This is actually my first post here although I’ve been a member since 2020, but I thought I might be able to give some insight based on my experience, especially with Ram trucks. Sorry for the length.
My first Ram was a 2014 2500 with the 6.4 hemi, which I traded for a 2016 2500 CTD. Both of these trucks pulled a 36ft travel trailer. We then bought a 2021 Rockwood 2622rk 5th wheel. It was under the max for the 2016 payload but not a lot. Both of these trucks were Tradesmen trims. We lived in Colorado at the time & diesel is much better in the mountains (my experience).
In 2021 while camping outside of Walsenburg the Transmission locked itself into 4th gear & said have a nice day. Ram dealer in Pueblo said they couldn’t even look at it for 3 weeks & I was looking at a minimum of 3 months to repair (parts shortages). So we decided to buy a new truck instead.
The only truck we could find with factory pucks, on a Saturday afternoon was a SRW 3500 limited. Truck was overkill for the Rockwood. Truck was loaded, HO Cummins, Aisin trans, & 3934 lbs of payload. I loved this truck. Never had a single issue with it.
Last November we decided to buy a new 5th wheel. I gave my wife a 16,000 lb weight limit & she picked a Columbus 383 FB. I looked at the numbers did a bunch of math & thought we’d be ok, close but ok. Finally managed to go across a Cat scale, which I had done with the Rockwood previously. Turns out with a generator in the bed, the hitch, full tank of diesel, 2 larger dogs & the wife we had 7460lbs on the rear axle, SRW 3500 Rams have a 7000lb rear axle.
Enter the 2024 Ram 3500 DRW Tradesmen. I’m not a fan of this truck. It’s too stripped, best things on it are the air suspension, & the power mirrors, doesn’t even have cloth interior. It does have 5275 lbs of payload. Not to mention the fact it has less than 1k miles on it & has an issue with the Uconnect. It’s a common issue since 2022 & they still haven’t fixed it during production. It doesn’t seem to be anything but annoying right now since it clears when it’s acknowledged.
That being said, all the manufacturers have issues so pick your poison I guess.
The point to this overly long post is this. Just buy the dually in whatever flavor you like if you’re looking at 5th wheels (future proof). These things aren’t getting any cheaper & you may find yourself in my position of having to buy a truck you don’t care for (needed factory pucks or new hitch). I thought I’d never buy a big enough 5th to need a dually, turns out I was wrong. Only good thing is the limited was almost paid for & the dually new was 25k cheaper than a 4 year old limited was new.
