Life change - need help

[toddmakesamove]

This what I'm getting: 2500, crew cab, 8ft, 4by4, Hemi, .410, dual alternator, and all-season tires.
I got all the options to make it a work-truck and camping-truck, but I went with the Big Horn to have amenities.

I've decided to sell it all and move to some property in FL. Cars, watches, luxury goods - it all goes. I'm keeping it simple and living in travel trailer and building a large steel garage. This truck will be my farm/beach/tow truck - it has to do it all. My towing - for the time - will be a sub 10K trailer (eyes on a 9600 rig with its extra allowed weight). In the truck's payload, I will have a motorcycle weighing 300-450 pounds, my weights, K9s, me, stuff, extra fuel in tank (I got the 50 gallons, do I add this?), and the TT tongue's weight (generally speaking, most TTs I'm looking at have a tongue's weight of 1000/1100 pounds) to come out to +/- 2500 pounds for payload. Is this doable? I do realize the truck is rated for these weights, but will I be safe, and not pushing the truck's payload or towing capacity for distanced traveling?

I plan to tow whenever I want to travel. Minimum of once a month loaded up as stated. Other than that, I will be towing in town to rent equipment. Moreover, a small-ish (35ft or less) offshore fishing boat, as well. I will be looking into my CDL, but not until after I move.

*Other questions that don't deserve a thread*
-I will also be at the beach - any advice to keep rust at bay?
-I do not ever plan to "4 wheel" recreationally, but I do want traction for the property or whenever. - should I get 4by4?
-Do I need the 410, as well?
-I plan on removing the back bench and rear door skins (not sure if right term but the handle's cover to hide internals of the door) because of my K9s. Are there any blanks for the door skins? Any way I could get some base/tradesman skins? Would those fit? If worse came to worse, I figured I'd cut some wood to fit? Any ideas?
-What is the difference between premium and regular cloth? I read here that premium cloth keeps stains at bay? I chose the Deisel Grey/Black interior. Thoughts?
-Do these trucks use regular unleaded? When towing as stated above?
-How is the vinyl flooring? Should I do carpet delete? Is the vinyl flooring tuff? Will it hold up to my K9s (100 & 75 pounds)?

I found this forum by "373 vs. 410" and I read that thread three times. I've also read other threads (here and others) about my other questions, but I do hope for new and solid old advice on the aforementioned subjects.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, read my thread, and to those who post. Once again, thank you, for your time. Enjoy your day!

 

[OC455]

Honestly for what you are looking to do, bump up to a 3500 so you don't have to worry about payload with everything in/on the truck. The weight will add up quick. There isn't much of a difference in price between a 2500 and 3500....Payload will probably be closer to 4000lbs on the 3500. 4.10's will give you the higher towing rating even though you are towing a travel trailer, not to say the boat that's 35' long won't have some weight behind it, you may want to keep the 3500 in mind more than anything at that point. Especially if you are planning to tow other equipment trailers. Get the 5th wheel/gooseneck prep kit so you have the options to tow whatever you want.

Using 89 octane is what is stated in the manual for the Hemi, but 87 octane works just fine.

Being out on the beach, you could have it under coated or use another rust preventative measure...Krown or other oil based type. Amsoil makes a protectant spray for metal.

Interior doors, you could probably find the base model trim doors on line or elsewhere. I haven't seen any type of blank door panels available for these trucks.

4x4 I would say is always nice to have regardless, never know if you get out on a piece of property and have soft wet areas that require more than just two tires spinning.

With the crew cab, you can just fold the seats up and out of the way instead of taking them out. Just cover them up when in the up position.

As far as flooring options, if your are going to be out on the beach and worried about sand, dirt, mud, K9's the non-carpet option may work better for you. As far as it holding up, with anything if you abuse it, you'll have issues. Premium cloth seats, I had the diesel grey/black in my 2018 1500 Bighorn and it held up nicely.

 

[OC455]

I really wouldn't worry about the ride with the 3500 either. As you can see from my avatar pic, I have a dually, and it rides as nice as any of the old half ton and 3/4 ton trucks I've had.

Wish I had the option of the 50 gallon tank...

 

[Dinky]

I would go 3500 diesel 35ft boat probably north of 10k. Seems like your going to tow a lot I would just make the leap and you won't have to worry a out any.

 

[toddmakesamove]

I am worried about ride quality and fuel milage. Is it the same or close the same as the 2500?

When looking at the 3500, there two listed under my options: 6.4, 410, 8ft with two payloads and towing but, no difference in preload options for vehicles. I can find no difference in the options when I choose or the price. Across the trim levels of the 3500 there's two models: 16780 towing 4550 payload & 17230 towing 6700 payload. I'm guessing there's an error on the website and its not loading the dual wheels?

 

[toddmakesamove]

I would go 3500 diesel 35ft boat probably north of 10k. Seems like your going to tow a lot I would just make the leap and you won't have to worry a out any

Oddly the 3500 tows less than the 2500 - (35)16780 vs (25)1910. I can assume from that that the 3500 will suffer some when towing compared to the 2500 because of curb weight?

I really wouldn't worry about the ride with the 3500 either. As you can see from my avatar pic, I have a dually, and it rides as nice as any of the old half ton and 3/4 ton trucks I've had.

Wish I had the option of the 50 gallon tank...

I can thank y'all for helping me with this site's threads. I may lighten my load to accommodate a 2500. There's a 1000 dollar difference between the two with my options, so it's not that. It's about ride and fuel milage under normal driving. Could I expect 1 mpg less per gallon? Will ride will be the same? Please, be exact.

I laugh at this some, because I have to use premium in all my cars, and they get 9-11 mpg. HWY is a different story but not a great one unless I use CC...I never use CC .

 

[Dinky]

Oddly the 3500 tows less than the 2500 - (35)16780 vs (25)1910. I can assume from that that the 3500 will suffer some when towing compared to the 2500 because of curb weight?

My 22' 3500 tow rating is way higher than that. If your towing that much I would step up to the cummins better fuel economy all around and towing/pay load is better in a 3500

 

[OC455]

I am worried about ride quality and fuel milage. Is it the same or close the same as the 2500?

When looking at the 3500, there two listed under my options: 6.4, 410, 8ft with two payloads and towing but, no difference in preload options for vehicles. I can find no difference in the options when I choose or the price. Across the trim levels of the 3500 there's two models: 16780 towing 4550 payload & 17230 towing 6700 payload. I'm guessing there's an error on the website and its not loading the dual wheels?

Ride quality, the 2500 will have a better ride empty. Loaded, the 3500 is going to have a really decent ride.

You have to remember, the more options you add to the truck, the lower your payload is going to be. I like to play on the truck builder on the Ram Site, then search to see what dealers have that is closest to the truck that I built. Then I copy & paste the VIN into the cargo & payload search on the Ram site to find the cargo & towing numbers. Looking up the trucks on the charts will only get you a round about idea on what capacities are.

Search the specific trucks using the cargo & payload look up on the Ram site. Then you can play with the numbers and get where you need. @392DevilDog explains it well here:

Look. This is really easy. We explain this all the time. And everytime a bit of misinformation comes in.

If you do not own your truck you kinda got to use the towing charts. But you have to realize their limitations and the info they give is for a configuration in a tradesman trim. Options add up fast and quickly take away from capacity.

BUT, if you own your truck...you do not have to guess and fall victim to misreading, misinterpreted misinformation.

Go out to your truck. Your axle ratings GVWR and payload is right there.

Lets assume a 2020 crew cab 6 foot bed Hemi with 3.92

Your door jamb will show
GVWR of 7100
GAWR of 3900 front and 4100 rear
These 3 numbers do not change.

Payload will be different with each truck. Lets assume it says 1500

Now. You need the chart for one number only GCWR. GCWR for this truck is 17000.

So 7100 minus 1500 is 5600. This is base weight. Empty truck full fluids.

Then 17000 minus 5600 is 11400.

THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU CAN TOW.

This is everything you can add to your truck while towing.

This is the driver, passengers, cargo, hitch, tongue weight and trailer.

At this point you need to add your own numbers. And you need to keep the truck under GVWR with tongue weight.

So lets say driver 200, passengers 400, WDH 100...for a total of 700lbs.

So 1500 minus 700 is 800lbs for tongue weight. At 13% for a camper that means a 6100lb camper.

Done. Easy peasy. No mistakes. No wrong information.

 

[toddmakesamove]

I did understand all that.

On the 3500's when you option a truck it offers two identical models with different tow ratings. In every other model. Dodge doesn't have two when you option - just one of each model. In the case of the 3500's I figured the other vehicle had to be DRW because of added capabilities. However, when optioning the second stronger 3500 it did not preset dual wheels. One of the ways I learned about a truck's options affecting its capacity is Dodge's site.

 

[Dinky]

I did understand all that.

The options are H.O 6.7l and S.O 6.7l. H.O is high output with quite a bit more power and the aisin transmission. This will change to towing capacity by a few.