Current Chevy owner but like the Ram. Convince me :)

[jj888]

Hello. I have owned some form of Chevy SUV since high school in the 90's and currently have a 20 year old Tahoe that I am ready to replace. While an SUV has been great for our family, I am ready to make the switch to a truck because we like to go camping a lot and would like to purchase a travel trailer in the next year or so. Naturally, I am considering a Silverado just because I am used to them and honestly have not had one issue with my Tahoe in 20 years, but want to look at everything out there. I am just casually looking for now as I am in no rush so could prolong this until the end of the year if I need to, but I did go by a couple of lots. I sat in and drove a Ram for the first time the other day and I have to admit, it looks way more modern and luxurious inside than the Silverado. The Silverado is nice but definitely has some resemblance of my 20 year old truck! The Ram felt like I was driving a car too and was amazed at the ride and the turning radius too. Anyways, I will definitely look more into Rams now that I drove one.

The other part of this equation is that when I first considered getting a truck this year, I just figured I would get something a few years old with not a lot of miles for around $30k. I then realized that the used truck inventory is pretty low and prices are up. I also started noticing that the payload capacity on half ton trucks varies but must of the used ones I looked at ranged in that 1500-1600 pound range. I figure once we load our family of 4 and a dog, that could potentially be about 700 pounds leaving only about 800-900 pounds of payload for the tongue weight of a trailer. Add a weight distributing hitch, and you are down to only 700 pounds left. With that math, at the very most I could tow a 7,000 pound trailer if the tongue weight is 10% of that but it would likely be more so I might be safer in the 5,000 pound range. It is just frustrating to see these trucks say they can tow 9,000 or 11,000 pounds or whatever but in reality you are limited by the payload. So all that now has me leaning more toward a 3/4 ton truck just so I don't have to be right on the limits and be careful with everything that gets loaded. The Ram I drove did have a 1,730 pound payload so there is a little more room. I'd like to get a 1500 because there is more selection, cheaper, better mileage, etc. but I am also don't want it to limit me. I think we have to get an idea of a trailer first and I have really only looked online but the biggest ones that may interest us have had a max weight of around 7,000 pounds loaded. So then looking at used 2500s of any brand, it seems like ones that are 4-5 years old have over 100k miles on them and are still $40k so now I started considering buying new. It is tough because I probably won't get a whole lot of use out of this as it will be our secondary vehicle (I have only averaged about 5k per year on the Tahoe over the last several years) so it is hard to justify spending that much, but on the other hand I probably will keep it forever like I did with my current one and keep it garaged so it should last a long time. It is nice knowing what the truck has been through by owning it since new which is probably a reason the Tahoe has been trouble free for so long because I have had it since new and know how I take care of it. I definitely do not need all of the options or leather or the diesel but would not like the bottom of the barrel either (the Bighorn model I drove seemed really nice). I know this is a long ways from the $30k I started from, but I guess if I had to go the new 2500 route, if it got up to $50k max I might go for that, if that is even possible. I don't know, sorry for all the rambling, I guess I am just throwing this out here to let people weigh in or try to set me on a path since I am all over the place, or even to convince me to lean toward Ram now. Thanks for reading!

 

[BNeal]

First, welcome to the forum! Next, I'm afraid you will ultimately have to decide on the brand choice. I will just say that I have had both Ford and Chevy trucks - no real problems with either. However, I have always leaned toward GM products. But... I recently purchased a '21 Limited, and I can't believe how much I love this truck. If the reliability holds over the long-haul, no question I made the right decision to with the Ram!

Happy hunting!!

 

[JohnnyMac]

Let the truck convince you. Go drive one and compare.

 

[jj888]

I guess that is the thing. I was so impressed driving it for the first time it almost seems like a no brainer as far as the looks and feel go. I am just a little nervous jumping ship when GM as been so good for me. If it makes a difference, I think I am pretty easy on my vehicles and take good care of them, keep them garaged, etc. so hopefully that would contribute to the reliability just like my other two different brand vehicles that I have had for a long time have not given me a problem.

 

[dhay13]

I was always a GM guy and had a 1996 Sierra 1500. 2007 I was looking at buying a 2003 Sierra 1500 for $23,000 but I was able to get Employee Choice deal on a 2007 Ram 1500 brand new for $25,000. No brainer. Been with Ram ever since. After that had a 2013 1500 and kept that until about 2 years ago when I traded it for my 2018 2500 6.4. No complaints on the Ram. Step-son had a 2010, 2015, and 2019 (all 1500's). Step-father had a 2008, 2011, 2014 and now a 2017 (all 1500's). Son has a 2018 2500 6.4 also. Never any real issues with any of them.

My other step-son has a 2018 Sierra 1500 and had to have it towed to the dealership today. Suspected starter issue. My only real issue with GM now is their engines. IMO they need a slightly bigger engine to compete with the Hemi. They aren't bad given their cubic inches but I'd like to see a slightly larger option.

As far as payload, yeah it sucks on the 1500's. Step-sons Sierra has about 1600lbs or so payload IIRC. My 2013 1500 had about 1300. My 2500 has 2973lbs. Max tow is a marketing ploy. Can't reach max tow without going over max payload in most situations.

As far as Fords, I will NEVER own another one but that's another story. 60% (3 of 5) of mine had to have new engines by 70,000 miles and 2 of those 3 didn't even make it to 50,000 miles.

I don't think you will go wrong with the Ram. Just need to determine how big of a trailer you plan to get then based on that make a decision on a 1500/2500/or 3500. 1500 will limit you to about a 6000-7000lb trailer.

Just another thing to consider...advertised tongue weight on travel trailers is usually much lower than actual. My son has a 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2670MK and advertised tongue weight is about 650lbs. All loaded up he was closer to 1000-1100lbs. Figure at least 100lbs more than advertised, probably closer to 200lbs. My son basically lives in his so he was almost at max GVWR and had the front pass through loaded up. His dry weight was listed at about 6600lbs and GVWR was about 8500lbs. When we weighed it it was about 8100lbs loaded

 

[tron67j]

I spent 3 years going to car shows looking at trucks before I bought. Ignoring towing and payload the Toyota Tundra was tops, just really comfortable inside, good fit and finish, and just felt like everything kind of gelled together when I got in cabs year after year. But I needed payload, and Ram 2500 checked all the boxes as my top choice. Of course the versions are all loaded at a car show. Two things I did not like about Chevy: the unfinished rear wheel well is ugly, plain and simple; and the hood is not as curved down in the front which restricts visibility in front to a point further out from the bumper. Two of my cousins have them, I have driven and ridden in both and don't like the view out due to that hood issue and the windshield seems narrower which felt a bit claustrophobic.

In terms of buying, I have been looking online, which I always do just for kicks. On the RAM inventory website you can find leftover 2020s with some decent deals. I don't look at the fully optioned out models at the higher end, I look at the lower end ones like the tradesman that I bought. One thing about this forum is there are a lot of very helpful people and so far I have added in a number of options that I didn't want to pay extra for other things that I would never use, like an upgraded radio with Android. I have saved thousands of dollars by adding and only the options I want over time and I am really happy with it the other nice thing is the simpler trucks have less issues. So if you look at that route you could get a brand new 2500 for under $40,000 and get the full warranty. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Good luck.

 

[tron67j]

I think you're right with going with a 2500 over the 1500 as you painted the picture you're going to be really restricted. I am really happy with the ride of the 2500 and I came out of a 2003 2500 so it's definitely gotten a lot better.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I also owned Chevy Trucks since the 90's. Then GM changed their focus to cars in the late 00's - (Cruze, Volt, etc. were all new). The trucks and engines atrophied. They cheapened the small block V8 (turned into 5.3 to save gas, turned into an oil-pumper, didn't touch the 6.0 V8 for years - sucked gas and low power). And they were overpriced.

I went Ram Hemi in 2012 and haven't looked back. I upsized in 2018 to haul heavier loads (contractor trailer) and am even happier now. I have the 2500 and 6.4 truck Hemi now.

 

[jj888]

I spent 3 years going to car shows looking at trucks before I bought. Ignoring towing and payload the Toyota Tundra was tops, just really comfortable inside, good fit and finish, and just felt like everything kind of gelled together when I got in cabs year after year. But I needed payload, and Ram 2500 checked all the boxes as my top choice. Of course the versions are all loaded at a car show. Two things I did not like about Chevy: the unfinished rear wheel well is ugly, plain and simple; and the hood is not as curved down in the front which restricts visibility in front to a point further out from the bumper. Two of my cousins have them, I have driven and ridden in both and don't like the view out due to that hood issue and the windshield seems narrower which felt a bit claustrophobic.

In terms of buying, I have been looking online, which I always do just for kicks. On the RAM inventory website you can find leftover 2020s with some decent deals. I don't look at the fully optioned out models at the higher end, I look at the lower end ones like the tradesman that I bought. One thing about this forum is there are a lot of very helpful people and so far I have added in a number of options that I didn't want to pay extra for other things that I would never use, like an upgraded radio with Android. I have saved thousands of dollars by adding and only the options I want over time and I am really happy with it the other nice thing is the simpler trucks have less issues. So if you look at that route you could get a brand new 2500 for under $40,000 and get the full warranty. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Good luck.

I think I need to take a look to see what features the Tradesman offers. I definitely like some gadgets (loved that big screen and would use the Android Auto) but I know they add up so I can do without. Does a Big Horn just come standard with options that you would have to add on to a Tradesman, or is just different overall? I think if I decide to go this route, I will have to ask people on here which options they find useful. When you talk about finding one under $40k, are you talking about a custom build or one on the lot?

 

[jj888]

I also owned Chevy Trucks since the 90's. Then GM changed their focus to cars in the late 00's - (Cruze, Volt, etc. were all new). The trucks and engines atrophied. They cheapened the small block V8 (turned into 5.3 to save gas, turned into an oil-pumper, didn't touch the 6.0 V8 for years - sucked gas and low power). And they were overpriced.

I went Ram Hemi in 2012 and haven't looked back. I upsized in 2018 to haul heavier loads (contractor trailer) and am even happier now. I have the 2500 and 6.4 truck Hemi now.

What kind of mileage do you get with the 6.4? And in general, is a 2500 likely to be more reliable overall due to better construction and more heavy duty parts?

 

[Michael]

If you don’t like the bare wheel wells you need to make sure the truck you want has the covers. Those are options on all the brands. I’ve seen higher trimmed rams without them. It just depends if that option was chosen when the dealer ordered the truck. My tradesman came with them, but I’ve seen rams with high trim packages without them. So don’t assume all rams come with the wheel well covers, because they don’t. If you do find a truck you like that doesn’t have the wheel well covers you can possibly get those added as part of the deal to purchase. Otherwise it’s not that hard to add them.

The Chevy has a slightly better payload capacity by about 400 lbs. Something I learned about the rams when I bought mine. The beds on the trucks are 6” shorter then on another brand of truck. I don’t know if that matters to you. Go over what ever truck you look at and make sure it has what you want. I didn’t realize the ram I bought didn’t have electric seats since I didn’t need to adjust the seat for the test drive. My ram was similarly equipped as my last truck so I assumed the seats on the ram would be electric too. Once I thought about it and realized I rarely move the seat since I’m the only one to drive it, I got over it.

Don’t just look at the truck, but the dealership and it’s reputation. My ram dealership is the only one in town. They turned out to be horrible. Not only in sales, but especially in the service department. I now have to drive an hour one way to a dealership with a good service department.

My opinion on engine choice for the 2500’s is if you’re going gas and not diesel go with the 6.4 over the 5.7. The 5.7 is better suited for the 1500’s. If you concerned about payload you’ll be better off with the larger engine.

 

[HEMIMANN]

What kind of mileage do you get with the 6.4? And in general, is a 2500 likely to be more reliable overall due to better construction and more heavy duty parts?

Like most things, it depends. With the original all season tires, 16-18 mpg in mixed driving. This dropped 1.5 mpg when I went with softer AT tires. I expected it.

Trailer towing loaded up to 6,000 lbs is 12 mpg. Goes down with increasing load. I'm fine with that for part time towing. Remember, the Cummins and AISIN Trans package is +$9,000 MORE than the 6.4 Hemi.

Yes - the 2500 / 3500 is built like a beast. The 1500 is a city truck.

 

[tron67j]

If you search on the below link, you will get a sense of what is out there. You can select 2020 or 2021, 1500 or 2500 or 3500, and adjust distance, features, etc. I bought mine 4.5 hours away, sis all negotiating via email and then phone at end, never saw until I picked it up.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/new-inventory.ram_1500.2021.html?modelYearCode=IUT202113&radius=25

I would make a list of features that are must haves, and then find lowest trim level with that. I did not want electric seats, for example, so make all trims open for me. Again the add ons can be done like electric seats and heat, 8.4 UAS/UAQ radio, etc. as you want to add them over the years. I couldn't tell you what MPG I get on my 2500, I don't look or really care.

 

[dhay13]

I am averaging 12.2 MPG in mine as can be seen in my fuelly link below. That is probably about 60-70% in town driving and maybe 5% towing a 9000lb boat. And that is all hand calculated. My son has an identical truck to mine (same down to every option) and has towed his 8000lb TT about 7000 miles with it and has averaged about 8 MPG towing it. My last truck was a 2013 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi and 3.55s and at about 60,000 miles I was only averaging about 13.5 MPG so not much worse than my 2500. My step-father has a 2017 Laramie Long Horn 1500 with 3.92s and gets about 17 average. My step-son that I mentioned earlier that has the 2018 1500 Sierra that he had towed today was getting about 18 in it but put a leveling kit and slightly bigger tires and wheels and is only getting 13 MPG now. My truck and my sons 2500 are 100% stock

 

[OC455]

I think I need to take a look to see what features the Tradesman offers. I definitely like some gadgets (loved that big screen and would use the Android Auto) but I know they add up so I can do without. Does a Big Horn just come standard with options that you would have to add on to a Tradesman, or is just different overall? I think if I decide to go this route, I will have to ask people on here which options they find useful. When you talk about finding one under $40k, are you talking about a custom build or one on the lot?

You can. up option a Tradesman pretty nicely. Local dealer had a 3500 crew cab dually on the lot, 8.4 Uconnect and some other nice options and it had the 6.7 HO in it (1000ft lbs of torque). Listed price was $55k. A Bighorn will get you certain features or add ons that aren't available on a Tradesman

You would have to jump on the Ram Trucks site and see what you can option on different models and what is already include with the Level I or II packages.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[MoPowered]

You said convince you to switch from Chevrolet to Ram, go outside look at your Chevy, the come back in here and look at the Rams. Let me know if it convinces you?

 

[Michael]

You said convince you to switch from Chevrolet to Ram, go outside look at your Chevy, the come back in here and look at the Rams. Let me know if it convinces you?

The new rams look like a cross between a Chevy and a Tundra. You would have the looks of the trucks you like.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

Hello. I have owned some form of Chevy SUV since high school in the 90's and currently have a 20 year old Tahoe that I am ready to replace. While an SUV has been great for our family, I am ready to make the switch to a truck because we like to go camping a lot and would like to purchase a travel trailer in the next year or so. Naturally, I am considering a Silverado just because I am used to them and honestly have not had one issue with my Tahoe in 20 years, but want to look at everything out there. I am just casually looking for now as I am in no rush so could prolong this until the end of the year if I need to, but I did go by a couple of lots. I sat in and drove a Ram for the first time the other day and I have to admit, it looks way more modern and luxurious inside than the Silverado. The Silverado is nice but definitely has some resemblance of my 20 year old truck! The Ram felt like I was driving a car too and was amazed at the ride and the turning radius too. Anyways, I will definitely look more into Rams now that I drove one.

The other part of this equation is that when I first considered getting a truck this year, I just figured I would get something a few years old with not a lot of miles for around $30k. I then realized that the used truck inventory is pretty low and prices are up. I also started noticing that the payload capacity on half ton trucks varies but must of the used ones I looked at ranged in that 1500-1600 pound range. I figure once we load our family of 4 and a dog, that could potentially be about 700 pounds leaving only about 800-900 pounds of payload for the tongue weight of a trailer. Add a weight distributing hitch, and you are down to only 700 pounds left. With that math, at the very most I could tow a 7,000 pound trailer if the tongue weight is 10% of that but it would likely be more so I might be safer in the 5,000 pound range. It is just frustrating to see these trucks say they can tow 9,000 or 11,000 pounds or whatever but in reality you are limited by the payload. So all that now has me leaning more toward a 3/4 ton truck just so I don't have to be right on the limits and be careful with everything that gets loaded. The Ram I drove did have a 1,730 pound payload so there is a little more room. I'd like to get a 1500 because there is more selection, cheaper, better mileage, etc. but I am also don't want it to limit me. I think we have to get an idea of a trailer first and I have really only looked online but the biggest ones that may interest us have had a max weight of around 7,000 pounds loaded. So then looking at used 2500s of any brand, it seems like ones that are 4-5 years old have over 100k miles on them and are still $40k so now I started considering buying new. It is tough because I probably won't get a whole lot of use out of this as it will be our secondary vehicle (I have only averaged about 5k per year on the Tahoe over the last several years) so it is hard to justify spending that much, but on the other hand I probably will keep it forever like I did with my current one and keep it garaged so it should last a long time. It is nice knowing what the truck has been through by owning it since new which is probably a reason the Tahoe has been trouble free for so long because I have had it since new and know how I take care of it. I definitely do not need all of the options or leather or the diesel but would not like the bottom of the barrel either (the Bighorn model I drove seemed really nice). I know this is a long ways from the $30k I started from, but I guess if I had to go the new 2500 route, if it got up to $50k max I might go for that, if that is even possible. I don't know, sorry for all the rambling, I guess I am just throwing this out here to let people weigh in or try to set me on a path since I am all over the place, or even to convince me to lean toward Ram now. Thanks for reading!

If I had any brand and didn't have 1 issue in 20 years you couldn't pay me to switch. I'd stick with it.

 

[dragstrip69]

I guess that is the thing. I was so impressed driving it for the first time it almost seems like a no brainer as far as the looks and feel go. I am just a little nervous jumping ship when GM as been so good for me. If it makes a difference, I think I am pretty easy on my vehicles and take good care of them, keep them garaged, etc. so hopefully that would contribute to the reliability just like my other two different brand vehicles that I have had for a long time have not given me a problem.

The no-brainer thing got me, Foolishly I test drove the nicest Ram on the lot and after that I couldn't look at anything else, I could not talk myself out of buying it, so I bought it. Nicest truck I've ever driven and I've had all of them over the years. I traded a very nice Tundra crew cab limited that I thought was great until I drove the RAM.

 

[Hemi832]

How could you not love that face!