Couple of Questions before Ordering My Truck (heavy duty alternator, dually=better braking?)

I'm hoping to place an order for Ram 3500 diesel in the next week or two, and I've been studying the options. If my end goal is to toy a big 5er, say around 14,500 lbs dry weight, would it be advantageous to purchase any of the following?

a. heavy duty alternator
b. also have option for dual alternators
c. snow prep group, which means heavier springs up front

I'm planning to order a dually for the added towing capacity and braking. But the salesman I've talked to so far said the dually doesn't have extra braking capacity. Is that true? I'm planning to order the dually, but I'm just curious if he is right.

Thanks.

Welcome to the forum. You've come to a great community.

A dually does not have extra braking. Unless you'll be using a snow plow, you don't need the snow prep. Heavy duty alternator o.k. but not two.

Remember, the more options and equipment you add to the truck reduces the towing capacity.

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I went for the snow prep group as it offers the 180amp alternator and skid plate for the transfer case. I thought it was worth the relatively low price. We do, on occasion, drive through fields where a little protection for the underside can't hurt. (I wasn't aware thay you get different front springs with it too!) The "Max Tow" package on our '12 model included dual tranny coolers, a differential cooler (just a finned back cover as far as I can tell) and 4.10 gears.
If I had to reorder today I'd keep the same options!

loudounrv said:

I'm hoping to place an order for Ram 3500 diesel in the next week or two, and I've been studying the options. If my end goal is to toy a big 5er, say around 14,500 lbs dry weight, would it be advantageous to purchase any of the following?

a. heavy duty alternator
b. also have option for dual alternators
c. snow prep group, which means heavier springs up front

I'm planning to order a dually for the added towing capacity and braking. But the salesman I've talked to so far said the dually doesn't have extra braking capacity. Is that true? I'm planning to order the dually, but I'm just curious if he is right.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

I say yes on all accounts !!!

I would like to pose a question about the dually. Even tho the brakes are the same on the dually as they are on the single wheel truck, if you get into a situation where you are panic stopping I would rather have 6 wheels on the ground than 4. JMHO


dave

Hope you don't run into the same problem we did. We have always pulled with a single rear wheel 3500 Ram and after selling our last truck, off we went to the dodge dealership to order a new SRW 3500. Well, after sitting down and putting together all that we wanted on the truck, the sale manager who is a friend of our, said that truck orders were taking average 9 weeks. OOOPS we need it before then. The last truck we ordered (09 3500 dodge ram) only took 6 weeks. The 6 weeks window would have worked for us this time but not 9 weeks. Long story short, we went to the dark side and ended up with a dually.

loudounrv said:

I'm hoping to place an order for Ram 3500 diesel in the next week or two, and I've been studying the options. If my end goal is to toy a big 5er, say around 14,500 lbs dry weight, would it be advantageous to purchase any of the following?

a. heavy duty alternator
b. also have option for dual alternators
c. snow prep group, which means heavier springs up front

I'm planning to order a dually for the added towing capacity and braking. But the salesman I've talked to so far said the dually doesn't have extra braking capacity. Is that true? I'm planning to order the dually, but I'm just curious if he is right.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

At the minimum I would order the HD alternator. Relatively inexpensive compared to deciding to do it down the road.
I ordered the dual alternators for my truck just because. But I also use inverters for remote power access and wanted the cushion the dual alternators added.

With Fords the snow plow prep mainly increases the spring rate, along with a couple of other minor things.
Unless you are going to put a plow on the truck, I would think about that one.

You are going to increase the ride stiffness and without the plow never take advantage of that extra spring rate.
On my truck, F-350 DRW, I have weighed the truck with and without the trailer.
The front axle load only increases 40 pounds with the trailer attached.

When I bought my GMC 2500HD and my F-350 DRW it was quite easy to find the brake specs as well as seeing that the brakes were different sizes between the series, both diameter and swept area.

The 2014 Ram specs are very vague on brake specs, didn't see anything in the 2014 brochure.

I drove a 3500 crew DRW with the snow plow prep and it rode real nice. I ordered mine with it to get the bigger alt. for not much more. Helps with the electrical load of all the heated seats and everything else. Sorry I don't remember the cost difference.
I didn't choose the dual alternators for ease of getting a belt 8 years down the road on a Saturday morning in my drive way, JMO.
I just like the comfort of a dually. Not sure of extra braking specs. Would think there would be some difference given the added mass of the extra wheels, again just my opinion.

My salesmen told me 10 weeks, just received an email being built already this week, should be here end of March with shipping. Feel free to PM me.