first pull with new Ram

FireGuard wrote:
The 15 HO Ram is 385hp/865tq. 370/800 for 2500 and non HO.
The Ram Cummins aren't fast off the line is because of torque management in the first 3 gears. This is so you don't destroy the drive train.
If you want fast acceleration buy a corvette.

All very true!

mountainsam wrote:
Good to hear everyone enjoying their trucks, new or not. I think my 05 was faster off the line but everything about the 14 is improvement in the towing experience. Hope to be planning a trip to Seattle in the near future. Can't remember how the highways are up there but should be some decent pulls.

Congrats to everyone with those new TV's.

Siskiyou Pass is good workout between CA and OR - The rest of the trip is just rolling hills and relatively flat. Seven Feathers Casino is a good place to stop for fuel once you are in OR.

We stayed in the Delta last year before going farther south to Needles and returning to the PNW through NV and ID.

I'm comparing the same GCW when referencing my F250 verses 5500. The 5500 is about 2500 lbs heavier than my F250 when empty, so a GVW comparison was too hard. I had the PowerStroke long enough I know how heavy I was and what type of performance it delivered. The DRW on the 5500 doesn't help performance, but the 6-speed with 4.44 differentials are an advantage over the previous 5-speed with 3.73 differentials.

The only reason for my change was to get more payload. I would have had the chassis cab tune of 6.7 PowerStroke if I had chosen the F550 at 300 hp and 660 ft-lbs. This may have been a let down compared to what I had been used to driving.

If someone has a 8-10 year old 5.9 Cummins and was going to the larger chassis cabs, they might also have similar experiences to me. If they own an older one, they may only have 215-245 hp and it would be a noticeable improvement.

I don't expect breakneck acceleration, but it is nice to get to speed faster on a freeway on-ramp or when you need a pass a slower moving vehicle. This is where I saw the my older PowerStroke better the Cummins. Others coming from a V8 GM diesels will most likely see the same when going to the I6.

Good to hear everyone enjoying their trucks, new or not. I think my 05 was faster off the line but everything about the 14 is improvement in the towing experience. Hope to be planning a trip to Seattle in the near future. Can't remember how the highways are up there but should be some decent pulls.

Congrats to everyone with those new TV's.

The 15 HO Ram is 385hp/865tq. 370/800 for 2500 and non HO.
The Ram Cummins aren't fast off the line is because of torque management in the first 3 gears. This is so you don't destroy the drive train.
If you want fast acceleration buy a corvette.

Bedlam wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
Couple things. First, I will say that my 5.9 with a Smarty Jr, in a short bed crew SRW was both quicker and faster than my current truck.

2nd, if memory serves, you aren't really comparing apples to apples. Isn't the 6.7 in your 5500 tuned to lower HP and torque than the 6.7 in a 2500/3500?

My 10 year old stock 6.0 PowerStroke was 325 hp with 570 ft-lbs. The new stock 6.7 Cummins is 325 hp with 750 750 ft-lbs. I don't play with tuners and deletes.

That is kind of my point. The people talking about the big difference between a 5.9 and 6.7 CTD are using the high output 6.7 - 350 HP and 850+ torque. You are in the lower output which might explain why you might not feel the same change.

And what truck was your 6.0 in? If it was a 250/350, you are probably considerably heavier in your 5500.

I for one would not claim that the 6.7 CTD is the fastest diesel in stock form. But I do believe that is the best diesel in stock form.

Bionic Man wrote:
Couple things. First, I will say that my 5.9 with a Smarty Jr, in a short bed crew SRW was both quicker and faster than my current truck.

2nd, if memory serves, you aren't really comparing apples to apples. Isn't the 6.7 in your 5500 tuned to lower HP and torque than the 6.7 in a 2500/3500?

My 10 year old stock 6.0 PowerStroke was 325 hp with 570 ft-lbs. The new stock 6.7 Cummins is 325 hp with 750 750 ft-lbs. I don't play with tuners and deletes.

Bionic Man wrote:


Couple things. First, I will say that my 5.9 with a Smarty Jr, in a short bed crew SRW was both quicker and faster than my current truck.

Thanks for giving me my "man card " back :B Fish can trade in trucks every 3 years or so cause he buys Ferds, Rams last 10-50 years or more :B Learned a long time ago if wife is happy, I'm happy :W Believe me she knows next year is the decade I promised, and Ram fulfilled my promise. YMMV in Texas!

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Congrats! You will be a happy man for a long time!

I loved towing with my 11 but the little I have towed with the 15 I can tell it's light years ahead of the 11!

I suppose "for a long time" is ~4 years and less than 100k miles? :R

Congrats OP, sounds like your havin fun with your new truck!

We just bought our first diesel, an F350, first tow will be a 600 mile round trip from home in W. Washington to E. Washington north of Spokane over a long Memorial Day weekend. Then the big trip late June to S. Dakota. Can't wait.