Buying a new truck...trans questions...?

[Diesel_Chic_81]

I'm new to the forums. My Dad and I believe my nephew have been on here for a while. Right now, I drive a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins with about 373,500 miles on it and still going. However, it's time to upgrade to the newer Gen and get some more of the "bells and whistles" that mine is lacking...main one being remote start! It sucks living in Michigan and having to go outside to start the truck 5-10 min before you want to leave lol

Anyway, my questions: is it worth it to do the work to find a 2016-2019 with the aisin trans or is the 68RFE good enough? What's the major differences between them?

The only thing that I haul/would be hauling on a regular basis would be my enclosed trailer for my motorcycle. Its just a 6x10 enclosed Rhino bumper pull trailer. My 04 hauled it with no issues whatsoever all the way to Sturgis, SD and back this past August, sometimes at speeds reaching 75-80 mph. I may be somewhat of a speed demon! LOL

My Dad says that its worth getting the aisin trans because that's what he has gotten in his trucks, and he has had no issues and says they have worked great for him. He hauls heavy loads on his trailers (gooseneck and bumper pull) and recently has had to haul my 04 home a couple times when the water pump decided to take a dump.

My nephew told me that one of his friends had a 2016 Ram 2500 with the 68RFE and so did the friend's mom and dad. All 3 trucks had the trans go out at around 140,000 miles. That makes me a little leery of getting a truck with that trans in it but trucks with the aisin trans are hard to find. I read on another forum that the aisin trans was a $2000 optional upgrade. Is that right?

Or should I just break down and try to find a 3500 somewhere for a decent price?

Thanks for reading my post/ramblings and please let me know your opinion. I want to get a truck that is going to last me as long as my 2004 has and is worth what I am going to pay for it...which is going to be a lot! Thanks!

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

The 68RFE should be plenty for the weight you're talking about. I too have a 2004 and have a 22 on order with the Aisin. I'll be towing a toyhauler with mine though. It falls within the specs of the 68RFE, but I don't want to be at the max capacity of the truck and also want to have excess capacity should we look at a larger trailer.

 

[Diesel_Chic_81]

The 68RFE should be plenty for the weight you're talking about. I too have a 2004 and have a 22 on order with the Aisin. I'll be towing a toyhauler with mine though. It falls within the specs of the 68RFE, but I don't want to be at the max capacity of the truck and also want to have excess capacity should we look at a larger trailer.

I figured the weight wouldn't be an issue. I'm mostly worried about the performance/maintenance/reliability of the 68RFE vs the aisin. I don't want to get into mid 100,000-mile range and end up with an angry transmission lol

 

[Cummins12V98]

Order the truck you want with the AISIN and rear air ride. You will thank me.

 

[SnoKing]

I had a 2015 SRW 3500 Aisin that we bought new in Sept 2015 and loved the 3:42 gears. Was a freeway cruise at low RPM, still towed a 16K 5th wheel without issue because of the lower 1st and 2nd gear in the Aisin transmission. I would still be driving it if my departed wife had not gotten ALS, as I could not get her from her wheel chair up into the higher 3500. So a year ago I sold it.

The last two years we towed a smaller bumper pull trailer 2.5 times from Washington to Arizona.

 

[Diesel_Chic_81]

I WISH!!! LOL I don't quite have $80,000 to spend...I'm more in the $60,000 range

 

[Cummins12V98]

Look at what you get for 60 and cost of payments then compare to new.

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

Look at what you get for 60 and cost of payments then compare to new.

Exactly. That's why I ended up ordering. It just didn't make sense to me to spend the same amount for an older truck with 20k - 50k miles on it for more than I could order a new one. Just find a dealer that will work with you to go below dealer invoice or offer affiliate pricing.

 

[Diesel_Chic_81]

Look at what you get for 60 and cost of payments then compare to new.

I would just pay cash straight up for the truck, no payments. I just don't have the finances to afford anything more than that or payments and insurance both on disability. I can only do this because I got an inheritance from my grandparents when they passed. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you that the new 2021 and 2022's are better. But for what I am looking at (Laramie with all the bells and whistles) I just can't go that route. I priced out a 2021 on Ram's website and it came out to between $75,000 for the 2500 to just over $80,000 for the 3500 with the HO diesel motor, which is the only way to get the aisin transmission. Then with all the options and everything else I want in and on the truck, just can't do it. Believe me, I WISH I could!

 

[Diesel_Chic_81]

Exactly. That's why I ended up ordering. It just didn't make sense to me to spend the same amount for an older truck with 20k - 50k miles on it for more than I could order a new one. Just find a dealer that will work with you to go below dealer invoice or offer affiliate pricing.

I wish I could but when it's just me and I don't have an actual job, they probably won't want to finance me...

 

[BarryG]

I certainly won’t say that the ho motor, Aisin trans, rear air etc among others aren’t nice options to have but they do cost a chunk of change. You have to ask yourself do you really need them for the way you anticipate using the vehicle. For me the truthful answer was no I really didn’t need the ho or aisin or rear air or several other options (want was another story). However need won out, this time anyway and was able to save a fairly good size chunk of change which was used to deal with some other needs I had at the time. So far so good on the choices I made. My vehicle has my needs covered and some of my wants as well just not all of them

 

[monovasia]

I'm new to the forums. My Dad and I believe my nephew have been on here for a while. Right now, I drive a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins with about 373,500 miles on it and still going. However, it's time to upgrade to the newer Gen and get some more of the "bells and whistles" that mine is lacking...main one being remote start! It sucks living in Michigan and having to go outside to start the truck 5-10 min before you want to leave lol

Anyway, my questions: is it worth it to do the work to find a 2016-2019 with the aisin trans or is the 68RFE good enough? What's the major differences between them?

The only thing that I haul/would be hauling on a regular basis would be my enclosed trailer for my motorcycle. Its just a 6x10 enclosed Rhino bumper pull trailer. My 04 hauled it with no issues whatsoever all the way to Sturgis, SD and back this past August, sometimes at speeds reaching 75-80 mph. I may be somewhat of a speed demon! LOL

My Dad says that its worth getting the aisin trans because that's what he has gotten in his trucks, and he has had no issues and says they have worked great for him. He hauls heavy loads on his trailers (gooseneck and bumper pull) and recently has had to haul my 04 home a couple times when the water pump decided to take a dump.

My nephew told me that one of his friends had a 2016 Ram 2500 with the 68RFE and so did the friend's mom and dad. All 3 trucks had the trans go out at around 140,000 miles. That makes me a little leery of getting a truck with that trans in it but trucks with the aisin trans are hard to find. I read on another forum that the aisin trans was a $2000 optional upgrade. Is that right?

Or should I just break down and try to find a 3500 somewhere for a decent price?

Thanks for reading my post/ramblings and please let me know your opinion. I want to get a truck that is going to last me as long as my 2004 has and is worth what I am going to pay for it...which is going to be a lot! Thanks!

I have a 2012 with the 68rfe... I haul a gooseneck 3 stall horse trailer in Colorado high country....114k miles, no issues so far...either decision will work for your application.

 

[Topzide]

My 2014 with the 68RFE has 160K on it and having no issues either! I've been around the truck since about 53K and acquired it at 130K. When FIL had truck, He towed trailers for delivery to customers all over the lower 48 from PA. Sometimes 3 at a time on a 5th wheel. A couple mobile command trailers with triples! My towing has been a dual axle equipment bumper pull with tractors and vehicles. When I got the truck from FIL, pulled my 1500 gasser home from western PA with no issues through the east coast mountains (hills for those on west coast). Maintenance is the biggest part of ownership and reliability. So don't be scared of the 68RFE. Find what you're looking for in budget and go from there! Depending on the truck, you can still get the factory remote start kit to install in truck, that's what I did. Dealer has to activate unless you or someone close to you has AlfaOBD software to activate. You might want to look into it yourself if getting a truck. Very helpful with diagnostics and what nots. And welcome aboard to the forum, great advice and great bunch of owners willing to help one another!!!!!!!!

 

[NIsaacs]

You might consider an optioned out Tradesman, that's what I did in the 2500. It was $6k less than the Big Horn. Here is the option list.

https://redirect.viglink.com/?forma...y/pse/windowsticker/ram?vin=3C6UR5CL8MG606682

 

[bcbender]

Anyway, my questions: is it worth it to do the work to find a 2016-2019 with the aisin trans or is the 68RFE good enough?

FWIW... A used truck that is almost out of warranty these days is almost as much as a new one, I think as has been said, for your usage the 68RFE is plenty and the current 22' SO/68RFE is the same amount of power as the 18 HO/Aisin. I have a 2012 HO with the 68RFE and no trans issues and it is driven for work by alot of different drivers.

My nephew told me that one of his friends had a 2016 Ram 2500 with the 68RFE and so did the friend's mom and dad. All 3 trucks had the trans go out at around 140,000 miles. That makes me a little leery of getting a truck with that trans in it but trucks with the aisin trans are hard to find. I read on another forum that the aisin trans was a $2000 optional upgrade. Is that right?

Sounds like lack of maintenance, or abuse. I have not heard of a lot of issues with the 68RFE when maintained properly, but that alone would be a reason if you are concerned to buy a new one and not risk buying someone else's problems. When I was shopping I could not find a truck for less than 50k that did not have 100k miles on it. and so throwing down another 20 for a new one seemed to be a no-brainer Used ones when I was looking in the 50k range were barely less than new.

 

[lpennock]

the current 22' SO/68RFE is the same amount of power as the 18 HO/Aisin.

Close but not quite. My 18 HO is 930ftlb vs the 22 SO which is 850ftlb.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Down payment of 60k leaves 20k. 20k @ 4% $312 for 72 mo or $273 for 84 mo.

I bet you can swing this!!!

 

[MichaelD86]

For the load your wanting to pull why even get a diesel? A 1500 will do what you want, or go with an eco diesel or titan diesel if you want a Diesel engine. Lower cost of maintenance, and plenty of power for what you want.
On the other hand I have a 2010 2500 with 68rfe. I bought it used 5 years ago with 50k miles on it. I bought an aftermarket extended warranty. Glad I did. At around 60k miles I drove it to work just fine, parked it and when I left work the trans was for a lack of better words, ****ed. Took it to the dealer and the tech wouldn’t even drive it, said it was too unsafe. Lol. I drove it 30 miles there. Had the whole trans replaced under warranty. Now I have another 50k miles on it and it’s been fine, knock on wood. From what I’ve heard they go quick or not at all. I tow a 13k lbs toy hauler all summer in Co and have no issues. Always runs cool. I went to UTV takeover in Oklahoma and towing across Kansas the outside temp was over 100 and the trans temp never went over 200.
So again, given the load you tow and if you get a newer truck go for a power train warranty and you’ll probably be fine.

 

[bcbender]

For the load your wanting to pull why even get a diesel?

I was going to say something similar, I have heard decent things from the 2500 with the gas engine and 8spd trans.. about the same cost as a 1500 and plenty capable without the 68 worries or maintenance cost.

 

[06 Dodge]

Down payment of 60k leaves 20k. 20k @ 4% $312 for 72 mo or $273 for 84 mo.

I bet you can swing this!!!

4% that's a bit high my Credit Union in IA has interest rate at 2.59% for 69 months & 2.94% for 75 months...