snowmiser68
Member
Hey all! I'm new to this forum as poster (mostly just lurked here over the past several months). I owe a lot to these forums and they helped me in pulling the pin on buying my 2019 Ram 2500 4X4 6.4 w/ 4.10. My pay back for all your observations is to share some of my own. I bought my truck a week ago.
I bought the Tradesman level trim, which is pretty amazing for a "base level." My former truck was a 2001 Ford F-250 7.3 Powerstroke (Lariat trim level), and I am a Ram convert - for sure! I love the old F-250 (it had 180,000 miles when I parted with it), but I truly love this new Ram. Today's Tradesman trim level is equal to or above older, higher trim levels. There were a few upgrades (cloth seats, carpet, chrome, etc.), but the common features are more than enough. The 8-speed transmission is truly smooth (I haven't towed with it yet - but will in a few weeks and I'll post about it), and my mileage was much higher than I expected. I hand-calc'd a road trip from Montana to California and averaged 16.8 mpg for the highway miles (The truck computer said 17.2 - so not too far off. I didn't do it in town - not sure about that mileage). The 4.10 gearing was great and provided lots of power. You can find 4.10, but it requires a little searching around for the 2500. As I said, I haven't towed yet, but I tow a 7k pound bumper pull travel trailer and really like the stability of the 3/4 ton. My old truck had leaf springs and I really like the coil springs - it made for a nice ride. I also move some flooring materials around and like the payload on these trucks.
I was concerned about the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) as everyone was commenting on how springy the rear end was with 80 psi. I didn't find it too bad, but lowered the tire pressure to 70 in the rear and 75 in the front, which was within the limits of the system to avoid a warning light. I never like driving at maximum pressure for a number of reasons - not least of which is that years ago I had a tire separate in Vegas when the hot temperature expanded and increased the tire pressure.
I love the Hemi! It sounds like a beast. If I heard that engine, I'd think it had been modified - it sounds pretty mean. The height on these trucks seems a bit much (I'm putting a 6" drop hitch on it) and running boards are a necessity if you drive friends or older family around. It used to be that you couldn't get this height without a lift and now it's standard. I'm not complaining, it just might take some getting used to.
I was a pretty diehard Ford guy, and I still like them, but I can tell I'm really going to love this truck. I'm now living in Montana and I'd heard a few stories about diesels (I don't want this to turn into the diesel vs. gas world war 3 - I'm a former diesel guy and I love them. I know they beat gas trucks in towing over 10k, I just didn't need that torque) so I went to gas. The dealership said that they leave their Ram Hemis on the lot all winter without plugging them in and have no starting issues. Anyway, initial impressions are that it's an amazing truck, after driving it about 1500 miles. I hope it's super reliable and that I just grow to love it more. The get up and go is impressive, the gas mileage has been very surprising (but who cares that much - it's a heavy duty truck), and the ride is really nice. If you're going gas I would highly recommend the 2019, with the 8-speed.
Sorry for the long post. I wanted to give back for all the information I gained from all of you!
I bought the Tradesman level trim, which is pretty amazing for a "base level." My former truck was a 2001 Ford F-250 7.3 Powerstroke (Lariat trim level), and I am a Ram convert - for sure! I love the old F-250 (it had 180,000 miles when I parted with it), but I truly love this new Ram. Today's Tradesman trim level is equal to or above older, higher trim levels. There were a few upgrades (cloth seats, carpet, chrome, etc.), but the common features are more than enough. The 8-speed transmission is truly smooth (I haven't towed with it yet - but will in a few weeks and I'll post about it), and my mileage was much higher than I expected. I hand-calc'd a road trip from Montana to California and averaged 16.8 mpg for the highway miles (The truck computer said 17.2 - so not too far off. I didn't do it in town - not sure about that mileage). The 4.10 gearing was great and provided lots of power. You can find 4.10, but it requires a little searching around for the 2500. As I said, I haven't towed yet, but I tow a 7k pound bumper pull travel trailer and really like the stability of the 3/4 ton. My old truck had leaf springs and I really like the coil springs - it made for a nice ride. I also move some flooring materials around and like the payload on these trucks.
I was concerned about the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) as everyone was commenting on how springy the rear end was with 80 psi. I didn't find it too bad, but lowered the tire pressure to 70 in the rear and 75 in the front, which was within the limits of the system to avoid a warning light. I never like driving at maximum pressure for a number of reasons - not least of which is that years ago I had a tire separate in Vegas when the hot temperature expanded and increased the tire pressure.
I love the Hemi! It sounds like a beast. If I heard that engine, I'd think it had been modified - it sounds pretty mean. The height on these trucks seems a bit much (I'm putting a 6" drop hitch on it) and running boards are a necessity if you drive friends or older family around. It used to be that you couldn't get this height without a lift and now it's standard. I'm not complaining, it just might take some getting used to.
I was a pretty diehard Ford guy, and I still like them, but I can tell I'm really going to love this truck. I'm now living in Montana and I'd heard a few stories about diesels (I don't want this to turn into the diesel vs. gas world war 3 - I'm a former diesel guy and I love them. I know they beat gas trucks in towing over 10k, I just didn't need that torque) so I went to gas. The dealership said that they leave their Ram Hemis on the lot all winter without plugging them in and have no starting issues. Anyway, initial impressions are that it's an amazing truck, after driving it about 1500 miles. I hope it's super reliable and that I just grow to love it more. The get up and go is impressive, the gas mileage has been very surprising (but who cares that much - it's a heavy duty truck), and the ride is really nice. If you're going gas I would highly recommend the 2019, with the 8-speed.
Sorry for the long post. I wanted to give back for all the information I gained from all of you!
