Towing report 6.4 Hemi...good, bad, underwhelmed

[kfrazee59]

RoadDog,
You're traveling in my stomping grounds! I live at Deep Creek Lake Md. I had a 6.4 with a 4.10 rear and I think I have the same camper ( Sunset Trail QB290) and I would drop to 1st gear on the steeper hills. My towing is done in the hills of western Maryland, western Pa. and West Virginia. I have traded the 2014 2500 6.4 on a 2014 3500 6.7 Cummins and the smile still hasn't left my face! The 6.4 is a nice truck but for towing in the hills a diesel can not be beat.



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[SouthTexan]

I think one's perception on how well the 6.4L tows is based on their experience with past vehicles which is why the difference of opinions. Not everyone's expectations are the same just as what people tow are not the same and not everyone tows in the same environment.

Also, a quicker 0-60 does not necessarily mean that one engine is a better for towing over another. My old tuned F-150 3.5L Ecoboost would flat out murder my Cummins 0-60 unloaded and even with a 5,000 lbs trailer. However, if you started adding weight like 10k or more going up long grades then my Cummins would sail right past my old Ecoboost. Not to say that my old Ecoboost was any slouch since I did tow 9,500 lbs up and over the rockies with it keeping 60-65 mph the whole way without needing to rev past 4,500 rpm(going down the hills was not all that fun). Although it is the closest thing to it in a gaser, it still isn't a Cummins.

 

[spoon059]

Cuz no matter what we aren't missing out on this view

You should have come to the beach with us. That poor trailer has never been anywhere except that lake boy!!!

 

[RoadDog66]

RoadDog,
You're traveling in my stomping grounds! I live at Deep Creek Lake Md. I had a 6.4 with a 4.10 rear and I think I have the same camper ( Sunset Trail QB290) and I would drop to 1st gear on the steeper hills. My towing is done in the hills of western Maryland, western Pa. and West Virginia. I have traded the 2014 2500 6.4 on a 2014 3500 6.7 Cummins and the smile still hasn't left my face! The 6.4 is a nice truck but for towing in the hills a diesel can not be beat.



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Yep same travel trailer. It's had its issues, but overall we luv it. The diesel would be great for lots of towing, but we ony get about 7-8 trips a year. Plus the Ram is my daily driver of less than 170 miles a week, so not the best use of a diesel. Do wonder if 4.10's would have changed anything.

One thing i noticed was the power from 2800 rm thru 4000 rpms is great, but it wants to jump to the next higher gear too quick rather than pull thru to 5000 rpm. That kills the momentum. I mean these engines need to rev so the computer needs to let it reach further.

 

[RoadDog66]

You should have come to the beach with us. That poor trailer has never been anywhere except that lake boy!!!

Baby steps bro, let me break the hemi in first. then we'll follow you to FL.

 

[tjfdesmo]

Do wonder if 4.10's would have changed anything.

I have 4.10's and have the same opinion/feedback as you. I keep wishing for factory 4.30's, but a few have gone to 4.56's on their own dime.

 

[reb0957]

I only live in the flat lands. I am not disappointed in the pulling power of the truck at all. I am highly disappointed in the ride. I have had an 03 diesel and and an 05 diesel. Neither rode so rough with a load. I know the current tires may be part of the problem. The fox shocks may be another piece of the puzzle. But I figured with coil spring rear end this would be as smooth as butter ( as smooth as a 2500 could be) and it isn't.

 

[River19]

I have 4.10's and have the same opinion/feedback as you. I keep wishing for factory 4.30's, but a few have gone to 4.56's on their own dime.

I'm guessing once the weight people are towing breaks through say 8000lbs or so the annoying habits of the tranny shifting patterns becoming more glaring. I'm towing only at about 6000-6500 with payload and I don't have any real issues other than the occasional 4-2 downshift when 3rd would be more than enough.

Especially those with the 3.73s like myself.

I'm guessing 4.10s or lower gearing combined with some better shift points would keep everything in the sweet spots longer as the 6.4L has a pretty decently flat torque curve from what I remember.

 

[RoadDog66]

I've been incredibly happy with the ride especially under load. So much better than my 1500 series. Unloaded its a bit bouncier on the bumps & pot holes, but still nicer.

I think the 4 or 5 mountain grades (1-2 miles each) are what had me second guessing the shifting and gear choices. My 32+ft long/11ft tall travel trailer certainly isn't aerodynamic. And with 5 bodies, 2 dogs, firewood, tools & shade tent in the cab & bed, and a weeks worth of clothes, food, gear, 2 kayaks, etc in the trailer I think I was expecting too much and not to notice the load...my bad

 

[RoadDog66]

I have 4.10's and have the same opinion/feedback as you. I keep wishing for factory 4.30's, but a few have gone to 4.56's on their own dime.

Yeah there seemed to be such a slight RPM difference (100-150 rpm) reported by others between the 2 gears sets that i really don't think there'd be too much gain or loss either way. I think you're right that 4.30's would have been a better choice for Ram to go with and 4.56's would be good for daily hardcore users. Live & learn.

 

[SouthTexan]

.....
I'm guessing 4.10s or lower gearing combined with some better shift points would keep everything in the sweet spots longer as the 6.4L has a pretty decently flat torque curve from what I remember.

You've seen a 6.4L flywheel dyno? Sweet. Can you please post a link to it. I have been looking for one for a while now with no luck.

 

[River19]

You've seen a 6.4L flywheel dyno? Sweet. Can you please post a link to it. I have been looking for one for a while now with no luck.

I'm trying to find it again myself.......I saw one where they were comparing the 5.7 Hemi to the 6.4L Hemi and noting how the 6.4L was much flatter in power delivery vs. the "peakier" 5.7L.....but I am going off memory until I have time to find it.

There was also a good discussion on another forum about torque vs. HP in towing......where they referenced the 410/429 figures vs. the old 7.3L (which I am very familiar with) being 250/525ish it was a good read.....

Oh and for the record.......the loaded ride of this 2500 compared to my 2001 F250 this feels like a Lexus......seriously, no complaints. Empty......it is a 3/4 ton.....and rides like one......

 

[webdogg]

That's funny you mention these trucks riding like a 3/4 ton when empty. I don't think the ride on these trucks is any rougher than the '99 1500 Sport I drove as a daily driver for the last 12 years.

 

[polcat]

Wasn't that 5.7L/6.4L torque comparison on Allpar? Sidenote, how many of you upgraded from a 5.7L HD to a 6.4L HD? I towed my wife's GMC Acadia from Little Rock, AR, up to Cleveland, OH and the 5.7L in my megacab performed very well, especially in the hills of Missouri. Total weight was 15K. Average MPG was low 11s.

 

[drittal]

Just towed 300 miles pulling a 9k bp toy hauler. Went from the badlands of eastern MT elev. 2000' to the montainside 5500'. Evic mileage 7.1, hand 6.5. My father's 3500 drw cummins with delete averages about 9 evic with the same trailer and speed. Should be a bit better on the way back down.

More than enough power. As stated by others, the trans wants to hold a gear too long.

My biggest problem was the camper is very nose light for a toy hauler and with 1500lbs of baggers in the back the tail wanted to wag the dog. Had to stop and rearrange the bikes. The dang slide is just in a bad spot for 2 cruisers. No problems with the rzr.

Tomorrow we ride the Beartooth Pass to Cooke City and Chief Joseph By-Way to Cody then back to Red Lodge. Supposed to be colder with scattered rain.

 

[SouthTexan]

Just towed 300 miles pulling a 9k bp toy hauler. Went from the badlands of eastern MT elev. 2000' to the montainside 5500'. Evic mileage 7.1, hand 6.5. My father's 3500 drw cummins with delete averages about 9 evic with the same trailer and speed. Should be a bit better on the way back down.

More than enough power. As stated by others, the trans wants to hold a gear too long.

My biggest problem was the camper is very nose light for a toy hauler and with 1500lbs of baggers in the back the tail wanted to wag the dog. Had to stop and rearrange the bikes. The dang slide is just in a bad spot for 2 cruisers. No problems with the rzr.

Tomorrow we ride the Beartooth Pass to Cooke City and Chief Joseph By-Way to Cody then back to Red Lodge. Supposed to be colder with scattered rain.

Be careful in that rain with that sway. Don't know how much truth to it is since I don't know how reputable the source was, but I heard that many bumper pull RVs are intentionally made to be light in the front so the half tons could tow them and not be over their payload or GAWR. Since payload and GAWR is not even close to being an issue for you then I would put as much weight to the front of that trailer as i could to give it a tongue weight of at least 10% of the total weight of the trailer. It seems like you probably already know this, due to your comments of knowing that you are too light in the front. Have fun on your trip and I hope that sway issue gets fixed with you distributing the weight.

 

[mtofell]

I have a very similar setup and truck as the OP with an 8K TT, 2500 6.4 4X4 with the 3.73 rear end. My previous truck was a Duramax diesel.

I largely agree with the OP but there are things that make the truck perform MUCH better while towing. Mainly, you HAVE to shift manually when in the hills. This tranny basically sucks with its shift point while towing. It waits so long to downshift (even in tow/haul mode) that once it does it's already buried itself to the low RPM range of the next gear and has no power. I find when I plan ahead and keep it up above 3000 RPM it performs great. I seem to be in either 2nd or 4th gear about 90% of the time while towing. On the highway it will see 5th.

I have no problem pulling up and over the Cascade Mountain range near where I live at pretty much any speed I want. I believe the highway goes from about 1000 feet to 4500 feet in about 10 miles so it's a bit of a climb. Granted, I'll hear it scream up to 4000-5000 RPMs but it gets the job done just fine. I miss the quietness of the diesel but for the load I'm hauling I'm satisfied.

The 6.4 engine is a beast but I sure would have expected a better tranny.

 

[drittal]

585 miles, evic showed 7.1 up, came up to 8.2 on way home. Hand calc 8.3 at last fill. We moved the bikes as far forward as physically possible and really helped the sway. Still way to light and not enough tongue weight. It's a 2015 stryker 2912 with a slide. 34' and 7100 dry with only 865 dry tongue weight. With most of the usable storage behind the wheels it's isn't a settled pull at all. 2 of the 3 driver side tie downs are covered by the slide when it is retracted, 3 tie downs in the middle and 4 on the passenger side.

 

[Jerry1984]

If the 2500/3500 had an 8 speed I think it would be perfect. The 6 speed was one of the main reasons I stayed with a half ton with the 8 speed. I just towed around 800 miles last week and the transmission always knows which gear it needs. Only complaint was in tow/haul it didn't want to up shift on the flats as much as I'd like.

 

[oz97tj]

If the 2500/3500 had an 8 speed I think it would be perfect. The 6 speed was one of the main reasons I stayed with a half ton with the 8 speed. I just towed around 800 miles last week and the transmission always knows which gear it needs. Only complaint was in tow/haul it didn't want to up shift on the flats as much as I'd like.

Agreed. I jumped up to the 2500 for the stronger drive train and better capacities (and I wanted the Power Wagon) but really went back and forth because that 8 speed was always so good. I've only put 6600 or so miles on the new truck so far but I'm really missing the 8. This 6 speed sucks. Further still, my 1500 felt like it had way more power because the tranny always was in the right gear. This truck doesn't seem to have a clue.

Unfortunately, I need the 2500 and the Power Wagon still allows me to pretend to be a jeep guy so iI won't be going back to a half ton. However, if they put a 8 speed in next year I'll be buying another truck.