Looking for New Dually

[Wicked1]

Originally Posted by Furbabies3

Wicked1,
I just got a 2018 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn Dually. I have a 3.73 rear end, aisin tran, autolevel, the truck only has 1200 miles on it so far. Around town I get 15 - 16 Mpg, Hwy 19 - 20, towing my rig I get 12 - 12.5. My Dealer says the numbers should increase as I get more miles on it. My trailer is a 2016 3720 RL loaded around 15,500 lbs. I use to pull with a 2013 2500 diesel single wheel, but after going to the Fall Rally last year, I was educated about weight differences and realized my 2500 was to undersized for the pin weight. Now I have about 1000 lbs cushion on the pin weight. The 3.73 rear end is middle of the road as for pulling power and it pulls my rig effortlessly. I increased my hitch weight to 25,000 lbs Curt hitch (A25) which is so easy to connect - un-connect. I use to have a Reese and will never go back. My truck is a Mega Cab short box.
If you want good fuel mileage, go with the 3.46 rear end but it will take you a little longer to get to speed and you will not be able to pull as much weight.

We have enough truck right now to pull what we have but based on me working with Keystone, and CW where we bought our new 18 Montana, if we can’t get the issues resolved, it will be the last RV we ever buy, but so far we think Keystone is going to pull thru but we will see.

Wife and I decided not to invest anymore $ into a truck or an RV, so what I have works and I am not overloaded in any way and since I use it as a daily driver not going to go for a Dually. On my 2016 I will lost too much $ besides we know the owner of the Ford dealership and we got a far better deal on the F350 then we could achieve on the Dodge or GMC, even though we liked all of them.

[John shultz]

Hello everyone, we own a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 with a 5.9 Cummins.
I had a tune up done which consisted of bigger intake, bigger exhaust, and an Edge electronic tuner.
WOW, the performance was amazing.
My mpg went from 18 preconversion to 29 empty after conv. Doing 65mph.
While pulling my 2003 Montana 35ft, 5th wheel i went from 13 to 22mpg doing 65.
I drive a SRW.
I live in Indiana and had Scheid Diesel from Lafayette do the conversion.
I also installed airbags, which really made a big difference in handling.

[mlh]

Did you use a pencil and paper to check your mileage or use the truck’s calculator? I thought my Ford was getting a lot better mileage but it wasn’t.
Lynwood

[John shultz]

i used both, first the mileage and then later the display, after the conversion.

[srnoyes]

The dealer I have been working with finally told me that I'm just going to have to order the truck I want because they just don't exist on the lot. I don't understand why they insist on putting the shorter gears on a big dually. If I wanted high mpg I'd buy a prius!

[richfaa]

We purchase the truck to safely tow a heavy 5th wheel MPG will be what it is to do that. Yes if you want the truck to safely tow a heavy 5rth wheel you will in most cases have to order it. We understand the daily driver issue but safety is the prime consideration.

Ford,GM, Dodge will all do the job. The newer trucks get much better MPG than our 08 F-350.

What Lynwood says is very true when using the trucks calculator to determine MPG
however i found that if you fill the tank to the very brim that is one more ounce of fuel will cause the fuel to spill out of fill tube then when you fill again after travel do the same thing again. I found that the trucks calculator and hand calculations were very, very close.

[mlh]

You are always better off ordering the truck you wont. There is just too many veritables to find it on the lot. You have paint, trim levels, options, and the list goes on. Just make sure you get what you wont and not a bunch of stuff you don’t wont or need or worse yet can’t find. Go to the manufacturers web site and build the truck, print it and take it to your dealer.
Lynwood

[vipermanden]

Here is just a fact that all of you will have to deal with. I have the most powerful truck on the market, a RAM 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins and the Aisin transmission, and the 4.10 rear end gears, and it says i can tow over 31,000 pounds with this setup. Even still, when I hit the Teton Pass with my setup, with the pedal being shoved thru the floor board, I could only maintain 46 mph up that grade. It is a 10% grade for 5 miles. So get whatever rear end you want but know if you get less than a 4.10 you will be going even slower over passes like this!

[richfaa]

Originally Posted by vipermanden

Here is just a fact that all of you will have to deal with. I have the most powerful truck on the market, a RAM 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins and the Aisin transmission, and the 4.10 rear end gears, and it says i can tow over 31,000 pounds with this setup. Even still, when I hit the Teton Pass with my setup, with the pedal being shoved thru the floor board, I could only maintain 46 mph up that grade. It is a 10% grade for 5 miles. So get whatever rear end you want but know if you get less than a 4.10 you will be going even slower over passes like this!

And I will bet your EGT temps and turbo boost were red lined. We have to stay around 45mph to keep our EGT below 1300 degrees going up Fancy Gap in VA Fancy Gap is a 6 mile 5% grade climbing 1500 feet and we do have the 4.10 gears. We are pulling about 23K GCVW

[dfb]

I hear you! Ram brags they make a truck that pulls over 30 k lbs! Took me 2 years to find one. Dealers will not stock that truck. We bought one ton dually, 4:10 aisin, auto rear level, ... I Would not have this truck as a grocery getter..

[Jersey Devil]

Originally Posted by vipermanden

Here is just a fact that all of you will have to deal with. I have the most powerful truck on the market, a RAM 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins and the Aisin transmission, and the 4.10 rear end gears, and it says i can tow over 31,000 pounds with this setup. Even still, when I hit the Teton Pass with my setup, with the pedal being shoved thru the floor board, I could only maintain 46 mph up that grade. It is a 10% grade for 5 miles. So get whatever rear end you want but know if you get less than a 4.10 you will be going even slower over passes like this!

When is the Ram suppose to be the most powerful?What year will that be?Please let me know what year the crystal ball predicts.
Clearly you can’t believe what salesman tell you because they don’t know themselves.

[mlh]

Everybody thinks what they have is the best. It’s just a fact you will haft to deal with.
Lynwood

[dfb]

I don’t know of any other pickup that pulls as much as the ram.

[2 Yoopers]

Really happy with my Ford F450 Platinum. Rated for 31,200 lbs, 430 gears.

[awheeler]

Viper - That is the same exact truck as we have and you are dead on!

[mlh]

Let me get this straight. You would feel safe pulling a 30,000 pound camper and I shouldn’t be even a hundred pounds over weight with me F250.
Most powerful? I have 600+ HP and over 1100 pound feet of Torque and if that isn’t enough I can have 750 HP by loading up another tune in about 20 minuets.
Lynwood

[BB_TX]

The one up horsepower thing has gotten pretty ridiculous. But the manufacturers cater to the mine is bigger/better/badder than yours mentality. How many RVers tow even half that 31,000+ lbs? But they get to brag about they can.

[Jersey Devil]

Originally Posted by mlh

Everybody thinks what they have is the best. It’s just a fact you will haft to deal with.
Lynwood

I drive a 2017 Duramax 3500 dually and I’am very happy with it but have never felt its the best or stated it’s the best.I have stated on here all three are great trucks it’s just personal preference.
What I deal with is the facts!

[mtlakejim]

Oh boy there isn't anything that will get folks going on here more than a good "my truck is better" argument LOL........


I am happy with the one I got and it does the job I need it to do very well here in the Ozarks of Arkansas. I feel very safe with it towing what I currently own and it does the most important thing exceptionally well: IT STOPS THE TRAILER!!


As long as I know I can get my rig safely stopped while heading DOWN the mountain then everything else is secondary to that. Y'all can all brag about the horsepower and all that go fast stuff all you want but I suspect there isn't really that much difference between the big 3 to really make a big deal out of. I typically buy Ford, my next work truck will be a Chevy and I currently own a 1 ton RAM for a personal tow truck. Our next personal vehicle will most likely be a Ford 1/2 ton. No particular reason for any of our choices other than we got a good deal on one or the other or it just suited us the best.


All the big 3 are about the same if you ask me and arguing one over the other is tit for tat. They all make about the same quality truck and they all have some lemons come off the assembly line from time to time.......AS LONG AS YOUR SAFE IN IT NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE!!!

[Jersey Devil]

Originally Posted by mtlakejim

Oh boy there isn't anything that will get folks going on here more than a good "my truck is better" argument LOL........


I am happy with the one I got and it does the job I need it to do very well here in the Ozarks of Arkansas. I feel very safe with it towing what I currently own and it does the most important thing exceptionally well: IT STOPS THE TRAILER!!


As long as I know I can get my rig safely stopped while heading DOWN the mountain then everything else is secondary to that. Y'all can all brag about the horsepower and all that go fast stuff all you want but I suspect there isn't really that much difference between the big 3 to really make a big deal out of. I typically buy Ford, my next work truck will be a Chevy and I currently own a 1 ton RAM for a personal tow truck. Our next personal vehicle will most likely be a Ford 1/2 ton. No particular reason for any of our choices other than we got a good deal on one or the other or it just suited us the best.


All the big 3 are about the same if you ask me and arguing one over the other is tit for tat. They all make about the same quality truck and they all have some lemons come off the assembly line from time to time.......AS LONG AS YOUR SAFE IN IT NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE!!!

You hit the nail on the head.Well said!