I do not believe the Ike Gauntlet is a test that that should be reasonably considered for any person that does not tow at elevation. Vehicles today are all tested at the Davis Dam road in Arizona that has some elevation and an equally steep climb. This is used to simulate what more than 90% of towers will experience. The results from these tests are what the manufactures report. Those of you that repeatedly site the ike gauntlet test as a reason to down play the 6.4’s performance only have it as evidence to support your claim. And the manufacture admits to limiting the truck’s performance under those circumstances for longevity of the components. The Eisenhower tunnel is a section of interstate that very few people will ever drive with a very heavy trailer behind. My research and experience can support my opinion that the 6.4 hemi with the 66RFE transmission is capable of towing what it is rated for. And I believe it should be strongly considered for those people that do not want or need a diesel TV.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. There are many folks that tow 12,000 pounds in the west and travel over 7000 foot or higher mountain passes. And for those folks towing up the mountains is something that is routine, unlike your comments regarding the few who actually would travel up to the Eisenhower tunnel (or equivalent mountain passes). You only tow a few times a year, others often tow thousands of miles a year. This supports the fact that you are not well connected with those that like to tow heavy and are located in the west. The Ike tests are fun to watch and maybe offer some good comparisons between trucks and engines. I do recall the Ike test where the 6.4 towing 12,000 pounds got a whopping 2.8 mpg at 37 mph while the Cummins got twice that at over 20 miles an hour faster. You don't live in the mountains, many do. I live in the mountains and almost anywhere I go is a trip over a 7000 foot pass or higher. Most everybody that tows in our region run diesels. Thousands of diesel RVers cannot be wrong. I have often commented that the Ike tests are fun to watch even if they are not statistically valid in all tests.
After sifting through all your rhetorical verbosity, it is quite frankly hard to determine if you are needlessly praising the 6.4's capabilities or putting down those that test trucks and post on You Tube. The 6.4 can stand on it's own without putting down truck testers. And the You Tube videos are fun to watch and if you don't like them or believe they are not valid you should put up your own truck videos.
