Wife wants a bigger camper.

[Marley]

The wife and I have been RVing for many years and lots of good times but she won't let me hang on to a trailer very long.

I have to keep upgrading my trucks to pull them which downgrades my wallet.

So I'm back to the dealership looking at trucks and wanna be done playing.

Currently have a Ram 2500 5.7 Hemi and would like to stay with Hemi.

Curious to how everyone is liking the 6.4 Hemi.....appears to have a lot of muscle.
Thanks

 

[Pull Ya]

Bite the bullet and get a diesel. You'll never have to upgrade again.
Jay

 

[quietpeen]

if you get a 6.4, get a power wagon, can tow with and then go play on trials while the wife sits around the camper.

 

[Marley]

if you get a 6.4, get a power wagon, can tow with and then go play on trials while the wife sits around the camper.

Yeah I'm looking at those as I'm an avid offroad"er"........ loose some towing capacity for the sake of offroad prowess though.

 

[Marley]

Bite the bullet and get a diesel. You'll never have to upgrade again.
Jay

Yep that's what my brother says while he sports his Cummins 3500.
I like how easy the Hemi's are to work on....other than plugs.

 

[Pull Ya]

and all the oil that runs down your arm into your arm pit when you change the filter---LOL
Jay

 

[Scottly]

Don't get a bigger trailer...get a smaller wife.

 

[TerraNewf]

and all the oil that runs down your arm into your arm pit when you change the filter---LOL
Jay

You got that right, just completed an oil change on my 2019, 5.7 and the oil filter is still in the same place. Told my wife if I'm going to keep changing my own oil then I have to re-locate that oil filter. She told me to give it up and take it to a dealer.

 

[Pull Ya]

The engineer that designed where that filter goes has probably never had to change one---
Jay

 

[AFMoulton]

I went with the 2500 with Snow Plow Prep, gave me the Hemi, and taller gears also the limited slip rear. Pulls this 10,350# 38’ just fine. I had a 14,000# Gooseneck hooked to it and it did just fine for the Hemi.

Tow Capacity is 15,450 and Payload is 3690, so I have room to spare. I stayed away from the power wagon because I wanted more capacity, plus I can always add lockers and a winch.


2018 2500 6.4 4x4 4.10 Amsoil SS 0w-40, Softopper
Black Rhino Armory 18x9 +12mm
Cooper St MAXX LT295/70R18

2016 Durango 5.7 AWD 3.07 Amsoil SS 4 Qts 5W-30 and 3 Qts 0W-40
1996 Nissan Altima 2.4 Amsoil SS 5W-30

 

[WY-Dave]

I was in a almost similar situation. We had 2 Jeeps that even combined could not tow worth a hoot. I went to the dealership to look at the 6.4 2500. Then why skimp? haul 75% or haul at 50%. Then if I got a wild hair, could tow most anything I want. Camping gear bed, camper and then the quad trailer or a boat. Better to have and not need than to need and not have. We were always needing for 4 years with the Jeeps

 

[Elkman]

With the diesel engine you get a 20% gain in towing capacity and also a 25% gain in range on a tank of fuel so fewer stops with a trailer in tow. You also get the exhaust brake function and that makes a great deal of difference going down steep grades with a trailer behind the truck. It provides more control and less reliance on the truck and trailer brakes.

With diesel the maintenance costs are more than double those of a gas engine and when the injectors need to be replaced it is a $5,000 repair job. But it still is a lot cheaper than buying a new truck every time you want a bigger trailer.

If you and your wife like to stay at a KOA RV park then bigger is OK. But if you want to stay at a state park or in a national forest campground then a trailer that is longer than 30 feet is a serious liability as it will not fit in 85% of the campsites. And a reservation does not help unless you can specify which site you are reserving and know in advance that your rig will fit.

At a certain point it makes more sense to stay at hotels or in time share units and not try to tow your home behind your truck. Most people are not really up for camping and so they have very large RV's with all the comforts of home, including a large screen TV and a satellite dish, and small wonder that studies have shown the few of them venture even 100 yards from their "campsite".