Hello, new member, first post with some questions.

Hey y'all,

New Member here, first post on this site. I've owned and driven full size trucks from the Big 3 for the past 25+ yrs. I don't own a Ram presently but am considering a new 2500 series 4x4, crew cab, standard bed.

I currently own a 2015 1500 series Chevrolet Crew Cab Z71 4x4. It's a good truck, but Chevrolet wants $1200 to install trailer tow mirrors on it, which to me is just ridiculous.

So, I've been considering trading up to a 2500 series Chevy or Dodge. I owned a 1997 2500 series Ram years ago that was a good truck. Has Dodge gotten the transmissions in these trucks ironed out? (I hope?) I also keep hearing that Dodge still has corrosion issues. is that also correct or has that been addressed?

To those newer 2500 Ram owners with the 6.4 V8, do you like your trucks? is there anything about these trucks I need to be aware of going into this or that I should look for on the test drive? Is premium fuel required in the 6.4?

I'd be looking at a lower model 2500 Dodge, so that the out money between the two would not be an excessive amount. My Chevrolet is very highly optioned and I just don't need all that stuff. My thought process is why not step up to a 3/4 ton truck instead of putting the trailer tow mirrors on my 1/2 ton Chevy and still have a limited capacity truck. I tow a 23' travel trailer presently but would like to step up to a 29' trailer in the future so this truck upgrade is being considered in that as well.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Greg

welcome to the forum comrade!

i love my 6.4 tradesman. this is my first automatic transmissioned vehicle since 1986. its strange, as i keep putting my left foot onto a ghost pedal all the time. my input, after driving my truck for 12k, is that if you live at any elevation ( denver or higher ) and are going to tow that 29 foot tt.....get the cummins diesel.

my last truck was an 02 cummins 2500. its still alive but sketchy to drive anymore. that thing at 9300 feet could drag my 30 foot tt up any grade on the highway passing with ease. i dont think the 6.4 could do that in the thin air - towing.

also, dont expect any mileage with the 6.4 - the best i have clocked is 12 - empty. keep in mind i go up and down mountains every day to go to work.

lastly, i think rams interiors and the ride are better than ford or chev. - no offense.

good luck on your potential purchase. cheers!

Welcome to RamForum.

The transmission issues have been sorted. Nothing past the 2nd generation came with the old transmission. I owned a 2007 MegaCab with the 5.7L, ran it over 140K miles and I had zero transmission issues.

My 2014 6.4L CrewCab Bighorn has had no corrosion issues. There's a bit of surface rust on the underside but that's to be expected. A full undercoating right after purchasing would take care of that.

I love the power, torque and driveability of my Ram. The 6.4L engine won't compare to a Cummins but it's a great engine, built as a truck engine and with a couple of tweaks will surprise a lot of folks out there on the road.

The 6.4L will run just fine on 87. I actually got a bit better mileage with 89 octane. I currently run 92 octane as I have a tune on the truck that is set up for that octane rating.

The only issue I've experienced besides the FCA issues TSB's and bulletins, and one that I have rectified, is a weak PS pump and steering box brace.

There's a HD truck section here you might want to read which will give you more insight into the members ownership experience.

Good luck with your decision.

Hello,

Thanks for the fast responses. They are certainly encouraging. No offense at all taken about dodge vs Chevy interiors.

Good to know about the transmission and corrosion issues. Are their any other common problem areas with these trucks? Chevy has several on some trucks. Thankfully my truck does not have them. (Vibration at highway speeds, clunky shifting transmission, etc)

As i said, i did really like that 97' 2500 series i had. I am on the east coast, so no elevation issues. The 6.4 has more than enough juice for any camper I'd be looking at. Heck, the 5.3 in my Chevy does for that matter, but half ton trucks are payload limited, which is one reason why I'm considering this move.

Thanks again
Greg

hey comrade. in the 12k miles, the only problem i have had is the stupid clutch fan. it gets stuck on and sounds like your driving a turbine powered vehicle.

i have replaced mine a few times, because i can do it in 15 minutes in the driveway instead of drive 1 hr to the dealer ( i live in the sticks way up in the mountains )

do you, based on your screen name, have a buick gran sport? the "gs " sparked my curiousity. i have a 70 stage 1 4 speed. sometimes i wish new cars were that simple. and fast......cheers!

I have a 2016 2500 with the 6.4 Hemi. I love my truck, though it isn't a cummins, it runs great empty and isn't bad to tow with at all. I went through the Chevy/Ford/Ram debate as well and was more impressed with the 6.4L in the Ram than either of the other two gas engines.

I tow a Jayco Eagle 34' TT that weighs 8000lbs before I load it up. Here in West Virginia, it does go to 3rd on some interstate hills and 2nd on some smaller (slower speeds) hills when towing, but that is to stay at 65 mph. If I just let it drop a few mph, then it doesn't run near as hard. Just understand it is a gas engine and not a diesel. So with that said, I love my truck.

As an empty, daily driver, it is simply an awesome truck. It is very comfy, has great features and the eninge/tranny combo is great. I too run 87 octane unless towing, so it doesn't need premium like some other larger engines.

Only thing is if you are towing, I recommend the 4.10 rear gears. I have them and they do help out a bit when towing, plus it raises your overall towing capacity.

Thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate them. I had two long responses typed out and each time they got deleted somehow by the system.
Oh well. The truck I am looking at has 3.73 gears. Not the best, but not horrible either. The 5.3/3.42 combo in my Silverado pulls strong. However, I have only pulled with small block V8’s so this new Chevy is night and day better than anything else I have ever towed with. It’s got a 9200lb tow rating and 1704 lbs of payload capacity, not bad for a ½ ton truck. Although the 360 in the 97 Ram with 4.10s also pulled STRONG too, no doubt about that.
One thing I do not like about the Gen3 5.3 Chevy’s is they have a cold start rattle, GM tries to say it’s a cold start “eerp or rasp” due to the to dual stage oil pump in those trucks. Of course they say “it’s normal” which is BS. I find it highly annoying. Is the 6.4 Dodge quiet when you start it in the cold weather? Is it a push rod V8?
I have not test driven any 2500 series Chevy’s or F250 Fords. It’s hard to find a CCSB Ford Superduty and the 17’s with the aluminum body are going to be too expensive for me. Plus when I open the hood of a Ford I feel like I want to puke (LOL), just too busy under the hood. I Find Chevy and Dodge much nicer to work on, personally.
So no other drivability/run ability issues I need to look for when I test drive this Ram, correct? I stopped by to look at the truck after business hours tonight. Man the back end of that thing is up in the clouds! Civic drivers better hope they don’t rear-end one! LOL. I am a bit vertically challenged so I can barely see in the bed when I stand next to the truck. The size of the frame, suspension components, front and rear axles, etc are big. It sure seems well built from an undercarriage standpoint.
Is the driver’s seat height adjustable in the Tradesmen? That’s a must for me, obviously. I could not tell on the truck I looked at without opening the door. (locked).
This particular truck has the 5th wheel prep package so it has a bunch of holes in the floor of the bed. I hope there are plugs to close those off? The bed has the factory spray-on bed liner which is nice also.
Any other thoughts/suggestions, let me know. One of the trailer tow mirrors on this truck was extended and I can see the truck was driven in the rain with how there is dirt in all the wheel wells I wonder if someone test pulled a 5th wheel with it? I would hope not. I’m sure there is a break-in period for these trucks before you pull with them, at least there was on the Chevy. I’m not sure why all those holes in the bed would be exposed unless they come that way from the factory?
Thanks,
G

Compared to trucks a generation or two ago the new Rams are outstanding.... as are any brand. I'm not sure what the past tranny issues were with Dodge/Ram but I hate to say the tranny in my 6.4 is by far my biggest complaint (and many others as well).

The main issue with the 66RFE (tranny in the 6.4 Hemi) is slow downshifts. Also, a HUGE gap between 1st and 2nd is a common complaint. The ratios in this tranny are the same as the 68RFE used with the Cummins and are much better suited for a diesel that loves the low RPMs. As a daily driver these problems are pretty much a non-issue. Even towing moderate loads it does well. The biggest problems come up when towing 10,000# plus (which is probably Cummins territory anyway). In a nutshell my best advice is if you plan to tow at or over 10,000# with any regularity you may be underwhelmed. As a daily driver or with small/medium trailers I think this is a great truck.

Aside from this general advice I personally had my tranny blow @ 38K in stop/go traffic with no towing load at all. While I realize this is a statistical anomaly it's worth mentioning. Even after being totally rebuilt my tranny still clunks and misses more than I'm happy with for a truck that cost north of $40K. I've got plenty of warranty left and just don't have the time or effort to fight with my dealer so I'm living with it for now. But, honestly, don't let my own personal problems sway you much. They are not the norm from a reliability standpoint.

Overall, the 6.4 Hemi is a good/great truck. For the money I think it's the best of the big 3. But it does have its limitations and some undesirable characteristics. The support from Ram could be better as well.

This is my first Ram. I've had 2 Ford's and 4 GM"s and this is my favorite truck by far. 36k trouble free miles on my 2015. Make some minor mods and these trucks are perfect. Flowmaster dual exhaust and 2 inch level with 305/70/18 mud tires and couldn't be happier with it. Mine is a Tradesman model, but I still get compliments on it all the time...especially after the mods.

^^ this is a nice rig, clean and done right!

I really enjoy the driveability of the 6.4. It does great within its design and I have no complaints. The transmission- once you get used to it you can get around it. I would agree with mtofell.

I know I have a couple of issue threads on here, but overall I am really happy with it and would buy it again.

Again, thanks guys.

Is the driver's seat height adjustable in the tradesman?

No, the standard Tradesman seat is not height adjustable. It may be available as an option. I'm pretty sure you have to go to the SLT model to get that as a standard feature.

Go to the Ram site and try building a Tradesman and see if it's available for the current year.

MADDOG said:

No, the standard Tradesman seat is not height adjustable. It may be available as an option. I'm pretty sure you have to go to the SLT model to get that as a standard feature.

Go to the Ram site and try building a Tradesman and see if it's available for the current year.

Click to expand...

Hi MD, Thanks for the reply, that could be an issue as I'm 5'4" tall or so. I guess I will have to test drive it and go from there. I did check the Dodge website and did the build and it's not an option on the Tradesman.

Thanks for all the other help and suggestions.

-G

I test drove the ram this weekend. Seemed nice for a tradesmen model. I had no issues with the seat. I also looked at the undercarriage real good against the 2500hd Silverado. The ram seems a lot more beefy than the chevy.

Ram was comfortable and ran good. Took it on a long test drive. The in floor compartments in the rear is a good idea. It's a lot more spartan than my current Silverado, but has 1300 lbs more payload. The yellow door sticker was over 3,000 lbs max. Pretty impressive. Not sure what the Chevy was but all 3 of the big 3 are building good trucks these days. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I don't care for the foreign trucks but that's just me.

Thanks again for all the help and thoughts

-G

I'm curious, you mentioned your 2015 Chevy is a highly optioned truck. Is that an LTZ model or......? My point is that the Chevy and FOrd trucks while nice seem to be far more expensive than the comparably optioned Ram truck. While you state you don't need all the options you have in the Chevy are you really sure you will be happy in a bare bones Tradesman? Seems like an awful big jump down in comfort. I would think you should be able to get a comparable optioned Ram and still not be out much money on the trade of your 2015 Chevy.

Hi sk,

I've thought about it. My truck is an LT, but has heated leather seats, navigation (which I rarely use), etc. I hate leather seats, but this truck had the other options i wanted (3.42 gears, short bed ) so i went with it. I will miss the remote start and the map lights on the rare occasion i use them, but it's no deal breaker. The 7" touch screen in the chevy is nicer, as is the smaller screen in the heads up display. But I'd trade that to get a truck that's a lot more capable, when i load it heavy for a camping trip, i know it wont be anywhere near it's limits. My Chevy does the job well now, but we're looking at new campers around 30' long and 7k+ gvwr and in my mind, with the extra margin i like to have for safety, that's 3/4 ton truck territory. I'm not a fancy person so i think the tradesmen will do what i need it to. Thanks for your thoughts.

I just thought of a question for you all. In addition to corrision and transmission issues the ram's had back when i had my 97, they had issues with the dashes cracking and falling apart in extreme cases.

Has that also been addressed? (I hope)?

Thanks
G

So trailer mirrors are the reason to look for a jump to RAM? Have you looked at RAM's trailer mirror offerings? RAM trailer mirrors suck compared to GM and Ford's.

Hootbro said:

So trailer mirrors are the reason to look for a jump to RAM? Have you looked at RAM's trailer mirror offerings? RAM trailer mirrors suck compared to GM and Ford's.

Click to expand...

Yes sir i have. That's not the only reason. I'm looking for a more capable truck as well. I had similar tow mirrors on my 97 ram 2500 and they worked just fine.

Certainly much better than the small, stock mirrors on my 1500 Silverado

Thanks

GsRAM said:

Hey y'all,

New Member here, first post on this site. I've owned and driven full size trucks from the Big 3 for the past 25+ yrs. I don't own a Ram presently but am considering a new 2500 series 4x4, crew cab, standard bed.

I currently own a 2015 1500 series Chevrolet Crew Cab Z71 4x4. It's a good truck, but Chevrolet wants $1200 to install trailer tow mirrors on it, which to me is just ridiculous.

So, I've been considering trading up to a 2500 series Chevy or Dodge. I owned a 1997 2500 series Ram years ago that was a good truck. Has Dodge gotten the transmissions in these trucks ironed out? (I hope?) I also keep hearing that Dodge still has corrosion issues. is that also correct or has that been addressed?

To those newer 2500 Ram owners with the 6.4 V8, do you like your trucks? is there anything about these trucks I need to be aware of going into this or that I should look for on the test drive? Is premium fuel required in the 6.4?

I'd be looking at a lower model 2500 Dodge, so that the out money between the two would not be an excessive amount. My Chevrolet is very highly optioned and I just don't need all that stuff. My thought process is why not step up to a 3/4 ton truck instead of putting the trailer tow mirrors on my 1/2 ton Chevy and still have a limited capacity truck. I tow a 23' travel trailer presently but would like to step up to a 29' trailer in the future so this truck upgrade is being considered in that as well.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Greg

Click to expand...

Welcome to RamForum,

Tranny issues... I'm going to venture out and say that there really hasn't ever been an issue. Those who complain dont take care of their vehicle or abuse them. Many of the cummins owners complain about them after adding tuners to the motor and adding horsepower and expect a stock trans to hold it, and it can to a point.

Corrosion issues: again, not really an issue when compared to the other big names. Personally i'd say Chevy is far worse than any other maker in that category.

As for the 6.4 hemi, that thing is a beast. I owned one prior to my signature truck but traded it in due to some lemon issues. I purchased my hemi with the big horn package and really liked it. I only had the 3.73 gears which i felt did a terrible job matching the truck and engine. If you go this route PLEASE buy the 4.10 gears. with the 3.73 it rarely kicked into 4 cylinder mode and the fuel economy wasn't the best. It also lacked what i needed in pulling power with our 5th wheel due to the gear set in my opinion. With the bumper pull we had when we first got the truck it did a great job however.

as for pulling your camper you will love the 6.4, especially if you stay with a bumper pull. we had a 37' bumper weighing 9,000 pounds and it'd cruise along in 5th gear and net around 10mpg. once we bought the 5th wheel the added wind resistance really brought the truck down. A big part being the 3.73 gears personally... as discussed on this forum it really should have been 4.10 standard and 4.56 gears optional.