I am glad you are enjoying your Ecoboost. You are right, with the Ecoboost and max tow, I believe the payload is around 1900lbs or so with the 5 1/2 bed. That's about 500lbs more than my current Ram but about 700 less than a Ram 2500. I will be definitely be looking at the Ecoboosts next year. My neighbor just bought a new F150 SCREW 5 1/2 bed truck with the 3.7 engine. Not good for towing, but the truck is very nice. I hate to lose the bed length but I really like having the bigger back seat.
I'd get the Ram 2500 2wd Hemi 4.10. That configuration will give at least 2500 lbs payload capacity and plenty of power with the 4.10 axle.
The Ram 2500 has 6000 lb rear axle weight rating and a full-float 8-lug 10.5" rear axle with 17" LT E-rated truck tires.
The F150HD only has 4800 lb rear axle weight rating and a semi-float 7-lug 9.75" rear axle and 17" LT truck tires.
The regular non-HD F150 only has about 4000 lb rear axle rating and a semi-float 5-lug 9.75" axle and 16" P-class passenger car tires.
The rear axle and tires/wheels/springs are what carry all of the hitch weight.
MetalGator wrote: I currently have a 2005 Ram 1500 Quad cab. With our current TT am right payload capacity, plenty of towing capacity. I am planning to buy a new truck and wonder if any forum users have gone from a Ram 1500 to a Ram 2500 Gas. I have a 7 mile work commute everyday. I understand the ride won't be as nice and fuel economy will suffer but would not have to worry about overloading. I would also have some play room as far as capacity so If the wife and I want to get a larger TT in the future, I would have the means to pull it.
I am not totally brand loyal but I tend to stick with what I have had good luck with and the Dodge/Ram has been a fantastic vehicle. I am also going to look at the Ford Ecoboost and whatever GM comes out with next year.
Burch
Sorry for editing some of your comments, but the one that sticks out is the 7 mile work commute, so mileage is not as important as for some. You need payload and are willing to accept the 2500's ride. You have certailnly determined a 2500 is the truck for you. Dodge/Ram, Ford, GM? They're all fine, but as silly as brand loyalty is, we all tend to suffer from it. In the end the wisest person is the one who is loyal to his/her bank account. To that end a Ford Ecoboost would be great and I envy those who have them, but you could probably buy a Ram 2500 for less. The difference in fuel burn if any would be very little for the miles you drive. The 4:10 is not necessary (I wouldn't buy it), there are plenty of gears available in that transmission and no matter the payload, it will find the right one. There is no reason to assume the truck should pull the load in it's highest gear. 1 gear down on a 3:73 is about the same as top gear with a 4:10. Check them all, price them all and at the end of the day make a deal with your Ram dealer and anjoy a new 2500 for many many years. You cannot do better...
Highway 4x4 wrote: Are you really saying that your hemi has a greater towing capacity than the Cummings Diesel? really? I am not sure about that one.
Maybe he's saying that because his gas 2500's payload capacity is greater than the diesel 2500's payload capacity, his truck can carry the hitch weight of a heavier trailer.
With 3/4-tons, the diesel trucks usually run out of payload capacity to carry the hitch weight before they run out of engine power to pull the trailer. Diesels are best used with 1-ton trucks that have more payload capacity.
The only thing I would need to do to make my 2500 in to a 3500 SRW would be change the rear spring pack. Everything else is the same on my truck, I ordered the locking rear end which gave me the 11.5" rear axle. At the time I ordered my truck it only cost $250 more for the one ton truck.
Don
Perrysburg Dodgeboy 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT Cummins HO
2005 Keystone Cougar 304 BHS
Chrysler the only one to pay back 100% of their loans from the Government. *The Old Car Company" still owes 1.6 billion. Is that better Chuckles
My 2003 Ram 2500 2wd quad cab hemi manual five-speed short bed no options truck (wind up windows, for Pete's sake) has a GVWR of 8800 and a curb weight of 5760. That gives it a tad over 3000 lbs of payload. It was spec'd out with exactly that in mind, so it shows what you can do if you try. Mind you it has the worst ride imaginable empty.
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote: The only thing I would need to do to make my 2500 in to a 3500 SRW would be change the rear spring pack. Everything else is the same on my truck, I ordered the locking rear end which gave me the 11.5" rear axle. At the time I ordered my truck it only cost $250 more for the one ton truck.
Don
Yep, and the set of springs will cost more than $250 to put on the truck. That's why it's always a better idea to just go ahead and buy the 3500 instead of the 2500 from the get-go. You get all of the physical capacity of the 3500, in addition to the official capacity on the VIN sticker, instead of having to resort to 'well my truck could be the same as the 3500 if it had this and this....'
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