Duramax or Cummings Diesel?

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

I find my 2015 Ram almost 1/2t like when driving solo.
I like the way the Ram handled better than the GM 2500.
The only issue is why do they make these trucks so high? A couple of inches off the springs would be nice. My first accessory was side step bars. If you have bad knees a 3/4t truck is not for you.

Kelvin

It's a direct result of additional capacity and larger frame rails. Adding the HD springs to the rear of my 1/2 forced the bed up 2 inches when not under load.

[cando]

We are starting to look for a new tow vehicle for our 25' Airstream that we haul a lot. We are considering a diesel but we have questions. This vehicle will be our only vehicle but we live ruarl so parking and driving in heavy traffic aren't big concerns. We don't have a good history with GM trucks (three breakdowns of the last gassers Allison transmission were only a small part of the problems). The last one was a 2002 and I'm hopeful they have improved a lot. We know we'll be looking at a 2500, larger than our current Toyota Tundra, but by apperance the GMC looks like it would be more manageable everyday than the Dodge or Ford. The Tundras have been excellent with zero problems on the 07 that we traded at 121, 000 miles for a new 12 that now has 70, 000 trouble free miles. The reason we're looking for a diesel is the added tourque for my wife to use the cruise control and for easier driving in the mountains--including better hold back going down the mountains (where the Toyota has next to none). I know these are lots of questions, but we have Airstreaming for over 10 years, but $55 to $65, 000 dollars is a lot of money to spend on a truck and I want to hear from people who use them and know the good and bad to help us make a decision. Thanks

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Alumaholic

I have had both.
A Cummins Turbo Diesel in a new1995 Ram 2500.
Two Duramax diesels.
A new 2005 Silverado 2500HD 4x4.
And the one I have now, 2007 2500HD 4x4.
I love the Duramax-Allison power system.
I did not like tranny that Dodge behind the Cummins in 1995. In fact I didn't like much of anything about that Dodge.
That is nonsense about the Duramax being a converted gasoline engine.
The Duramax, which has gone through several design iterations has always been designed and built as a cutting edge diesel.
It is a joy to drive and costs nothing to maintain beyond oil, oil filters, air filters, fuel filters.
At 75,000 I took mine to my diesel tech and he just told me to go away.
Hope this helps.

1995 is twenty years ago, lots have changed at dodge since then.

[Xicaque]

I am currently "stuck" between the GMC and DODGE. Are the new Dodge as quiet as the GMCs? I drove a 2500 RAM Big Horn trim (I believe it was a 2009 or 10) once. That sucker was very loud and that really turned me off.

It is ridiculous the amount of money these trucks costs nowadays... Whatever truck I buy, it will be the last one until I die.

Love this kind of threads because I get to "learn" how the Big 3 are doing... I do notice a lot of RAM trucks on the road followed by Fords. Don't see that many GMCs but see more Chevrolets in this part of the country. I will agree that GMCs are nice. I just do not care for too many bells and whistles. I have not seen the inside of the latest RAM models. Not yet...

So are they quiet? Please do not tell me to go test drive one. I could leave the lot with one. Timing is just not right at the moment. Thanks for the replies.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by cando

The reason we're looking for a diesel is the added tourque for my wife to use the cruise control and for easier driving in the mountains--including better hold back going down the mountains (where the Toyota has next to none). I know these are lots of questions, but we have Airstreaming for over 10 years, but $55 to $65, 000 dollars is a lot of money to spend on a truck and I want to hear from people who use them and know the good and bad to help us make a decision. Thanks

We drive a diesel car and gas truck, which we are still learning to drive for best towing performance. So a comment on your gas truck.

If the truck does not have enough torque to hold speed in cruise control, drop down a gear, maybe two, where there is enough rpm and torque to hold without downshifting. About 2200 rpm for ours. I haven't noticed any drop in fuel use doing this, and it's easier on the transmission.

I've learned to let the gas engine rev up by dropping way down in gears to get to get decent engine compression braking. And I readily apply the brakes when needed to control downhill speed, engine braking plus the truck and trailer brakes work well together to slow the vehicle. We approach the crest of the hill slower than normal and see what we have there, adjust the speed accordingly.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by davidbroad

On the edge of making a decision that I only want to make once and be happy with it for the rest of my towing life (asking a lot I know!). Looks like it comes down to RAM 2500 with Cummings or Silverado 2500 Duramax. I'm told the Duramax is a gas engine block converted to diesel. Does this make any significant difference? Who ever knew that making a TV decision would be so agonizing! What's the consensus out there?

Not sure what size AS your thinking, but any of the 2500+ size diesel's, will pull the biggest of Airstreams. (not sure about the new "smaller" Turbo-Ram?) Question I would ask is what size AS, how often you pulling, how much extra "gear" you hauling, where you going (mountains), what else you using it for(daily driving). 3/4 ton's have drawbacks to parking, size getting in/out (for the ladies), garage storage... You may not need a diesel?? Could be a big V8 or Echoboost or perhaps the Ram turbo diesel, could get your job done for a lot less $$ in a 1/2 ton, short bed chassis...for "the rest of your towing life". I have been thinking of diesel also...was very interesting seeing the RAM logic in this thread...may take a look if we move up in size from our 25.. for now, we are fine with our Echoboost with 71K miles...not perfect, but easy around town, and gets the job done for our use mode. Good luck!

[Oxen]

Originally Posted by dkottum

You could check Consumers Report but I think they all earn the reliability black dot. But then so did our VW TDI which is now in its 10th year of trouble-free service.

Well, the Toyota gets red dots from Consumer Reports, but the truck capacities indicate that it is impotent. Impotent, but never needing repair.

Jer

[Tater]

I chose a Silverado Duramax LTZ '15. I have friends who have 5th wheels, one with a Ford and one with a Ram both one ton. They never tow their 5ers but both love their trucks. I love the Silverado and have about 33,000 towing miles on it. My wife drives and tows our A/S as much as I do and she loves it. We have about 2,000 non towing miles so 35k total in 18 months. I don't believe you would go wrong with a newer model of the 3 manufacturers. Consumer Reports rates vehicles but I don't put a lot of confidence in the ratings compared to talking with actual users of the brand.

[Echelon73]

Originally Posted by Xicaque

I am currently "stuck" between the GMC and DODGE. Are the new Dodge as quiet as the GMCs? I drove a 2500 RAM Big Horn trim (I believe it was a 2009 or 10) once. That sucker was very loud and that really turned me off.

It is ridiculous the amount of money these trucks costs nowadays... Whatever truck I buy, it will be the last one until I die.

Love this kind of threads because I get to "learn" how the Big 3 are doing... I do notice a lot of RAM trucks on the road followed by Fords. Don't see that many GMCs but see more Chevrolets in this part of the country. I will agree that GMCs are nice. I just do not care for too many bells and whistles. I have not seen the inside of the latest RAM models. Not yet...

So are they quiet? Please do not tell me to go test drive one. I could leave the lot with one. Timing is just not right at the moment. Thanks for the replies.

I have a 2014 RAM 2500 with the Cummins engine and no modifications. It is certainly louder at idle than the GM (Duramax) trucks we drove. We do not notice any engine noise while driving down the road though. It is quiet at highway and interstate speeds. I like the noisy idle and exhaust brake. It sort of gives it that big rig feel, but it is not for everyone. I sometimes have to turn the engine off at a drive through to hear what they are saying (my 15 year old gets a kick out of that).

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by Xicaque

I am currently "stuck" between the GMC and DODGE. Are the new Dodge as quiet as the GMCs? I drove a 2500 RAM Big Horn trim (I believe it was a 2009 or 10) once. That sucker was very loud and that really turned me off.

I think that vintage of Ram Cummins might have used mechanical injection so they are noisy.

My 2015 Ram Cummins is probably a little more noisier standing outside than the GM from what I remember from the test drives. When we drove both, the GM may have been a little quieter at speed. We test drove the Ram Tradesman and Big Horn. We thought the Tradesman was a little noisier than the Big Horn version at city and highway speeds. Neither the Ram or GM are as quiet as a gas engine but when on the road at 70mph the Ram is quiet enough inside to talk normally and to play the radio at normal levels as well as the GM. We didn't notice much wind noise. We decided on the Ram Big Horn vs the GM LT as it felt more nimble than the GM; its a little shorter making it seem more nimble when solo, the cloth seats (which we prefer over leather) were more comfortable for us, the radio sounded better, we liked the combo tow/solo mirrors which are power folding vs manual folding mirrors on the GM, we preferred the color selection the Ram dealer had in stock, the Big Horn had the center console (without shifter) vs the GM fold down console/seat arrangement, the Ram Big Horn has a fold out rear seating area platform with the rear seats up while the GM only had an irregular floor to place items on and the Ram prices were couple of thousand dollars better. To get some of the features the Ram had I would've probably had to go up to the LTZ trim level which was much more expensive.

The major issue with Ram is its assembled in Saltillo, Mexico. Wish it was in the US. But the fit and trim seem good, the paint is nice and so far haven't noticed any issues with the electronics in the dash or interior, engine or drive train. I like the way it tows.

Kelvin

[jimfa440]

I'm holding out for the Nissan with a Cummins 8 cyl diesel. To be released later this year.

[NY24]

Cummins has been making diesel engines for 100 years. 'nuff said.

[dugster]

Lots of opinions on this topic, so I'll add one consideration that no one else has offered. Consider where you are traveling with your truck. Both Ram & GM make excellent diesels, but they are mechanical and are , therefore, subject to breakdowns. It is my experience that GM shops are more plentiful than Ram and might be easier to locate when you are far from home. Just another variable to keep in mind. Good luck.

[VickieB68]

I understand the problems with high trucks. At 5'3", I would need a ladder to get in one of them. That isn't even taking into consideration my bad knee.

We looked long and hard for our diesel and something nobody has mentioned on this thread is that you really, very rarely, need at 4 wheel drive truck for towing unless you are hauling hay to cattle in a muddy field.

Ours is a 3/4 ton, 2 wheel, rear drive. I have no problems getting in and out of it, using the side rail. I drive it, and tow with it more than my husband does.

Our towing is done during summer camping season, a great deal of the driving is done on highways to get where we are going. No need for 4 wheel drive, nor the extra maintenance over 2 wheel drive, and it's much lower to the ground.

The 2 wheel drive Dodge, 4 door, Cummins turbo diesel, Allison automatic, short bed with tonneau cover works great for us.

[Larry C]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

We're currently considering this move. Still up in the air, but I wanted to say, my experience has shown that Ram offers more of luxury trim options for a lower price than GM. You've got to hit LT/LTZ to get most of those options for a higher cost. Ram was attractive to me because of the bang for buck. And I'm a die hard GM guy, 3 Camaro's, Trans Am, Corvette, Trailblazer, Pontiac G8 GXP to name a few of the vehicles I owned before this lifestyle. LOL

Even in the used space, I was dead set on a Silverado (because naturally) but gave a look to Ford & Ram and found that I could get a premium package for less cost, even used. And maybe now I am being biased, but the styling of the Ram won me over even further.

Cheers in your hunt.

I had also driven Chevy/GMC 3/4 and 1 ton trucks for years. I made the switch to Dodge/Cummins, in 1989 and haven't looked back. With the Cummins, you've got a proven engine, that will get you about 40% better fuel mileage than the Duramax. On the size trailer you have, maybe even better than that...
For whatever it's worth,

Larry C

[Cardinal283]

Both the duramax and cummins are great engines. IMHO the advantage goes to the Duramax only for the fact they have the Allison trans. Plus the duramax sounds like a truck and not a farm tractor. But that's innate to the whole straight 6 vs. V8 engine.

[wcrockett]

I have the RAM 2500. It is a good truck. I ended up buying a new one because there were so few used 3/4 ton diesel trucks with less than 80K on the market last summer. And the few that were available were almost as expensive as new trucks. We drove both the new 2014 GM and Ram models. I thought the Ram drove better and that the build quality for the interior was better for the GM. There were more new RAM 2500's available on the lots than GM's so we were able to pick a truck from the lot that had 90% of what we wanted and haggle on the price.

[Secguru]

I did a lot of research on this before buying my truck in 2010. I was deeply enamored of the Chevy Duramax. I was ready to buy a NEW 2010 Dodge or Chevy. I ended up buying a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie with a hard tonneau cover. The only modification I have made was to add a set of dash gauges (pyrometer, trans temp and boost), and to dump the custom wheels and go back to original wheels with Michelin low rolling resistance highway tires.

I bought a 2006 because it was the last full model year for the 5.9L Cummins diesel engine. I searched the US for a truck that had been broken in with highway miles. My lucky find ("The Tomato") was a bright red model with 75K miles. I tow a restored 1983 Avion 34V. My typical towing MPG is between 23 to 26 mpg, mostly around 24 to 25. My unloaded MPG is between 31 to a high of 37.6 mpg. That VASTLY exceeds my wildest expectations of 24 mpg unloaded and 18 towing. I tow at 60 to 65 mph, and use the pyrometer to drive for maximum mpg.

As you can imagine, I LOVE this truck. I would have rather had a new one, but that giant sucking sound you hear from new Dodge 6.7L engines is fuel being used at an alarming rate! Either way, the Cummins 350K mile life expectancy vs 250K for the Chevy is always good. And you can't beat any Inline 6 for fuel economy. My only wish is that it had an Alison 1000 transmission, like I used to have on my old Freightliner FL60 (used to tow a 18K lb high-line 5th wheel).

I couldn't be happier than with Stella (the Avion) and the Tomato.

Livin' in Aluminum!!!

[dannydimitt]

After a lifetime of operating and driving diesel powered equipment and trucks , the most dependable and longest lasting engines built boils down to a choice between an inline 6 cylinder built by either Caterpillar or Cummins .
In this same lifetime I have learned that the very worst "by far" is any diesel engine that general motors has come up with or have gotten their hands on .
These facts are the reason that I would never ever buy any small diesel powered truck " 3/4 ton thru 5 ton with anything other than Cummins or Caterpillar engines.
and due to the fact that there are no pickups available with a Cat in them , the choice is a Dodge with a Cummins inline 6 in it .

[gwmc]

Originally Posted by Shiloh4570

I haven't tried the Ram yet, but the Duramax integrated brake system would not work with my 2008 Classic, electric over hydraulic disk brakes. Be sure you hook up and test your trailer before you buy either one. Or you can always add a Prodigy.

I bought a 2015 GMC Denali with Duramax in January. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller works great with my 2007 Classic Electric over Hydraulic brake system.

I too did a bunch of research on the truck alternatives. Cummins diesel was as highly rated as Duramax. Rest of powertrain, suspension and other systems, the GMC won out. I found it a bit more comfortable. A factor according to some independent maintenance shops I talked to was that parts availability for Ram's (here in Alberta) was substantially worse than GM or Ford, so more downtime.