Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[BigBlue1]

Rob,
My neighbor has that MDS 5.7L hemi and gets 35MPG hwy with his 2012. He averages high 20s in mixed driving. The most he tows with it is a trailer with 2 seadoos. Thus, all I ever see these gas sippers do is pull 'toys'. Nothing really against that, but the 1500's are too light duty.

There's absolutely no way that is true. Zero. Unless he means when he lets off the gas and coasts and watches the instant MPG reading. I've had a 5.7L Hemi in a Grand Cherokee and in the Ram 1500 and my son has it in a 2018 Ram 1500. Nothing remotely close to that MPG ever.

 

[BigBlue1]

It's the MDS that takes the V8 to a V6 and then a V4. It shuts of cylinders while at cruising speeds. When power is needed, in 40 milliseconds the computer will switch those cylinders back on.

FCA's MDS.

What Is Hemi MDS?

We explain how Chrysler Hemi MDS cylinder deactivation works, what goes wrong, and how to fix it when it breaks.

www.motortrend.com

The MDS system is a joke. Had that in two 5.7L Hemis. It barely ever activates in normal driving and the MPG difference is miniscule. I will say that it is seamless in its operation though, which is nice since it isn't very useful.

 

[Grumpycat]

If your neighbors Hemi is getting 35 mpg than my V10 ford is getting 30. I think your neighbor can’t do math.

Seriously, is very sad how few know how to calculate MPG. Don’t know “miles per gallon” means “miles divided by gallons”, or even how to determine how many miles they drove since previously purchasing fuel.

“Math is hard!”

 

[redman135]

I have seen pictures of vehicles with bent chassis like that and in each case the vehicle(double cab,4x4,kitted out for long range camping) was on a dirt track loaded to max weight and hit a pothole/washout hard due to driving to fast. A straight piece of track does not mean smooth.

 

[RandyT]

I owned a 2010 Ram 1500. It was rated for just over 10,000lbs trailer towing. That's not really 'toy' class. But it certainly isn't as beefy as a 2500 or 3500. My current 2500 is much, much more beefy all around. It has a payload capacity of 3300lbs, and I have hauled just about that without issue in the bed. The 1500 was nowhere near that.

As for 'gas sipper', LOL! Only the light duty diesel in the 1500 can be considered that. The Hemi is THIRSTY!

Rob

The only way the Hemi in the 1500 gets decent fuel mileage is on flat ground without a head wind or possibly having a tail wind and not towing anything. My 2011 Hemi 1500 can get 20-22 on flat ground cruise set at speed limits, but for the most part averages 15-16 just driving and 10-12 towing a 14 foot landscape trailer with 4 foot parachute gate.

 

[Jstpssng]

I like the way people diss the half tons for their poor payloads. They still often have a better payload and more towing capacity than 3/4 ton trucks built just 15 years ago.

 

[RandyT]

I like the way people diss the half tons for their poor payloads. They still often have a better payload and more towing capacity than 3/4 ton trucks built just 15 years ago.

Most people driving pickup trucks never need the cargo capacity of the bed because they never haul anything. And a lot of people that do haul it is limited to a cooler, the kids life jackets, and the lawn chairs.

 

[Jstpssng]

Most people driving pickup trucks never need the cargo capacity of the bed because they never haul anything. And a lot of people that do haul it is limited to a cooler, the kids life jackets, and the lawn chairs.

What does that have to do with payload capacity vs 15 years ago?

 

[RandyT]

What does that have to do with payload capacity vs 15 years ago?

I was referring more to the first part of your post and not so much as the second part. Maybe I should of modified your post when I quoted it to help prevent people from having a pissing attitude because they referred to the less referenced part of the post.

And if I come across as being snippy I apologize. I am currently on day 10 of quarantine for immediate family member testing positive with me and my parents being exposed, and with good likelihood that both of my elderly parents will be dead by the end of the month.

 

[ptsg]

When you guys refer to 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, etc, on a pickup truck, is that referring to the payload on the bed?

 

[RandyT]

@ptsg It is my understanding that it is an old reference to cargo capacity from around the early 1900's where a 1/2 ton had a 1000# capacity and a 3/4 ton had a 1500# capacity etc. But for today is more of a holdover reference since you have 1/2 pickups with payload capacities from under 1000# to a proper equipped F150 of over 3000#.

 

[ptsg]

@ptsg It is my understanding that it is an old reference to cargo capacity from around the early 1900's where a 1/2 ton had a 1000# capacity and a 3/4 ton had a 1500# capacity etc. But for today is more of a holdover reference since you have 1/2 pickups with payload capacities from under 1000# to a proper equipped F150 of over 3000#.

Yeah makes sense. Thanks Randy.

Over here, the pickup trucks are all somewhere in between 1700 lbs to 2100 lbs payload capacity across all manufacturers. It will, of course, vary a bit depending on if it's single cab, extended cab or double cab. The tow capacity will vary from 6000 lbs to 7700 lbs, depending on the manufacturer.

Being that we're limited to 7700 lbs of gross weight for the category B drivers license, any American truck imported to Europe, would have a ridiculous payload of 500 lbs or something around that. Unless, it would be registered as commercial truck and it would get a lot more payload capacity, but it would have to have a tachograph and the driver would need category C drivers license, which is more or less equivalent to the CDL.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was referring more to the first part of your post and not so much as the second part. Maybe I should of modified your post when I quoted it to help prevent people from having a pissing attitude because they referred to the less referenced part of the post.

And if I come across as being snippy I apologize. I am currently on day 10 of quarantine for immediate family member testing positive with me and my parents being exposed, and with good likelihood that both of my elderly parents will be dead by the end of the month.

I'm sorry to hear that. At the end of the day things posted on internet forums are abstract and nowhere near as important as real life.
Would it offend you if we said a prayer for your family?

 

[RandyT]

@Jstpssng Prayers would be fine.

 

[deezler]

I like the way people diss the half tons for their poor payloads. They still often have a better payload and more towing capacity than 3/4 ton trucks built just 15 years ago.

Lol, not Ram 1500s though. Until the most recent model refresh, most of them has between 900 to 1200 lbs of total payload. A lowly 6700 GVWR on a truck that weighs well over 5000 lbs itself. I was hoping to buy an ecodiesel for a while, until I researched the pathetic payload numbers, and then the EGR coolers kept failing (among other issues). The VM-designed engine is robust, but FCAs integration of it into the chassis and emissions control system is garbage (typical).

 

[Grumpycat]

Most people driving pickup trucks never need the cargo capacity of the bed because they never haul anything. And a lot of people that do haul it is limited to a cooler, the kids life jackets, and the lawn chairs.

You forget the 80" big screen TV. Every American needs a pickup truck to haul their free 80" big screen TV home from the BLM/Antifa riot!

 

[dodge man]

Rob,
My neighbor has that MDS 5.7L hemi and gets 35MPG hwy with his 2012. He averages high 20s in mixed driving. The most he tows with it is a trailer with 2 seadoos. Thus, all I ever see these gas sippers do is pull 'toys'. Nothing really against that, but the 1500's are too light duty.

Glad you have a 2500. I've beefed up mine to a 14,000 tow rating. My trouble was, I couldn't find a 3500 in my area, thus had to upgrade the 2500 with more leafs and run 10-ply tires. The 3500 short bed cummins is about the same for the model year too. I basically copied it.

That’s the funniest thing I’ve read today. I owned a pickup with a hemi and a total of 4 cars with the Hemi and MDS. One of a cars got something like 35 mpg driving back from New Mexico with a huge tailwind. I’d say mid to high 20’s mpg is normal in a car, not in a truck.

The MDS system, I’m not a huge fan but it makes more of a mpg difference than you think. I have a 2010 Challenger, not 100% stock and hated the sound of the MDS through the aftermarket exhaust. I turned off the MDS with a tuner. I’d say it hurt the fuel mileage at least 10%, maybe more, I was surprised.

The programming of the MDS is critical in my opinion. On my 2010 car it want to turn the MDS on all the time. On my wife’s 2019 300c it’s much better. It’s slower to engage, at interstate speeds, say 75mph it doesn’t turn on at all. On the newer cars it’s much more seamless and kicks in and out a lot less. On trucks it’s probably a bad idea, they just catch to much air.

 

[4570Man]

I like the way people diss the half tons for their poor payloads. They still often have a better payload and more towing capacity than 3/4 ton trucks built just 15 years ago.

The 15 year old 3/4 ton truck is still a lot stronger piece. The new half ton can’t withstand the abuse and the 15 year old truck did.

 

[California]

Being that we're limited to 7700 lbs of gross weight for the category B drivers license, any American truck imported to Europe, would have a ridiculous payload of 500 lbs or something around that. Unless, it would be registered as commercial truck and it would get a lot more payload capacity, but it would have to have a tachograph and the driver would need category C drivers license

'Tachograph' is a recorder that makes a log of speed etc for the traffic cop to review?

500 lb payload! That's what the WWII Jeeps were rated.

 

[Jstpssng]

The 15 year old 3/4 ton truck is still a lot stronger piece. The new half ton can’t withstand the abuse and the 15 year old truck did.

Please allow me to post your quote from another thread about the 5.4 engine. The same can be said about the lighter pickups.

I wouldn’t start hotshot towing with a 5.4 but they’ll tow a skid steer or a camper a few times a year just fine. A 5.4 reliability is far higher than a 6.0 or 6.4.