Tow Vehicle for 14,300 lbs GVWR toy hauler fifth wheel

kzspree320 wrote:
124,000 miles is just good and broke in IF it's been well maintained and has not had a tuner installed that added too much power. If its had a tuner/chip that added 250 HP most of those miles, and been used hard, the transmission and engine components could have issues sooner rather than later. That engine should get 500,000+ if well maintained and stock (or close to stock) power levels. Bottom line - do the research on this specific truck as much as possible.

I owned a 2006 Dodge RAM and purchased it with 86,000 miles and drove it to 240,000 miles. Nice truck but a few weaknesses to look at. Suggest you go onto the Turbo Diesel Register Forum and look under 3rd Generation RAM Forum and spend some considerable time reading. Off the bat, be careful of the 48RE/48RFE automatic transmission as they were weak and needed considerable beefing up to tow/haul heavy loads for some periods. Also, diesel fuel filters on 3rd Gen. RAM's was woefully inadequate and would cause premature injector wear leading to having to replace injectors ($500.00 each for rebuilt injectors plus about $1000-$2000 labor). Consider adding the Baldwin frame mounted fuel filter / water separator - immediately!! Interiors on 3rd Gen will wear out before the drive train (if mods above are made). Drivers seat bolster cushion disintigrates due to sharp welds on the seat frame - PITA to replace. Consider adding a supplementary fuel lift pump (frame mounted) as the stock in-tank pumps can be problematic. I could go on but as I said - go to TDR Forum 3rd Gen and READ.

All of that said I switch from my 2006 RAM CTD to a 2015 RAM CTD and it's like night and day. Suggest you look for a used 2013 (or newer) RAM 3500 SRW or DRW and never look back.

The PacBrake I had installed was the single best investment in my truck for towing. The 4 speed auto and lack of compression braking makes the truck a coasting son of a gun. Don't know about VA but the mountains in the Northwest makes an exhaust brake when towing mandatory in my mind. $2,000 net installed. It was more but PacBrake had a $250 promotional rebate.

A 2006 5.9 in good condition is wise purchase decision. According to KBB my 2004.5 has depreciated $700 in the 4 years that I have owned it.

What axle ratio? I've always read that the 48RE auto and 4.10 is a great towing beast. The 06-07.5 Dodge auto trans is supposed to be exh. brake ready... a big plus. I added a Pac brake inline to mine and I'd hate to be without it, now. Craig

That pin weight will put that generation dually close to its ratings. The 2008+ GVWR and axle ratings went up a little.

You can add an exhaust brake to the 5.9L for well under $7000. There are other things driving up those values, like age, mileage, power, etc.

Here is my real world experience

2007 Dodge 3500 SRW QC LB 5.9L 48re 4:10 (scaled weight 7980#)
2007 HH II 5th wheel........(Scaled weight 13,783#)
Wet pin at 22% for 2980# on rear axle and 150# added to front axle (hitch set 2" froward of centerline)

Over on trucks GVWR
At trucks RAWR
Under rear tire max load ratings

Great towing combo.....towed weekly for 7 yrs FT
Stable, no 'white knuckle rides', no 'dang I wish I had a dually moments' (had duallies in past so I know the difference). No issues.

Had an Exhaust Brake installed (US Gear) that in tow/haul mode would hold 55 mph on downgrades of mtns roads.

5.9L would Purrr holding 62 mph in cruise control going up 6% Grades (21,763# combined)

So YES...a 3500 SRW is very good towing platform for 14K 5th wheel

Just one word of advise: It doesn't matter if you move your camper once a year, only 1 mile, or tow it every day and never unhitch... in that 1 mile anything can happen. Get the vehicle that can tow safely and comfortably, 1 mile or 1 million miles, and you'll adjust to it as a daily driver.

124,000 miles is just good and broke in IF it's been well maintained and has not had a tuner installed that added too much power. If its had a tuner/chip that added 250 HP most of those miles, and been used hard, the transmission and engine components could have issues sooner rather than later. That engine should get 500,000+ if well maintained and stock (or close to stock) power levels. Bottom line - do the research on this specific truck as much as possible.

Well maintained in good condition that is a good price. Those miles for the engine are nothing. That era trans is good as long as it has been maintained.

I found one that fits my $23K budget:

2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT Quad Cab 5.9L 4WD LB DRW - $23,700

It has 124,000 miles. Is that bad for 5.9L Cummins diesel?

Also, I've noticed that some badging on Dodge Ram 3500 trucks say "Heavy Duty" and some don't. This truck doesn't have the "Heavy Duty" badging, the badge just says "RAM 3500". Is there a difference?

Exh brake isn't a must have but it's probably the single best mod or improvement for towing when it comes time to roll down those long grades, imo.
Kzspree, you're correct there have been a lot of improvements in power and transmissions in 10 years, but from a weight carrying capacity they're still the same axles.
Towing weight is not dependent on whether the truck has training wheels or not , for the most part. Duallies are better payload and peace of mind. Power to the wheels, and chassis is the same as a srw, basically.
At 14klbs you're not in dually required pin weights yet. Given your budget, for the trucks you're looking for, I'd look for the best deal/condition truck from 2500 up to 3500 dually and buy it. No point in overkill on the dually if you have to buy a pos to get one. If the best deal is a 3500 or dually, then that's a bonus. Not that many old diesels that aren't high miles or beat up/clapped out anymore thanks to the recession and 2008 emissions resulting in a lot less new trucks sold for several years in a row.