A new Ram HD versus a new Ford Super Duty versus a new 2024 GMC Sierra HD! We gathered three new off-road heavy-duty pickup trucks together. We have our own Ram 2500 HD Trail Hound 4×4, a GMC Sierra 2500 HD AT4X AEV edition, and a Ford F-350 Elevation Off Grid Black Edition. Check them out!
One of the most common questions we get is “Which new heavy-duty pickup truck is best for me?” We plan to answer this with a series of real-world comparison tests. It all starts here.
This is a new breed of heavy-duty pickup trucks. All three of these are specialized for off-road duty. Still, all three of these are ready to haul heavy payloads and tow heavy trailers.
The Ram 2500 HD Trail Hound is our own project. It starts as a Big Horn trim 4×4 with a standard bed length (6’4”). It’s equipped with a 6.7L Cummins I6 turbo diesel with 370 hp and 850 lb-ft. It uses a Ram 68RFE 6-speed automatic transmission. We worked with our friends at BDS Suspension and FOX Shocks to do the lift and dampers. We put on 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires. Finally, our friends at AEV helped us add an AEV front bumper & skid plate with a 16.5K lbs Warn winch.
The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 HD AT4X AEV edition is all stock. It’s on loan to us from General Motors. Under the hood is the latest L5P v2 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V8 with a rating of 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to an Allison-branded 10-speed automatic transmission. It has a factory 1.5-inch suspension lift, DSSV spool valve shocks by Multimatic, and 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires. The AEV edition adds steel bumpers (the front bumper is winch-capable) and additional steel skid plates.
The Ford F-350 single rear wheel is on load to us from our friends at Elevation Off-Grid. It starts out as a 2023 Ford Super Duty F-350 Lariat 4×4 trim with a standard bed (6’10”). It’s equipped with the latest high-output 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 with 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission. The EOG Black Edition comes with the LiquidSpring Adaptive Smart Suspension. It means that all stock suspension components are removed and the LiquidSpring system is added. It’s height-adjustable and also reacts to driving conditions in real-time. The package also includes an EOG steel front bumper with a 16.5K lbs Warn winch. This truck is riding on 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires.
Why not use a stock 2023+ Ford Super Duty Tremor or a stock Ram Power Wagon or Ram HD Rebel? The stock Ford Super Duty loan has been delayed, and Ram has not made any significant updates to the Power Wagon or the HD Rebel – so these trucks are not available in the loan fleet.
