2014 Ram 2500 vs 3500 Ride Quality

houseoffools wrote:
Looking for feedback from folks who have driven both. My original plan was to keep our 2005 Expedition and get a 25-30 ft TT, but I just don't feel comfortable with the limited gears and soft suspension.

Now thinking about a smaller FW in the 30ft range, and going with a new Ram CC SWB 4x4 w/ CTD. I know everyone says to skip the 2500 and go with the 3500, but I've read the ride quality on the 2500's is really pretty good with the coil springs. This vehicle would be a DD as well. Downside is total weight of occupants would be pushing 1000 lbs, which doesn't leave much for pin weight. Reality is we would probably be over payload by a small amount.

So how much better is the unloaded ride on the 2500 vs 3500?

I'm going to buy one of the two myself and haven't decided yet. I've driven both and the 2500 with coils definitely has a nicer unloaded ride. It's firmer than a half ton but in a good way - it doesn't have the same wallowing feel you get with half tons, but yet it isn't too harsh. The 3500 is noticeably firmer but compared to a three quarter or one ton truck from 10 years ago, it's pretty comfortable.

You are correct that most people here recommend going bigger but I don't know. The 2500 payload with the CTD is fairly low but I don't know what that really means as a practical matter. I don't imagine the weight on the rear axle pm a CTD truck is actually much heavier than the Hemi unloaded, and since the rear springs are the same or at least very similar (might have slightly different spring rates), it stands to reason that the real world payloads should be comparable. I guess if you buy that logic you would fall in the camp where you pay more attention to RAWR than payload. The 2500s definitely don't appear to squat much under load but I don't know how meaningful that is.

One practical issue I've found - it's hard to find 3500 CC short boxes on lots as most one tons have long boxes. I can fit a long box in my garage but I'd rather not live with one day to day or try to get one down a narrow forest service road.