Thinking about an upgrade

[ironhead3fan]

Looking to upgrade from a 1500 to a 2500. Looking to get the 6.4 engine. The truck I am looking at has 6 speed auto with 3.73 gears. I think that should be plenty. Thoughts? Cummins is a bit out of my price range at the moment, or I would get one of those. Maybe I should wait another year and go for the Cummins. Which one is easier on fuel, or is it a wash? 6.4 is about a $1400 option, the Cummins is almost $9000. Don't plan to do a lot of towing, but need the extra space in the bed. Thoughts?

 

[MADDOG]

6.4L engines won't be as fuel efficient as the diesel engine. Right now, at least in my area, diesel is cheaper than 89 or 92 leaded fuel that can can add up to some savings.

The break even point on the cost differential between the 6.4 & the Cummins is generally around $7500 give or take a bit depending on what final price you pay for the truck. At around 12 cents per gallon difference between gas and diesel here, you'd have to drive about 62,000 miles to cover the cost difference. That's quite the long term payback. This does not factor in the higher cost of maintenance for a diesel.

My view is that if you don't tow heavy all the time then, as cool as they are, a diesel is not for you.

The 6.4L HEMI truck with 3.73's doesn't do too bad towing at all but it generally sucks fuel at a higher rate than the diesel when towing.

So you are looking for a 8' bed?

 

[bcbouy]

here's a little perspective.i have a 2500 with the 5.7.i carry a 2500 lb. camper,around 500lbs (minimum). of gear,and tow, say,1 ton of boat and i travel all around british columbia alot.that's 4 different mountain ranges, and thousands of km's of forest service roads and i've yet to say i need more towing power.i've never expected to get good mileage in a heavy duty truck.aint gonna happen.ever.and there's no way i'd ever make up an $8000 difference by going with the cummins.

 

[chris15005]

I'm in a similar situation with my trailer and gold cart my 1500 is over GCW and axle. My brother went to a 2500 and i will say this from riding with him in his truck it's noisier, way rougher riding and the build quality is a step down even in big horn trim. I know it's not a caddy but from a 1500 to a 2500 is a step down in quality IMO at least from what I've seen. If i were towing and hauling my trailer and cart a lot i would defiantly upgrade for the hauling towing capability.

 

[reek]

My brother went to a 2500 and i will say this from riding with him in his truck it's noisier, way rougher riding and the build quality is a step down even in big horn trim.

I'll have to disagree with this. I went from a 2014 1500 express to a 2015 2500 big horn. the 1500 final assembly was Michigan and the 2500 Mexico. Build quality was probably better on my 2500, if I were forced to chose. My 2500 had less random dangling wires in the cab but was missing a bolt holding the rear air spring on to the axle. Fit and finish overall comparable. My 2500 was a significant upscale trim level so much more user friendly, luxurious, of course gives you a sense of better 'quality'. but if you critically look at how well what you paid for was put together, they're equivalent. If you mean how plush, then it's not a fair comparison. a HD truck will always be rougher, noisier, more harsh compared to a 1/2 ton.

 

[69GWC]

Where I live diesel fuel is always more the gas most times by 20 cents a gallon or more so it will take along time to recover that diesel options price. But if you plan on pulling heavy the diesel is a better option.

 

[7777xm]

As much a I love diesel, if you really don't need it, I wouldn't get it. I see people always trying to justify cost over years. Owning a diesel is expensive. Deletes are expensive. Maintenance is expensive. Repairs are very expensive.



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[sandawilliams]

6.4L engines won't be as fuel efficient as the diesel engine. Right now, at least in my area, diesel is cheaper than 89 or 92 leaded fuel that can can add up to some savings.

The break even point on the cost differential between the 6.4 & the Cummins is generally around $7500 give or take a bit depending on what final price you pay for the truck. At around 12 cents per gallon difference between gas and diesel here, you'd have to drive about 62,000 miles to cover the cost difference. That's quite the long term payback. This does not factor in the higher cost of maintenance for a diesel.

My view is that if you don't tow heavy all the time then, as cool as they are, a diesel is not for you.

The 6.4L HEMI truck with 3.73's doesn't do too bad towing at all but it generally sucks fuel at a higher rate than the diesel when towing.

So you are looking for a 8' bed?

My 2014 2500 with 6.4 and 3.73's does about 16 highway. When towing about 8000 lbs. it drops to 8 and 9. Before I bought it I figured the cost difference between the gas and diesel and just could not justify the difference in price. I agree that if you tow heavy often then you will recoup your costs but if not the 6.4 will do fine. Also- if you just want a diesel, buy one as many on this site like to debate the merits of their diesels.

 

[MADDOG]

My 2014 2500 with 6.4 and 3.73's does about 16 highway. When towing about 8000 lbs. it drops to 8 and 9. Before I bought it I figured the cost difference between the gas and diesel and just could not justify the difference in price. I agree that if you tow heavy often then you will recoup your costs but if not the 6.4 will do fine. Also- if you just want a diesel, buy one as many on this site like to debate the merits of their diesels.

I tow about 10K and I totally have the same results. But I don't tow that very often. If I did, heck ya I'd get a diesel. And if I do move to towing heavy a lot more than I do now, I'm gettin' a Cummins. But for now, the 6.4L is just what I need. It's more than capable of towing what I have but it just sucks fuel at a prodigious rate when I do.

 

[mtofell]

I had an 06 Duramax and am now in a 6.4 Hemi. Of course, the diesel tows better/quieter but the 6.4 is a great daily driver truck and tows very well. For the OP's usage the 6.4 sounds like the way to go. I see MPG from my 6.4 within 1-2 of what I got from the diesel as a daily driver. The cylinder deactivation really helps a lot. Towing the Hemi definitely drops more than the diesel but I don't tow enough to really even care. When I'm rolling down the road with 75K in equipment an extra $20 on fuel in a weekend is pretty much irrelevant.

 

[whatroads]

I tow a 31ft TT that weighs in around 6500lbs loaded. I don't tow often. About 12-15 times a year. Usually less than 50 miles any single direction. My truck is a 2011 QC 1500 4x4 Hemi w/ 3.92 and the heavy tow package. Towing I get 8-11 MPG. I use a 10K rated Equal-i-zer load level hitch. My truck has no issues towing at all.
I've found I don't need air bag additions. However, I can see where some might want them. I believe the combination of a well balanced trailer and the overly heavy duty load balance hitch likely makes the need for air bags a non-issue.
My previous truck was a RAM 2005 QC 4x4 2500 Hemi w/ 4.10. Granted, this was a previous generation Hemi. I found the engine "wanting" more power on the hills. MPG was 8-10 towing. In other words, about the same as the 1500. This biggest differences: The 2500 was an HD model and heavily over sprung for the size of my TT. Even with a lowered hitch I never could achieve a level tow. The 1500 actually has a better tow height, obvious more engine power, and provides a better overall towing experience
This said, given today's Hemi 5.7 or the 6.4, if I were to do more towing I would opt for the newer 2500. It's simply engineered to handle larger loads over longer periods of time. While the 5.7 is up to the task, the 6.4 is designed as a "truck" engine. where the 5.7 is not. IMHO, I believe in the 2500 the MPG would be the same for either engine. My 2500 got about 16 MPG highway and 13-14 in town. Again, about the same as you would expect from a 6.4

 

[ironhead3fan]

I was primarily looking for the 8 ft bed. The smaller beds are not nearly as convenient, and I like having the crew cab (I do haul 4 people on a fairly regular basis). Garage space isn't an issue, my Butler building is plenty large. Also wanted opinions on diesel vs gas from some of you that have already been down that road. Sounds like the diesel option is not necessary in my current situation, but I thought I would be OK with a shorter bed in my current situation, and while I could get by with it, I just don't want to be sorry I didn't get exactly what I wanted/needed again in the future. It would just be nice to be able to really fill that larger bed up and make better use of the truck.

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

If I go back to an HD it will be a gasser, just waiting for the 8 speed.......

I had 2 CTD's and while they were fun to have I didn't really NEED either and that's why I now have a 1500. Like many have stated, if you don't pull heavy or often, the Hemi is more than adequate. The premium you pay for the CTD buys ALOT of fuel!