2023 Laramie Mega Cab w/ Hemi vs. Diesel?

[SPD//DMN]

Due to my requirement for increased towing capacity with a new to me (2004) 24' Enclosed Car Hauler, I'm now in the market for a Laramie Mega Cab as an upgrade from our '21 Durango Hellcat. I prefer the Mega Cab as a matter of comfort for long trips with our three teenage boys (front bench seat for wifey and the mutt).

My dealer has confirmed the order bank is open for the '23 diesel variants but not the Hemi. Having never owned a diesel powered truck I'm curious to get feedback from owners of both Hemi & diesel Ram 2500's. I know the diesel option costs more upfront with a higher residual value upon resale and increased towing capacity vs. the Hemi.

I plan on trailering our '65 GTO a few times a year between NC & PA and am confident the Hemi is more than capable of towing my load requirements. I'm interested in understanding the pro's/con's of living with one powertrain option vs. the other in terms of owner maintenance (I do 90% of my own wrenching), operating costs, noise at city/highway speeds, and any other other factors that folks may suggest for consideration. Thank you!

Safe travels!

//Stephen

 

[Pronto]

Make sure the 2500 in the trim you want is going to have the payload rating for your family and cargo plus the trailer tongue weight. Payload rating is the Achille's heel of Cummins equipped 2500s. There's a thread on this board where people post photos of their payload stickers for their given trim and options. Find one like the one you would order and do the math and see how it looks. You may find that your payload makes the question 2500 Hemi vs 3500 Cummins.

The biggest downside that I think you would have with a Hemi Megacab is range. I love my Megacab and would never want to give it up, but if my main purpose for the truck was long distance towing, I'd go for a crew cab long bed and opt for the 50 gallon fuel tank.

 

[arx237]

The biggest downside that I think you would have with a Hemi Megacab is range

Backcountry far from civilization I could understand this. On the interstates though I have found with 3 kids and a wife along that this is not really a factor at all. They all need a pee break or lunch or something well before you burn through a full tank.

 

[BikePilot]

As pronto mentioned a 3500 is probably better choice. Much more useful payload and will be more stable when towing. Generally the diesel is going to be a better towing experience. The gasser is simpler and likely to be less trouble. It's easier to add a bigger fuel tank to the diesel if range is important.

 

[jebruns]

If you tow through a lot of hills, you will appreciate the diesel. It just makes it so effortless. My biggest trailer is a 20' Vee nosed enclosed trailer. Loaded, I'm at about 7K. But I live in the Ozarks and my gas 3/4 ton was struggling with that load in our hilly terrain. So I went back to a diesel 2500 and have been very happy with it. Just towed that trailer through the Rocky Mts. Between the torque and jake brake, it takes all the stress out of it.

Maint is more expensive since it holds 3 gallons of oil and the filters are pricey. Only have to do it every 15K or once a year though. 2 fuel filters need to be replaced at about the same mileage. Not hard to do though. I'd suggest looking into a Fumoto type valve for the oil changes. That way, you can drain it in a controlled manner. Only time noise is an issue is at a drive through. You'll need to shut it down to place your order.

 

[kevin588127]

I think it comes down to what you are towing and how often. My hemi with 4.10s pulls my 10k TT with ease. I'd suspect that 12k will be no problem either. I can't justify the cost of the diesel, nor do I want to live with the downsides to driving a diesel on a daily basis. If I had plans to tow much heavier or more frequently, I'd consider the diesel. The biggest deal for me, between the two, is the transmission. The 8 speed in the hemis is amazing. The 6 speed..... meh, not so much.

 

[SPD//DMN]

Thank you everyone, very good points to consider. Is there much perceived difference in ride quality between the 2500 vs. 3500?

 

[tchur1]

I have not personally owned a Hemi but have owned a couple HD gas trucks and currently daily drive a 3500 HO Cummins. For your use case the Hemi will probably be fine but towing anything with a diesel is always a more simple/easier experience IMO. Between the power and the exhaust break I often forget I am towing when I have about 10k hooked up. Its effortless.

I also think daily driving diesels has gotten a bad rep. I daily mine and to this point have had no issues (knocking on every piece of wood I can find). I personally do not mind the AISIN tranny when driving around empty and when towing its a monster.

I would just weigh how much you value towing ease vs saving money.

 

[PD Luke]

Thank you everyone, very good points to consider. Is there much perceived difference in ride quality between the 2500 vs. 3500?

Here is my 1 data point for your consideration....... my 22 3500 Laramie LB SRW with factory air suspension rides significantly better than my 2013 2500 LB did. No comparison - not even close.

 

[Firebird]

Here is my 1 data point for your consideration....... my 22 3500 Laramie LB SRW with factory air suspension rides significantly better than my 2013 2500 LB did. No comparison - not even close.

My son just bought a 22 3500 dually HO 4X4 with factory air, and the ride quality is outstanding!

 

[kevin588127]

If I was going 3500, I think the air ride would be a must. I really wanted it on my 2500 but the potential for problems or a complete failure steered me away from it.

 

[PD Luke]

Here is my 1 data point for your consideration....... my 22 3500 Laramie LB SRW with factory air suspension rides significantly better than my 2013 2500 LB did. No comparison - not even close.

I forgot to mention I have the 18" tires on my 22 3500. Not sure how the 20" tires would ride.

 

[rb92673]

I have a 24' 10k enclosed trailer I use to tow my endurance race car, tools and spare parts. In the last 16 months I have towed about 4000 miles. I have a Laramie Mega 2500 diesel. If I were to do it over today, I would do the exact same thing. My payload is just under 2000#. Last scale I measured at I was 4740# front axle, 4840# rear, 7640# trailer axles. My hitch says it is about 1000# and I was driving with a friend. I love the power and exhaust brakes. I live in California and have some considerable grades to climb/descend. No WDH and I have never felt sway even in high winds. 18" wheels.

 

[Aneura]

If I was going 3500, I think the air ride would be a must. I really wanted it on my 2500 but the potential for problems or a complete failure steered me away from it.

FWIW I have the air ride on my ‘20 1500 and it’s awesome, no issues…granted it’s not the same, but it’s boon rock solid.. and I tow a trailer that’s right at the limits of my tongue weight.

That being said, I have a 3500 DRW mega cab with air suspension in order.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jetrinka]

Thank you everyone, very good points to consider. Is there much perceived difference in ride quality between the 2500 vs. 3500?

You'll get a mixed bag with that question. I came from an 01 2500 and going from that to my Power Wagon the ride comfort difference was night and day. That being said I also don't mind (actually like) a nice firm ride so I would be just as happy in a 3500. Some people think their 2500's ride too rough and others love them.

It really is all in how you perceive it but IMO, regardless of 2500 or 3500, these new trucks ride 100 percent better than the old ones.

 

[rb92673]

I have a 24' 10k enclosed trailer I use to tow my endurance race car, tools and spare parts. In the last 16 months I have towed about 4000 miles. I have a Laramie Mega 2500 diesel. If I were to do it over today, I would do the exact same thing. My payload is just under 2000#. Last scale I measured at I was 4740# front axle, 4840# rear, 7640# trailer axles. My hitch says it is about 1000# and I was driving with a friend. I love the power and exhaust brakes. I live in California and have some considerable grades to climb/descend. No WDH and I have never felt sway even in high winds. 18" wheels.

I should also add that I get about 13 MPG when towing. My fuel tank lasts longer than my bladder.

 

[jebruns]

If I was going 3500, I think the air ride would be a must. I really wanted it on my 2500 but the potential for problems or a complete failure steered me away from it.

The problems with the air suspension is the 4 corner system on the 1500's that live and drive in snow belt. Very few issues on the HD's with air suspension.

I have a new HD on order. I thought about going to a 3500 SRW with air, just to future proof. But I test drove a couple and the ride is noticeable harsher than my 18 2500 with factory air. The 3500 has leaf springs instead of coils, and the Alternate Ride Height doesn't even drop the rear of the truck unless you have a load (600lbs?) in the bed already. On the 2500, it actually drops the rear bumper an inch with no load. So the 3500 is just stiffer. Which is a good thing when towing a large camper. But since I don't have that need (own a Class A diesel pusher), I decided to go with the better ride and get another 2500.

 

[kevin588127]

The problems with the air suspension is the 4 corner system on the 1500's that live and drive in snow belt. Very few issues on the HD's with air suspension.

I have a new HD on order. I thought about going to a 3500 SRW with air, just to future proof. But I test drove a couple and the ride is noticeable harsher than my 18 2500 with factory air. The 3500 has leaf springs instead of coils, and the Alternate Ride Height doesn't even drop the rear of the truck unless you have a load (600lbs?) in the bed already. On the 2500, it actually drops the rear bumper an inch with no load. So the 3500 is just stiffer. Which is a good thing when towing a large camper. But since I don't have that need (own a Class A diesel pusher), I decided to go with the better ride and get another 2500.

I know that the air ride on the HDs isn't as problematic as the 1500s but it is still a potential failure point. There were a few posts on here that members had experienced problems. Either a bag failure or an error code within the system. Neither is something I wanted to happen while towing a camper 500 miles from home. It would be really cool to have but I ultimately decided that the minor benefit didn't outweigh the potential negatives. The coil sprung rear is one of the major advantages that Ram has. I guess thats why I say if I was going 3500, I'd really give the air suspension a look. The price point of the factory air ride makes it really appealing as well.

 

[aaronedmonton]

I went with the Hemi. Did I want the diesel at first? Of course. However, I couldn’t afford the diesel purchase price along with the maintenance prices. The Hemi is simple and reliable. I just finished reading through hundreds of threads about emissions issues and CP4 pump issues on the newer Cummins engines.

I don’t tow anything heavy. The Hemi is a great daily driver for me and I love the punchy acceleration and 8 speed transmission. The diesel that I drove around for a while was not my favorite for daily driving.

 

[Thisnthat]

I went with the Hemi. Did I want the diesel at first? Of course. However, I couldn’t afford the diesel purchase price along with the maintenance prices. The Hemi is simple and reliable. I just finished reading through hundreds of threads about emissions issues and CP4 pump issues on the newer Cummins engines.

I don’t tow anything heavy. The Hemi is a great daily driver for me and I love the punchy acceleration and 8 speed transmission. The diesel that I drove around for a while was not my favorite for daily driving.

...which is why the CP4 hasn't been used since 2020...just in case someone sees this and thinks the CP4s are still being put in new Rams