2500 to 3500 dually first tow comparison.

[CampingN_C_]

So I traded in the 2015 2500 for a 18 CCLB 3500 Cummins Aisin 4.10 and thought I'd share my experience on our first tow with our 5er TH.
First off I didn't trade because my 2500 wasn't fully capable, but it was on the upper edge of it's limits at approx 14K lbs and we tow every weekend.
I noticed a difference before we got out of our driveway. It's a mild slope and the 2500 with the 3.42 had to get well into the RPM's to get it moving. New truck wanted to idle itself up...enter intimidate grin !!
With the Aisin and the 4.10 now the truck pulls truly effortlessly.
The 3000lb pin leveled it nicely and made for a MUCH improved ride while loaded. (no worse unloaded either). As far as the handling I can't honestly say there's much difference, maybe a little less of the roll feeling that the 2500's coils can give you, but you get that feeling unloaded as well, guys that have them know what I'm referring to. So I'm still not going to say you HAVE to have a dually for a large 5th, I never was on that bandwagon, my 2500 really did handle it quite well.
So if anyone's on the fence for going to a 3500, it's worth having the dually just to get the Aisin AND the 4.10 rear end combo.
Unfortunately we will now have to shop for an even larger toy hauler. 😉

[IdaD]

LIKE2BUILD wrote:

CampingN.C. wrote:
So I traded in the 2015 2500 for a 18 CCLB 3500 Cummins Aisin 4.10 and thought I'd share my experience on our first tow with our 5er TH.
First off I didn't trade because my 2500 wasn't fully capable, but it was on the upper edge of it's limits at approx 14K lbs and we tow every weekend.
.....As far as the handling I can't honestly say there's much difference, maybe a little less of the roll feeling that the 2500's coils can give you, but you get that feeling unloaded as well, guys that have them know what I'm referring to....

I'm in the same boat you were. I'm right at the top limits of the truck but do not feel it's overmatched in any way. I think that roll feel is due to the springs being inboard of the frame.

Before I started towing heavy I installed a set of Timbrens. It wasn't that I didn't trust the coil springs, I just knew I'd have a good load in the bed and wanted to that extra oomph factor. With the Timbrens I haven't experienced the roll feel, even with the 5er pin weight loaded in the bed. My guess is air bags would have the same effect.

KJ

I got the same result with Timbrens on my truck. I think it helps that they're mounted outboard of the coils directly under the frame.

Congrats on the new ride, OP. I'm sure the Aisin and 4.10s will make a big difference getting the load moving. The one spot my truck can feel a little sluggish towing is getting started rolling, especially on an incline.

[LIKE2BUILD]

CampingN.C. wrote:
So I traded in the 2015 2500 for a 18 CCLB 3500 Cummins Aisin 4.10 and thought I'd share my experience on our first tow with our 5er TH.
First off I didn't trade because my 2500 wasn't fully capable, but it was on the upper edge of it's limits at approx 14K lbs and we tow every weekend.
.....As far as the handling I can't honestly say there's much difference, maybe a little less of the roll feeling that the 2500's coils can give you, but you get that feeling unloaded as well, guys that have them know what I'm referring to....

I'm in the same boat you were. I'm right at the top limits of the truck but do not feel it's overmatched in any way. I think that roll feel is due to the springs being inboard of the frame.

Before I started towing heavy I installed a set of Timbrens. It wasn't that I didn't trust the coil springs, I just knew I'd have a good load in the bed and wanted to that extra oomph factor. With the Timbrens I haven't experienced the roll feel, even with the 5er pin weight loaded in the bed. My guess is air bags would have the same effect.

KJ

[Me_Again]

"not being a daily driver" is the key!

[CampingN_C_]

I was on the fence with the 3.42 but between it not being a daily driver and the idea of a possibly larger/heavier TH in the future, I went with the 4.10.
I don't think I'll regret it at all.

[Me_Again]

ScottG wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like much of the improvement is with the gearing.
We'll be buying a new SRW 3500 in a couple of years (when new non-EGR emissions come out) and I hope by then we can get a SRW #3500 with something more than the 3.42 diff.

With the Aisin, 3.42s work just fine. The big plus is cruising empty at low RPMs. 80 MPH is only 1750 RPM. If 3.73 would have been available I would have gotten them, I now know that would have been a mistake.

We have towed the high profile 16K 5th wheel to Arizona and back twice. Mountains, high winds and cities. Works great.

[ScottG]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like much of the improvement is with the gearing.
We'll be buying a new SRW 3500 in a couple of years (when new non-EGR emissions come out) and I hope by then we can get a SRW 3500 with something more than the 3.42 diff.

[ACZL]

Our 1st tow w/ our dually wasn't really a good test, but did notice as well that just going down the flat road enroute to campground, truck didn't have the side to side sway. Not that we really had it in the '15 SRWw/lower stableloads, but what we did have w/ it was not noticeable on the dually. Like OP, the 4.10 didn't make it feel like we had anything back there yet was 16K strapped to it! Have a trip coming up that has 1 really long hill/pull so that will be a good test of things. Plus the DW says she wants to drive truck w/ 5er from home to campground (1st time she will ever have done this), so many 1st's to check out.

[Cummins12V98]

Don't forget the factory Rear Air Ride!!! If all the op did was go to the Dually with 3.42's and AISIN he would have reported the exact same experience! That combo is SAE rated to just over 29K combined.

[Me_Again]

The 3500 RAM SRW with Aisin does just great towing up to its manufactures limits. The problem you had with the 2500 was the tall 1st gear of the 68RFE transmittion.

We tow a 16K high profile 5th wheel with a combined weight of 24,500 with a SRW!!

And yes now you can go get the biggest 5th wheel TH out there! Chris

[DutchmenSport]

I think the more you tow with the new truck, the more you will notice things are better.

[lmpres]

I went from a 2012 Ford F250 to a 2017 F350 Diesel Dually in Dec. Did our first long trip last month, NH to Indy and back, pulling the 5th wheel. What a difference. Pulling up the long hills in Ct was a challenge with the 250 gasser. A breeze with the new 350. One of the biggest differences I noticed, was going over some of the worse bridge abutments. With the 250 (with a Firestone Air Bag system) the truck and trailer used to porpoise, bouncing up and down. With the 350, a little bump and it's over.

Wish I had made the switch sooner....