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Which truck

RickLight
Explorer III
Explorer III
I think I've found 2 really good choices, but deciding between them is getting hard.

The trucks are both 2015, crew cab, short bed with a nice trim package and almost exactly the same price. Otherwise:

Ram 2500HD 6.7l Turbo Cummins 17Klbs towing
or
Chevy 3500 6l Vortec gas 16Klbs towing

I'm not interested in re-waging the gas/diesel wars, or the Brand wars. I've been reading a lot about all that here and it's been very helpfull! What I'm looking for is the fine points about these specific rigs.
"What are the likely problems over the next 5 years."

Our trailer is 95% certain to be a Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK. Under 10,000 gross! OK, we may want to upgrade someday but we certainly don't need more room. The purpose is month long trips to national parks or other cool places. Alaska (again :)) visiting the kids wherever they drift to, etc. 10-15K miles a year.

Thanks!
Rick,

2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide
63 REPLIES 63

RickLight
Explorer III
Explorer III
No emissions testing for HD trucks in WA.
Rick,

2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Cummins12V98 wrote:
"The previous owner did a bunch of customization from rear air bags to DEF system removal."

Did he give you all the parts to re install if needed? In WA depending on your area you may be required to do annual testing.


Where would this be? Provided the OP didn't buy an 06 or older, which he obviously didn't based on the snip you quoted from his post.

Or to put it a differnet way, no diesels 2007 or newer need emissions test in WA.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
"The previous owner did a bunch of customization from rear air bags to DEF system removal."

Did he give you all the parts to re install if needed? In WA depending on your area you may be required to do annual testing.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

2012Coleman
Explorer
Explorer
Are you looking at:

CarGurus.com
CarMax
AutoTrader
Cars.com
AutoNation
CarFax also has used truck listings

Big Horn Trim is well appointed
Experience without good judgment is worthless; good judgment without experience is still good judgment!

2018 RAM 3500 Big Horn CTD
2018 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

RickLight
Explorer III
Explorer III
For the record and future searchers;

I found a F350 at a good price, more than I wanted to pay but close enough.

It's a Laramie so there creature comforts galore and power everything. It's capabilities are far above anything we are likely to want to tow. The previous owner did a bunch of customization from rear air bags to DEF system removal.
Rick,

2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide

RickLight
Explorer III
Explorer III
rhagfo wrote:
RickLIght wrote:
Thanks for the thoughts, however The discussion is moot.

The Ram sold and I am considering diesel, again! I'm also reconsidering waiting for the trailer, as it's likely to be in 3/4 ton range.


Keep in mind that if you are a by the numbers guy, that getting a 250/2500 will greatly limit your choice of 5ers. Think about looking at 350/3500 SRW I don't know about Ford or Chevy, but Ram offers a 3500 SRW with a GVWR of about 12,200# after 2013, before that the DRW only had a GVWR of 12,300#! In 2013 Ram finally put real numbers to their trucks!


I've already dodged (:R sorry) a Ram 3500 6.4L with a 12,500 towing limit. But we are small rig folks so we'll 'never' go DRW.

The real question is whether to wait or try to find a great deal now.
Rick,

2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
RickLIght wrote:
Thanks for the thoughts, however The discussion is moot.

The Ram sold and I am considering diesel, again! I'm also reconsidering waiting for the trailer, as it's likely to be in 3/4 ton range.


Keep in mind that if you are a by the numbers guy, that getting a 250/2500 will greatly limit your choice of 5ers. Think about looking at 350/3500 SRW I don't know about Ford or Chevy, but Ram offers a 3500 SRW with a GVWR of about 12,200# after 2013, before that the DRW only had a GVWR of 12,300#! In 2013 Ram finally put real numbers to their trucks!
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

RickLight
Explorer III
Explorer III
Thanks for the thoughts, however The discussion is moot.

The Ram sold and I am considering diesel, again! I'm also reconsidering waiting for the trailer, as it's likely to be in 3/4 ton range.
Rick,

2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
RickLIght wrote:
I think I've found 2 really good choices, but deciding between them is getting hard.

The trucks are both 2015, crew cab, short bed with a nice trim package and almost exactly the same price. Otherwise:

Ram 2500HD 6.7l Turbo Cummins 17Klbs towing
or
Chevy 3500 6l Vortec gas 16Klbs towing

I'm not interested in re-waging the gas/diesel wars, or the Brand wars. I've been reading a lot about all that here and it's been very helpfull! What I'm looking for is the fine points about these specific rigs.
"What are the likely problems over the next 5 years."

Our trailer is 95% certain to be a Grand Design Reflection 150 273MK. Under 10,000 gross! OK, we may want to upgrade someday but we certainly don't need more room. The purpose is month long trips to national parks or other cool places. Alaska (again :)) visiting the kids wherever they drift to, etc. 10-15K miles a year.

Thanks!


Let’s get this back on track!!
Two trucks same year one a diesel 3/4 ton and the other a gas one ton! Both about the same price, OP didn’t mention the trim levels of both. If the 3/4 is a Tradesman and the Chevy is top of the line tat can make up a lot in pricing.

I stated before I would take neither for towing a 5er!
If OP wants to stay within ratings then the Ram hasn’t got enough payload on paper. The Chevy has the payload, but the gas engine will have to work hard to pull a 5er of any size.
Find a nice one ton diesel and be done with it, SRW up to about 14k to 15k, DRW for above that!
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Lol!
Love it!
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
What folks don’t realize is rv related lbs. have much more effect on things than other lbs. like construction lbs., farming lbs., oilwell equipment lbs., etc

People that use trucks and trailers of all shapes and sizes for work are blissfully unaware of how they flirt with disaster by exceeding sticker ratings by 380 rv lbs. when 380 construction lbs hasn’t seemed to bother their truck for 10 years.

Bionic_Man
Explorer
Explorer
Edd505 wrote:
seminole39 wrote:
I'm not sure how this got derailed into odometer fraud but once again, you would be surprised what can be achieved with 20 minutes time on the new "computer controlled" gauge clusters


How did this get to odometer fraud?? It was a question on trucks.


Welcome to RV.net in November (or any other month for that matter).
2012 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn DRW CC 4x4 Max Tow, Cummins HO, 60 gallon RDS aux fuel tank, Reese 18k Elite hitch
2003 Dodge Ram 3500 QC SB 4x4 Cummins HO NV5600 with Smarty JR, Jacobs EB (sold)
2002 Gulf Stream Sea Hawk 29FRB with Honda EV6010

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
Edd505 wrote:
seminole39 wrote:
I'm not sure how this got derailed into odometer fraud but once again, you would be surprised what can be achieved with 20 minutes time on the new "computer controlled" gauge clusters


How did this get to odometer fraud?? It was a question on trucks.


See below! Second line is MY reply to the first line.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

"More than likely the cummins has 100,000+ more miles on it."

Not likely! Not so easy to mess with the odometer these days.



seminole39 wrote:

you couldn't be more wrong about that but whatever you say, chief
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Edd505
Explorer
Explorer
seminole39 wrote:
I'm not sure how this got derailed into odometer fraud but once again, you would be surprised what can be achieved with 20 minutes time on the new "computer controlled" gauge clusters


How did this get to odometer fraud?? It was a question on trucks.
2015 F350 FX4 SRW 6.7 Crew, longbed - 2017 Durango Gold 353RKT
2006 F350 SRW 6.0 crew longbed sold
2000 F250 SRW 7.3 extended longbed airbags sold
2001 Western Star 4900EX sold
Jayco Eagle 30.5BHLT sold, Layton 24.5LT sold