Feedback on 6.4 with 8 speed tranny

[CoastyAV8R]

I'm looking at a 2021 2500 with the 6.4 and 8 speed tranny and I wanted hear from folks who have that setup with the 8 speed and how it tows and mileage. I have a 2016 1500 with the 5.7 and 8 speed but I need a bit more of a buffer when it comes towing than what I currently have.

 

[NH RAM]

I was in your same situation: 2016 Ram 1500 w/ 8 speed and 3.21 gears. I was towing a Coleman 2855BH (31'3" and about 6,000 dry). I like taking long trips, and I just wasn't comfortable doing it with the 1500 as I couldn't get the load in spec on my rear axle. I was over GAWR by about 300#. I finally pulled the trigger on my 2019 2500 with the 6.4 and 3.73 because they finally put the 8HP75 in it. The 1500 pulled it, but it just felt like it was working all the time. For perspective, I had 34" A/T E-rated tires, Airlift 1000 airbags, and Blue Ox Swaypro hitch.

I used the 1500 to go to Quebec and back and it wasn't bad, the truck just needed to run in the higher rpms. For short trips, the 1500 was fine, but for long trips, I didn't like it.

I towed from NH to Badlands, SD and back over the summer with the Coleman and my 2500. I don't have my CAT slip in front of me to tell you the weight, but I estimate around 13,500 combined. The truck pulled well, but I got to hating the bumper pull trailer because of the handling. The wind really made it tiring driving past the great lakes and the nasty roads made it very tiring. I upgraded to a 5w this year after that trip and it's sooooo much easier to tow and I get similar fuel mileage towing the 5w (9500# dry) as I did towing the Coleman, about high 8 to low 9 mpg by evic. My average was skewed on my 4500 mile trip to Badlands because of a lot of unhooked mileage touring the Badlands as well as 80-90mph commutes between towns on the highway.

I have a Tradesman which gives me 14k+ towing and 3100+ payload. I won't go heavier than my current 5w because I don't want to pull over 12k with a gas truck, I think on long trips, it's just asking a lot. I searched for quite a while to find a 5w with the floor plan I wanted that was under 10k dry- I have a "half ton towable".

My feedback is this: The 2500 certainly is a different animal than the 1500. The 1500 feels sporty empty but unwieldy when loaded down. The 2500 feels like a hd truck, but when you step on it, it's eager to get up and go. It won't hesitate to leave a nice set of 11's behind if you goose it. It tows much better and at lower rpm's than the 1500. The majority of the time I can stay around 2000-2500 rpms's towing my 5w between southern NH and Acadia National Park, ME. I'm very happy with the truck and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. If I had the extra money laying around I would love a diesel truck, but there is absolutely no need for it in my circumstances. The 3.73 gears and the 8HP75 are a nice pairing; I'm not sure what the real world difference is with the 4.10's but I doubt it's enough to substantiate the 2500# difference between the two.

 

[Firebird]

I am absolutely in love with mine! The 8 speed is transformational. Made my 2018 with 6 speed seem like an antiquated dog.

 

[14hemiexpress]

I love mine. Tows great I pull a 35ft camper that's 8200 loaded ready to go. It handles it like a champ power isn't a issue. Mileage sucks. It's a heavy duty with a gas engine. I get about 8.5-9 mpg towing, 16-17 highway 12 city but I couldnt justify the 10k for the diesel and the emissions headache.

 

[U&A]

I am absolutely in love with mine! The 8 speed is transformational. Made my 2018 with 6 speed seem like an antiquated dog.

Man.

Makes me want an 8 speed.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Firebird]

Man.

Makes me want an 8 speed.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

You would never regret stepping up!

 

[U&A]

You would never regret stepping up!

I would consider it if i could. My truck is payed off and we are paying on my wifes truck. Dont want 2 payments


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Ribtipram]

Loved the 8 in my 1500. The only thing i can say about the 8 in the 2500 is i want one. Dammit

 

[CoastyAV8R]

I was in your same situation: 2016 Ram 1500 w/ 8 speed and 3.21 gears. I was towing a Coleman 2855BH (31'3" and about 6,000 dry). I like taking long trips, and I just wasn't comfortable doing it with the 1500 as I couldn't get the load in spec on my rear axle. I was over GAWR by about 300#. I finally pulled the trigger on my 2019 2500 with the 6.4 and 3.73 because they finally put the 8HP75 in it. The 1500 pulled it, but it just felt like it was working all the time. For perspective, I had 34" A/T E-rated tires, Airlift 1000 airbags, and Blue Ox Swaypro hitch.

I used the 1500 to go to Quebec and back and it wasn't bad, the truck just needed to run in the higher rpms. For short trips, the 1500 was fine, but for long trips, I didn't like it.

I towed from NH to Badlands, SD and back over the summer with the Coleman and my 2500. I don't have my CAT slip in front of me to tell you the weight, but I estimate around 13,500 combined. The truck pulled well, but I got to hating the bumper pull trailer because of the handling. The wind really made it tiring driving past the great lakes and the nasty roads made it very tiring. I upgraded to a 5w this year after that trip and it's sooooo much easier to tow and I get similar fuel mileage towing the 5w (9500# dry) as I did towing the Coleman, about high 8 to low 9 mpg by evic. My average was skewed on my 4500 mile trip to Badlands because of a lot of unhooked mileage touring the Badlands as well as 80-90mph commutes between towns on the highway.

I have a Tradesman which gives me 14k+ towing and 3100+ payload. I won't go heavier than my current 5w because I don't want to pull over 12k with a gas truck, I think on long trips, it's just asking a lot. I searched for quite a while to find a 5w with the floor plan I wanted that was under 10k dry- I have a "half ton towable".

My feedback is this: The 2500 certainly is a different animal than the 1500. The 1500 feels sporty empty but unwieldy when loaded down. The 2500 feels like a hd truck, but when you step on it, it's eager to get up and go. It won't hesitate to leave a nice set of 11's behind if you goose it. It tows much better and at lower rpm's than the 1500. The majority of the time I can stay around 2000-2500 rpms's towing my 5w between southern NH and Acadia National Park, ME. I'm very happy with the truck and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. If I had the extra money laying around I would love a diesel truck, but there is absolutely no need for it in my circumstances. The 3.73 gears and the 8HP75 are a nice pairing; I'm not sure what the real world difference is with the 4.10's but I doubt it's enough to substantiate the 2500# difference between the two.

Thanks to all who responded. You're experience is very similar to my own with regards to trailer weight and truck and I don't feel comfortable towing long distances out west because of how hard it has to work. I have 3.92s and smaller and lighter trailer (27", 5000 lbs dry) but living in Oregon with all the mountains, the truck is working hard anytime we go a significant distance even though I don't drive over 65 towing. When I put our dirtbikes in the back of the truck and tow I'm sure I'm very close if not over my max axle weight. I haul a lot of things that are over the gross weight of the truck and I also miss having a long bed which is why I'm heading down this road. Right now there are no discounts on trucks so I'll wait until they start discounting trucks again. I'm still on the fence about getting the diesel or the gas but with the 8 speed, the 6.4 seems to be the way to go.

 

[WoodGuy]

Love mine. Truck weighs 8700k, in large part due to a 9' utility body/tools, and tows my 10K dump trailer like a champ! Dont miss that old powerstroke one bit

 

[WoodGuy]

Forgot to add, mines running 4:10's

 

[NH RAM]

I pulled my weigh slip from the CAT scale dated July 13, 2020 and I was at 15,020 across the scale. Steer axle showed 4140, drive was 4720, and trailer at 6160. My truck has a payload of 3184, subtract that from GVWR of 10,000# and my truck weighs a theoretical 6816. Add 350# for two passengers / the dog and 100# for the hitch and that rounds up to about 7300#. That puts my loaded trailer at about 7700# for that trip. This is the same trailer I towed with the 1500.
I didn't want to disconnect and weigh the trailer as it sat or the truck separately. I had a small grill and three mountain bikes in the bed of the truck that aren't accounted for in those weights.

 

[NH RAM]

Thanks to all who responded. You're experience is very similar to my own with regards to trailer weight and truck and I don't feel comfortable towing long distances out west because of how hard it has to work. I have 3.92s and smaller and lighter trailer (27", 5000 lbs dry) but living in Oregon with all the mountains, the truck is working hard anytime we go a significant distance even though I don't drive over 65 towing. When I put our dirtbikes in the back of the truck and tow I'm sure I'm very close if not over my max axle weight. I haul a lot of things that are over the gross weight of the truck and I also miss having a long bed which is why I'm heading down this road. Right now there are no discounts on trucks so I'll wait until they start discounting trucks again. I'm still on the fence about getting the diesel or the gas but with the 8 speed, the 6.4 seems to be the way to go.

I would venture a guess that with two dirtbikes and a TT hooked up, you're over RAWR. If you decide to shop for a diesel, check the diesel section and watch out for the CP4 banter. Also, if you seriously consider a diesel Ram, I would really consider upgrading to the 3500 to get a much more usable payload number.

For what you're towing, a 6.4 / 8HP75 gives the payload you want, the bed you want, and more than enough towing ability.
Truck inventory is abyssmal right now. 3500's / F350's seriously don't exist around me and the F250/2500 are in very short supply.

 

[CoastyAV8R]

Funny thing is I had 2016 3500 diesel with the Aisin but I hardly ever drove it because we had 5 cars so I sold it. I didn't realize how much I actually used all of it's capabilities till I sold it. What are they bantering about with regards to the CP4? I'm sure the 6.4 would cover all I do now and the 2500 sure rides better than the 3500 but I'm still on the fence about the diesel or gas which is why I wanted to get feedback from real world users like yourself on the 6.4 and 8 speed.

 

[2018 Hemi]

Go with the 6.7 Cummins, I traded mine in for a 6.4 and even though it’s a great truck I would go back to my old one in a second. Nothing like diesel power and knowing you can pull a house if you want.

 

[Firebird]

Funny thing is I had 2016 3500 diesel with the Aisin but I hardly ever drove it because we had 5 cars so I sold it. I didn't realize how much I actually used all of it's capabilities till I sold it. What are they bantering about with regards to the CP4? I'm sure the 6.4 would cover all I do now and the 2500 sure rides better than the 3500 but I'm still on the fence about the diesel or gas which is why I wanted to get feedback from real world users like yourself on the 6.4 and 8 speed.

Really depends on your needs. I’ve owned 5 Cummins 2500’s, and really enjoyed them, but my needs are different now, so I went 6.4 this time. I didn’t want the added expense of the diesel, and the 6.4 with 8 speed tows like a beast!

 

[CoastyAV8R]

Really depends on your needs. I’ve owned 5 Cummins 2500’s, and really enjoyed them, but my needs are different now, so I went 6.4 this time. I didn’t want the added expense of the diesel, and the 6.4 with 8 speed tows like a beast!

Thats just it, I know that I have no need to tow anything bigger than what I currently have. We had a 5th wheel toyhauler and it was great but where we go camping I'd never be able to get it in there. One thing I really miss about the diesel was the exhaust brake when towing since we are surrounded by mountains and the added safety factor of it was definitely nice to have. I do have concerns about the lifters in the 6.4 since it's a similar block design as the 5.7 and I've read the stories some folks have put up about theirs. The cost of a new 6.4 engine would cover the additional $8k of the diesel, so thats' my conundrum

 

[theviking]

Lifter issue is definitely present in the 6.4 as well. I suspect it's the MDS design but the exact cause will be debated forever.

 

[RandomRam]

Lifters are rare in a 6.4, especially 2016 and newer. Seems like most of the ones I see posted here are not using oil that meets OE spec.

I’m happy with mine. It’s been drama free for a year, put gas in and go. I plan to drive it for at least a decade.

 

[theviking]

Lifters are rare in a 6.4, especially 2016 and newer. Seems like most of the ones I see posted here are not using oil that meets OE spec.

I’m happy with mine. It’s been drama free for a year, put gas in and go. I plan to drive it for at least a decade.

Mine is a 15 and the lifters started ticking last year, especially on colder days. Oil was always changed with PUP or Amsoil and interval is around 5k for changes. Dealer said it was normal of course and yet suspiciously they have the parts in stock. The noise would come and go but it's starting to get louder again now that it's colder out. Before the lifter seizes I just decided to replace the cam and lifters with a MMX kit using Hellcat lifters and a MDS delete.