Ram truck problems ?

spoon059 wrote:
I have a 2015 Cummins. That gave me the redesigned frame and DEF exhaust treatment. I am very happy with my truck. I have had 2 issues with my truck.

#1 is the stock Transforce tires are garbage... not that big of a deal, but I will have to shell out some money to replace them earlier than I expected.
#2 was a DEF quality error message. I ran my tank down pretty low and filled up with 5 gallons of DEF and got a P207 error message. Searching the forums I saw all sorts of horror scenarios... the truck will go to limp mode within 200 miles, you have to pay several hundred dollars to drain your DEF tank, etc. Stupid me, I just cleared the code and kept driving with nary a problem. Its been several thousand miles with no ill effects. I have a company vehicle, so my Ram is used for towing and occasional errands.

Other than that, SUPER happy with my truck.

My good friend has the 6.4 Hemi and is annoyed at the transmission ratios. Pulling his 5er in the eastern mountains, he struggles to maintain speed in 4th gear, then the trans drops into 2nd gear and RPM's race. Truck moves the weight fine, but he is annoyed that the trans wants to stay in 4th too long, then skips 3rd and goes straight to 2nd. Other than that, he loves his truck which is also his daily driver.

We have a camping partner with a pre-DEF 2011 Cummins 6.7. Because his EGR is more involved, he tends to have a dirtier engine and shorter oil life. He also has a more frequent maintenance schedule with his EGR valve cleaning and other items. His fuel mileage is a little worse because it uses diesel in the regen process. Though he has the older frame, he has no front end issues. He tows a moderately sized 5er and drivers his truck as a daily driver. He likes his truck and has no complaints.

We have another camping partner that had a 2014 Ram 2500 with the Cummins and towed a massive 40+ foot 5er with either 3 or 4 slides on it. Coming back from a trip to the mountains at the end of the summer he destroyed his rear axle. I'm not sure what exactly went on it... but I know he was overloaded by a substantial amount... I'm sure he was over his axle rating by a bunch. Plenty of engine, transmission was fine, brakes and exhaust brake were always keeping him in control going up and down the mountains... but rear axle couldn't handle the weight.

I've got another camping partner with a 2006 5.9, stock engine, trans and tires. This is his towing vehicle only, he has a small car for commuting. They tow a 26 foot bumper pull trailer and love their truck. No major issues, no front end issues, no trans issues. No odd sounds, no rust, no body issues. He has a beautiful clean truck and loves it. People literally come up to him at gas stations and campgrounds and ask him if he is willing to sell it... That is pretty impressive!

Are the Rams perfect...? I don't think so. I like my Ram quite a bit though and am happy that I found my truck used (8 months and 10K miles). I have been super happy. Sometimes I miss the peppy quickness of my Tundra, but the Ram feels more solid, weighing in at 2000 lbs heavier. You cannot go wrong with any of the big three's current offerings.

Thank you for your helpful reply would like to ask if you know how much your buddy with the 6.4 is towing weight wise? my trailer is around 12K most of the time could be up to 15400 which I would not expect the 6.4 to do well at all with even for the short trips and usage we plan for the firth wheel. The ram configuration I would be looking at would be rated 15900 with the 6.4 and 4.10's.
Mike