Ford 450 vs Ram 3500
- Thread starter Lindstrom1950
- Start date
ramdually4100king
Well-known member
You want to buy in 2018. Fully loaded.
Ram $70000
Ford $75000
Next year 2019
Ram $70000
Ford $100000+
My two cents. The one ford I’ve ever owned ford wouldn’t stand behind their products. The leather seats started cracking in first month. Ford said normal wear and tare and wouldn’t replace. I fixed it with a Home Depot product and sold it after three months.
Dodge/Ram has always fixed issues for me while in warranty.
Good luck with your choice.
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Ram $70000
Ford $75000
Next year 2019
Ram $70000
Ford $100000+
My two cents. The one ford I’ve ever owned ford wouldn’t stand behind their products. The leather seats started cracking in first month. Ford said normal wear and tare and wouldn’t replace. I fixed it with a Home Depot product and sold it after three months.
Dodge/Ram has always fixed issues for me while in warranty.
Good luck with your choice.
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Bones
Well-known member
the 100 k truck is a top tier truck.
Not sure what year your Ford was, but I owned 3 F series since 2009 and never had one issue getting any warranty work completed. The only reason I have a Ram now is strictly based on the price I was able to get it for.
They all have their little nuances just like RV’s so one just needs to be flexible.
khuffmanjr
Member
Yes. The RAM 3500 with appropriate cab and drive configuration with the HO 6.7 Cummins and Aisin tranny combo in 4.10 rear axle ratio has the highest advertised/spec'd fifth wheel towing as of now.
For my 2 cents, I'm not a Ford guy, but boy do they look good. My RAM does the job and I can't seem to stray away from a Cummins motor. I'd say drive them both and get the most comfortable one. As was stated already, comfort may be the biggest factor in whether you love your truck. I know I'm not comfortable in Fords...my elbows don't reach anywhere to rest them while driving with my seat raised to a comfortable level. Not sure if it short upper arms or that I just keep my seat higher. But I'd stick with Cummins anyway.
As for the prices....yeah, Ford is crazy. If the purchase price of my next truck tops $100k then it d@mned well better be a new Freightliner Sportchassis RHA-450 (M2-112). RAM seems to price just right for my tastes.
But to each their own. Good luck!
Ken
Lindstrom1950
Senior Member
Hi Ken, I’m driving a 2012 Ram 3500 dually now and haven’t had any problems but I like the bells and whistles that Ford offers
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david-steph2018
Well-known member
We own a Road Warrior 427 and carry a gas power golf cart when we travel. So loaded out I would guess a little over 19,500 lbs with everything in it. We tow with a 2017 Ram 3500 which has the 6.7 Asian HO transmission and 4:10 rear end. We went to Dauphin Island Al, Pensacola , and Stone Mountain Ga for 3 week vacation in June from Ohio. Going up Jellico Mt Tn on I-75 the Ram walked right up there a good 55mph. No issues going thru the mountains at all and out on flat ground the Ram did not know the 427 was even behind it.
wdk450
Well-known member
Admittedly I am a RAM/Cummins owner, but just reflecting on all of the tow vehicle problem postings I have read on this forum over the 9 years I have been on it, it seems to me I can remember some postings on Ford Diesel problems and next to nothing on RAM/Cummins problems.
I have 180K miles on my 2004 RAM/Cummins 5.9 6 cylinder. I have replaced water pumps twice (twice because the mechanic went cheapo on the first one), and just had most of the engine compartment components of the air conditioning replaced today, although the Freon leak was just in the compressor. That and having the valves adjusted at 100K is all the major maintenance it has had. I use XDP Diesel Power Plus fuel additive ( https://www.xtremediesel.com/xdp-diesel-power-plus-fuel-additive-xtremedieselcom ) and installed a cleanable, reusable, oversized air filter that completely fills the intake air box ( https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-10276-aem-dryflow-air-filter-03-12-59l-67l-dodge-cummins.aspx ) . Oh yeah, I've changed the serpentine belt twice now just because I want to do my best to prevent getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. The belts were probably perfectly fine.
I have 180K miles on my 2004 RAM/Cummins 5.9 6 cylinder. I have replaced water pumps twice (twice because the mechanic went cheapo on the first one), and just had most of the engine compartment components of the air conditioning replaced today, although the Freon leak was just in the compressor. That and having the valves adjusted at 100K is all the major maintenance it has had. I use XDP Diesel Power Plus fuel additive ( https://www.xtremediesel.com/xdp-diesel-power-plus-fuel-additive-xtremedieselcom ) and installed a cleanable, reusable, oversized air filter that completely fills the intake air box ( https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/p-10276-aem-dryflow-air-filter-03-12-59l-67l-dodge-cummins.aspx ) . Oh yeah, I've changed the serpentine belt twice now just because I want to do my best to prevent getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. The belts were probably perfectly fine.
khuffmanjr
Member
Just to throw in with the "Cummins have no problems" sentiment, I'd like to add that I have had three of the post-2007.5 6.7L cummins motors. The motors themselves have NEVER had an issue for me. I have replaced one water pump, and various LED lights in the cabin or switches or what-have-you have failed over the years but only the water pump had me stopped on the highway. These motors are great now, they were great in the past and I would guess that they will be great going forward.
I also had a thought about another candidate that maybe you haven't thought of. RAM 4500 cab and chassis trucks have an MSRP somewhere around $10k lower than the RAM 3500 pickup for a Laramie trim truck. Throw that $10k towards a hauler bed from Herrin, Western Hauler or Classy Chassis and have some air bags put on. You'll have a truck that will never have GVWR problems and you can get 4.44 rear axle ratio for towing a little over 24k or 4.10 gears for up to 17k trailer weight. RAM 3500 only goes up to 4.10's. I love my new RAM 3500 with Cummins/Aisin combo but I only got the 3.73 rear in mine. I've been toying with the idea of going for the 4500 with 4.44 rear axle ratio and a Herrin bed. Though the Classy Chassis is growing on me.
RAM 5500 forces you into the 4.88 rear to get max trailer ratings over 18k in an automatic. So I don't consider this an option for me. I would have to drive too slow.
Ken
david-steph2018
Well-known member
Our 05 Ram 3500 had 75K on it until I hit the rear of a semi. Destroyed the Ram I broke 3 ribs and walked away. The semi had broke an air line and we were on a 2 lane road. The 08 had 235K on it before we got our 2017 3500. The biggest issue with the 08, after the DEF filter issues, had to replace clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing because of hitting a huge pothole as I was down shifting to an exit lane. It broke 3 springs in the clutch.
Around $2000 for repairs
MountainDon
Active Member
How badly does the lower gearing in the axle decrease fuel economy?
It seems the only difference between the 350 and 450 is the axle ratio. Is there any other differences?
It seems the only difference between the 350 and 450 is the axle ratio. Is there any other differences?
khuffmanjr
Member
Sure, there are several other differences depending on which brand you're talking about. Suspension components can be beefier/heavier, engine/transmission tuning can be different and the front wheels will literally be mounted with a wider stance to allow the greater wheel cut and sharper turning. Tires and wheels will likely be different to allow for the higher payloads and axles may even be upgraded components on the "bigger" trucks. Admittedly, I do not have a list of specific differences for any of the brands. It will likely be pointed out by someone that some brands - Ford, maybe? - have even used the same components between truck classes and just rated them differently to sell in specific categories.
As for fuel economy there are a few things that make a difference here. Engine and transmission tuning can change shift points and what RPMs peak torque occurs. Also the amount of fuel used to produce that power may be different with different tuning. The higher number axle ratio actually means the truck needs less fuel to make the same power at the wheels, but moving parts in the truck will need to move faster to maintain same speed when a higher axle ratio is used. Overall, you can expect lower fuel economy on the 450/4500 and 550/5500 trucks because of that higher axle ratio, but it may not be a huge change for you. Again, I don't have specific numbers for you. Maybe someone that made a jump from 1-ton territory to a Class 4 truck can chime in with their own experience. I'm only hoping to make that jump now. Maybe soon!
Ken
david-steph2018
Well-known member
Since we upgraded truck camper at about the same time my comparison is off but here are my numbers"
2008 Ram 6.7 Cummins 6 speed standard 3:73 ratio
2006 Laredo 29RL Wt: 11.5K loaded out
MPG empty 25mpg towing 18.5
2017 Ram 6.7 Cummins Asian HO 4:10 ratio
2018 Road Warrior 427 wt empty: 16,340 wt loaded: 19,590
MPG empty maybe 17 generally 16.9 towing 9.9 flat ground or the Smokies Mtn. no difference but we have only been thru the Smokies on 1 trip to pigeon Forge then 1 trip to Mobile, Pensacola and back to Ohio.
We left home on June 6 to Dauphin Island, Pensacola and Stone Mt. we put 4200 miles on the Ram before we got back home July 1.
khuffmanjr
Member
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