New Ram 3500 - Page 6

Snoking · 12-28-2019, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thanks guys. I'll post back with payload and pics after I get it. As far as being happy long term with it....I hope. I've been talking to a GM of a Ram dealership who is my friend and known me for years. He advised that I probably wouldn't like the ride of the 3500 because it was so harsh. What they do at his dealership is sell the 2500 and install Sumo springs to keep the ride soft. He said putting those on made it the same thing as a 1 ton...of course we had that conversation. Anyway that will be an unknown. Many have posted here and other places that they like the 1 ton and the ride doesn't change that much; others won't have one due to it but I'm not sure they ever had one....sort of like me with the 3/4 HD due to back pain. Now, having driven the newer ones AND having my gallbladder removed (where they found 7 large stones which removed 95% of my back pain) I'm thinking the 1 ton will be OK running 65psi unloaded and "Sumo Springs"

. We'll see.

Run 40-44 in the rear tires empty and the ride will improve quite a bit. I leave my fronts the same all the time and just vary the rears, loaded to unloaded. At 40 PSI LT275/70R18E are rated to 2270, times two that is 4540 or around 1500 lbs of capacity over empty weight. Chris

**flybouy** · 12-28-2019, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thanks guys. I'll post back with payload and pics after I get it. As far as being happy long term with it....I hope. I've been talking to a GM of a Ram dealership who is my friend and known me for years. He advised that I probably wouldn't like the ride of the 3500 because it was so harsh. What they do at his dealership is sell the 2500 and install Sumo springs to keep the ride soft. He said putting those on made it the same thing as a 1 ton...of course we had that conversation. Anyway that will be an unknown. Many have posted here and other places that they like the 1 ton and the ride doesn't change that much; others won't have one due to it but I'm not sure they ever had one....sort of like me with the 3/4 HD due to back pain. Now, having driven the newer ones AND having my gallbladder removed (where they found 7 large stones which removed 95% of my back pain) I'm thinking the 1 ton will be OK running 65psi unloaded and "Sumo Springs"

. We'll see.

I've heard the new trucks ride much nicer. Afraid to test drive one as the current truck is clear title and suits the task. Our F250 has the snow plow package so it rides like a buckboard going over the Rockies.

If we're not towing we typically use the F 150 King Ranch. I call it the "big car without a trunk lid".

**sourdough** · 12-28-2019, 07:31 PM

Thanks for the input. I drive the truck about 15k a year with maybe less than 5k towing. The rest is empty. I use it going to the mountain house because I'm always getting "stuff" and working on something. My intention is to have that place sold this summer and all our other vacation options so not sure what I'll do with it after that other than towing the RV plus I like to drive my truck.

All that said and done we will be down to the main house and the RV. We are already planning a trip to the NE (never been to Maine and love lobster) and want to travel thru PA (where DW is from) and MI (where we have lots on friends we've made in FL). If we can accomplish that we will be rolling up some miles on the truck. Thinking (hoping) it will be fun if we can get it accomplished.

For all to think about as we travel this journey; have a great friend across the street that I've known for 30 years. He is now almost 80. He had a terrible accident decades ago that busted his hips up pretty good and he's had a bad time since. He had had some issues with the hip falling out and it did before we left. We left and they put him in the hospital for surgery which he had had before. Came out and couldn't recover enough. It was a real deal for the family; we talked with the wife almost every day for a while. He is a wealthy man and that caused lots of "strife" within the family leading to lots of "rhetoric" determining his path (DW is his wife's best friend). He is now in a nursing home....left him when he was riding his Gator over to see me and in 2 months in a nursing home...

Guess that is off tangent but thinking about spending so much on a new truck, hopefully planning a trip to the NE and just "rolling" as we live; makes me think about that fixed wall we will all hit at an unknown time. It's happened many times to my family and friends. As I told the sales guy...it's only money, we get one go round, and once you reach a point in your life that you feel it has been fulfilled....just do it! (NO, Nike doesn't fit in my picture).

Sorry for the long post.

tech740 · 12-28-2019, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoking

Run 40-44 in the rear tires empty and the ride will improve quite a bit. I leave my fronts the same all the time and just vary the rears, loaded to unloaded. At 40 PSI LT275/70R18E are rated to 2270, times two that is 4540 or around 1500 lbs of capacity over empty weight. Chris

This is exactly what I do with my 2019 3500. Rides great. Not a car but great for an HD Truck. Plus you wont wear the centers out on the tread of the tire. The transforce A/T tires mine came with seem to ride pretty flat about 40 psi. Happy Trails

rhagfo · 12-29-2019, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

An update; going with the Laramie. They had to go get it and it will be here this evening. Going in tomorrow and sign papers and give it a once over. Will take possession Monday after they get the side steps installed. Did not want a Laramie with all the bells and whistles (leather, all kinds of doo dads, 12" nav screen, etc. etc. etc.) because it chews up too much payload with things I won't use. But......here we are. I had hoped for a payload in the 4k range but as a previous poster noted, it will probably be less. I'll know tomorrow. And, it's flame red just like my current truck so I'll never know I changed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Yes, the Laramie comes with leather. I would have never dreamed of spending 1995 for a 12" screen nav but that's all there was. At least it has the Alpine premium sound system I'll never use.

It has heated and cooled seats which I would never choose in my truck but got them in my new 4Runner in October and DW loves them so what used to be a sticking point for both of us isn't so much anymore.

First Congratulations!!!
Please count on it taking about a month of driving to understand all those do-dads!
You will like and use the heated/cooled seats does that include the heated steering wheel?

While our 2001 Ram had a Parrot device for hands free phone use, the 2016 Laramie has hands free voice to text.

Enjoy your new TV!!

**sourdough** · 12-29-2019, 05:53 AM

Thank you and yes it has the heated wheel. Our current truck has the text on the 8.4Uconnect but we aren't subscribed to the voice to text. After trying to use it and finding I don't have it, then having to have DW write a text for me while driving, I think we will probably get that. We have heated seats but not the cooled ones so DW will like that I'm thinking.

66joej · 12-29-2019, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thanks guys. I'll post back with payload and pics after I get it. As far as being happy long term with it....I hope. I've been talking to a GM of a Ram dealership who is my friend and known me for years. He advised that I probably wouldn't like the ride of the 3500 because it was so harsh. What they do at his dealership is sell the 2500 and install Sumo springs to keep the ride soft. He said putting those on made it the same thing as a 1 ton...of course we had that conversation. Anyway that will be an unknown. Many have posted here and other places that they like the 1 ton and the ride doesn't change that much; others won't have one due to it but I'm not sure they ever had one....sort of like me with the 3/4 HD due to back pain. Now, having driven the newer ones AND having my gallbladder removed (where they found 7 large stones which removed 95% of my back pain) I'm thinking the 1 ton will be OK running 65psi unloaded and "Sumo Springs"

. We'll see.

Congrats Danny! You know what they say "you have to spend money to save money"??.
As far as ride I run 50# psi all around when not towing makes a world of difference. My truck has the Firestone Transforce tires.
Enjoy that nice new set of wheels!

rhagfo · 12-29-2019, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thank you and yes it has the heated wheel. Our current truck has the text on the 8.4Uconnect but we aren't subscribed to the voice to text. After trying to use it and finding I don't have it, then having to have DW write a text for me while driving, I think we will probably get that. We have heated seats but not the cooled ones so DW will like that I'm thinking.
__________________
Danny & Susan wife of 52 years
2014 Ram 2500 6.4 4x4 CC
2014 Cougar High Country 319RLS

Danny, Time to update your signature!!

You will enjoy.

JJaxon · 12-29-2019, 09:02 AM

I own a 2019 Ram 3500 SRW Crew Cab Long bed 4x4 Laramie. I, like you searched high and low until I found the truck I needed. My biggest concern was PAYLOAD. These trucks all similarly equipped have payload ranges from 3400 to 4500lbs. I talked to dealers in many states and they were not aware of this fact, but these are sales people just trying to make the deal... Have them look at the yellow ringed decal inside the drivers door and send you a picture of it.

Anyway, I traded my 2017 Ram 2500 CC SB 4x4 Laramie when I found the truck that had the payload I needed, 4410lbs. I love this truck. I drove from Indianapolis to Minneapolis MN to trade trucks in April. Once there I had the truck side by side and measured the height at the tailgates, drivers door rocker panel, and center of hood to compare. These were within 1/4" of each other. Both trucks had cab lights on top, and I had already parked the 17' in my garage before. I have no doubt the 19' will fit for height but it is too long for my current garage. Standard garage door height assumed, as mine is.

The best you can hope for is to find the truck you want, then measure it specifically. Don't take the numbers from the web site as gospel, if they are wrong by 1/2" you can fail in your attempt to meet your needs. Watch the payload #s too.

Snoking · 12-29-2019, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJaxon

I own a 2019 Ram 3500 SRW Crew Cab Long bed 4x4 Laramie. I, like you searched high and low until I found the truck I needed. My biggest concern was PAYLOAD. These trucks all similarly equipped have payload ranges from 3400 to 4500lbs. I talked to dealers in many states and they were not aware of this fact, but these are sales people just trying to make the deal... Have them look at the yellow ringed decal inside the drivers door and send you a picture of it.

Anyway, I traded my 2017 Ram 2500 CC SB 4x4 Laramie when I found the truck that had the payload I needed, 4410lbs. I love this truck. I drove from Indianapolis to Minneapolis MN to trade trucks in April. Once there I had the truck side by side and measured the height at the tailgates, drivers door rocker panel, and center of hood to compare. These were within 1/4" of each other. Both trucks had cab lights on top, and I had already parked the 17' in my garage before. I have no doubt the 19' will fit for height but it is too long for my current garage. Standard garage door height assumed, as mine is.

The best you can hope for is to find the truck you want, then measure it specifically. Don't take the numbers from the web site as gospel, if they are wrong by 1/2" you can fail in your attempt to meet your needs. Watch the payload #s too.

That higher 4410 payload is pretty meaningless for towing a 5th wheel. 7K RGAWR minus what the weight of the rear axle is ready to tow, is the concern one with a 5th wheel should be looking at. That higher payload did not change the RGAWR of 7K. Chris

ctbruce · 12-29-2019, 02:58 PM

Believe me, the heated seats will turn your butt crack right around into a grin in no time. Congrats.

Snoking · 12-29-2019, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Thank you and yes it has the heated wheel. Our current truck has the text on the 8.4Uconnect but we aren't subscribed to the voice to text. After trying to use it and finding I don't have it, then having to have DW write a text for me while driving, I think we will probably get that. We have heated seats but not the cooled ones so DW will like that I'm thinking.

Our Laramie came with:

Heated Steering Wheel
Heated Front Seats
Ventilated Front Seats
As part of the Laramie package.

This package included the second-row heater seats.
Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats $ 500
Heated Second-Row Seats
Laramie Package 28H

**sourdough** · 12-29-2019, 04:57 PM

Thanks all. They got the truck in yesterday evening and I went in to sign papers and drive it. It will work. It doesn't have the heated rear seats; I'm not thinking puppy would like that and she is the only one ever back there.

It does have heated seats, wheel etc. along with the front seat ventilation.

A couple of quick observations I made on the test drive today; that 12" screen is HUGE! I told them it looked like someone had taken a laptop and turned it up lengthwise in the middle of the dash. First take I didn't really like it but as DW pointed out, as my eyes deteriorate I might really like having that huge Nav screen in front of me.

The 8 speed, 6.4 and 4.10 will hustle! I'm looking forward to hooking it up to the trailer and letting it hit its paces. And, I was hoping to at least have 4k in payload or more, and would have if I had gotten the truck I wanted but that was not to be and this is a heavier truck. But, it's not all bad. The sticker on this one is 3986 so we're close....and I have this gimongous 12" screen sitting in the middle of the dash.

Guess you have to give up some payload to get gizmos like that!! I wanted a 5th wheel payload prep and got it but don't know that we'll ever get one....but we might.

Will try to get some pics posted in the next 2-3 days after I pick it up.

Wyldfire · 12-29-2019, 05:11 PM

Sounds nice.

Gegrad · 12-29-2019, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

A couple of quick observations I made on the test drive today; that 12" screen is HUGE! I told them it looked like someone had taken a laptop and turned it up lengthwise in the middle of the dash. First take I didn't really like it but as DW pointed out, as my eyes deteriorate I might really like having that huge Nav screen in front of me.

The 8 speed, 6.4 and 4.10 will hustle! I'm looking forward to hooking it up to the trailer and letting it hit its paces. And, I was hoping to at least have 4k in payload or more, and would have if I had gotten the truck I wanted but that was not to be and this is a heavier truck. But, it's not all bad. The sticker on this one is 3986 so we're close....and I have this gimongous 12" screen sitting in the middle of the dash.

Guess you have to give up some payload to get gizmos like that!! I wanted a 5th wheel payload prep and got it but don't know that we'll ever get one....but we might.

That's good info. So my new 2500 6.4 has a payload of 3009. It is a Bighorn, and does not have the 12" screen (8.4"), no nav, and no ventilated seats (I do have the heated front seats). Shows you the difference between the 3/4 and 1 ton payloads, since they are both SRW gassers.

**sourdough** · 12-29-2019, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gegrad

That's good info. So my new 2500 6.4 has a payload of 3009. It is a Bighorn, and does not have the 12" screen (8.4"), no nav, and no ventilated seats (I do have the heated front seats). Shows you the difference between the 3/4 and 1 ton payloads, since they are both SRW gassers.

Sounds like our trucks are similar. Mine is a Lone Star (TX version of Big Horn) and has most doo dads. I had always said the payload was near 3200 (was thinking it read 3190) but looked today before I take it off and it is 3090. I was hoping to gain about 1k on payload but it turned out a little short. No matter, I will buy a new trailer to fit the truck's capabilities. I was worried about the 1 ton leaf springs and rough ride. Couldn't tell much difference in the short drives I took from my 2500; maybe a tad stiffer but nothing airing down won't fix. The entire episode has been enlightening to me as well.

Gegrad · 12-29-2019, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Sounds like our trucks are similar. Mine is a Lone Star (TX version of Big Horn) and has most doo dads. I had always said the payload was near 3200 (was thinking it read 3190) but looked today before I take it off and it is 3090. I was hoping to gain about 1k on payload but it turned out a little short. No matter, I will buy a new trailer to fit the truck's capabilities. I was worried about the 1 ton leaf springs and rough ride. Couldn't tell much difference in the short drives I took from my 2500; maybe a tad stiffer but nothing airing down won't fix. The entire episode has been enlightening to me as well.

All good info re: the ride. I need to look into lowering my tire psi for non towing activities. So was this swap primarily driven by just wanting to get the extra payload for moving up in trailers soon? And the convenient employee pricing? Ha.

**sourdough** · 12-29-2019, 07:39 PM

It was time for a new truck. If I was trading I figured I would move to a 1 ton. We have talked about, and looked at, a possible 5th wheel. We spend a bit of time in ours and can't find a floorplan or build that we like better than ours, but, it is a few years older and we both like the more roomy feel of a 5th wheel and want a larger shower. I looked for months and months for a truck that fit what I wanted....they are as rare as hen's teeth. Figured I would just keep poking around until I found something then when I got to FL I stumbled upon the employee pricing. Figured it was like all end of year sales and wouldn't be any more than regular dealer discounts. Looked at the numbers while "building" units and they had steeper discounts than you normally see. I thought that was a scam but they still added additional discounts on top of that. Then, I called a friend who is the GM of a Ram dealership in TX and just asked him about it. He said he could sell me any new vehicle at invoice and include all the rebates but it would not be as much as the existing employee discount, which he said was the best discount they had seen in years - and I was SO tired of trying to find a truck like I wanted. Decided to heck with it, my patience is gone so go with it....and here we are.

Gegrad · 12-29-2019, 07:45 PM

Good to know. Yeah, that pricing was all that, just like I described last week! I am glad you were able to get everything stacked on top like I did a couple of weeks ago. Good luck with the 5th wheel search now that you have a more capable truck.

Snoking · 12-29-2019, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gegrad

All good info re: the ride. I need to look into lowering my tire psi for non towing activities. So was this swap primarily driven by just wanting to get the extra payload for moving up in trailers soon? And the convenient employee pricing? Ha.

2500 tire nanny is going to bark at you. There ways to adjust it, however the dealer will mostly not do it. Aftermarket will.

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