Anyone with an HD that DOESN’T tow?

[IRSmart]

Where did you purchase your light bar?

It all came from amazon

 

[22hemi13]

Must be nice being out there. My office job (and my wife working in a hospital system) has us in the suburbs/city for now, but in a few years hopefully we can move out a ways and get rid of this parking garage issue!

My wife works at the hospital here in Fredericksburg. I call it the big city population like 13k. Our farms town pop is 350

 

[Jughed]

My wife works at the hospital here in Fredericksburg. I call it the big city population like 13k. Our farms town pop is 350

I'm in farm/bay country as well... not much around. At the same time, I'm 1 hour from 2 major cities and all the good and bad associated...

 

[spoon059]

Beefier- yes, but not everybody needs beefier. Heavier components do last longer but that’s really only if you use your truck for an actual truck. That’s why the halftons have migrated away from the Heavy Duty and why the 3/4-tons and one tons have gotten more towards it. All three weights of trucks are better suited for what they were designed to be used for.

A heavier truck is not always safer. Heavier trucks take longer to stop. They’re taller which contributes to higher center of gravity which affects handling and cornering. All of those “heavier and beefier” components probably aids in much less crumple zones which will hopefully keep you alive in a serious accident. Not saying the 2500’s are less safe, just saying that it’s general dynamics.

My vote is for choosing a specific duty of truck for which it will be used- unless you just want something heavier built for whatever reason.


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Heavier components help when you hit potholes, doesn't matter if you use it as a "truck" or a "car", potholes will damage components.
My Ram is heavier, as are my brakes. Add in the exhaust brake and I bet my 3/4 ton diesel slows quicker than your half ton.
The 2500 Ram is 79.8 inches tall. The 1500 Ram is 77.7 inches tall. Yes, they are slightly taller, but my Ram has a stiffer suspension and stronger sway bar than a half ton, so it is less effected by cornering. Add in the E rated tires on the 2500 as opposed to the spongy car rated tires on the 1500 and the 2500 should feel even more solid going through turns.
Ram 2500 and Ram 1500 are both 4 star rated in crash tests, so your theory about crumple zones is wrong too. Also, crash testing is done against similar size and weight vehicles. If your 1500 crashed into my 2500 I would expect the heavier vehicle to carry more force through the collision, leading to less G force on my body. It is a proven fact that the heavier car wins wrecks. Crumple zones and air bags help protect the occupants, but physics always wins.

Yes, buy the right tool for the job, but understand what makes it the right tool. All 4 of your points were dead wrong and inaccurate, so don't decide what to buy based upon those. Buy what you want. I had half ton trucks for a long time, because that 's all I needed. Now that I need a heavier truck, I have one. Having had an F150, a Tundra and now a Ram 2500, I can tell you that there is ZERO reason why a 3/4 ton truck can't be a daily driver. It costs a little more, but gives you much more options.

 

[corneileous]

Heavier components help when you hit potholes, doesn't matter if you use it as a "truck" or a "car", potholes will damage components.

Your heavier components might protect a little better against potholes but it’s not the difference between night and day. Again, not everybody needs beefier, heavier components to have a good, long-lasting truck so this part of the argument is in fact invalid.

My Ram is heavier, as are my brakes. Add in the exhaust brake and I bet my 3/4 ton diesel slows quicker than your half ton.

Maybe if you’re pulling a heavy trailer(which is where the 3/4-especially with the CTD shines) you’ll stop quicker than me. Just because you got heavier brakes, that only means so that big ole heavy truck can stop in a timely manner like it’s supposed to. Heavier truck should have heavier brakes. Especially one that is designed as yours with that big ole Cummins under the hood. It should have bigger brakes to not only stop itself, and whatever’s behind it so again, your counter-argument here- is invalid.

The 2500 Ram is 79.8 inches tall. The 1500 Ram is 77.7 inches tall. Yes, they are slightly taller, but my Ram has a stiffer suspension and stronger sway bar than a half ton, so it is less effected by cornering.

Depends on which models you’re comparing. The Ram 1500 varies from 77 inches to almost 78 inches and the Ram 2500 varies from 76 inches clear up to 81 inches.

Of course your sway bar is stronger because of the heavier duty truck it’s bolted to. But it’s no more better than my 1500 when you compare complete truck vs complete truck. Plus mine has the four-corner air ride on it so at highway speeds, it lowers itself for a lower center of gravity. Does your big, beefier, heavier 2500 do that?? Mmm, no. So again, this counter-argument is once again irrelevant.

Add in the E rated tires on the 2500 as opposed to the spongy car rated tires on the 1500 and the 2500 should feel even more solid going through turns.

And feel every bump, too. But again, based on what your truck was made to do and what mine was made to do, my pickup was pretty solid even with those car-rated Goodyear’s they stuck on there from the factory. They didn’t feel spongy at all. Actually rode really nice. Now if I towed something heavy, that’s where your truck would shine. But see, not everybody tows as much as what that big ole, beefier, heavier duty 2500 is capable of towing.

Also to add, it was only because of the ****** traction of them factory Goodyear’s, replacing them with an 8-ply BFG all terrain inflated to 55 psi, my truck is even more solid-feeling as it was before both in cornering and stability, including braking and acceleration so again, this counter-argument is invalid. Even when I pulled an 18 foot flatbed with a mustang strapped onto it, I had no sway at all. Or sponginess feeling.

Ram 2500 and Ram 1500 are both 4 star rated in crash tests, so your theory about crumple zones is wrong too. Also, crash testing is done against similar size and weight vehicles. If your 1500 crashed into my 2500 I would expect the heavier vehicle to carry more force through the collision, leading to less G force on my body. It is a proven fact that the heavier car wins wrecks. Crumple zones and air bags help protect the occupants, but physics always wins.

You might actually have me here by a little bit on this one but crumple zones do help to absorb impacts. I’ll be more than willing to betcha that the occupant of the H2 below felt a lot less impact than the one in the big ole dually.

Yes, buy the right tool for the job, but understand what makes it the right tool.

I agree, buy the right tool for the job but I’m starting to wonder if your logic also means trying to convince someone to always have a sledge hammer on hand even when you need to drive a brad nail home.

All 4 of your points were dead wrong and inaccurate, so don't decide what to buy based upon those.

Um, no they weren’t . If you’re not using your big ole 2500 to do what it’s designed to do, it’s really just overkill; unless that’s just the kind/type of truck you want.

Buy what you want.

That’s what it’s all about, irregardless of what you or I both say.

I had half ton trucks for a long time, because that 's all I needed. Now that I need a heavier truck, I have one.

See, this right here is primarily what it’s all about. This is really the only truly accurate argument you’ve made that actually pertains to the whole discussion that is valid. You state here that for a long time, you only had 1/2-tons because that’s all you needed. Now that your needs have changed, you’re trying to argue points for points with a 1/2-ton owner just because you’re now a HD owner.

Having had an F150, a Tundra and now a Ram 2500, I can tell you that there is ZERO reason why a 3/4 ton truck can't be a daily driver. It costs a little more, but gives you much more options.

Nobody’s saying a 3/4 ton anything can’t be used a daily driver. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Buy why you want. That’s all that matters. Just do your research and think about what you want before you buy because you definitely don’t want to have any regrets in what you thought you wanted.

And look man, I have no beef with you at all, I just however can’t sit here and do nothing when someone is obviously trying to make a halfton look incredibly inferior to a HD 3/4 ton.


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[spoon059]

Cornelious... now you are changing the argument. You took it from SAFETY, to COMFORT. Its hard to have an educated disagreement if you keep changing the parameters of the discussion. I never once said a half ton is inferior. This entire thread is about the capabilities of a heavy duty pickup truck. I am discussing what makes a HD truck a worthwhile investment. You even admit that you upgraded your car tires and put D rated tires... so its not just about comfort for you.

All of my comments are 100% correct.
Heavier truck, heavier brakes, stronger and larger piston clamping larger and thicker pad.
Heavier components last longer. I'm not going to apologize for that fact. It is what it is.
You yourself admit that there are HD trucks with lower profiles than half tons. You yourself invalidate your own opinion.
Glad we can both agree that heavier vehicles fare better. If we had to argue the principles of physics... we'd be here a while.

 

[corneileous]

Cornelious... now you are changing the argument. You took it from SAFETY, to COMFORT. Its hard to have an education disagreement if you keep changing the parameters of the discussion.

Actually no, I’m not. My argument is still generally the same. It’s always been about safety and comfort.

I never once said a half ton is inferior.

I know you didn’t, and contrary to popular belief, I didn’t say you did but the way you present your argument is a blatant discredit to half-tons. But it’s fine. As it’s been said already, it’s kind of to be expected since the topic was generated in the Heavy Duty section of the forum.

This entire thread is about the capabilities of a heavy duty pickup truck. I am discussing what makes a HD truck a worthwhile investment.

Not really. If you read the OP’s original intent, he states that he’s using the question of how many HD owners actually use their HD’s for which they were originally intended, to gather feedback on whether he needs justification to get one over a 1500 or not.

And for the record, no one needs subject matter to discuss that a HD truck is a worthwhile investment. Of course it’s a worthwhile investment. If it says RAM on it, of course it’s a worthwhile investment. There’s no question about that. But I highly doubt that’s what the OP is looking for.

You even admit that you upgraded your car tires and put D rated tires... so its not just about comfort for you.

Well, I hate to ruin it for ya but I didn’t buy those 8-ply tires because of what they were. I bought them because I like the looks of the tread, and I like the traction they provide on wet roads and ice.

If I would have paid more attention to the fact that those BFG’s where the load rating that they are, and that the factory Goodyear’s where a much lighter, P-rated tire, I would have gone with something much, much lighter than those BFG’s.

I was just stating that they did add quite a bit of stability, cornering and responsiveness but they also are much overkill. I know feel every bump in the road, even with my air ride.

All of my comments are 100% correct.
Heavier truck, heavier brakes, stronger and larger piston clamping larger and thicker pad.
Heavier components last longer. I'm not going to apologize for that fact. It is what it is.

I respectfully disagree. Unless you’re using that big 3/4-ton for what it was intended, your truck ain’t gonna stop quicker than mine, it ain’t gonna corner better than mine and it ain’t gonna ride smoother than mine. If someone abuses a truck quite much then your heavier components will counter that but if you’re someone that takes care of your truck and doesn’t hammer on it, beefier components ain’t gonna make a truck last longer than a truck with less-heavier stuff.

You yourself admit that there are HD trucks with lower profiles than half tons. You yourself invalidate your own opinion.

Um, no I don’t. And I’m actually kinda surprised that I have to explain this to you but just because I found a 3/4 ton that’s actually shorter than a 1500, doesn’t invalidate my own opinion.

If you woulda paid attention to the other part, even the tallest 1500 is almost 4 inches shorter than the tallest 2500.

Glad we can both agree that heavier vehicles fare better. If we had to argue the principles of physics... we'd be here a while.

Um, I don’t know where you got that from but I didn’t say that I agree with you that heavier vehicles fare better.

Anywho, we’re not gaining anything here so hopefully I can digress.




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[busterbrown]

Really? The OP was asking advice about payload and bed length. Now the conversation tangants off into "My truck is better than your truck".

To the OP, if you need the additional payload and bed length, a 2500 is a great vehicle to provide just that. The 1500's have a place in this world too, which is why there are are so many more of them on the road. Which ever you decide, RAM has plenty of options for you. Good luck.

 

[tincup]

Really? The OP was asking advice about payload and bed length. Now the conversation tangants off into "My truck is better than your truck".

To the OP, if you need the additional payload and bed length, a 2500 is a great vehicle to provide just that. The 1500's have a place in this world too, which is why there are are so many more of them on the road. Which ever you decide, RAM has plenty of options for you. Good luck.

Yeah my 1500 has been a great truck for me, just see my needs potentially changing over the life of my next one. I wouldn’t say I NEED the extra bed length and payload but in a lot of ways it would give me peace of mind when I need to get something done. I’m very much a “would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it” kind of person but it’s good to see both sides of the argument. As long as I can park it at work, I’m definitely leaning towards it when I decide to pull the trigger. Very appreciative of all the responses.

 

[Firebird]

Nah nobody has really given me any reason not to. Lol. My main concern would be that I park in a parking garage at work and the clearance is 6’8. I’d be pretty limited with being able to level or put on larger tires, if that would fit at all. We have a f350 dually that parks in here, but no lift and I believe the rams are a little taller than the fords. I really just need to go drive a few and measure them to see.

I can't even park at the airport, and mine is bone stock! I hit the clearance pipe right at the top of my windshield.

 

[corneileous]

Yeah my 1500 has been a great truck for me, just see my needs potentially changing over the life of my next one. I wouldn’t say I NEED the extra bed length and payload but in a lot of ways it would give me peace of mind when I need to get something done. I’m very much a “would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it” kind of person but it’s good to see both sides of the argument. As long as I can park it at work, I’m definitely leaning towards it when I decide to pull the trigger. Very appreciative of all the responses.

Unless you’re wanting an 8’ bed, you can get a 1500 with the longer 6’4” bed in a crew cab if bed length is really all that you’re after. They’re just not so common at dealerships as the shorter 5 and a half-foot bed halfton’s is what the majority of what people who are looking at 1500’s want so they can park it in most garages.

After a 1500 is what I had had my heart set on when I was shopping for a new truck, I actually weighed in a lot of thought towards the longer bed because it really wasn’t all that much longer than my old truck which was a 1500, quad cab, 6-foot bed but I just didn’t need that much extra bed space, and just didn’t want basically what I had before but with a long bed. But as I stated, I have a little 10 foot utility trailer that acts as my surrogate truck bed for when I need to really haul something so the shorter bed suits me just fine.


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