diesel or hemi?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

nwhunter55

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2021
Posts
5
Reaction score
6
Location
oregon
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.7 diesel
I bought a 2500 club cab, long bed 4x4 diesel new, love the exhaust brake. I was wanting to buy a hemi, but summer of 2020 couldn't find one with any discounts, but was able to get a $8000 discount on the diesel. I have not regretted getting the diesel. I average 19-24 mpg, tows my 29' toy hauler TT with a side by side in great at 12-16mpg great and again, did I mention, I love the jake brake.
 

steveTS

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2021
Posts
36
Reaction score
22
Location
Tarpon Springs FL
Ram Year
2021 Ram 2500
Engine
cummins Diesel
Hey Guys,
I'm looking to build a 2022 Ram 2500 and trade in my 2015 chevy 2500HD. I bought a house in VT this summer and bought all of his farm equipment and his truck that he used to plow his driveway. The Chevy is fine, but it's only a single cab. I have three huskies and travel back and forth from Boston to VT almost every week. The Chevy only has 6390 miles on it and with the used car market exploding I can get top dollar for it as a trade in. Is it worth the extra 10k for the diesel? How's the fuel mileage on the Hemi? It looks like the Hemi has plenty of power for towing.
Thanks.
Kenny
Kenny I just bought a 2500 tradesman diesel and I'm averaging 17.5mpg around town but haven't hit the hwy yet. I have a 12k lb 5th wheel and need to do a shake down trip from Tampa to Atlanta soon. I had a Ram 1500 which I loved but had to trade in for the 2500. I'm new to diesel and its more expensive and there is a bit f learning curve, but This truck will last me for 250k miles without breaking a sweat! It has 3X the torque as the 1500 and is just a beast but still rides really nicely! Don't buy the Laramie or Bighorn as you can add bells and whistles much cheaper yerself! The extra money they want for that stuff isn't worth it! I bought running boards and landau bed cover both fur under 500.00 on Amazon! I did buy the trailer OEM break which looks factory and paid 500.00+ for that but I didn't want the screwed on after market ones mucking up my dashboard. For farm equipment or hauling and a truck that will last you forever if you take care of it, I'd avoid gas engines! Just my thought of course. Spend the extra 10K
 
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Posts
70
Reaction score
72
Location
Kentucky
Ram Year
2015 Longhorn
Engine
Cummins
Total cost of ownership is twice as much for a diesel truck and the reliability is much reduced as compared to a gas engine powered one.
My company has 3 Cummins. 2012 2500,2015 3500, and my personal 2015 2500. On the three trucks in three years and over 200,000 miles total the only thing we had to replace was the water pump on the 2012. I’d call that pretty reliable.
 

RamGuy110

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2017
Posts
176
Reaction score
56
Ram Year
2022 Ram 2500
Engine
6.4 Hemi
In the cold winters with my 68rfe Cummins' I'm averaging around 9-10 towing. Normally in stock form, I can hit 20 mpg on the highway with cruise set at 65 mph. I was more impressed towing with the 6.4 Hemi with the 4.10s to be honest. That new ZF 8-speed was impressive compared to the 6-speed 6.4's.
 

Timsdually

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Posts
617
Reaction score
405
Location
Jersey
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Cummins
I used to have an '09 Chevy 2500 gasser 3:73 and then switched to Ram dually diesel with 4:10.
I get better mileage towing with the H.O. diesel Ram than I got with the Chevy not towing.
 

steveTS

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2021
Posts
36
Reaction score
22
Location
Tarpon Springs FL
Ram Year
2021 Ram 2500
Engine
cummins Diesel
Some very interesting numbers on this thread! The guy with three trucks made me feel like I made right decision for long term!
 

Flintlock

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Posts
13
Reaction score
12
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Cummins
Just filled my 6.4 up. 8.3 mpg. Yuck. I had my snow plow on for the entire tank. I don’t plow commercial just my drive my lane and small office parking lot. My last truck with a plow had a diesel and it did 12.5 same exact plow same exact conditions. Honestly I don’t anyone that has had more trucks of all varieties and combinations than me embarrassingly enough. I’m really starting to question my gas truck purchases at this point. As efficient as the modern diesels have become I don’t care what math you do the upgrade to diesel is close to a wash with fuel prices in my area.
 

Fake-Account27

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Posts
139
Reaction score
125
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2018
Engine
Diesel
I have a cummins and would never go back to a gasser. However I tow a 33 ft travel trailer and getting fuel while towing is so much easier then if I had a gasser. For this feature alone I would never get a gas one.

In your case though I would get the gas as its cheaper to maintain.
 

Irishthreeper

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Aug 15, 2021
Posts
548
Reaction score
863
Location
Florida
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi 6.4
Kenny I just bought a 2500 tradesman diesel and I'm averaging 17.5mpg around town but haven't hit the hwy yet. I have a 12k lb 5th wheel and need to do a shake down trip from Tampa to Atlanta soon. I had a Ram 1500 which I loved but had to trade in for the 2500. I'm new to diesel and its more expensive and there is a bit f learning curve, but This truck will last me for 250k miles without breaking a sweat! It has 3X the torque as the 1500 and is just a beast but still rides really nicely! Don't buy the Laramie or Bighorn as you can add bells and whistles much cheaper yerself! The extra money they want for that stuff isn't worth it! I bought running boards and landau bed cover both fur under 500.00 on Amazon! I did buy the trailer OEM break which looks factory and paid 500.00+ for that but I didn't want the screwed on after market ones mucking up my dashboard. For farm equipment or hauling and a truck that will last you forever if you take care of it, I'd avoid gas engines! Just my thought of course. Spend the extra 10K
How did that 2500 diesel look on the CAT scale, especially considering payload?
 

big-red-truck

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Posts
19
Reaction score
33
Location
Colorado
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.4
We have a camper that is 8,432 pounds empty, more like 9500 average. We were pulling it with a 2020 Powerwagon, LOVED the PowerWagon, but on the way home from a trip to Florida last year we were everaging 4 1/2 mpg, traded up to a 2500 Deisel and while towing we were getting like 11 1/2 mpg. After that we traded the camper off for a fifth wheel camper that has a dry weight of 14,500 pounds, traded the 2500 for a RAM 3500 and I am loving it, too early to really guage mileage as we havent really taken it on a trip yet.
 

malonerory

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Posts
15
Reaction score
4
Location
Utah
Ram Year
2019
Engine
6.7
So I have two different types of Ram 2500's. The truck I use for work is a 2018 2500 with a 5.7 Hemi. Its a regular cab long bed 2wd, I average around 10 mpg. Weekend truck is a 2020 2500 Diesel crew cab short bed 4x4, my average is currently at 17 mpg Both of these trucks get the job done. Both of these trucks are great looking. Both of these trucks can tow my 9K toy hauler and my equipment trailer which is at 13K when loaded. When towing the Hemi motor is running higher RPM and enjoying the fuel. The diesel, while also enjoying the fuel is usually around 1700-2000 rpm. If you want to pass someone while towing, the Hemi will struggle to gain additional speed, the diesel however has so much power a slight increase in the throttle is all you need to pass. Maintenance costs are different for both so you'll have to look at the specs in which you are interested and cross-multiply and divide. As other have noted you have more filters with Diesel and will have to factor DEF. You will also go through tires a lot faster with a diesel as well. Since you are in a colder environment a gas motor will warm up quicker and heat the cabin faster and more consistently. My Ram Diesel has an electric heating element that kicks on in the cab to defrost the windows and provide supplemental heating while the engine coolant warm up.
 
Top