Help Ram 2500 6.4 gas vs diesel
Hi, I was really hoping to get some help with a decision from people that actually tow. The ones I'm familiar with that do g camping aren't the most approachable. Ok so my wife and I bought a 2016 r...
Forum Discussion
I towed a 9200 lb 5er with a 2018 Ram 2500 6.4, 4.10 gears and it was only adequate. I sold the 5er and got a 9600 lb loaded TT. Same type of towing experience naturally. The killer was a month long trip through 7 western states with one pass at 8432' and a 10% grade. That trip was a PITA. Mostly because I was in higher elevations where you lose 3% of power for every 1000' of altitude. The Hemi need to of course wind out to pull the load. Problem was that even with locking out 6th that every slight incline the 6sp would drop to 4th and then sometimes 3rd. I suppose the 8sp would calm things down but not with 12,000 lbs behind it.
MPG's were 8's-9's. 9's being rare. The 6sp is terrible. Down in the lower gears the spacing is wrong and it will drop to a lower gear and scream then up shift and bog. Rinse repeat.
After that year of which we put over 5,000 miles of towing on the 2500 6.4 I said never again. The in 2020 Covid hit and we didn't do much traveling so the Hemi was fine. Come Sept 2020 a dealer in town had a 2019 3500 CTD leftover so with the stupid high prices for used truck and the good discount on the 19 I made the switch back to a diesel.
I have 4558 lbs of CCC and it tows our TT like a dream. I also get in the 11's for MPG.
I would never want to tow over 7-8,000 lbs with the 6sp Hemi. If I only towed out in the flat parts where you have some rolling hills on occasion then you'd be okay towing heavier. But the 1st 5%-6% grade you hit and the Hemi 6sp drops from 5th to 3rd and maybe 2nd you'd see why I switched.
FWIW on the 8432' 10% grade that seemed like it lasted for eternity I was in 1st gear at 20 mpg or so and wound out to 42-4500 rpms. Only thing I could think of was I was glad I still had a warranty.
MPG's were 8's-9's. 9's being rare. The 6sp is terrible. Down in the lower gears the spacing is wrong and it will drop to a lower gear and scream then up shift and bog. Rinse repeat.
After that year of which we put over 5,000 miles of towing on the 2500 6.4 I said never again. The in 2020 Covid hit and we didn't do much traveling so the Hemi was fine. Come Sept 2020 a dealer in town had a 2019 3500 CTD leftover so with the stupid high prices for used truck and the good discount on the 19 I made the switch back to a diesel.
I have 4558 lbs of CCC and it tows our TT like a dream. I also get in the 11's for MPG.
I would never want to tow over 7-8,000 lbs with the 6sp Hemi. If I only towed out in the flat parts where you have some rolling hills on occasion then you'd be okay towing heavier. But the 1st 5%-6% grade you hit and the Hemi 6sp drops from 5th to 3rd and maybe 2nd you'd see why I switched.
FWIW on the 8432' 10% grade that seemed like it lasted for eternity I was in 1st gear at 20 mpg or so and wound out to 42-4500 rpms. Only thing I could think of was I was glad I still had a warranty.
