Ram 3.0 litre Ecodiesel

jefferson · 12-22-2016, 07:55 PM

Is anyone out there towing with a Ram 1500 3.0lt Ecodiesel? Opinions on towing performance compared to a hemi 5.7 or Ford 5.0lt.

LandJ · 12-22-2016, 10:29 PM

I just traded mine for a 3500. I had 3.55 gears and QC.... great towing platform. I was at about 7k and got around 14mpg of drama free service from the truck. I'm looking towards a 5er or I would still have it.

jmh1007 · 12-22-2016, 11:26 PM

We are towing a 233S with no problems. Can't compare because we haven't had anything else. My husband loves his Ecodiesel. We got the truck so we could buy the camper.

The_Rhino · 12-22-2016, 11:51 PM

The 4WD Ram 1500 CC Ecodiesel only has a payload of 1260 so you wouldn't be able to upgrade from a hybrid to a TT over about 6,000 lbs. empty...

For instance, our 2-slide TT is 6,500 empty w/empty hitch of 650. However, ready to camp we're at 8,000+ w/loaded hitch of 1100+. With family of 5 our payload is around 1,800 before adding anything to the PU bed...

In 2013 we found a 2 year-old Ram 2500 w/5.7 Hemi, 3000 payload & 9100 tow rating for only $14K. However, I only get about 16 mpg commuting & 8 mpg towing...

mckittrick5791 · 12-23-2016, 01:48 PM

We are in Colorado (high elevation) and tow a Rockwood 2304ds. That is about 5,200 lbs and I would guess around 1,000 lbs of cargo. Tongue weight is around 550 lbs. The RAM came rated at 7,650 lbs.

We really enjoy the truck and the TT combo. I can hit the mountains on a work trip and get 29-31 MPG. Have towed 5 to 6 trips this past summer and get 16 to 19 MPG towing our TT. I am a miser so you might not get those results.

In all the trips with TT we had no issues, but two trips up to Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass the engine temp started past halfway so I just dropped down to 50 mph and it was great. What a workhorse for such a small economical machine.... Rick

**bikendan** · 12-23-2016, 04:29 PM

be careful looking for a Ram Eco-diesel. many have lousy payload capacities, which you have with your current tow vehicle.

ddbck · 12-23-2016, 06:31 PM

Agreed^^^^the payload & towing capacity are terrible on these trucks. The EcoDiesel itself is a great motor. You can get an F-150 with Max Tow that will far outperform these Dodges. Test drive & research them.

Austintatious · 12-23-2016, 07:34 PM

Although my TT is relatively light compared to others at ~3K pounds, I've got a 2016 Ram Ecodiesel that I use for long road trips and towing on the interstate, and a 2015 Jeep Wrangler that I use to tow on the back roads down to the coast. The Jeep is just a lot more fun on the beach

The Ram is an incredible little diesel package. No load, I can easily get 30mpg on the highway. Loaded up and towing I regularly see 18-20mpg. Very comfortable as well. I've had it since March of this year, put close to 9K miles on it so far and haven't had a single issue.

Simply amazing how much power and torque they squeeze out of this little 183 cubic inch engine.

Ford Idaho · 12-23-2016, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austintatious

Although my TT is relatively light compared to others at ~3K pounds, I've got a 2016 Ram Ecodiesel that I use for long road trips and towing on the interstate, and a 2015 Jeep Wrangler that I use to tow on the back roads down to the coast. The Jeep is just a lot more fun on the beach

The Ram is an incredible little diesel package. No load, I can easily get 30mpg on the highway. Loaded up and towing I regularly see 18-20mpg. Very comfortable as well. I've had it since March of this year, put close to 9K miles on it so far and haven't had a single issue.

Simply amazing how much power and torque they squeeze out of this little 183 cubic inch engine.

Best of both worlds, pull the 3.0 out of the PU and drop it in the Wrangler.

**bikendan** · 12-23-2016, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austintatious

Although my TT is relatively light compared to others at ~3K pounds, I've got a 2016 Ram Ecodiesel that I use for long road trips and towing on the interstate, and a 2015 Jeep Wrangler that I use to tow on the back roads down to the coast. The Jeep is just a lot more fun on the beach

Towing a full height TT shoebox is way different than towing a car that has no air resistance and less tongue weight.

Austintatious · 12-23-2016, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Best of both worlds, pull the 3.0 out of the PU and drop it in the Wrangler.

Absolutely, especially if that happens to be a Wrangler pickup.

A diesel Wrangler pickup is supposedly in the works for 2019/20.

Austintatious · 12-23-2016, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

Towing a full height TT shoebox is way different than towing a car that has no air resistance and less tongue weight.

Agreed, but I'm not sure how this related to my post? I pull a TT with both the Jeep and the Ram - hope I didn't come across as meaning that I pull the Jeep with the Ram? (I don't).

kennyairport · 12-23-2016, 08:55 PM

I love my eco. it has the 3.92 rear gets 26 around town and 14 towing. have pulled my 23ss hybrid thru the N.C. mountains with nary a notice it was behind me (except I saw it in the mirrors). all temps within normal ranges. the 8 speed trans works like a dream and the rpms hardly fluctuate. my old ram 1500 had the small V8 and could handle the tt on level roads fine but the rpms would almost redline on when I hit the inclines. mpg towing with the old one was 5-8 really sucked.

MacGumbo · 12-23-2016, 10:04 PM

I have an F350 SD to tow my Rockwood 2603 but I have towed it with my 2014 Grand Cherokee Eco 3.0 with zero problems. The acceleration is better than my F350, even uphill. The only knock is the 1/4 chassis feels the sway a lot more. I get between 28-30 mpg driving and 18-20 towing. Should get more when I remove the emission and DEF once the warranty is up.

OldBob · 12-24-2016, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefferson

Is anyone out there towing with a Ram 1500 3.0lt Ecodiesel? Opinions on towing performance compared to a hemi 5.7 or Ford 5.0lt.

We tow about 6000 pounds with our 2015. Getting just over 16 mpg towing and close to 30 mpg on the highway when not towing. The EcoDiesel has more torque than the 5.7 Hemi and gets nearly double the fuel mileage. We'll never have another gas truck. I think most diesel owners feel the same way.

emm-dee · 12-24-2016, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldBob

We tow about 6000 pounds with our 2015. Getting just over 16 mpg towing and close to 30 mpg on the highway when not towing. The EcoDiesel has more torque than the 5.7 Hemi and gets nearly double the fuel mileage. We'll never have another gas truck. I think most diesel owners feel the same way.

As usual, a lot of benefits have a downside. The EcoDiesel has ten pounds of extra torque but gives up over 2,000 pounds of towing capacity and gross combined weight due to turbo temperature limits.

mckittrick5791 · 12-28-2016, 11:02 AM

It sounds like there are a lot of personal preferences. I wanted a truck that would tow my light trailer, last me for 100s of thousands of miles while getting great gas mileage. If I had or wanted a much heavier trailer than I would have the RAM 2500 with the larger 8cyl Cummings diesel.

If you don't mind going light there are tremendous benefits..... Rick

emm-dee · 12-28-2016, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckittrick5791

It sounds like there are a lot of personal preferences. I wanted a truck that would tow my light trailer, last me for 100s of thousands of miles while getting great gas mileage. If I had or wanted a much heavier trailer than I would have the RAM 2500 with the larger 8cyl Cummings diesel.

If you don't mind going light there are tremendous benefits..... Rick

Pretty sure if you're towing a 6k or less trailer and want a fantastic daily driver it's pretty hard to beat the EcoDiesel.

LandJ · 12-28-2016, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Pretty sure if you're towing a 6k or less trailer and want a fantastic daily driver it's pretty hard to beat the EcoDiesel.

Actually, you are correct, but I would put the weight a bit higher.... my personal feeling is/was that 8K is about the most I would tow with regularity. Then again, that's my opinion of the high end of any half ton truck despite what the manufacturer markets them to tow.

My EcoDiesel was a wonderful truck, and towed my 7.5Kish trailer with ease and complete lack of drama, not to mention 14mpg. No hunting back and forth for gears and no high RPM motor to listen to.... The knock on the Ram is the cooling. There is no mechanical fan on the 3D. If you back out of the throttle a bit, it will not overheat and you can pull everything the Hemi can. If you push it hard up mountains, it will get hot and the the computer will defuel to keep it from getting too hot. Drive it civilized, and it can handle anything within reason for a half ton truck. BTW, I never experience defueling during my 2 years with the truck.

The rear axle is rated to 3900, a bit under some of the competition. My truck had 1450 as payload -- some are a lot less depending on options. If the truck fits someone's situation, it is definitely worth looking at. I personally think Ram under rates the capacity a bit.... not sure why, maybe to protect the Cummins cash cow.

JeepGuy · 12-29-2016, 06:41 PM

2 friends have (had) the eco diesel, one in a 1500 and one in a grand Cherokee, they both loved them until they got some miles on them, the truck was in the shop constantly for emmissions problems and and jeep has developed a unknown oil leak out of warranty, I think the ram was a early model and I know they had problems, guessing they figured it out by now, I wouldn't view the eco and high mileage motor like the old 12v/24v were.

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