RAM EcoDiesel a Flop for Towing

ShinerBock wrote:
"The only place where the trucks showed any sign of weakness was climbing the nearly 7 percent final grade on the push to 5,000 feet of elevation. With the accelerator stapled to the floor, the truck’s speed dropped off to 53 mph, and engine temperature climbed to an almost alarming 244 degrees. Thankfully, as we crested the summit, the engine temperature returned to normal and we never experienced any other engine temperature issues during the remainder of the test."

To me it's not a concern at all that the truck slowed to 53 mph, especially considering the 7% grade as well as the elevation. What is very alarming is the fact that the truck very nearly overheated. This indicates that the truck is not engineered to handle wide open throttle application for any length of time. Even more alarming is that the ambient temperature was fairly low. It would make me very hesitant to tow even a 5000 lb travel trailer in brutal conditions, like pulling Vantage Hill in Eastern Washington into a 25 mph headwind in 100 degree temperatures. The Ford V10 in my old motorhome would slow to 50 or so in those conditions, but the engine temperature never budged.