Before I do comparisons on these two engines, has anyone already done research on this...feedback would be great and perhaps save some extra time. Thanks for the input!

I too am very interested in this subject. Owning a diesel with dpf emission control stuff out of warranty like I do is just a risk I'd rather not have. Seems like a lot of people like their new gassers and my fiver weight is a little less than 12,000, which is well below some of the gas tow ratings. If you look at last years pickup truck ultimate 3/4 ton challenge on the Ike Gauntlet, you will see that the Ram 6.4 with 4.1 lost to the Chevy with 6.0 and 4.1, as well as the Ford with 6.2 and 3.73 rear end. Why?? The first and second gears of the Ram are 3.23 and 1.84, while the Chevy's are 4.03 and 2.36, and the Ford's are 3.97 and 2.31. The Ram came in last and went up a long section at under 30 mph with the rpms limited by the Ram engineers to prevent damage. The Chevy and Ford trucks have lower transmission gearing in first and second even though they both have less torque and the Ford only had a 3.73 axle.I live in flat Louisiana and this would rarely apply to me, but I do love to go to Colorado. All these engines are gasping for air at the end of the Ike Gauntlet at over 11,000 feet and have lost about 30% of their power due to elevation. It's an extreme test. In less extreme conditions I think all 3 would do fine. I would just have to get used to 4,000 rpms instead of the 1,600 or so I now hear with the Cummins.I am hoping at least one of the 3 put an 8 speed transmission in a 2500/250. That would probably push me to gas again. I have had a 7.3 Ford and 6.7 Cummins and I love the way diesels tow. The emissions stuff has just made them less reliable and more costly to maintain, with big potential repair cost that don't fit my retirement budget well. I hope this helps some. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you for your comments. I have been restling with the decision gas or diesel for months and I move very slowly because like you I am retired and can't afford a $12,000 plus repair bill. I tow perhaps 5 months per year, but much of that time would be parked in sites in California or Mesa etc... plus will travel in Canada. The 5th I am looking at is dry weight 8500 lbs...... 32 ft 7"Feel free to shoot more comments my way.

Pulling 10K with a fifth wheel certainly makes a gas engine a viable option. If your looking to keep somewhat of a cap on expenses, the gas engines are cheaper to work on and not as particular as the new diesels are. The towing experience will not be as effortless and you wont likely pass many fuel stations. However when you factor in the cost of diesel verse gas in most places, the differences are not as far off as it might first appear. Something to remember when you complain about 7-8 mpg with the gasser verse the 10-11 with a diesel (towing). I pull half again as much with my gas HD and it works, I slay a few dinosaurs but I didn't spend the 8-9K for the Dmax either, that buys a lot gas. Lastly I just traded a '12 for a '15 with 60K on it (bought new) and it cost me .18 cents a mile in depreciation. It worked well enough for me that I bought another HD gas. Granted the HD gas truck is not my sole TV, but at 15K or less it works well.I would say that I don't think problems with the new diesels are anywhere near epidemic, chances are better than not you would wont have any serious problems. However given your retired status, I can see why it is a risk you don't want to take.

What are you towing with now? I did not see the TV in your profile. Most of those that are not happy towing 10K with a gas rig are those coming from a diesel. It's hard to go back to less power.I'm about 2,000 lbs heavier in the fifth wheel. I know a gas would do it fine, but I'm just used to the more relaxing diesel rpms. I just don't know if the relaxed towing is now worth the risk of the far more expensive repairs. Good luck.

I have commented in your CP3 and CP4 diesel thread below, so I can now see you are still on the gas/diesel fence also. There is no right or wrong decision, just the one that will most likely work best for you.Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you.

Hemi 6.4 Ram vs Ford 6.2 (gas) | Good Sam Community

nevadanick
Explorer
Feb 16, 2015
If my truck will go the speed limit up a hill at whatever rpm it takes then what its going to do.
ib516
Explorer II
Feb 16, 2015
I'm still happy with my choice.
I have towed my 11.5k 5er through the Canadian Rockies with no rpm limiting like I saw during the Ike gauntlet test. I have been to about 7500-8000 feet in elevation. I could go as fast as I wanted to on every grade except one where I was floored and not gaining speed. The grade % wasn't posted. My gcw was about 20500#.

Link
ib516
Explorer II
Feb 16, 2015
labren wrote:
Before I do comparisons on these two engines, has anyone already done research on this...
feedback would be great and perhaps save some extra time. Thanks for the input!

I don't think there is a huge performance difference between the two, and I can't say anything bad about the Ford. The specs and stopwatch say the Ram 6.4L Hemi has the most power, but they're pretty close.

I do know I can enthusiastically recommend the Ram 6.4L.
rc135raven
Explorer
Feb 16, 2015
Some of these discussions seem to center on the initial cost of the diesel truck as the main factor in the selection. I recently purchased a 2011 Ram 2500 SLT like new for $31,500 (37,000 mi.) It is head and shoulders above our old 2002 2nd.generation CTD (comfort and power mainly).
We just returned from a 240 mile drive and I hand calculated my towing mileage at 14.3 mpg with our 2012 Cougar 276 (8500 lb loaded) on I10 and I75 here in Florida. Also, I purchased a premium 5 year/ 100,000 mile extended warranty for $2081 that is through our credit union (zero deductable) for ease of mind.
I plan on using the truck for mainly hauling, with the 4 cyl Pontiac G6 for groceries etc. Once again, at time of trade or sale, (a LONG ways off), I'm sure the Cummins will once again pay for itself. I'll take the Cummins any day thank you very much.
I know this is off the OP thread, but as others have mentioned each platforms merits, I just wanted to add my $.02.
spoon059
Explorer II
Feb 16, 2015
goducks10 wrote:
Who the heck pulls 6-7% grades wide open or trying on purpose to maintain the speed limit? The majority of guys towing won't beat their trucks like TFL guys do. Heck their treating it like a rental. Even with my Cummins and only towing 9000lbs I don't do work the******out of it to maintain the speed limit when climbing passes. I let it do what feels natural when climbing. Just my guess but the average guy would not complain towing Ike with any of the big 3 gasser 3/4 ton trucks.

Something else to think about... how often are the majority of people carrying significant weight over the pass? Unless you live near the area or particularly LOVE a campground in that area, you may only go over it once or twice in your life.

Personally I buy my vehicles for the 95% estimated usage... not or the 5% or less where I might be pulling big weight up a hill in a hurry. When we went across country as a family when I was a kid we went west in New Mexico area, north along the coast and came back east up in Wyoming. If I go back, I will probably go to Denver... but probably not more than once or twice.

To each their own.
kzspree320
Explorer
Feb 17, 2015
ib516 wrote:
I'm still happy with my choice.
I have towed my 11.5k 5er through the Canadian Rockies with no rpm limiting like I saw during the Ike gauntlet test. I have been to about 7500-8000 feet in elevation. I could go as fast as I wanted to on every grade except one where I was floored and not gaining speed. The grade % wasn't posted. My gcw was about 20500#.

Link

Glad to hear you are still happy with your decision. Your 5er is about the same weight as mine. Thanks for the info.
Greene728
Explorer
Feb 17, 2015
My 5er is near identical weight and length as yours. I just went from a 2005 Ford F-250 with the 6.0 PSD to a 2012 F-250 with the 6.2 gas. I love thus truck! Now with that said, I obviously don't have much time towing with it yet other than a few short trips. I pulled the 5er about 30mi on a test pull and have done 2 trips with my 24ft gooseneck loaded with a tractor both times which is roughly 8500# total. The truck performed great! My only complaint is the suspension is a touch weak in the rear. Apparently Ford went to a softer leaf pack around 2010-2011 to improve the ride. I plan on doing either the timbrens soon or a long add a leaf. Why they did this I have no clue, but they did. The overall towing experience was even better the the 05 mostly due to the 6 speed tranny that is very adjustable and versatile. I was about to have to put some serious money into the diesel that I just didn't want to. The initial purchase price, difference in fuel price, maintenance, expensive repairs, etc were enough to push me to change also as my truck is also my DD. Again, I have absolutely no regrets so far and am completely happy! I looked extensively at the big 3 and liked certain things about all 3. At the end of the day I just favored the Ford. Plus I found a fantastic deal on the one I bought and it's in mint condition with full warranty and Ford certified. I having just went through what your facing would be glad to help or offer my take and experiences if your interested. Just shoot me a PM and I'll help any way I can.

Regards,
Scott
Buck50HD
Explorer
Feb 17, 2015
I also would not rule out the GM 6.0. From experience, I can tell you that the 6.2 has anemic electronic throttle response and is not very eager to downshift so it feels like a dog until you get on it. Once you get used to it, especially towing, it's a non-issue. In real-world tests, they all get the same fuel economy and you need data loggers to measure any performance difference because they are so close. Just a change in grade or test speed can change who comes out on top.
Need-A-Vacation
Explorer
Feb 17, 2015
We have been pretty happy with our '13 Chevy 6.0 so far! About 16k mi, while our trailer is only about 7300lbs or so, I haven't felt I NEEDED more (power or the 4.10's), so I can only imagine what the 4.10's would be like!

Can't hurt to test drive them all, and go from there!

Good luck!
kw_00
Explorer
Feb 17, 2015
Any of the 3 gasser choices would be good. I love the GM 6.0 as well so check those out as well.

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