RAM EcoDiesel a Flop for Towing

ShinerBock wrote:


I am not talking about a commercial trucks like Peterbilts. I also don't care about the SAE certification either. In my opinion, the 30 mph requirement is too low. Also, the SAE J2807 is not law and the manufacturers do not have to abide by them. They just use them as a standard of a maximum rating a truck can be rated for.

However, a manufacturer can still rate it lower then that maximum. Case in point is that Ford 2.7L Ecoboost. It will out perform that Ecodiesel in every way yet Ford gave it a lower tow rating then what Ram gave the Ecodiesel. Why? Maybe because Ford does not consider not being able to at least do the speed limit towing. Maybe their standards for towing is a bit higher. What ever the case maybe, it still stands that the F150 2.7L Ecoboost that Ford gave a lower tow rating to will easily hold the rated speed limit while the 1500 3.0L Ecodiesel that Ram gave a higher tow rating to is barely able to hold 10 mpg of the speed limit. If the F150 2.7L can hold the speed limit then why can't the Ram Ecodiesel?

Regardless of some SAE standard or not, it is still unacceptable to me and is a failure in my opinion. If my 2014 Ram 2500 CTD was only able to do 30 mph going up that hill towing 80% of it's rated weight, I would be sending it back to Ram asking them WTF. Unlike some, I don't make excuses for a brand like fanboys do. I also do not change or lower my expectations just so that a favorite brand fits that criteria. I have my reasonable expectations and if a truck manufacturer can't meet them then I will find one that will. In this case, the F150 2.7L met my expectations by being able to tow the rating it was given while maintaining the speed limit. The Ram Ecodiesel on the other hand.... didn't.

Ok, let's stick with the Ford brand. So for the 2009 to 2010 5.4 equipped trucks that had the 11000 pound tow rating, should they had been derated? I owned one. I can tell you those trucks would had struggled more than the ecodiesel in the same pull. The ecoboost is a very recent motor and I am a proponent for boosted engines when towing at altitude. So if you don't make excuses, what was ford's excuse? Should Chevy have to derate because their truck keeps shifting between gears and doesn't hold 65mph up that same hill with a similar load? However on low altitudes, it will match the 2.7. Ford has a marketing edge in tow aceleration performance with the ecoboost line no doubt. But then I am not a fanboy, I just recognize what the vehicle was designed to achieve And it does just what it should. RAM has always said that if someone wants more tow performance, they would buy a 2500, different marketing strategy from Ford.

In the end, it is a different truck meeting a different set of demands with more prioritization on fuel economy versus tow acceleration Performance.