Ordering new Ram

[TxGearhead]

This will be truck #4 in 8 years. I was sorta OK until I got the cabover. I decided to CAT scale the truck (Ram 3500 SRW w/4018# payload) when loaded fairly heavy for a winter trip of 6-10 days. I was 160# over the RAWR of 7,000 and over payload a couple hundred. Barely OK on the rear tires. I drained the water tank down to maybe 10 gallons and got under the rear axle rating. I'm just not going to travel like that. On longer trips I want to use a rear cargo carrier for more storage, that equals more rear weight. So I'm going to the truck dealer Monday to order a Ram dually. I'm thinking I will spec it very similar to what I have now.
Questions..
Dual alternators rated at 440amps..worth it? I read as much as I can about the truck alternator charging the TC batteries and it doesn't sound promising.
Air suspension...I'm thinking no.
Thinking about the 3.42 rear axle ratio. It has worked well on the current truck but the 3.73 adds a lot of tow rating if we upgrade the 5th.
Upfitter switches...not using them now, but maybe in the future?
Cummins and Aisin...yes. 4x4 yes.

[Kayteg1]

Is Dodge having option for 360 cameras?
They come in pretty expensive tow package with Ford, but sure make the life way easier.

[billyray50]

TxGearhead wrote:
^^^Curious what your yellow payload sticker says.

Done deal. Truck is ordered. Cummins, Aisin, 4x4, dually, 3.73, 1 higher output alternator, and all the fu-fu stuff, etc. etc. Only thing I didn't get that I have now is the cargo camera. I tried it but the pic never was any good.

Congrats.. What trim package?

[TxGearhead]

^^^Curious what your yellow payload sticker says.

Done deal. Truck is ordered. Cummins, Aisin, 4x4, dually, 3.73, 1 higher output alternator, and all the fu-fu stuff, etc. etc. Only thing I didn't get that I have now is the cargo camera. I tried it but the pic never was any good.

[towpro]

Tx, here is a weight slip for a 2015 Tradesman Dually 4wd with Cummins and Aisin. full tank of fuel and def, with my wife and I in front.
tailgate is on (can't be much more than 50 lbs) and rubber bed mount is in truck.



I have another slip that shows my Arctic Fox 990 weighs 4550 with 1/4 tank of water, black/gray empty packed for a 7 day beach trip.

[TxGearhead]

^^^ 10-4

[Bedlam]

If you look at the weight of the Cummins and Aisin verses the Hemi and Ram tranny.

[TxGearhead]

Bedlam if it was just the Bigfoot I would consider a gasser. But I have a 5th wheel to drag around too. If I can pack heavy in the Bigfoot and put 4,500 pounds on a dually with some reserve, I'll be happy.
I'm not following:
"The Cummins diesel and Aisin transmission are both heavier than the previous setup reducing the paper payload."
What previous setup?

[Bedlam]

My last two trucks have been 4wd diesel with dual alternators and upfitter switches. I prefer to have the additional capacities rather than have to upgrade later (if even possible).

Whether you need a diesel or gasoline engine depends on your towing demands rather than what you're hauling. I would have been at the upper limits of a gasoline powered truck making the the more expensive diesel option a better choice.

If you are looking at maximum payload numbers, you should opt for the gasser with Ram transmission. In reality most of this weight is loading the front axle and the payload is different because the GVWR limits but the truck frame and axles can handle more. The Cummins diesel and Aisin transmission are both heavier than the previous setup reducing the paper payload.

[TxGearhead]

Yeah Kayteg1, when all the holes in the cheese line up, things go bad. Been there. A 1982 Ford F250 light duty (F150 rear end) with 7.50x 16 bias tires, 300 cu. in. 6 cylinder, and a 8ft cabover. Lord only knows what that weighed. Had a flat at Douglas Wyoming headed north and another one 2 weeks later headed south. But we went a lot of places in that old camper. Young and dumb.

[Kayteg1]

With 3640 tires ad 7120lb actual load on your rear- it is quite possible that one of the tires holds more than rated for.
Not even talking that at some point you will have to drive with waste water in rear tanks.
Tires can take overload at slow speeds, but going on long freeway drive in TX heat might put them to real test.

[TxGearhead]

Makes no difference to me how or why they rated as they are. Rear axle rating is 7,000, front is 6,000#. Gross weight rating is 12,300#. Firestone tire rating is 3640#. The truck empty is 5100# front axle, and 3200# rear axle. Looking at the CAT ticket: my "heavy" scale weight was 5540# front, 7120# rear. So I was over the rear axle a little, right at the tire rating, and over GWR. I drained off some water and hit 7,000 rear axle and continued on.
I've got a BigWig that might fit the dually, my Curt front receiver hitch might fit, and the Torklift tiedowns I'm not sure about.
I should have bought a dually 2 trucks back but I didn't see myself getting a cabover then.

[towpro]

I will withdraw my desire for air suspension based on what I am reading here. I have the bigwig sway bar on current truck (and had it on my last truck) and would not want to give it up. But I am really thinking of going with the Helwig airbag system next spring

[jmckelvy]

I must be slow today but you said " I was 160# over the RAWR of 7,000 and over payload a couple hundred. Barely OK on the rear tires."

How is this possible as the RAWR for a SRW is generally dictated by the rear tire rating for these trucks not the axle itself?

[Grit_dog]

Honestly, sounds like justification to get the new car smell again....nothing wrong with that , but an even 2 tons in the back of a new long bed 1 ton is well within that truck’s wheelhouse unless srw stability scares you.
Air assist rear, I’d skip for hauling a TC for the reasons mentioned, but if you get the dually you won’t need any extra suspension.
HO/Aisin. Personal choice. It’s now a significant bump in torque that you can’t mimic with a SO engine without tuning. Trans is stouter but the 68 will do want you need. Most of the upcharge is for the trans. The cost for the additional power is negligible. Easy tuning.
Dual alternator? Heck yeah. Then you can run a dedicated charging circuit. Tap in with a big fuse and a charging relay and hooker up. If you really wanted separate alternator for camper, have the truck re flashed to single alternator and wire it Direct, with a charging relay.

Gears, 3.42 will pull a lot. Since you have the money, get 4.10s. Will pull it mo betta.

Have fun w the new rig!

[TxGearhead]

I think we are talking the same thing on the upfitter switches. I have them now. They are mounted low on the dashboard. For maybe $200, if I don't ever use them, it's no big deal.
The diesel and transmission....without going back to the Ram site, from memory, if I go Cummins+Aisin I get maybe 130 more ft. lbs. of torque (930 ft. lbs.?) and maybe 50 more HP than the Ram automatic. It's expensive at about $2800. I haven't seen any different HP/torque values listed for different rear end ratios.
The alternators...Think I'll go with just 1 but higher output.
Rear axle...the 3.42 has served me well, but maybe leaning to 3.73. Mostly to maybe avoid locking out 6th gear.
The weight...I told my previous owner that I wouldn't buy it until we ran it over a CAT scale. I could tell he wasn't very receptive to that. He just pointed out what Bigfoot said on the rear label and the paper label in the wardrobe. I think the rear tag said 2820# and the paper label maybe 3280#. It took forever to load it on my truck...very unlevel pad and he had never loaded it before! A storm was brewing, and too much help from the neighbor. Anyway...I didn't weigh it until after I paid for it. With full fresh water, 2 changes of clothes, minimal food, a very few tools, it came to 3880#. My payload is 4018#. I've used it loaded very light for a couple fishing trips. This last trip was packed for 6-10 days, heavy clothes, lots of food, etc. I was over RAWR, payload, and right at the tires limits. So it gets down to...do I want to keep this thing or get rid of it? Keep it. Bite the bullet and go get a bigger truck.