With great sadness I am leaving!

[Zachanadandy]

That's very true, however, there are still millions of truck owners who require a full-sized truck.



It may not make financial sense, but a lot of people do it. My father-n-law, for example, uses his HD truck maybe 4 - 6 times per year to haul cattle or farm equipment. The same goes for a lot of RVers. It's amazing how many RVers put less than 5,000 miles per year on their HD trucks.

Our Ram Cummins sat for weeks (sometimes months) at a time, but it was nice to have it when needed. Our 2020 Ram EcoDiesel only gets driven 5 - 6 weeks annually. It's strictly a tow rig. As a matter of fact, we just returned from a 2,350-mile towing trip over the last two weeks. That was the first time we've driven the truck since the last 3,000+ mile towing trip back in June. The truck sat all of July, August, and September.

The last Ram Cummins we owned was only driven maybe 15 - 20 days each year, but we still managed to log 10,000 - 12,000 miles annually.

Modern 1/2 tons can do a lot more today than 15+ years ago. That's one reason why I've been operating without a 2500/3500 the last few years, but I'm going to need a Ram HD again.

I'll probably spend closer to $78,000 on a new Ram 3500, but consumers don't need to spend that much on a Heavy Duty truck. My dealer currently has a brand-new 2025 Ram Tradesman crew cab, 4x4, 2500 for $48,973.

The top two pictures are of our Ram HD Cummins. We owned it for 10 years. Surprisingly, it was super cheap to own since we sold it for about $15,000 less than when we bought it new! The HD trucks hold their value.

The rest of the pics are of our Ram 1500 EcoDiesels. We work them pretty hard, but they have been good trucks.

I wasn't implying that nobody needs an HD truck, just pointing out if you're only need is 1-2 times a year it would make way more sense to rent. Forget the huge chunk of money tied up in the thing, the insurance cost alone would pay for 1-2 weeks of renting a truck. United rentals, pape, hell even home depot will rent you a truck for cheap if you just need to move a big trailer or load.

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[Gvsukids]

I had a 2019 Ram 1500 with the 5.7 and had no issues with it. She had 130k miles on her when I traded her.

107k on my 3.6, and I have repair papers an inch thick.

 

[Rusty PW]

Enjoy the new ride.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Now that being said - if I had to go to a truck with more capability as far as payload or towing, I'd opt for a Ram with the Hurricane.

I'd opt for a Ram also. But I'd go for the 3500 with the Cummins.
Our last Cummins would get 24mpg on road trips, tons of power and very comfortable.
It was less money than our Gladiator. Not too mention, we sold it for a nice chunk of change.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'd opt for a Ram also. But I'd go for the 3500 with the Cummins.
Our last Cummins would get 24mpg on road trips, tons of power and very comfortable.
It was less money than our Gladiator. Not too mention, we sold it for a nice chunk of change.

I guess it all depends on what the future holds, what changes, how we decide to spend the last few years.
I'll certainly never say never, just at this point, there's no point in such a thing for us.

Ask again in 5 years or so.

 

[AustyPosty]

"I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT.

I regret to announce that - though, as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you - this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW.

GOOD-BYE!"

 

[ericw.]

I'd opt for a Ram also. But I'd go for the 3500 with the Cummins.
Our last Cummins would get 24mpg on road trips, tons of power and very comfortable.
It was less money than our Gladiator. Not too mention, we sold it for a nice chunk of change.

Can confirm, my father tows his wrangler (or boat) and with a huge camper on his 3500 dually, gets 20MPG climbing up and down mountain passes with cruise control on.

 

[Mr Miami]

I guess it all depends on what the future holds, what changes, how we decide to spend the last few years.
I'll certainly never say never, just at this point, there's no point in such a thing for us.

Ask again in 5 years or so.

I guess off-roading is only a thought driving something like that. I would break out into a cold sweat thinking about being in waist-deep mud and getting stuck. You might need 2 Apex 12000's to make that thing budge. But as you say, to each his own.

 

[Mr Miami]

I'd opt for a Ram also. But I'd go for the 3500 with the Cummins.
Our last Cummins would get 24mpg on road trips, tons of power and very comfortable.
It was less money than our Gladiator. Not too mention, we sold it for a nice chunk of change.

I don't quite understand your comment about the 3500/Cummins being less money than a Gladiator. At least in my neighborhood, I could easily buy a new Gladiator and another new one for spare parts for the 75-80k that I see the "lower end" 3500's going for.

Are we talking about the same thing here?

 

[RudeJeepin]

I don't quite understand your comment about the 3500/Cummins being less money than a Gladiator. At least in my neighborhood, I could easily buy a new Gladiator and another new one for spare parts for the 75-80k that I see the "lower end" 3500's going for.

Are we talking about the same thing here?

Not sure about current prices, but the big Ram we had at purchase time cost us less than the Gladiator we currently have. The Ram was a Bighorn and the Gladiator is an EcoDiesel Rubicon, so there is that to consider also.

Stating you could buy 2 new Gladiators for $75k to $80k is a stretch, but I get where your coming from. Our Cummins was under $50k, before trade in.

 

[Mr Miami]

Not sure about current prices, but the big Ram we had at purchase time cost us less than the Gladiator we currently have. The Ram was a Bighorn and the Gladiator is an EcoDiesel Rubicon, so there is that to consider also.

Stating you could buy 2 new Gladiators for $75k to $80k is a stretch, but I get where your coming from. Our Cummins was under $50k, before trade in.

Yes, we need to compare apples to apples. I wasn't referring to a diesel. I was just giving the prices I see at a local dealer for some basic Gladiators advertised locally with MSRP's in the low-mid 40's with discounts that bring them down to mid-upper 30's. The only diesel 3500's I saw had MSRP's close to or above 80k (in transit) before whatever discounts they offer. But yes, it's not really a fair comparison between a 6.7 3500 and a 3.6 Gladiator.

I must say, you made a steal on that 3500 at that price.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Not sure about current prices, but the big Ram we had at purchase time cost us less than the Gladiator we currently have. The Ram was a Bighorn and the Gladiator is an EcoDiesel Rubicon, so there is that to consider also.

Stating you could buy 2 new Gladiators for $75k to $80k is a stretch, but I get where your coming from. Our Cummins was under $50k, before trade in.

Things have certainly gotten expensive.

Local dealer has a 2026 Silverado 2500HD Custom - trim level akin to buying a Sport S Wrangler. Has a Duramax Diesel. She's listed for $65K.

Similar Ram 2500 Tradesman Cummins going for $64K locally.

So, one and a half Sport Gladiators

Edit: $75K for a Silverado 3500 LT Duramax - didn't see any Ram 3500s local.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I guess off-roading is only a thought driving something like that. I would break out into a cold sweat thinking about being in waist-deep mud and getting stuck. You might need 2 Apex 12000's to make that thing budge. But as you say, to each his own.

I could never be without a jeep as a daily driver, run to grab a load of rock, or tow my car hauler vehicle.
We've had Jeeps as daily drivers for years - from the Cherokee Sport in the 90s, through the ZJ and WJ (3 of those), WK/WK2, JLU, JT (3 of those). Solid, reliable, go anywhere in any conditions, easy to drive, easy to park, good for long trips, even across the country, turn on a dime............ won't be without a Jeep of some sort.

The only reason I'd have something that big and capable is if we ended up with something big a JT just couldn't easily handle. My wife likes space, room to move around, and small campers just don't cut it for her so that's the only reason I could ever see.

Even on the farm, yeah, I had Case's largest, most powerful 2 wheel drive tractor of the day, but it only did work nothing else could do (large chisel plow, that sort of thing), still had my smaller tractors for running augers, spraying, cultivating, rotary hoe, planting, where the big power was just too cumbersome.
I did get a 4 wheel drive IH articulating tractor stuck on one of my side hills - we had to let it sit for days before we could get anything else up there to pull it out. I buried it deep.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Yes, we need to compare apples to apples. I wasn't referring to a diesel. I was just giving the prices I see at a local dealer for some basic Gladiators advertised locally with MSRP's in the low-mid 40's with discounts that bring them down to mid-upper 30's. The only diesel 3500's I saw had MSRP's close to or above 80k (in transit) before whatever discounts they offer. But yes, it's not really a fair comparison between a 6.7 3500 and a 3.6 Gladiator.

I must say, you made a steal on that 3500 at that price.

All things are relative to timing and location.
My original post about prices and such were based off of my experience. I did state that my comparison was based on the Cummins we owned vs the Gladiator that we now own. Not necessarily current prices or available models. Maybe that did not come across very well.
Either way, it's mostly speculation and such.

Since in reality I ha e no intent in getting another vehicle anytime soon. Unless you count a motorhome, but that is completely different.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Things have certainly gotten expensive.

Local dealer has a 2026 Silverado 2500HD Custom - trim level akin to buying a Sport S Wrangler. Has a Duramax Diesel. She's listed for $65K.

Similar Ram 2500 Tradesman Cummins going for $64K locally.

So, one and a half Sport Gladiators

Edit: $75K for a Silverado 3500 LT Duramax - didn't see any Ram 3500s local.

Prices are getting crazy.
If, and that's a big if, I was going for another new rig, I'd probably look into ordering one.

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