Thoughts on 14 RAM 2500 w/ diesel

[NHCharger]

Well my 03 Silverado 2500HD has become unreliable, need to upgrade. Won't buy another government motors vehicle again. Been looking at the RAM's. Sales guy said a properly equipped 1500 will tow 10k lbs. I know he's right but I'd rather have a heavier duty truck when hauling my cars or my tractor. The 2500 with the gas motor get less than desirable gas mileage. It's also offered with a diesel rated to tow over 10k.
Any feed back much appreciated. This is my first venture into another truck other than Chevy's.

[DC_1]

I've had the Ram 2500 with the Cummings. Loved the truck, the power and even fuel mileage when towing. Hated the ride when not. A 2500 in my opinion from any manufacturer is over kill as a daily driver if you don't need it's capabilities. They just are not that comfortable to drive around town. Especially if the roads suck. I love my 2014 1500. I wish I got the new v6 diesel but when I ordered my truck last Sept it wasn't yet available. I have a friend that bought one in June and he raves about it. He tows an enclosed trailer with his car and is probably in the 7000-7500lb range. Absolutely no problem or fears while he was doing so.

With my 1500 I've towed a 9000lbs CNC machine from Toronto to Grand Rapids Michigan, about 400 miles. It was no problem and I didn't feel as if I was under powered or being pushed around by the load. I have the air ride suspension and it work magnificently. Kept me level and road like a dream.

I also tow my enclosed trailer with my car, and again I have no feeling that I should have more truck.

[Todd Wilson]

I also tow my enclosed trailer with my car, and again I have no feeling that I should have more truck.

You will have that feeling when you finally blow a tire or break an axle................



Todd

[Todd Wilson]

Well my 03 Silverado 2500HD has become unreliable, need to upgrade. Won't buy another government motors vehicle again. Been looking at the RAM's. Sales guy said a properly equipped 1500 will tow 10k lbs. I know he's right but I'd rather have a heavier duty truck when hauling my cars or my tractor. The 2500 with the gas motor get less than desirable gas mileage. It's also offered with a diesel rated to tow over 10k.
Any feed back much appreciated. This is my first venture into another truck other than Chevy's.

Get the 2500 and use it. The 6.7 Cummins (not Cummings) will have amazing power. I hear the 6.7 mpg is not as good as the 5.9 Cummins but its still very good. Depending on what options you get the truck may have a jake brake and programming built in for various tow/power modes as well as a brake controller. Hauling the cars and the tractor around will be a lot nicer and safer with the 2500. You will have the axles and tires/wheels rated for the weight. It will be  much safer then the 1500. The Cummins makes the trucks nose heavy so if you are going to be in dirt/mud or field type situations with the tractor you will probably want the 4wd option as well.  They have come a long way with the 4wd options and they don't really hurt mpg at all anymore.


Todd

[dyslexic teddybear]

I have some experience with a 2500 Cummins.....about 200k worth.

You may regret the Cummins when you don't need it......but putting weight in the bed when you run empty helps a lot.

You will never regret a Cummins when you have ANY trailer hooked to it.

[Nwcharger]

I just did a coast to coast trip with my 93 cummins hauling a loaded 24ft enclosed trailer. Besides trans issues truck ran great and got 12-14 mpg.

[DC_1]

I also tow my enclosed trailer with my car, and again I have no feeling that I should have more truck.

You will have that feeling when you finally blow a tire or break an axle................



Todd

LOL, ok sure, because a blown tire on a 2500 is way easier to control than a 1500. As for the broken axle, do you have any empirical data to support this theory?  I never said I was towing a 15,000 lb loader every day. If that were the case I would agree a 2500 is the way to go. However, towing 10-12 times a year within the max rated towing capacity I feel the reliability of 1500 should be adequate.

I'm not disagreeing with your assessment that the 2500 is never going to let you down and better suited for heavy towing. It obsoletely is better, but it comes at a cost in ride quality when not towing.

Again, this is just my opinion and I respect those that believe bigger and stronger is better. I just don't tow something every day and prefer a comfortable ride.

[68X426]

However, towing 10-12 times a year within the max rated towing capacity I feel the reliability of 1500 should be adequate.

I almost might agree with you, but only if the weather is perfect and the roads excellent for each of those 10-12 tows.  Seriously I wouldn't tow at max rate unless conditions are perfect.  Really perfect.

I don't know where you live, but I feel sure that you must face some adverse conditions at some time of a tow: extreme hot weather, extreme cold, snow, sleet, ice, rain, winds (winds are I think the worst tow situation), not to mention deer on the highway, and lunatic drivers on the roads, potholes, poorly marked curves, poorly drained roads, etc. 

A 2500 (gas or diesel), at an appropriate load, is 10 times safer than a 1500 at max load, given all the conditions I listed. 



Call me a safety freak, so be it.  I want the best tool for the job, to max out my probability of safety, not to max out my load.  That's my approach.  I recommend the 2500.

[Todd Wilson]

I also tow my enclosed trailer with my car, and again I have no feeling that I should have more truck.

You will have that feeling when you finally blow a tire or break an axle................



Todd

LOL, ok sure, because a blown tire on a 2500 is way easier to control than a 1500. As for the broken axle, do you have any empirical data to support this theory?

Well for starters  you are running a load range rated tire on a 2500 truck so the chance of a blow out is a lot less then the SUV tires on the 1500 trucks. You also have better control with the load range tires. You have the full floater axle and have no risk of braking the clips loose and having your tire/wheel come off like on the half ton.  In a blow out situation your 2500 brakes and suspension will help you greatly to control and stop the vehicle. Its not all about power and the engine. Its obvious you haven't done much towing.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

However, towing 10-12 times a year within the max rated towing capacity I feel the reliability of 1500 should be adequate.

I almost might agree with you, but only if the weather is perfect and the roads excellent for each of those 10-12 tows.  Seriously I wouldn't tow at max rate unless conditions are perfect.  Really perfect.

I don't know where you live, but I feel sure that you must face some adverse conditions at some time of a tow: extreme hot weather, extreme cold, snow, sleet, ice, rain, winds (winds are I think the worst tow situation), not to mention deer on the highway, and lunatic drivers on the roads, potholes, poorly marked curves, poorly drained roads, etc. 

A 2500 (gas or diesel), at an appropriate load, is 10 times safer than a 1500 at max load, given all the conditions I listed. 



Call me a safety freak, so be it.  I want the best tool for the job, to max out my probability of safety, not to max out my load.  That's my approach.  I recommend the 2500.

You are exactly right!!!!!!!  All it takes is one pot hole to hit or fighting winds or that small little Honda car whip out and pass you only to pull right back in front of you and slow down to stop and make a turn to make you realize how much truck you have or don't have. Bumper to bumper freeway traffic in a big city. The list can go on and on...............


Todd

[DC_1]

I hear both of you but I respectfully disagree. There is plenty of "safety" engineered into these trucks to tow the 7 to 9k range I am suggesting on an occasional basis. Provided you are using a proberly equipped and balanced trailer with braking on all axles. That's not to say a 2500 or 3500 wouldn't be better at that job. Of course they would. And there is no argument that when you are towing with a 2500 the stiffer springs and heavier suspension translate through the steering wheel to give you a better feel when towing. If I were towing on a daily or weekly basis, or continually maxing it out at 10k lbs, I would tend to agree the more truck the better. But like I've said, it comes with a sacrifice in ride quality when you are not towing or carrying a load.

I've had both 2500s and 3500s and towed up to 16,000 lbs so I know what it feels like to have a load behind you. No matter what size truck you have or what load you are towing you need to constantly be on guard for a$$ holes who think you can stop on a dime.

[DC_1]

Its obvious you haven't done much towing.

LOL, is it now..... something is obvious to me as well.

[NHCharger]

I tend to err on the side of caution. My 03 Silverado has done a lot of towing between me and my Dad hauling boats, cars, campers, tractors. When we towed my Charger to Carlisle a few years ago (approx. 9,200 lbs.) I felt that the truck was on the edge as far as feeling comfortable to tow that load (plus it broke down on the return trip  ).
My company truck is a 08 Silverado 1/2 ton rated for 6.5k towing. Last year with it I towed on my 18' flatbed my 03 Silverado when the PS pump blew and a friends Chevy PU that broke down. In both cases the truck felt overwhelmed (suspension wise) by the loads. This is why I am asking for opinions. More concerned about the suspension and handling than the pulling power

[DC_1]

In both cases the truck felt overwhelmed (suspension wise) by the loads. This is why I am asking for opinions. More concerned about the suspension and handling than the pulling power

Then there is a simple answer. 2500 or larger

[Pete in NH]

I have a 99 RAM 2500 Cummins and I have to say the engine is the best part of the whole truck. For a 3/4 ton truck it is a respectable highway cruiser. It's also a great snow mover here in NH. The down side in the winter is the cost of fuel when diesel climbs to over $4 a gallon. Filling the tank gets painful. Also, since low sulfur fuel appeared the stuff seems to gel at the drop of  a hat in the winter cold. I never had a problem with that before the newer fuel. So, I need to keep up with anti-gelling additive in the winter which bumps up the tank filing cost a bit more.

Everything on the engine is a lot more expensive than its gas engine counterpart. Fuel filters, oil filters and the almost three gallons of oil it holds. So, the diesel is more expensive to run but, if you do a lot of towing it's the way to go.

[RallyeMike]

Have they fixed the problems with the 07 and later CTD emissions? Mine was in the shop every other month and ate the turbo at 13k miles.

[Highbanked Hauler]

I just did a coast to coast trip with my 93 cummins hauling a loaded 24ft enclosed trailer. Besides trans issues truck ran great and got 12-14 mpg.

    My 92 CDT tows my 36 ft. GN. and gets a solid 10 MPG.  on the side of a mountain or on the flats. It gets 15mpg. with the 18ft. open trailer with the Charger on it. The only thing I would have different is in a perfect world  it could use a 6spd. trans. because more gears would be nice on hills.

[TeeWJay426]

Brian, not sure what the $$$ premium is now for CTD, but when I bought my truck back in 2003, it was almost 5K then. That cost difference will buy you a LOT of fuel over the next several years.

[NHCharger]

Hey Tom, good to hear from you. 
I actually pulled the trigger on a 2500 over the weekend. I went to Bonneville in Manchester. They tried to talk me out of a 2500, said a properly equipped 1500 would do, just happened to have one on the lot. It was a lower end Tradesmen model. By the time you add on the rear end, tow package, bedliner, etc..... they wanted almost 39k. It was an extended cab model.

Port City Dodge found me a 2500 Crew Cab, Diesel for less than 3k more. Came with spray in bedliner, tow mirrors, trailer wiring package, back up cam, back up sensors, 18" wheels and several other options. Seems like a no-brainer to me. I was averaging 20 mpg on the drive home, way better than my 08 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 (company truck). The ride on the back roads are a bit rougher than the 1/2 tons but that doesn't bother me. First thing I did was order some running boards. I feel like a midget climbing in and out of that beast. And the bonus is that it does fit into my garage (barely).

[lukedukem]

Hey Tom, good to hear from you. 
I actually pulled the trigger on a 2500 over the weekend. I went to Bonneville in Manchester. They tried to talk me out of a 2500, said a properly equipped 1500 would do, just happened to have one on the lot. It was a lower end Tradesmen model. By the time you add on the rear end, tow package, bedliner, etc..... they wanted almost 39k. It was an extended cab model.

Port City Dodge found me a 2500 Crew Cab, Diesel for less than 3k more. Came with spray in bedliner, tow mirrors, trailer wiring package, back up cam, back up sensors, 18" wheels and several other options. Seems like a no-brainer to me. I was averaging 20 mpg on the drive home, way better than my 08 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 (company truck). The ride on the back roads are a bit rougher than the 1/2 tons but that doesn't bother me. First thing I did was order some running boards. I feel like a midget climbing in and out of that beast. And the bonus is that it does fit into my garage (barely).

glad to see you found a truck.... you didnt mention what brand or year or anything... oh yeah, pics

luke

[TeeWJay426]

Hey Tom, good to hear from you. 
I actually pulled the trigger on a 2500 over the weekend. I went to Bonneville in Manchester. They tried to talk me out of a 2500, said a properly equipped 1500 would do, just happened to have one on the lot. It was a lower end Tradesmen model. By the time you add on the rear end, tow package, bedliner, etc..... they wanted almost 39k. It was an extended cab model.

Port City Dodge found me a 2500 Crew Cab, Diesel for less than 3k more. Came with spray in bedliner, tow mirrors, trailer wiring package, back up cam, back up sensors, 18" wheels and several other options. Seems like a no-brainer to me. I was averaging 20 mpg on the drive home, way better than my 08 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 (company truck). The ride on the back roads are a bit rougher than the 1/2 tons but that doesn't bother me. First thing I did was order some running boards. I feel like a midget climbing in and out of that beast. And the bonus is that it does fit into my garage (barely).

Sounds like you made out pretty well then. Congrats! And like Luke said.....pics!

[NHCharger]

Sorry Luke. 2014 RAM 2500. They're starting to discount the 14's to get them off the lots to make room for the 15's.
This crappy iphone pic is the only one I have so far.

[lukedukem]

Very nice. If something happened to my 06 cummins. That is the exact truck I'd buy. No kidding, white with cab lights, no fancy stuff. It's hard not to go up there and buy, but this 5.9 cummins is hard to let go and it's paid off. Congrats.

Luke

[hatersaurusrex]

Heh if I trade up from my 1500 to a 2500 I'm getting a Power Wagon.

Becasue - Power Wagon.

[FJ5WING]

Sorry Luke. 2014 RAM 2500. They're starting to discount the 14's to get them off the lots to make room for the 15's.
This crappy iphone pic is the only one I have so far.

That's awesome! Is it 4x4? heres one I picked up a few weeks ago. I couldn't wait to get steps bolted up because I was the midget too.