Ram 3500 SRW daily driver?

[camp-n-family]

Anybody using a Ram 3500 diesel that can shed some light on driving it as a daily driver? I have a 2500 hemi now that drives comfortably enough. As far as I know the only difference is the extra overload springs. They won't engage unless loaded so I'm assuming the unloaded ride should be similar as my current truck?

The dealers have been calling with trade offers which I usually ignore but the latest is an offer I'd be stupid to refuse. I was planning on another Ram 2500 as I don't need a 1 ton truck but when I price out the same truck in a 3500 series it is only $400 more. Seems crazy. What am I missing?

[Grit_dog]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 3500's you can run the tire air pressure at what the load dictates instead of what the GovMent says!

That right there is the justification I need, since the mfgs now made it much more difficult to adjust tpms settings.....and I pack a big fat truck camper that is better served sitting on leafs, only for the ease of multiple easy suspension upgrade options.
Without the tpms deal and the high CG load of a TC I would run a 2500 through anything you'd do with a 3500 unless I was hooked on having the Aisin trans. Same truck, different springs.
But I'm the guy that just hooked about a 12klb tag trailer to my 1500 Chevy! I only took the load like 10 miles though. Once the springs quit sagging, lol, the rest of it was good.
Some folks here need to grow up a bit.....

[Bedlam]

For a long time I have told people that it takes very little to change a Class 2b truck's capabilities to a Class 3 but I would only do this if I already had the truck and planned to keep it or it there were some restrictions where I live that limit my use with a Class 3 registered truck.

The GVWR sticker is a warranty placard plus it allows the manufacturer to build/option to different Class standards (for example TPMS and commercial operator license requirements). Most States do not look at manufacturer GVWR and will ask the owner what GVWR or GCWR they wish register under.

Even though I now drive a Class 5, I don't make it a blanket statement that everyone else also should. I chose this size due to my payload requirements which most people towing would never utilize.

[Cummins12V98]

With the 3500's you can run the tire air pressure at what the load dictates instead of what the GovMent says!

[IdaD]

Greene728 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

Me Again wrote:

IdaD wrote:


I'm not bitter in the least. It's just baffling how overblown the difference is with some on this board. I can't tell if it's willful or just plain ignorant. Probably some of both.

Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

The coils give a better ride. Plain and simple, and they're rated correspondingly lower. A whopping 500 lbs lower. Probably not much more than an average rv.net wife. That's the stock versus stock difference. Do I think the Timbrens I put on my truck that are rated to carry 8600 lbs more than make up for that 500 lb lower stock rating? Yep. Again, if you want to tie what you drive to your own sense of masculinity you should have bought a dually or more and actually stepped up.

Are you not the one CONSTANTLY trying too defend your 2500 to a 3500???
Again, envy much?
The vast, vast majority favor the 3500 to the 2500 towing. Especially 5th wheels.
Its OK you need a band aid to do what the 3500 does in stock form.
I don't need timbrens. Lol

You need to leave rv.net and go out in the real world. And I don't envy a thing, I just take issue when folks on here repeatedly state falsehoods over and over and display that ^^ kind of attitude. I should just ignore it because it isn't important, but it irritates me.

[Me_Again]

spoon059 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

I'm not advocating one side or the other here, just throwing this out there for you to consider Chris... Ram could EASILY make a coil spring that could hold that additional 500 lbs if they wanted too. Isn't it *possible* that Ram figured that there is a large segment of 1 ton truck buyers that simply wouldn't buy a 1 ton truck with coil springs simply because their last truck didn't have coil springs. Therefore, even though they could make coil springs rated to 7000 lbs, a decent segment of their market wouldn't buy it because they resist change?

Also, can someone educate me on the difference in suspension between the SRW and DRW 3500 trucks? I am not an expert and didn't spend much time looking under DRW trucks... but it appeared to me that the 3500 frame is identical between SRW and DRW, to include the suspension mounts. If that is the case (again, I'm not sure), then it would make economic sense to keep leaf springs on the SRW 3500 as well, so as to not have an additional frame.

Again... not taking sides, just throwing out suggestions.

Now, back off topic...

You have the winning answer. People would not buy a 3500 SRW with coils. Leaf are easy to add an additional one for DRW trucks. RAM has gone back and forth a lot on the leaf spring difference between the 2500 and 3500 SRW, and could easily switch the 2500 back to leaf in an upcoming model year.

Early 3500 SRW got additional overload leafs, I saw a few years ago before the coils that 2500 had more thin leafs than the 3500 SRW thicker leafs.

The new 2500 5th wheel pucks mount different also.

Then there is the warranty issue. What would RAM say if they new someone was running at 11,700 pounds on their SB 2500 or 12,300 on their LB 2500?

The question is not so much what you do if you already have a 2500, it is more like when buying a new truck, one should seriously look at the 3500 SRW if they are going to be over 10K on the truck, which is very easy to do. After towing for years with a 2500 at a ton over GVWR I did not look at or test drive one 2500 when we bought the 2015.

Also you then can get the Aisin tranny and more power.

[Greene728]

IdaD wrote:

Me Again wrote:

IdaD wrote:


I'm not bitter in the least. It's just baffling how overblown the difference is with some on this board. I can't tell if it's willful or just plain ignorant. Probably some of both.

Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

The coils give a better ride. Plain and simple, and they're rated correspondingly lower. A whopping 500 lbs lower. Probably not much more than an average rv.net wife. That's the stock versus stock difference. Do I think the Timbrens I put on my truck that are rated to carry 8600 lbs more than make up for that 500 lb lower stock rating? Yep. Again, if you want to tie what you drive to your own sense of masculinity you should have bought a dually or more and actually stepped up.

Are you not the one CONSTANTLY trying too defend your 2500 to a 3500???
Again, envy much?
The vast, vast majority favor the 3500 to the 2500 towing. Especially 5th wheels.
Its OK you need a band aid to do what the 3500 does in stock form.
I don't need timbrens. Lol

[IdaD]

Me Again wrote:

IdaD wrote:


I'm not bitter in the least. It's just baffling how overblown the difference is with some on this board. I can't tell if it's willful or just plain ignorant. Probably some of both.

Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

The coils give a better ride. Plain and simple, and they're rated correspondingly lower. A whopping 500 lbs lower. Probably not much more than an average rv.net wife. That's the stock versus stock difference. Do I think the Timbrens I put on my truck that are rated to carry 8600 lbs more than make up for that 500 lb lower stock rating? Yep. Again, if you want to tie what you drive to your own sense of masculinity you should have bought a dually or more and actually stepped up.

[spoon059]

Me Again wrote:
Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

I'm not advocating one side or the other here, just throwing this out there for you to consider Chris... Ram could EASILY make a coil spring that could hold that additional 500 lbs if they wanted too. Isn't it *possible* that Ram figured that there is a large segment of 1 ton truck buyers that simply wouldn't buy a 1 ton truck with coil springs simply because their last truck didn't have coil springs. Therefore, even though they could make coil springs rated to 7000 lbs, a decent segment of their market wouldn't buy it because they resist change?

Also, can someone educate me on the difference in suspension between the SRW and DRW 3500 trucks? I am not an expert and didn't spend much time looking under DRW trucks... but it appeared to me that the 3500 frame is identical between SRW and DRW, to include the suspension mounts. If that is the case (again, I'm not sure), then it would make economic sense to keep leaf springs on the SRW 3500 as well, so as to not have an additional frame.

Again... not taking sides, just throwing out suggestions.

Now, back off topic...

[Me_Again]

IdaD wrote:


I'm not bitter in the least. It's just baffling how overblown the difference is with some on this board. I can't tell if it's willful or just plain ignorant. Probably some of both.

Again, if the coils are so effective at a good ride and load carrying why did RAM not use it on the 3500 SRW.

I have an answer that would apply for many. Lets see if you can come up with the same answer?

Chris

[Grit_dog]

^IdaD
Every time you read one of these threads, think of the movie "Grumpy old men".
Don't worry, our turn is coming. I'm still 20 years away from collecting Social Securtiy and I can see it happening a little already......

[IdaD]

Greene728 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

Me Again wrote:

IdaD wrote:


Honda is making the Ridgeline again. Maybe you should test drive it?

What value are you even trying to add with this post?

It was an attempt to point out that if one wants a truck to do real work there is a trade off!

I love may 2015 SRW 3500 CC 4x4 SB. It rides a little ruff under some conditions. I resolved quite a bit of that with Rancho 9000 rear stocks on my 2001.5 and have always lower rear tire pressure when I wanted a better ride empty.

I wanted a truck that could tow a large 5th wheel and cruise better on the freeway bob tail. I got it in the 2015 3500. This is a short section of Hwy 60 between Mesa and Apache Junction that causes a slight stutter for a mile or so. I can live with that for the capability the truck provides.

Dealers ALWAYS have the tire pressure screwed up on vehicles on their lots. With the 3500 I do not know why the OP did not just let some air out of the tires himself. I would have in his situation, I would have walked over to my truck and gotten my air gauge and set the pressure to what I want for the test drive.

Friday I am moving a friends trailer to storage and have to air the rears up, and will let them back down after I also move our trailer to a different lot in the park to have it next to our new park model for two to four weeks before we head back North.

Chris

Your truck is rated to carry a whopping 500 lbs more on the rear axle than the truck OP bought. Yay.

You ought to buy a DRW or better yet a MDT/HDT if you want to tie your masculinity into what you drive.

I can tell by this comment that your still bitter you didn't get a 3500 and instead have to point out to others your envy. It's cool though. Maybe you'll get one next time!

I'm not bitter in the least. It's just baffling how overblown the difference is with some on this board. I can't tell if it's willful or just plain ignorant. Probably some of both.

[Greene728]

IdaD wrote:

Me Again wrote:

IdaD wrote:


Honda is making the Ridgeline again. Maybe you should test drive it?

What value are you even trying to add with this post?

It was an attempt to point out that if one wants a truck to do real work there is a trade off!

I love may 2015 SRW 3500 CC 4x4 SB. It rides a little ruff under some conditions. I resolved quite a bit of that with Rancho 9000 rear stocks on my 2001.5 and have always lower rear tire pressure when I wanted a better ride empty.

I wanted a truck that could tow a large 5th wheel and cruise better on the freeway bob tail. I got it in the 2015 3500. This is a short section of Hwy 60 between Mesa and Apache Junction that causes a slight stutter for a mile or so. I can live with that for the capability the truck provides.

Dealers ALWAYS have the tire pressure screwed up on vehicles on their lots. With the 3500 I do not know why the OP did not just let some air out of the tires himself. I would have in his situation, I would have walked over to my truck and gotten my air gauge and set the pressure to what I want for the test drive.

Friday I am moving a friends trailer to storage and have to air the rears up, and will let them back down after I also move our trailer to a different lot in the park to have it next to our new park model for two to four weeks before we head back North.

Chris

Your truck is rated to carry a whopping 500 lbs more on the rear axle than the truck OP bought. Yay.

You ought to buy a DRW or better yet a MDT/HDT if you want to tie your masculinity into what you drive.

I can tell by this comment that your still bitter you didn't get a 3500 and instead have to point out to others your envy. It's cool though. Maybe you'll get one next time!

[Me_Again]

This chart has the inflation pressures for OEM LT275/70R18E tires which would be the same for the OEM tires rated to 3640 also.

[The_real_wild1]

I still think you should have taken out a chevy on a test drive to compare, BUT if I was to buy another dodge and didnt need the extra towing capacity of the 3500 Id get the 2500 like you did. I drove my last 3500 hemi as a daily driver and the ride was brutal. Nasty vibrations too. Not towing I had to have the tire pressure down to 40psi to get it close to a decent ride. I now have my chevy 3500 at 80psi for towing and it rides so much better then the dodge at 40. Hope you have good luck with this one.