Which of the big three 3/4 tons would you look at and why?

[SDDiver5]

I'd also be in the Ford F250/F350 club.

But on the other hand, RAM is having some insane discounts right now because they have so many trucks that haven't been sold (which is good news/bad news of course). I saw one online yesterday for like 12k of MSRP I think it was.

 

[Trektor73]

Ford F350 7.3L crew cab standard bed owner here. Would do the same over again. I drove similar Rams as well. I like the seating position in the Fords better - front visibility seams better and the dash/shoulder line does not seem as high as the Rams. Also, the Ford has a flat cab floor which is nice for carrying belongings in the cab with the rear seats up whereas the Ram trucks have a center hump and most have a molded compartment under the rear seat. The rear seat & leg room is also greater in the Fords. I have had two 7.3 gas trucks and enjoy the motor's performance. My 10-speeds have been a bit finnicky, but haven't failed. the 6.2L is also a sound choice as its been in production for a long time and is proven.

One thought on 3/4 vs 1-ton: Depending on where you live, there could be quite a difference in registration costs based on the stickered GVWR, i.e. CA really ups the cost for anything with greater than 10k GVWR. If that's not the case, the 1-ton would be my choice for the extra capacity on the sticker (most of the mechanicals are identical on an F-250 vs. F-350).

 

[phsycle]

I'd also be in the Ford F250/F350 club.

But on the other hand, RAM is having some insane discounts right now because they have so many trucks that haven't been sold (which is good news/bad news of course). I saw one online yesterday for like 12k of MSRP I think it was.

That’s how it used to be before the pandemic insanity. Ram’s were the lowest-priced out of the Big 3, in my experience. Typically 25% of MSRP.
I’d not complain with a Ram 3500, either. 6.4 is a nice engine.

 

[SDDiver5]

That’s how it used to be before the pandemic insanity. Ram’s were the lowest-priced out of the Big 3, in my experience. Typically 25% of MSRP.
I’d not complain with a Ram 3500, either. 6.4 is a nice engine.

Agreed. I always liked them and of course have always loved the Power Wagon. Almost bought a Tradesman Power Wagon in 2016.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ram 2500 has coils on the rear FWIW. Nicer ride but doesn't do the payload any favors with more bits to wear/break.

 

[driveby]

Where is the closest dealer that can and will service the truck? For around here RAM dealers are disappearing left and right. That means parts support and repair will go 3rd party. Not always a bad thing, but something to pay attention to. Also GM seats suck for me. Ford are good and RAM the best. Doesn't mean GM seats suck, just I don't fit them well. Could come down to straight up comfort. All 3 brands have years/versions/trims that are good and bad.

 

[phsycle]

Ram 2500 has coils on the rear FWIW. Nicer ride but doesn't do the payload any favors with more bits to wear/break.

I’ve yet to ride in a Ram 2500, but has this proven to be true?
I don’t know if any of the SUV’s I’ve owned (with rear coils) were any less robust than trucks. Given same class.
But that’s just anecdotal observation. I don’t know what real world data shows with HD trucks.

 

[Kingsize24]

I’ve yet to ride in a Ram 2500, but has this proven to be true?
I don’t know if any of the SUV’s I’ve owned (with rear coils) were any less robust than trucks. Given same class.
But that’s just anecdotal observation. I don’t know what real world data shows with HD trucks.

The rear coils definitely affect payload, hence the reduced capacity for it overall. But I've yet to see it hinder anyone within its capacity. I do prefer the leaf springs however for a truck. The rear spring trucks have their place though.

 

[phsycle]

The rear coils definitely affect payload, hence the reduced capacity for it overall. But I've yet to see it hinder anyone within its capacity. I do prefer the leaf springs however for a truck. The rear spring trucks have their place though.

Agree, I’d think if I were constantly hauling a heavy load (ie a camper on this scenario), I’d probably prefer leafs. But that may be 10-15 lines down the list of prerequisites for a new truck. I’d definitely NOT pass on a truck solely based on that.

 

[GeorgeHayduke]

We had a 2016 Ram 2500 with coils. Great ride unloaded or while towing a trailer and surprisingly good flex offroad, but it really struggled to control high center of gravity loads. The coils are mounted in board of the frame rails and with the basic OEM shocks there just isn't enough to control the side-to-side sway. We had both popup and hardsided slide-in campers and needed to add Timbrens and Hellwig swaybars to feel comfortable with either camper.

I suppose the 5 link rear suspension design has more bushings to wear out than a leaf sprung suspension so in theory you could have bits wearing out faster, but this wasn't really an issue for us. In fact, the Ram 2500 was by far the most reliable vehicle I've owned and I really liked the platform other than the suspension design not being well suited to high CoG loads. If you know you're getting a slide-in camper from the get-go, I would only consider a 1 ton on the Ram platform. 3/4 ton from other OEMs is probably just fine.

Another thing to consider is that the dimensions of the Ram trucks are noticeably smaller than the equivalent trucks from the other OEMs because the Ram HD platform still uses their 4th gen cabs unlike the 5th gen Ram 1/2 tons. A crew cab short bed Ram 2500 has a 10" shorter wheelbase than the equivalent Ford or GM truck. This results in a better turn radius and breakover angle, but less cab space and potentially more camper weight behind the rear axle on a Ram. Pick your poison.

 

[Kingsize24]

We had a 2016 Ram 2500 with coils. Great ride unloaded or while towing a trailer and surprisingly good flex offroad, but it really struggled to control high center of gravity loads. The coils are mounted in board of the frame rails and with the basic OEM shocks there just isn't enough to control the side-to-side sway. We had both popup and hardsided slide-in campers and needed to add Timbrens and Hellwig swaybars to feel comfortable with either camper.

I suppose the 5 link rear suspension design has more bushings to wear out than a leaf sprung suspension so in theory you could have bits wearing out faster, but this wasn't really an issue for us. In fact, the Ram 2500 was by far the most reliable vehicle I've owned and I really liked the platform other than the suspension design not being well suited to high CoG loads. If you know you're getting a slide-in camper from the get-go, I would only consider a 1 ton on the Ram platform. 3/4 ton from other OEMs is probably just fine.

Another thing to consider is that the dimensions of the Ram trucks are noticeably smaller than the equivalent trucks from the other OEMs because the Ram HD platform still uses their 4th gen cabs unlike the 5th gen Ram 1/2 tons. A crew cab short bed Ram 2500 has a 10" shorter wheelbase than the equivalent Ford or GM truck. This results in a better turn radius and breakover angle, but less cab space and potentially more camper weight behind the rear axle on a Ram. Pick your poison.

THIS!!!!

 

[deserteagle56]

The rear coils definitely affect payload, hence the reduced capacity for it overall. But I've yet to see it hinder anyone within its capacity. I do prefer the leaf springs however for a truck. The rear spring trucks have their place though.

What GeorgeHayduke says.
I have a 3500 with a big cabover camper on it so I follow the RV forums a lot. Just what George is talking about is what everyone's experience has been if they load a tall cabover camper (or haul any other tall load) on a Ram with coil suspension. The sway with the rear coil suspension is downright scary.

 

[deserteagle56]

Where is the closest dealer that can and will service the truck? For around here RAM dealers are disappearing left and right. That means parts support and repair will go 3rd party. Not always a bad thing, but something to pay attention to.

^Also extremely important, depending on where you will be driving!

If in Nevada or even southeastern Oregon, Ford dealers are about all there is. Some years ago in their infinite wisdom GM shut down all the dealerships in Nevada small towns. So if you need service from a GM dealer your choices are the Reno area, or 500 miles to the south in Las Vegas, or in Elko in remote northeastern Nevada. Hundreds of miles apart. Now Ram dealers are pretty much the same way. But all the smaller towns like Fallon and Winnemucca and Ely have Ford dealerships.

So when you drive across Nevada or southern Oregon and almost all the pickups you see are Fords - there's the reason why.

 

[Tex68w]

Get the Ferd.

 

[ntsqd]

3/4t vs. 1t; I'd look at the physical size of the brakes as that would decide it for me. If they're the same actual brakes, then 3/4t all day any day. If the 1t does get bigger brakes then that would be my choice. The downside to 1t's greater load capacity is ride quality. If you're going to run it loaded all of the time, then a 1t may make more sense. If you're going to run it empty most of the time, then the 3/4t makes more sense. If one comes with Hydroboost and the other does not, then choose the Hydroboost. I realize all of that is potentially conflicting advice, only the OP can weight these with relative importance.