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Any Hemi owners here???

Kxnate

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Sep 17, 2018
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102
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Billings MT
So probably within the next year or so I am hoping to purchase a new pickup. I currently own a 2005 Ram 3500 with a Cummins and a 6 speed manual. I am planning to stay in a 1 ton class pickup because I haul 2400lbs of water in a in the bed water tank on a regular basis.

My trailer towing is fairly minimal, maybe a couple weekends a month is all. But when I will be pulling, I'll be pulling a 14ft bumper pull dump with my skidsteer in it, or dirt and gravel and what not. Max weight would be about 14000 lbs.

So my question is, is there any 6.4L hemi owners on here towing this type of load?? How has it handled it?? Does it pull this type of weight no problem, or is it just too much for a gasser?

With the ever increasing costs of owning these newer diesels, $10k added to the price tag, DEF fluid, added maintenance costs, the cost of all the emissions crap when it fails, etc, etc, etc.......I just have no desire to own a diesel pickup anymore, especially since I am not towing long distances all the time. But, I don't want to kill a gas motor by over working it either.

Hopefully there are some 6.4L Hemi owners on here that can give me some feedback.
 

Kxnate

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Billings MT
Also, I wasn't sure what topic to form this thread in, so if any moderators feel there is a better category for this to be in, please by all means move it.
 

rondig

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Jul 24, 2013
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fort macleod alberta
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excavation
We haul our ctl with a old f350 drw with 460 no problem....so newer engine should even be better...old f350 i think has 4.30 gears...fairly slow...but it does job
 

ianjoub

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Jun 22, 2018
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Homosassa, FL USA
I am not answering the question you asked, but here is my input:

DEF is cheap and my truck, 6.7L powerstroke, uses very little of it, maybe 5 gals. in 10k miles, $20.
The federal govt. requires the mfgs. to warranty emissions stuff for 10 yrs./100k miles.
Except for fuel filters, what are the increased maintenance costs your are worried about?
 

rondig

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fort macleod alberta
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excavation
I am not answering the question you asked, but here is my input:

DEF is cheap and my truck, 6.7L powerstroke, uses very little of it, maybe 5 gals. in 10k miles, $20.
The federal govt. requires the mfgs. to warranty emissions stuff for 10 yrs./100k miles.
Except for fuel filters, what are the increased maintenance costs your are worried about?
Wow you own 6.7 l powerstroke and dont know the maintance cost ? Now i tow close to 36000 lbs gross combined so i need a diesel....but for a crew truck and towing little dump trailer and ss....the gas pot is better...
Gas is cheaper than diesel.
On a 6.7 oil changes are crazy expensive especially when fuel filters are due
6.7 dually is very heavy affecting payload on the 26000 lbs non cdl limit
Once a diesel needs repair...cost are very high..
So if you tow heavy all the time a diesel is way to go.....but if your empty or only at 14000 lbs....gas will be cheaper to run for sure...
 

ianjoub

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Wow you own 6.7 l powerstroke and dont know the maintance cost ? Now i tow close to 36000 lbs gross combined so i need a diesel....but for a crew truck and towing little dump trailer and ss....the gas pot is better...
Gas is cheaper than diesel.
On a 6.7 oil changes are crazy expensive especially when fuel filters are due
6.7 dually is very heavy affecting payload on the 26000 lbs non cdl limit
Once a diesel needs repair...cost are very high..
So if you tow heavy all the time a diesel is way to go.....but if your empty or only at 14000 lbs....gas will be cheaper to run for sure...
I owned an auto repair shop, now closed, but I retained the building and tools. An oil change costs me $30. I think fuel filters are $60 or so, but only required every 20k miles or so. I bought new and only have 33k miles on it. My only costs so far are DEF, oil changes every 6k miles, fuel filters once, cabin air filter once, and a set of tires.
 

rondig

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60 dollar fuel filter on a 6.7 powerstroke? Your not changing the same ones we are. And you get 15 litres of diesel oil for 30 bucks....yeah right..i do my own oil changes too...15w40 of any quality is more than 3.00 a gallon...the oil filter is 50 bucks.....second fuel filter is over 200....anyways sounds like you converted your ford with a prius engine. Good luck with your 30 dollar oil changes....cant even get that done with a gas pot..
 
Last edited:

Kxnate

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Sep 17, 2018
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Billings MT
Hi Ian, I've owned my Cummins for 10 years, so I am very familiar with the costs of owning a diesel. My dad also owns a 2010 6.7 Cummins since new, so I have plenty of diesel ownership experiences to base my thoughts on.

With a $10k premium right out of the gate just to roll off the lot, and all the additional expenses of owning a diesel, oil changes, fuel filters, def fluid, fuels additives, fuel that is more expensive, etc,etc......I can buy alot of gasoline with the money saved right off the lot not to mention the ongoing costs.

Now yes, I love the added power when I am towing, but i do not tow enough at this point in my life for it to pencil out. Pickups are getting far to expensive as it is, and another 10 grand on the sticker price just doesn't work for me.
 

Kxnate

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Sep 17, 2018
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Billings MT
By the way, I am not trying to start an argument between people on here, I know die hard diesel guys will never concede that going back to a gas pickup could be a better option for somebody, but like I said, I have owned my diesel long enough, and I know enough other long term diesel owners experiences as well to have a pretty good understanding on the cost of ownership.

I just really would like to know others experiences of towing this kind of weight with a gas engine, particularly the 6.4 hemi becasue that is what I am looking to purchase, but other engine experience info is good also.
 

rondig

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fort macleod alberta
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excavation
I am a die hard diesel fan....for heavy hauling....but gas is the way to go for short trips...light hauls....we have both....and use both on all kinds of jobs...can i use a 600hp twin turbo diesel tandem truck to haul a skid steer?...sure and i have lol...but it was expensive and for no other reason than not having a small truck that day...i can saw braking and hill climbing were not problems that....the 4 miles/gal was though lol....gas engines have improved so much lately....we have an f150 eco boost that hauls like crazy...at its max allowable gross...it tows just as good as a diesel.
 

wornout wrench

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Feb 17, 2012
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740
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canada
I can't comment on how well the big hemi is for towing.

But I do know that lots of companies in my area have gone away from the diesels in favor of gas engines, for all of the reasons that you have stated.
 

8V149 Detroit

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Mar 22, 2018
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Georgetown, South Carolina
Supposedly there is a guy in myrtle beach hauling a bobcat e85 on a goose-neck with a 6.4 hemi, I don't know how true this is it is hear-say. My dad has a 1500 dodge with the 5.7 and it does real good with a 7k trailer, so good it broke the spider gears in the rear end.
 
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ianjoub

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60 dollar fuel filter on a 6.7 powerstroke? Your not changing the same ones we are. And you get 15 litres of diesel oil for 30 bucks....yeah right..i do my own oil changes too...15w40 of any quality is more than 3.00 a gallon...the oil filter is 50 bucks.....second fuel filter is over 200....anyways sounds like you converted your ford with a prius engine. Good luck with your 30 dollar oil changes....cant even get that done with a gas pot..
An oil filter is $5filters.png . I pay $5.39/gal. for Amalie 15w40 diesel oil. I have a local company come out and fill my 55 gal. drum periodically. I believe Ford OEM was $60 for THE PAIR of fuel filters. Granted, slightly discounted for an auto repair business and USD not CAD.
 

WaterDoc

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Toronto
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Complete water system disinfection services
I have a 2017 Ram 2500 with a 6.4L hemi that I tow a 16' trailer with a 1035gal tank on it that weighs ~14k loaded. My truck has 4:10 gears and has no issue getting the load moving. The motor is working for sure, but it gets it done just fine.

Now fuel economy is a different story. I get ~10mpg without the trailer and less than 8 when towing.

Sure is fun to drive though.
 

WaterDoc

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Oh and the oil change on the Hemi is $125.
 

Kxnate

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Sep 17, 2018
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Location
Billings MT
I have a 2017 Ram 2500 with a 6.4L hemi that I tow a 16' trailer with a 1035gal tank on it that weighs ~14k loaded. My truck has 4:10 gears and has no issue getting the load moving. The motor is working for sure, but it gets it done just fine.

Now fuel economy is a different story. I get ~10mpg without the trailer and less than 8 when towing.

Sure is fun to drive though.
10mpg empty?? Are you pretty heavy footed lol?
 

funwithfuel

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Will county Illinois
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10mpg empty?? Are you pretty heavy footed lol?
I believe on 3/4 and up MDS is not available. So you're feeding all 8 cylinders all the time.
Hell my Daytona ram w 5.7 hemi and MDS only bested 15mpg downhill with the wind at my back , and I never towed with it.
 

Kxnate

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Sep 17, 2018
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Billings MT
I believe on 3/4 and up MDS is not available. So you're feeding all 8 cylinders all the time.
Hell my Daytona ram w 5.7 hemi and MDS only bested 15mpg downhill with the wind at my back , and I never towed with it.

I believe they have had the MDS on the 6.4s in the heavy duty for a few years now. I know when the 6.4 first came out they did not have the MDS, but I think it's been on them for 2 or 3 years now.
 
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