I had posted this in another are but not getting the reply's i had wished for so hear i go again.

"ok i got a question on the new ram 3500. i was reading this months issue of "diesel world 09/11" and they stated the rated towing capacities of the truck. 6.7L 6spd manual is rated for 14,050lbs(seems low) and the 6.7L 6spd auto is rated for 22,700(and even the payload is 80lbs different for auto). wow thats a difference of 8650lbs. why is there such a big difference? in my experience manual is the way to go. is it the clutch? maybe the stocker cant hold up? any and all input would be great. thanks"

And i also want to know what you prefer and why? me personally i love my manual and wouldnt have it any other way, PERIOD.

here is a link to original post
https://www.dieselbombers.com/6-7-li...am-3500-a.html

 

I would pick the auto, after driving a 5 speed Jeep and Neon everyday I dont want to row anymore gears then I have too My whole purpose of getting a diesel was the convience of being able to get in, hook up and go with out beating the truck to an inch of its life like I did with my old gasser. The stock truck is 2x more then I need for my toyhauler that is only 9k loaded so for me the auto is perfect, simply because of the convience of it!!

 

i hear that. my only complant is traffic ratio is so close im always grabbing gears

 

the only reason i have the auto is i broke my ankle and could press in the clutch on my 5 spd and came across this one was a steal of a deal and now i cant wait to sell it after i get out of alaska and out the army the auto is killing my fuel mileage i used to get 23-26 with my 02 5 spd in tow mostly and now i barely see 16 so i want my stick back

 

The auto is the way to go. It keeps the turbo spooled better while excellerating with a trailer, also it shifts quicker for better excelleratin. PLUs, they downshift going up hills and such with a trailer to aid you p hills and such. If I drop to 5th gear in my man cummins at 60-65, holy rpmage batman! I wish my truck was a manual, however after hearing my neighbors auto tranny just burnt up I like mine a lil more now

 

I perferred the manual myself. I used to enjoy selecting the gears at my timing, now I have to wait for the truck to shift. I learned to drive with a manual, and it was always a joy to drive it out in the country. City traffic makes it a pain, but it was tollerable to me

 

I like them both for different reasons. As long as they are up to the task, either in terms of clutch strength or whatever is built up in the auto for what you're doing with it, they both work well. In my case I daily drive an old 1stGen Dodge 5sp that is my work truck. It sounds cool, will pull a house down and is just plain fun to drive.

OTOH, the '07 is an auto and more of a play-toy/people hauler/RV-type vehicle. The auto works great in that. It's much more enjoyable and comfortable on long trips. But it won't do as well as the manual with a heavy load behind it, either in terms of reliability/longevity or fuel mileage.

 

Yes having to grab gear after gear in stop and go yoyo traffic sucks *** especially with my bum knee. But its nice to be able to pick what gear I want to cruise in. I dont have a torque converter zapping a bunch of power either which is nice too.

My buddy just traded in his 06 cummins for a chevy 1500 with rims because his tranny gave him that many issues. He had it gone through 2 or 3 times. Granted it was also putting out close to 1200 ft lbs of torque according to him. I want to see the dyno slips for that one. He could break the tires free on the freeway so who knows.

 

the new auto in a cummins is nice. you can paddle shift it where ever you want it. in the stock form its tougher than the 48 re.

 

i love my stick i dont think anyone could give me an auto i think the tow rating is bs i gross my truck to a little over 20k nothing has went wrong with my tranny and i know others gross more than me but all have there own opinion like it shows here just get what you want and what you like thats what it all narrows down too