We are getting to where we need to upgrade our truck. I see that the newer 3/4 Ton Mega Cabs have a standard 6'4" bed, and the "long bed" ones are 8".  Are people hauling gooseneck trailers with the standard bed, or do we need to go with the 8 footer? Also I have always driven a stick shift, but they tell me the new automatic tranny is A-OK. I hate an auto, and would be left foot stomping a hole in the floor, but maybe I need to adapt to the times? I have been told the Hemis have good HP but lower tork. I prefer a diesal but your comments would be appreciated. Thanks for advice and experience!  

I have a 2018 Ram 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel engine with a standard bed.  It's my every day driver and my gooseneck hauler and I have absolutely zero complaints.  I'm averaging about 22mpg daily, and around 20mpg hauling.

Now that is good news indeed! Thank you!

no you're not

I went from an ‘03 to a ‘16 and wow what a huge improvement. I, too, haul a gooseneck with my standard bed and have no problems. They are really great trucks!

Bed length will depend on the shape of your trailer nose, width, and how tight you need to turn.

A tapered nose and/or a 7’ wide trailer you can get away with a shorter bed.  If your trailer is 8’ wide with a more squared nose, you may end up with an issue  - ask my husband how he knows, he didn’t even have it jackknifed when he creased the cab and blew out the back window.  You can get a set back hitch adapter, but I don’t know how that changes the feel of the trailer.

We have to come pretty close to jackknife in our driveways when we’re turning around or parking, so we stick with 8’ beds for the added room.

I also find trailers easier to back and maneuver on a long bed.  

Yes!!! totally agree! We have a Hart that 8 foot wide and not tapered. We got the trailer last year.  37 foot long 14.2K empty weight. We had to upgrade to a 3500 Cummins 6.7L with 8 foot bed because we just couldn't make the sharp turns with the regular bed truck we had. I would never recommend hauling a gooseneck with a standard bed truck. I've seen way to many people pop back windows out and crush their cabs. 

And Hemis are gutless! If you want something that is going to pull decent, get a diesel. 

I have a 2017 Ram 2500 with the diesel, standard bed. I pull a 3H LQ with an 8ft shortwall with a tapered nose. I have no issues turning. We are a bit hilly so I'm getting about 19 mpg empty and 15/16 mpg hooked. We have 40,000 on and so far so good. I would definitly go with the diesel over the Hemi if possible. I'm a Ram girl if your wanting a diesel but I do have to admit If you want a good gas truck go with a chevy.

Edited to add that the Def sucks! On long hauls I feel like your putting it in every other stop. 

no you're not 

Never thought I would say this but I agree with 1D soon on this one ! Absolutely zero chance your getting 20 pulling with that truck unless it’s down hill, engine off, with a tail wind. I have driven dodge diesels my whole life 89,96,98,2001,2004,2006,2007,2016 and not even the old 98 with 12 valve got that pulling. If your reading the digital mpg read out on your dash, it’s sadly way way way off. You need to had calculate and get back to us. As for the DEF use comment you better get it to a shop if your having to fill it every other stop. In my 16 duallly pulling my 40’ LQ loaded with 3 horses , I only have to fill DEF every 2500-3000 miles or so. Unloaded it goes MONTHS on a tank. 

Sorry. Let me clarify, I said "feels like". I'm literally not putting it in every other stop. LOL 

And.. OK. LOL 

There is not a diesel truck out there that is getting 15 to 16 mpg pulling a trailer of any size.  It just can't be done.   They  will all  be closer to 10 to 12.

I have a 2015 Dodge 2500 and pull a 1978 King 2 horse with weekender and going highway we get about 17 mpg. We do use Lucas in our truck to help with fuel mileage and that seems to help quite a bit. It is my everyday driver as well and driving around town I am getting almost 16mpg, some is highway miles as well. So yes it is possible to get more that 15-16mpg pulling a trailer with a diesel. 

back in the 1970's I invented a carburator that would allow a car to run on water. 


Big Oil bought my technology and stashed it away in an underground bunker so that it would never be built. They also told me if I talked about it they would send hit squads after me. 

I have a Ram 2500 with a short bed (it's a 2005 so definitely not newer), the B&W Turnover Ball Hitch is REALLY close to my back window - the positioning for that hitch in my truck is set in front of the axle. Years ago, I hauled a friend's 8ft wide Platinum LQ and before I left we tested it turning in the driveway and I could turn really sharp just fine. Fast forward to leaving the barrel race and in order to get out of the parking spot I had to back the trailer up a slight incline to make the corner, I didn't even think of it until it was too late but the trailer being on an incline and my truck being level, the trailer tipped and popped out my back window. I have hauled a GN Trailswest just fine for years but this last year I upgraded my trailer to a 8ft wide Platinum LQ and so I bought a 9" extender and it hauls great! This is the one I have: http://popuphitch.com/products/cc4-9-inch-offset-4-inch-round-tube-cushion-coupler/

 I have a 2012 short wheelbase three-quarter ton and pull a seven wide, 3 horse Four Star.  I have never had any trouble pulling.   Plenty of power etc. I just recently upgraded to a small living quarters eight wide but with a tapered nose. Backing in or sharper turns isn’t a problem however I feel like with the short wheelbase truck, it’s kind of like the tail wagging the dog. Years ago, I had a three-quarter ton long bed that I pulled a five horse Hart with and I don’t recall feeling that way. My truck has plenty of power to pull my new trailer but I’m not sure if loaded, I would be able to stop as easily as I would like. I will probably upgrade to a 1 ton with an 8 foot bed. And yes… My current truck gets about 12 or 13 miles per gallon when hauling.

If you find a mega cab with an 8ft bed that truck has had the frame cut and extended. 6' 4" bed is all that you can get on the new body Ram trucks (2500 or 3500). The first mega cabs that came out were about a 5' 6" bed. Now crew cabs are a completely different story. 

Also very true - stability going down the road is noticeably better with our 3500 dually vs our 2500 6’ bed.

We traded our 2006 3500 dually in for a new 2018 3/4 ton deisel - (2500) - LOVE IT!  Longhorn edition - rides like a dream, pulls just as good as the dually did, plenty of horse power.  We did get the standard bed & have to be careful turning with the horse trailer (gooseneck with square nose).......& YES it DOES get 21-22mpg on the highway unloaded, 17-18 fully loaded!!!!!  The dually would get 18-19mpg unloaded, 14-15 loaded down.

I had an ‘01 dodge 3500 dually that was chipped and had ALL the after market stuff in it. I did get 16-17 mph while loaded, 3-4 horses in a Trails West trailer. Going to Denver empty I got 28-30 mpg. I sold it a month ago and bought a ‘12 3500 with 25,000 miles on it. Worst decision ever. That thing is gutless. 

I love my 2014 3500 RAM dually. Gets about 12 mpg hauling a trailer, not great not bad. But dang it pulls with ease! Can barely feel anything back there, even when really loaded down. 

Those with 2018 or 2019s, what is your opinion on the two different transmissions? 

I have a 2016 1-ton Cummins. Before that we had a 2014. The 2014 actually had more power hauling up a hill with a fully loaded trailer, but it had 410 gears in the back. Our 2016 has the Aisin, with 373 gears. Hauls better, but I have to floor it up steep grades to keep it from down shifting too soon. 

Wish we got better mileage than we did. We get ten hauling a 4-Star four horse with 12 ft LQS and maybe 15 when we aren’t hauling. I think you have to let go of the whole six speed idea if you want more power. The newer trucks really are better as an automatic. You have no delay in shifting with the autos.

Here’s hoping the Aisin is what they say it is though.

Earlier this year I bought a 2018 Ram 2500 with 6.7 cummins engine. I prefer a long bed, so that’s what I got. According to the fuel economy display, I am averaging 20-22 MPG for my daily commute on the freeway and between 10-14 MPG with a fully loaded 4 horse trailer.

I think the displays are wrong, a lot.  Have you ever calculated what you are actually getting when you fuel up? Also, the miles can be incorrect based on your tire size too.  When I bought my 2005 GMC, it had smaller tires on it, better mileage using actual calculations.  Once I put bigger tires on, decreased mileage.  But the actual miles can be distorted if everything is not completely reset by a dealer with tire size too.  My two cents.

They are not wrong a lot. 


They are wrong, always

every time

In totality they are wrong. 

Completly 

I just bought a 2018 3500 a few weeks ago move only hauled an empty trailer with it so far and it tows it like a dream. Has an airbag system to raise and lower bed. Tow camera to make hooking up easy. I went with the heavy duty AISN transmission. Searched all over the US for a 2018 with it in it. This is my first new vehicle. My 02 F350 with the 7.3/was in the shop for two months and I broke down. Traded in my Yukon and the dually is now the family vehicle. It is a Cadillac of trucks. Does everything and more than I could want. My F350 now seems basic compared to this truck with all the bells and whistles. Now my other truck is out of the shop and will be the farm/hay/cow truck