Ram1500 EcoDiesel V6 revealed!

[jejeosborne]

One of my first cars was a '69 caddy with the 472 4 barrel. Heck, I bet I could put 1000 lbs in that trunk! :laughing:

Today's sedans are surprisingly high being around 800-900 lbs. Minivans 1500 lbs or so.

A couple hundred pounds is a big deal for payload. That equates to 2000 lbs towing capacity or an empty seat.

 

[jejeosborne]

He has a valid point. Let's say you want to go camping with a family of 5 (I will use my family as an example). The weight of my wife, my 3 kids, my dog, and the kids car seats comes up to about 550 lbs.

Either you forgot yourself or your family is very light.

 

[fordmantpw]

Either you forgot yourself or your family is very light.

My kids are still little and skinny...4, 8, and 10 with a total weight of < 150 lbs. Oh, and the dog only weighs 10 lbs.

I can hear it now...brand x had enough payload, but then my kids grew up and now I have to upgrade to brand y!

 

[sd455dan]

I thought the specs always allotted 150-200 lbs. for a driver ??

 

[tcartwri]

My point, going back a few pages, is that for whatever reason, Ford is exaggerating is gvwr, and Dodge is understating it. If you seriously think your truck is going to fail if you exceed those numbers by a few hundred pounds you're delusional. They are far far tougher animals than you give them credit for.

Out.

 

[jejeosborne]

I thought the specs always allotted 150-200 lbs. for a driver ??

The door sticker specifically says you must account for all occupants. This takes all the guesswork out of the equation. Obviously a driver is needed and when towing capacities are calculated, tongue weight plus the weight of a driver cannot exceed payload capacity. Manufacturers then mostly use 150 lbs. and 10% tongue values. I wish I still weighed 150.

 

[fordmantpw]

My point, going back a few pages, is that for whatever reason, Ford is exaggerating is gvwr, and Dodge is understating it. If you seriously think your truck is going to fail if you exceed those numbers by a few hundred pounds you're delusional. They are far far tougher animals than you give them credit for.

Out.

What makes you think Ford is exaggerating? Seriously? Where do you get that? And why is Ram understating? What basis do you have? Do you know their test procedures?

Or is this just your own opinion since your truck doesn't have the payload a Ford does?

No, it's not necessarily going to fail if you exceed those numbers, but those numbers are there for a reason. They are there to show the level that the manufacturer (yes, the engineers) has decided is safe for use of the truck. If Ram really felt their truck was comfortable hauling an extra 200 lbs, do you think they would leave it where it is? Or, maybe, just maybe, the Ford is built a bit more stout and capable of handling the loads. Obviously, you aren't concerned about payload, so it doesn't matter to you. Others are, and it does matter.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Without knowing what options (and their weights) are on the trucks in question, the whole thing is moot.

 

[fordmantpw]

Without knowing what options (and their weights) are on the trucks in question, the whole thing is moot.

When comparing overall payload on truck A vs. truck B, then yes.

However, the whole discussion on payload on a particular truck is NOT moot. Personally, I think it's a good discussion, as many don't even know that weight rating is there. Not only that, they don't have the slightest idea what it means. It's not just a number, it's what the manufacturer feels is safe to haul in that truck. Sure, there is a safety factor and the truck isn't going to instantly break if you go over that number, but it's a "be warned" rating, and if you continually go over that number, expect problems, and if you have problems while exceeding that number, the manufacturer will say "I told you so" (as will countless lawyers on the plaintiff's side).

 

[jejeosborne]

Without knowing what options (and their weights) are on the trucks in question, the whole thing is moot.

You are correct. The sticky point here is that you cannot order a Ram 1500 crew cab with a GVWR greater than 6800 lbs and 6950 with the diesel. This is the limiting factor. From this you subtract the curb weight of the truck as built and adding crew cab and options takes away a decent amount of capacity.

In comparison using crew cab:
Ford offers GVWR of 7700 lbs without max payload and 8200 with max payload package
Chevy 7200 lbs
Toyota 7200 lbs

Ram offers a towing capacity of 10,300 lbs in the crew cab. With a recommended minimum tongue weight of 1300 lbs, it would have to be a stripped down model with only a driver.

I admit, I was happy to see that Ram upped the GVWR for the diesel because that motor weights 50 lbs more than the Hemi. 100 lbs extra payload doesn't sound like much but that is about 10% more for the average build. I have seen owners remove the spare tire to gain 60 lbs when they were riding the limits already.

Compare RAM 1500 Models | Quick Comparison Chart | RAM Trucks
2014 Ford F-150 | View Payload Specifications | Ford.com
2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 Engine and Specs | Ecotec3 | Chevrolet
http://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/2014/tundra_ebrochure.pdf