Need help! Which trim for road trips + towing a car? New or used?

[pewpew3k1]

Hello!

I am looking for a pick-up to be my primary car and to tow my sports car (3k lb) to the track. I live in NYC so won't need it day to day, but will go on long road trips with it. Planning on towing to Road Atlanta which is 800 miles away.

There are a TON of trims and options and I don't quite know what to pick. Here are things I like:
- Tow a car on open trailer, and possibly enclosed. Enclosed is 7k lb, open would be less. Do I need a 2500 for this?
- Adaptive cruise, blindspot monitors, emergency braking etc
- Crew cab with nice interior for passengers.

Is it easier to buy new or used? I'm willing to fly out and drive the truck back.

 

[Waitforit0045]

To be honest, all of your criteria can be met with a base level truck with one or two packages thrown on it. I have the Hemi and have towed 7000 pounds a little way and it still works fine. You will take a hit on gas though. If you're driving that much I'd probably go toward the EcoDiesel with the tow package.

Everything outside of that is mostly Creature Comforts. Get something you're good with long-term. I bought a used Laramie that gave me way more than what I was looking for but I saved about 20K so look for good deals because they are out there. Spend time and look for what you need and then what you want. Happy searching

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[ElkoNV]

Welcome to the forum, there a lot of great people and resources here.
If you are primarily going to be towing consider the ecodiesel and make sure you get 3.92 gears. The Ecodiesel will have much better fuel economy towing, and if you are considering a 7K trailer the 3.92's will be the way to go. A 1500 will tow 7K, a 2500 will tow it better.
Several trims are not available with BSM right now because of the chip shortage, you may need to order a higher trim.
If ordering check out the first page of this thread for all kinds of tips to get the best deal. There are several high volume dealers listed and they just sell trucks they don't screw around. I personally used Denis Dillon I am west coast guy, Arron in Louisiana has gotten rave reviews on here for his prices and helping customers.

How to Get the Best Price on Your New Ram

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Again, welcome!

 

[pewpew3k1]

Thank you! Sounds like a 1500 will do. From what I read it's much more maneuverable and comfortable than 2500, which is a big plus in NYC.

I want to get the truck ASAP, so wouldn't order custom, just grab something off the lot.

Seems like the options to have for me are:
- Crew cab, 4x4
- V8 (don't care as much about a few mpg)
- LED lights
- 3.92 gears
- Trailer brake group

 

[ElkoNV]

Thank you! Sounds like a 1500 will do. From what I read it's much more maneuverable and comfortable than 2500, which is a big plus in NYC.

I want to get the truck ASAP, so wouldn't order custom, just grab something off the lot.

Seems like the options to have for me are:
- Crew cab, 4x4
- V8 (don't care as much about a few mpg)
- LED lights
- 3.92 gears
- Trailer brake group

You also mentioned adaptive cruise and emergency braking so look for the advanced safety groups. Those are nice features.

 

[millerbjm]

For the enclosed trailer I'd look at Big Horn with the Hemi either with or without etorque. Add the advanced safety package for all the stuff you mentioned. If you go up to higher trims and options keep an eye on payload for a trailer that heavy.

 

[IvoryHemi]

Thank you! Sounds like a 1500 will do. From what I read it's much more maneuverable and comfortable than 2500, which is a big plus in NYC.

I want to get the truck ASAP, so wouldn't order custom, just grab something off the lot.

Seems like the options to have for me are:
- Crew cab, 4x4
- V8 (don't care as much about a few mpg)
- LED lights
- 3.92 gears
- Trailer brake group

I would add the 33-gallon gas tank to that list for all that towing

 

[highgear2005]

Pay attention to the pay load! My level 2 bighorn has a 1775 payload. This is important for towing! I’d recommend 5.7 with 3.92 gears, the 33 gallon fuel tank and led head lights.


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[pewpew3k1]

So test drove the RAM 1500 and F-150 -- with the RAM my right knee was hitting the dash, and it was very difficult to get comfortable. I'm only 6'2" and surprised this was a problem. Did I miss something?

F-150 fit like a glove, but I prefer the look, interior and drive quality of the RAM

 

[IvoryHemi]

So test drove the RAM 1500 and F-150 -- with the RAM my right knee was hitting the dash, and it was very difficult to get comfortable. I'm only 6'2" and surprised this was a problem. Did I miss something?

F-150 fit like a glove, but I prefer the look, interior and drive quality of the RAM

Hitting the dash or the center console? Did you adjust the gas/brake pedals?

I’m 6’3”, for me it’s the seat all way the back, and the back of the bottom cushion all the way down, plus adjusting the pedals all the way towards the floor for more leg extension.

 

[Fatherof3]

So test drove the RAM 1500 and F-150 -- with the RAM my right knee was hitting the dash, and it was very difficult to get comfortable. I'm only 6'2" and surprised this was a problem. Did I miss something?

F-150 fit like a glove, but I prefer the look, interior and drive quality of the RAM

Looks and drive quality aren’t that great if you can’t get comfortable driving it . Everyone’s different and what some people find extremely comfortable someone else may find it terrible .

 

[Andymax]

I'd agree that you should check the seat/pedal adjustability for best fit and comfort. Im' only 5'11 but I've had three other drivers, alll6'2" plus and none of them mentioned their knees hitting.

Given your wish list, I'd look for a used Laramie with the Advanced Safety Package. Gives you a lot of comfort features, plus the safety features. I do long road trips for my job and for me the Heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, LED headlights, etc have become indispensable to me. If you use AutoTrader.com or Cargurus.com, etc for searching, click on Adaptive Cruise Control as a search option and on the RAM that means you get the whole safety package. CAUTION - you have to verify for yourself if a truck actually has it by using the pictures, as too many dealers list it, but the vehicle doesn't actually have it. I think Used Ram Searching became a part time job for many months for me...but I was finally able to find damn near exactly what I was looking for and had to go a state over to get it, but I too was willing to fly and drive it home.

 

[pMak26]

Pretty sure I can weigh in here as I bought my RAM specifically for road tripping tows of the race cars (I have a few). After a bit of research, I decided the hemi was better for my needs than the diesel. You can come to your own conclusions, but from what I have seen, the mpg while towing with the diesel isn't much better than the gasser. Unloaded, the diesel mpg is better. However, I watched a ton of reviews, and drove the gasser and the diesel (in both 3.21 and 3.92 ratios). I was dead set on the diesel before going down the rabbit hole of research. I purchased the hemi.

Tows great, fairly effortless with only 3000lb racecar and a 1250lb open aluminum trailer.

So, step one is to figure out what options you want. These things can be fairly loaded (see my sig), so figure out what is important to you. Since you plan to tow, 33g fuel tank is an must for your sanity. Air suspension is a super nice perk, and IMO well worth it. Since we live in and will be towing in hilly areas, I went with the 3.92 gears. I do believe you could get away with 3.21 without any issue, but it will hunt for gears more on those hills.

After that it's all about what creature comforts you want. Since we're only towing cars, we can get away with loading the truck up with all the goodies and not running into a payload/tow cap issue.

New VS used: If you plan on buying this year, you are not going to have much luck finding a 'deal' either way. I did nation wide searches to find my truck. When I was looking, I found 12 trucks in the country that had the options I wanted. 12. That's it. Most were in texas. If you are less picky than I, you'll have an easier time. Good luck

 

[4x4Laramie]

Something wasn't adjusted on the seat. I am 6'5" and my seat isn't even all the way back and I have plenty of room...

 

[pewpew3k1]

This is super helpful, thank you all. I did not try to adjust the pedals, did not think of it. Will try again.

 

[GTLimited]

7k lbs and all the creature comforts and towing comfortably?

For me, that'd be a 2500 Megacab primarily for extra payload headroom and less tail-wagging-the-dog hauling 7k lbs long distances.

 

[Dragonmaster13]

7000lbs = sweet spot with the 1500. I tow heavier at about 7500-7600 with a decent WDH over the last 9 years and have had no issues in a 4th gen 1500. The 5th gen is even more capable gaining a few hundred pounds in the payload department with the same options. The one issue you can plan on having towing that weight with a Hemi is cracked exhaust manifold or broken exhaust manifold bolts due to common header rail. The only way to solve long term is with aftermarket shorty headers. The benefit is that you’ll gain some mpg and power with them after dropping $2k if you have them installed. Good luck.


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