Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Max towing number released

ib516 wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Wow, that is a HUGE bummer. I'm sure their are some people for whom this is a good truck, but I'm not impressed at all. My Tundra has more payload AND tow rating. Gas mileage won't be as good, but its not worth the upgrade price to get lower payload and lower tow rating for a couple better mpg's. Any word on a price yet? Still seems to me that a base model 3/4 ton is a better option...

That 1500# payload is right in line with every other 1500 series truck, other than the HD F150 with the 8200# GVWR package. No bummer at all.

On price, they have said the diesel will be ~$2800 over the Hemi IIRC.

Well, that was exactly my point. You don't need the power (and higher upfront and maintenance costs) of a diesel to do what a gas engine can do. From an RVers perspective (still on RV.net... right?) it doesn't make much sense to pay that higher cost when gas engines are just as powerful and have reasonable gas mileage. 25 mpg highway is only 7 mpg better than my Tundra gets now. At 12,000 miles a year, thats 480 gallons of diesel at the current price of $3.99 in my area or $1900 year in fuel. Or thats 666 gallons of gas at $3.59 for $2390 a year. It takes over 7 years before the higher cost of gas equals the upgrade price of the diesel over the already higher price of the Hemi. Thats 84,000 highway miles. Thats a lot of oil changes at double or triple the cost for oil change.

For me to consider the diesel, it would have to have a much higher payload rating which would allow me to pull a heavier trailer and justify the cost of trading in my current truck and getting a diesel.

Therefore, I stand by my original statement. Its a bummer that Ram didn't increase payload to 2000+ lbs and allow this truck to be able to legally pull a smaller 5th wheel trailer. I cannot justify the higher cost, higher cost of fuel, higher cost of maintenance, etc for a truck that doesn't offer me higher weight limits. Honestly, I can keep my truck for towing and buy a used 4 cylinder car that gets 30+ mpg for a daily driver and come out ahead a lot sooner than buying a new Ram diesel.

These are MY thoughts and my thoughts alone. I'm sure Ram did market research and I'm sure they will sell. From my perspective, I wish this engine was available with 2000 lbs payload, thus giving me more options when towing. To each their own. I'm pleased with my 5.7 Tundra in terms of power AND mileage.