Ram HD 1000 lb-ft MPG loop
Towing 29k. Nice to see they have a gauge that tells you how "full" the DPF is now. That's handy.... VIDEO Almost 9mpg pulling 29k, which means about 37,000 GCW. Pretty incredible. Interesti...
Forum Discussion
FishOnOne wrote:
Kind of like outboard motors. The current crop of four stroke V6 motor configurations are typically 200, 225, 250HP and are all essentially the same except for some different tuning. Having said that, my experience is a boat rigged with the highest HP motor usually last longer than one rigged with the lowest HP motor, because the higher HP engine can turn a larger prop and move the boat at a given speed while running lower rpms compared to the lower HP motor running that same speed.
Exactly! Aside from maintenance, the duty cycle of the engine plays a large role in longevity. The harder it has to work, the shorter it's expected lifespan.
Heck, even Howstuffworks.com gets it.
"How the car or truck is driven also affects how long the engine lasts. The harder an engine has to work, the shorter its lifespan tends to be. Applications like towing heavy loads, repeated extreme acceleration and deceleration, revving the engine past its redline or driving at top speed for long periods of time can all decrease how long an engine lasts."
Factors Affecting Automotive Engine Longevity
If you had two of the same exact medium duty truck pulling the exact sames loads at 65 mph with one truck having a 200hp/520lb-ft B6.7 and the other having a 325hp/750lb-ft B6.7L, the 200hp will have to work much harder at higher rpms to pull the load more often increasing wear and reducing longevity. However, the 325hp truck will cost more up front and there is a fine line where that higher cost will pay for itself or the lower power variant will be more cost effective in a fleet of trucks. This is why multiple power levels are provided for these various applications and duty cycles, not because the lower power versions last longer.
Same goes for gas versus diesel. Yes, the gas will not last as long pulling the same loads, but it costs a lot less up front than a diesel. Sure you will get your money back in the long run and a consumer buying a vehicle for personal use can easily wait to get their money back on one vehicle, but some fleets may not have the up front capital for tens or hundreds of diesel trucks even though it may or may not be the more cost effective option in the long run.
