It seems like they went underground or something. The few places I've found that actually chat about them seem to be questioning some of those great numbers. They are reporting good mileage compared to gas engines, but not nearly what the earlier ads would have us believe. This would concern me, as I expected the diesel to hold it's own rather handily. It sounds like the Hemi can average pretty good mileage on its own. If it can average near 20, there's little reason to worry about the more finicky diesel package. Especially because of the GVWR gained.At this point, I find myself starting to look across the aisle to the more capable F150s. And maybe even a GM product, but I doubt it.So does anybody have anything to expand on this lack of info?

Ford pulled the plug on the diesel F-150 due to the Ecoboost 3.5L making plenty of power, getting great mileage, and being over 400 pounds lighter, thus the lighter weight truck will save fuel too.And Ford can certify the F-150 Ecoboost for much less money than a diesel engine. I was actually surprised to see a inline 5 coming out in the Transit van. Probably the same engine they had worked on for the F-150.Basically the test subjects when asked what they wanted in a 2018 truck said 1. Power and torque of a diesel2. Quiet of a gas engine, and easy to start at -15F.3. Low cost oil changes.4. Low cost per mile - meaning higher MPG and low cost oil changes.5. Comfortable cab and seating.So the Ranger is out, because it is smaller and only costs about $40 a month less than a base model F-150. Now the new Aluminum F-150 should get similar MPG to the much smaller Ranger, while only costing about $40 more per month to buy, with a higher resale value.Fred.On Edit! 6-19-14I got to see a new Transit at my local Ford Dealer in Portland Oregon. It has the 3.5L Ecoboost engine, and from what I can see, the inline 5 diesel is available in the dual rear wheel vans right now! Click on Ford.com and then check out their vans. Click "Build and price" and you can see what vans are at the local Ford dealerships. I have not seen any of the window vans yet at a dealership, but they are showing up on the "Inventory" as "Dealer Ordered".

All I can say is the number 20, as it pertains to MPG, and Hemi in the same sentence makes me chuckle :)If the eco-diesel Ram thing can get 20 mpg it has a huge place in the market. Of course, it would have a super-huge place if it had a payload anywhere close to the Ecoboost or other 1/2 tons. Back to talking about the Hemi, I'm the proud, super happy owner of a 6.4 Hemi and it's a great truck but it's no fuel miser. And from what I hear the 6.4 gets the same or slightly better mpgs than the 5.7So, basically, a Hemi vs. the eco-diesel is the old cliché - apples and oranges.

I don't know if this pertains to this thread, but seems to have relevance. I purchased a '14 crew cab Silverado with the 5.3L, 3.42 gearing, and a 6 speed auto. It has 355 hp with 383 ft. lbs. of torque and a towing capacity of 9.8k. I pull a TT with an unloaded weight of 5,100 lbs, but often add another 2k of gear and passengers, and the truck doesn't even break a sweat. It has a cylinder deactivation mode, even going into this mode while towing on flat roads (without "hunting" a gear). The end result - Comfortable towing at (believe it or not) > 13MPG with a "half ton". I have to also note that I've seen 23 MPG w/o the TT. Of course, the load will dictate the type of TV required, but there are more options than diesels, "Ecoboosts" and gas hogs.

Besides the one I test drove, I haven't seen one. Many on the Ram 1500 diesel forum have gotten theirs and are getting great real world mileage. Of course, it is all about how you drive. I am still on the fence between a 1500 and a 2500 diesel. If the 2500 had the 5.0 Cummins, it would be a no brainer.

Check out the Ram forums. Lots of people have ecodiesels and mileage is as good and better than advertised. Ive seen a couple at campgrounds. Saw a nice white ecodiesel at Green River Lake St Park last weekend. Id love to see the motor in a 2500, 420 ft/lbs trq would handle most trailers easily. And I could def deal with 25 mpg unloaded

RAM 1500 Ecodiesel, anybody seen one in the wild?

371 Replies

yr2017
Explorer
Sep 12, 2014
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
yr2017 you are the first one I have heard that says the new Rams rattle. The one I test drove was as quite as my Dads 2013 Caddy and it was an Outdoorsman.

Rattles, sounds like the old days of bottles and caps left in the door. I pulled onto the pavement to see if the gravel road was the problem - it wasn't.

As far as the Grand Cherokee goes, those things can be ordered with more skid plates then any pickup truck ever built. Front suspension skid plate, fuel tank skid plate shield, transfer case skid plate and underbody skid plate! Along with a much better four wheel drive system too. So unless your running over pot holes at 35 MPH the GC is better protected then the trucks you list in your sig. But to each their own.Don

You shouldn't need skid plates unless you're a mogger. Well, these new GC's wouldn't last that long even with plates. They are road cars.

The roads I drive on every day (to/from Hwy 83) are 10 miles of gravel
and few potholes that we fill every month are driven at speeds up to 45mph. None of my trucks have skid plates and none have sustained damage. If put on 6mm plates - it would add a considerable weight - something I don't need.
FishOnOne
Nomad
Sep 10, 2014
I've seen two Eco's in one week a couple of weeks ago. Also I've now heard one drive by my house and it definitely had a diesel sound to it.
john_bet
Explorer II
Sep 09, 2014
larry barnhart wrote:
I find it interesting a dodge fella would be happy if another truck passes him so maybe the company doesn't feel the same as the torque will be more next year. However I feel the same as Don who cares but I am old. Happy is a good thing.
chevman
I am a Dodge fellow and I for one do not care who passes me or where. Never been in a race on the roads with anyone.
larry_barnhart
Explorer
Sep 09, 2014
I find it interesting a dodge fella would be happy if another truck passes him so maybe the company doesn't feel the same as the torque will be more next year. However I feel the same as Don who cares but I am old. Happy is a good thing.
chevman
Perrysburg_Dodg
Explorer
Sep 09, 2014
yr2017 you are the first one I have heard that says the new Rams rattle. The one I test drove was as quite as my Dads 2013 Caddy and it was an Outdoorsman.

As far as the Grand Cherokee goes, those things can be ordered with more skid plates then any pickup truck ever built. Front suspension skid plate, fuel tank skid plate shield, transfer case skid plate and underbody skid plate! Along with a much better four wheel drive system too. So unless your running over pot holes at 35 MPH the GC is better protected then the trucks you list in your sig. But to each their own.
Jeep link 1
Jeep link 2

Don
bucky
Explorer II
Sep 09, 2014
I wandered off in the middle of this thing, but I would like to point out that Don's new engine will have the HP and torque of my early 99 7.3 PSD at well less than half
the displacement. That is progress my friends.
yr2017
Explorer
Sep 08, 2014
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Well then the Eco-diesel I'm getting is not going to last very long then. We are looking a TT's with a GVWR 7800#. The first thing I'll do after getting it is order rims and new tires in the LT line.Don

Hey Don, I drove one of each last week. The 1500 still rattles a bit and the GC won't last on our roads very long. I'm not going to replace my sig trucks now that I've driven these.
Sport45
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2014
NinerBikes wrote:
No one with a smart phone, the Torque Pro App and an ELM 327 OBD II bluetooth adapater uses idiot gauges any more. They get real, from the ECM, to the single digit degree numbers real time, digitally, not on an analogue gauge that the ECM dumbs down, because too many people freaked out and complained that the gauge actually moved upwards due to work being performed going up hill.

Torque Pro application for Android

If every one here was forced to ride a mountain bike up hill, up various grades, long grades, you'd think twice about putting your foot deep into the pedal going up hill and going fast, and you'd have much more appreciation for how hard you are working your motor, by doing so. Carry 3 liters of water on your back on a mountain bike, up hill, heck, how about a couple of 6 packs of beer even, and you'll gain an appreciation for work being done, by you, not by your engine and fossil fuel.

I use Dash Command and an OBDII adapter so I know what you mean. I also have an Ultragauge that permanently resides in the Envoy. But it still only works if the engine has the sensors. The only way I can get a real oil pressure reading in my Envoy, for instance, is to install a mechanical gauge or pressure sensor and electronic gauge. There is no oil pressure sensor on the engine, only a switch. The Ultragauge is great for watching voltage, water temp, vacuum (MAP), mpg, and tracking oil change intervals. At least that is my main uses for it.
Every parameter is not available on every vehicle, YMMV.
DirtyOil
Explorer
Jul 06, 2014
That fuel cap needs to completely seal off the fuel from external breathing or moisture ingress. Diesel fuel is highly hygroscopic. It absorbs moisture out of the air at an alarming rate if your tank has access to it due to daily cycle of high and low humidity in the air, due to adiabatic process of warm air holding more moisture, higher dew point, and cold air holding less moisture, lower dew point, and condensation inside the empty portion of this fuel tank.

... "at an alarming rate"... geez? Diesel fuel isn't "hygroscopic" enough to pull enough moisture(water) from the air to make enough "free" water. Free water is the stuff that will cause the damage you speak of, but that's what the water separator and the "idiot" light to warn you is for. Even the "water filter" isn't enough to remove "dissolved water" or emulsion (water filter doesn't remove dissolved water, only stops the "free water" to a point). Adding fuel treatments that are designed to remove emulsified water (d-emulsifiers) do more harm then good, as they will cause the accumulation of "free water". Accumulate enough free water in the tank and you'll have issues.

Typically, diesel at room temperature will contain about 200ppm or 0.02% dissolved water, right from the refinery. I'd be more concerned with microbiological contamination, then air humidity!
NinerBikes
Explorer
Jul 05, 2014
boocoodinkydow wrote:
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Well then the Eco-diesel I'm getting is not going to last very long then. We are looking a TT's with a GVWR 7800#. The first thing I'll do after getting it is order rims and new tires in the LT line. Will I win any races going up hills, probably not but that's OK by me. All you guys that want to run 70+ can just fly by me.

Not sure what your talking about as to the Ram's fuel mileage. But it's no worse then the other brands. Better with the ED, show me any truck out there with an EPA rated 20/28 MPG. Go to Ramtrucks.com read the information and wait the videos on the different technologies Ram uses to improve fuel economy.

Don

My sentiments exactly ,don. Keep the rpm's in the sweet spot of the torque curve & let the speed & the gearing fall where they may. Still torn between a Fred motorhome & a tt of similar weight as your shopping list. I have no reservations that the ed is capable of towing it using moderately conservative driving habits.

Key words, moderately conservative. I don't think taking it much over 50% of it's max trailer weight rating, while pushing a big , bulky non CD rated travel trailer to 1/2 the rated weight capacity is smart. Wind resistance and weight is a double whammy when trailering.

YMMV, I tow a big old 21 foot travel trailer with a 3 liter VW TDI SUV, and I feel even I am pushing it, at least here in the mountainous western states with steep ups and downs and severe mountain ranges.