Yesterday day I drove a new 2017 Ram 6.4 Hemi Dually. I know absolutely ZERO about dodge products. In the past 20 years I have owned all Ford trucks and Chevy SUVs. Currently I carry my old camper with a 99 Ford 350 with the Triton V 10. Although it has under 100,000 miles, the years of hauling heavy loads for work and the general bad weather of PA, is showing her age. A heavy duty truck is integral to our business. Hauling six thousand pound sometimes. Although I have no plans on getting rid of the Ford, Dodge has some pretty good incentives right now and this particular dually came up on my truck watch. It's hard to find duallys on dealer lots. Anyways, can anyone shed some light on this truck. You know... power, engine, payload, opinions, experience?

I drove a '15 Chevy 3500 with the 6.0 back to back with a '15 RAM with the 6.4 engine 2 years ago. I was really impressed with the 6.4. It felt a lot stronger and a lot quicker than the Chevy 6.0. My boss ended up getting the Chevy instead for financial reasons and it's been a good truck. But, if I were picking a new HD truck with a gas engine I think the RAM 6.4 would be the one to get. Particularly since you can get that engine with the Aisin transmission which adds PTO capability along with MD toughness.

You know... power, engine, payload, opinions, experience? The 6.4 gas engine is considered by Ram to be a medium duty truck gas engine, has 429 foot pounds of torque and 410 hp. Payloads for the dually can be upwards of 6-7000 pounds depending on options. I don't think you can go wrong with the 6.4 if you want a gas engine. In comparison the high output diesel puts out 900 foot pounds of torque when mated with the Aisin transmission.

I would not hesitate to buy that engine. I have owned only Dodge trucks over last 25 years or so.

I have the 6.4 47000 miles no problems.

Think it would sufficient for a 3000 lb TC with a dually stable lift?

2017 Ram 3500 6.4L dually. Should I? | Good Sam Community

Troutguy
Explorer
Jan 28, 2017
jmtandem wrote:
Again, same exact truck. One is long bed with 3.73 gears and the other is Mega cab with 4.10 gears. 3.73 gets better mpg when driving.

My comment stands as this is a thread about the 6.4 engine and so was/is the TCM magazine article. The specific issue is cylinder deactivation. The diesels (that you have) do not utilize cylinder deactivation under light loads. With the 6.4 and 4.10 axles the cylinder deactivation can occur more often than with the 3.73 axles under a load tending to lessen any gas mileage difference between the two axles.

JMTANDEM is correct. This thread is about RAM 6.4 HEMI gas/3500 dually trucks not diesels or other brands. I would like to see comments from owners or others that have driven these particular trucks. Even though I consider myself a GM guy I am interested in the RAM 6.4 gas dually.
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2017
Wagonqueen Truckster wrote:
My Ford is fast approaching 20 years old.

Still young :p

Red is 25 this year with 227,000 miles, and Old Blue is 32 at 212,000 :p. Both are small block gassers.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2017
Again, same exact truck. One is long bed with 3.73 gears and the other is Mega cab with 4.10 gears. 3.73 gets better mpg when driving.

My comment stands as this is a thread about the 6.4 engine and so was/is the TCM magazine article. The specific issue is cylinder deactivation. The diesels (that you have) do not utilize cylinder deactivation under light loads. With the 6.4 and 4.10 axles the cylinder deactivation can occur more often than with the 3.73 axles under a load tending to lessen any gas mileage difference between the two axles.
cartmancartman
Explorer
Jan 25, 2017
Again, same exact truck. One is long bed with 3.73 gears and the other is Mega cab with 4.10 gears. 3.73 gets better mpg when driving.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2017
I disagree, I have Two Ram 3500's one is 13 Mega Cab and the 16 Long bed. The 16 gives much better mileage due to the gearing.

This is a little sparce in information. What are the axle ratios, engine type, tire size, weight of trucks, transmissions, and what were you towing/hauling to come to the conclusions you have asserted?

My comment was/is related to the 6.4 engine with cylinder deactivation and otherwise the same year and same exact truck except for the difference between 3.73 and 4.10 axle ratios. It appears you are comparing differing years, differing trucks, and possibly driving the diesel engine that I was not referring to.
cartmancartman
Explorer
Jan 24, 2017
jmtandem wrote:
Ram 6.4 with camper Review TC Magazine

I seriously doubt the 4.10 axles would give any less gas mileage and maybe even better mileage when towing or hauling. Yesteryear the 4.10 axles would yield less fuel mileage than 3.73s but with todays transmissions it is not that big a difference, if any.

I disagree, I have Two Ram 3500's one is 13 Mega Cab and the 16 Long bed. The 16 gives much better mileage due to the gearing.
Wagonqueen_Truc
Explorer
Jan 24, 2017
mkasner wrote:
48k miles on our 2014 RAM 3500 6.4L. Hauls our Lance 861 4k pounds wet around just fine. Living in a mountain and ski town do I wish I had the cummins? Absolutely. If you live on the east coast go with the 6.4L

That's awesome. I am pretty sure my camper is around 3200. With vintage (76 Amerigo) it's always difficult to say exactely how much they weigh without taking them in for an actual reading. Back in the day, they advertised them as 2700 lbs, but that seems way under reality for such a huge camper.
Wagonqueen_Truc
Explorer
Jan 24, 2017
towpro wrote:
Wagonqueen Truckster wrote:
Needless to say, now that I have the new truck they have been assigned the 99 Ford for the remainder of their driving years here in this household.

congratulation on the new truck. What level did you buy? tradesman?

you "gave" your kids a pickup with a v10 to drive? are they male? how old are they? better start buying back tires now :).

Hahahaha. The 2 in question are 16 and 17, but the 4 other children, who are now either married or in college, played in part the destruction of many many Vans, SUVs and a Trucks. And when you have a family of eight, BIG vehicles are the norm. They all learned to drive and test in either a Suburban 2500 or a V 10 truck. Girls and Boys. Actually the girls can parallel pArk a dually in downtown Pittsburgh without batting an eyelash. Although one of them did total out my favorite truck. My Ford 350 Triton V 10 short bed. I miss that one. LOL.
mkasner
Explorer
Jan 24, 2017
48k miles on our 2014 RAM 3500 6.4L. Hauls our Lance 861 4k pounds wet around just fine. Living in a mountain and ski town do I wish I had the cummins? Absolutely. If you live on the east coast go with the 6.4L
towpro
Explorer
Jan 24, 2017
Wagonqueen Truckster wrote:
Needless to say, now that I have the new truck they have been assigned the 99 Ford for the remainder of their driving years here in this household.

congratulation on the new truck. What level did you buy? tradesman?

you "gave" your kids a pickup with a v10 to drive? are they male? how old are they? better start buying back tires now :).