2016 trucks: Ram 2500 or GMC 2500?

t92024

New member
Hi all!

I am new to this forum, so please let me know if this is answered elsewhere. I tried searching but got bogged down with threads. Thank you!

I live in San Diego and I am looking to replace my current adventure vehicles: 1989 GMC K2500 with 130k miles. 1996 GMC Suburban k1500 with 155k miles.

My past adventure vehicles have been:

1. 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4.
2. 1993 Chevy K1500 350 v-8 5-speed.
3. 1988 Toyota 22R-E Pickup. 5 speed. Camper shell. This took me across country numerous times during the summer in college. I regret selling it...
4. 2005 Honda Element EX AWD.
5. 1983 FJ60. Should have never sold it...
6. 1997 GMC Suburban k1500.
7. 1997 Chevy Tahoe k1500.
8. 1997 Dodge 2500 4x4 w/Lance Squire. 360 v-8 total fuel hog.
9. 2011 Honda Pilot EX-L 2wd. Wife's care. TRIED to make it work... but, no dice.
10. 1989 GMC K2500. I will probably regret selling it...
11. 1996 GMC Suburban k1500. I love this thing. Trying to convince my wife we still will need it...


I have had really good luck with the GMT400 platform and aside from the typical wiring, power steering, HVAC, etc problems, they have all been very reliable and reasonably capable. I had transmission problems with my 1997 Ram, and the fuel economy was terrible!

We have a 2 year old and tent camping out of the Suburban has been good, but we are ready to upgrade to a hard camper.

We have been looking at travel trailers, but that purchase will have to wait.

I can get a truck for business, and I can write it off for taxes. I am a Realtor and I work with developers, investors, and occasionally I sell a few large land parcels in undeveloped areas (by far the MOST fun properties to sell!).

I drive a 2016 Lexus for my "Realtor" car and I can't get rid of that because I love writing off the lease and it's a large, comfortable sedan, which some of my clientele needs.

I use the Suburban mostly for land sales, surfing, camping, etc but it's definitely showing it's age for a "professional" vehicle.

I barely drive the truck. Most of the time I lend it out to clients and friends because it's a reliable "beater". Sometimes I haul gravel or trash from remodeling.


ANYWAY!...

I have narrowed down a new truck to either:

2016 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Laramie Diesel with the rear air suspension.

2016 GMC 2500 Denali Diesel.

Both with 6' beds, 4x4, 5th wheel prep, etc.

I want to put a Lance or other over-cab hard-sided camper in it, and eventually tow a travel trailer.

I like the 2500's because I prefer the way they drive (especially if roads are bumpy with clients). I really like the idea of the air bags on the RAM and the Cummins.

Ram pros are:
Cummins
Solid Axle
Air Bags

Ram cons are:
Transmission
Quality problems

GMC pros are:
Nice cabin
Great ride
Trusted brand

GMC cons are:
IFS
Duramax quality
No rear air vents. ******... it's a $70k truck and there's no vents for the back seat?!

I am not considering Ford for their engine problems, frame twist, interior quality, no LATCH system for child seat... etc.

Thank you all for your help and insight. I appreciate any personal experiences you have had with either truck and anything I should be aware of when buying the particular truck, or known weak spots that I should keep an eye on.

*BTW let me know if you are interested in buying either the 1989 k2500 or the 1996 Suburban. Each has great maintenance records and light use.*
 

driller

old soul wanderer
Lance campers are heavy, save yourself the head ache and go straight to the 3500. I had a lance on my 2500, It was a beautiful camper just way to heavy for a 3/4 ton truck.
 

t92024

New member
Thanks for chiming in!

I agree Lance campers are heavy. The models we are looking at are easily in the 3000 - 3400 lb range.

I drove both the 2500 and the 3500. I prefer by FAR the ride of the 2500, especially with the airbags.

To my understanding, the drivetrain and axles are the same between the two (other than the Aisin/HO option). The only difference is coil, air or leaf springs. I figure airbags can be added to coils, or the airbags can be upgraded (if necessary) to handle the spread in payload capacity. Both the 2500 and 3500 SRW have the same 17,500 tow capacity. The payload spread is ~2500 (coils) to ~4000 (leaf). I found an article somewhere stating the airbags bump 2500 payload to around ~3200.

I had airbags in my 1997 Ram with Dana 70 axle. The biggest problem with that truck was the transmission and the MPG.
 
The Duramax is actually a fairly reliable light duty diesel engine. And the modern GM 9.25" IFS system is actually just as strong as a Dana 60. They solve a lot of the IFS issues with the GMT800 and 900 platforms. As for rear axles, Ram and GM use the same AAM 11.5" axle. That said, the Ram does have auto-leveling. And while you could have it installed in the GM, factory is much easier.

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frojoe

Adventurer
Another aspect to consider is that yes it is true a 2500 can be made to handle the load with the springs you're talking about, but at the end of the day it will still have the listed legal GVWR of a 2500. With a big camper like that it would be nice to have the extra wiggle room for legality, especially if you add the tongue weight of towing a large trailer, even if it's true that the 3500 shares so many components with the 2500. Taking the GMC for example, the 2500 GVWR is 10,000lbs vs the SRW 35000 GVWR of 11,5000lbs... the difference might be a nice advantage to have purely as a technicality, if you plan to load it up. The GMC 2500 & SRW 3500 have almost identical curb weights of ~ 7400lbs, so if you add a 3500lb camper that brings you to 10,900lbs.. add maybe 500lbs tongue weight which could be 600-700lbs at the rear axle.. that brings you up to 11,500lbs.. with a "wet truck" but no passengers or gear.. when it's all said and done with a family and gear you could be looking at a 13,000lb truck with trailer in tow. So, what percentage of the time will you be running the camper on the back vs driving over rough terrain with clients and no camper?
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
I thing I'd get the GMC. I currently have a 2014 Ram 3500, and its had a few issues for only having 60k miles on it. I went with the Ram because of the solid axle, but the 2011 chevy I hhad before was a much nicer vehicle to ride in. Plus GM is the best about warranty work IMO. I have had problems with Chrysler not wanting to fix stuff just telling me "its normal". GM is better in that regard.
 

Dalko43

Explorer
Is the transmission still a con for the Ram?

I had thought that between the HD Aisin and the new 68RFE, the transmission issues had been pretty-well shored up.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
Is the transmission still a con for the Ram?

I had thought that between the HD Aisin and the new 68RFE, the transmission issues had been pretty-well shored up.

I have the 68RFE and have no complaints about it. Its pulled 25k and not complained. My biggest complaint is the piece o crap lsd in the rear axle. It doesn't work, but it trys to work on dry pavement. Turning a corner feels like you have the 4wd engaged on the fronts. But Chrylser says its normal. I have had passengers say "what is that" it kinda feels like you have square wheels.
 

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
It's nice to see your expo rig paper trail to have any idea where you are coming from.
The thing that jumped out at me reading your introduction was that you lived in San Diego. So, the question is, are you planning on doing any Baja trips with whatever new truck you decide on? The answer to this query makes a BIG difference. The latest year that domestic diesel pickup trucks can use Mexican diesel fuel is around 2006 or 07, depending. Why? DEF tank. Pee canister. Smog device that can be damaged by higher sulfur diesel fuel (aka: Pemex). You've never had to worry much with a gas engine going into Mexico.
My neighbor just bought a 2016 RAM 3500, SRW 4WD pickup and I had a good look at it. It is so much farther up the food chain than my old 2001.5 CTD. He claims very good mpg and power, much more than my 2001, and way more than he needs to just pull his boat, but he's planning on getting another hard side truck camper when he retires from the CHP in a year. He's so sold on his new RAM that he sold his tricked out Jeep JK and 97 4WD lifted and locked Dodge 2500 gasser.
So, what to do? If you are really stuck on a new, air bag RAM, just purchase it and have a good time......but not in Mexico. There is a website devoted to purging the DEF tank more often in Mexico with newer diesel trucks, but it seems like a LOT of work and worry following the protocol they list.
Of course, you could consider buying a used 2001-2006 4WD RAM 3500, SRW, Cummins powered, 6 speed manual trans and have Mexican trips available to you; or any trips in this hemisphere. This is one reason I hang on to my 2001. The other reason is I have spend 15 years and a lot time and money to upgrade all the systems that needed improving to make it an XTC (extreme truck camper). This process is on going. Example: I've given up on cast aluminum wheels. They are just too damage prone on rocks albeit a bit lighter. So, steel wheels are going on next week with 3970 pound load rated tires. That should give me a good overage for a 10, 400 pound loaded truck camper. I'm doing an article for Truck Camper Adventure on line magazine with the title, "Reinventing the TC wheel" wherein I talk about the evolution of heavy duty pickup truck wheels.
So, bottom line: if you are not going to Mexico, ever, just get one of the rigs you have in mind and camp away.
jeff reynolds, aka jefe
 

js9234

Observer
I'm not a brand loyal guy but the GMC IFS is NOT as strong as a D60 and the GMC's DEF tank hangs really really low. I think they're moving it somewhere else in 2017. The Ram can handle 35's with no lift. On the GMC you need plenty of lift and the wheel wells aren't "big tire" friendly. The Duramax/Allison is a very solid combo as is the Cummins/68RFE/Aisin/G56. If you do much offroading and need a little bigger tire, the Ram wins hands down. I have a 2014 Ram 3500 with no lift and 34X12's and take that thing through some crazy trails and never had a problem. The LSD works awesome and Truck flexes very good for stock suspension. I think the GMC and Ram probably get about the same MPG's. Cummins/Aisin combo has a lot more torque than the Duramax/Allison but only comes in a 3500. I personally would get a Ram 3500 or see what the 2017 GMC's look like and where the DEF tank is located. You can probably take the cons off of both trucks. The IFS is strong and gives a better ride and the Duramax is a very reliable engine. The Ram's transmission problems are more or less a thing of the past as is quality problems. They are no more than the other brands. Ford may have a good engine in the 6.7 this time around. Time will tell but I hear good things about it and is supposedly very very fast.
 

Trophycummins

Adventurer
I own a 2015 dodge 2500. Im a ford employee, im not biased to any brand. I drove every one of the big 3's diesel 2500s for a week before i bought my dodge.

I will tell you, you dont want a 2500 to carry that camper. Nor do you want the ram factory air ride if you plan on going off road.

In your shoes, id get a ram 3500, cummins/aisin. Then put king 2.5s on it. Youll have the payload needed for that camper, and the shocks to keep it under control while off road. If offroad comfort is a priority, the dodge can be made very capable, for a relatively cost efficient amount. In comparison to the chevy with ifs.

I take my truck down to baja, its deleted. You dont want a US emissions equipped diesel running on standard #2. But if you delete your truck, and want to tune the trans, the aisin trans cant be tuned.



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Littlehouse

Adventurer
Wait a few months and get a 2017. GM is updating, and Ford may have worked out the cons you listed for their new Superduty. I've always driven GM, as has my father, but I will be comparing all 3 early next year.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
Wait a few months and get a 2017. GM is updating, and Ford may have worked out the cons you listed for their new Superduty. I've always driven GM, as has my father, but I will be comparing all 3 early next year.
All the 2017 test mules I've seen still have the def tank in the same location as the old ones.
 
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wirenut

Adventurer
I don't see how the GMC IFS and Duramax quality are cons. The Duramax has proven to be a very reliable engine. Since about 2006 there really haven't been any "issues" with the engines. My own '05 has 214,000 miles on it and has been the most reliable truck I've ever owned. As for the IFS, I don't see the issue unless you want to put a big lift on. If you plan on carrying a heavy hard side truck camper I don't think you want much lift. The center of gravity is already too high with those things.
As a guy who's 3500 dually is overloaded by his truck camper I have to recommend you get the 3500 instead of the 2500. You will likely overload the 3500 SRW once you load the camper, gear, and family. In the GMC's case the 3500 should have wider wheels and bigger tires in addition to the extra capacity in the rear springs.
You are faced with a hard choice. I think their both excellent choice. I drove a 2015 Chevy and Ram back to back (gas engines) last year and was really impressed. I would have given the nod to the RAM because the 6.4L Hemi felt a lot more quick and powerful than the GM 6.0. I probably take a new Cummins over a new Duramax based solely on getting the CP3 injection pump instead of the CP4. However, giving up the Allison transmission would be tough. I've owned 3 hard working trucks with Allisons and they've been flawless.
 

Rockhard426

New member
If you are going to be hauling a 3500-4000lb camper and towing a trailer sometimes, Then for everyday Heavy Duty Use I Vote ; Ram 3500 SRW Cummins/ Aisin combo that way you will get the full 900ftlbs torque solid front axle the 6.7 Cummins and Aisin trans are Medium Duty applications in a Light Duty Truck , hands down the best combo to get , the cost difference is not much more over a similar equipped 2500, and with a load on the bed the new 3500 rear suspension with the Hotchkiss springs ( No Overloads springs like the 3rd gen trucks had) It will Ride almost as good as a 2500, You will see the Cummins in a lot of Class 6-7 trucks on the Road, That engine has proven itself for years and years of reliability and hard use . maybe upgrade with Carli suspension with King 2.5" shocks / front Winch and you will have a Close Cousin to the Power Wagon with out
the lockers but with a Diesel !! but you can sure add some lockers thou....
 

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