Are these upgrades worht the cost

I am getting ready to upgrade from a 2500 to a 3500 and I would like to get some opinions on a couple of items. First some background info: I am upgrading to pull our 16000 pond fifth wheel and it is doubtful this truck will ever leave pavement and if it does it will see well maintained gravel roads; also we have not been able to find one in dealer stock that meets all of our desires so we are going to order one from the factory. With that in mind I am wondering if paying the extra money for the Aisin Transmission and four wheel drive is worth it. I know they are both great upgrades but do I really need them. Thanks in advance for you opinions.

If your upgrading to a dually and live(or travel to) in an area that gets snow, you'll want 4X4.

Always better to have it than not. You never know what nature or circumstance will throw at you.

Agreed, better to have and not need, than need and not have. I will always have a 4x4 truck if possible. I have heard good things about that asin tranny too..

There have been times I've needed 4x4 in my sloped grass yard and times I've needed it pulling the tt and getting it backed into a sloped campsite where the other older trucks i had Just spun in 2-hi.

Good luck

Go with the Aisin if you're going to keep it long passed the warranty. I went with the G56 because I hate the way my Dads 2016 3500 68RFE shifts with a load on it. I would have bought a 3500 with the Aisin if I was pulling all the time. But the 2500s ride so much better. As for 4WD, I probably wouldn't pay for it... If you're pulling a 16K fifth wheel you're probably not going to be pulling it anywhere you'll need 4WD. You'll get better mileage I would imagine.

The 4x4 is a no brainer especially since you are towing- Regardless of where u live/tow or visit- I live in the mountains and I can't tell you how many people I have helped put chains on and they wish they had just bought a 4x4... and the same goes for camping spots like the previous posts have said-
If a sectio of hwy gets restricted to 4x4 only use - you want to be able to access it at ur descresion and not be stuck waiting because u don't have 4x4- Snow is not the only factor for 4x4- all weather can invoke the use of 4x4- Maybe u wanna camp on a beach? - Or next to a river - In the end - even if you use it once a year - the first time u do t have to pay a tow or extraction bill- u just paid for it, and you now have piece of mind. Don't worry about fuel mileage difference - in a dually it really ain't gonna make that much difference. As far as the tranny goes- if ur going Cummins you might as well go aisin, if ur going gas you really
Don't need it as the 6.4 will not put anywhere the load on that tranny that the cumins will- I hope ur going diesel with that size trailer- but u really don't need the aisin, out of the two options - 4x4 is # 1 and aisin tranny is #2. Just my thoughts.

I'd definitely want the Aisin transmission if I was towing that heavy.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I am not planning on ordering until this fall but taking all of your comments into account I think I am going to get four wheel drive and probably the Aisin transmission as well. Thanks again.

I went through this not long ago and spent a year of reading forums trying to understand what I really needed. My opinion with reasons and not an off-the-cuff comment.

The battle between the Aisin and the 68RFE is an on-going battle that will never resolve. Reading through the various forums there is plenty of negative comments about both transmissions. The Aisin has a PTO, lower gearing in the first couple gears (better if you are going to do a lot of start/stop driving), and a more frequent (and expensive) service interval, it is also a $2,600 option and can pass a bit more torque. The Aisin de-fuels the engine during a shift, this seemed to be a major complaint as was the excessive torque management and no ability to tune if you decided to go that route.

With a 16K pound fiver, you are close to the maximum tow weight and likely payload for an SRW 3500. If 16K is your loaded trailer weight I'd stay with an SRW 68RFE, if you plan on a bigger fiver then a dually for the payload, and based on the size you're looking for pick out the gearing for the tow weight needed. I would think an Aisin would be the better choice once you start towing beyond 20K.

4x4, absolutely. I've found I've needed 4x4 while maneuvering in campgrounds parking the fiver, as mentioned, soft ground, and wet grass will cause rear wheel slip.

I strongly suggest additional options too, rear cargo camera, rear air leveling system, and the fifth wheel prep package.

I ordered an SWR 3500 68RFE 4x4 with rear air leveling, cargo camera, fifth wheel prep , with a 6' bed. If I had to do it over again, the only change I would make is getting the longer bed for the added clearance between the fiver's cap and the truck's cab.

After 2 1/2 years of pulling around a 15,000 pound 40 foot Montana with a SRW 68RFE with 3:42 gears I can say, no problems, plenty of power, in fact, more than what is needed. I can easily reach 70MPH on an acceleration ramp for a merge into traffic with the Montana in tow.

100% agree with BossHogg. The 68RFE easily and reliably handle 16k. It is rated to tow more than 22k in the 3500 DRW trucks, and there are plenty of people in the RV forums that have been towing close to that amount for years with no issues. If you are keeping your truck stock or do not plan on running a
higher than a 50+ hp tune, then the 68RFE should give you years of reliable service. You can run higher hp tunes with a trans tune in the 68RFE, but you have to be a little more considerate on how you drive if you want a long life out of it.

The Aisin is a solid trans as well and should be considered if you are going to towing over 20k or need its PTO function. It can also handle more power if you plan on going that route. However, as stated by Boss, it does have some cons that go along with it majorly the slow shifting from what I have heard.

I think a lot of people get stuck in the "its an upgrade option so it has to be better for me" or the "I have to get every upgrade available so I can say I did" mindset. The upgraded option may be better, but it may be a moot point and a waste of money if you are not going to use it for the reasons that make it a better option. Just as with the diesel option over the 6.4L, it may not necessarily be a better option for everyone's needs or wants, and that depends on how and where the truck will be used.

I've been camping several times where the site was muddy. I've used 4x4 to get out of muddy sites on at least 2 occasions. We go to Florida every February, and occasionally we need 4x4 to get through the first couple hours if it snows. It was worth the money to me and it appears that 4x4 trucks also have a higher resale value too.