2014 RAM 1500 EcoDIESEL has arrived!

[Lance M]

Thanks!

I guess people like the looks of a RAM towing a polished Airstream.

[Lance M]

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[Streamer1492]

Hello, just wondered about lower payload capacity on EcoDiesel, does anyone have any experience pulling any trailer in the 7000# range approx. 700# tongue, plus weight distribution hitch, AND with 1000 pounds in the bed . I know it's over "specs" when you add two passengers on most 1/2 tons. Currently running a 2012 F150 Ecoboost Lariat with 28' International rated around 1890 pounds payload capacity and no problems after 50K miles towing, but looking at ordering the Dodge ECODIESEL QUADCAB Laramie with about 1400 payload rating and very concerned about the 500 pound difference inn payload rating. Any thoughts or actual experience appreciated. Thanks

[slowmover]

Weigh the trailer. Get back to us after that.

And lose some of the cargo/gear. Or get a one ton. I'm not in favor of trucks in general, but the "need" to haul a spare cast iron sink and a cord of firewood means a pickup capable of the job.

The limits on a vehicle are the wheel/tire/axle ratings. Push too hard to that past "payload" and you may not like the thing. A few short trips per year is one thing, long trips another.

[Mrjkq]

Originally Posted by tlcbuilder

Hello, just wondered about lower payload capacity on EcoDiesel, does anyone have any experience pulling any trailer in the 7000# range approx. 700# tongue, plus weight distribution hitch, AND with 1000 pounds in the bed . I know it's over "specs" when you add two passengers on most 1/2 tons. Currently running a 2012 F150 Ecoboost Lariat with 28' International rated around 1890 pounds payload capacity and no problems after 50K miles towing, but looking at ordering the Dodge ECODIESEL QUADCAB Laramie with about 1400 payload rating and very concerned about the 500 pound difference inn payload rating. Any thoughts or actual experience appreciated. Thanks

My Airstream 25FC ( on order ) will be towed by my 2015 Ecodiesel RAM Laramie. I don't have any doubt that it's the right truck for the job. I've had diesels in previous tow vehicles & I guess it's safe to say I'm a diesel guy, say nothing of the great mpg. The reduced payload is the price paid for the smaller engine vs. the power house Hemi.

[Lance M]

Hand calculated MPG towing to the coast.


65 mph tow/haul mode and cruise control.


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[slowmover]

Down to this coast? That's a whole lot nicer number than 14.5. I'll take those ten percent increases any way I can git'em.

Are you running the same route in return? That should make a nice round trip average if you don't hit traffic. The weather is sure cooperative for FE now the rains have stopped.

[Lance M]

Yep.

[Lance M]

We got back early this morning from our trip to the coast. Here are the trip totals.
914.8 miles
60.716 gallons of diesel
15.07 MPG
This is for all miles traveled.

The best segment towing returned 16.08 MPG from the house to Wharton, TX on TX 36 and TX 60. I used tow/haul and cruise set at 65 MPH.

The worst segment towing returned 14.43 MPG. This included spending 3 hours to go three miles on I35 while they cleaned up after a fatal accident. That will put a damper on the MPGs. Average towing was 15.3 MPG.

Much better than the 8-10MPG with the '02 Sequoia.

[slowmover]

And do you have a solo mpg figure running same speed on cruise on same roads? Or ?

Percentage drop for towing is?

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Top

The worst segment towing returned 14.43 MPG. This included spending 3 hours to go three miles on I35 while they cleaned up after a fatal accident. That will put a damper on the MPGs. Average towing was 15.3 MPG.

Much better than the 8-10MPG with the '02 Sequoia.

Yeah... people dying on the roads really messes up the fuel mileage! Hate it when they do that.

[slowmover]

1,334 of them thus far this year just in Texas. A statistic none of us care about despite any piety to the contrary.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by DHart

Yeah... people dying on the roads really messes up the fuel mileage! Hate it when they do that.

Three hours to go three miles is what messes efficiency. I meant to say nothing of the poor soul that lost his life as he drove full speed into the back of a stopped Tractor/Trailer.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by slowmover

And do you have a solo mpg figure running same speed on cruise on same roads? Or ?

Percentage drop for towing is?

No, I don't and probably never will.

[slowmover]

So, towing appears to be from 14-16, overall, at 60-65? Up to about 3k miles towing, now?

As to "never will" if you know the correction factor from EVIC to true (generally a percentage), then a 75-100 mile run at towing speed, but solo with a representative load, would nail it pretty well. (As mpg is indicative of efficiency; a health gauge).

I'm concerned that a drop of more than 40% from solo to towing (other factors the same) is higher than it "should" be.

But, as with the EB Ford half-tons, 40-50% might be the penalty of small motor having to work hard. Versus 30-40% for the bigger TC diesels.

(Yes, EB Ford or EcD Dodge makes up the spread on fuel cost while solo. )

If this is so, that the towing penalty is nearer 50%, then the eight speed transmissions are not delivering what I hoped they would.

That said, it's a far cry from the 6-8/mpg my folks saw with a combined rig that weighed the same as yours. (13k). Or the 10-mpg that my grandparents saw with a high compression big block in the 1960s. But 14-16 is what I see with 17k (same climate & terrain in same speed range).

Unlike the majority of other A/S owners we know that usual culprits to be verified per fuel burn are already "good" on this rig: alignment on both vehicles, tire pressures, bearing and brake pre-set on trailer, plus WDH adjustment.

It's also unlikely that there are CAC leaks on the TV (best reason to note fuel burn past $) or brake caliper drag. That some other EcD Dodge trucks may do "better" in this climate & terrain with a comparable load will have to do with truck spec and tire spec.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by slowmover

As to "never will" if you know the correction factor from EVIC to true (generally a percentage).

I run a scan gauge II, and have noticed moving from Chevy to Ram that both companies seem to program the EVIC to embellish the results to a certain percentage.

[Lance M]

I don't have a Scan Gauge, but I did see there is some calibration required for the MPG to be correct.
On the EVIC, it only averages the last 200 miles of driving. At the end of the 900 miles it was showing 14.9 MPG. Pretty close to the hand calculated 15.3 MPG. So, on a tank of fuel in my truck, I could tow 200 miles and the EVIC will show 15 or so, then I can unhitch, drive another 300 miles solo on the highway and it will show 23 MPG. It only shows the average since the last reset, up to 200 miles. The EVIC can be close, but when circumstances change, it can be way off.
That's why I use Fuelly.

[DKB_SATX]

The ScanGauge has a sort of ongoing calibration scheme. Every time you tell it you filled up, it responds with how many gallons (down to the 10th) it expects you to've put in and you can correct that to the actual. The first couple of times it may be way off but now(after many, many gallons) mine is usually within 1/10th gallon. It keeps track of the tank until you tell it you refilled.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Top

I don't have a Scan Gauge, but I did see there is some calibration required for the MPG to be correct.
On the EVIC, it only averages the last 200 miles of driving. At the end of the 900 miles it was showing 14.9 MPG. Pretty close to the hand calculated 15.3 MPG. So, on a tank of fuel in my truck, I could tow 200 miles and the EVIC will show 15 or so, then I can unhitch, drive another 300 miles solo on the highway and it will show 23 MPG. It only shows the average since the last reset, up to 200 miles. The EVIC can be close, but when circumstances change, it can be way off.
That's why I use Fuelly.

I use a page over on Ecomodder to record fuel burn. Haven't updated in a while, but it covers about 50k miles. My eleven-entry log pages on paper started with truck purchase, though.

On my truck the computer does a calculation versus an actual measurement. I've learned that between 55-65 mph that the readout is right at .75 high. I mainly use it to check instant averages by resetting it when a condition changes that interests me. I use an Ultragauge to monitor other parameters (about the same as Scangauge).

Thus, to run 75-100 miles solo with a payload similar to when towing, I've covered enough terrain to give a fair simulation if zeroed from a start.

Thought yours might do the same so we could see the percentage spread from towing to solo, other things being the same. The real average is over several thousand miles, but maybe there'll be a day with a solo trip where part of it could be run at towing speed where the truck is "heavy".

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Top

Three hours to go three miles is what messes efficiency. I meant to say nothing of the poor soul that lost his life as he drove full speed into the back of a stopped Tractor/Trailer.

I know, you didn't mean disrespect for someone who had died.

It seems drivers these days are worse than they've ever been. Incredibly impatient, aggressive, all jammed together as if that will get them somewhere any quicker, constantly darting back and forth from lane to lane, all while looking down at their critically important cell phone & texts that just can't wait to be dealt with. Incredible.

Not as bad in some of the rural areas, but around the urban areas... it's insane! No wonder people are dying in their cars all the time. All the smart person can do is try to build space ahead of yourself, moderate your speed, keep a lot of space from crappy drivers, avoid changing lanes unless needed, and hope to make it through without getting involved in an accident.

I don't worry much about my mileage... it's staying alive out there that matters most to me.