Why did you buy a 2500

[Frank]

I purchased a 2500 because my camper was pushing the limits of a half ton and I have a boat that I was having to call in favors or hire someone out to move a few times a year. I also have access to a gooseneck utility trailer that gets a lot of use.

I would have bought a 3500 but I don't need it yet. My boat and camper were fairly recent purchases and I don't plan on going massively bigger on the next upgrade so no need to future proof. I will just work a 3500 if needed into the plans when we get there. It's not like a half ton where these trucks massively depreciate. At least near me with a diesel, factoring in my discounts when I purchased, I could sell at the 5 year mark and only cost me $15k or less. No need to own it forever to spread out the cost.

 

[louisiana_dog]

So it seems there are a few of us on here that don’t tow a thing, yet put heavy things in the bed.....

I bought the 2500 because I’ve squated my previous 1500 level truck loading up random things, even split green firewood which I move once a month. I wanted the interior room of the crew cab with the longer bed spaces offered in the 2500, a 5’ bed is not doing it for me. I’ll eventually grab a hard bed cover to add more lockable storage. I had no need for a Cummings personally but there are enormous advantages when in the mountains, we are on flat land.

Maybe eventually I’ll put a gooseneck hitch too, as the family has some trailers that require it....but we also have an ‘18 Cummings for such things.

 

[rb92673]

I ordered a 2500 Megacab Cummins because I am moving from a 16' open trailer to a 24' 10k GVWR enclosed trailer for towing my racecar. It's probably overkill, but my friend fried a transmission with his F150 towing similar. Low revs and exhaust brake for California and Rocky Mountains was why I went Cummins. Payload shows as 1950# online according from VIN, that should be more than enough for my gear and a trailer that's loaded to about 8k. I towed about 5k for the last 4 years with a V6 4Runner, this new truck should make towing much easier.

 

[MikeG]

I needed something that could pull a 30-32 ft travel trailer safely but also be my daily driver. Like the story of Goldilocks and the 3 bears, a 1500 was too small and a 3500 was too big, but the 2500 was just right.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Why a ram 2500?

Because it was by far the best value.

I had a Ford F-150 with 65k miles on it that needed major engine work so I was in the market to replace it.

Needing a crew cab 4x4 truck that was capable of towing ~ 10k rating (I tow ~6500) nothing beat the 2500 tradesman.

for what I paid for my ram ( $39,101 ) I couldn’t even find a half ton truck that checked all the boxes, yet the 2500 tradesman did.

 

[willard]

Because is was cheaper than the 3500. Real reason. I do not tow more than 7000 lbs. I bought it for my slide in camper I will be hauling (my payload is almost 3000 lbs) that weighs in at about 1500 lbs loaded.
The 3500 would have been overkill.
Mine is my daily driver as well so the on road manners empty made a difference being coil sprung in the rear.

As I purchased mine right off the lot, there was not a lot of 3500's in the area that were crew cab, long box, Tradesman, single rear wheel, gas (I did not want diesel and wanted the 4.10 gears) and any color but white at the time.

 

[Madmax]

The best thing about being an American, is we are free to choose whatever we want - that's why!

But also I like the daily driver ride of a 2500 and the exhaust brake for pulling a 10K trailer. If I was pulling a 5th wheel it would be 3500 all the way. 2500's are awesome if you have a large boat or bumper pull trailer.

 

[Gondul]

2500 gasser is all I needed...

 

[wjcook68]

I went 2500 because the wife and I are eventually getting a travel trailer in the 28-30 ft range and because the RAM 2500 Tradesman 6.4 Hemi got better mpg than my old F150 5.4 with the 4 speed auto. Plus the RAM was literally in the same price range as the new F150. The 2500 is heavier duty and after 8 months I have zero regrets.

 

[Firebird]

My trailer is only 9000 pounds, and my 2500 tows 17,037 pounds, so it is plenty of truck for the job at hand.

 

[jerryw1000]

Had a 2015 Chevy 3500 dually. Got tired of running over curbs on right hand turns and having to park in the lower 40 acres anywhere I went. Bought a 2020 Ram 2500 Hemi 4x4 standard bed. I figured it would tote any 34 ft. or less 5th wheel I buy just fine.

 

[Brutal_HO]

LOL. "you Americans" and a bunch of kanucks with 2500's responded.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

LOL. "you Americans" and a bunch of kanucks with 2500's responded.

Eh some of us are bad at following the rules lol

 

[THC1]

The reason I am looking for one is because I plan to get an in between trailer, maybe in the 7k-8k pound range. While it will be in the specs of a half ton towing capability, by the time I load my family and all the other stuff in the truck, it will likely run out of payload. The 2500 should have a better ride and I don't need a diesel for what I plan to do with it. But if someone is getting a diesel, I don't see how it would work with a 2500 with it only having around 2000 pounds of payload.

Same here.....I currently have a 15' GMC with the 6.2 engine and HD tow package bringing the vehicle to a rated 11,800 towing capacity. I pull a 35', 8,000 lb TT plus gear. While I'm well within the capability, and the truck seems to do fine, I still feel like the camper moves me around a lot and I'm tired of white knuckle driving through Houston on my way to the beach! No need for a diesel, just wanted a heavier, more capable truck so I ordered the gasser with 4:10 gears. Truck is due to arrive in two weeks.

 

[silver billet]

LOL. "you Americans" and a bunch of kanucks with 2500's responded.

The best part is, that he thinks us Canadians are any different.

 

[RV_Goose]

It seems the 2500's get put down alot on this forum but honestly they pull great for anything less than a big 5th wheel. I don't own now nor do I ever plan on buying a camper of any kind.

My 2500 Cummins pulls my flatbed trailers (12ft, 16ft, 24ft) great and I can load up our ATV's, SXS's and maybe even a Jeep or the occasional motorcycle. I also use my truck to haul cattle for my family's ranch a few times a year.

Also, as most folks have said they're ok for the daily driver.

Quoting facts are not a put down. Because RAM went for folks who cannot handle a truck ride and reduced the capacity of most 2500s since 2014. The 1500s use most of the available capacity for fancy doodads, to the point that myself and three friends and a Yeti cooler puts it over capacity. Now 2500s can carry the same folks and two Yeti coolers.

 

[Carpenterhow]

Quoting facts are not a put down. Because RAM went for folks who cannot handle a truck ride and reduced the capacity of most 2500s since 2014. The 1500s us most of the available capacity for fancy doodads, to the point that myself and three friends and a Yeti cooler puts it over capacity. Now 2500s can carry the same folks and two Yeti coolers.

Yeti coolers are pretty heavy when loaded with beer.

 

[Epsilon Plus]

Muh reasons:

-Payload is over rated. The GAWR on a Cummins 2500 is far more capable than what the payload Nazis will tell you it is.
-Dealers stock lots of nice 2500s because 3500s are generally looked at as work trucks. This is probably location dependent, but down here in a very large metro area (5+ million), the vast majority of HD pickups are 3/4 ton crew cab 4x4s. That's what sells, that's what's stocked. The 3500s are mostly all work truck white and strippers. Either that or fully loaded Limited/Platinum/Denalis. No middle ground. Either Uncle Jesse or Boss Hogg. No Enos Strate.
-Coil spring rear suspension is great for DD which mine is.
-My heaviest trailer so far is a 7,600lb GVW TT that when fully watered and loaded squats my stock coils less than a 1/2 inch.

Ram's are a different fish because of the rear coils. In the GM/Ford world there isn't much difference. When I researched the difference on my 2014 2500 HD Sierra, the difference was only a single part number. An overload spring in the rear for each side, that was it. All that being said, I would have been good with a 3500 in GM/Ford if they were stocked (again, they aren't, at least the "middle class" ones). In Ram, the coils would have kept me in 2500 land.

No plans to buy a $80,000 triple axle 5er toy hauler. The 2500 will easily tow any other trailer I'll ever have. A big TT, a hydraulic dump trailer, utility trailer...etc. It will easily carry anything I would ever consider putting in the bed. A 3500 Ram would have no purpose for me other than rattling my teeth out more unnecessarily and making the wife dislike the truck. She's good with it now (as soon as I put on the AMP steps anyway), any more bumpy and she would be complaining too much on trips for my liking

 

[Epsilon Plus]

While I'm in here, BEHOLD! The magic payload checkbox for the GM twins caught in the wild! Simply click this button, and with no mechanical changes whats-so-ever, your payload INCREASES!

GM MAGIC!



Now, tell me more about how the 10,000lb artificial GVWR cap is is not artificial. Come on, justify those leaf sprung tank purchases! Come at me!

 

[RV_Goose]

Muh reasons:

-Payload is over rated. The GAWR on a Cummins 2500 is far more capable than what the payload Nazis will tell you it is.
-Dealers stock lots of nice 2500s because 3500s are generally looked at as work trucks. This is probably location dependent, but down here in a very large metro area (5+ million), the vast majority of HD pickups are 3/4 ton crew cab 4x4s. That's what sells, that's what's stocked. The 3500s are mostly all work truck white and strippers. Either that or fully loaded Limited/Platinum/Denalis. No middle ground. Either Uncle Jesse or Boss Hogg. No Enos Strate.
-Coil spring rear suspension is great for DD which mine is.
-My heaviest trailer so far is a 7,600lb GVW TT that when fully watered and loaded squats my stock coils less than a 1/2 inch.

Ram's are a different fish because of the rear coils. In the GM/Ford world there isn't much difference. When I researched the difference on my 2014 2500 HD Sierra, the difference was only a single part number. An overload spring in the rear for each side, that was it. All that being said, I would have been good with a 3500 in GM/Ford if they were stocked (again, they aren't, at least the "middle class" ones). In Ram, the coils would have kept me in 2500 land.

No plans to buy a $80,000 triple axle 5er toy hauler. The 2500 will easily tow any other trailer I'll ever have. A big TT, a hydraulic dump trailer, utility trailer...etc. It will easily carry anything I would ever consider putting in the bed. A 3500 Ram would have no purpose for me other than rattling my teeth out more unnecessarily and making the wife dislike the truck. She's good with it now (as soon as I put on the AMP steps anyway), any more bumpy and she would be complaining too much on trips for my liking

Advantage to being in NC perhaps. My 2020 RAM 3500 Tradesman is nicely equipped and $52.5k. Not a vinyl work truck, which I used to buy, with crank windows.