ram 1500 v8 owners, are you happy with your purchase

[Ganglion]

I have a Ram 1500. Best car I have ever bought. I have every option including the Ram Boxes and split tail gait. Love both for camping. I tow an International 27 FB. You will be good.

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by Peter417

Let's compare the most unreliable car company to the most reliable car company. How many 15 year old dodges did you see today? How many 15 year old toyotas? Airstream is buy it for life. Your vehicle can be too.

In my area I see 15+ year old vehicles of every brand...... I think the whole Toyota thing is a bit of a canard, they break down too - it's all in how a vehicle is maintained.

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by Boxite

This link is interesting…contains two excellent comparison-charts….and seems to support what Peter417 posted…but there is a major caveat:
The longest-living vehicles…are also not the latest, most-improved design vehicles.

If Brand X has recently re-engineered their vehicles to correct or improve a long-standing shortcoming…then it will be another decade before it will be recognized to be the superior vehicle…. so keep that in mind. (I own a Dodge/Ram 1500 that is FAR superior to the one my BIL bought 15 years ago…and has already outlasted my previous 1978 Ford F150 and FIL’s 1978 GMC. And, despite what is often believed about my former employer whom I greatly respect… my wife’s Toyota Sienna is near the bottom of one list… …and at the Top of the other….(be certain to check the criteria of each list)….. while the Toyota Camry IS at the Bottom.)

That Toyota Tundra is waay up near the Top, however.

Here’s the link..but keep in mind what I just posted, please: https://www.iseecars.com/longest-lasting-cars-study

Check out their other comparison charts, for example, “Best Trucks for Towing”
(Surprisingly, the Tundra is at the Bottom of the “Best” List…and my personal favorite didn’t even Make the list!):
https://www.iseecars.com/articles/be...cks-for-towing

This site that you posted is about mileage not years in service, ex. Not comparison of 15 year old trucks.
There are individuals that drive 60,000 miles + per year.
If one plans on driving this kind of mileage then it’s relevant to this post, because others are talking of years not mileage.

https://www.iseecars.com/longest-lasting-cars-study[/url]

[jcl]

Originally Posted by crispyboy

In my area I see 15+ year old vehicles of every brand...... I think the whole Toyota thing is a bit of a canard, they break down too - it's all in how a vehicle is maintained.

Break downs are an indicator of reliability.

A high percentage of a fleet of one model making it to very high mileages is an indicator of durability. Two different things.

If we accept your premise, and look back at the data, then the question for you is why would Toyota owners maintain their vehicles so much better than owners of competing models? Seems unlikely.

The other piece of the puzzle that is missing is the disconnect between engine durability , which many focus on, and the durability of the rest of the vehicle, particularly the electronics. The last vehicle we retired was an SUV with reasonably high mileage. The engine was perfect, as was the transmission, and it didn’t use any oil. It was the nuisance failures of electronic sensors and similar that caused us to retire it.

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by Silvr_Bullet

This site that you posted is about mileage not years in service, ex. Not comparison of 15 year old trucks.
There are individuals that drive 60,000 miles + per year.
If one plans on driving this kind of mileage then it’s relevant to this post, because others are talking of years not mileage.

https://www.iseecars.com/longest-lasting-cars-study[/url]

Where did you get THAT..?? The TOPIC of the link I posted is: The Longest-Lasting Cars, Trucks and SUVs To Reach 250,000 Miles and Beyond

I think you picked out One detail of the article and focused on that, completely missing the point of the article…and this thread, perhaps?

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Where did you get THAT..?? The TOPIC of the link I posted is: The Longest-Lasting Cars, Trucks and SUVs To Reach 250,000 Miles and Beyond

I think you picked out One detail of the article and focused on that, completely missing the point of the article…and this thread, perhaps?

The article relates to miles not years of how long a vehicle is on the road. Did you read the article?

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by Silvr_Bullet

The article relates to miles not years of how long a vehicle is on the road. Did you read the article?

Are you DRINKING..??? GO READ THOSE ARTICLES…EITHER LINK! Yes, longevity in miles is certainly the focus…. The year of mfr was not the focus of this discussion thread at all….but it’s fairly common for 12K / year for most families and that gives a pretty good indication. I have a 1934 motorcycle with only 3500 miles on it…. That doesn’t mean it has good longevity…it only means it’s OLD.

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Are you DRINKING..??? GO READ THOSE ARTICLES…EITHER LINK! Yes, longevity in miles is certainly the focus…. The year of mfr was not the focus of this discussion thread at all….but it’s fairly common for 12K / year for most families and that gives a pretty good indication.

I think your wiggling.

[AnotherBob]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Yes, …Isolated, non-controlled experimental opinions….little different than Mobil 1 proponents and Amsoil multi-level-marketers.

My ‘94 Jeep Cherokee was at 330K miles when it was totalled by being rear-ended by a woman driving a Class-A pulling a race-car on a flatbed while she texted.

The WalMart Supertech oil it lived on for virtually it’s entire life is not what got it to 330K miles without burning oil……but it did not PREVENT it.

No Redline, Mobil, Amsoil Lucas, Purple-oil etc has ever proven to do better…. but I saved many hundreds of dollars.

Funny aviation oil story
The Airline I worked for was getting free oil from Shell if we would use and evaluate a new synthetic
Aviation oil. The stuff caused lots of piston scuffing
Cam/lifter/wrist pin gaulling and made so much
Debris it clogged oil filters causing them to bypass.
We changed several engines but the owner would still use it because it was free. It took pictures from us of destroyed engine parts sent to the FAA to end the “evaluation program” . We then went back to the
Original non synthetic (Philips X/C 20-50) and all was well.
Thanks for listening, we sidelined here with
Oil comments so there’s mine haha
Bob

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by AnotherBob

Funny aviation oil story
The Airline I worked for was getting free oil from Shell if we would use and evaluate a new synthetic
Aviation oil. The stuff caused lots of piston scuffing
Cam/lifter/wrist pin gaulling and made so much
Debris it clogged oil filters causing them to bypass.
We changed several engines but the owner would still use it because it was free. It took pictures from us of destroyed engine parts sent to the FAA to end the “evaluation program” . We then went back to the
Original non synthetic (Philips X/C 20-50) and all was well.
Thanks for listening, we sidelined here with
Oil comments so there’s mine haha
Bob

While we’re legally aircraft-hijacking…. I had to shut-down an engine in-flight due to low oil pressure on one engine. My main passenger was a gov’t chief financial officer who felt proud to be so “frugal” as he thought it would enhance his public-profile and boost him into higher office…. he’d authorized the use of this “less expensive” product (another Shell product, btw). Turns out, the product had been produced using cheaper machinery…which injected plastic chips into the production-line and was in the product when installed into the engine.
Those chips blocked the filter, forcing-open the by-pass valve causing the low pressure, ruining a very expensive engine. So much for his “frugality”.

(The product was later forced to be recalled by FAA/AD.)

Sometimes the cheapest approach is not the best one. Conversely, expensive, more-costly products are not necessarily any better than the more common product that has a history of successfully doing the job.

[AnotherBob]

Originally Posted by Boxite

While we’re legally aircraft-hijacking…. I had to shut-down an engine in-flight due to low oil pressure on one engine. My main passenger was a gov’t chief financial officer who felt proud to be so “frugal” as he thought it would enhance his public-profile and boost him into higher office…. he’d authorized the use of this “less expensive” product (another Shell product, btw). Turns out, the product had been produced using cheaper machinery…which injected plastic chips into the production-line and was in the product when installed into the engine.
Those chips blocked the filter, forcing-open the by-pass valve causing the low pressure, ruining a very expensive engine. So much for his “frugality”.

(The product was later forced to be recalled by FAA/AD.)

Sometimes the cheapest approach is not the best one. Conversely, expensive, more-costly products are not necessarily any better than the more common product that has a history of successfully doing the job.

I’m actually familiar with the issue of contaminated Aero Shell aviation piston engine oil
You’re referring too, although a clogged oil
Filter in bypass mode has nothing to do with a loss of oil pressure. Most likely a fouled oil pressure relief
Valve. I don’t fly much anymore but have had my share of rough engine issues and one in flightengine failure due to water in fuel but was able to restart.
It’s been my experience that actually engine destruction due to any particular oil
Brand (in ground based vehicles anyway) is usually
Due to the oil change interval.
Bob

[2link2]

Ram owners (i'm one 2019 1500) have you ever seen Ram recommended Front axle loading ? All that I can find in the manual is using a tape measure to see if front axle is loaded. Both GMC, & Ford actually give you recommended Front axle loading percentages which I think is a better way to go.
Thanks

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by 2link2

Ram owners (i'm one 2019 1500) have you ever seen Ram recommended Front axle loading ? All that I can find in the manual is using a tape measure to see if front axle is loaded. Both GMC, & Ford actually give you recommended Front axle loading percentages which I think is a better way to go.
Thanks

Drivers door jamb is the front and rear axle weigh ratings. If there is another number your looking for, I am following.

[2link2]

Originally Posted by Silvr_Bullet

Drivers door jamb is the front and rear axle weigh ratings. If there is another number your looking for, I am following.

Yes those are axle rating numbers. The number I'm talking about is also called "FALR" and shows up in Ford & GMC manuals in tow section.

FALR is Front Axle Load Restoration. It's a percentage of weight that is restored to front axles using a WDH. Ford I believe recommends 50% i think GMC is around 80%. These numbers make it very easy to set you WDH correctly if your using a scale.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by 2link2

Ram owners (i'm one 2019 1500) have you ever seen Ram recommended Front axle loading ? All that I can find in the manual is using a tape measure to see if front axle is loaded. Both GMC, & Ford actually give you recommended Front axle loading percentages which I think is a better way to go.
Thanks

It's the same thing. There's a one to one ratio between the percentage method and the measurement method.

If 1000# raises the fender 1"
Then
500# raises the fender 1/2"

So, if that 1000# removes 400# from the front axle returning 50% restores 200# to the front axle. Also, returning that 1/2" restores 200# to the front axle.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Airstream Forums mobile app

[jcl]

Originally Posted by 2link2

Ram owners (I'm one 2019 1500) have you ever seen Ram recommended Front axle loading ? All that I can find in the manual is using a tape measure to see if front axle is loaded. Both GMC, & Ford actually give you recommended Front axle loading percentages which I think is a better way to go.
Thanks

A quick check of the 2019 RAM 1500 owner's manual lists 66% FALR. They don't use the term FALR, but they do refer to measuring H1 and H2 at the front fender, and bringing it back to 1/3 above normal height with the WD bars.

Page 389 at the following link:

https://vehicleinfo.mopar.com/assets..._USC_E7_V1.pdf

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by jcl

A quick check of the 2019 RAM 1500 owner's manual lists 66% FALR. They don't use the term FALR, but they do refer to measuring H1 and H2 at the front fender, and bringing it back to 1/3 above normal height with the WD bars.

Page 389 at the following link:

https://vehicleinfo.mopar.com/assets..._USC_E7_V1.pdf

Reading the manual pages 389+, this relates to vehicles equipped with an optional airlift setup.

[2link2]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

It's the same thing. There's a one to one ratio between the percentage method and the measurement method.

If 1000# raises the fender 1"
Then
500# raises the fender 1/2"

So, if that 1000# removes 400# from the front axle returning 50% restores 200# to the front axle. Also, returning that 1/2" restores 200# to the front axle.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Airstream Forums mobile app

I know a measurement relates to a percentage. Question was, does RAM have a recommended percentage of weight transfer. And from replies here & what I've seen RAM doesn't.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by 2link2

I know a measurement relates to a percentage. Question was, does RAM have a recommended percentage of weight transfer. And from replies here & what I've seen RAM doesn't.

Sure they do.

The 2019 manual I linked is written in a confusing manner wrt air suspension, but you could simply leave out the two steps relating to the air suspension and follow the rest. That is what I would do.

The other 2019 1500 manual on that site does not mention air suspension and quotes 50%

The difference appears to be with what RAM calls an all new 2019 model, presumably with an all new owners manual.

I would start with one of the above approaches, drive it, and see how it handles compared to the other recommendation.

If you check the other RAM trucks on that site they all have WD FALR recommendations. Even the 3500, which was the reason I recalled this site. A previous poster claimed that RAM didn’t recommend WD on his 3500 when in fact they not only recommended it, but provided a FALR recommendation

[rehitt]

I read most of the responses and would add that I love towing my 2019 25 ft FC with my 2019 RAM 1500 Longhorn E-Torque 5.7L Hemi. The E-Torque assist lets it act like a diesel at low speeds and in stop and go traffic. The safety features make it a breeze to navigate tight spaces and works great on the interstates. Plenty of payload and the leveling system keeps everything aligned. I used to tow with a 3.0L Eco-Diesel Grand Cherokee that was great but at its payload limits when we upgraded from 20 to 25 ft. I did get a 100K warranty when I bought the truck used with 17K miles. My only issue was the fuel pump/guage had to be replaced when it always showed empty but it didn't quit. The 33 gal tank lets me go all day without a fill up at 70MPH.