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Old 07-23-2017, 08:31 PM   #1
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Looking at 2017 Dodge Long Horn 1500

Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
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Old 07-23-2017, 08:46 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slow but Steady View Post
Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
That is almost identical to my rig. 9 to 10 is more like it, with all the usual variables. Be careful you stay within your weight limits when loaded (tongue wt, gross weight, towing limits, etc.)
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Old 07-23-2017, 09:04 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slow but Steady View Post
Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
Your dealer is full of it. Plus, weight doesn't affect the mileage as much as frontal area drag. My trailer is about 6,800 dry and 8,600 fully loaded (cat scale numbers).

When pulling at the light weight I get about 8 mpg. Fully loaded I get the exact same mileage. That's running 60-65 on the interstates. On two lane roads running 50-55 the mileage goes up to about 9.5.

Check the payload numbers for the Longhorn (Bighorn?). Look at the Express model. Real sales price in the $26-27,000 range and the only big item you give up is the electric seats, but you do gain a couple hundred pounds of payload.

The 5.7 L hemi pulls my toyhauler just fine. A six percent grade can be easily driven at 55-60. That matches the max torque output of 3,900 rpm in fourth gear. It will go faster but all you're doing is spitting gas out the tailpipe.
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Old 07-23-2017, 09:10 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slow but Steady View Post
Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
Fully loaded you are looking at around 8000#. That will give around a 1100# hitch weight. The big question is what is the payload on the RAM? You could see 12 mpg ~~ down a long hill with a tailwind.
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Old 07-23-2017, 11:34 PM   #5
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I second checking the payload capacity of that Ram.
I've been comparing 1/2 truck's and Rams are the absolutely the worst in payload capacities.
I just saw a 1500 Laramie with a payload of 902lbs.
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Old 07-24-2017, 12:05 AM   #6
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The pimped out RAMs are pretty bad indeed, check the payload sticker in the door. My lowly Tradesman has over 1400 lbs payload in comparison.
With a trailer probably weighing in at 8000+ lbs and taking in account whatever is loaded in the truck a 1500 might be a stretch to begin with. Although dealers love to push the high margin diesel models, you can get the 5.7 Hemi in a 2500. Not much more expensive than a comparable 1500, just much harder to find.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:03 PM   #7
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If you want a Ram, check the lower trim levels. Also, if you aren't carrying passengers with real long legs, look at a quad cab instead of a crew. My 2013 quad cab big Horn has a payload of 1430 lbs. Pulls my 23ikss, 5000 lb dry, great.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:06 PM   #8
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Better upgrade to a 2500 that way you will have some breathing room. A 1500 is just about the max. Just remember the dealers will sell you anything and tell you anything just to make a sale.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:20 PM   #9
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I have a 2015 RAM 1500 Laramie Longhorn with the 5.7l Hemi 8 Spd Transmission and 3.21 rear end. We just took a 5500 mile trip out west...MN, SD, WY, CO, MT, ID, ND and overall average was 12.5 mpg but that includes some miles of not pulling the TT. I would guess about 500-750 miles of that was not pulling the TT. Our TT is a 2017 Rockwood 2503s. GW 5900 Lbs. The truck did much better then I expected on MPG. Never had any issues pulling up and over mountains. That was my main concern. I do have Air Lift bags inside the rear springs of the RAM. Not sure I needed them but they were reasonably priced on Amazon. I've used them on other vehicles to keep the vehicle level without WD hitch.
Now for the problems I do have with the RAM truck that I am very upset over. I specifically wanted the largest gas tank I could get...32 Gal. The truck came with a 32 gallon tank. The truck thinks it is 25 Gal. The analog gas gauge and distance to empty both show empty and when I fill the tank...it takes 25 gallons. Chrsyler and I have confirmed the truck has a 32 gallon tank. Basically there are 7 - 8 gallons of fuel in the tank we are lugging around and not using. Chrysler is aware of the issue, now going on over a year and still no fix. I know there are others complaining about this issue also. I am so upset with Chrysler...I will NEVER buy another Chrysler product ever again. On a side issue...the dealer I bought the truck from is worthless , both sales and service. I won't take the truck back to them for any reason. I found another Chrysler dealer in our winter home area that is far better and honest.
There are two other issues we have. Radio mutes itself and the only way to un-mute is to turn the truck off and back on. This issue happens about once a week. The new dealer we are working with is ordering us a replacement radio to be installed in August. Hope that resolves the issue. The other issue...we were in Minneapolis last winter, -22 on the truck temp, the transmission would not shift into reverse or drive. Had to let the truck idle for one hour before the tranny warmed up enough to finally shift into gear. I had Chrysler Customer Care on the phone while the issue was happening...response...that should not happen. REALLY!!!
My wife and I like the truck. The bottom line is, why would we subject ourselves to a company (Chrysler) that doesn't care about delivering a quality product to their customers.
Your experience could be far different than ours and I hope it is if you buy a Chrysler product. We will never consider Chrysler ever again.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:32 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slow but Steady View Post
Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
Pulling 6200 lb TT with a RAM 1500 Tradesman Crew Cab. Get 11-12 mpg with a bed full of gear, three people, a dog, and road snacks. Ive weighed at scales. Im under.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:33 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slow but Steady View Post
Hey guys hope everyone is doing well and enjoying camping this summer.

My wife and I are looking at upgrading our Pickup. And we are looking for input on the Dodge 1500 Longhorn with the hemi motor. I wish we could spend the money to upgrade to a Deasil but we can't spend that much. Our TT weighs about 6500 lbs dry.

The dealer is claiming that our mileage should be between 10-12 miles pre gallon depending on where we are driving.

We are looking for any input good or bad.
Thanks as always.

Tom and Kathy
North Ga
Our 2015 ford f150 with eco boost had ( sticker payload of 1850) Pulled 7700 trailer with ease. I have seen the 2017 discounted 8K to 14K. Mileage 9-10.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:44 PM   #12
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Just My Opinion.

Hello,

I thought I would chime in here. Hopefully you will not make the same mistake I did. Although, I only have to pay for this mistake one more year. Thankfully I only leased the truck for two years as an experiment.

I have a 2016 Ram 1500 Big Horn with the 5.7. I love the truck itself, it's a nice truck. I tow a 2017 Heritage Glen 282RK. I know what most will say, but I'm not here to start a weight debate. Merely hoping I can help a fellow member out by offering my experience on the situation.

To address your MPG question, I completely agree with "CedarCreekWood", I have never seen better the 9.5 on the freeway. We recently took a trip from Southeast MI to Pigeon Forge, TN. It was 9.0 the whole way there. On the way home I was driving a little faster so it was more like 7.5 - 8.0.

I personally hate the way the Ram 1500 tows my set up. If I knew then what I know now I would have went right for a 3500. I have the Equalizer four point WD/sway set up. I have been through the measurements / adjustments but still get a lot of sway. As a comparison, before making my decision I towed my set up with a 2015 F150 5.0 a few times. There was zero sway, I mean none. However, the 5.0 felt underpowered. The 5.7 has plenty of power, no complaints there.

When this lease is up I plan to upgrade to a 3500 with the 6.4. I really have no use for a Diesel to justify the added cost and upkeep.

So can this truck haul your rig, I'd say yes. But then there is towing, and there is towing comfortably. Right now, we are towing. With my next truck I plan to tow comfortably.

Again, just my opinion.....
I hope you find this useful.
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Old 07-24-2017, 01:57 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by bikendan View Post
I second checking the payload capacity of that Ram.
I've been comparing 1/2 truck's and Rams are the absolutely the worst in payload capacities.
I just saw a 1500 Laramie with a payload of 902lbs.
Seriously, my focus ST has a payload of 827.
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Old 07-24-2017, 02:18 PM   #14
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The posted payload for my '14 Ram Quad Cab is 1761. At the CAT scale it comes in at 1,400 with a full tank of gas, me in the driver seat and about 75 pounds in the full width toolbox in the bed.


The total added weight (me, toolbox contents, full fuel and 80 pounds for the Class V Curt hitch) is about 485 pounds. Considering that, the delivered number on the sticker should be 1,885.

I bought a 3500 Aisin Big Horn CC dually last week (can't keep it...it's going to Texas to haul the horse trailer ). Looking at five 3,500 models at the dealer every one showed a payload of 5,680 (or 5,620..don't remember that well). Two were Tradesman, two were BigHorn and one was Laramie. No way each one of those trucks weighed exactly the same. Meaning...posted payload numbers are pure fiction. The only way to know for sure is to get on a CAT scale.
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Old 07-24-2017, 02:25 PM   #15
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Very happy with my Eco Diesel

Was using a 2010 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi pulling a TT @ 5700 #'s getting 8 to 9 mpg at best. Upgraded to 1500 Big Horn with a 3.0 Eco diesel, 392 rear axle gear and love it. Also upgraded to a 2440WS Rockwood 5th wheel (dry = 6700 #'s) and just came back from a 1200 mile trip thru N MI and WI and got a solid 12 mpg. Lots of hills in the average and note flat land I was getting 13 & 14). I did have Airlift shocks installed with on board compressor (Amazon) and that was a very nice add. Note that I also get 25 mpg average and 27 mpg hwy when not towing. The Eco diesel adds about $4000 to the package cost and you won't make that up in mpg but it really out performs the 5.7 Hemi based on my experience. Either way it's Happy Camping.
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Old 07-24-2017, 03:26 PM   #16
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In July of 2016 I bought a used 2014 Bighorn crew cab 4x4, 32 gal gas tank, towing pkg with tow mirrors, 5.7 Hemi and 8 spd transmission and 3.21 rear gears... payload on mine is a bit over 1430#... and YOUR payload number is YOUR limiting factor...

https://www.dodge.com/webselfservice...HV18P49S802880

CLICK the link above, go to the site, then put the VIN number of subject RAM AFTER the equal sign in the URL to get an online BUILD SHEET for that vehicle...

I recommend that the RAM has THESE ITEMS FROM MY BUILD SHEET
1. Trailer Tow Mirrors & Brake Group.
2. Heavy Duty Transmission Oil Cooler
3. Heavy Duty Engine Cooling
4. Trailer Brake Control


I have had my RAM about a year, have put about 12,000 miles on it and have towed my nearly 5,000# loaded trailer with it about 3,500 miles, FROM south FL to Lake Erie. If I get over 7.5 MPG (calculated) on the interstate at 65 MPH, I am happy, which rarely happens. If I tow at 55 then I might get 9.5-11 with a tailwind on level ground.

Many will tell you that 3.21 gears will not tow well, but I beg to differ. Coupled with the 8 spd tranny you have a lower overall final ratio in the first 4 gears than a 3.55 or 3.72 rear end which is where my RAM gets it's pulling power. What is good about the 3.21 rear is that when not towing I can get 20+ MPG doing 70 MPH on the interstate and average about 16 around town. I do more driving then towing so non-towing MPG is important to to me. My wife also loves the comfy car-like ride of the 1500. We have rode in a 2500 and when not loaded that ride is bone-jarring on a bumpy road.

As others have said your TT will be nearly 8,000# loaded which gives you a tongue weight of close to 1000#... subtract that number from your payload number and leaves very little left over for passengers and cargo in the RAM; I figure somewhere around 450#.... not enough for wife, a couple of kids, the dog and their gear probably. Although some of that gear might well be part of the trailer load.

Can you pull it safely with the RAM in question... I say YES ( qualified to non-Rockies terrain)... but load the trailer lightly and keep RAM cargo/passengers to a minimum to do it safely.

BTW... the 4th gen model (since 2009 I believe) has matured and very few problems with the RAM as they are currently being sold.

I hope this is helpful to your decision...
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Old 07-24-2017, 03:32 PM   #17
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Ram2500 Laramie

I have a 2016 Ram 2500 Laramie w/6.4 Hemi and tow a 27' Surveyor 243RBS with no problem at all. Total wight is around 7000 loaded. Only had it a short time but get around 8-8.5 mpg. Much due to my driving style but has never been an issue in the mountains of Oregon where we live.
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Old 07-24-2017, 03:34 PM   #18
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GREAT choice!

I had a new 2003 RAM 1500 quad cab Big Horn and never had one once of trouble with it. Traded in 2013 for another new RAM 1500 Big Horn, this time opted for the crew cab. Both of these trucks had the 5.7 HEMI and I averaged around 17 in town and 18 on the road in both. Towing dropped that number to around 10. It depends on how you drive, of course, as well as the load, the terrain, etc. The 2003 had a standard rear end, but I opted for the 3.92 (?) rear on the 2013 due to having purchased a bigger, heavier TT (8000 lbs). I just 2 days ago traded again. This time I went all out (for me). I moved up to the 2500 Big Horn crew cab with the 6.7 Cummins Diesel. I am finally not worried anymore about possibly trying to pull too much and slowing on hills. I highly recommend RAMS. The only thing I was surprised to discover in my new 2500 was that the hitch receiver is 2 1/2" instead of 2!!! That is because the 2500 carries a class V hitch and the others had class 3 or 4. That means I am going to have to either buy a new weight bearing hitch or figure out what else to do without using the hitch inserts you can buy which reduce your carrying/towing capability.
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Old 07-24-2017, 03:56 PM   #19
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Go back to the dealer. The hitch adapter is standard equipment and should have been given to you.
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Old 07-24-2017, 05:09 PM   #20
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2500 hitch

Yes, the truck came with an adapter, BUT...I started checking and THANK GOODNESS I did because I learned that IF you use an adapter to reduce the 2 1/2" receiver opening down to 2" and use your original 2" weight bearing hitch shank, YOU REDUCE THE LOAD CARRYING/TOWING CAPABILITY OF THE HITCH BY 1/3 TO 1/2 PERCENT!!!!! I had no idea! After some checking, however, I found a company which manufactures a 2 1/2" hitch shank with a 2" drop down tube for attaching the ball carry mount. That is the solution.
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