Family Camping Setup

Not bad advice. Do you know of a place in San Diego that rents heavy duty trucks? I've seen the Home Depot trucks and U-Haul, but nothing else.
 
Nuclear Redneck said:
Seeing the Hawk sitting on Dave's Torque Wagon build is causing me to head down an alternate path. It looks to me that a Grandby Flatbed would fit on that flatbed. There would be no room for a tunnel box, but the advantage of having a 44 foot turning radius (crew cab shortbed) versus a 54 foot turning radius (crew cab chassis cab) is very appealing to me. If I stayed with the 6.4 Hemi, then I'd have 1000 lbs more payload available in the 2500 as compared to the Cummings. Might even be able to find a slightly used gas truck and save even more money.
Click to expand...

True. But you will sacrifice fuel efficiency as well as lose the all important (IMHO) exhaust brake. A major need considering the loaded weight of these going down a steep grade.

Choices are fun :)
 
Dave said:
True. But you will sacrifice fuel efficiency as well as lose the all important (IMHO) exhaust brake. A major need considering the loaded weight of these going down a steep grade.

Choices are fun :)
Click to expand...
Going with the Cummins would drive me to get the 3500 for payload reasons. Cost is about the same between the 2500 and 3500. I will admit to a real desire to have the Cummins. I'm just not sure if I will drive it enough to justify the money. Of course, this whole build is not strictly necessary, but whatever.
 
We'll see how the next promotion board goes. If I pick up the next rank, this build maybe my reward. Then again, if I don't pick it up, then it could be my consolation prize.
 
I will say this.. when I bought my 04 2500 cummins 12 years ago, brand new off the dealer lot, I didn't NEED a diesel. I had plans to tow maybe once a month.. but I wanted a diesel, so I ponied up for it. Sure it was more money to purchase and costs more to maintain, but the giant grin I still get from driving it after 12 years of ownership has made the extra costs 100% worth it. I say, don't settle for something just because it might be cheaper, and you can get by with it. Buy what you want, and be happy. If you want a diesel, buy one. I know I've never regretted my purchase in the last 12 years of ownership. I will own my truck probably until i die.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Scott said:
I will say this.. when I bought my 04 2500 cummins 12 years ago, brand new off the dealer lot, I didn't NEED a diesel. I had plans to tow maybe once a month.. but I wanted a diesel, so I ponied up for it. Sure it was more money to purchase and costs more to maintain, but the giant grin I still get from driving it after 12 years of ownership has made the extra costs 100% worth it. I say, don't settle for something just because it might be cheaper, and you can get by with it. Buy what you want, and be happy. If you want a diesel, buy one. I know I've never regretted my purchase in the last 12 years of ownership. I will own my truck probably until i die.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sound advice. I'll need to keep pondering things for a bit.
 
Dave said:
Look at it as a retirement plan :)
Click to expand...

That's what mine is!

We're on a 2-week trip to three national parks right now. I will say getting in late and trying to quietly idle through a campground for a spot is entirely impossible. Not a decision point, of course, but it does make one feel a bit conspicuous.
 
bob91yj said:
You've got valid points for the Hemi.
I really think you're going to tax the drivetrain with a heavy truck 24/7. From the GMC dealership side of the fence, I tell my customers if they're going to tow once a month or so, a gas engine will meet their needs perfectly. If they are towing once a week or better, diesel is the way to go. If I was you I'd look into renting one of each for a week. Figure out a way to load them with 1500#'s in the bed, and drive them like you plan on using your dream truck, see what you think.
Click to expand...

The transmission is the same between the Hemi and Cummins unless you get the aisin transmission. That might of been true of older trucks, but I can attest that you aren't going to tax the drive train.

I'm sure the exhaust brake is wonderful since you only have to set it. But I've never had an issue on any 7% grade with just downshifting. I think diesels are better when you are truly heavy. Like 15~20k trailer heavy. Not 10k heavy.
 
I wasn't sure on the Dodge transmissions. GM products the diesel full size trucks get the Allison transmission. Rear ends in GM's are different as well, gassers get a 10.5" ring gear, diesels get an 11.5" ring gear.
 
Last edited:
Been following Dave's build with interest. It's interesting seeing how heavy the FWC really is. I think that choosing a Grandby over a Hawk, coupled with the longer length, and leaving some capability for tongue weight, means that a 3500 is really the right choice for my application. I need to do some research on the durability of the RAM factory air system. That system is only available on the pickup version of the 3500. My understanding is that it replaces some of the leaves with an airbag system that automatically levels the truck as it is loaded. Supposed to make for a better unladen ride without sacrificing capacity.

I'd loose out on some of the things that you can get when ordering a chassis cab. Most notably the ability to get either 3.73 or 4.10 gears from the factory with the Cummins. And the truly massive 52 gallon fuel tank.

The 2500 crew cab longbox with Cummins has a payload of 2200 pounds. The 3500 crew cab longbox with Cummins has a payload of 4480 is the single rear wheel configuration. Using 2300 pounds net gain (allowing an extra 200 pounds from going to a Grandby and the longer flatbed) that leaves 2180 for all the extras. Food, clothes, recovery gear, extra water, etc will use some of that load. If I added an aux fuel tank in place of the factory spare tire, that would add about 210 pounds aft of the axle. That all quickly adds up.
 
Hey Nuc,

I'm not a dodge guy anymore (and would really be thrilled if I am wrong about this), but when I look at the Ram website you only get about 2,600lb payload on the Cummins-SRW, and you have to go to the dually to get above that. The SRW only has a GVR of 10K or so depending on the cab selected, and it's a lot of truck to have 4,480 left over.
 
Code Red said:
Hey Nuc,

I'm not a dodge guy anymore (and would really be thrilled if I am wrong about this), but when I look at the Ram website you only get about 2,600lb payload on the Cummins-SRW, and you have to go to the dually to get above that. The SRW only has a GVR of 10K or so depending on the cab selected, and it's a lot of truck to have 4,480 left over.
Click to expand...

I just double checked the 2016 Heavy Duty brochure. A crew cab longbed 4x4 3500 has a GVWR of 12,300 pounds and 4480 payload. If you go to a DRW model, those numbers change to 14,000 and 5,830 for GVWR and payload. the 2500 can only be had in a GVWR of 10,000 pounds, with the Cummins that gives you 2,200 pounds of payload for the crew cab longbed 4x4. A 3500 chassis cab crew cab model with single rear wheels has a GVWR of 12,000 pounds with a payload of 4,510 (aisin transmission) or 4,670 (manual).
 
Good enough. It sounds like you're getting better information than I am. I was using the "build and price" function on the website, and they often miss the mark. 4,670 is a hefty payload for a SRW truck. I'm jealous. That with a Cummins, a 52-gallon tank and a manual transmission would keep a grin on my face for a long time.
 
Code Red said:
Good enough. It sounds like you're getting better information than I am. I was using the "build and price" function on the website, and they often miss the mark. 4,670 is a hefty payload for a SRW truck. I'm jealous. That with a Cummins, a 52-gallon tank and a manual transmission would keep a grin on my face for a long time.
Click to expand...
All that said, I still need to go to a dealership and take a look at the stickers on the door jamb so I can see with my own eyes what they are leaving the factory with for payloads. Also, I'd really like to test drive a long bed with the air suspension right after test driving one with out it. I want to see how much of a difference there really is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom