which truck

[Blue Dogs]

Originally Posted by swannymh

All this input is great , thanks to all of you. I think in the best interest of safety and tow ability we are going to go with the Ram drw 3500 with the asin trans and 4:10 gears in the rear...I believe that should make towing the most comfortable.

It's a great choice if you plan to travel a lot. I'm not sure what Ram offers but if you can I'd go for a little higher rear gear, say a 3.73. With the big horsepower and torque of today's diesels you really don't need 4:10's IMO and your fuel mileage will be noticeably better.

[homeguy]

We are waiting on our new truck. Supposed to be here in September. I even ordered the level system on the truck.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by piper guy

I remember Jim. If I recall Dave and I had both suggested Woodhouse. That's where my SRW turned into a DRW also. Lol

This shows the effectiveness of the forums.....

I was told about Woodhouse on this forum and they ended up with my loved SRW.

Then I told Vaughn about Woodhouse and they got his SRW

Vaughn and I told Jim about Woodhouse and I believe they got his SRW

I guess Woodhouse collects SRW trucks!

[Titan Guy]

Traded a 14 Ram SRW with 3.42 axle, after blowing it up towing from Phoenix to Flagstaff. This was the only axle ration offered. Went back with DRW 4.10 no problems

[Blue Dogs]

Originally Posted by Titan Guy

Traded a 14 Ram SRW with 3.42 axle, after blowing it up towing from Phoenix to Flagstaff. This was the only axle ration offered. Went back with DRW 4.10 no problems

So you are saying that the 3:42 axle ratio cause the Ram to blow up? Being as the engines are governed all that would happen on a steep hill would be slower speeds and a gear lower in the transmission but nothing to cause it to blow up. Had the be a defect and nothing to do with a higher axle. 3.42 is a higher gear than I'd choose for sure though.

[Titan Guy]

Not saying that's what caused it but 3.42 is not a typical towing gear. Truck was 4 months old. I full time and cannot afford the 3 weeks downtime this caused. Love the Ram 3500 this is my 2nd.

[Blue Dogs]

Originally Posted by Titan Guy

Not saying that's what caused it but 3.42 is not a typical towing gear. Truck was 4 months old. I full time and cannot afford the 3 weeks downtime this caused. Love the Ram 3500 this is my 2nd.

They are a sweet truck and will tow a Sherman Tank!

[mstan]

The 3:42 gears are not for heavy towing. Works the engine harder. Thus blown head gasket and other problems. For lighter loads no problem. And better mpg's If you want to tow then 3:73 gears are better. If you want to tow a heavy load best then go with the 4:10. Each gear has its pro's and con's. For towing the 4:10 gears are just hard to beat. For all around towing and running empty. The best of both worlds. 3:73 gears are hard to beat. That is my 2 cents worth

[rob_fla]

Our GMC with the 3.73 Gear Ratio serves us well, plenty of power and decent fuel economy.
Put the truck in "D", turn on the Tow / Haul mode, turn on the Exhaust Brake, turn off the backup warning, sit back and enjoy the ride

[swannymh]

That is why I am heading towards the 4:10 gears, is there really enough mileage gain going to the 3:73 ? Just me but peace of mind is better than a little piece of my wallet.

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by swannymh

That is why I am heading towards the 4:10 gears, is there really enough mileage gain going to the 3:73 ? Just me but peace of mind is better than a little piece of my wallet.

Pulling our 2012 36RL, my 2011 Dodge RAM, 3500, Laramie, CC, Long Bed, SRW with 3:73 averages 9.8 to 11.2 mpg at 60 mph depending on wind and terrain. On level highway with no head wind, it will average 10.8 to 11.2 mpg. Like I previous posted, we pulled over Monarch Pass (11,300 feet) in Colorado with no issue, although, I did not try to push it too hard. About 35 mph going up.

The difference in mpg between 3:73 and 4:10 is a reduction of 1 to 1 1/2 mpg. The difference between SRW and DRW is a reduction of 1 mpg.

[Titan Guy]

Hoosier, Keep that 2011, the 2014 & 2015 do not offer the 3.73 in SRW. Got a good one.

[atom ant]

I tried to limit myself to weight and water because of our SRW, but ended up getting a DRW after buying the Redwood anyway. In hindsight, because I now drive a DRW, I could have got a bigger trailer, even other brands that we ruled out because they were too heavy.

I would say live and learn, but I don't seem to learn because this is the 2nd time I've had to get rid of a perfectly good truck/SUV because I went with too large of a trailer.

[RWJSIM2003]

We have loved the stability and towing power of our F450. Once we upgraded the turbo's and exhaust. I added the H&S tuner it pulls the RW and we avg 11-12mpg towing.