Owning a Cummins Diesel?

" I'm not sure if the '15 has the same setup but if it does you'll want to proactively change that Y."


They went back to a single radiator in 2015.

LIKE2BUILD wrote:

BurbMan wrote:
Seriously considering pulling the trigger on a 2015 Ram 3500 SRW diesel...
Any known issues with the 2015's? In my limited reading it seems like folks have fewest issues with the Cummins.

I have a 2014 Ram 2500 long bed Cummins/68RFE, which is pretty much identical to the '15 you're considering. The crew cab is huge with a ton of leg room for the rear passengers.

At 149,000 miles mine is still going strong. I've had 17 recalls repaired, which does seem a bit excessive, but I pretty much just dropped it off and picked up after work. One of the recalls replaced the entire catalyst system in the exhaust!

DEF is easy to find. Also, you can always fill up in the truck lanes at truck stops. In my experience I would suggest sticking with Peak Blue and don't use cheap stuff. Maybe this was just a one-off situation, but I purchased some cheaper off-brand stuff at a local farm store and filled up right before a trip. 500 miles away from home I got a check engine light related to the DEF system. Everything ran fine, but it was still bothersome. When I got home I drained the DEF tank and refilled with PEAK and I've never had another problem since.

I did have to modify the radiator hose. On this model they used a dual radiator system and the plastic Y fitting on the upper hose cracked. I replaced my with a billet aluminum aftermarket unit. I'm not sure if the '15 has the same setup but if it does you'll want to proactively change that Y.

I towed our fifth wheel around the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone and the truck was amazing. When using the Tow/Haul and exhaust brake the truck would nearly slow itself down completely without using much brake pedal. I was able to climb a 10% grade nice and steady and the temps never moved. Without any power mods this truck had more than enough oomph to go wherever I wanted.

KJ

17 Recalls on a 2014 Ram 2500. To date my 2014 Ram 3500 has had 12 recalls. Apparently the 2500 has had more then the 3500. Just ran the Vin#, and here is a list of mine . V06 V44 T79 T51 T25 R76 R40 R23 R36 T05 P26 P15.

BurbMan wrote:
Seriously considering pulling the trigger on a 2015 Ram 3500 SRW diesel...
Any known issues with the 2015's? In my limited reading it seems like folks have fewest issues with the Cummins.

I have a 2014 Ram 2500 long bed Cummins/68RFE, which is pretty much identical to the '15 you're considering. The crew cab is huge with a ton of leg room for the rear passengers.

At 149,000 miles mine is still going strong. I've had 17 recalls repaired, which does seem a bit excessive, but I pretty much just dropped it off and picked up after work. One of the recalls replaced the entire catalyst system in the exhaust!

DEF is easy to find. Also, you can always fill up in the truck lanes at truck stops. In my experience I would suggest sticking with Peak Blue and don't use cheap stuff. Maybe this was just a one-off situation, but I purchased some cheaper off-brand stuff at a local farm store and filled up right before a trip. 500 miles away from home I got a check engine light related to the DEF system. Everything ran fine, but it was still bothersome. When I got home I drained the DEF tank and refilled with PEAK and I've never had another problem since.

I did have to modify the radiator hose. On this model they used a dual radiator system and the plastic Y fitting on the upper hose cracked. I replaced my with a billet aluminum aftermarket unit. I'm not sure if the '15 has the same setup but if it does you'll want to proactively change that Y.

I towed our fifth wheel around the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone and the truck was amazing. When using the Tow/Haul and exhaust brake the truck would nearly slow itself down completely without using much brake pedal. I was able to climb a 10% grade nice and steady and the temps never moved. Without any power mods this truck had more than enough oomph to go wherever I wanted.

KJ

SweetLou wrote:

mudfuel07 wrote:
Got a 2017 2500 with 91k on it towing a 10k lb travel trailer. Love it, tows like a beast and fun to drive. Had one problem with the 68rfe, but dealer fixed it under warranty, a valve body. I bought it used, but everything under the hood looked good. DEF is not a problem, haven’t used an ounce in over 8k miles.

I use a box every 1500 miles or so. Do the math again

The way I read his statement, somehow his emissions equipment fell off the truck. In which case, he would be right.

mudfuel07 wrote:
Got a 2017 2500 with 91k on it towing a 10k lb travel trailer. Love it, tows like a beast and fun to drive. Had one problem with the 68rfe, but dealer fixed it under warranty, a valve body. I bought it used, but everything under the hood looked good. DEF is not a problem, haven’t used an ounce in over 8k miles.

I use a box every 1500 miles or so. Do the math again

Unless he no longer has a DEF system on his truck....

Sorry 8k you used well over an ounce.

Got a 2017 2500 with 91k on it towing a 10k lb travel trailer. Love it, tows like a beast and fun to drive. Had one problem with the 68rfe, but dealer fixed it under warranty, a valve body. I bought it used, but everything under the hood looked good. DEF is not a problem, haven’t used an ounce in over 8k miles.

"I would have asked for a NAPA or Gates pump"

FYI they are both made in Communist China.

IdaD wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

IdaD wrote:
My 2015 has been mostly great. I say mostly for two reasons. One, the water pump failed on me while towing the camper home from a vacation and left us stranded a few days. The replacement was also a bad unit, and it took several months before the dealership was able to replace it with a good version under the recall. Two, it's just had too many recalls. All minor stuff but a half dozen or so recalls is excessive.

Those caveats aside, I love the truck. It's fun to drive, tows like a boss, is reasonably efficient and it just does whatever I ask without complaint. I've got about 65k miles on it so far.

The water pump on a Cummins is an easy replacement, even if it was a warranty issue I would have asked for a NAPA or Gates pump to get back on the road.
The pump is a little harder to get to on the 2016, but changed the one in our 2001 Ram CTD in a parking lot in about 20 minutes and at least half the time was getting the belt back on.

We broke down in nowhere, Oregon. It was late Saturday before we got everything towed into town and no auto parts store nor the dealership had a pump in stock. It was a multiple day ordeal over something as silly as a water pump. I've got a Gates pump and spare serpentine belt under my back seat should something similar ever occur again. Ram reimbursed me for what I paid the local mechanic for parts and labor, but it took them few weeks.

Well now that you have a spare pump, you could likely put a million miles on that truck and never need it!