Confused: 2500 Hemi or Diesel

[smcken2973]

I have been searching and scouring the Internet for the last several days and decided to turn to the "experts" here. I currently own a 2015 1500 3.92 CC. I pull a TT that weighs aprox 6500 loaded. Pulls fine but I know I am right at my payload max of 1400. Thinking seriously about a 2500 6.4 Hemi or diesel. The hemi or has more payload but less over all towing. The diesel has more towing. But less payload. At some point I will upgrade to a larger TT or 5th wheel. Would love the diesel but am afraid I a would be right back at pushing the max of my payload. Can't do a 3500, wife LOVES the 1500 and would tolerate the 2500. 3500 no way! No clue what to do. Advice? I do tow long distances and live in PA.


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[drittal]

Drive a 2500 hemi then a 3500 diesel. The ride isn't as different as its made out.

2500 6.4l hemi with 4.10 (get them) will pull up to 10-12k anywhere. 3k real world payload. If you plan on going to a big 5er a diesel might be the better choice.

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[MADDOG]

Yeah, the diesel is heavier than the 6.4L truck so the payload is some 950 pounds less, at least for the 4x4 crew cab, short box configuration.

The payload is important and so is the GCVWR. The diesel will, at the end of the day, tow a bit more in that same configuration.

But I tell ya, my 6.4L handles the 8460# empty / 10,300# loaded 5'vr just fine. If I were to change any one thing on my truck for towing it would be the gearing, as I have 3.73's at this point. I picked the 6.4L to have that additional payload, just in case the trailer got bigger and the pin weight increased.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Bigdaddy]

Yep, like what drittal said I would go and test drive them, I find that the Hemi 2500 is not really that bad than the 1500 because the 2500 have the coil spring. My 2500 have the 4.10 gears so it's really not bad when it come to towing.

You have to think about what kind of upgrade 5th wheel you want to get and decide from there. The hemi is a awesome towing machine but it like the high rpm where the diesel make it power down low, but test drive both and see.

 

[Bigdaddy]

Yeah, the diesel is heavier than the 6.4L truck so the payload is some 950 pounds less, at least for the 4x4 crew cab, short box configuration.

The payload is important and so is the GCVWR. The diesel will, at the end of the day, tow a bit more in that same configuration.

But I tell ya, my 6.4L handles the 8460# empty / 10,300# loaded 5'vr just fine. If I were to change any one thing on my truck for towing it would be the gearing, as I have 3.73's at this point. I picked the 6.4L to have that additional payload, just in case the trailer got bigger and the pin weight increased.

Good luck with your choice.

Yes I agree.

 

[dexter]

I have been searching and scouring the Internet for the last several days and decided to turn to the "experts" here. I currently own a 2015 1500 3.92 CC. I pull a TT that weighs aprox 6500 loaded. Pulls fine but I know I am right at my payload max of 1400. Thinking seriously about a 2500 6.4 Hemi or diesel. The hemi or has more payload but less over all towing. The diesel has more towing. But less payload. At some point I will upgrade to a larger TT or 5th wheel. Would love the diesel but am afraid I a would be right back at pushing the max of my payload. Can't do a 3500, wife LOVES the 1500 and would tolerate the 2500. 3500 no way! No clue what to do. Advice? I do tow long distances and live in PA.


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I have a 6.4L with 4wd, 4.10 gears and 5th wheel prep - 3,076 payload.

Don't get the 4wd and you pick up more payload.

 

[mtofell]

Great info so far - I'm in lockstep with MadDog with my 2500 6.4 Hemi, 3.73 gears and 10,500# 5th wheel. It handles the weight extremely well. I had thought about a gear swap up to 4.56s but between the expense and the fact that the truck does fine as is, I've pretty much abandoned that idea.

All that being said, nothing purrs like a diesel. If ever there were a truck to exceed the payload on it would be the 2500 diesel. The overwhelming opinion from people who know is that a 2500 is just a 3500 that is de-rated to conform to a certain weight class. Basically, it's a #s game. The main number you really want to watch is the axle and tire max ratings (which you likely won't even be close to). I've added a hefty set of airbags to my rear and would have problem at all exceeding the 10K GVWR of the truck. As is with the 10,500# 5th and some people + gear in the truck I'm right at it.

I personally really like the way coil springs ride (both towing and not) and if I were upgrade to a diesel I'd likely stay with the 2500 to keep the coils and just supplement with some air bags again.

You've stumbled upon the numbers game that many of us have. It seems illogical that a diesel that can pull more can carry less. This is just because Ram uses the same chassis for both trucks and the diesel engine weighs more.

You really can't go wrong either way. They are both super nice trucks and your mind will blown the first time you tow with the HD after your 1500.

 

[sandawilliams]

I have been searching and scouring the Internet for the last several days and decided to turn to the "experts" here. I currently own a 2015 1500 3.92 CC. I pull a TT that weighs aprox 6500 loaded. Pulls fine but I know I am right at my payload max of 1400. Thinking seriously about a 2500 6.4 Hemi or diesel. The hemi or has more payload but less over all towing. The diesel has more towing. But less payload. At some point I will upgrade to a larger TT or 5th wheel. Would love the diesel but am afraid I a would be right back at pushing the max of my payload. Can't do a 3500, wife LOVES the 1500 and would tolerate the 2500. 3500 no way! No clue what to do. Advice? I do tow long distances and live in PA.


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I tow the mountains of Colorado all spring, summer, and fall. My 6.4 with 3.73's pulling 8000 Lbs. and another 1000 in the bed has no problems. It takes the longest and steepest grades very well. I considered a diesel and decided that with what I needed my truck to do I could never recover the $9000 option cost. Put a pencil to it and see if the added cost, higher maintenance costs and difference in fuel costs makes sense for you.

 

[Shady]

I think it's better to have excess capacity, and not need it, than to have less capacity, and find yourself in a situation where you wish you had more. My 3500 was only about $1200 more than the 2500.
Factor in longevity and fuel efficiency, & resale value... CTD has it hands down.

(On edit)
FWIW, Diesels are generally 35% more fuel efficient than gas engines. And I am not sure why someone would think diesels have higher maintenance costs? I'd say compare the standard warranties if you are concerned about maintenance costs. Do you think they'd cover a diesel so much longer if they were less reliable? I guess if you are only using oil capacity to figure your maintenance costs, the gassers would win then..

Sorry, I've been a confirmed coal burner for many years... Lol


2016 Ram 3500 CTD 4x4 Crew Cab SB SRW Delmonico Red Pearl Coat.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9L (Kept at our place in Mexico)
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD 2wd Quad Cab SB SRW Silver (Sold)

 

[smurfs_of_war]

For recreational towing, you can see from the answers above that the 6.4L is a great choice. I have a 6.4L with 3.73s and love it. Sure doesn't mean it's the BEST choice but it suited my needs and wants better (TT towing) because the payload gain was important. Diesel is more expensive here usually and we are prone to rationing around here. Didn't make sense to me.

Drive em both. Pick your money pit [emoji38]

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[Skrap]

OP needs to know exactly what larger TT or 5er they want to get or even buy/order it and then buy the truck accordingly. IMO, we are guys and guys like big ****. Just as the OP said, they have a small trailer currently. Now wanting a bigger TT and then may even step it up to a 5er. CUrrently I have the 2500 MC 6.4 4x4 4.10. My next truck will be the 3500 SRW Diesel. While we want a nice large TT for our first RV I know for a fact we will b stepping up to a 14K-16k GVWR 5er at some point.

 

[Shady]

^^^what he said


2016 Ram 3500 CTD 4x4 Crew Cab SB SRW Delmonico Red Pearl Coat.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9L (Kept at our place in Mexico)
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD 2wd Quad Cab SB SRW Silver (Sold)

 

[Ram444]

I've had both a 2500 and the 3500. The 2500 was a gasser and the 3500 is a Cummins. Both will accomplish the task. The Cummins is more expensive but you get it back when you trade it in. The Cummins works so much easier than the gasser and gets better fuel mileage by far. The Cummins maintenance is more but the frequency of maintenance is longer than the gas which equals out. I think it boils down to how frequently you plan on pulling a heavy load. Go gas if it's a few times a year and diesel if your livelihood depends on it.

 

[dexter]

4 While we want a nice large TT for our first RV I know for a fact we will b stepping up to a 14K-16k GVWR 5er at some point.

If you use 15% for the pin weight a 16K GVWR would mean 2,400 pin weight, then add in the 5th wheel hitch - the 2500 can handle that.

 

[drittal]

On fuel efficiency, real world the difference is 2-3 mpg.

On maintenance, you still have to change the cummins every 6mos. Oil and filter $40-50. Then add in the price to change both fuel filters every 15k.

Now add in the price of DEF. It isn't a lot, but it isn't free either. Plus you use it a lot faster when towing. Ever been in the middle of nowhere and looked at the price of a jug of DEF? I've seen $8 per gallon. Yikes. Not to mention it has a shelf life. You will, at some time or another, get a check engine light triggered by weak DEF. Might want to get a code reader if you don't have one already.

Now if something does break or fails and it's not under warranty, look out.

The diesel is big power, big money. You gotta pay to play.

As said earlier, put the pencil to the paper. You may never truly realize a financial gain from diesel ownership. It's true they have higher resale, but if going with another diesel with another 7-9k markup, does that resale gain much?

Now I know somebody might take offense to this post and call me biased. Let me address that as I had a 2015 2500 6.4l with 3.73 gears. The only problem with it was i should have opted for 4.10 gears. All I ever did was change oil at about $55 per change. My TH I later bought was maxing out my GCWR as we slowly stuffed it with more and more stuff so I went to a 2013 3500 6.7 about 2 months ago. It had been on the lot while so it was priced to move, and I got a fair trade in. So far 2 C.E.L. from DEF purchased from the pump at a high volume truck stop(P20EE). Real world MPG gain of 2mpg empty or loaded with my driving style. And a $215 oil/filter, air filter, and both fuel filters change done by me. Ive also had to replace the upper radiator hose $280, its a poor design if you ask me. Luckily I opted for MaxCare and it was covered with $100 deductible. Now the benifits are when towing I can go about 250 miles vs 200 before I have to fuel. It does pull the hills better, but I can say a 6.7l pulling a pass at 2400 Rpm isn't any less noisy than the Hemi at 4200. The 6.4 did a good job holding back the load going down using engine braking, but the exhaust brake on the 6.7l is great.

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[RAM_Designs]

And I am not sure why someone would think diesels have higher maintenance costs? I'd say compare the standard warranties if you are concerned about maintenance costs. Do you think they'd cover a diesel so much longer if they were less reliable? I guess if you are only using oil capacity to figure your maintenance costs, the gassers would win then..

No one is saying they're less reliable, but that maintenance and replacement costs are always higher.

More oil
More filters
More $$ for those filters
DEF

Add in that anything that needs to be replaced is going to cost more, then I'm assuming you can see what kind of conclusion can be drawn...

 

[Shady]

Biases come from individual experiences. If I had the bad luck with CELs and bad DEF, I'd probably feel different. You can read through this, or any other forum and find many examples of bad luck with gassers too. My experience over the last 20 years has been that the diesels I've driven are the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. I work them hard, maintain them well, and they have never let me down. Also, my driving style meets me 22 MPG empty (hand calculated) on my 2016, and I was getting 21 one my 1999 2500 24 valve. I get about 14 towing moderately heavy in the mountains. Finally, when I sold my 1999 2 months ago, I got $4k over book value (private party sale. not a trade in)
Yes, I am a bit biased.

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[drittal]

You better keep that one then because it's either a unicorn or you drive at 60 and tow at 50mph.

My best hand calculated tank so far is a shade over 19 on secondary highways with a max speed of 70, mostly 65. Worst is 7.4 towing into a headwind. Average towing (11-12k bumper pull TH) is 9-10@ 65. My average is ~2mpg better than the hemi towing same loads, at same speeds, and same driving habits. I believe Fuelly numbers reflect similarly.

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[sandawilliams]

You better keep that one then because it's either a unicorn or you drive at 60 and tow at 50mph.

My best hand calculated tank so far is a shade over 19 on secondary highways with a max speed of 70, mostly 65. Worst is 7.4 towing into a headwind. Average towing (11-12k bumper pull TH) is 9-10@ 65. My average is ~2mpg better than the hemi towing same loads, at same speeds, and same driving habits. I believe Fuelly numbers reflect similarly.

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My best empty was 16.98 MPG hand calculated. My average towing over 8100 miles was 9.1 (8000 Lbs.) I have a few friends with the new diesels that are upset with their real time mileage of 17 empty and 12 towing. If you take the BS pollution off they are realizing 20 empty and 14 towing. The cost is 2000.00 but it voids the engine warranty. If you want a diesel buy one! Everybodys wants and needs are different.

 

[tjfdesmo]

22 MPG empty (hand calculated) on my 2016, and I was getting 21 one my 1999 2500 24 valve. I get about 14 towing moderately heavy in the mountains.

My stock '05 CTD 3500 SRW would not get 20 mpg empty, downhill with a tailwind, and it got 11-12 pulling my lightly loaded 7x14 box trailer. That is some amazing mileage you are getting. I will add that I am NOT bashing the Cummins. I loved the truck, and I would gladly own another if my needs support it again.