RAM 2500 6.4 Hemi 3.73 gears, Looking for Opinions

IdaD wrote:

Stovepipe wrote:
Another happy 6.4 owner here with the 3.73. The truck is a pleasure to drive and I've been very impressed with the quality of the ride. I know that is subjective and probably not that helpful, but still. I get about 13 MPG around town on hilly routes, but struggle to keep my foot out of it which works against me hehe. I got 17 MPG loaded down with camping gear/firewood and pulling a pop-up up and over the Cumberland Plateau which I thought was pretty good (MDS on about 20% of the time). I would buy the same truck again in a heartbeat. For me the 8 grand more for the diesel wasn't worth it at all.

You paid a $1500 premium for the 6.4, so the spread on paper was actually only $6500. When I bought I found the Cummins tended to be discounted slightly more off MSRP, so the real world difference was even a little less. I suppose the higher MSRP gives the dealer a little more room to discount, and they had a lot more diesels on the lot so that probably factored in as well

I also had to factor in that this truck runs on 87 octane. Diesel fuel is consistently significantly more expensive than gas in my area of Tennessee. Not to mention the DEF expense and hassle. If money wasn't an issue I'd have gone for the Cummins. As it is though, since this is a daily driver, I only tow a couple of times per month, and the 6.4 is more than capable for the travel trailer I plan to buy, this was a good deal for me.

I was in your situation and decided to buy a new (in 2014) SLT 6.4/3.73 instead of ordering the same truck with the 4.10.

We tow a 7,500 pound travel trailer and, regardless what people say on this forum, I KNOW we are not going to buy a bigger trailer in the near future. The same people said "don't buy new," and we love our trailer and don't want to "upgrade."

We have taken this combination through the Smoky Mountains and the Ozark Mountains, and been more than happy. Granted, those aren't the Rockies, but I knew we weren't EVER going to go through the Rockies with this truck and trailer.

I paid $34K for the truck in my signature. An SLT, 4x4, 6.4 HEMI.

Buy what you want. It's your money. As for my money, I will buy what is the best deal for my needs, and the 3.73 gears with the 6.4 is more than adequate. I really just love the extra payload with the gas 2500.

btax wrote:
I drove the RAM with the 4.10, I will go with that, have to special order anyway, it will pull better, but more importantly it was fun to drive, it really has some get up and go.

Yes it does.

I drove the RAM with the 4.10, I will go with that, have to special order anyway, it will pull better, but more importantly it was fun to drive, it really has some get up and go.

Vintage465 wrote:

btax wrote:
I am looking for opinions on this truck as a new tow vehicle, and what gears to got. Also looking at Ford and Chevy 3/4 tons.

This will be a daily driver, with a short 10 minute commute. My driving style is fairly conservative, I don't really that much about being fast off the line, but like to drive 5 - 10 MPH over on the freeway, up to 70 - 80.

I will be towing a 7250 lbs max travel trailer, maybe 20 times a year, with very little chance of upgrading to a a larger trailer. Currently tow with a 2002 Chevy Tahoe 5.3L 3.73 gears. It seems to tow fine, but I have to be careful with the weight.

My current thought it that this will be more truck that I need, but would not have to worry about anything.

So looking for opinions on the truck, my setup, and what gears to get. I think I prefer the 3.73 over the 4.10 for my style and usage.

Thanks for the info.

I don't agree with your current. There is no such thing as too much truck. It's nice to be on the fat side of towing. I didn't see you towing weight? I might be blind.

My Bad, I'm blind. That weight seems good for your rig. But realistically if you tow 20 times a year and your commute is only ten minutes? I would likely go with the 4.10 rear end.

btax wrote:
I am looking for opinions on this truck as a new tow vehicle, and what gears to got. Also looking at Ford and Chevy 3/4 tons.

This will be a daily driver, with a short 10 minute commute. My driving style is fairly conservative, I don't really that much about being fast off the line, but like to drive 5 - 10 MPH over on the freeway, up to 70 - 80.

I will be towing a 7250 lbs max travel trailer, maybe 20 times a year, with very little chance of upgrading to a a larger trailer. Currently tow with a 2002 Chevy Tahoe 5.3L 3.73 gears. It seems to tow fine, but I have to be careful with the weight.

My current thought it that this will be more truck that I need, but would not have to worry about anything.

So looking for opinions on the truck, my setup, and what gears to get. I think I prefer the 3.73 over the 4.10 for my style and usage.

Thanks for the info.

I don't agree with your current. There is no such thing as too much truck. It's nice to be on the fat side of towing. I didn't see you towing weight? I might be blind.

Stovepipe wrote:
Another happy 6.4 owner here with the 3.73. The truck is a pleasure to drive and I've been very impressed with the quality of the ride. I know that is subjective and probably not that helpful, but still. I get about 13 MPG around town on hilly routes, but struggle to keep my foot out of it which works against me hehe. I got 17 MPG loaded down with camping gear/firewood and pulling a pop-up up and over the Cumberland Plateau which I thought was pretty good (MDS on about 20% of the time). I would buy the same truck again in a heartbeat. For me the 8 grand more for the diesel wasn't worth it at all.

You paid a $1500 premium for the 6.4, so the spread on paper was actually only $6500. When I bought I found the Cummins tended to be discounted slightly more off MSRP, so the real world difference was even a little less. I suppose the higher MSRP gives the dealer a little more room to discount, and they had a lot more diesels on the lot so that probably factored in as well

Another happy 6.4 owner here with the 3.73. The truck is a pleasure to drive and I've been very impressed with the quality of the ride. I know that is subjective and probably not that helpful, but still. I get about 13 MPG around town on hilly routes, but struggle to keep my foot out of it which works against me hehe. I got 17 MPG loaded down with camping gear/firewood and pulling a pop-up up and over the Cumberland Plateau which I thought was pretty good (MDS on about 20% of the time). I would buy the same truck again in a heartbeat. For me the 8 grand more for the diesel wasn't worth it at all.

I'm very pleased with the performance of my '14 6.4L with the 3.73. I'm towing about 7k lbs, so not heavy. The vast majority of the time, it's a daily driver, with lots of short trips. It fills both roles well.

It's not a diesel, and if I were towing 10k+, I'd have the Cummins instead. The 2500 6.4L isn't much more expensive than many properly tow-equipped gasser half tons, but is a more capable truck for the buck. It sure beats having a 150/1500 in the driveway, and wishing I had a little more truck.

We don't get much snow/ice up here, but a lot of rain, I was also concerned with the tire slip on the wet roads with the 4.10.