Truck to pull enclosed trailer

I want to get a new truck to pull my 24 foot enclosed trailer. It weighs 8000 lbs with the car and tools in it. I am looking at a Ram 2500 4x4 Power Wagon with the big Hemi, and a Ram 2500 Laramie 4x4 with a Diesel engine. The price is almost the same for the two trucks. What one would you recommend, and why.

Thanks
Raul

Those 2500 hemis get terrible mpgs not even towing and if you had a chance to tow with both, no doubt you'd pick the diesel.

diesel

For myself, I would not buy a 4x4. Even in South Pennsylvania, there isn't enough snow to justify the added PIA to work on and expense. And I don't go to the woods. Maybe you need it for your situation.

I pulled a 24" box with a gas 1/2 ton for one season. Never again. I got a diesel dually and never looked back. Only way to go.

Normally I would say no to the diesel but if the price is almost the same as the gas trucks you're looking at, go with the diesel. Residual value and sale-ability will always be better with the diesel.

Was there some issues with the trans in those trucks?[hemi or diesel]That is why I got a GMC 1500 5.3

If you are limiting your travels to Tucson any of the Hemis will suffice in the 2500 (6.4 definitely better).... but living in AZ and traveling outside it’s borders you’ll appreciate the diesel. 14 and newer have been a phenomenal truck imho. Great mpg, great power, extended oil changes, and two fuel filters which is something that’s been needed since the 03 when the common rail came around.

08-12 6.7 I’d avoid.... especially since you emission test

I have a 2500 4x4 diesel w/ tuner. It pulls GREAT! 70 mph 13mpg.I used to pull w/1500 hemi. I pulled go vegas a number of years ago. It got such poor mileage everytime it saw a gas station the turn signal automatically came on!

What year gas and what year diesel are you looking at ?

Diesel because I have towed with both motors with similar weight, the diesel lives longer and uses a lot less fuel when towing and you get to the races quicker also

Diesel, dually, stick. Pulls great. Dually for extra stability (no sway). Stick for more control of your truck. Especially braking. Also run an exhaust brake. It makes life really really easy. Saves brakes too.

Also, 4x4??? If you plan on pulling in the winter, they are nice. If just pulling in the summer, 2wd is much nicer. Easier on fuel also.

An enclosed trailer is a sail in sidewinds. I like Duallys for their stability. Unless you need the 4WD for winter or off-road use, I'd avoid it unless you're thinking ahead to resale. The torque of the diesel will help climb hills.

I've been towing with a 95 dually stick since it was new. I love the stick. Still going strong. Total weight of my rig is around 19,000lbs. Towing on flat ground it delivers a solid 12+mpg, 11 in heavy hills. The pump is turned up a bit. Other than that it's stock. Will pull 70mph up any hill. That being said occasional towing of a lighter trailer, the gas motor isn't a bad deal. Diesel fuel cost continue to climb so the millage difference isn't as great as it seems.
Doug

Mine was a stick. My next one will be as well.

hi

diesel is best , no prob keeping up on hills , i have a 98 automatic and get app 16.5 pulling an open trailer and car . app 21 empty !

I’d buy a first gen Dodge with a a cummins in it. Best dodge they ever shoved a cummins in. Never mind the fact the new ones are all way more rusty than the first gens, I have a third gen that will need a new cab if I don’t completely replace the rockers before 2019 is over.

Diesel and a Power Wagon are the same price.....? I see that; interesting.

What do you need a Power Wagon for?

You can get a____________ for $9000.00 less, and it's nearly the same thing as a Power Wagon.

I recommend one of these from '03-05 if buying used.

To me it would depend on the overall usage of the truck. I just went thru the same thing about a month and half ago. My 07 2500 5.7 was getting tired so I traded it in on a 17 2500 6.4 hemi. They had a 17 2500 with a cummings on the lot for 2K more (had less options). For how much I use my truck and for what I use it for, I just decided to go with the hemi, even though the cummings will hold its value WAY better. I have a 70 mile round trip to the racetack towing a 24' box trailer in the 7500-800 lb range. Three are 3 decent "hills" as we say here in Maryland that I have on my way. I only have about 600 miles on the truck thus far, but get 9 mpg towing and 14-16ish empty. Not that great, but towing is actually 2 mpg better than my old truck and empty is the same. New truck does have 4.10's which helps and it has alot more get up and go than my old 5.7 with 3.73s.

Deisel crew cab dually. Then again I have had one a daily driver since 2001. Om my third one now and considering selling it and getting another new one this year.

I bought a used 95 2 wheel drive Dodge dually
2 door stick shift diesel just for hauling my
race trailer and my dump trailer.. thats all I
use it for.. I changed it around big time.. was
a marine hauler to pull larger boats.. I put a
sleeper on the back(at the time I use to drag a
26' enclosed trailer and I wanted to put the
sleeper on it).. I changed it to put a bed on it..
now I pull a 43' fifth wheel trailer.. it gets great
mileage when pulling(I did add a fuel chip and a
higher governor.. once on the E-way I get about 16
MPG up to 22MPG... this thing pulls GREAT.. I have
added sheet metal due to rusting(both doors).. the
trailer is a built with a VERY small front(comes
almost to a point.. all the front is a sleeper now

I bought a used 2006 3/4 ton diesel quad cab in 2010. I love it but honestly I’m glad I don’t have to drive it everyday. I love jumping in my moms old 2003 Chevy Malibu for every day stuff. I personally will never own a dually (land yaute). They may be the best at doing what they do but way to big for me.

This 2 wheel drive dually is the nicest driving
truck I've ever driven.. love the ride of it...
with or without the trailer but it is a little
better ride with the weight of the trailer on it

Trust me I said they are big, to big for my driving. I live outside a one redlight town. Everywhere I go I have to go through this town. Lots of old timers want their side and half of yours. Come deer season it’s even worse. Very narrow streets and the telephone poles are right on the curbs

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here are some answers to the good questions you have asked. Both of the trucks I am looking at are 2018's.
I do a lot of traveling. I race at Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Fontana, Pamona, Sonoma,Salt Lake City(the track closes at the end of this year) and Oklahoma this year. I don't need a 4x4, but I can't find a 2 wheel drive that is equipped the way I want it. For the past year I have towed with my 2016 Ram 1500 regular cab with the 5.7 hemi. It does fine on flat roads, but the Grape Vine and the freeway to Salt Lake are a bit of a challenge. If I keep it at 60 mph I can get 11 mpg. Any faster and I get 9 mpg. I will use the new truck as a daily driver like my current Ram and a dualy is too big for me.

Raul

For only an 8k enclosed trailer I wouldn't bother with a dually either. Put some type of sway control or load leveling hitch on the trailer, get the tongue weight correct, and it will tow great. If you go much past 10k with trailer weight I'd more seriously consider a dually.

Because you're going through lots of altitude areas I'd also vote diesel.

I pull a 24' enclosed with my 07 2500, 5.9 with a tuner. It's a 4x4. I too looked for a 2WD and couldn't find one so settled for the 4WD. Use to make the run from the NW to SoCal. Pulling the trailer with a 71RR, tools, spare tire etc. I averaged around 13-14.5 MPG. Liv in Mesa now and pulling up to Vegas, SoCal and to the NW the average still is at 13-14.5 average. Mileage on the truck as of yesterday is 252K.

2006 diesel is, and would be my choice

Diesel would be my choice. I have a 18' open goose neck trailer that I haul my Dart on. For several years I pulled it with a 2000 Powerstroke, now I pull it with a 2014 1500. I can tell you there is a difference, the worst mileage the diesel ever got towing was 13.6. If I were to ever buy an enclosed trailer I'd buy another diesel, probably a 3/4 ton.

I take it my "What do you need a Power Wagon for?" was a bad question?

Deleted the "save $9000.00" part for you. Learn the hard way.

I would go with a Cummins. I can't do without the 4x4, but if you don't need one, the best truck I've ever towed with was a '96 3/4 ton 2wd with 5-speed and 3.55 gear. That thing was awesome.

Diesel, no question.

A 2wd is fine if you plan on keeping it and don't mind getting stuck on wet grass. Being 2wd really hurts resale on a diesel. At least around here it does. You have trouble giving away a 2wd diesel, let alone a 2wd dually.

Agreed. My old 99 3/4 ton got stuck in wet grass if I didn't have the 4x4 on. Around here too, nobody wants the 2wd's even if they only use the 4x4 once or twice per year they need to have it. I wouldn't want to be the guy trying to unload a 2wd that I had good money sunk into.

I got stuck on wet grass with my 2wd.. nice high
way tires.. I ended up buying a more aggressive
tire just for the rears.. havent had a problem
since then

Great! I'll be looking for a deal on a real nice, pampered, low mileage, stick shift, 2WD diesel dually later this year. An older one would be just fine. If I'm the only one looking, I won't have to fight anyone over it.

I've had a diesel truck since late 98, when I ordered my red one. It's been a good truck, but in the future I want to upgrade to a living 1/4's trailer, 44' or bigger. So I just picked up a '05 Dually out of Texas. Truck is spotless, and it was well worth the cost of an airline ticket to pick it up and drive home.

Well, after reading your posts I have decided on a 4x4 with a diesel. You mentioned some things I had not thought of, like resale value and parking on the grass.

Thanks to all of you that gave me your ideas.

Raul

Yup. You just get to deal with angry sellers who get upset when you offer them 2wd prices on 2wd trucks they think are worth the same as a 4x4!

I had a 2wd 2008 Diesel, Dually for 8 years , not once did I get stuck anywhere.

matter of fact, ice storm hit north Texas for multiple days, could not get out of driveway with my 2006 charger

so, drove the diesel back and forth to work for 3 days until it melted

I owned my last 4x4 in 2000

my cars here are AWD however

I am still using my ole reliable 96' 2500 V10 4x4 Ram. No,it does not get the better mileage of a diesel but this truck owes me nothing after 21 years of ownership. It has pulled mine and my buddies cars to and from many different states with my 28' enclosed trailer with no issues.

I like my new one, pulls 24 foot trailer loaded down with everything I can for, maybe 10k total.
2500 diesel.

I tow with an old 93 2wd dually. Its an automatic. Has pulled a 24 and a 26 foot enclosed with no problem. Birdtracker

You will absolutely LOVE the drivability of the new diesel! You’ll also be happy to hear that they are much “happier” doing daily driver duties than their pre DEF years. Do your homework, there are gear ratios from 3.42, 3.73, 4.10. Picture this: coming up on the Cajon Pass with the cruise set at 55 and I just sat back and let the truck do the work.... all the way down that gawd awful grade. I was impressed. This was my friends 15 2500 4x4. It was a pleasure to tow with over my modded 01 for sure!

I learned to love my 1998 1/2 24 valve extended cab short bed two wheel drive automatic with 3:54 rear gear Ram 2500 in the summer of 2001 or so when towing my 24 Ft Pace Shadow weighing right at 8600 Lbs. going up the Baker grade on I15 going to race at Las Vegas in August in the early afternoon with 117 F outside air temps, I kicked it out of O.D. at the bottom of the grade, had the cruise set at 70 MPH and the air conditioning on high cool. I blew past a similar year Dodge 2whd V10 3/4 ton pulling the twin trailer to mine about a mile up the road from the bottom of the grade, that grade is 18 miles straight uphill from the bottom at 800 Ft to the top about 18 mile later at 4400 Ft. with one small dip about 15 miles up it. I could not see the V10 in my mirror at the dip It went over the top of the grade at 70 MPH and the coolant temp had risen to around 220 from the normal 190 cruising temps. in the summer down there
I moved to Oregon in the summer of 2005 and bought my 2006 ram 3500 4 whd due to getting stuck in the snow multiple times here in the winter of 2005/2006
9SecondPhil bought my old truck and put over 500,000 miles on it towing trailers all over our country before he was killed on that dang Harley in Florida RIP my friend

We have a '95 2wd diesel dually with a sure-grip rear. Only ever had it stuck in the snow...with a trailer on it. I keep winter tires on it. I don't drive it that much.

Bought an '04 dually 4x4 diesel a few years back. Love it. 3.73 gears. Pulls great. I don't care how big the trailer is behind it, it gets 11 - 12 mpg at 70 mph.

I was mainly talking about the exhaust braking and shift strategy Cab..... these newer trucks have amazing control compared to older ones. No way I’d crest the drop at Cajon at 55-60 in my 01. Downhill speed management requires some attention in my pickup. New ones are practically “set it, and forget it”.

My 2006 3500 has the tow control option, I like it a lot
I'll never go back to gas for towing