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Old 07-21-2018, 08:06 PM   #1
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Looking for 6.4 Ram owners

Like some feed back on how well you like your truck and how is the mileage towing and give rear gear ratio. I have the 3:73 gear and just returned form 1000 mile trip and average 9.6mpg. My truck is new and has just 1800 miles on it. I drive at 62mph. How often do you use tow haul mode? My trip I use very little and did encounter an good grade 12 miles long. Later RJD
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Old 07-22-2018, 01:52 PM   #2
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Like some feed back on how well you like your truck and how is the mileage towing and give rear gear ratio. I have the 3:73 gear and just returned form 1000 mile trip and average 9.6mpg. My truck is new and has just 1800 miles on it. I drive at 62mph. How often do you use tow haul mode? My trip I use very little and did encounter an good grade 12 miles long. Later RJD
I have the 3:73.. Im towing just under 10K to slightly over depending on how packed.. On the way to the beach with rolling hills I was slightly over 10 until the last bit of beach traffic, on the way home with some more uphill, I had about 9.2 4 folks in the truck and ac running and the bed completely full of goods. Zero Complaints with the fuel economy. Recent trip to the mountains to camp at the lake, I got about 9 even going, and 10 coming back. Respectable in my mind.

I use tow haul at all times, Some times I take it out so it will hold 5th a little more and not downshift so quick. i had 14K miles on my truck at the time of the last tow,
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Old 07-22-2018, 06:17 PM   #3
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I have a 2014 Ram 2500 with the 6.4 and 3.73 rear end. I just returned from an 8,000 mile trip to Canada and the western U.S. Overall gas mileage was 8.5. I get closer to 10 when I'm on a trip with fewer hills but I'm satisfied.
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Old 07-22-2018, 06:18 PM   #4
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I have a 2014 Ram 2500 with the 6.4 and 3.73 rear end. I just returned from an 8,000 mile trip to Canada and the western U.S. Overall gas mileage was 8.5. I get closer to 10 when I'm on a trip with fewer hills but I'm satisfied.
I forgot to say I'm pulling an 11,000lb 5th wheel.
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:24 PM   #5
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Thanks for the feed back folks. My tt weight is around 9000#. Now who uses the 87 octane and anyone use the 89 octane fuel and if so do you see better mileage? Later RJD
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:46 PM   #6
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I only have the 5.7 Hemi (replaced by Ram's powertrain warranty) w/3.73 gearing & had no trouble towing our 8,000 lb. trailer throughout the mountains in & out of Yellowstone/Black Hills earlier this summer... I averaged 9 mpg heading West w/tailwind & 8 mpg returning into headwind... IMO if the 6.4 is getting nearly the same MPG it is totally worth the upgrade & does not subtract from payload like the Cummins does. If I were buying new today, I would get the 2500 w/6.4 gas vs. other choices...
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:50 PM   #7
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Man you guys are getting good mpg. Are you going off of the dash reading, or hand calculated? My truck's displayed mpg is way off.


I have a 2018 with 3.73 gears, pulling 7200 lbs and i am happy to get 8 mpg (hand calculated). I have gotten into the 9s as an average maybe a couple times.
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Old 07-22-2018, 08:04 PM   #8
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Man you guys are getting good mpg. Are you going off of the dash reading, or hand calculated? My truck's displayed mpg is way off.


I have a 2018 with 3.73 gears, pulling 7200 lbs and i am happy to get 8 mpg (hand calculated). I have gotten into the 9s as an average maybe a couple times.


I have a 2015 and my results are identical to yours with a 9,000 lbs trailer/3.73 rear. My EVIC is usually off by 1-1.5 mpg.
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Old 07-23-2018, 05:13 AM   #9
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I have a 2015 and my results are identical to yours with a 9,000 lbs trailer/3.73 rear. My EVIC is usually off by 1-1.5 mpg.

That's about how far mine is off, but sometimes lately, it is even more. Drives me nuts.


The 1500 i had before my 2500 was usually off .7 to 1 mpg.
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Old 07-23-2018, 07:09 AM   #10
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Thanks for the feed back folks. My tt weight is around 9000#. Now who uses the 87 octane and anyone use the 89 octane fuel and if so do you see better mileage? Later RJD
I have not used anything but 87
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Old 07-23-2018, 07:33 AM   #11
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Man you guys are getting good mpg. Are you going off of the dash reading, or hand calculated? My truck's displayed mpg is way off.


I have a 2018 with 3.73 gears, pulling 7200 lbs and i am happy to get 8 mpg (hand calculated). I have gotten into the 9s as an average maybe a couple times.
Hand calculated
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Old 07-23-2018, 11:28 AM   #12
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I have not used anything but 87
Thanks for the reply on octane used. Still looking for anyone using 89 and if mileage is better. Manual says you can use 87 but may need to use higher octane if you get some pinging. So far all I have used is 87.

My mileage is hand calculated. Later RJD
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Old 07-23-2018, 11:43 AM   #13
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New leftover 2017 Ram 3500 Crew Cab with the 6'4" box so it's much heavier than the 1500. 2,500 miles on the odometer and 3.73 gears. Using 87 Octane. Travel at 65-70mph on the Interstate. I use the Tow/Haul mode all the time and I average 8MPG by Hand Calculation on most trips. I have gotten as good as 9.7MPH and as bad as 7MPG depending on the road and amount of hilly terrain, Head wind etc. Towing a 2019 Salem Hemisphere GLX 5th wheel Model 286RL. Haven't weighed it but I'm going to guess it's about 9,500 loaded.
As for the truck itself, I like it a lot and I was a Chevy guy. I traded in a 2015 2500HD with the 6.0L engine that I also liked. The 6.4L Hemi is much more responsive and has plenty of power and torque for the areas where I've been. I do have an issue with the Cruise Control not working sometimes but that's it. I have an appointment for the Dealer to fix that under warranty. Other than that, I like the truck very much.
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Old 07-23-2018, 01:04 PM   #14
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Thanks for the reply on octane used. Still looking for anyone using 89 and if mileage is better. Manual says you can use 87 but may need to use higher octane if you get some pinging. So far all I have used is 87.

My mileage is hand calculated. Later RJD
I've used 89 and if doesn't seem to make any differrnde.
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Old 07-23-2018, 01:06 PM   #15
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Sorry, difference
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Old 07-23-2018, 01:10 PM   #16
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I have also used 89, seeing if it would make any difference. Used it for several weeks and had no improvement in mpg. However I did notice when the MDS kicked in while running 89 octane, the small vibration you feel was markedly diminished.
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Old 07-23-2018, 01:21 PM   #17
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i put 4000 miles on my trip to Yellowstone from ST Louis. Over the entire trip i got 10 mpg from the computer. This includes towing there and back and driving within the park. On the highway, i average 72 mph. When towing i have 9k and 3.73 gears.
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Old 07-23-2018, 02:26 PM   #18
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For comparisons sake, I have a 2017 3500 with the 6.4, 4.10s, and Ramboxes and average 9.5 to 10 towing our 8500 lb (scaled weight) TT.

I have towed with 85 / 87 / 89 depending on the altitude we are at and have not noticed a difference in power or mileage.

I tried to use 89 exclusively at first, but have come to think 87 will work for me just as well.

I generally try to tow between 60 and 65. Above 65 really kills my mileage.
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Old 07-23-2018, 05:19 PM   #19
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Decent Miles

Have the 2017 Maxicab 4x4 with 6.4 Use 87 octane and installed K&N free flow filter and cut off the rear resonator at the exhaust tip for a free flow with no noise. We always use the Tow mode to let the engine work free with the extended shifts. I air up the tires to 80lbs and run Synthetic oil with a Oil relocator to increase my capacity to 9 Quarts with a bigger Filter. We pull the 5th wheel Artic Wolf 31ft and get about 11.7 MPG in Florida at sea level and NO HILLS !!!
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Old 07-23-2018, 05:50 PM   #20
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I have a fairly new 18 2500 6.4 4.10 2500 CC LB 4x4. I tow a 9300 lb 5th wheel. Unfortunately I've only towed to the same place in Oregon, which is up near Sisters Oregon from the Salem Area. Anyone familiar with the route knows the climb. Constantly going up from 135' to 5,000' then down to 3,000'. Hard on mpg's.
Never hand calc'd it but the evic shows 9.9 every time round trip. So 8.5-9 mpg I'm guessing.
FWIW I sure do miss the 12 CTD for towing. But not as a DD.
One odd thing that happened on our last trip as we went to Prineville Res from Camp Shearman for our anual family campout. While towing up the road into Prineville Res the truck went into limp mode and stsrted slowing down. drastically. I was in 1st floored at about 25? mph or so and the rpms hit 5800, then the truck just started slowing down. I wasn't sure what was happening. Luckily I was near the crest of the hill and it started to pick up speed again. It was weird as the truck we definitely not slowing naturally, it was a forced slow down.
Everyone that we camp with always mentions that short section of road. It even made my 12 CTD struggle.
Anyone else experience a limp mode situation when maxed out?
I'm taking it in for the cruise control recall thurs and will mention it to the service guy.
I wasn't using TH mode but was running 89 oct.
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