Anyone got a 3500 Ram 6.4 Good or Bad?

-
2fine69s

2fine69s

69 340-6pak Rag Top
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Messages
1,030
Reaction score
178
Location
Elm City, N.C.
Hey guys,
I'm contemplating purchasing a new 2017 Ram 3500 Dually with the 6.4, AT, 410 hp and 430lbs of torque. Anyone have one? Yes, NO, Good, Bad? On my 99 Ram diesel, pulling I got around 15 mpg give or take, Im wondering how much less a gas motor would be, 8-10 or so? If anyone knows anyone who has the 6.4 in a truck, please drop me a line or post a reply here. With the price of the new diesel duallys, I'm thinking I can spend less on this truck and just pay more for fuel.... what do you think?
Martin
 
2fine69s said:
Hey guys,
I'm contemplating purchasing a new 2017 Ram 3500 Dually with the 6.4, AT, 410 hp and 430lbs of torque. Anyone have one? Yes, NO, Good, Bad? On my 99 Ram diesel, pulling I got around 15 mpg give or take, Im wondering how much less a gas motor would be, 8-10 or so? If anyone knows anyone who has the 6.4 in a truck, please drop me a line or post a reply here. With the price of the new diesel duallys, I'm thinking I can spend less on this truck and just pay more for fuel.... what do you think?
Martin
Click to expand...
Have a '16 4x4 that I bought for work. We pull a 13klb triple axel generator with. Does well. Little slower in the takeoff than the diesel but has no issue pulling it. I don't remember what kind of mileage it gets but am thinking around 12mpg on average. Boss has a heavy foot though. I will double check on that figure. Only issue that I had with it was not with the truck but the plow we out on it that did not like to interact with the headlights. Would up tossing thier control module and wiring in my own relay system. BTW. I orders this truck with 4:10's so mileage is definitely effected with them
 
Last edited:
toplscuda said:
Have a '16 4x4 that I bought for work. We pull a 13klb triple axel generator with. Does well. Little slower in the takeoff than the diesel but has no issue pulling it. I don't remember what kind of mileage it gets but am thinking around 12mpg on average. Boss has a heavy foot though. I will double check on that figure. Only issue that I had with it was not with the truck but the plow we out on it that did not like to interact with the headlights. Would up tossing thier control module and wiring in my own relay system. BTW. I orders this truck with 4:10's so mileage is definitely effected with them
Click to expand...
I really appreciate the honest info. I'm interested in a 3500 dually and am trying to make my mind up on gas or deisel. The one I'm looking at has 3.73 gears and is 2 wheel drive 6.4. If you can think of anything else please let me know.
Thanks
Martin
 
6.4 shifts gears A LOT pulling anything. Keeping in its torque zone. Poor mileage with trailer,

But as long as you don't overload it with too much trailer, its ok. For real pulling diesel is the only way to go. IMO. About 12k trailer I pull with one. 6MPG with 12K lb trailer at free way speeds. Really.
 
Verified that he is averaging 11 mpg. I have used it to pull the generator a few times and didn't notice it shifting much more than our 08 ford powerstroke but it is possible I just didn't pay attention. There reason I orderd the gas drive over a diesel is the issues the newer diesels seem to have since being emissions laden. 08 powerstroke had to have ford replace the engine at 62k because the way they did the emissions is to pump extra diesel through it to clean out the converter. Thinned out the oil too much and wiped out the lower end. I am now at changing the oil every 2500 miles on it because it starts to show overfilled. Had another customer that was havin issues due to the emissions on his 13 Dodge Ram also. I just didn't want the headache since I am the one that has to keep everything going in the fleet.
It was a stretch going to a dodge since the boss had only owned fords for work trucks and he did question why I went with the Dodge but after driving a bit he commented that it was the best truck so far.
 
Mopar Tim said:
6.4 shifts gears A LOT pulling anything. Keeping in its torque zone. Poor mileage with trailer,

But as long as you don't overload it with too much trailer, its ok. For real pulling diesel is the only way to go. IMO. About 12k trailer I pull with one. 6MPG with 12K lb trailer at free way speeds. Really.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tim I really appreciate the honesty. I just need to make a good decission. Keep the info coming guys.
Thanks
Martin
 
2fine69s said:
Thanks Tim I really appreciate the honesty. I just need to make a good decission. Keep the info coming guys.
Thanks
Martin
Click to expand...
No problem. car and driver
Where’s the Jam?

Things change when you need to tow. Pulling a 6,000-lb load – roughly 50 percent of what our truck is rated to pull – the HEMI power feels underwhelming. Hills leave it wheezing hard and that is where the tradeoff between cash and power becomes clear. Even if it doesn’t feel the best in its segment, the Cummins doesn’t feel underpowered like the gasoline V8 does.
 
Last edited:
I have a 2015 2500 4x4 with a 6.4 Hemi. I absolutely love this truck and will probably get another one. It's got some balls driving in traffic. It will pull a heavy load but you will have to be patient with it. I pull my Dart to the track and barely know its back there. The heaviest load I've pulled is a 24 ft gooseneck flatbed loaded with my neighbors tractor. It handled it fine but of course the diesel would have done better. I was just patient and didn't push it too hard.

If you are pulling a very heavy load every day I'd go diesel. If not, the 6.4 is a good alternative.
 
The Diesel not only gives great performance while staying in the 1700-2400 rpm range, the whole truck was designed to pull a heavy load VS the dodge gas version. Safety first I always say. They may cost more, but the diesel retains far more value used than the gas version. so, you get the money back later. I have been towing with a Ram since 1995, and always came out ahead when it came time to buy a new one. right now I use a 2012 3500, and at my age it will probably be the last one before the old folks home!
 
I was researching the same thing a few months ago as I was considering purchasing a Ram 2500 4x4 crewcab. I just tow occasionally so I figured I would come out money ahead with the 6.4 until about year 15, where the fuel savings of the diesel would overtake the $7 to $9K additional diesel vehicle cost. Diesel here is usually about 10% higher than gas, and you also have the added expense of the DEF fluids on the new diesels. I think I calculated the diesel to get about 5 mpg better overall for these figures.

Also I do a fair amount of in town driving, and I learned these new emissions diesels do not like that, and often need to go into "regeneration mode" where they burn off extra diesel fuel to clean out the particulates and the computer will ask you to maintain a certain speed for 20 minutes or so to complete regen. cycle.

Someone mentioned safety here, I would argue the 3500 Ram has the same frame and brakes, etc whether diesel or gas, so other than the towing slower I am not sure how he interpreted it to be a safety issue, other than perhaps having more people pass you if you were struggling up a grade etc.

Hands down if you tow a lot, the Cummins will do it better with less fuel. I am not sure about the reliability of the new emissions Cummins, but gathered they are more problem prone than the older models, particularly if they are not used to tow.

What did I do - I decided to keep my old suburban and have it repainted - still has a few good years left in it, hopefully.
 
The Cummins will be worth FAR more on resale. Economics and pulling power say Cummins all the way.
 
In comparison, the two trucks are not the same. The 3500 gas has a total towing limit of 12,570 and the diesel is 17,400.(crew cab 4WD)Plus Different brakes and springs and Transmission, as the Cummins weighs in at about 1,350 Lbs alone,VS 500 Lbs(or less) for the 6.4. The biggest difference in safety is the Tow/Haul feature on the Cummins trans with multiple choices of Trailer weights, and the Exhaust brake. neither are available on a gas truck. Up thru 2012 Ram did not require any fuel additive, and I have found no difference in any of the Cummins not liking city use. They do like to be worked, though. and if you don't, the engine mileage will be less on average.
Like a Horse, they like to pull a lot of weight, and they do it very well. I had one Hemi truck in 2003
for a short time, and it was revving and shifting all the time,(easily getting under ten MPG all the time(towing) I traded it back just when there was a shortage of hemi trucks, and got back to a new 2003 Cummins. I travel a lot in the Mountains pulling a trailer, and crossing Raton Pass Colorado with a gas Truck would be no fun.IMO
 
Hahaha.... I have had an 03 with a hemi since 04 and you are not kidding about shifting alot. Its a dog towing and gets around 8 mpg with a 5000 lb trailer....
I keep it because its just an old truck and I ride my dual sport most of the year.
 
That size of truck you are over working the gas engine.

Switch to the diesel and get better fuel mileage and mega torque. My dad's 2500 diesel gets better mileage than my 1500 hemi. Also his truck does not notice a difference whem towing and cruising and gets the same mileage.
 
Diesel all the way, i have a 14 ram 3500 dually and love it, around town here 13.5mpg pulling was up to 16 i think on tow/haul mode, plus we drive this on vacactions and i have gotton on the average 30mpg, no lie, course didnt have much in the bed or towing, and mines set up with the 4.10s as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top