My 2019 Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 Cummins Tradesman has been amazing. Bought it new in Sep. 2019 (Just before all this BS) paid $53k OTD! Sticker $56,450) It's got 25k miles on it now and has been flawless! I've towed several trailers with it, from 5k lbs to 15k lbs and it will put a smile on your face. Incredible value! Would recommend! Lol I'll be keeping this truck for at least the next 10-15 years.
Tommy insisting all farmers want a regular cab long box doesn't reflect reality. 5th generation farmer here, farm 3000 acres in south central Nebraska, my truck is a 2022 ram 2500 laramie crew with short box/ram box. Truck is a beast, pulls great, gets decent mileage, fits all my tools, turns tight enough to get in and out of fields, and I can load up the kids and go to church on Sunday. It's my office space, work horse, and family hauler all in one. Life is less stressful with this truck in my garage.
Mega cab is something that's not even offered in Ford and Chevy not to mention coil spring suspension and optional air suspension. Ram is way out front
I think some thought from another view may be helpful here. When you need a diesel and it's earning it's keep, ok. However for one thing, a realistic approach to calculating fuel mileage would be to compare miles to price per gallon. When diesel is $1.30 per gallon more than gas, how much are you really saving? You are paying for those few extra miles. Secondly that $9,500.00 extra for that diesel could buy a lot of gas. Thirdly, most people will be financing that truck which means you will be paying interest on that extra $9,500.00. So that $9,500.00 is no longer "just" $9,500.00! Fourthly, that diesel motor will cost far more to maintain. Not just in extra quarts of oil but in frequent fuel filters changes and other maintenance. Now consider the total cost of two identical trucks, one gas, one diesel being financed over say 7 years. Add the interest, the per gallon cost for fuel, and the maintenance vs how long the average person keeps their truck. The diesel may have a longer lifespan if it is maintained, but the bodies of both trucks will still rust and corrode at the same rate. Again, if you actually need a diesel and it's earning you money, then the diesel is for you. But if you get a diesel just to haul your camper once a year, a 5.7 hemi may fill the ticket and cost a lot less. As a side note, I got a zero interest rate on my 2020 Ram with the 5.7 and It's done everything I've needed it to do. Not knocking the diesel, when it's needed it's needed. But when it's not, that's a lot of money to consider. Remember, if your going to look at mileage, look at the per gallon price to.
I get between 12.5-13.5 l/100kms (17.5-18.5 mpg) on the highway with my 2021 2500 with the 6.4. 2800 lbs payload. Big Horn with most options including ramboxes. Unless I’m pulling more than 10k lbs, I’m not missing a diesel, it does absolutely fine. I’m not one to spend money on appearance packages, but my bright white truck with that $3500 night edition does look really good, especially considering it’s “only” a Big Horn.
I agree with you on the payload issue and that's why I bought a 3500. The 2500 would have been at the top end of the max. The other reason is that the 3500 comes with the Isen transmission which is much stronger and produces 1000 foot pounds of torque. I'm very happy with it.
My Titan XD also has the same Aisin transmission, though the input shaft and torque converter are different. They do shift harder but whem towing it really makes a difference. Soon as you jit 2md gear the torque converter locks up amd stays locked. Only issue I habe is Nissans terrible shift mapping and the laggy response to the throttle inputs. But it is a very stout transmission.
Only HO 3500 trucks come with the Aisin and 1000 lb-ft of torque. My dually 3500 Ram has the regular 68RFE in it and we pulled a 45ft fifth wheel with zero issues. They are plenty strong on a stock truck.
I have a 2020 Ram 2500 Tradesman with the 6.4 Hemi. Love it. Only thing I didn't like from the factory was the tires. They are great on pavement, dry and wet roads, but not that great in snow. I live in Northern NY and we get snow. Lots of it. We're always in the to 5 listing of snowiest places in the US. At 11k miles, I upgraded to Falken Wildpeak AT3's, and love them. Shortly after the tire swap we took a vacation (in late winter) to Northern California. Picked up a small TT trailer in SLC that we rented for a couple of weeks. After a week in NorCal, we drove down Hwy 395 to the Mojave and dry camped for a week with friends, before heading back up to SLC to drop off the trailer, and continue east via I-80 and 90. 33K miles later, and the Falkens are still doing great.
I also have a 2022 Ram Diesel. On my trip to CO from south central AZ we got 23MPG!!! We were not towing. Very impressive for a full sized truck. Though, I wish it got better MPG at 75MPH, it suffers but I found that it really loves 65MPH and gets it's best MPG at that speed, even towing my RV,
20' Ram 1500 gasser jus did 22.4 MPG1800 miles down and back up the east coast. plus city driving in central/southern FL full payload. family of 5 + gear. Woulda got 23+ if it was all highway and thats at 80 MPH. BLOWN AWAY! im keeping this truck for life.
I can do that with my 2020 6.7 Powerstroke with 3.31s. At 70mph it's still getting 10.3l/100km(22.83mpg) I have had it under 9.6l/100km(over 24.5mpg) many times. The advantage is the 10 speed wide ratios. I may have went with a Ram(if the cab was bigger) and it had a better set of ratios. I hate the high revs with the I6. I owned a Highway truck that cruised 1350rpm(1850lbft) at 65mpg grossing 140k lbs(B-train fuel tanker). I can't stand the B6.7, L9, or X12. They are the 3.5EB of the diesel world. Cummins is losing it with the downsizing. All of their current offerings are lazy compared to the competition. They are the only engine builder left so they don't really have to try anymore.
We bought a 2020 RAM 2500 Night Version in RED, we average 22.9 miles per gallon and when pulling our 30 ft. travel trailer loaded at 7200 lbs we average 15.2 miles per gallon. This is what we average from Los Angles to Louisville Kentucky and back. I have owned Chevy all my life as my Dad worked for GMAC in upper management, but with him gone we broke the mold and we are very happy with our sexy RAM Heavy-Duty Cummins Diesel Truck.
I have a 2021 Ram 2500. I love it. I had an F150 before and went on one out of state road trip with a travel trailer. When we got home we traded it in the next week. It's much safer, the exhaust break is amazing. I do wish the payload was a bit higher. But at the same time the coil springs make it a more comfortable daily driver.
I can't even afford to keep my old 02' Silverado 8.1 big block running right as a dealership tech by occupation... i couldn't imagine how many issues these generation trucks with have with all the added features and tech. New trucks aren't even on my radar the prices have got so high.
Hey TFL, good video. I'll let you know right now, when you're in snow those OEM tires are not fun at all. If you need to do much snow driving with those, you'll be looking for the nearest tire shop quick!
Your phone was connecting just fine. As soon as it shows “CarPlay” on the icons on the bottom of the screen, just tap that and it’ll take you into CarPlay. Easy.
I don’t understand if you have issues of payload and whatnot that you don’t buy to avoid those issues. You’ve heard “You get what you pay for!” Don’t knock the shortcoming you bought!
@@Jbs6187 Unless you're going to get a regular cab 4x2 it honestly isn't worth getting a 3/4 diesel. A 3/4 gas would make more sense but then you can't realistically hall the huge payload it has because of the gas engine. Better off going straight to the 1ton if you're hauling heavy loads or a 5th wheel. 3/4 ton for medium loads and travel trailers work well though.
@@Jbs6187 Good combination, my rule of thumb around 6-7k max for a 1/2 ton. 7-10k for a 3/4 and anything over that get a 1ton. Sure a 1/2ton can haul 10k but it won't be a good experience.
Lol we have a gas 2500 at the shop and it can do a three ton haul of limestone like it’s nothing. when it struggled was around 7 tons when it would have to go up an incline. Need to throw some real test at it guys
I’m a service manager at a CJDR dealership and the main thing we see the most problems with is DEF contamination. My suggestion is to never buy DEF on tap anywhere. Only add it from a sealed container that has a good expiration date. Bad DEF will crystallize and can clog the injector. Also trucks with DEF systems shouldn’t idle for long periods of time and you don’t want to baby them, run ‘em hard!
2006 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins Long Horn diesel bought brand new. 135,000 miles 58re tyranny. No emissions crap so I don't have to delete anything. Still doesn't use any engine oil between changes. Regularly visit relatives 400 miles door to door and still have half a tank of diesel remaining when I get there. Beautiful long bed truck imo.
You need to investigate how much these new Diesels run in the Regeneration Mode, its crazy, and when they do your MPG goes down about 2 & 3 MPG and will use a gallon of DEF fluid at about every 100 miles at 5 bucks a gallon!! Been there Done That.
Since you have driven it for a set time go put banks parts on it and re drive for 7-10k and check all your stats Apparently everyone is adding the banks mass air The cold air The diff cover The exhaust And getting 5-7 mpg more all day long and more torq more hp and relieving stress points or maintenance points
Ya definatley i did a bit more than that on my 09 and got it tuned and i have a intercooler charge pipes intake injectors and a compound kit. Bu if i keep my foot out of it i see low 20s or high teens with a light trailer and sometimes around 12 or 13 if i drive right with 20k+ but usually stays right at 11 untill i get in to the hills once in a while the it drops about 2 ish mpg all around and its some real step back roads. But probably 60% of the time on on basicly flat ground where i live in ca in the central valley
The low cargo capacity of diesel 3/4 tons is a bummer. Not enough for a light weight hard sided truck camper or the hitch and pin weight of a light fifth wheel. We have a 2018 Bighorn crew cab with the 6.7 liter Cummins and 2,395 lbs of cargo capacity. Average mpg pulling a 5,800 lbs travel trailer is 12.2.
I agree although I think Ram with their next gen HD trucks will increase the GVWR’s like Chevy did. Ram and I think Ford as well cap their 3/4 trucks to 10k GVWR. Chevy bumped these numbers by 650-800 pounds on their 3/4’s GVWR’s, thus you actually get usable payload in their 3/4 ton diesel’s.
Is it worth it? Here's one quick calculation I did: If the truck lasts just 150,000 miles and saves you $5 every 66 miles (same as the video), it should save you just short of $11,400. Andre said the diesel was a $9,000 upgrade, so it looks like a good decision.
Absolutely. The price of diesel in most states you would have to drive the truck 10 to 12 years just to realize the fuel savings and that's not including the maintenance and the increased price of diesel fuel as much as a dollar more than gas. If you're not towing on a consistent basis there's absolutely no reason to buy a diesel
Hey… I grew up on a large ranch. We used both short and long bed trucks. Typically the short bed was a 1/2 ton for daily driver and pulling up to a 4 horse trailer. Truthfully we never pulled 4 horses unless the 1 ton was also being used for the same work with another trailer. Understand we never cared about legalities of trailer or truck combined weight, neither did the sherif or law enforcement. I don’t know a single rancher or farmer who had a wreck due to being over loaded, I’m sure there is someone somewhere that has. Regardless, I’m now a retired airline pilot, Bill Gates now owns the ranch. I own a new construction company. I’m on a job site right now and there isn’t one 8’ bed truck. Here is what I find crazy about the home construction industry. The owners of the construction company almost always drive a 3/4 or 1 ton long bed truck. Usually no more than 3 years old. Here is why, it’s a status symbol but more importantly, the tax depreciation is much higher on trucks with beds longer than 6’ and when the builder needs to reduce taxable income, buying a new truck, work van or piece of equipment is one of the best paths.
Why are you in "auto" engine brake mode for the test? The "full" mode is what you should be using while towing. The only reason is to require breaking to make the Chevy and Ford appear more competative than they are. It is likely if you were in "full" engine brake, tow/haul on and adaptive cruise control you wouldn't have required any manual brakes. I have a 15,000 pound gvw 5th wheel. Dry weight is 11,700 pounds. The model is 355rk and full length is 37.92 feet. About 2 months ago I took it from Western Washington to Eastern Washington with it loaded for camping including 1/2 tank fresh water (about 30-35 gallons). I drove across the Cascades via Washington highway 20. The downhill portion I set the adaptive cruise to 48 MPH (the speed limit varied from 50 to 55 MPH), tow/haul on, "full" engine brake on. The pass is 5575 feet and it drops to about 1750 feet in about 30 miles. I never needed to use the manual brake and never exceeded 50 MPH. I returned on I-90 westbound. For the downslop portion from the pass to Seattle I set the adaptive cruise for 60 MPH, it never exceeded 63 MPH and I never used the manual brake. I have gone over many hills with my rig and only 1 time I used the manual brake. This was when I first got the rig and some one pulled onto the freeway in front of me, they were going about 35 MPH. I didn't trust the systems to "just work". Now I know that I didn't need to manually brake. I do still move my foot over the brake pedal, just in case.
@@Forestdawg1791 100% feel you. In a weird spot though - have to daily drive it and we’re about once a month on the RV trips. Harder to find as well. We’re just going to end up with one of the “Half Ton” fifth wheels with lighter pin weight. You’re right though. Great for a lot bumper-pulls but limited on fifth wheels.
The only thing I do not like on this TFL truck is the horrendous halogen headlights. My old 2020 Ram Dually 3500 had them and they were utter trash. There's a company called RetroShop that sells factory replacement Ram LED headlights and the custom wiring hardness to bolt them on. I swapped my truck's out only a few months into owning it and never looked back. They were such a massive upgrade in output and appearance. It's wild that a $60k+ truck would even come with Halogen anything in the year 2022.
I miss my ‘18 3500. Only issue I had in 30k miles was the 8.4” uconnect screen froze and was replaced under warranty. The Aisin transmission was well worth the money imo. My current ‘14 2500 is just as good, minus the payload and trans.
I think what I thought 6 months ago, it was and is too expensive for "ranch work" At least for working ranchers. As a tow rig, sure ok. As a family hauler, ok. As a daily driver, hell no.(MPG) As a sport truck, no. IF lined with LineX or some sort of spray in lining, it can be good for cargo, as long as you don't load stuff that is going to scratch the crap out of the side fenders. But that being said, someone eventually will scratch it bit by bit and the pain of hurting the nice truck will go away. But IF I wanted a "ranch truck" I would buy a fairly used one for WAY less money. OR buy a NEW commercial grade truck with out all the fancy options, crew cab, etc. and not care that it was going to get scratched to hell. To each their own.
It's 2022 why don't it all come with led lights standerd... then you can pick which led lights you want.. stupid they put 70 year old lighting on cars in 2022
@@Jbs6187 on a work truck that’s on the road all the time, halogens can be preferred. An LED driver or light stops working you need an entire replacement, where as a blown halogen bulb can be had at any part store really.
The 2500 Cummins payload is a problem and can land you in hot water fast. I have almost the same truck except I opted for the 6.4 HEMI. The payload jumps to 3154 lbs with the 4.11 gearing. That's an extra 920 usable lbs! I just couldn't justify a loss in almost half a ton capacity for better fuel consumption. How are you supposed to pull a 5th wheel or gooseneck legally? Had this been a 3500, I would defiantly agree that the Cummins shines. IMO, I see this as a dealbreaker for the 2500 Cummins and the 2500 Hemi is underrated king here.
I own a 2021 Ram long bed Tradesman with a 50 gallon fuel tank. I bought it right before prices shot up. I paid $52,300 brand new. Tow package, chrome package and carpet package. The payload rating is my only disappointment. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the higher trim models do, but I can't see paying $90,000+ for a top end trim level. For that much money I would expect a bidet to be standard equipment in the back seat. The 50 gallon tank is great for range. However, when you need to fuel you need multiple credit cards. With the price of fuel today I can easily exceed $200 per fill up if the tank is Fair empty. I get around 11 mpg towing and around 19 mpg empty. If you want raw horsepower this is not the truck for you. The Cummins is made for work and towing, not drag racing.
Well your iPhone came up right away in the center icon on the screen. You was looking for it on the bigger part of the screen. It doesn’t show there. All you had to do is hit the center icon.
My 2018 2500 Cummins powered Ram will not pass emissions after the recall!!!!! Dealer pretty much blew me off when I went back. No smog cert in CA means no registration. Called Stellantis, they told me to try another dealer. "Our dealers are independently owned, we have no control over them" pitiful!
It would be awsome to see you guys do a series on performance upgrades since yall own this truck. Nothing to crazy something an average person would do. Like a tuner, exhaust, intake intake manifold, charge pipess, intercooler, injectors, turbo, head studs & trans work. I would also bet if yall talked to Gale Banks he would help yall out. And be is arguably the best in the business especially with smog compliant tuning and upgrades.
If your 1/2 can do the work, and only needs to do so a few times a year stick with that. Once it becomes a regular thing it's better off being a bigger truck.
Have owned f250 and Ram 2500 and both trucks are awsome.I had a 1/2 ton for 6 months did not like it lol.The Ram is a superior truck in my opinion. Fuel mlieage,comfort,engine,brakes and interior. FYI not a fan of GM products. Stopped buying them in 2004
I have a old ram 2500 and it has a low payload also,personally I don’t know why they make 2500 diesel trucks because they are almost identical to 3500 trucks but much less payload. If I was buying a heavy duty diesel I would only buy a 3500.
2020 6.7 56,400 miles, fully loaded with loaded trailer tried going 55 for 20 miles got 22 mpg at the end of the trip. Was curious what I would get. Then again the engine is not broken in till 100K. Be interesting to see what happens at that point
The Ram 2500 with the Cummins is a nice truck. When the Cummins 5.9 was put in the Dodge truck. The power was very low. Something like 180hp and 400lb/ft torque. In todays world, the 4cyl version with the ZF 8speed would be economical and have plenty of power. My wife has a 2018 Ram 2500 Tradesman Crewcab 4wd 6.7L. I changed the transmission oil pan to a larger aftermarket aluminum pan. With 2 more quarts of capacity. Put on a steering brace. Got a Bank's Monster Ram manifold. To avoid the dreaded grid heater problem destroying the engine. The truck is overbuilt. Handles our 4wheel popup Hawk model camper fine. And can still pull our cargo trailer. We just got the camper. But the truck got 13mpg pulling the cargo trailer @ 55mph. Truck got 26mpg overall on a trip 6,600 mile trip to NC VA, OH, IA, CO, and back to CA.
I love my Firestone tires on my 05 Dullay 4 foot long bed dullay and I run the Trans Force HT and they are great hiway tires and get around 60 k miles out of a set of tires and I came from factory Continental AT and they were good but did not last very long as at 40k the belts broke in front right tire and man that was not fun it was bouncing that tire so hard no good. So we are going to Alaska and I was thinking about Trans Force AT tires for the grip but those AT like many tires with that tread they won’t last long and hauling a 10.6 Bigfoot truck camper all fiberglass construction and weighs 3400 lbs but with fully loaded I will be maxed out on weight at 4200 lbs and this camper has onboard generator roof top satilite auto tracker when stopped and ac microwave furnace fridge hot water heater and 4 burner stove with oven and I did modify truck with a Big Wig sway bar in rear and rear air bags with compressor and 3 gal tand and a air Chuck and a curled air hose with built in gage and the Firestone bag kit cam with Chuck and bag for curly hose and gauge to air up tires if needed so I have never had a problem with Trans Force HT tires and they are called commercial tires. With the dullay tires it makes that truck Handel really good with the high and heavy load.
Been watching this truck and your wonderful videos since you got it. It also heped me look at the trucks I was shopping. We bought a 2022 Ram Larime 2500. Difference is the trim, ours is an 8 ft bed mainly as we wanted the fith wheel prep and the 50 gal diesel tank. True the payload is an issue for bigger trailering (we pull a 40ft travel trailer that loaded is around 10K full time) but this new truck was our replacement choice fro our 2017 Ram 2500 Hemi. We were pleasently surprised at a slightly higher fuel effeciency with our heavier truck ( from the hemi to the cummings adds about 2K in truck weight) And you are correct sir, these are work trucks made to haul, and best in class for what most of us need.
is the fifth wheel hitch a slider? if not, watch your turns. you won't be able to make sharp turns without the cab of your truck meeting the overhang of the camper. also do you have to completely remove the tonneau cover when towing, or can it be anchored in the partially open position? a lot of full timers would like to have a cover but would not have any place to store it if they had to completely remove the cover every time they had to move. stay healthy, Russ
Nice truck but 68k is crazy for cheap halogen lights, the Ram is a good truck but it's not quite as powerful as GM/Ford, the mirrors are horrible and the payload is pretty low.
I love this truck. The ride is fantastic, interior beats any rival and I find it quiet compared to its competitors. I do have a pet peeve: the headrest!! Has a tester driven this truck for more then 1000 miles? Are you tall? I'm 6'3 and no matter how I sit, the damn headrest pushes my head forward. There's no way around it. It's bloody uncomfortable and causes neck strain for someone of my height. Sure it can be adjusted up and down but for me down makes it worst and up well, is just as bad. Anyone else have this problem and is there a solution?
Love the truck. I would love to be able to afford one. But being a lower income person. I will just have to look for a used truck that has not been abused. Just no way I could justify 68K for a truck, I paid less than that for a house.
Honest question then…put a plow on it, that adds 800 lbs, drop in a dump bed which is another 800…your payload is what then to add salt …your now aloud 1000 lbs which is a waste to even plow …we put 3 ton a 350 and it handles fine …3/4 tons can haul but they aren’t meant to work now with the extra weight
Locate a couple of solid used models from the prior two generations (older 6.7 and even maybe the last 1.5 yr of the 5.9) and run comparisons. Then work out the economics and let people decide if they think the upgrade is worth it. I have an 06 with the 5.9 and will probably never upgrade to a 6.7 with the modern emissions. But it would be great to see a real comparison of all the points you made in this video. Purchase cost, towing, insurance comparisons, ride quality, etc. And also point out what is missing and price out what it would cost to put them on. For example, I installed a Pacbrake on my 06, and with Tow/Haul (torque lockup) its solid. After having pulled 16,000 lbs. over Wolf Creek Pass in southern CO it was definitely worth the investment. There are still a lot of really solid used RAM 2500/3500 out there and the market is strong for them. Would be very useful consumer info.
Cummins long block engine is a good lure. The crate it comes in is questionable. It’s scary to make such a payment on a risky crate. But the competition engine crates are marginally better yet with no cummins. It’s always a game with diesel work trucks. They are all in it together. Each brand leaves off something the other brand offers.
Very hard to go wrong with the Cummins/AISIN combo on a 3500 if you have to do real hauling. All the hotshot truckers used the Ram, good reason for that.
Great video!! Just picked up my first 2500 big horn almost exact same truck as yours. Do you use the exhaust brake on your day to day drives without towing or should it only be used during towing large pay loads? Also noticed that the big fan turns on quite often after you come to a complete stop at a light and begin to take off again, is that normal? I appreciate your help, this is my first heavy duty diesel truck and want to be sure these things are normal and the dos and don’t. Thank you!
See a good percentage of limited/limited longhorn in NE Texas farm/ranch areas blended with 7.3 IDI duallies. Have the feeling that Tradesman and Bighorn are more of corporate or construction trucks.
Oil changes are 400 minimum. 750 at the dealership. If you haul heavy loads, you have no choice, but if you do not, avoid dodge, ford, and gmc. This is what the guys say that work at repair shops tell me.
I’ve had the F-250 platinum with the 6.7 and now have the Ram 2500 Cummins (very similar to the truck in the video but red)and I’ll take the Cummins my F-250 had all the goodies but it rode like shit had horrible death wobble from factory had to go to the dealership 5 times before 50k miles to have the cab completely taken off because the engine sounded like it was falling apart from the inside.the Ford techs could all hear the noise and that it was down on power but couldn’t not fix it even with the last tech being flown out from Detroit to Phoenix still no fix they where at point of replacing the motor and I said screw that take it back I’m going to the Ram dealer!!! (Truck was off the road more than on)I love Ford but I just had a shit experience plus the ride(even with a really nice and expensive air bag system) sucked and the death wobble was a fix I should not have to do on a new 85 thousand dollar truck!!!!
I now have a couple of cameras in horse trailer and when I tow the same horses with my manual trans truck they have to brace for gear changes and end up sweating and frothy, they are stable and dry if I pull the trailer through town with auto trans truck. I am in my 60s and have had dozens of manuals and speed match shift to minimize any jolts. The decel-accels cycles shifting as I go through traffic lights are unavoidable. Driving entertainment is better with manual but if you tow animals they will stress less with auto trans.
I go and watch my grandchildren compete in rodeo events and practically everyone pulling horse trailers with living quarters loaded down with horses, tack, horse feed and hay. All the food, clothing, groceries, water, grey and black water. The majority are driving a Ram 2500 and 3500 diesel.
The turbo will fail in these Dodges. Mine quit at 80,000 miles. $9000 fix. I had a gmc, and it was junk. I am gonna try the Toyota. I don’t haul much, but I have had enough. Def, higher diesel prices, and it is becoming a money pit.
