Need help finding the right truck

Greene728 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

Greene728 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

Artum Snowbird wrote:
You won't be sorry getting a 1 ton SRW for a rig that size. Lots of 3/4 ton rigs can do the job too, but you will appreciate the difference in how secure you feel at the wheel.

Since he's buying used I'd say get whatever he can get a better deal on. Most 3/4 tons, and certainly the newer ones, are the same as SRW 1 tons aside from slightly softer rear springs. Throw some airbags or timbrens on it and you've got the same truck aside from the rating tag. There shouldn't be any difference in the way they feel since they have all the same components.

My truck is a SRW 3500. When looking these are the things I noticed between my truck and comparable 2500.
My 3500 has 7k rear axle. 2500 was 6500 I believe.
3500 had leaf pack in rear vs. coils on the 2500.
3500 with cummins has payload of 3970lbs. Highest 2500 cummins I saw was roughly 2400lbs.
Sorry, but I don't agree for the reasons above that "throw some air bags or timbrens on it and you have the same truck" is an accurate statement. If it were then why the 2 different designating of 2500/3500? And yes, I understand registering tax requirements in some states based on truck classification. Adding some mods does not change what the truck is rated for. It simply bandaids inadequacy most of the time.

The tax and registration stuff can matter a lot to individuals in some cases, but not all. It's probably a bigger deal on a vehicle used commercially. Go above 10k lbs gross on those and you run into all the DOT stuff - logbook, medical card, annual inspection, etc. The payload rating difference is simply a function of high curb weight and the hard 10k lb cap.

Putting timbrens or airbags on a 2500 doesn't bandaid an inadequacy, it simply erases the only difference between it and a SRW 3500. How is it different from ordering lighter rear springs with supplemental airbags on a 3500 straight from the factory? Or is that also just a bandaid Ram is using to address an inadequacy?

Does adding timbrens or bags to a 2500 erase the difference in RAWR? How about the payload designation on the door jamb that is what is going to be looked at in the case of an accident if the truck is overloaded and said accident seriously injures or kills someone? Does it erase the fact that the engineers who built the truck gave it said designation of 2500/3500 for a reason? I have always enjoyed your posts and respected what you have to say. And I'm honestly not looking to argue. But, I just don't agree with telling someone that with some mods they are the same. I know that these mods can make additional payload possible, but maybe with a cost if damage or injury occurs from the mods. Again, all I'm saying is that there are differences between the two which is why they carry two different designations. Maybe I'm being stubborn (wouldn't be the first time), so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.

We all get to have our own opinions and we definitely don't have to agree about everything. I will say with regard to liability that's really unlikely to ever be an issue. I'm an attorney who used to practice insurance defense so I have a little bit of a basis for that opinion.