Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Max towing number released

spoon059 wrote:

Slowmover wrote:
I've averaged 21-mpg FOR ALL MILES in my (now 200k mile) 2004 DODGE CTD. CIty and country, solo, and am just above 15-mpg towing. At $4/gl diesel, that's 15 cents per mile, solo, and 25-cpm, towing. I don't fall below 24-mpg highway solo (loaded or empty, traffic or no traffic, rain, major metro areas, etc. Have seen 27-mpg numerous times) and am closer to 16-mpg with a TT that has yet to have all bugs worked out in re alignment, etc. I bring this up as it may be a similar set of numbers for the new truck.

What is your towing cost per mile?

Technically your towing cost per mile includes every piece of the cost to tow. That includes the original cost of the vehicle, all maintenance, fuel, tires, etc etc.

You are making reference to your fuel cost per mile. Those are 2 radically different numbers.

Obviously you get better mileage in your truck, but the upfront cost and maintenance costs are much larger than a gas engine that gets worse economy. Chances are that at the 200K mile mark you might have surpassed the gas engine with total towing cost, because the gas engine owner probably sold the truck and bought a new one. I've never owned a diesel and I know they run a long time, but I've owned a couple trucks and around 100,000 miles things besides the engine start showing wear and need to be replaced. Steering components, exhaust, interior wear, suspension items, brake lines, etc etc. The nickles and dimes add up. Perhaps it is slightly cheaper to hold on to that truck with 200K miles and replace all those items, but I would rather sell the truck around 90K miles and start over new. New technology, higher power engine, new interior, new suspension, new exhuast, etc etc.

Not debating which method is better, just pointing out that relatively few "original owners" own the truck long enough to see the total cost per mile drop down that low.

I agree, in main. But towing costs are significant. And comparisons about TVs might be a little more realistic based on towing mpg alone. For purposes of vacationing it is a valid means of comparing tow vehicles . . thus the points about an aerodynamic TT (as HP demand is reduced, thus fuel burn). Actual truck spec, climate and terrain plus driver skill will matter more in re solo miles as those are likely to be the main use.

Making a fuel economical rig -- relative to the usual gas pickup and square box TT -- is worth exploring.

My folks pulled the 28' version of my 35' with a V8-454 3/4T Suburban. 7-8/mpg at 55-mph, average. Contrast that to my 15-mpg with a Cummins-powered Dodge 3/4T at 58-mph, average with a longer, but not much heavier version of the same TT.

And those who trade every five years or so oughtn't bother debating fuel economy as depreciation is the real killer (combined with other costs of ownership and operation).

The cost of fuel is high. But trading TV and TT every few years is far more expensive. My folks mpg was abysmal, but they kept that TT 27-years and had but two tow vehicles over the same time. That kept the total cpm low, even though the fuel cpm was high.

But we're never going to see 95-cent/gl fuel again. $4/gl is a good number to start from. So, towing mpg is a worthwhile comparison.

(And, repairs on mine have been $350 total at 200k/ten years. As depreciation has virtually stopped -- this is a high demand truck -- spending on it to stay ahead of the repair curve will be easy to do).

As before, a well=spec'd DODGE 1/2T diesel paired with a nice aero TT could be the ticket for the long term owner, solo and vacationing. Or, full-timing. More so than any 1T spec monster.

Worrying over payload is a function of carrying too much stuff, not related to any 1/2T truck as a TV candidate. It's a non-issue for this kind of discussion.