Questions about a 2012 Dodge 2500HD / Cummins

Like seriously 350 hp vs 365 for the HO makes it a race car with 20k GVW. Mine is a cab and chassis at 305 hp and they haul a lot of loads bigger than rv's across North America with no issues. The hardest part of driving an automatic with a big load is hold the pedal to the floor and let the drivetrain computers do their job.

I owned a 2012 3500 dually 4 wd. It was a really good truck. First check and make sure the truck is stock and not chipped or tuned. I believe and you can check with Ram that for a small fee you can assume any remaining warranty. 100k or 5 years on drive train and 3 years 36k on bumper to bumper. The 68 RE transmission is as solid as any out there. The 2012 cam with 350hp and 800lbs torque with the auto trans. Mine had the max tow and 4:10 rear end. It pulled my 37 foot Cedar Creek fiver around like nothing including mountains hills and etc. You want to check you load capacity with a 3/4 ton. ie pin weight of you fiver etc. It was the last year for the non def (urea) Rams. I upgraded to the 2014 in my sig because the 2013 and above motors are B20 compliant. The 2012 is B5 compliant and we full time and it gives me peace of mind as far as the bio fuel junk is concerned. Plus I got a killer deal on the new truck.

My mistake about the auto noted by OP. If it's an auto, it probably is the HO engine and will have more than enough power to handle anything OP is planning on pulling.

rhagfo, you are right, I am more on an automatic driver, and have been mostly for over 50 years. The truck I had was de-rated due to the manual and had a 3.42 rear end. I felt it was not as good a puller as my previous 2003 GMC D/A combo and the mileage was not getting better over the time I had it, it was getting worse. On top of that, my wife didn't want to drive the manual transmission and I found it difficult to back looking over my shoulder having to keep both feet on the pedals. Even with the taller 3.42 gearing the mileage on this truck was less than the old GMC. By the way, I learned to drive using an old three-speed manual with a first gear stump puller so I do know how to drive a manual, I just didn't like it as much and was displeased with the results, overall.

2010 Ram trucks had upgraded steering from "gen 3" trucks and resolved most of the emission issues. These trucks get better fuel mileage because the 6 speed automatics shift quicker at lower rpm's when empty allowing the engine to run slower. This reduces the engines ability to built heat and burn off excess carbon (soot) which is trapped by the dpf and eventually burned off so we can't see it. No brand of diesel was exempted from these emission and technology growing pains. DEF was supposed to cure them but created some new ones which the manufacturers are working they way through. Dodge(Ram) can with a 15 minute scan can tell you the entire history on that truck from updates done to programmers to abusive conditions the truck encountered. We have 2 and they like to run hot and run hard, 1 is a company truck and 1 is my sons daily driver. Lack of horsepower-they could put 1000 hp in a pickup and somebody would complain they were not going up a hill fast enough with 20k+ going up a mountain grade. Depending on where you live climate wise will depend on how much you will have to learn about keeping it clean internally. We prefer non DEF engines here due to the severe cold as it will freeze if the tank heater is not working. The absolute worse thing you can do with any diesel is baby it. It is governed for a reason, the manufacturer sets the governor so drive accordingly.

jalichty wrote:
I had a 2012 Ram Diesel with crew-cab and long bed with a six-speed manual. Thought it would be a great truck for us, but after towing our Jayco HT 26.5 RLS to Zion and back came to a different conclusion. The diesel is a bit underpowered since it has the manual and is not the HO engine.

I find it hard to believe that with 350 hp and 610# of torque you find it under powered towing a 5er with a GVWR less than 10,000#. I think you may have either had an engine control issue, or don't really know how to drive a manual transmission.

I tow 11,000# wet 5er that has a 12,360# GVWR with a 5.9 with less than 300 hp, and 3.55 rears and roll down the road just fine.
I really hope you enjoy your GM Dmax/Ally also a nice truck, but sounds like you are an auto driver.

I had an 06 5.9 but had too many trans problems. I ended up with a 14 2500. I like that there were improvements to the rear suspension and the front end, that the 13 did not have. I bought one of those lease 14s, it had 17K miles on it. I hope the trans holds up, it is supposed to have a better trans cooler. I ordered all the parts for the 5er hitch to put on the frame and bed to use my old Pull Rite auto slider, just have to put them in. Love the truck, those cooled (ventilated) seats are super.

jalichty wrote:
I had a 2012 Ram Diesel with crew-cab and long bed with a six-speed manual. Thought it would be a great truck for us, but after towing our Jayco HT 26.5 RLS to Zion and back came to a different conclusion. The diesel is a bit underpowered since it has the manual and is not the HO engine.

The OP is looking at a 6 speed automatic truck, not 6 speed manual.

97,000 is nothing that truck was likely highway driven, I bought my 01 with 234,000, now at 276,000 miles, this rig is taking us into retirement.

ScottG wrote:


Our Place wrote:

I was told by the dealer that Dodge/Ram did not have to go to the DEF fluid until the 13 model year and the Cummins is a very clean engine not needing the DPF/DEF.


For once a dealer know what he was talking about LOL.
That is a true.

That dealer did not know what he was talking about. ALL 6.7 had DPF.

If he was talking 2500/3500, Dealer is correct. The Cab and Chasis 4500/5500 started using DEF on the 2010 MY.