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Going to order a 21 Big Horn

Redtrucks

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Going to order a Big Horn 4x4 crew 6'4" box North addition, 5.7 hemi, LED lights, 20" wheels, BUG, bucket seats, blind spot, and 3.21. My biggest decision was the rear end. and painted bumpers. I was pretty set on a 3.92 but when comparing my F150 crew with a 5.0 and 3.55 the 3.21 was a good fit as my heaviest load that I will pull is a 5500 pound boat or enclosed sled trailer. Anything else I should think about before ordering?
 

Scram1500

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Does the North come with a locking rear end? That would be the only thing, maybe 33 gallon if you drive far. Sounds like a nice set up (y)
 

Redtrucks

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Yes 33 gallon tank is a must and the north comes with a locking rear.
 

Luxy72462

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I’d get the 3.92s and not even second guess it. 5500 lbs or not the 3.92 is night and day when towing. I’ve had both and the fuel economy difference is minimal.


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Redtrucks

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I’d get the 3.92s and not even second guess it. 5500 lbs or not the 3.92 is night and day when towing. I’ve had both and the fuel economy difference is minimal.

What is your fuel economy with 3.92?


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mikeru82

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Going to order a Big Horn 4x4 crew 6'4" box North addition, 5.7 hemi, LED lights, 20" wheels, BUG, bucket seats, blind spot, and 3.21. My biggest decision was the rear end. and painted bumpers. I was pretty set on a 3.92 but when comparing my F150 crew with a 5.0 and 3.55 the 3.21 was a good fit as my heaviest load that I will pull is a 5500 pound boat or enclosed sled trailer. Anything else I should think about before ordering?
Good decision on the LED lighting upgrade and 33 gallon fuel tank. The North Edition looks like a great deal for what it gives you.
 

Redtrucks

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I should add that I tow my boat twice a year once to the lake for the summer and then back in the fall. Pretty much flat terrain except when getting close to the lake 120 miles total. Pulling a sled trailer might be once a twice a year 2000 miles out to Montana or Wyoming. The sled trailer is about 4000 pounds loaded. So I don’t do a lot of heavy towing that’s why I was looking at the 3.21. My f150 with a 3.55 pulls ok and looking at the rear ratio comparison between the f150 and the ram 3.21 the advantage seems to go with the 3.21. Like I stated earlier this is my biggest hang up.
 

Scram1500

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Having had both rear ends in similar trucks and still driving the same rural roads, my average mpg is the same with 3.92. The highway cruising at 80 mph is where the 3.92 gobbles gas. If you keep it at or below 2000 rpm (approximately 70-72 mph) you'll easily get 20 mpg
 

brian42

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Are you getting an Equipment Group package?

I wanted a Laramie but dropped down to a Big Horn to be able to afford all the options I wanted. The Level 2 helped offset the model drop. I really like the 7" EVIC.
 

SCasey89

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Like others have said, I’d go with the 3.92. I’ve had both, and the 3.92 is just a downright more enjoyable truck to drive. I hated the 3.21 in my 2017 as it was always downshifting...even on the slightest incline.

You always read and hear about guys wanting to upgrade to the 3.92 from the 3.21...not the other way around.

I only have about 2,500 miles on the truck, but so far, gas mileage on the 3.92 is pretty on par with the 3.21. On the highway I’ve gotten up to 20 mpg... around town I’m around 15 mpg. I don’t tow, but still went with the 3.92. I’d rather sacrifice a minuscule amount of mpg and have a much more enjoyable truck to drive.
 

hoodac78

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Agree on the 3.92. It's always nice to have a little more capability than you need. I tow a 29' holiday trailer which is about 7600lbs fully loaded. I average around 12-13mpg when towing. Just putting around the city, I'm closer to 19mpg according to the lie-o-meter in the truck. I haven't done any long highway trips yet in it, but I have no doubt I could get over 20mpg in it no problem. Just my two cents. Either way, its your money and you are the one who has to be happy with it!
Other than that, the larger fuel tank and air ride was a must for me......love the truck being able to level itself out! Happy hunting!
 

2 Pulled Hammys

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Like others have said, I’d go with the 3.92. I’ve had both, and the 3.92 is just a downright more enjoyable truck to drive. I hated the 3.21 in my 2017 as it was always downshifting...even on the slightest incline.

You always read and hear about guys wanting to upgrade to the 3.92 from the 3.21...not the other way around.

I only have about 2,500 miles on the truck, but so far, gas mileage on the 3.92 is pretty on par with the 3.21. On the highway I’ve gotten up to 20 mpg... around town I’m around 15 mpg. I don’t tow, but still went with the 3.92. I’d rather sacrifice a minuscule amount of mpg and have a much more enjoyable truck to drive.
I haven't bought...yet, but this best sums up how I feel. When I first started researching these trucks I was CERTAIN that I wanted the 3.21 to maximize MPG's as I don't tow anything. After test driving both, the 3.92 felt way more lively and powerful all throughout to me, not just from a stop. While they're not the Rockies, I do live somewhat in the mountains and hills and I don't do much highway driving, so when I pull the trigger, it'll be a truck with the 3.92.

OP - If you do a lot of flat highway driving at high speeds the 3.21 may be more beneficial for your use. I'd recommend test driving both to see what you prefer before ordering.
 

Redtrucks

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I tested drove rams with both rear axles and the 3.92 is snappy. Live in ND and the highway speeds are 75-80 and even though it’s a truck I would like to get close to 20 mpg. The landscape is very flat but windy. I’ve talked with guys with both rear axles and each one have different opinions. Ordering the level 2 package.
 

PurpleRT

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I’d get the 3.92s and not even second guess it. 5500 lbs or not the 3.92 is night and day when towing. I’ve had both and the fuel economy difference is minimal.


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This. Spend the extra $100. Wish I knew more years ago when I was shopping for a used truck bought a 2014 ended up with 3.21 eventually second guessed my choices when I drove a similar ram with 3.92. Although I don’t tow often enough I knew it was just a lot more responsive, made sure when I was shopping for a 2020 it was mandatory to have 3.92 and I couldn’t be happier.
 
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Oak Grove

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Interesting to see all the votes for 3.92. I am really wanting to get another camper. Trying to decide if I can pull with my '21 1500 Hemi (no etorque) or should wait a year or 2 until Hubby gets a 2500 so I can get a bigger camper. The 1500 will be my daily driver. I drive 30K+ miles per year.
 

brian42

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I'm happy with my 3.21s.

I don't plan to pull heavy (maybe 3-4K on occasion) so nothing back-breaking. Discounting the GVWR (that's a whole other discussion) the 3.21 is rated to tow around 8100 lbs and the 3.92 over 11,000 lbs. You will cap out on GVWR before meeting those limits though.

I'm coming from a Ford F-250. Regardless of what you tow an 8000 lb truck will be more stable than a 5600 lb truck. For me, If I was towing anything over 7000 lbs regularly I would have stayed in the HD club.

Just my .02
 

ClancyO

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My 19 had the 3.21, my 20 the 3.92. I like the 3.92 better, but ... if your doing 30K a year (especially highway miles) I totally understand the dilemma.. I’m not sure if they changed shift maps, or if it was other programming upgrades, but my 19/3.21was a bit lazy with throttle response and shifts. The 20/3.92 is much more responsive.

I’d drive 2 similar trucks with each rear and decide if you feel a difference.
 

mikeru82

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Interesting to see all the votes for 3.92. I am really wanting to get another camper. Trying to decide if I can pull with my '21 1500 Hemi (no etorque) or should wait a year or 2 until Hubby gets a 2500 so I can get a bigger camper. The 1500 will be my daily driver. I drive 30K+ miles per year.
That would be simple for me. I'd wait until you get the HD, then match up a camper to the more capable truck. Sounds like what you really want is a bigger camper. So if you upgrade your camper now you'll be limited to what your 1500 can tow. And it's likely you'll be unhappy with the new camper once the "newness" wears off. So you might be right back where you are now, wanting another camper.
 

Calsun

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Best value as far as options go is the Off Road Group that upgrades wheels, tires, shocks, and provides rock shields. The BUG seems like a waste of money, but to each his own. I would not buy a truck with tall gearing and ideally I want 4.10 gears but would settle for 3.92. For me the 33-gallon fuel tank while very expensive to add is also the reason I am planning to buy a new Ram within the next few months. The headlight upgrade is also a critical item as the new squashed headlights being use put a lot less light on the highway.

When I priced out the Big Horn with the option packages to make it equal to the Laramie with the same build there was a $5,000 reduction in MSRP with the Big Horn.
 

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