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Old 11-18-2018, 06:48 AM   #1
Tim-Rhonda
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18 Ram 2500 CCLB 6.4 4:10 First Pull

August I ended up trading in my 2015 Ram 3500 Dually 6.7 Cummins due to the excessive emissions issues that would sprout up from time to time. Had a trip coming up that we were using our pop up on and was en-route to dealership to get DEF to have if we needed it for this trip and the truck went into limp mode. Hmmm. We had been down around the Savannah region on our way home with our 5th wheel in tow and this happened and it cleared itself, and numerous other occasions, emissions recalls etc.. Sooo I decided we needed to have a dependable tow vehicle. I hated to trade it in but needed to have peace of mind when we towed that we would not get stranded. I found an 18 2500 6.4 gasser long bed 4:10 rear with the factory 5th wheel prep. Payload is 3200 lbs and tow capacity is 15200 lbs. So I traded. We have a 2015 Cougar 333MKS 5th wheel that has a GVWR of 12090lbs. Keep in mind my wife always packs as if she is going to the moon. I didn't ask her to pack light or anything just wanted to see if the truck was up to the task. This last weekend we did our maiden voyage towing this 5th wheel. We are in central Virginia and headed out west to James River State Park in the Virginia Piedmont. Truck in Tow/Haul mode and we had no issues. MPG's were 9.3 not hand calculated, not much head wind. I was actually impressed. The road was a two lane road most of the way with rolling hills. Truck did down shift when needed, probably highest RPM I saw was around 3600. I was impressed. The stability reminded me of my 2013 Ram 2500 diesel truck. Anyways thought I'd share. I feel like I made a good choice knowing we won't go into limp mode and fuel costs are lower.
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Old 11-18-2018, 06:58 AM   #2
chuckster57
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Sounds like your new truck is up to the task, and peace of mind towing is essential. Congrats!
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Old 11-18-2018, 08:40 AM   #3
JRTJH
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Thanks for the report. Your experiences definitely shed light on the "if it's over 12,000 pounds you need a diesel". Keep us posted as your future trips accumulate.
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Old 11-19-2018, 09:52 PM   #4
mtofell
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Your 5th is about 1000# heavier than mine but you have more favorable 4.10 gearing versus my 3.73 so I'd say we are pretty similar. My truck is a 6.4 Hemi 2500 4X4 CC Short Bed.

Overall, it gets the job done. My biggest complaint by far is the gap between 1st and 2nd gear. Up steep winding roads a lot of times I just can't hold 2nd so I have to putt along at 25-30. There's just kind of a dead spot around 35 that the truck can't hold 2nd. If I can hold the RPMs up over 3500 or so I have tons of power. I can hold 60 going up 5-6% mountain passes as long as I don't have to slow down for sharp curves or traffic.

The only other real complaint I have is the shifting of the tranny but I can just override that my doing it manually. It has a tendency to hold 4th far too long and then just slam right past 3rd down to 2nd. All of these behaviors are well known and complained about by other owners I've talked to online. Overall, I'm happy with the truck. As a daily driver it's as close to perfect as possible. None of the shifting or gear spacing is a problem unless towing.
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Old 11-20-2018, 09:41 AM   #5
sourdough
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Thanks for the update Tim.

I, like Matt, have the 6.4, 3.73 SB w/4x4. My experiences are just about like Matt's but I haven't really had an exacerbated problem with shifting on grades; but I run the gears manually when in the mountains. 3500 rpm seems to be the spot where the 6.4 kicks in and pulls like a bill goat. That has been my experience as well and once in that band the hills don't seem to make much difference.

I was very interested in the first hand account of the 4.10 pulling that kind of load. If we ever find a trailer we like better than this one I was wondering about its abilities. Our trailer is 10k gvw but we load a few hundred under that. We tow back and forth from TX to FL regularly and have had zero issues running those kinds of hills (E TX, MS, LA, AL, GA, FL) and don't hit the 3500 rpm band except maybe once or twice when traffic puts us in a position where I have to.
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Old 11-20-2018, 05:57 PM   #6
Gegrad
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Thanks for the update Tim. It is good to get another report on the 6.4 2500, as I will likely be upgrading to one in the next year. I appreciate some real life experience updates to help me get some ideas on what to expect.
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Old 11-30-2018, 06:08 AM   #7
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So it would be far better report if we had some weights with the post. The 333MKS has what I consider a low payload for an almost 37' 5er, about 1,700#. Not wondering how much you are carrying on the TV, just what the total GCVW is/was.
Most that have the 6.4 are happy with it towing.
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:27 AM   #8
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The emissions controls on the newer diesel trucks do give me some anxiety. You hear stories like yours every once in a while and it is something to think about. I heard about someone using DEF that they had recently purchased but had been on the shelf too long and was expired. The expired DEF did not function properly and the truck went into limp mode. The DEF tank had to be removed and cleaned before it could be used again. Thanks for posting the information about the gas truck’s capabilities.
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