What's better? 6.4L or the Cummins Diesel

[chri5k]

I regularly tow a 12K horse trailer on 300 - 500 mile round trips so it was Cummins for me. Never heard of a Cummins Tick but this forum is full of Hemi Tick threads. Also, never heard of a Cummins eating cams.

 

[jejb]

and if you don't live in a emission area...

And if you don't have a warranty to worry about...

I have no intention of tuning/deleting my CTD truck. It runs great, pulls my loads with ease up Ozark and Rocky Mts, no smoke, no smell. I'm more than satisfied with it stock. Since I don't use it to commute with, I expect to not see many issues with it.

 

[jejb]

Could just buy a Class A diesel pusher RV and tow your 1500. A much better RVing experience at about the same cost as a new 3/4 ton and travel trailer.

Checked the prices of good diesel pushers lately? The lowest price DP from Winnebago starts at about $290K. Even if you bought a base model and got a good deal, you're still well into the mid to lower $200K range. And it looks like that has the same motor as our Ram trucks. It has almost no towing capacity. To step up to a commercial truck level motor, which you'd want to do to haul a truck behind it, add another $100K.

We own a Winn DP with a bigger diesel. Hauled my 2500 GMC Yukon XL behind it many times. Worked well for us, but it's certainly not a budget solution.

 

[danoday]

Checked the prices of good diesel pushers lately? The lowest price DP from Winnebago starts at about $290K. Even if you bought a base model and got a good deal, you're still well into the mid to lower $200K range. And it looks like that has the same motor as our Ram trucks. It has almost no towing capacity. To step up to a commercial truck level motor, which you'd want to do to haul a truck behind it, add another $100K.

We own a Winn DP with a bigger diesel. Hauled my 2500 GMC Yukon XL behind it many times. Worked well for us, but it's certainly not a budget solution.

Definitely expensive if you buy a new one. Definitely expensive if you top of line new WB, but I see very low milage late model used DP's for under a 100k all the time.

I would definitely rather travel by class A or C RV than a trailered RV. Just to many used ones out there to by new, in my opinion. But RV'S come with their challenges as well, even a good deal RV will get money from you later....like boats...lol

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[Sandevino]

This is where this thread has gone

 

[392DevilDog]

Awesome data @cash4acres

Is your Cummins a Manual?

The new Cummins in 2500 now has 3.73 gears and the manual is gone.

You list a trip PA to NC were you got 24MPG. On our last trip to the beach we got 18.4 with our Hemi.

Right now diesel is 2.99 and Gas is 2.69 here in Central PA. We head out on our trip you at 65 mph and me at the 75mph. I am loaded with a family of 5 and our gear. You make no mention of who you drive with...so I gotta guess it is less than a family of 5.

So let's say on that trip at the 500 mile mark we stop to pee.

500 ÷ 24 means you used 20.83 gallons

500 ÷ 18.4 means I used 27.17 gallons.

We both have 32 gallon tanks...so range is not an issue with the bladder.

Not sure what our actual avg speed would be, But I arrived at the pee stop before you.

20.83 x 2.99 is 62.28

27.17 x 2.69 is 73.08

So you saved 10.83 on the trip. The avg transaction price is a minimum of 8k difference between a diesel and a Gas truck.

So we can make that trip 800ish times until we are even.

392 Hemi

Of note. I owned a 2013 Cummins. On our beach trip we averaged about 23 mpg on that trip. Without the cost of fuel filters figured in...there is a Reason I dumped the Cummins for the HEMI.

I have the fuel logs somewhere to show proof. But even if I say I only got 16mpg in the Hemi you can see that the Cummins cost me alot of trips to the beach to get to say I got 23 MPG.

Good times. Just my thoughts.

392 HEMI

 

[Sandevino]

Awesome data @cash4acres

Is your Cummins a Manual?

The new Cummins in 2500 now has 3.73 gears and the manual is gone.

You list a trip PA to NC were you got 24MPG. On our last trip to the beach we got 18.4 with our Hemi.

Right now diesel is 2.99 and Gas is 2.69 here in Central PA. We head out on our trip you at 65 mph and me at the 75mph. I am loaded with a family of 5 and our gear. You make no mention of who you drive with...so I gotta guess it is less than a family of 5.

So let's say on that trip at the 500 mile mark we stop to pee.

500 ÷ 24 means you used 20.83 gallons

500 ÷ 18.4 means I used 27.17 gallons.

We both have 32 gallon tanks...so range is not an issue with the bladder.

Not sure what our actual avg speed would be, But I arrived at the pee stop before you.

20.83 x 2.99 is 62.28

27.17 x 2.69 is 73.08

So you saved 10.83 on the trip. The avg transaction price is a minimum of 8k difference between a diesel and a Gas truck.

So we can make that trip 800ish times until we are even.

392 Hemi

Of note. I owned a 2013 Cummins. On our beach trip we averaged about 23 mpg on that trip. Without the cost of fuel filters figured in...there is a Reason I dumped the Cummins for the HEMI.

I have the fuel logs somewhere to show proof. But even if I say I only got 16mpg in the Hemi you can see that the Cummins cost me alot of trips to the beach to get to say I got 23 MPG.

Good times. Just my thoughts.

392 HEMI

Good info and I have similar scenarios that corroborate yours.

You neglected to give us your credit score, number of acres you own, gun permits in other states, blood donor status, shoe size and number of licks it takes you to get to the center of a tootsie pop.

 

[392DevilDog]

Good info and I have similar scenarios that corroborate yours.

You neglected to give us your credit score, number of acres you own, gun permits in other states, blood donor status, shoe size and number of licks it takes you to get to the center of a tootsie pop.

I have nothing to pump myself up with. I am just an average run of the mill Jarhead from up the Mountain.

But it takes 3 licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop.

To be full disclosure...the Cummins is the Better engine. Hands down. But in a 2500 it does not make the better truck.

You are wasting the 8 to 11k buy in when that Cummins is in a 2500.

5500 dual rear wheel towing everyday...do not even waste your time with the HEMI.

2500 for a mainly daily driver...get the Hemi

2500 to sport your macho image...get the HEMI. (Oh wait that is the CUMMINS image lol)

2500 taking the family camping a couple weekends a summer...get the Hemi.

2500 going off road....get the Hemi.

3500 SRW...consider both leaning towards a Hemi

3500 DRW...consider both leaning towards a Cummins

3500 DRW towing 20k...GET THE CUMMINS.

In 2013 when I got my Cummins the 5.7l Hemi just did not compare.

In 2021 the 6.4l 8 speed auto and 4.10 gears has changed the playing field. 2500 truck...with a 10k trailer...it is a wash. Start getting near 15k...leveled playing field. Get over 15k...you need a 3500 DRW anyways to be quite honest. And then the Cummins shines.

And at the end of the day. The truck is exactly the same. So the Cummins team and Hemi team are running the same truck.

Hardly any truck has catastrophic failures anymore. And you only really hear about them on internet forums. But when that catastrophic failure happens...once again the HEMI is worlds cheaper to make whole again.

 

[danoday]

All this metric data had me thinking:

My mpg, IQ, boot size, credit score and engine size (measured in liters) are very similar and significantly less the than my horse power, tire diameter and truck payment. There may be some correlation in dic pics and towing capacity but that data was to old....lol

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[Tommy Creekmore]

I am pretty happy with my 6.4L gets great mpg for a big truck running 35's. I had heard all the stories of how terrible the mpg was going to be but that has not been the case.

What mpg’s are you getting with this setup?

 

[retired]

What mpg’s are you getting with this setup?

 

[Gamedog]

View attachment 232916

 

[mtnrider]

View attachment 232916

Have you corrected the speedometer for the 35's? Have you also hand calculated to verify. If not that's a BS number.


.

 

[retired]

Have you corrected the speedometer for the 35's? Have you also hand calculated to verify. If not that's a BS number.


.

yes i have corrected mine via procal. I have verified both speed and and tripmeter with 2 garmin gps. hand calculation is within 2/10s. I know you will probably say not able to use the pro cal snap but I was.

 

[mtnrider]

yes i have corrected mine via procal. I have verified both speed and and tripmeter with 2 garmin gps. hand calculation is within 2/10s. I know you will probably say not able to use the pro cal snap but I was. View attachment 232918

Well that's awesome. You are truly getting amazing mpg compared to everyone else I have seen (myself included). I averaged 12 (on stock tires) which falls in line with ~5 million miles of tracked data for the 6.4 on fuelly as well. That is average of course.

.

 

[retired]

Well that's awesome. You are truly getting amazing mpg compared to everyone else I have seen (myself included). I averaged 12 (on stock tires) which falls in line with ~5 million miles of tracked data for the 6.4 on fuelly as well. That is average of course.

.

my mpg varies depending on how fast i drive. the above was from Missoula MT to Boise Idaho driving 60-65mph. If I drive 75-80mph(that is the speed limits here) I get 13-14mpg.

 

[tron67j]

my mpg varies depending on how fast i drive. the above was from Missoula MT to Boise Idaho driving 60-65mph. If I drive 75-80mph(that is the speed limits here) I get 13-14mpg.

I get that MPG as well, mostly city driving.

 

[dhay13]

I'm averaging 12.2 MPG but that is some highway, some towing, mostly in town. Min is 100% stock with 4.10's. I have gotten just under 17 MPG hand calculated on the highway averaging about 67 MPH. Could probably hit 18 if I slowed down to about 57 MPH. Towing 9000lbs I get about 8.5 MPG.

But, if you want to tow 12,000 lbs better get a 3500 if you want a Cummins or you will likely be overloaded. The payload is so low on a 2500 Cummins that the 2500 Hemi will usually out tow the diesel if you are concerned with being legal. Forget about towing a 5th wheel with a 2500 Cummins. Almost guaranteed they will be illegal once you pull out onto the road.

And I read you said something about the Hemi having a knob for a shifter? Maybe I misunderstood that but not sure where you got that from? My Hemi has a shift lever on the column.

Diesels definitely have their place but if you don't NEED one they are a waste of money. It would be foolish for me to buy one. My boat only weighs about 9500lbs and my 6.4 tows it great. A 2500 Cummins in my mind is a waste of money because the payload is so low anything you can tow or haul with it can easily be done with a 6.4. A 3500 Cummins would be great if you were towing anything over about 12,000 lbs but having 1500lbs of tongue weight would push the payload limits of most 2500's once you load up your passengers, bed, etc. If I had that heavy of a load I would definitely buy a 3500 Cummins but anything less and I'll take the 6.4.



Oh, and here is my payload:


And here is my son's 2018 2500 6.4 towing his 8100lb travel trailer. Truck was 9100lbs with the tongue weight. Would have been very close to being over payload if he had a Cummins

 

[corneileous]

And I read you said something about the Hemi having a knob for a shifter? Maybe I misunderstood that but not sure where you got that from? My Hemi has a shift lever on the column.

It appears you have a 4th Gen for one and for two, all the new gas 2500’s that have the 8-speed have the knob as well. Only the 6-speeds have the shifter on the column.


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[jejb]

Definitely expensive if you buy a new one. Definitely expensive if you top of line new WB, but I see very low milage late model used DP's for under a 100k all the time.

I would definitely rather travel by class A or C RV than a trailered RV. Just to many used ones out there to by new, in my opinion. But RV'S come with their challenges as well, even a good deal RV will get money from you later....like boats...lol

WB is not really top of the line. Above average, but not in the million dollar range like some Newmar, Tiffen and Prevost DP's. You really need to be careful buying lesser quality RV's. They are almost always money pits.

The motorized RV vs pull behind is always a personal decision. For us, we needed to pull things behind, like boats, enclosed trailers, etc. So that's why we've only had motorized ones. But with a pull behind, you have a vehicle to get around with once you get to where you're going. And you can still bring some toys with a toy hauler. There's no single right answer, just whatever works for you.