Hey folks,
I just did some test driving over the weekend and thought I was heading down a path of ordering a HEMI 6.4 2500 Megacab with 4.10 gearing. Dealer mentioned AEV after talking to me about my plans for the truck because I'm currently driving a 2012 Ford Raptor, and I am thinking this is a great fit after reading through most of the forum and most of everything else I can find on the net. Full disclosure - I have not driven the Cummins, and plan to go back to the lot in the near future to get a feel for it.
Where I'm now stumped is if I should stick with the HEMI plan, or if I would be better off taking the diesel option? It appears to me that most folks have gone the diesel route based on the info I've found.
About me... I do not have any toys that require towing, just people and gear for mountain trails through the Pacific Northwest. I am not a speed demon, but I do live in an urban area that puts stop lights to gate traffic entering the highway, so acceleration from a stop to highway speed in a short distance is important to me. Vehicle will be pulling double duty of commuter vehicle (10m a day on average), it will likely be the vehicle I take when I go on road trips(couple of times a year, all within the NW), and of course it will be my year-round mountain goat for the weekends (150m+) throughout the year. Northwest mountains can be mud, sludgy forest flora in mid-decay, low water, gravel, rocks, snow... I love it all.
Is the change to the larger tires (weight, grip), heavier bumper, winch etc... going to make the HEMI less satisfying? I've seen a few comments down this path...
Is the fuel savings / total distance per tank what drives folks to the diesel? Excluding initial cost, I've seen reviews online of these going into the low 20's on the highway. I'm not sure I've ever owned a vehicle that could do that, but the range per tank intrigues me.
Is the 15,000 miles between maintenance what is doing it? Don't care as much, I'm thankfully in a position to take the vehicle in when it needs to in either situation...
Is the re-purpose of the spare tire location to a 30g titan fuel tank, effectively doubling the max range while also adding more rear axle weight what drives folks? This is curious to me both about the range of the vehicle, as well as the extra weight I could add to the rear without actually having to fill the bed and lose out on my storage. 250lb with a kit based on what I'm seeing...
Combination of the above? Is it something else? Hopefully my local dealership will be able to get my attention when one comes in so I can play with it. Sounds like they get a couple every quarter, but they move fast.
Thanks
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