Ram 6.4 or GM 6.0?

my 17 ram is a 6.4/3.73 truck. i have a family of 4 and my two sons are over 100lbs each.

even loaded heavy with all of us in the cab and bed loaded with firewood, and my tt around 6k loaded, the truck pulls very hard, even in the hills. so much so when it gets down into 3rd gear, i have to back out of it because i accelerate too much (up the hill) no joke.

to me the 66rfe is fine and shifts way better than the clunky lousy 6 speed my 15 Silverado 1500 had, of course according to gm was normal.

if i was towing north of 10k, I'd hold out for a 4.10 geared truck, but for the 7 or so times per year i tow, at the weights I'm towing, the 3.73s are more than enough.

as said,, all 3 make a good truck, I'd own any of the big 3s HD trucks

I have the 6.4 Ram with the 3:73 gears, I have no complaints at all. It rides very nice for a 3/4 ton truck, does what I need it to do.

I own the 6.4 Hemi with 3.73 gears. The gearing isn't ideal for towing and the tranny spacing pretty much sucks. That being said, I tow an 11K 5th wheel out west in the hills and get by. I'm constantly on the fence about re-gearing to 4.56 (or something close) but just haven't done it yet.

All of the new trucks these days are super nice. I agree to just choose the one you like the best. If I were shopping for a new gasser I'd sure be looking hard at the Ford with the 4.30 gears.

I think all 3 make good gas trucks. I don't have any experience with the GM 6.0 so I can't comment. I like my 2016 Ram 2500 with 6.4 hemi and 4.10 rear. Here is my first long towing report from a previous thread. Lots of towing info on 6.4 hemi with 4.10 below if you are interested.


I just got back from almost a 2,000 mile trip, which was the first long tow for my 2016 Ram 2500 gasser. I thought some on the gas vs diesel fence might be interested in how well this gasser tows my almost 35' Columbus fiver (tall profile, 13"4" high) which loaded to camp weighs around 12,000-12,500 lbs.

Trip was from Louisiana through MS, Tennessee and Kentucky and then back through Alabama. Almost all of it was Interstate and I towed at 65 mph. For your info, last truck was a 2015 Ram 2500 with the 6.7 Cummins, which was destroyed in the August 2016 Louisiana flood. I have towed the same fifth wheel with both so I can compare.

Let me start by saying it does not tow like the diesel. Yes, it has to shift more because it has less torque. If you want the easiest towing, and the extra $7-8K upfront and potential costlier repairs once the warranty is up doesn't concern you, then just get the diesel. Please diesel owners don't hijack this thread, I'm just trying to give info so people can make decisions. If you tow regularly in the western mountains at high altitudes, just get the diesel.

If most of your towing is in the eastern US and not at high altitudes, this gasser tows pretty **** good. Yes, it tows at 1,000-1,200 rpms high than the diesel, but that's what it was designed to do. With tow/haul on, it never towed in 6th. Towing in 5th (still an OD gear) was about 2,300 rpms and 4th was about 2,800 rpms. On the longer and steeper pulls, it occasionally used 3rd at about 3,500 rpms. It could hold 65+ mph anywhere we went if you want. For the entire trip, I estimate it probably spent about 55% of the time in 5th gear, 40% in 4th gear, and 5% in 3rd gear. Almost all of the 3rd gear was in Tennessee and Kentucky. I will take this to Colorado in the future, but I do know I will have to bring my patience at times on the long pulls through the passes (yes, I love Colorado).

I hand calculated my towing mileage, so here it goes by tank - 8.1, 8.1, 7.6, 8.0, 8.5, 7.8, 7.2, 7.8, 8.1, 8.0, 8.1. Since I like to have close to half a tank, most fillips were between 150 and 180 miles. In the diesel, I would have probably averaged 10.5-11.2 mpg and filled up about every 200-250 miles. The 7.2 mpg tank was against a stiff headwind. Looks to me like the overall average was about 8 mpg. That's about what I thought when I bought the truck. Non towing I get about 13 around town and 16 on the highway.

My truck is rated to pull almost 16K. I don't think that would be fun. But at under 13K or so, it does a good job overall and great for a gasser. I do not regret my decision on this truck. YMMV depending on how you use the truck.

I read a lot of ib516's posts before buying the truck. Overall, I agree with his towing impressions. Hope this helps others in the truck buying process.

wowens79 wrote:

Peg Leg wrote:
I've got 96k on my 12 Chev 6.0. About 30%of that towing a 13.5K 5th wheel. I don't abuse it but it is a truck. Still haven't replaced tires or brakes both look good. The only bad thing is I don't think it has a cabin filter, at least I haven't found one.
If you plan on towing over 10-11k go for the 4.10's. The 60/40 bench seat was more comfortable than the buckets when I tested one.

Those brake pads are amazing. I'm at 210k on the original pads.

Not many trucks can go 96K miles on tires.

chevman

kw/00 wrote:
According to TFL the Ram fell short up the hill compared to the Chevy. Either way you look at it, al, 3 are good. No doubt you will get a lot of different opinions for sure. I like all 3, but run with the GM 6.0. Love this combo and since the tune was installed it's really woken up. Mine for the record is an 09 6.0 with 6 speed. For 2020 GM is getting a remake, I think that I would wait till then if possible. If u need one next year then drive all 3 pick the best that makes you and your wallet happy.

The only time I've seen that issue is on the Ike Gauntlet tests the TFL guys run. In other comparisons on other hills (Davis Dam and 1/4 mile loaded and unloaded tests for example) the RAM performs like the engine specs say it should.

I ran mine very hard at times, climbing grades in the Canadian Rockies (max 8000 ft elevation) at 21,000# GCW, and never experienced the issue they seem to every time they test at high elevation.

I do agree the 4.10 axle is the way to go with the Ram, and I do agree the trans ratios are oddly spaced for the Hemi and in my opinion, likely optimized for the Cummins power curve.

GM better gearing, Ram more engine power. Get 4.10 axle ratio either way, or 4.30 for Ford. All are very durable and should last 200k+ miles. Test drive them all and pick the one your wife likes best.

Peg Leg wrote:
I've got 96k on my 12 Chev 6.0. About 30%of that towing a 13.5K 5th wheel. I don't abuse it but it is a truck. Still haven't replaced tires or brakes both look good. The only bad thing is I don't think it has a cabin filter, at least I haven't found one.
If you plan on towing over 10-11k go for the 4.10's. The 60/40 bench seat was more comfortable than the buckets when I tested one.

Those brake pads are amazing. I'm at 210k on the original pads.

I've got 96k on my 12 Chev 6.0. About 30%of that towing a 13.5K 5th wheel. I don't abuse it but it is a truck. Still haven't replaced tires or brakes both look good. The only bad thing is I don't think it has a cabin filter, at least I haven't found one.
If you plan on towing over 10-11k go for the 4.10's. The 60/40 bench seat was more comfortable than the buckets when I tested one.

I bought a used 2013 Ram 2500 with the 5.7L Hemi a couple of years ago and love the truck. It has plenty of power pulling my 7,000lb TT . I have never noticed anything lacking in the in the transmission shift points and not sure what a door blendor issue is. I have the 3.73 gears , 4x4 and it pulls my TT great. I have made a couple of trips through mountains in TN and NC and never felt like the truck was hunting for gears or anything like that. Zero issues with the truck. I bought it because I got the best deal on the truck.