Thread: Tundra or Ram 3500 diesel ?

debating between two. Tundra can pull close to top of what we need ~13,000lbs so for short distances would it be so bad to use tuck rated at 10,000 to pull 13,000?

Other thing we do seem to be putting a lot of miles on truck and a lot of that is with 5-6000lb trailer loads. put on 35k km ( 22K miles) in one year almost all calgary to Golden and back. Difference in price around $5000. for about the same equiped veh. 4x4, quad cab, standard box etc. Its diesel and 15,000 towing capacity vs toyota gas and only 10,000.

dude, there is no question here: you need the larger truck. A 13K trailer is way beyond a tundra's capabilities (and margin of safety). You shouldn't even be thinking about the toyota.

well the 13,000 is only if we need to move the skid steer. that said this weekend having to make 2 -7 hours drives rather than one as current truck can't pull a 10,000 -11,000 load.

Dodge, no doubt. It's a shittier truck, but towing is what it was designed for.

Originally Posted by SkiCop

Dodge, no doubt. It's a shittier truck, but towing is what it was designed for.

AND DIESEL..it will LAST longer

M

Originally Posted by DougW

Other thing we do seem to be putting a lot of miles on truck and a lot of that is with 5-6000lb trailer loads. put on 35k km ( 22K miles) in one year

I think you answered your own question right here. 22K miles per year, much of it with 5-6000lb loads, and occasional 10-13K loads = big diesel.

Not to mention the increased fuel mileage. The Tundra will suck a lot more gas than the ratings when you tow 10,000 lbs, probably in the 8 mpg range.

Originally Posted by DougW

debating between two. Tundra can pull close to top of what we need ~13,000lbs so for short distances would it be so bad to use tuck rated at 10,000 to pull 13,000?

Other thing we do seem to be putting a lot of miles on truck and a lot of that is with 5-6000lb trailer loads. put on 35k km ( 22K miles) in one year almost all calgary to Golden and back. Difference in price around $5000. for about the same equiped veh. 4x4, quad cab, standard box etc. Its diesel and 15,000 towing capacity vs toyota gas and only 10,000.

Well if you pull more than the rated ammount and somethings happens to you, your rigs, or someone else you will be found negligent. Your ins. company will not cover you or the damages you cause. Say hello to chaper 12 and garnished wages!
It would pull it but stopping that load is much more of a concern. The diesel will last longer, hold its value better, and get much better mileage in all conditions.

We haven't had to move skid steer yet... But if it needed a major service that I couldn't do I would have to move it to Calgary as the local guys don't have a clue...... would like toyota .. but thinking have to go 3500

Originally Posted by xtrmjoe

Well if you pull more than the rated ammount and somethings happens to you, your rigs, or someone else you will be found negligent. Your ins. company will not cover you or the damages you cause. Say hello to chaper 12 and garnished wages!
It would pull it but stopping that load is much more of a concern. The diesel will last longer, hold its value better, and get much better mileage in all conditions.

You must be an insurance agent. where do you operate out of?

For your uses, Doug, the Dodge no question. And you know my love affair with Toyota.

Those dodge diesels are brutally loud. All your neighbours will learn to hate you. The fords and gmcs don't seem nearly as bad. Why not one of them? I hate those dodges diesels.

Originally Posted by L7

Those dodge diesels are brutally loud. All your neighbours will learn to hate you. The fords and gmcs don't seem nearly as bad. Why not one of them? I hate those dodges diesels.

New ones aren't bad until the rednecks chip 'em and open the exhaust up.

If you didn't need to pull the 13k I'd say the Tundra. That engine makes smaller trailers vanish from your mind (until you fill the tank). That said, I'd never even try to pull 13k with it. The truck is just not built for it.



I'm glad I have no need to ever pull 13k.

Originally Posted by MTslackcountry

You must be an insurance agent. where do you operate out of?

I am not a agent but have had to deal with to many of them. I am in nor cal. I have a rock crawler 86 full size blazer and am close to the max with my tow rig. When I was shopping for a tow rig I found many incidents about this on the net. You can not change the tow rating your rig comes with from the factory no matter what you do to it. The chassis is rated to tow what the dot/gov/mfg rates it for and not a pound over.

Originally Posted by xtrmjoe

The diesel will last longer, hold its value better, and get much better mileage in all conditions.

Originally Posted by Playharder

New ones aren't bad until the rednecks chip 'em and open the exhaust up.

What these guys said. It's also cool having a truck so much bigger and powerful than a Tundra, AND getting better gas mileage.

Here's my baby-

Originally Posted by xtrmjoe

You can not change the tow rating your rig comes with from the factory no matter what you do to it. The chassis is rated to tow what the dot/gov/mfg rates it for and not a pound over.

I dont' know about California, but in Canada the GVW is fixed -- there's a decal on the driver's door -- but the GCWR (Gross Combined, truck + trailer) is a recomendation and only exists in sales literature. As long as you don't exceed the GVW of your truck or trailer (which has it's own GVW) then you're good. In practice you're limited by the hitch capacity or GVW on a 5th-wheel or gooseneck.

When I was pricing a Diesel RAM via dodge.com and dodge.ca there was a $10K difference but in the US it only came with a 4-auto. In Canada you could get the 6-std, 4-auto, 5-auto, and 6-auto. The 6-auto is sweet with a rocker switch on the column for manual shifting.

Originally Posted by BlurredElevens

It's also cool having a truck so much bigger and powerful than a Tundra, AND getting better gas mileage.

It's not really bigger or more powerful, just built to haul more #. I get around 14 mpg. I could've bought a dodge or a ford, but opted to buy the best truck made.

No dought! THE DIESEL!! Better milage, longer life,and a way better sound.. They hold there value longer.. Treat them right and you will get 300k out of it.

Originally Posted by truth

It's not really bigger or more powerful, just built to haul more #. I get around 14 mpg. I could've bought a dodge or a ford, but opted to buy the best truck made.

If you were to get the biggest, baddest tundra engine available, you'd only get
401 lb torque. My truck has 610 lb torque. I've seen them chipped and modded past 1300.

I'm not going to argue that Toyota makes a good truck though.

Get the Dodge and trade it in for a diesel Tundra once it becomes available, around '09 or 2010.

Take what you will from Wiki:
Heavy Duty Diesel
Toyota Motor Corporation has been eyeing the Ford F-250, and Ford F-350 market for a while now, and they have announced that when the Tundra half-ton sales hit 200,000 units per year they will start production of a Tundra diesel. It may be called the Tundra 2500 , and the Tundra 3500 . It is speculated that Toyota will use a 6.4 liter V10 diesel that will produce anywhere from 380-420 horsepower and around 750 pound feet of torque. Motor Trend, and Car and Driver magazines have reported that production for a heavy-duty Tundra will start anywhere from late 2008 to 2010.

Originally Posted by BlurredElevens

If you were to get the biggest, baddest tundra engine available, you'd only get
401 lb torque. My truck has 610 lb torque. I've seen them chipped and modded past 1300.

I'm not going to argue that Toyota makes a good truck though.

True, but it's not an apples to apples comparison. As Jax pointed out, when the diesel HD Tundra hits the streets there will be no reason to ever suffer in an American truck. Besides, unless you're always hauling large heavy trailers the advantage of the diesel is really questionable given fuel prices, similar mileage and the performance of the Toyota V8.

Originally Posted by truth

Besides, unless you're always hauling large heavy trailers the advantage of the diesel is really questionable given fuel prices, similar mileage and the performance of the Toyota V8.

And if you're not hauling a large heavy trailer, why do you need such a behemoth (w/ diesel or w/ gas, doesn't really matter)?

Oh, and DougW, get the diesel-one.

Originally Posted by hemas

And if you're not hauling a large heavy trailer, why do you need such a behemoth (w/ diesel or w/ gas, doesn't really matter)?

Oh, and DougW, get the diesel-one.

To haul smaller less heavy (under 10k) trailers and stuff like...umm...the 700 lbs of broken concrete that's in the bed right now, or maybe the 20 bales of insulation I hauled down from Logan last Sunday or all the dead hobo's that keep accidentally dying. The list is endless. If I didn't need this rig I sure as shit wouldn't be paying to fill it with gas.

What year is the Dodge are you looking at buying? 6.9l or 5.9l 3rd generation? Or older 24v 5.9l (98-2002)? I have a 3rd generation 2004 dodge, which I would highly recommend if towing is what your looking for. The cummins motor is far superior to the PSDs/Duramaxs in terms of reliability - you just have a cheaper truck built around it. There's a good reason why cummins motors are used as industrial generators (drilling rigs/compressors/construction equip). That being said the newest offerings from ford/GM are supposedly light years ahead of the older stuff. Compared to the tundra every day driving is going to be less enjoyable (solid front axle on dodge makes for a rough ride), but the difference is minor. I wouldn't even consider the tundra for pulling that load - it's unsafe and you will be overheating that tranny which will leave you in a tough spot.

I get 22mpg on the highway (no lift) running at 1850rpm with a 6 speed. See www.oilburners.net forums for all the info you could possibly want to know about diesels.