Did you buy a Gasser or a Diesel?

Chasing said:

Is the length of time you plan to own a track a factor at all? Would keeping the truck for 10+ years and 150K miles+ be a factor in the Diesel vs gas decision?
I've pretty much decided a 2500 MegaCab Hemi will do all I need, but wondering what sort of longevity to expect out of the gas engines??

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It's a crap shoot with any engine/ transmission but if you look after it, it will look after you for many, many years. You'll be sick of the truck long before it fails you I suspect.

Looked at 2020 Ram 2500 6.4 gas in my area. After researching and reading about the differences in the 2 engines. I took brawn over the 6.4 and went with the Cummins. Towing a 30 foot 8,000 trailer up and down hills and across the states make the choice easier. Yes the 6.4 gasser can do it, but who wants to stop at every gas station and fill up. That and a great, out the door price made the choice easy.

Ed Ross said:

Could have been. The CEL did come on after around 700 miles. Once checked out I did ask the service rep if he felt that played a part with the horrible fuel economy. He didn't seem to think so but I think it might have a bit. Like you i was between 65 and 70 mph. Also I will say the hilly passes through AZ and NM didn't help. My best was 8mpg. Like I mentioned, once getting into TX the mileage improved...flatter land. I know the mpg would have been horrible towing 12k+ lbs. The Cummins just did everything effortless as I would expect it to. Gasser is a great truck and I used it more for off roading and originally just didn't want to pay the price for the diesel. Payload capacity is awesome too.

Felt like this could be towed much more efficient with the Cummins.


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Is that a 36BHQ?

OC455 said:

Is that a 36BHQ?

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Yep. Really have been enjoying it too!

@Ed Ross did you get the factory rear air or did you install aftermarket? Your truck sits nicely with the 5er on it.

rule18 said:

@Ed Ross did you get the factory rear air or did you install aftermarket? Your truck sits nicely with the 5er on it.

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I installed the Firestone Ride Rite 2598 helper bags. Just the bags and ran the lines to the fill valve stems under the bumper.(attached to the receiver hitch) Prob will install a compressor later if I feel the need. I just use my portable compressor for now. I believe I filled the bags to 70 psi. Max psi is 100. The Firestone red label bags are rated 150 psi. No issues. With my Gen-Y torsen flex gooseneck and the the bags, it rode like a dream! Thanks!

Having owned a diesel once before (and I do miss it) all the problems with current diesel emission systems keep me away. One of the reasons I loved my old 6.9L Ford (yup real old school) was it was easy to maintain and keep running. Parts were reasonable and fuel mileage was always very good compared to a gasser of the same year. Computers don't bother me in a truck, but now having to worry about the cost of DEF, and the cost of replacement emission parts when they fail on top of the initial cost of the diesel I just can't get a pay back in my daily commute or with the towing I do. I keep my trucks for at least 10 years and don't buy new as I can't afford too (and this time didn't actually want to pay the price even for a Tradesman which I could have afforded). I don't tow enough at the moment to justify the cost seeing my 6.4 is proving to be much better than my last gasser and almost as good as the 6.9l I had fuel mileage wise. With what I saved buying the Hemi compared to a CTD I can deal with the fuel mileage when I do tow.

I just completed a 7515 mile trip with this 2014 2500 6.4L Hemi, (it has 410 gearing, 20" wheels, 4x4 crew cab), the average for the trip is 15.1 mpg (hand calculated). I didn't tow on this trip but it included lots of driving at 75 mph, commuting in Boston, climbing Mount Washington, and other fun with the truck when not working. I can't complain with the fuel mileage I got as I am not easy on the throttle.

If I start towing a heavy camper when I retire then I might move up to a CTD but until I do I can't justify the all cost involved in owning one.

Duck62 said:

Looked at 2020 Ram 2500 6.4 gas in my area. After researching and reading about the differences in the 2 engines. I took brawn over the 6.4 and went with the Cummins. Towing a 30 foot 8,000 trailer up and down hills and across the states make the choice easier. Yes the 6.4 gasser can do it, but who wants to stop at every gas station and fill up. That and a great, out the door price made the choice easy.

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I've been there I had a 2016 dodge ram 6.4L Hemi with a 4.10 gears and I was towing a 12,000lbs 5th wheel, from WA to Las Vegas going through the hills and mountains, it did it but when you are towing that much weight a diesel is preferred.

You know it's a choice that one will have to make I bought a diesel because that is what I wanted and nothing else I could have still had that Hemi but I decided.

I’m at 9k and still loving the 6.4 Hemi.

Here is my story..... I purchased my first HD Ram back in 2008. It was a 6.7 Cummins powered 3500 SRW with Bluetec. I loved that truck but hated the regen process and at 100,000 miles a 2014 3500SRW stole my heart. We were towing a 40ft Komfort 5th wheel and the truck did a great job. In 2017 as the kids got older we decided to downsize and sold the big camper and truck as a package. We decided a 30ft bumper pull was all that we needed and after finding the camper we liked we then purchased a 2017 2500 with the 6.4 Hemi. Almost immediately I regretted going from diesel to gas and from a 3500 to a 2500. I expected a much better ride quality out of the coil spring truck but after driving the truck for a while in mixed conditions I realized the ride quality was pretty close between the two trucks but more importantly I HATED the 6.4 Hemi. I hated its lack of low end torque and that I had to ring its neck for it to make any power. Even unloaded on medium sized hills the truck needed at least one downshift to get over the top. It was just never a relaxing drive and I realized I missed that diesel torque. Last week a 2020 Ram 3500 6.7HO followed me howm and the 2017 2500 found itself a new home.

I have zero desire for an oil burner. Even if the Cummins was a free upgrade, I'd pass. I drove big trucks for over a decade, so I know diesels. I just wouldn't get any benefits from one. My driving style would probably make the 6.7 less reliable than the 6.4, maintenance would be drastically higher and heavy hauling is rare for me. Even my Tracked Loader is a gasser.

Hmm, lots of "it doesn't make fiscal sense to get the CTD" in this thread. I wonder if that is code for my wife wouldn't let spend the extra 9 G's for the CTD.

Getting my $300 fuel filters replaced Monday. Totally worth it.

I chose the 6.4 because I don’t tow all the time and especially cause I was able to get the lifetime bumper to bumper warranty. They didn’t offer it on diesel. If I get a bigger trailer then I may go back to Diesel. Currently have a 30 ft TT and it’s just about right for the 2 of us. Had a F250 and 350 dually. Didn’t like the uneven wear on the front tires so going to stick with SRW.


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Groo said:

I have zero desire for an oil burner. Even if the Cummins was a free upgrade, I'd pass. I drove big trucks for over a decade, so I know diesels. I just wouldn't get any benefits from one. My driving style would probably make the 6.7 less reliable than the 6.4, maintenance would be drastically higher and heavy hauling is rare for me. Even my Tracked Loader is a gasser.

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im the same. i wouldnt want a free deisel if you left it in my driveway. all these millenial punks have turned deisels into a fad with their muffler deletes and belching black smoke. dont forgot the stupid level kit and skateboard 20" wheels

crazy jerry said:

im the same. i wouldnt want a free deisel if you left it in my driveway. all these millenial punks have turned deisels into a fad with their muffler deletes and belching black smoke. dont forgot the stupid level kit and skateboard 20" wheels

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That stick out 2 foot past the fender.

Had one get pissed off at me tonight while I held them up at the road backing a trailer in.

i

farmallboy said:

That stick out 2 foot past the fender.

Had one get pissed off at me tonight while I held them up at the road backing a trailer in.

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it must be the new thing but im seeing more and more of these leveled out ************* mall crawlers with blue and purple lights under the truck and in the wheel wells. have you been seeing a up tick in that sort of nonsense ?

I bought the gas motor this time. Our 5th wheel has a 2400lb pin weight so it was either a gas 2500 or Cummins 3500. The 2500 rides better unloaded which is 85% of the time I’m driving it. It’s also nice to not worry about fuel and def quality like I had to do with my last truck which was a ‘16 Cummins.

New to this forum. I just traded a '14 Cummins and bought a 2020 6.4. I enjoyed the diesel while I had it but really did not need it. I can say that the gasser is much more comfortable and quiet, road noise is hardly noticeable lol. Never had any problems with my diesel just figured it was a good time to trade it in. In the little time I have driven the truck, the transmission is shifting better and better. I'm happy with my decision.

I opted for the 6.4 for a few reasons. 1...The CTD is silly expensive around me. 2...I don't NEED a diesel (doesn't mean I wouldn't like one). 3...Diesel fuel is usually a minimum of 30 cents more per gallon anywhere within a couple days drive of me. 4...when I was buying it was hard enough to find a Tradesman with some useful options; the CTD trucks were either no options and 55k or all the options and 80k. 5...A CTD 2500 doesn't offer enough payload and 3500 trucks around here don't seem to exist long enough for me to find them

I chose / settled on the gas truck and it has done well. I've never owned a diesel so I don't know what I'm missing. The 6.4 and 8HP75 was the key to getting this truck, I wasn't happy with the towing reports on the 6.4 and 6 speed.