Thinking of making the switch to 2500 6.4

[Northwoods22]

Hi everyone.
As the title says looking to get into 2500 with the 6.4. Been doing lots of research and it seems it may be the answer. Need to tow a 10k dump and equipment trailers.. My budget is allowing me 2014-2017, will see what happens. Been struggling to find one a bit. Any advice on specific things to the truck to look for would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Lsujker]

Curious what your budget is exactly? Miles will drive the value up or down. Having owned a 17 sense new it has been a great truck.

 

[Rick Ram-jet]

Sounds like you tow fairly heavy, you may want to narrow down your search for one with 4:10 gears and excellent maintenance records for starters..

 

[Zoe Saldana]

Hi everyone.
As the title says looking to get into 2500 with the 6.4. Been doing lots of research and it seems it may be the answer. Need to tow a 10k dump and equipment trailers.. My budget is allowing me 2014-2017, will see what happens. Been struggling to find one a bit. Any advice on specific things to the truck to look for would be appreciated. Thanks!

look for 4.10 gears also

 

[tron67j]

You might want to consider a 3500 if that 10k dump trailer is a regular occurrence. I have checked around my area and there isn't much difference in cost. Just think you might be happier with that, especially if material gets loaded more in the front. The 2509 would do it, just a suggestion to check availability and prices around you. FWIW I have a 2500 6.4 and have had really good luck. I got the Tradesman to maximize payload and did some trim-related upgrades myself to get nearer a Big Horn without paying that money. I regularly pull dump trailers with 6-8k pounds of material with no problem and haul it out back. Good luck.

 

[mtofell]

I agree 4.10 gears are preferable but you're extremely unlikely find one. For whatever reason, 90%+ of the truck had the 3.73 gears and it really isn't that much of a difference. Watch out of tranny problems for sure. As time goes on the 66rfe isn't going to go down as a very reliable tranny... in fact, it's looking to be one of the more problematic ones.

I'll preface my experience by saying I have a Lifetime Maxcare warranty so I haven't really been monetarily hurt but my truck has had quite a few problems - first tranny blew @ 38K miles zero load - sitting in traffic on the freeway, went to accelerate and had nothing. That rebuild failed again at 90K miles and I'm holding steady at 130K. My engine blew at 110K due to some main/master (??) bearing problem and I got a new crate engine.

Overall, I love my truck but would NEVER own it without a warranty in place. 5/6K per tranny rebuild, 12K+ for an engine? No thanks. My daily driver is a 2008 Honda Odyssey with 130K miles that has been totally trouble free for 15+ years. I'd be daily driving my Ram (with warranty) except I moved to Maui with my Honda and left the truck on the mainland to use when I'm there - roughly 25% mainland/75% Hawaii split. I guess my advice is to go into the Ram with an open mind and checkbook as things do come up on these trucks.

 

[Docwagon1776]

Everyone's needs and uses are different, but there's no way I would buy the 6 speed equipped years of the hemi Ram 2500.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

3 words...
Eight Speed Transmission

 

[crash68]

My budget is allowing me 2014-2017, will see what happens.

Scrimp, squeeze and save to get at least into the + '19 model years. Towing on the heavy side you'll want the 8 spd. With a lower first gear and the much better gear stager will greatly improve the towing.

 

[Northwoods22]

Appreciate it everyone

I’m trying like hell to find one with the 4:10 gears.. as said it seems almost impossible.

Its a frustrating thing.. I’m trying to start my own small construction business this year and need a bigger more capable truck( I’m coming from a tundra) and I really don’t want to take on a big payment and get ahead of myself.( or buy a *************) Just need something to get the ball rolling.

Proving to be quite difficult, and I am a bit suprised at the lack of abilities of some of these older HD trucks of all makes.

 

[Northwoods22]

You might want to consider a 3500 if that 10k dump trailer is a regular occurrence. I have checked around my area and there isn't much difference in cost. Just think you might be happier with that, especially if material gets loaded more in the front. The 2509 would do it, just a suggestion to check availability and prices around you. FWIW I have a 2500 6.4 and have had really good luck. I got the Tradesman to maximize payload and did some trim-related upgrades myself to get nearer a Big Horn without paying that money. I regularly pull dump trailers with 6-8k pounds of material with no problem and haul it out back. Good luck.

Thanks.. I’m still a bit confused with CDL laws if I jump up to a one ton commercially.

 

[nlambert182]

They did offer a 17 model 2500 with a 6.4 and either 3.73s or 4.10s so they're out there somewhere. I had a 2500 with 3.73s and it towed just fine with them.

If you are adamant on 4.10s and can afford it, why not consider a 3500 diesel with slightly higher miles? They're much easier to find with 4.10s, have the payload and power to haul pretty much whatever you need and the diesel (if properly maintained) will give you thousands of trouble free miles even at higher mileage.

Or.. as crash said... try to get into a '19.

What's your budget range?

 

[nlambert182]

I don't know anything about CDL laws in Minnesota, but here in Alabama you are not required to have a CDL if you're commercially running a 3500. CDLs start here with commercial trucks with air brakes and with a GVWR over 26k lbs.

 

[tron67j]

Thanks.. I’m still a bit confused with CDL laws if I jump up to a one ton commercially.

Ahhh, not much help there other than to say that I would be more concerned if I appeared overloaded and was pulled over . There are others here that have much more awareness of the whole commercial side of things and I will defer to them all. Good luck!

 

[mtofell]

I think most CDL things are when you are hauling products for money. Not hauling your tools or even supplies to a jobsite to make money. Definitely check with your state though as things can vary a lot. There is also something about 26,000# combined truck/trailer and everything on/in them. At least that was the case in Oregon.

 

[Northwoods22]

They did offer a 17 model 2500 with a 6.4 and either 3.73s or 4.10s so they're out there somewhere. I had a 2500 with 3.73s and it towed just fine with them.

If you are adamant on 4.10s and can afford it, why not consider a 3500 diesel with slightly higher miles? They're much easier to find with 4.10s, have the payload and power to haul pretty much whatever you need and the diesel (if properly maintained) will give you thousands of trouble free miles even at higher mileage.

Or.. as crash said... try to get into a '19.

What's your budget range?

I don’t really want to go over 25k currently.. which I know is a bit of an ask. Part of the reason I’m hesitant on a diesel, not sure I could find a decent one in that price. Or one that won’t end up costing me big time. Open to it though

 

[Northwoods22]

I think most CDL things are when you are hauling products for money. Not hauling your tools or even supplies to a jobsite to make money. Definitely check with your state though as things can vary a lot. There is also something about 26,000# combined truck/trailer and everything on/in them. At least that was the case in Oregon.

I’m pretty confident im good if im under 26k.. but almost everyone i know says otherwise, think they get confused with the 10k trailer thing.

 

[mtofell]

10k trailer thing

The main 10K pound thing I'm aware of has to do with the GVWR of the truck not the trailer. In Oregon they even distinguish some laws for chaining up in the mountains based on that which is pretty crazy IMO. A 2500 and 3500 are extremely similar trucks and, according to the law, the 3500 must chain up while the 2500 is okay with just traction devices. I've also heard of HOAs banning "commercial" vehicles which a 3500 is so guys just get emblems from a 2500 to make the blue hair HOA boss happy. Aside from the emblems, 2500s and 3500s are really the same from the outside.

 

[Docwagon1776]

Appreciate it everyone

I’m trying like hell to find one with the 4:10 gears.. as said it seems almost impossible.

Its a frustrating thing.. I’m trying to start my own small construction business this year and need a bigger more capable truck( I’m coming from a tundra) and I really don’t want to take on a big payment and get ahead of myself.( or buy a *************) Just need something to get the ball rolling.

Proving to be quite difficult, and I am a bit suprised at the lack of abilities of some of these older HD trucks of all makes.

For a business, leasing often works out to be more advantageous because of expensing at tax time. Obviously I know nothing about how small you're talking and your specifics, but just something to keep in mind. Maybe run the expected numbers by your accountant and see it makes sense.

 

[nlambert182]

I don’t really want to go over 25k currently.. which I know is a bit of an ask. Part of the reason I’m hesitant on a diesel, not sure I could find a decent one in that price. Or one that won’t end up costing me big time. Open to it though

It's going to be tough to find any 2500/3500 that's worth salt under $25k unfortunately. They're out there, sure... but either worn out or chock full of miles.

The 6 speeds in the 2500 gassers do "seem" to have their share of issues from what I read, but take what I say with a grain of salt because I know very little on the gassers. They didn't suit my needs so for 3/4T and up I've been in a diesel since 2010.