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Bought our first DIESEL!!

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer
We bought our first diesel a few days ago.

We traded in our 2012 Ram 2500 Mega Cab with 26,500 miles on it and walked away with our

2016 Ram 3500 Big Horn Crew Cab Turbo Cummings. We aren't to sure about the crew cab but we are impressed with the Cummings. So far only 175 miles on it but 17mpg around the city and close to 19 on the highway is amazing. The power it has is amazing and the rumble is great.

We aren't impressed with the backup camera. That's the only thing we can find we don't like. It's horrible.

We are just waiting for the new hitch to come in so we can install it and hook up to our 40' fifth wheel and see how she does. The Mega did great but had many upgrades and could barely push 11-12 mpg out of her with the trailer.

Once I learn how to post pics I'll get a few up.
2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system
33 REPLIES 33

DKean
Explorer
Explorer
I bought my first truck in 1975. It was a GMC astro with a 318 detroit and 13 speed fuller trans. No back up camera. Just mirrors on the right and left doors. Never had a problem hooking up to 48/53 foot trailer. The first back up camera I had is on my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee without a tow package. I don't tow any more. I did 3 million + miles. Don't know how many miles I did backing.:W The hardest back up I ever had to do was a 180* sight side into a wal-Mart dock. I thought it was going to take awhile. But I surprised my self with only one pull up. Even a broken watch is right twice a day.
We now have a 2018 Ford Explorer,2wheel drive.

transamz9
Explorer
Explorer
45Ricochet wrote:
Nice. I like the grill much better than the previous years with the mesh like material. I see your a "mirrors up" guy :W


That's the Bighorn grill. My 2013 has it. I wish mine had the 20" wheel option though.
2016 Ram 3500 Mega Cab Limited/2013 Ram 3500 SRW Cummins(sold)/2005 RAM 2500 Cummins/2011 Sandpiper 345 RET (sold) 2015 Sanibel 3601/2008 Nitro Z9 Mercury 250 PRO XS the best motor made.

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer
This is our home away from home





And here is our ATV trailer


2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

45Ricochet
Explorer
Explorer
Nice. I like the grill much better than the previous years with the mesh like material. I see your a "mirrors up" guy :W
2015 Tiffin Phaeton Cummins ISL, Allison 3000, 45K GCWR
10KW Onan, Magnum Pure Sine Wave Inverter
2015 GMC Canyon Toad

Previous camping rig
06 Ram 3500 CC LB Laramie 4x4 Dually 5.9 Cummins Smarty Jr 48RE Jacobs brake
06 Grand Junction 15500 GVWR 3200 pin

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer



2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer


Let's see if this worked

In our old ram ram I had added the bully dog and air raid intake and a flow,aster exhaust. It helped a lot.
2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

larry_barnhart
Explorer
Explorer
We added a back up camera located above the license plate. Monitor in the rear view mirror. Nice setup for my old neck. Chevman
chevman
2019 rockwood 34 ft fifth wheel sold
2005 3500 2wd duramax CC dually
prodigy



KSH 55 inbed fuel tank

scanguage II
TD-EOC
Induction Overhaul Kit
TST tire monitors
FMCA # F479110

MegaCab_PL
Explorer
Explorer
Congrats on the truck. If you were getting 11-12 mpg with Hemi towing 5th wheel, that's amazing. I was getting that driving my empty 06 Megacab with 5.7, towing, it would drop below 10.

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer
Trying to do pictures but keeps saying they are to large and I can't remember how to edit them
2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
Good job on the filling in sig. But what auto trans????

If you don't like the backup cam in the big screen try using mine that is only available in the rear view mirror.

BTW PICS???????????????????????????????
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer
The back up lights are ok but yes I haven't added any back up lights yet.
Can never have enough light when backing up.

The sensors are great too. But I have to turn them off when going into my garage as they just beep constantly cause it's so close.

I like the vbox and camera set up. I have the good Sam GPS on our dash for when we use the camper and I have a spare camer in the bed for hitching the 5er one shot and done.
2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Explorer
rhagfo wrote:
Wow, so many complaints about back up cameras!
The only thing I use them for when available is seeing how close I am to the car behind me. This is a TV, maybe you should learn to use the two outside mirrors!
Not saying that they are not a great feature to see below the TG, and for items behind, and how close to the car or wall behind, but to me that is about the only use. The outside mirrors work great for the rest.

Did I mention welcome to the Diesel world. What 40' 5er were you pulling with the Hemi?

Here is a link to your pictures
3500 RAM



I use the camera when backing up to our other trailers.
I have a 33' trailer for our ATV's so hitching is easy and trying to squeeze the truck into my garage as I don't have a very long garage it's helpful but with the lense I've actually been a lot closer to objects than what it appears.
I use my mirrors for everything, I only back into parking spots when we are out in our truck and for turning around in our driveway to get my truck into the garage camera makes it nice to see how close I am to our stone wall.

But thank you for the welcome.

We were towing a Crossroads Cruiser Bunk House.
2016 Ram 3500 4x4 Big Horn Crew Cab, SRW. Cummins Turbo Diesel Automatic 68RFE Trans
50 gallon diesel Transfer Flow tank with the Traxx 3 system.
2017 Sierra FLIK 5th Wheel
42' Front Livingroom, 15K
Hydraulic level up system

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
In time, you'll get more comfortable with that back-up camera. Like firing a riffle, you'll learn how the distortion and reality is and you'll make the mental adjustments. You'll figure this out pretty quick, and then your back-up camera will be a comfortable "old hat!".... When firing a riffle, you know the bullet will hit about 3 inches to the left of your target, so you use "Kentucky windage" to aim 3 inches to the right and hit the bulls eye every time! You'll learn to do this also with your back up camera and grow to appreciate it more and more. A year from know, you'll wonder how you ever survived without out it!

transamz9
Explorer
Explorer
rhagfo wrote:
Instead of complaining about the backup Camera, what about the Backup Lights!!
I have yest to see a decent set of backup lights on a TV!!! Most are just ok, when it is dry out, but get it wet and most are useless.


I black all mine out anyway so here's my solution to the back-up light problem. They light up the ground and behind great even in pouring down rain. The lens on them is no bigger than the back-up sensors you see in the back bumper so they conceal and blend in really nice. I hate the looks of a big driving light some people mount under their back bumpers for back-up lights.

2016 Ram 3500 Mega Cab Limited/2013 Ram 3500 SRW Cummins(sold)/2005 RAM 2500 Cummins/2011 Sandpiper 345 RET (sold) 2015 Sanibel 3601/2008 Nitro Z9 Mercury 250 PRO XS the best motor made.