RangerGress wrote:
I'm probably a good data point for you guys. I have a Ram 1500 Ecodiesel 2WD Laramie. Every month I do a 7-16hr roadtrip with a 24' enclosed car hauler weighing 7400-7800lbs. Terrain is half flat half rolling.
The truck is really terrific. My previous tow vehicle was a 2000 Ford F-250 diesel. The comparison is night and day. The Ram makes for a quiet, luxurious roadtrip. It drives like a big sedan and it's towing manners are sure and confidence inspiring. I used to arrive at events half deafened by the roar of the engine and tired from being jarred by the stiff suspension. Also, F-250 handled like a squirmy ferry boat requiring constant attention vs. the sure and confident sedan-like ride of the Ram. The constant focused attention and steering microcorrections, and the kidney punches of each freeway expansion crack made long roadtrips nothing to look forward to.
The towing mpg of the Ecodiesel is slightly better than the pre-EPA F-250 which is a pretty high standard. I get 13.5-14 towing at 60-64mph.
My tow vehicles have always done occasionally daily driver duty, but the Ram has really grown on me. The normal DD is a old restored BMW. But for the past 6 months the BMW has sat in the garage and I've driven the Ram.
My commute is 12mi half surface streets half highway. I get 24mpg. If I try, I can get 28mpg. It's pretty amazing. The F-250 got 12mpg in DD mode. On the freeway I can get 30mpg if I keep it below 70mph.
I do not have air suspension and maybe I should have bought the option. I've not had good luck with air suspension over the years so I grew to distrust it. The truck would not have handled the tongue weight of the trailer w/o some help so I put airbags inside the rear coil springs. Cheap and easy. The airbags turned 3" of rear spring compression into 1". 3" put me almost on the bumpstops and that wouldn't have been safe.
A few comments - Accurate description of the F250, from that era.
I assume you typo'd the F250 DD mileage? 12 mpg? should be 22 I would think?
An overloaded truck is smoother than un high payload truck. It sounds like you are not using a WDH? That seems a little crazy with a 750#+ tongue? (air bags level, but don't remedy the overloading, just mask it). Why didn't you got with a WDH instead of airbags? or both?
That mileage is about 20% better than I get with the 3.7 maxed out with a car hauler of similar size. Unloaded mileage seems about the same 20%. By your description, you drive a bit more conscientiously than I, so call it 15% better, and much more "relaxed" at lower rpm for sure. Sounds like the perfect ruck for what you do.
