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slowmover · 09-21-2016, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by griffstream

I purchased a 2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Crew Cab and we own a 2007 27FB.

First Ill state - I love this truck, I have gotten 31MPG unloaded on the freeway and I am sad it will not work out. The specs all work out, but I am 200 pounds shy of GCWR when fully loaded and hooked up. I am 400 pounds over axle rating no matter how much a crank up the equalizer hitch. The good news is my EcoDiesel is a lemon and Chrysler is buying the truck back in 2-3 weeks.

The problems out side of exceeding weight limits, I live in Seattle. We have several mountain passes. On i90 (Snoqualmie Pass) traveling to central Washington I have the pedal floored to maintain 60mph. On a return trip over US-2 (Stevens Pass) the best I could maintain is 52MPH. I think a Banks kit might fix the speed drops over the pass but it will not fix the weight issue.

So I will be looking for a replacement Truck. I have been considering a ¾ ton Dodge, but should I consider a gasser 1/2ton? Ford sells a ½ ton eco diesel with 12k towing a 4k payload. we camp 5-8 times per year usually in state, but plan to do a couple long road trips with the family in the next few years when the kids are older. I am looking for a truck in the $35-$45k range.

Suggestions? Gas or Diesel? ½ ton or ¾ ton.

What are the trailer weights? Full water and propane plus as you load it out for a trip. Axle weight and tongue weight. A trip to a Cat Scale is best idea. Guesstimates are worthless.

Now, how you do or don't load the TV is beside the point. That can always change. A truck isn't a default choice where quite a few other vehicles can serve. Find out the numbers, and then work from a list of types, not brands or models.

griffstream · 09-21-2016, 11:14 PM

A little side note on scales if your traveling, I have found the roadside state patrol weigh stations in Washington & Oregon usually leave their scales on when closed. Sometimes you have to pear in the window to see the readout.

So i have stopped three times on the scales and gotten weights, although a 4th time it did not have a readout to see. I never stopped when they were open...

So my last trip across the scale was on 9/8 and I was able to just have an axle on the scale. Front 3600#, Rear 4060# and Trailer was 6260#. This was on the way out to camp and fully loaded water tank and empty grey/black tanks as we were dry camping. Propane tanks were topped off on the previous trip, so this was likely max loaded weight.

The previous scale visit was 7/19 and front was 3600#, rear was 3900# and trailer was 6100#. This was a full hookup trip and water tank was likely around 25% to have water while in transit.

I checked the tires and all axles were 1700# under tire limits so I felt it was just axle issues, and I am sure they are overly engineered so being 10% over was not going to lead to catastrophic failure in the short term.

dasams · 09-22-2016, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by griffstream

Front 3600#, Rear 4060# and Trailer was 6260#. This was on the way out to camp and fully loaded water tank and empty grey/black tanks as we were dry camping. Propane tanks were topped off on the previous trip, so this was likely max loaded weight.

The previous scale visit was 7/19 and front was 3600#, rear was 3900# and trailer was 6100#. This was a full hookup trip and water tank was likely around 25% to have water while in transit.

Don't forget the effect of the gas tank level as there's a potential swing of 200+ lbs and nearly all of it on the rear axel.

Adiredneck · 09-22-2016, 10:01 PM

We upgraded to a 2015 Ram 3500 Quad Cab Long Bed 4x4 Cummins Laramie with 6 spd stick. Love it. The difference between the 2500 and 3500 was less than $300, and gave us 2000# more payload and rear leaf springs, which I prefer over coil for heavy loads. We've got 14,000 on it, almost all towing our AS, and I recommend it highly. Our GCVW is 17,000lbs, and we average 14.5mpg running the Appalachians from Mississippi to the Adirondacks twice a year.

Tim

abone · 09-22-2016, 11:48 PM

OP - I have a 2014 1500 EcoDiesel, Laramie Limited, air susp, 3.92 gears, 4WD, towing a 2017 27FB. Hitch is Equal-i-zer 10,000 bars (6.5 spacers).

We just returned today from our first 3000 km trip, crossing the rockies, Monashees and Cascades so many long climbs of up to 8.5% grades. Mileage for the total round trip was 15.4 L/100 (15.3 US mpg). I had it as low as 13.9 L/100 for the first 1200 kms but the hills eventually kicked it up.

Scale weights with me, wife, full fuel and loaded for camping:

Front axle 3586
Rear axle 4048
Trailer 5896
GCVW 13,530

The VIN decoder on my truck states 13,500 GCVW.

My hitch weight is 850 weighed using the bathroom scale method.

The engine is a little workhorse, likes to chug up the hills and can easily keep at 100-110 kph on regular grades, and 80 kph up all the hills. I just let the transmission do its thing. I do however start to pucker up on long descents, and we have a lot of them up here. The transmission really has to work, and rev, at holding the trailer back. I had to use the brakes a lot to help it out. I do not have a turbo brake tune.
I have tried to get my axle weights closer, and have spent hours and hours on my hitch with adjusting the ball height, the bar tension and various spacers adds. 400 lbs diff is the closest I think I can get. I am not satisfied with that.

I don't really like the idea of having a nice new 27 AS and worrying constantly about what I can bring and what I can't, in order to manage the payload. I know is the prudent thing to do but my wife is constantly buying and adding and I know its a losing proposition to try to keep it down.
I'm also not comfortable with being at or slightly over payload and GCVW all the time, nor as mentioned the downhill braking.

I'm going to give it a few more trips before I definitively decide to move up to a 3/4 ton but in my mind is a matter of time. I was hoping the truck would do it, and it can do it, but with limitations that I'm not sure I am comfortable with.

xrvr · 09-23-2016, 04:08 AM

That's a great first hand report. Thanks for the info.

VernDiesel · 09-23-2016, 11:05 AM

I've been at 3,700 & 4,080 or 7,780 on a CAT scale. With WDH, airbags, & just 31.9" XL load rated tires it felt loaded but still comfortable & confident. Have had 3 trips at or in low 15,000 CVWR but only to 14,300 with an AS. Between the GDE tune turbo brake & trailer brakes I don't have to use the trucks brakes to control speed down a grade. Its a very re-assuring feeling.

Cooling was my concern on long grades but keeping it at or below 3,000 rpms has always kept it in check. Now with the SLT grill I have more room to use the extra torque from the tune. The max RAM 1500 CVWR is 15,950 same suspension & brakes without the benefit of a turbo brake. Not saying everyone should be set up for & comfortable to the high 7s & 15 CVWR as I tow for a living and you get to know your equipment and used to what it will do.

SpletKay06 · 09-23-2016, 12:25 PM

I regret getting the gde tune for mine but the turbo braking sure makes a world of difference.

VernDiesel · 09-24-2016, 10:31 AM

The tuning limitations of Banks pressure box or the piggy back chips suck in comparison to a real tune like GDE & PPEI. Both offer the turbo brake. PPEI advertises a little more power on their tow tune and a another jump for a race type tune.

I've never heard of anybody who has regretted their GDE tune. Why do you regret it?

SpletKay06 · 09-24-2016, 12:28 PM

The gde tune is around 35 hp and 80 ft lbs of torque and has higher than stock egts. It's a great tune but it causes the engine to heat up faster in the grades. The tune I should have purchased is PPEI tow tune ( 20 hp and 25 ft lbs of torque) which has less power but offers lower than stock egts aka more usable power when towing.

VernDiesel · 09-25-2016, 05:46 PM

My understanding is that all MFG safeties are kept and heat should stay in acceptable ranges for this turbos components as reported by GDE on a thread at the ED forum. But I can't speak to it beyond that as I don't even monitor my EGTs. It would be a good idea if I did it I just haven't.

I can say per my previous posts aside from EGTs, coolant oil & transmission temps are all kept in check simply by keeping the rpms to 3,000 or less when pulling a grade. Thats been the same with the factory tune and the GDE tune so I don't suspect the PPEI tune would change this as I see it simply as a cooling system limitation. What has helped was changing from the Big Horn grill to the SLT grill. Delivering TTs to the west my truck tows hard daily and so far at 220,000 its only repair is a light switch. So if I have had too high of EGTs it hasn't caught up with me in terms of repairs or Oil analysis results.

rostam · 09-25-2016, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VernDiesel

The tuning limitations of Banks pressure box or the piggy back chips suck in comparison to a real tune like GDE & PPEI. Both offer the turbo brake. PPEI advertises a little more power on their tow tune and a another jump for a race type tune.

I've never heard of anybody who has regretted their GDE tune. Why do you regret it?

Would Ram warranty be affected by the tune?

Bruce B · 09-25-2016, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostam

Would Ram warranty be affected by the tune?

Yes! Our 2016 Ram manual says so in very simple, plain language.
Of course we are towing a Bambi with a 6.7 Cummins so we have no need of more HP or torque...
Bruce

SpletKay06 · 09-25-2016, 06:39 PM

Yes if you pull the grades at part throttle aka under 3000 rpm you wont have an issue with temps. But I perfer to be able to use all the power available without over heating which mine never derated until the tune. The gde tune is great but not the best towing tune thanks to the elevalated egt temps. Ive since added the D&J hd oil cooler setup and a wire mesh grill, H&S egr cooler solution, banks intake/exhaust, etc. Now I dont have to back off to prevent it from over heating. Im currently playing with a water methanol setup to further lower my egts.

interstateflyer · 09-25-2016, 06:41 PM

I went from a 2012 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi to a 2016 RAM 2500 6.7 diesel. I love everything about the 2500 except for the DEF requirement. You have to really keep an eye on the DEF level especially if towing in mountains and in hot weather. I've heard many stories about the 2013-2016 RAM 6.7s going into "limp home mode" with various DEF problems. The system gives you 150 mile to find a dealer or the truck won't restart or will only limp along at 5 mph. This is OK is you stay in populated areas but you don't dare go into the hinterlands away from a RAM dealer. If I had to do it over again I'd probably gone with a 6.4L Hemi.

Bruce B · 09-25-2016, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by interstateflyer

I went from a 2012 RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi to a 2016 RAM 2500 6.7 diesel. I love everything about the 2500 except for the DEF requirement. You have to really keep an eye on the DEF level especially if towing in mountains and in hot weather. I've heard many stories about the 2013-2016 RAM 6.7s going into "limp home mode" with various DEF problems. The system gives you 150 mile to find a dealer or the truck won't restart or will only limp along at 5 mph. This is OK is you stay in populated areas but you don't dare go into the hinterlands away from a RAM dealer. If I had to do it over again I'd probably gone with a 6.4L Hemi.

Funny, we have used just 4 gallons in almost 9000 mikes of driving 2000 of which were towing. It only holds 5.5 gallons but I don't see why there is much concern. Put a couple of gallons in the bed for those times when you are caught off guard?
Bruce

xrvr · 09-25-2016, 07:36 PM

Carry your own def.

interstateflyer · 09-25-2016, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce B

Funny, we have used just 4 gallons in almost 9000 mikes of driving 2000 of which were towing. It only holds 5.5 gallons but I don't see why there is much concern. Put a couple of gallons in the bed for those times when you are caught off guard?
Bruce

I use an average of 1 gallon per 1000 miles in Mountain West travel towing. Much less on average highways not towing.

Make sure you store it at under 85 degrees F and watch the expiration dates. RAM/Dodge will not cover most DEF issues under warranty. They want to put it on the owner. Documented cases of "limp-home" DEF issues with RAMs with DEF tank gauges not even near empty. Be careful where you buy and how you store your DEF.

Steve Heywood · 09-25-2016, 08:27 PM

You can buy DEF at EVERY truckstop in the US & Canada. If you don't want to buy it at the pump it's available in a 2 1/2 gallon container.

FWIW, the Kenworth (Cummins ISX15) I drive goes through about 20 gallons of DEF a week.
Conversely my 12 F250 has gone through about 5 gallons in the last 9,500 miles of solo driving.

What I'm saying is DEF is NOT an issue with the slightest amount of planning.

rodsterinfl · 09-25-2016, 08:38 PM

When I looked at the ecodiesel in its maximum config, the payload rating was about 1200 or so. When I told the manager my tongue weight and GVR for the trailer he immediately said no way and took me to the 5.7 liter. This in FL and flat ground with a 25' tongue 1000#!

Check out the 2017 ecoboost 3.5L. I believe you will be very happy with it.