Finally weighed my trailer.

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GsRAM

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That's cool! Yeah that's showing your dialed in well. Nice!
 

Gr8bawana

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When I tow I try to stay 55-60 mph on the highway and just take my time. There's no rush. When towing especially.......excessive speed kills.

^^^This^^^
Even now that I have a 2500 CTD and can tow as fast as I want, I set the cruise at 65mph and enjoy the scenery. The few minutes or even a hour or two on a very long drive are not worth the added risk of towing too fast.
 
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Loudram

Loudram

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Me to, 60 to 65 and in no hurry. Trailer tires are rated for 75 but I'm not going that fast, at least not while I'm towing.
 

Papamugger

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I have a 26 ft Airstream, with propane, batteries and cargo plus the WDH I am right at 1100 pounds hitch wt. My 1500 was over loaded, it pulled great but but it was hard to get the wt to balance out. I solved that problem with a 2500 and the cummins.
 

jvbuttex

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Yeah man, no doubt. Some of those are crazy...scary stuff.

When I tow I try to stay 55-60 mph on the highway and just take my time. There's no rush. When towing especially.......excessive speed kills.

I heard a quote on a YouTube TT vid....
"I've got not where to go, and all day to get there"... LOL, I love it. Tell the woman all the time when traveling, were in no hurry. Some windy roads, 50mph is good for me.
 

GsRAM

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I have a 26 ft Airstream, with propane, batteries and cargo plus the WDH I am right at 1100 pounds hitch wt. My 1500 was over loaded, it pulled great but but it was hard to get the wt to balance out. I solved that problem with a 2500 and the cummins.

I love airstreams... do you have any pics?

I look at them every time we go to the Hershey RV show, but they are super expensive. Can't afford one right now.....maybe someday
 

HDGoose

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I tell folks to ignore the weights on the brochures as I have yet to see anything but the max weight to be correct. And to plan on the hitch weight to be 10-12% of the max trailer weight. I'd bet most 1500s are overloaded frequently. I started RV life with a RAM 2500 CTD planning on a travel trailer. Found a deal on a light weight 5th wheel that was never over 11,500, and my hitch weight was never over 2300. And with everything together, I was not over 21,000 gross combined.

But I like to have at least 20% reserve for the trailers I own and pull regularly. (Just not this year) Know that most of the 5th wheels being sold now are 2-3000 more than my current one, I bought a truck in anticipation of the new(er) toyhauler coming to me sometime in the near future.

I feel if one tows regularly, then you owe it to yourself, your family, and others on the road, to have enough tow vehicle for your trailers.

While it sounds good to reduce speed, the reality in many places is that running 5 MPH below the speed limit is 15 MPH below traffic speed. Are you really safer?

Running the 70 speed limit with my 5th wheel, passing semi's who are doing 65, I have people cutting over between me and the semi before I have adequate space to move back over. If the traffic allows, I will pass and move back over quickly. My tires are L and M rated for speed.

My speed is based on what traffic will allow, hopefully cruise control on.
 

dhay13

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Somebody posted about 2500 CTD's being overloaded, I'd bet there are more 1500's overloaded than 2500 CTD's
 

HDGoose

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Somebody posted about 2500 CTD's being overloaded, I'd bet there are more 1500's overloaded than 2500 CTD's

I was so surprised while learning the real cargo capacities for trucks. Many upper end trim 1500 models with under 1100 payload. Too many fancy 2500s under 2000 payload. I was very surprised the 3500 trims vary from 5500 pounds down to 4300 payload. All those were the door decals for truck on a dealers lot over the past year that I looked. I just bought my 3500 Tradesman in April after learning and looking.

Nothing in those upper trim levels adds any value for me.
 

dhay13

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Yep. And really it's kind of pointless to buy a 2500 Cummins if you plan to tow. If it's light enough then just get the 6.4. If it's heavy enough to justify the Cummins then you will probably run out of payload. Just my thoughts but if I were to buy a Cummins it would be a 3500 just for that reason.
 

NH RAM

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Yep. And really it's kind of pointless to buy a 2500 Cummins if you plan to tow. If it's light enough then just get the 6.4. If it's heavy enough to justify the Cummins then you will probably run out of payload. Just my thoughts but if I were to buy a Cummins it would be a 3500 just for that reason.
I agree that many 2500's are overloaded; I've seen massive 5W on many of them, most recently a 40' 5w. I have the 6.4 in my 2500 and it tows pretty well, but damn, if it isn't a PITA to get into gas pumps with larger trailers. I would love for just one lane at a truck stop / rest stop to be a pull through for gas rather than all diesel.
 

dhay13

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I agree that many 2500's are overloaded; I've seen massive 5W on many of them, most recently a 40' 5w. I have the 6.4 in my 2500 and it tows pretty well, but damn, if it isn't a PITA to get into gas pumps with larger trailers. I would love for just one lane at a truck stop / rest stop to be a pull through for gas rather than all diesel.
Yep. My son complained about the same thing. He towed his 32' (LOA) camper 1500 miles to North Dakota and had to stop about every 200 miles to fill up. He said it was a pain getting in and out of pumps. He really 'needs' a Cummins for all the miles he drives. Not for the towing as his 6.4 does great but for the resale. His 2018 has almost 60,000 miles on it already so trade in will be pretty bad. At least with a Cummins he would still get quite a bit for trade.
 

392DevilDog

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Am I not wrong that the 9k you spend on the Cummins becomes the 9k it is worth more than the 6.4l

Yes...a Cummins is worth more...because it costs more.

The 5.7l Hemi is a bit less than both. And resale is that much less.

I look at RAM trucks for sale all the time...the same trim is gonna be about 8 to 11k more to buy a used Cummins over a 6.4L.
 

dhay13

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Am I not wrong that the 9k you spend on the Cummins becomes the 9k it is worth more than the 6.4l

Yes...a Cummins is worth more...because it costs more.

The 5.7l Hemi is a bit less than both. And resale is that much less.

I look at RAM trucks for sale all the time...the same trim is gonna be about 8 to 11k more to buy a used Cummins over a 6.4L.
Yeah but when he was looking to buy his truck he was looking for a used Cummins and even with 50,000 miles they were only about $5000 less than brand new where the same 6.4 had lost alot more value. He looked at 2 2500 Cummins Big Horns. One was a 2017 and one a 201. Both had about 45,000 miles but the 2017 had an accident report on the Carfax and both were about $46,000. The same trucks with the 6.4 and similar miles were about $35,000. So about $11,000 difference. But I'm sure when he gets closer to 100,000 miles next year his truck will probably only be worth about $20,000-25,000 where that Cummins will still probably be about $40,000 so it seems the discrepancy grows with the higher miles.
 

392DevilDog

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Comparing used to new...it hardly pays to buy used. With incentives and no deadline you get a New truck for near the same price as used with around 25k on the clock...diesel or Hemi.

I got my 6.4l HEMI for 17000...asking was 19900. A very similar diesel at the time was 27k. Just to get a different color and a slightly higher trim...i was looking at 25k. To go lower mileage...35k...to go to a diesel 43k. The trims definitely make the truck value. A tradesman drops pretty quick...but a Laramie will hold closer to its value



I just looked on car gurus. For PA area about 60k miles. 6.4l 32k Cummins 37 and Powerwagon 37...these were all 2016 models.
 
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392DevilDog

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6.4l with 140000 miles 17600
6.7l with 140000 miles 25000
6.7l manual 140000 m. 27700
5.7l with 140000 miles 15800

Tradesman crew longbed 4x4 2015

Private party value.

So...the Cummins is worth less than the original 9k upcharge...but the cheaper Manual transmission gets you 2200 more.

The Cummins is worth more cause it costs more.

The demand is more in some places...so the price does go higher...but the 6.4l is becoming more popular and bridging that gap
 
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dhay13

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Yeah the 6.4 is getting pretty popular. When he was looking the 2 CTD's he found were near Cleveland. He couldn't find much around here at the time. He only had 1 week to buy something. His boss told him he had to be in North Dakota the following week and he had to take his camper. At the time he was using a company truck (F150) but he wasn't allowed to tow with a company truck. He may have been able to find a better deal if he had time to shop around.
 

GsRAM

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I was so surprised while learning the real cargo capacities for trucks. Many upper end trim 1500 models with under 1100 payload. Too many fancy 2500s under 2000 payload. I was very surprised the 3500 trims vary from 5500 pounds down to 4300 payload. All those were the door decals for truck on a dealers lot over the past year that I looked. I just bought my 3500 Tradesman in April after learning and looking.

Nothing in those upper trim levels adds any value for me.

To each their own, but I totally agree. I love my tradesman. It has all the options I wanted and none that I didnt. Just a basic HD truck with nice features for a work truck.

Looks great too with the snow chief and chrome package. At least to me anyway.
 
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