Ram 1500 with 3.0 diesel

VernDiesel wrote:
KRSmitty You did not say what your towing needs are. Whats better a claw hammer or a sledge hammer.. depends on what you need to hammer.

But you did ask about the EcoD and since I bought mine new and have put over 200k on it I might be able to answer your questions. I use mine commercially to deliver Airstream TTs from the manufacturer in Ohio to dealerships through out the country especially over the western grades so I have a lot of towing and hauling experience with this truck.


I do have some other thoughts on other things I read in this thread. Turbos do help a bit with altitude but by far the greater difference is in fuel type. Diesel is largely unaffected to altitude in comparison to gas.

On the relationship between horsepower and torque. I find this concise and useful in understanding or comparing so to speak. It may not be all inclusive but it helps get a handle on what many people struggle with.

"Torque is how much work an engine will do at a given rpm. Horsepower is how fast it will do that work at that rpm."

Both are important and have their value but you start to see the relationship more clearly. Gearing being the same, the engine with the most torque will tow the heaviest load up a grade.

So simplistically if gearing were equal both the 420TQ ED and the 420TQ EB should move the same load up a grade. But the EB having superior HP (at whatever its 420 TQ is reached at) will move the weight or load up the grade quicker or with better wheel speed assuming the same gearing or more accurately final drive ratio.

That said I will pick the diesel to move the load up the grade as it will do it with significantly less fuel and runs no risk of altitude coming into play. Also generally speaking a diesel will last much longer doing that type of work. BTW my understanding is that the main reason for the less fuel consumption is that their is only 85% of the BTU or power in gasoline of that which is in diesel.

#1. Fuel has nothing to do with how an engine performs at altitude. At least with gasoline and diesel.

#2. The BTU's of a fuel has nothing to do with power it will produce. In fact; for every single fuel I can think of it's inversely proportional.