas

In general, I haven't had many problems over the years with my 2000. I've worked it hard, put 180,000 more miles on it and have really only had consistent problems over the last year. I had the trans rebuilt, new front end, new u-joints, new tired, new bearings (after one failed), rockers and lower doors replaced, new brakes. This lift pump (and injection pump) failure was the straw that broke my back! So I can't complain much about the Ram overall. If the new gen Rams are anywhere near as good as the previous generation, I'm good with that. This would not be my daily commuter, I have a 2013 Dodge Dart for that, so I know going in any 2500 is not going to be an economical ride. I need durability and towing power.
Here's the old Ram put out to pasture.

The bearing was not making any sounds or having any issue whatsoever. Like I said, I had just replaced most of the front end and the rotors and calipers, greasing the bearings when I did (these bearings were replaced 2 years ago with Timkens).
There were no issues with the bearings then. I had no noise or heat coming from them at all at any point ever. There was not a sound ever right up until the time it blew and took out the axle seal, rim, and inner fender shroud.
Believe me I maintain all my vehicles regularly and half of that Ram has been rebuilt! Like I said, I've owned this truck for 11 years and have used it hard. Never had real issues until the last year or so. You don't get that without proper maintenance.

I was making a 155 mile trip back from Maine and had gone about 30 miles when it happened on I-95.
All the maintenance time and money over the previous three months meant nothing at that point.

Bought the 2010 today.

Nice! Sounds like you worked the hell out of your old truck and repairs are inevitable. Good luck with your purchase.

How did you grease the wheel bearing? They are sealed non serviceable units.

I never had any major problems with my trucks. Lost a speed sensor in the rear of my 99 Ram once. Used up brakes and tires, rusted out brake lines. Wore out water pumps and alternators, and one truck needed the intake plenum repair. Overall they have been good. I currently have 3 new Rams. two are 1500s with the 5.7 and one 6.7 diesel 2500. I've had more issues than I expected so far with recall stuff and little cosmetic issues but nothing major so far. I'm hoping to get a lifetime out of the diesel truck and 8-10 years out of the others without too much hassle. I really like all three other than the fact that they are useless short bed trucks.

Funny but I've worked at Ford, GM and Dodge service dept's and they were all full of vehicles needing repairs. I've seen Ford trucks with the bodies off to replace a powerstroke, I've seen a Lumina that lost its engine on its PDI roadtest, and yes I've seen numerous Dodge auto trans failures and 5th gear nuts come off the diesel 5 speeds.

Bottom line is any vehicle can be junk. My last 2013 Ram had MIL issues, always coming on. Pizzed me off and I traded it at 14000kms and got a 2014 Ram, identical except its white. Trouble free so far. And less work than my black one to clean

To be honest all of the big 3 make a decent truck, but to me, for right now, Dodge seems to make the best one, and the best looking