I am in the process of ordering a 2021 Ram 2500 6.4 litre, automatic, crew cab, 4x4. Trying to decide 3.73 gears or 4.10 gears? How do they tow?

I have been towing a 26' Haulmark trailer with my Dartsport, since 2004 . In 2004 and 2005, I towed with a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4, with 5.2 litre. Struggled, but got the job done. Trailer loaded weighs 9750 pounds. I have been towing since 2006, with a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Slt, diesel, automatic. The Diesel is the 1st new vehicle I ever bought. Tows great. Bought a 2008 Class A motorhome with a V10 Ford, in november of 2017. That tows the trailer great also.

The 2006 Diesel only has 52,750 miles, always garage kept. Very good shape, No rust. Never any problems. Thinking about selling and getting a 2021 Ram 2500 hemi. I know the newer hemi will get better gas mileage. Just wondering how it tows. Won't be towing with it much. If I am going to the races, it will be with the motorhome.

Which gear ratio should I get?? 3.73 or 4.10 ?? Thanks for any info, or opinions.

My engine builders brother got one with the 8speed trans and is getting 2mpg less.

I just ordered one last week. Looked around a little for feedback on the 4.10 v 3.73 but didn’t find much.
I live in the flatlands and will mostly tow in areas I’m not climbing a lot of hills so I don’t think I’ll have any issues with the 3.73.
BTW they told me 10-12 weeks for it to arrive, which would mean around Memorial Day. With all the supply line issues going in these days, I figure on not counting on it being here by then, and it may end up coming more like July. Ordered vehicles do get priority on the schedule, and automakers are shifting items in short supply like semiconductors to their high margin products like trucks, so maybe I’ll get lucky and it will be here when estimated. But keep that in mind if you need your new truck by a certain time!

I have a 2015 RAM 1500 5.7 hemi with the 8-speed auto and 3.21 gears.
It tows the load great. That 8-speed makes all the difference. It has a very low 1st gear, and so many choices in "overdrive" gears there is one for every load.
When empty (no trailer), it goes 70 mph around 1600 rpm and gets great gas mileage. When towing my 24ft enclosed trailer loaded to 8,000 lbs it works great.
On the highway it stays in 6th gear so there is enough RPM (~2,200) to have the right power.
I have towed 9,500 lbs a few times and in the flat east it does just fine.

So, based on that; get the 8-speed with 3.73 gears and you will be happy with both towing and driving without a trailer.

Now if you must tow 13,000 lbs, or mountainous areas; that might be another story.
I do find it odd you want to get rid of your diesel; unless you don't plan to tow with the pickup truck much anymore.

How would your set-up brake in a panic stop ?

each to their own, but if I had a 2006 dodge diesel, with only 52,000 miles, paid for, sitting in the garage, that does not need DEF, you could not pry it away from me for any amount of money. That truck is the best pulling diesel, with the least emissions, ever built in my opinion. As far as the 2021 truck, it will pull your trailer, not nearly as good as the diesel, and it will use a lot more fuel doing it. My old 1999 dodge diesel, had 4.11 gears when I bought it, and I put in 3.55's 60 miles an hour is 1,500 rpm, the old engine will pull a house so it just lumbers down the road a little off idle, and that is an 18,000 lb trailer loaded. . You gas truck will most likely need at least 3.73's The worst thing about all the gas trucks I have rode in pulling a trailer is that it seems to work the transmission a lot, they are always shifting gears.

I have a 2014 Ram 2500 with 6.4 Hemi that I bought new.I mostly tow with our diesel pusher motor home but to our local track I use the pickup. My trailer loaded weights around 9800 lbs.
I always use the "tow haul" button and the motor/trans does not go into complete lock up plus the motor stays at a higher rpm at highway speed aprox 65 mph rpm at around 2400rpm
My truck has 3.73 gears . It will downshift if when going up hills but has plenty of power. Fuel mileage is around 8 to 9 mpg. My son just bought a 2018 Ram 2500 with 6.4 Hemi but with 4.10 gears.
His trailer weight around 11000 lbs but he just got it so we have no info yet. I know the towing capacity is around 1800 lbs more with the lower gears but I believe you would have to be pulling around 14000 lbs to have the benefit of the 4.10 gears. The truck he found just happen to have the 4.10 gears. Saying all of that I agree with JWB123 that for towing you can't beat a truck like your diesel.

I haven't towed with one but I have heard they do very well. If I were a hobby racer that didn't pull through the mountains I would go gas motor. The diesel stuff has gotten so expensive for out of warranty repairs I just couldn't risk it on my dime. Say at 200,000 miles you kick the rods out of a 6.4(unlikely). Then say at 200,000 miles your common rail diesel needs injectors(likely). I bet the long block for the 6.4 cost less than the injector job in the diesel.

You do have a good truck sitting there with your 06, but everyone gets the itch for a new truck! You should be able to sell it at a premium cost.

I am considering a 6.4 2500 also. The $11,000 price difference buys a LOT of gas!

I had a 2006 2500 Cummins with a 6 speed and 3.73s. I hauled everything with that truck, including excavation equipment. When I sold my drag car, I sold the truck. A few years back, I started camping and bought a large camper. I now have a 2015 Chevy HD gasser with 4.10 gears. One of my best friends has a 2020 Ram 2500 with a 6.4 and 4.10s. Neither of those gassers will pull anywhere near as well as the '06 did. Pulling a lightweight hauler with a UTV in it, his 6.4 gets about 10mpg and isn't a fan of hills. My diesel with the drag car behind it got high teens.
I've said for years, I should have kept my '06 Cummins. Just saying.....

2020 3500 gas hemi truck for me.
Too many issues with the diesel trucks. DEF emissions, Not sensors, always a problem.

Better than your junk....

And the rear gear ratio question of the original poster does not affect braking.

I just placed on order Friday for a new Ram Classic 1500 6.4 bed ( similar to 440Jims only mines 4WD ) to replace my 08 H.Q.C. I Really don't need a crew or quad cab anymore and have always liked the regular cab / short beds as I have had two others. I was under the impression they stopped making reg cab. / short beds , according to the salesman they did stop but due to popular demand they started making them again but only in the Classic series. It will be here in 8-12 weeks but maybe sooner. I looked at the 2500s I liked them but its kind of over kill and a lot more money for what I need. They had the one in the picture it had pretty much everything I need , tow pkg, Hemi, sure grip, etc. except it only had 3.21 gears. I have found in my old Durango and other trucks I have had that 3.92 gears worked best for towing so that's what I ordered. I drove the one in the picture and was really impressed by how it ran and how much more room the interior had compared to my 92 I ordered the same color also it had an electronics package that I don't even know what half the stuff is so I ordered a simpler version. There are so many options and packages to choose from for instance I would have liked the 20 inch chrome wheels but you have to order a package that includes fog lights and dual exhaust and the cost would have been another $3500 nice but the regular chrome pkg. ( bumpers and 17 inch aluminum wheels , regular single exhaust ) will be fine for me. I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't have rear exiting exhaust while towing an enclosed trailer , I don't know if that's true. The Ram tow package is nice it includes towing ( extended ) mirrors with lights , hitch and the trailer brake controller comes already installed , I am pretty sure I will have to add air bags as it seems the 1500s sag if not installed and the factory air bag setup isn't available on the 1500 Classic. My 08 H.Q.C. 5.7 towed great and got 10.5 mpg towing after I added a CAI and cat back system it would buzz right along at 70 plus no problem even here where there's a few hills to get to my local track. It only has 58,000 miles but is showing its age I hardly use it yet its developing the rust bubbles over the rear wheels even after I tried to seal the inner panels they gave a good price on it on trade but I might sell it on my own to see if I can get over what they offered. I am sure it is especially with only 58,000 miles. anybody interested send me a p.m.

I had a 2007 quad cab 5.7 hemi 2500 with 3.73s (I think) that I used for a good many years. I towed a 24' box trailer with my car (3000 lbs, 4 wheeler, and tools). It got the job done, but you had to work it. I have 3 inclines on my way to the track, by most standards they are just small bumps, but they let you know how well your tow rigged does on a hill. I got 8 mpg towing with that truck and 14 mpg everyday driving. My dad has a 2005 single cab 5.7 with 4.10s and he gets 10 mpg doesn't matter if he's towing or everyday driving. My 07 was my daily driver, but than I bought a beater for everyday driving so I bought a 2017 6.4 Hemi with 4.10s (Still has the 6 speed trans) for towing and such. I went with the 4.10s since I wanted more power when towing and from research I did it seemed the 4.10's got MAYBE 1-2 mpg worse than the 3.73s. With the 2017 truck I get 10mpg towing and 14-15 mpg everyday driving. It has WAY more power and tows so much better than my 07. I bought the truck in March 2018 and only have 11,000 miles on it so I haven't really broken it in yet. I wouldn't hestiate getting the 4.10s esp since they have I think an 8 speed trans now, that should help with gas mileage.

3.73's

I have 4.10's in a gas and when it goes into direct (1:1) while towing, the rpm is too high. I know if I had the 3.55's the truck would settle to 2700 rpm at 60mph which is more tolerable than 3300 rpm. This is based on towing at almost 14,000 pound combined weight (26 foot holiday trailer, QuadCab 1500 Ram). My normal towing scenario is an open car hauler and that combined weight is 10,500 pounds and the truck easily tows in overdrive (360 Magnum). With 3.55's I would be able to use 3rd gear on the hills more to maintain speed without screaming the piss out of it.

You're getting the 8 speed LCV transmission which is a big advantage and it can work it's way around the 3.73's. Also, the 6.4 has almost 100 lb/ft on my 360 so that engine will just play with 3.73's. You will thank yourself when empty with the 3.73's which is about 90% of the time in a pickup truck.

You have answered your own question with the V10 in your Class A: I have the same setup and am impressed with the Ford V10 (about 19,500 pounds).

Your diesel is worth a lot of money. If you are getting rid of it because of the PIA they are to own, I get it. I would never go back to diesel. The big bills are coming on your Cummins (injection pump, injectors, lift pump), so now is a good time to get rid of it.

I have a question I didn't notice when ordering: my 08 has a button on the shift lever for tow mode / OD off for towing . Does the new 8 speed with a shifter knob on the dash have the same capability?

The 6.4 with the 8sped is really good. I have a buddy who tows a big sleeper/horse-trailer with the 6.4/8spd and loves it.

I have the 6.4 with the old 6spd in a '17 Power Wagon and towed a 32' Haulmark to Tampa and back with Duster in it. It was alright, but the 8spd would have been much nicer to have.

Well my junk is the same truck as your junk,, except I have better ratio, 3.55. It pulls great, but fully loaded, it will drive right thru someone in a hard stop. I was asking to see how your braking works since you decided to get off topic

My 2006 and trailer weighs around 17,800. Gets around 8 to 10 while towing. Usually get around 14 to 16.5 empty. Got 19 a few times , when I was driving it, trying to get good mileage. Pulls and stops great. I just think I should get something New, while I can still get good money for it. Just listed it on Marketplace earlier today.

My 2008 Hurricane 33' class A motorhome. With a Ford F43 Chassis, V10. 17,800 miles. Pulls great stops good. Fuel mileage is 5.4 to 6.1 towing trailer. Weighs 26,000 lbs. with trailer. Gets 6.2 to 7.1 without trailer.

I would like to order 2021 Ram 2500. I was at dealer on saturday and priced 1 out with what I want. I think I will stay with 3.73 gears. Local track is only 12 miles from home. Any farther , and I will take motorhome.

Yes, the button is on the dash.

I've had 2 1500 5.7 trucks. I just tow and open trailer, but I have never needed to use TOW mode.

Thanks Slantzilla! 👍

Is this even a legal setup? I question people who pull boxes with full size 1500s let alone a short bed 2wd. Not about getting it moving its about getting it stopped. To each his own but if I see you going down the highway I'm pulling over and letting you pass, no way I'd want to be near that.

Buddy of mine has a 2020 with a 6.4 and says it has plenty of grunt. Id think 4:10s aren't needed with the new transmissions. However, I'd keep the 06 above all.

Yes ... only mine is a small 20 ft trailer with a 3,000 lb car no stopping problem especially with the brake controller set properly . A friend has a similar truck only a GMC with a 24 ft trailer and a 4,000 lb car with no problems.
. I towed my trailer with an 00 Durango , a 92 D 150 reg cab/ short bed 2WD and my 08 H.Q.C 1500 and never had a problem stopping . I considered a 2500 6.4 8 ft bed but couldn’t get over the looks plus empty ride isn’t great and a quad or crew cab is just too big and expensive for me especially since I need 4WD . I do see your point though. I just looked up the specs on my trailer and new truck , my trailer empty is 3245 with my 3,000 lb. Dart that's 6245 even with my scooter, generator, tools etc it will below the 9,000 lb advertised towing capacity of the truck.

By the way, that Hurricane is a nice machine: I looked at one before I got the Gulf Stream Link to RV photo.

My actual truck, with the factory equipment, empty weight, etc. is rated 8,700 lbs trailer. The published charts are for an average sales optioned truck (8,630 in 2015). Most 1500's have so much dead weight (quad/crew cab, 4x4, "big horn equip") etc. they can't pull as much trailer. Some only 7,000 lbs since they hit the truck "payload" weight limit before the trailer limit.
My empty truck (see shipping weight) is very light. Leaves more for payload, etc.
The optional equipment, driver+passengers, fuel, trailer tongue weight, hitch wt., etc have to be accounted for.

So my typical 7500-8000 lb trailer with only me and fuel is below all my truck's ratings. My cooler, etc are all in the trailer.
That 9,500 lb example is too heavy. IMO, it is really a handling issue; not a pulling or stopping issue. The brakes on a 2500 are not much better, but the chassis is better.

The key to stopping a trailer is having good brakes on it. I pull my Dart on a 18' gooseneck trailer with a 14 Ram Crew cab 4wd with 3.21 gears. The trailer has 5200# axles with brakes on both and have hauled my 7000# tractor and had no issues stopping. Just have to adjust the gain on the brake controller. Why anyone would buy a 24' or bigger enclosed trailer without 5200 or 6000# axles is beyond me.


A buddy of mine just bought a new 2500 with a 6.4 and 3.73 gears but hasn't towed with it yet. He's replacing a 98 CTD 2500.

How much you asking for 06 got a friend looking for one

It has tow mode, I think the button is in the center area below the screen and heater/volume knobs, in the row of switches where the brake controller controls are. Ask me again in 10-12 weeks and I’ll let you know for sure!

Thanks I was wondering where the brake controller was also.

The trailer brake setup will come up in the speedometer screen, and you can scroll through the menu to get to it.

My 2020 also extends the blind spot alarms for the added length of the trailer.

we've got a 2019 2500 6.4 with the 6spd auto. It's a fine truck, rides a lot better than the 1996 cummins it replaced. The gas engine is fine.....but I do miss the torque!

$32,000 with plow. $30,000 with out plow.

I am not sure if link will work. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/830180060898212

Eliminate Flippers: Take all the serious inquiries you have and set them all for viewing on the same day. Line 'em up and have a bidding war.

Should get at least $35,000.00 for it being rust-free and low miles.

Thanks I will pass it on to them.
Will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the 6.4 when you get it

I have a 2019 with the 6.4 and 3.73 gears. I have been doing a bit of hauling for folks, and I really like the truck. I hauled a 2004 extended cab short bed 2wd from Michigan to PA last weekend, then took it to South Carolina to pick up another car. With the truck on my 1800 pound trailer, it used some gas on the hills in PA. But it never slowed down. I averaged 11.6 for the trip and in the hills the worst tank I got was 9.54 mpg. I love the truck, and for what I do, I don't think a diesel would be cost effective.

Do you have the 6-speed or 8-speed automatic transmission?
The transmission ratios are significantly different. And ofcourse the 8-speed has closer spacing for just the right RPM at MPH.

66RFE: 3.231, 1.837, 1.41, 1.00, 0.816, 0.625, ------, ----- Rev 4.44 (RAM 1500 65RFE 0.67 top gear)
8HP75: 4.710, 3.140, 2.10, 1.67, 1.290, 1.000, 0.84, 0.67 -Rev 3.06 (4WD)

The 8 speed is standard with gas 2019- present.

The 6-speed is optional.
Recall with 6-speed ... 2019-up 6-speed recall

Interesting reading..... I’ve noted at work over the past 3 years the snowbird crowd has been going to the 6.4. In talking with customers it’s the usual.... mpg sucks, don’t get in hurry, but overall most are satisfied with their purchase. No def, no fuel filters every 15k, huge savings at purchase. I think technology/pricing is finally catching up to the diesel market. I’ve thought the 6.4 might be a viable option if I were to ever “upgrade” my pickup..... but more than likely we’ll try ride the ole 01 to the end. We’re currently 18700lb combined and I live at 500ft and have to climb 3500 to get out of town so the terrain is not friendly by any means. Funny how I’m seeing fewer and fewer 2nd gens at the track... I’m almost at that “antique” cool stage!

Geez you're right, I didn't even notice the 6 speed automatic was a no cost option when I was "building my ram" on their site. Why would anyone want the 6 speed over the 8 speed? I've seen a number of videos with guys critiquing the 2019 diesel Rams and they all seemed to complain that only a 6 speed was available, however playing around on the Build your Ram site, I see the 6 speed is standard and it shows the 8 speed as a no cost option when speccing out a diesel.

It has been good reading! .. to the point that I was considering canceling my 1500 short bed/ regular cab order and getting a 2500 6.4 instead. I just feel the 8 ft bed regular cab looks like a "work truck " and I really dont need a quad or crew cab. My enclosed trailer is only 20 feet even if I upgrade in the future it will be another 20 foot. If I had a bigger heavier trailer I would get a bigger truck , even with my trailer loaded it will be around 1,000 lbs under the 9,000 lb limit of my new truck. I just really like the looks of a short bed / regular cab!!! So I am staying with it. I can't wait to take delivery and see how it tows I think with the 3.92s and the 8 speed its going to be great! I am very happy they are making a short bed / regular cabs again otherwise I probably wouldn't be upgrading but how cool would a 2500 6.4 short bed / regular cab be!!!

Good to see you made your own choice, after reading the pros/cons.

Reminder:
1) Any trailer over 5,000 lbs needs a weight distribution hitch.
2) The RAM 1500 regular cab and short bed has soft rear springs. They ride nice, but putting air bags in the rear springs is a benefit when towing. Some people who tow a lot with that truck change rear springs and live with the slightly stiffer ride without a trailer. I have AirLift 1000 bags, and that is all you need, IMO.
Link

Thanks Jim, I have a had a weight distributing hitch with bars for years as well as air bags, already have them picked out for the new truck.

Right now my tow rig is a 2011 1500 with a 6.4 SRT8 Short block including cam and such and 3.55 gears, vararam ram air intake, 20" wheels and i tow my 7000lb trailer that is frequently overloaded and it is a beast power wise even with "just a 5 speed auto". It easily will get into way more trouble than the 1500 4 door 4x4 truck can handle if your not careful. No you don't need to rev the motor hard and MPG is great when empty (20 MPG is not hard to achive)and bad (12 MPG is normal) when loaded. It has a higher tow rating than my friends 99 cummins truck and pulls a load easier power wise. I am currently watching copart to find a 2010 up 2500 with a bad 5.7 or 6.4 to stick my spare motor in and sell the 1/2 ton but only because it is a 1/2 ton and I am needing to haul a bigger trailer not because any lack of power.

I would not get the 4.10 gears but that's just me.

I'm sure this gets said in every towing thread, but having towed with 1/2 ton regular cabs, 1/2 ton van, 3/4 tons, 1 ton crew duallies, the more truck you have, the more confidence you feel. A 20' enclosed with a car in it towed with a 1/2 ton short bed would be pucker inducing for me, having the experience of how much better a bigger truck does. Not that it can't be done, just depends on how comfortable you want to be when going down the road.

It's got the ZF 8-speed.

Idk abour mileage sucking, really. It does better than my '01 1500 Off Road edition did at any time. 12 mpg all the time. Unless it was towing. Then 8-9. Does better than my. '06 1/2 ton did, or at least similar until there was a trailer behind it. I guess it sucks, but not as bad. Lol.

Don't get in a hurry? I don't get that. Climbing hills in PA and the Carolinas it would accelerate with no trouble on any of the grades. Maybe with more payload it wouldn't, though. The most I've towed was a full size 2wd Ram extended cab, so maybe 6500 pounds with the trailer? I don't know this for a fact, but I've heard the mileage on the new Cummins isn't impressive at all unless you spend the $1500+ to do all the deletes. I couldn't see how the extra $12000 in price along with $1500 in deletes would get absorbed in the fuel savings in the life of the truck as long as I own it. I know, I know. Resale. Anyway, I'm rambling. Carry on.

Snow-birds don’t tow with 1500s.... 2500/3500 and anything in the era of your 01 “off road” (same weak suck as my 95 1500 I had... you at least had the 4.10 gears) would have been a Cummins or a V10. The ones I’ve talked with have come from the Cummins. Now I can’t say for sure which ones... the 8-12 era required deletes in my eyes. The 13 was the intro into the DEF era and to be perfectly honest I’d love to have a 13-15 truck. We haven’t had a huge prob with the def system and the reduced use of the egr valve on those trucks have extended the oil life + great mpg. It’s just the prices of these things even used is shocking!

Figured I would throw my 2 cents in here. I have an 18 power wagon and use it to tow my camper (probably around 11k). A typical trip is from 1100 ft about sea level to 7000 in an hour and a half. I camp year round so temps vary but the hemi has never got hot. Neither had the 6 speed (I know you would have the 8 speed). I would consider this to be somewhat extreme since I go pretty much straight up the mountains and the grades are all over the place. It gets about 9 mpg but I am on 33s with 410s. I would not hesitate to grab a gasser with 3.73s. I have an 06 cummins mega and my 18 is way more comfy and I am not staring at my pyro all the time.

I sold my 06 Cummins last year and picked up this 19. Similar to some of the posts above: My 06 had 120k on it and holding its value. Ram offered 0% on the remaining 2019s last year. Sold the 06 on CL in a matter of minutes.

IMG_5191 by Greg Ault, on Flickr

The pre DEF/emissions diesels are very sought after right now. Not surprising at all that yall's mid 2000's Cummins trucks w/ low miles sell like hot cakes and still bring good money. I couldn't find one I was happy w/ when I was looking a couple years ago. Forget a mega cab...those things must be gold plated, lol.
I ended up buying a 2006 Duramax and have had more people ask if it was for sale than I ever expected. Even the '01 Cummins I had before sold in less than 24 hours on Craigslist for $1k less than I paid for it 7 years earlier.

If all I had was an open car trailer, I'd just have a gas truck to pull it with. An enclosed trailer is a whole different ballgame...I much prefer the power of a diesel for that.

I am going to order new truck saturday, staying with 3.73 gears. Will sell 2006 Diesel myself.

I hear ya! the dealer offered me a good price on trade on my 08 H.Q.C. but I think I can sell it for more especially with only 58,000 miles , pm me if anybody is interested .

Looks like you should be giving a review of how that 6.4 works compared to your old truck.



I guess if this is turning into a "truck for sale" thread, might as well list mine:

11,000 miles, bone stock, 25 grand.

Looks like he’s got a 6.7L ISB, not a 6.4L. I spy with my little eye a Cummins badge on the fender.

Sorry .. I just wanted to see if there was any interest that’s why I didn’t put a price but why not... $15,000 or B.O. ...I am going to post it in the classifieds soon .. nice truck you have there .. love the reg cab / short beds ! Can’t wait for my new one to come it will be my third but first with 4WD . I still have my 92 I bought new

Good eye, MasterShake340, thanks!

On a related note, if you take the picture far enough away those new Dodges don't look too bad.

Even though I was working to keep the tab down on my new truck order, I opted to get the “Sport” package for its color keyed grille and bumpers. The Ram along with the current GM and Ford pickups grilles are huge are too obtrusive to me when chrome. Make it color keyed, and it tones down the front end then it look great to me.
Funny quirk in ordering; there is a no cost decal delete option which I wanted, to get rid of the “Sport” decals on the quarters, I tried to check that box but it wouldn’t allow it. Only works with some other feature combination ordered. What the heck?
Oh well a little time with a heat gun and I can delete the Sport decals myself...

You are right mastershake! some of the options and packages are strange. I ordered mine a week ago.. I built it on the Ram website for reference... the color I wanted said available on my configuration : Timberland Green when I went to the dealer to place the order they said it wasn't available and they checked it to confirm: not available on a Hemi regular cab/ short bed only a 6 cylinder or 8 ft bed. I ordered a middle of the line chrome package that comes with 17 inch aluminum wheels that look nice .. I wanted to upgrade to the 20 inch chrome clad ones and only way to get them was to upgrade the chrome package to another for $2895 plus another $1595 for the wheels! the fog lights and dual exhaust in the package would have been nice but for that price I can do with out. I did get a bed liner which I expected to be a lot more but was only $300. I also like that it comes with the trailer brake controller built in one last thing I have to install myself. The air suspension isn't available on my configuration either but at a $1700 option on other models I can install my own for $300.

Did you opt for the Tradesman or Big Horn? I am getting a Big Horn and tried to keep the frills down. The air suspension was attractive but I decided to pass on it, I've heard that option can be unreliable. There is a trailer tech package that sounded great but I couldn't justify the 2500 or 2700 or whatever it was that it costs. Mostly I ordered the things I figured are must haves like the anti lock rear, rear wheel house liners, and the a spray on bed liner package that includes a step and LED lighting. The two extravagances I did go for are the Sport package for the good look, and the Ram box, so I can have a secure locked storage place for firearms and tools and such. If I ever decided I wanted to add a cap, I guess I'm out of luck, but having those secure storage boxes seems very useful!

Classic Tradesman .. not as many options available on the Classic series but got what I needed and wanted: Hemi, 8 speed trans, anti-spin with 3.92s, trailer tow pkg with controller, hitch, and nice towing mirrors with lights, simple electronic pkg no apple and google play etc., did get a CD player. sliding rear window, I almost got the factory tonneau cover but the one on my 08 was just custom made a year ago after the Extang one ripped so I am putting it on the new truck. I almost didn't get power locks and windows until my wife told me I was nuts! so I got the power locks, windows, remote keyless entry pkg. ,carpeting with cloth seats. I test drove one of the few trucks like I wanted on the lots around here and was really impressed by the power , handling and mainly the room inside. In my 92 regular cab the seat is all the way back against the rear of the cab in the new one with the seat all the way back there is still a foot or so of room behind the seat I really like the roominess! It will mainly just be used for towing my race car its not my daily driver so it should last me a long time. One week down 7 more or so to go!

SOLD my 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel today. Without the plow.

I can't for the life of me finger out why EGR is not picked up after the emissions system so it don't have all the soot in it and a longer pipe would automatically cool it and eliminate the need for coolant to cool it further eliminating potential leaks of coolant...

The 6 speed is a very good trans, much cheaper to replace later if needed and here is the real kicker for me, the 6 speed shifts too many times already and the 8 speed shifts even more and for what gain? I have driven some and man that thing just can't make up it's mind! We do all this work to build an engine with a broader power band then stick a trans in that is trying to keep it in a much narrower power band... It ain't knocking a second off your 1/4 mile time, it ain't giving you 2 mpg, I doubt you even get 1 mpg more.

An update on my 21 Ram Classic order: I ordered a Ram Classic regular cab/ short bed back on Feb.25 and still haven't received it .. A Ram customer service rep called me then other day to inform me that my truck had just been put on a ship in Mexico and was scheduled to arrive in the port at Baltimore in about a month then be trucked to the dealer a few weeks after that. I have since canceled the order and purchased a new 21 1500 Big Horn quad cab, Hemi ,4x4. I asked the dealer if they had anything and they told me the truck I purchased had just came in. I trust drove it and loved it ! I was questioning myself if a regular cab would have been sufficient especially for traveling to out of state races. This truck has everything I need 3.92 sure grip rear, trailer tow pkg. with built in brake controller etc. granted there are some things I dont need like the cargo mgmt. system and rear seat a/c etc. but the truck is super nice. It was a lot more $ than the one I had on order but now I have a new truck and my old 08 H.Q.C. that was starting to give me problems is gone. I installed rear air bags for towing yesterday and I am anxious to see how it tows I am assuming its gonna be great!

I’m surprised your order got delayed so long. I ordered my 2500 in late February and from what they told me expected to have it in early to mid May. It actually came in mid April, about 8 weeks instead of the 10-12 I’d been told it would take.
Glad you got a truck, and that it’s working out for you!

My new truck arrived May 8th. 2021 Ram 2500, 6.4 litre , automatic with 3.73 gears.

I have towed with it to the track, with same trailer, race car and extras, same weight. Around 16,800 pounds. It actually pulls at a faster speed going up 3 big hills on the way to the track. Diesel used to pull hills, dropping down to 50 mph . New truck pulls the same hills, dropping down to 57 mph, with me leaving off the gas and holding it steady. If I hold it floored it will keep picking up speed. Pulls out just as good as the Diesel did. Fuel mileage is about the same, 9 to 10 mpg towing with both. I am very happy with it. I have a little over 800 miles on it so far..

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I like the color!!! I gave up on my 1500 Classic standard cab/ 6.4 bed and canceled the order after delay after delay and bought a 1500 quad cab / 5.7 Hemi / Big Horn last week, 3.92 sure grip rear, trailer tow pkg with built in brake controller etc. I towed to Beaver Springs last Sunday and it was awesome!!! So smooth and plenty of power on big hills !!! I love it, I kind of took it easy being brand new with only a few hundred miles on it I probably could have pulled the big hills even faster if I tried