I have my trailer, now I need my truck

[KevoTheFord]

We just bought a Jayflight 32BHDS (10000 lbs gross weight) and I am debating between a gasser and diesel Ram 2500. Anyone out there with the 6.4 Hemi have any towing experience with something in my trailer's size? I know both on paper will pull our trailer easily just looking for some "real world" feedback.

Thanks!

[Midnightmoon]

Forum members 1HasBeen and Woodworker, as well as others, have extensive towing experience with the 6.4L Hemi. If they dont reply to this thread, you may want to PM one of them for more specific information on towing heavy with the 6.4L Ram.

[Dbunke]

Any of the newer gassers in any brand will do pretty well with 10k. It does depend on your towing locations. My chev pulled my 10k 5th wheel better than the new 13k 5th wheel but it still does ok. Long grades and heavy headwinds are its down fall. If you tow in the mountains I would get the diesel. If your flatland like me a gasser will do just fine for 10k. Once I retire and start doing longer cross country trips I will get a diesel.

[1HasBeen]

I pulled a Sundowner toy hauler with my 2015 6.4, and went across the scales at 23K lbs. The new 6.4 trucks have the 8 spd, which is a much better match to the 6.4 than the 66RFE was. It pulled fine, as long as you are willing to let it wind up. It averaged 7.5-8.5 mpg. I tow at 65 mph. Due to being misled on the hitch weight by Sundowner, I had to go to a dually, and have gone back to a Cummins. It pulls it in a much more relaxed fashion, and seldom downshifts. The real bonus of the Cummins is the exhaust brake, which makes downgrades totally controlled, and relaxed, seldom having to touch the service brakes. MPG hovers around 9-10.

I am a Cummins guy all the way, BUT I have to be 100% honest, and say the 2019+ Cummins has gone to the dreaded, infamous CP4 injector pump, and there are failures happening. You might look for a clean '18, which still has the CP3 pump.

[Woodworker]

I have a SLX 28ft that fully loaded just over 7,000lbs. I think I'm around 6,500ish.
Truck is a 2019 2500 4x4 long bed with a 6.4. I had a short box 2500 4x4 2015 with the 6.4 both trucks with 373 gears.
There where times I found myself on long drives runnin 75 an 80 before I realized it an had to back jt down. I've also forgotten to put the truck in tow mode an ran it for about 30 miles home an never realized I never set it. I never saw a lot of difference but I won't run it like that on purpose.
As for off road I have to back down a slight hill to get turned around. Even with the wet clay that 6.4 in 4x4 has no problem. Rarely spin a tire in 1st gear. When we go to the races in Darlington I drive approx. 5-1/2 hrs with the bed loaded down. 2 3000watt inverters, 30 gallon barrel (empty) 4 big gas cans, 4 folding tables, a metal table for dutch ovens, a metal box full of stuff that weighs around 60lbs an some other stuff. Truck never misses a beat down the highway.
I weighed all the options between a diesel an a 6.4. Even before I bought the first one an for me it was a better deal overall. Less expensive on upkeep an if I don't feel like spending the extra money for the 89 octane one day I can buy the 87 octane.
Fuel mileage depends. If I can keep my foot out of it I can get approx. 16-18mph living in N. GA. No "mountains" but very few flat roads. Towing again if I can keep my foot out of it I've gotten as high as 13mpg. I'd say overall average is probably more like 11 to 12 towing. It all depends on where I'm goin to. Interstate it's more obviously, I've seen 14mpg but backroads etc the 11-12. It's all about your foot. My truck ikes to go an sometimes I think its grabbin my foot to press the peddle.
Unless you tow all the time meaning 4+ times a week, tow mountainous terrain constantly, tow heavy loads all the time for work or just want a diesel I think you'd be happy with the 6.4. I know I am. It's been a damn good motor. First truck was traded in with 125,000 trouble free miles an the current truck is around 30,000. I buy the specials my local dealer has on oil changes an they average out to around $40 a change every 5-6,000 miles.

[NewBlackDak]

I tow a 10167 dry 14K GVW toyhauler with my ‘14 6.4 w/4.10s. Be willing to wind it up, and it’ll do fine.

[Camper_bob]

With my Ram 2500 gasser towing a 9600 lb GVWR trailer, the only thing I regretted was getting the 3.73 instead of the 4.10. So my recommendation is to get the 4.10.

That being said, it towed just fine. And the extra payload afforded by the lighter engine was VERY nice. I had over 3,000 lbs of real-world available payload.

I LOVED my truck, and was sad to see it go. But at the end of the day, it was a tool that I didn't need anymore and I needed to get a different tool for a different job.

[Big1]

I had a 2016 2500 6.4L ram with the 4.10 gears, if you are not planning on getting anything bigger in the future I would go with the 4.10 gears.

I had both the 3.73 and the 4.10 gears and believe me you are going to want to get the 4.10 gears, oh, the 3.73 will have no problem but with the 4.10 will do a better job moving it.

Welcome to the forum.