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Question: About to trade my 1500 for a 3500, need to get your opinion/help (maybe buying tomorrow)

The Helpful Badger

The Helpful Badger

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So, back in Nov/Dec I bought my RAM 1500 Classic SLT with the intention of pulling my RV. (I've since been corrected and understand a bit more. Oops.)
I found online through cargurus a 2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab and have verified the VIN with the RamTrucks site that it can in fact pull 17k/lbs (more than necessary for my RV).
@devildodge was very helpful and provided their insight, and I can and would love to have y'alls thoughts before I go visit the dealer tomorrow (Sat 27th Mar).

Here's the link to the sale page w/ specs and details. Please don't hold back with your advice or comments. I need as much information as I can get!

Used Cars for Sale Near Me - CarGurus

Search used car listings to find the best deals. Use the best tools & resources to help with your purchase. We analyze millions of used cars daily.
www.cargurus.com www.cargurus.com

-Ryan
 
If you're looking to go diesel then go for it if it's what you're set on. Maintenance is more costly but you will likely get better fuel mileage while towing. Unloaded it might be a wash between diesel and gas.
A 3500 will not be as nice of a daily as a 2500 will be, but a 2500 diesel will not have good payload for towing a camper. Ride is all subjective anyways.

I made the jump to a 2019 2500 6.4 a month ago because it just made sense to do it now and get it over with before my 1500 lost any more value. I have a 32' trailer that's 7700 gvwr.

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That's kind of where I am at now too. My RV max GVWR is 7,500. But my GCWR for my 1500 is 13,800. Me, the family, and basic stuff I'd need for traveling puts me at or about 100lbs over that.

So I'm looking to get this 3500 based on towing capacity. I'm not worried so much about using it as a DD (which I will). My wife is nervous that it's got the 125k miles on it. I've also seen diesels that have 300+k miles and are fine.

As far as maintenance goes I don't know enough about diesels tbh. I change my oil and air filters on my gas cars often, and I do know diesels have some other nuances too but not sure what they are! ::noob alert::

From the photos can you see/tell if anything looks amiss? What are some things I should ask about when I get there?

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You will also have fuel filters to change.
Correct, while diesel engines typically last longer, the rest of the truck may not hold up as well. They're known for being harder on suspension parts.

I don't have any personal experience owning one, but you can hit up hdrams.com or some of the other Cummins forums. I'm sure there's plenty of reading to be done

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I wouldn’t sweat being 100 lbs over. To me, a 3500 diesel seems overkill for only a 7500 lb TT. Now if you have your eye on upgrading the camper in the near future that’s a different story
 
I had also considered that. However the max load I would be able to have in the truck/camper is the absolute bare minimum one could expect to bring on a trip. Meaning, bedding, a couple days clothes, maybe a case of water, and tools. Doesn't include a bunch of food or pretty much anything else. It would basically be like whatever you could carry in a ruck sack for backpacking.

Not at all what I was expecting. So yeah, not sweating being over by 100. Except when I try to go cross country and go up/over the rockies.

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The truck looks really clean. I’ve never owned a a diesel but I’ve worked on them. I think you’ll be very happy with that truck. I didn’t see it does it have Aisin transmission?


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Mustangmike66 said:
The truck looks really clean. I’ve never owned a a diesel but I’ve worked on them. I think you’ll be very happy with that truck. I didn’t see it does it have Aisin transmission?


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Click to expand...
Tbh I'm not sure? I know @devildodge has some cards up his sleeve that could probably provide us the build sheet. I'll look to see what I can find.

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Mustangmike66 said:
The truck looks really clean. I’ve never owned a a diesel but I’ve worked on them. I think you’ll be very happy with that truck. I didn’t see it does it have Aisin transmission?


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Click to expand...
Has a 6-speed Automatic 68RFE transmission.

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I just read a post from someone with an ecodiesel. He said that dealer oil changes are something like $250.00 and that the oil filter alone was $90.00. It also holds more oil that the gas engines. Since you do your own oil changes, the price will be considerably less. I was just surprised that the oil filter was so much!
 
The Helpful Badger said:
So, back in Nov/Dec I bought my RAM 1500 Classic SLT with the intention of pulling my RV. (I've since been corrected and understand a bit more. Oops.)
I found online through cargurus a 2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab and have verified the VIN with the RamTrucks site that it can in fact pull 17k/lbs (more than necessary for my RV).
@devildodge was very helpful and provided their insight, and I can and would love to have y'alls thoughts before I go visit the dealer tomorrow (Sat 27th Mar).

Here's the link to the sale page w/ specs and details. Please don't hold back with your advice or comments. I need as much information as I can get!

Used Cars for Sale Near Me - CarGurus

Search used car listings to find the best deals. Use the best tools & resources to help with your purchase. We analyze millions of used cars daily.
www.cargurus.com www.cargurus.com

-Ryan
Click to expand...
get a cash offer price from car max dealers will honor their estmate & its usualy higher than the dealers offer
 
jdefoe0424 said:
If you're looking to go diesel then go for it if it's what you're set on. Maintenance is more costly but you will likely get better fuel mileage while towing. Unloaded it might be a wash between diesel and gas.
A 3500 will not be as nice of a daily as a 2500 will be, but a 2500 diesel will not have good payload for towing a camper. Ride is all subjective anyways.

I made the jump to a 2019 2500 6.4 a month ago because it just made sense to do it now and get it over with before my 1500 lost any more value. I have a 32' trailer that's 7700 gvwr.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
^this
 
devildodge said:
If you test drive it today and they can get close on the deal....you are coming home with it.
Click to expand...
ha ha.
My bro' LOVES his Cummins (he had a 14' 2500 Duramax that he had nothing but problems with on emissions) but I can't remember (age) if its a SRW 3500 or a 2500. I'd have thought the 3500 since he has a big 5ver and that's over 2K of pin weight. Anyway, yes you'll be happy except for 13 qts of Rotella and fuel filters... It does eat some DEF as well. He gets 9-10 towing his trailer which I think maxes out at 15K.
 
Yangster said:
I just read a post from someone with an ecodiesel. He said that dealer oil changes are something like $250.00 and that the oil filter alone was $90.00. It also holds more oil that the gas engines. Since you do your own oil changes, the price will be considerably less. I was just surprised that the oil filter was so much!
Click to expand...
I posted the $199 ecodiesel and $119 Cummins MOPAR/FCA coupon links on some diesel oil change thread here last week.
 
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