Cruise,
Here is another thought. Look for a new 2007 or even a 2006 that the dealers still have on their lot. They will deal better on those.
The Cummins engine will get better fuel mileage then the Hemi. I get 20 to 21 just running around town. 14 to 15 pulling. The Hemi can't even come close to that.
I say you will hae to hitch up the trailer and check it out. I pull mine with a short bed with no problem. At worst you would need to get a slider hitch. I believe with most hitches you can add a slider after if needed.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
You may want to check the tow/pin ratings on the the 2500MC. I think you may be surprised and the 2500 may not offer enough for a 35' trailer. Other than that, I have a 3500MC short box w/o slider and have had no problems. But you can't go wrong with getting a slider, even if you never have to pull the lever.
I used my short box 2500 wihtout a slider for 4 years, it got close at times but if you're paying serious attention to what you're doing backing up anyway, you should never have a problem..
Scot & Ann *NEW* 2008 Silverado 3500HD LTZ CC Dually Duramax/Allison
2005 Everest 343L
Hidden Hitch 18k My Photos
Cruise wrote: I am looking at buying a 2008 Dodge 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4. In order to get the Mega Cab, you only get a 6.25' long bed. Can this truck pull a 35' fifth wheel without smashing in the cab when I turn?
Also, I was looking at getting the 5.7L Hemi since it is covered by the lifetime warranty. The Cummins is NOT covered by the lifetime warranty.
Comments appreciated.
Cruise, of course get the slider, you won't need to get an expensive one, just get a manual. Some of the newer fifth wheels (like mine) are designed with short beds in mind with pin location and front corners that are tapered. I have never had to use my slider. If you are interested in saving Jacksons, that will help because you aren't buying that Hemi man, while it is a great engine, you don't want to take a chance. Do yourself and your finances a favor and get that Cummins. Seriously, when you are spending that much money anyways, get the right equipment. If you already owned a Hemi of the same truck, it would be different. You don't want to feel shorted after you just dropped a bunch of Jacksons on that pickup. Make it the last one you buy for a while and you will find that those Jacksons will take you further. Lifetime warranty or not, the Cummins is the better option. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
Seriously. I mean it. I swear!!!!
2008 Cougar 310SRX 5th Wheel
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 4x4 CTD
2008 Nissan Armada LE
My 05 QC short bed ( 5.7l) gets 16.4 Avg mpg highway, about 9 mpg pulling either our 20' aluminum boat or the old 24' travel trailer. It looks like the new 8500# 5th will get us maybe 7 or 8 from our limited trips. At the 5 year mark, how many tired miles will she have when you donate her to your folks? Mine has 85k now.....
Bottom line, buy the diesel for towing, better fuel economy while you own it also.
OK, I think I have the answer to my original question which was if you could pull a fifth wheel with a shortbed. The answer is predominantly yes with a slider hitch.
So now, I have to tackle what appears to be a well worn subject on here....Gas or diesel.
To start, I had the wrong fifth wheel stated. They have something very similar to a Keystone Cougar 276RLS. I suspect the one my parents have is just an older model of the Cougar. I do know it is a Keystone, and the layout is very similar.
That said, the Cougar 276RLS has a weight of 7,300 lbs, a carrying capacity of 2,860 lbs, a hitch weight of 1,360 lbs, and is 28'-9" long. My parents also pull a 15' boat behind sometimes.
The 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4 (with a Hemi or the Cummins) has a payload capacity of 3,210 lbs, a towing capacity of 12,500 lbs, and a GVWR of 8,800 lbs (9,000 lbs max). With a Hemi & automatic, it has a curb weight of 6,593 lbs. With a Cummins & automatic, it has a curb weight of 7,323 lbs.
I really don't know what all this means. I assume if you add the hitch weight of the trailer to the curb weight of the truck, it needs to be less than the GVWR of 8,800 lbs. Is that correct? It also appears the the total weight of the trailer (10,160 lbs) is less than the towing capacity.
The Hemi has 330 HP @ 4,800 RPM and 375 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 RPM. The 6.7L Cummins has 350 HP @ 2,900 RPM and 650 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600 RPM.
Obviously the Cummins is way better at pulling since the torque is available at such a low RPM, but it is a very high initial cost.
As far as mileage goes, I have heard that the Cummins is realistically getting around 12 to 15 mpg without towing anything. I haven't heard any first hand ratings for the Hemi.
In contrast, my parents 1995 Cummins gets around 18 to 20 mpg without towing. It has 160 HP @ 2,500 RPM and 400 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 RPM.
Overall, getting the fifth wheel rolling and keeping it rolling going up hills is a lot easier with the Cummins. But I also know that most people don't know how to haul a load with a gas engine - they need to keep the RPM's up in the power band.
With the cooling package, I don't think it would hurt the trans on a Hemi powered truck.
We haven't even gotten into gearing yet either. I was looking at the 3.73 ratio.
OK, now that I have said all this, the real question here is if the extra $7,800 for the Cummins is worth the investment. I will say that I would be surprised if they are towing the fifth wheel more than 3,000 miles per year.
My 05 QC short bed ( 5.7l) gets 16.4 Avg mpg highway, about 9 mpg pulling either our 20' aluminum boat or the old 24' travel trailer. It looks like the new 8500# 5th will get us maybe 7 or 8 from our limited trips. At the 5 year mark, how many tired miles will she have when you donate her to your folks? Mine has 85k now.....
Bottom line, buy the diesel for towing, better fuel economy while you own it also.
Allen
I could have the Hemi powered truck paid off in 2-1/2 or 3 years due to the equity from my trade-in. I would comfortably say it would have 38,000 to 45,000 miles on it when I would give it to them. And, most of those miles would not be pulling anything much.
I'm not sure a Hemi can handle a 10k loaded trailer plus a boat. It will probably pull it but you will not have the necessary payload capacity in the 2500. You may end up having to add airbags or helper springs.
If you are set on gasoline I think you should look at the Ford V10 although when I bought my CTD it cost about the same as a Ford w/V10 due to the extra rebates on the Dodge.
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