TO DIESEL OR NOT TO DIESEL THAT IS THE QUESTIONS

[mrock]

I live in the high country of Colorado at 7600'. The torque of a diesel is key. You avoid the constant transmission gear hunting that a gas engine does on a grade under load. I have two diesels (Ram & Super Duty) that are both daily drivers. No issues. The resale value of a diesel is much higher. Better longevity also (in my opinion).

 

[Thornback]

Based on the info you provided you should opt for the diesel. If you get a gas engine truck you will find it's underpowered for what you want. An underpowered vehicle will give you buyer's remorse in the worst way.

 

[tharshtx]

Just went from Cummins to hemi 6.4. could not be happier. Diesel wore me out. Every system but AC had major work done. 134,000 MI the transmission went and I walked out into the dealer parking lot and picked out a new power wagon. Also I'm a preventive maintenance freak changed oil all fluids well under limits. We'll see how the new truck does..

 

[Utah]

Get the 3500 diesel. I have a 2500 and had a 5th wheel. I think the 3500 handles a 5th wheel better with the long bed.

 

[nlambert182]

Just went from Cummins to hemi 6.4. could not be happier. Diesel wore me out. Every system but AC had major work done. 134,000 MI the transmission went and I walked out into the dealer parking lot and picked out a new power wagon. Also I'm a preventive maintenance freak changed oil all fluids well under limits. We'll see how the new truck does..

That sounds odd for a Cummins... but I guess stranger things happen. As long as the 6.4 does what you need it to do, then all good!

But... most PWs have a smaller payload than a regular 2500.

 

[Frank Titus]

I've had two Cummins, & two Power Wagons, all 2500s , in that order. The one now is a '23 PW 2500 Rebel, no winch. With the lighter engine on the front, they seem to ride, & steer better, more like the 1500. That new Hurricane engine is supposed to weigh 188 lbs. less than the Hemi. Seems like now I'm leaning toward the RamCharger 1500. They will weigh about 6,500, payload 2,500, tow 14,000, with 8 lug wheels. I never tow more than 10,000 lbs.. I will have to Stay Tuned on that. 4.10 gears also help the Power Wagon. Like the 3500 Dually, I use shorter tires. that helps with the pull. I like the old 2500's size : 265/70 R17. They certainly ride better than the 20s.

 

[esteve2]

I'm pulling a toy hauler through Baja and across U.S. 2017 3500 Laramie diesel. Wouldn't trade those compression brakes for anything. No brainer in my book.

 

[SavannahDan]

Hello 2500 and 3500 fellers.

I am upgrading to a 2500 and selling 1500. My internal conflict is diesel or no diesel, and was just wanting some pros and cons of each from experienced 2500 owners if you guys dont mind supplying it.

Im getting a 2500 because i am buying a tractor next spring that ill be taking to a couple different states where I have property, and the wife wants to buy a camper in the next year or two...preferably a 5th wheel, so the amount AND frequency of my pulling habits is about to increase.

So what is everyones opinions on this? Thanks for taking the time to read and reply!

 

[SavannahDan]

I would definitely go diesel considering the amount of towing your going to be doing. In my experience (20 plus years of pulling trailers with different trucks) I found that the diesel engines pull a lot easier, almost effortlessly on flat ground. Having dual tires in the rear will make a huge difference especially with the travel trailer. I'm not speaking specifically about Ram diesels, but one of the trucks I used to drive was a 2005 3500 diesel dually. It was a nicer ride the most 3500's, it had almost zero road noise, I could barely hear the Cummings purring when inside the truck, and having the dual rear tires makes towing a lot more stable. I hope that helps

 

[WVPOWERMAN]

Good stuff in here guys. thanks for all the info. I think im going to opt for the diesel. I just think once me and the wife take off for a couple weeks at a time with our camper, its just going to make the most senst. especially while trying to get out of the mountains of west virginia lol.

 

[nlambert182]

Just keep in mind to REALLY watch payload if you opt for a 2500 diesel. It will likely be low. If you can swing a 3500 single rear wheel, you'll open up a decent amount of fifth wheel possibilities. If you can stand a dually, you'll open up pretty much all of them.

 

[Tulecreeper]

According to the forum, it looks like the gas versions get around 12mpg not towing. If you are doing a fifth wheel, the gasser has a lot more useful payload than the diesel. And you really need to mindful of the RVs weight if your thinking 2500. The cummins engine weighs around 1100 pounds. So that really cuts into your payload on a 2500. Of course when your not towing the 3500, is sprung pretty harsh, well because its a truck. I have had both. I went with the diesel on both of my trucks, but I dont DD drive them. They really like being taxed hard when towing my RV. Good luck with your decision.

Nope, I get about 14 all around, but I activate my ERS most of the time so it seldom drops into 4-cyl mode. If I'm out on the freeway and let the MDS do it's thing I get between 22 and 24 MPG all day long. If I just leave the MDS activated all the time I would get probably in the neighborhood of 16-18 MPG all around. Those numbers are for 'not towing'.

 

[2003F350]

The one now is a '23 PW 2500 Rebel, no winch.

You don't have a Power Wagon. You've got the Rebel. Which, from what I can tell, is basically an option package to make a 2500 LOOK like a Power Wagon. You don't have the softer springs, you don't have most of the off-road features, you don't have the winch, which are all things that make a Power Wagon a Power Wagon.

 

[truck2569]

Hello 2500 and 3500 fellers.

I am upgrading to a 2500 and selling 1500. My internal conflict is diesel or no diesel, and was just wanting some pros and cons of each from experienced 2500 owners if you guys dont mind supplying it.

Im getting a 2500 because i am buying a tractor next spring that ill be taking to a couple different states where I have property, and the wife wants to buy a camper in the next year or two...preferably a 5th wheel, so the amount AND frequency of my pulling habits is about to increase.

So what is everyones opinions on this? Thanks for taking the time to read and reply!

Guess it all depends A diesel will last longer but is more expensive to work on. A gs engine is cheaper to work one but doesn't have the life.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Guess it all depends A diesel will last longer but is more expensive to work on. A gs engine is cheaper to work one but doesn't have the life.

Not agreeing here. All the trucks I've ever had were gassers and every one of them lasted me between 13 and 24 years with minimal repair costs. Just regular maintenance and the occasional replaced part. I think one and a half to two and a half decades of mechanically solid vehicles is a pretty solid batting average.

 

[Dusty]

I'm not sure the 3.0 V6 diesel in Rams will go the distance, and those Ford/IH diesels years back were famous for NOT going the distance.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 117717 miles.

 

[2003F350]

I'm not sure the 3.0 V6 diesel in Rams will go the distance, and those Ford/IH diesels years back were famous for NOT going the distance.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 117717 miles.

You're referring to the 6.0's and 6.4's. The 7.3 was a rock. The 6.0 could be if you didn't throw a tune at it and nothing else (which has been pretty true of just about every diesel since the 7.3 and 5.9 CTD), and the 6.4 was, admittedly, notorious for being made of glass even in its stock form (though I know of a couple that have several hundred thousand on them, completely stock, though in F450s that get used every day).

Gassers can be the same way. My dad had a 454 that had to be rebuilt at 100k, the aluminum camshaft gear lost its nylon outer coating and stripped, and being an interference engine bent or broke every pushrod and valve.

Even our current 6.7's have aftertreatment issues, the 'killer bolt,' some have valve train issues, etc. If we're going to be honest we gotta be honest about all of them.

 

[nlambert182]

I used to be a diesel rep for an International Navistar truck dealership when the VT365 (6.0 PS) was introduced. It was a nightmare. Even full deletes (which Ford would do on the sly to try and calm the storm) weren't a guarantee. We had parking lots full of school buses all with failed head gaskets and turbos.

Even though I knew better, I bought the first year of the 6.4 Powerstroke (Maxxforce 7). At 30k miles, the high pressure pump ate itself and required a complete fuel system replacement. At 56k, it blew headgaskets. It was bulletproofed then. It made over 1000 lb/ft of torque after that and worked well towing trailers until about 116k when it blew the head gaskets again. This time, it was done.

We were also the Cummins warranty repair shop in the area and I can honestly say you'd see 1 Cummins for every 10-15 Navistar engines. We saw our share of Duramax's also but probably at a 5:1 ratio to the Navistars. I have no experience with the 6.7 Powerstrokes but I know the 11-12s had a few issues with glow plugs dropping in cylinder and turbos. I hear that 13+ are solid engines.

This is the reason I switched over to a Cummins and I have never been more pleased with my decision. I've now owned 3. After my first 2500, I was sold on the truck that it was in as well. The build quality over all has been a great experience for me. Even the 68RFE that some are completely afraid of. I've had great luck with these and have worked them hard. Take care of them and they'll last.

 

[jejb]

You're referring to the 6.0's and 6.4's. The 7.3 was a rock.

The 7.3 was solid. Very weak and loud compared to the new Duramax.

The 6.0 could be if you didn't throw a tune at it and nothing else

Not the first couple of years. I owned a brand new first year 6.0. Completely stock. Total POS. Constantly in the shop. Lemon lawed it at the one year mark. Big disappointment after my awesome first year Duramax.

 

[2003F350]

The 7.3 was solid. Very weak and loud compared to the new Duramax.

Not the first couple of years. I owned a brand new first year 6.0. Completely stock. Total POS. Constantly in the shop. Lemon lawed it at the one year mark. Big disappointment after my awesome first year Duramax.

See, I'll give you another anecdote - I had an '03 6.0, bone stock, that I bought with something like 70k on it, ONLY issue I had right away was the unison ring froze up (discovered it sat and idled a lot, was used for lawn care). After that I really didn't have many problems with it at all, and those that I did have were either related to rust or sensors aging and dying, not mechanical components.