Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

[Hay Dude]

The buzzword saying around these parts is:

'The Lord made Fiat owned Ram pickup trucks to keep the idiots happy'.

The buzzword around here is “Give it up, chump. The world has passed you by”.

 

[Hay Dude]

When I think of Fiat, I think of junk.

Heck, my 1997 F350 7.3 turbo diesel long bed 4x4 gets 21 average unladen and I could put one of those soccer mon wannabe trucks in the bed. I guess the emission compliant engines today get really poor fuel mileage..

Anytime you want to chain-up, just come on over.
I’ll pull that old ford in half.

 

[Hay Dude]

My '17 Ram (C&C) gets around 10 mpg. Then again, I have no idea what it'd get without a trailer behind it. Or if I didn't drive too fast, and mostly in the Rockies.

Ironically, that's not a whole lot better than what I used to get with the Pete, with much worse aerodynamics and more total weight.

This International 7500 I have is thirsty. No emissions and I think I’m in the high single digits. Don’t have enough tanks yet to really know.

The 9.3L probably has something to do with it.

I will say though, I’ve never bought a truck with any worry about fuel mileage. I buy them to get a job done.

Also have always thought fuel mileage had more to do with the driver than the truck

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I will say though, I’ve never bought a truck with any worry about fuel mileage. I buy them to get a job done.

Also have always thought fuel mileage had more to do with the driver than the truck

Same here. As long as a tow (or any) vehicle does what I ask from it, I'll feed it whatever it wants.

And in my case, I could likely increase the mileage of anything I drive on roads by 20% or so just by slowing down. But, by going 20-25% over the speed limit, I get there 20-25% sooner.
That matters when most trips are 300 to 1,300 miles.

 

[Hay Dude]

Same here. As long as a tow (or any) vehicle does what I ask from it, I'll feed it whatever it wants.

I worked for a skin flint back in the 80’s when i was a kid that had a Ford 30,000GVW 6 wheel dump truck with like a 500+ cubic inch gas V-8. I don’t think it got 5MPG. Probably 200HP??? What a pile of sh** that thing was. That truck was the one that made me realize how much better diesels were.

And in my case, I could likely increase the mileage of anything I drive on roads by 20% or so just by slowing down. But, by going 20-25% over the speed limit, I get there 20-25% sooner.
That matters when most trips are 300 to 1,300 miles.

This is what I have started doing. Just slowing down helps tremendously with fuel economy. You have to keep the tach in the 1200-1800 range as much as possible. I don’t do long distance trucking-just local. I just leave 5-10 minutes earlier.

You see guys running 75+ down the road in diesel pickup trucks. Their tachometer is up well over 2000.
They are giving up one of the last 3 advantages diesel trucks have over gas trucks (fuel mileage, torque and engine longevity).

 

[Too many Kubotas]

You see guys running 75+ down the road in diesel pickup trucks. Their tachometer is up well over 2000.
They are giving up one of the last 3 advantages diesel trucks have over gas trucks (fuel mileage, torque and engine longevity).

I try to keep it at 80, which is 2,000 rpm with my 3.73s. The engine seems to really like that rpm, thankfully.

Yes, I'm definitely losing mileage by pushing the less than great aerodynamics, but as far as engine longevity goes I think a late model Cummins is far happier at 2,000 than at, say, 1,200 which 3.42 geared SRWs can run at. Shakes the entire vehicle, and makes me cringe (and downshift).

If I wanted to drive slower, 4.10s would be installed.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’m running 4.88’s in the 5500.
Smooth at 55-75, but lots more thirsty over 70.
Drove to Ohio and back to see my daughter (900 miles)
Averaged about 68MPH and about 16MPG on a new Cummins (not broken in).

 

[Blue Mule]

Hate to pay that gas bill. A big block gas towing 19,500lbs would get 5-7MPG.

I can tow double that, like 38,000lbs with my Ram Cummins 5500 and get about 11 in mixed driving.

But the gas guys just keep trying to catch up to diesel. Won’t happen.

View attachment 834838

A Ram 5500 Cummins gets 12-15 UNLOADED. With that kind of weight behind it you're single digits just like the gas trucks. But...wait a second....diesel fuel is running a full dollar per gallon more than gas where I live and has been all year. So that gas bill suddenly doesn't look so bad.

As far as the Cummins outlasting the gas offering, all I'll say to that is somebody should tell the guys on the Ram HD forum that. They are constantly posting about the problems with their engines, particularly the late model engines that have gone to new roller valvetrains. Those things almost never see 250k miles anymore.

 

[5030]

My '17 Ram (C&C) gets around 10 mpg. Then again, I have no idea what it'd get without a trailer behind it. Or if I didn't drive too fast, and mostly in the Rockies.

Ironically, that's not a whole lot better than what I used to get with the Pete, with much worse aerodynamics and more total weight.

One of my hunting friends manages 60 road tractors (pulling Fed-Ex short doubles and single 53 foot box trailers. He turns the tractors every million miles and all are maintained by their respective dealers (Peterbilt or Freightliner) and his fleet average with all the emissions crap (one boxes and DEF injection and all of then have automatics, engine brakes, disc brakes front and rear and double sleepers on the long haul units and day cabs on the regional units) and their fleet average is 8.1 mpg but he's getting 5 Petes with Cummins ISX engines that Pete claims will deliver 8.6 so he's trying them When you take 60 units and diesel (ULSD) at an average of say 4 bucks a gallon (Fed-EX provides a fuel discount so long as they fuel at the Fed-Ex facility the units are domiciled at or at Fed-Ex authorized fuel stops, The difference between 8.1 and 8.6 equates to quite a lot of jack as it pertains to bottom line profitability.

 

[5030]

I try to keep it at 80, which is 2,000 rpm with my 3.73s. The engine seems to really like that rpm, thankfully.

Yes, I'm definitely losing mileage by pushing the less than great aerodynamics, but as far as engine longevity goes I think a late model Cummins is far happier at 2,000 than at, say, 1,200 which 3.42 geared SRWs can run at. Shakes the entire vehicle, and makes me cringe (and downshift).

If I wanted to drive slower, 4.10s would be installed.

I disagree. Diesels are all designed and built to operate at maximum torque rise which is also the spot where the deliver the best efficiency (and fuel mileage). What does your owners manual state as maximum torque rise, just curious?

Far as driving at 80, last time I checked in most every state (at least around here), 80 is criminal speed and can and will garner you a ticket if you are stopped and pulling any trailer at 80 anywhere is asking for trouble, especially when it comes to stopping when loaded.

I don't much care what you do in reality you pay for the fuel and you being an adult are responsible for your actions 100% but 80 is an insane rate of speed, especially when pulling a loaded trailer or even with the cargo bed loaded.

I always drive my F350 with the engine running at max torque rise on the highway (so long as the posted speed limit allows that and when it does like on a limited access highway, maybe, just maybe 2 clicks above the posted limit of traffic allows it.

I always leave for whatever destination I'm going to in plenty of time to get there without driving at a criminal rate of speed.

It's your dime and your license but I'd never post something like you just did on any forum. All that does is show your lack of common sense and blatant disregard for posted speed limits.

I have people in a hurry pass me all the time and the only time I'm in the 'hammer' passing lane os to go around traffic that is running slower than the posted limit, if necessary and then I get back in the 'granny lane' ASAP and get out of those 'idiots' who are in a big hurry to get nowhere or left not in time because they are unable to comprehend adequate time and distance to destination.

I don't really care one way or another actually because they are supposed to be adults and responsible even though it always appears to me they aren't.

In my personal view, there is no sane reason for driving recklessly other than rank stupidity.

I drove for a commercial carrier (big truck hauling steel) for over 35 years and I never got a speeding ticket or DOT citation, the entire time and to date, my CDL is 100% clean. In this state at least, insurance rates are based on citations received and I, for one pay enough to my insurance carrier without adding to the premiums through stupidity because I was exceeding the posted limit by a criminal amount, besides, I don't want to pay a fine just because I was stoopid.