Ford vs Ram vs Chevy diesels

[ib516]

TFL Truck tested them all towing 12,000# 5ers at a Ford press event.

All 3 had 3.73 axles according to Ford.

VIDEO

Time to climb the 7% grade:
Ford 2:36
Ram 2:45
Chevy 2:50

[Cummins12V98]

RCMAN46 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

Rick start a thread on your new ride. Pictures!!!!!

Congratulations!

I keep holding my breath for the RAM Dually rear air ride. 😞

In one of the videos that Mr Truck did he described the air system.

It sounded like it was nothing more than a set of air bags on a conventional spring suspension with a level control.

Something that many 2500 hd trucks have as an add on but without the level control.

Maybe someday someone will see one and verify what the system is.
It is a $1600 option so I doubt it is a full air suspension like the big guys have.

From what I have seen it has a single leaf with a big bag on each side.

[RCMAN46]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

Rick start a thread on your new ride. Pictures!!!!!

Congratulations!

I keep holding my breath for the RAM Dually rear air ride. 😞

In one of the videos that Mr Truck did he described the air system.

It sounded like it was nothing more than a set of air bags on a conventional spring suspension with a level control.

Something that many 2500 hd trucks have as an add on but without the level control.

Maybe someday someone will see one and verify what the system is.
It is a $1600 option so I doubt it is a full air suspension like the big guys have.

[45Ricochet]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

Rick start a thread on your new ride. Pictures!!!!!

Congratulations!

I keep holding my breath for the RAM Dually rear air ride. 😞

I just want to see his garage again, pretty impressive with a DRW Ram setting in it :B

[NC_Hauler]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

Rick start a thread on your new ride. Pictures!!!!!

Congratulations!

I keep holding my breath for the RAM Dually rear air ride. 😞

Hope you can hold it for a while.......most are beginning to wonder if it will ever happen...Wished that poster who told us at one time that he had a 3500 with rear air ride would show up again.....:)

[Cummins12V98]

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

Rick start a thread on your new ride. Pictures!!!!!

Congratulations!

I keep holding my breath for the RAM Dually rear air ride. 😞

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

So gas or Diesel engine won't matter as long as HP is same one will pull beside the other? Like the new 6.4 Hemi RAM will run with the trucks in the video? Cool

True statement with a few caveats.

#1. Gasoline engines are rated at sea-level so they make rated power at sea-level. Anything above that and they start losing power at about 3%/1000 feet. (Unless you have a EcoBoost.)

#2. Diesels have turbo's so they have next to no power loss at altitude.

So if you live or vacation near Denver this may be a consideration. If you live of vacation near LA, not so much.


As you may or may not know, they will pull, drive and sound completely different and the gas engine will burn about 30% more fuel. 30% is a bunch of fuel and can add up very fast if you tow a lot.

Most people report the diesel is a much more relaxing tow. I have towed with both and both are relaxing if I have enough power. Both are stressful if you don't have enough power.

Good luck with your new rig and have fun!

[noteven]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

06Fargo wrote:
Proper scientific test 🙂

I heard this at the Flying J:

Rotating engines can only produce torque, which does the work.

Which is why the nearly 400hp RAM Cummings cannot do the work in 12 hours at the speed limit that a 400hp ISX Cummings can do in a heavy duty truck hauling 80,000lbs, expressed in tons moved x distance in 12 hrs., at the speed limit.

Did I remember that right?

You more than likely remembered it correctly and it sounds exactly what a trucker would say, but it is completely inaccurate.

A 400HP engine is a 400HP engine. It does not matter if it's 1 cylinder or a 16 cylinder. It does not matter what the fuel source is. They will do exactly the same amount of work.

With those two engines what matters is duty cycle. The semi will have 90% duty cycle and the pickup more like 20% duty cycle. The Semi will be happy at WOT all day long where the pickup will either derate or be dead in less than an hour. That's why the pickup engine is considered light or medium duty and the semi engine is considered a heavy duty engine.


Here is 4 HP pulling a semi truck out of a snow bank.

Here is 2 HP pulling 18,000 lbs!!

In the second video those horses are putting out WAY more than 2 HP but they can only do it for a few seconds. Much like the pickup, they have a very low duty cycle when pushed to make a lot of HP. Much like the semi, they can make 2 HP all day long. At least that's what Mr. Watt tells me. 🙂

That's good news because I am thinking about a replacement TV or maybe an older Class A in the next maybe a year.

So gas or Diesel engine won't matter as long as HP is same one will pull beside the other? Like the new 6.4 Hemi RAM will run with the trucks in the video? Cool

I talked to the Cummins dealer and was told an ISX or ISB 6.7 can run at full rated power all you like as long as cooling is sufficient. The design life before overhaul of the MD engine is less than the HD ISX. My next TV or MH wouldn't approach those miles in either case. And if same HP gas eng will do the same job as a diesel then more options exist.

[I_m_Rick_James]

NC Hauler wrote:

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

You're not mistaken, I would have a '15 right now if they were available. I've been following the conjecture over the '15 options for some time now and decided that it wasn't worth the wait and lack of incentives. I settled for a '14 last weekend and couldn't be happier.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

06Fargo wrote:
Proper scientific test 🙂

I heard this at the Flying J:

Rotating engines can only produce torque, which does the work.

Which is why the nearly 400hp RAM Cummings cannot do the work in 12 hours at the speed limit that a 400hp ISX Cummings can do in a heavy duty truck hauling 80,000lbs, expressed in tons moved x distance in 12 hrs., at the speed limit.

Did I remember that right?

You more than likely remembered it correctly and it sounds exactly what a trucker would say, but it is completely inaccurate.

A 400HP engine is a 400HP engine. It does not matter if it's 1 cylinder or a 16 cylinder. It does not matter what the fuel source is. They will do exactly the same amount of work.

With those two engines what matters is duty cycle. The semi will have 90% duty cycle and the pickup more like 20% duty cycle. The Semi will be happy at WOT all day long where the pickup will either derate or be dead in less than an hour. That's why the pickup engine is considered light or medium duty and the semi engine is considered a heavy duty engine.


Here is 4 HP pulling a semi truck out of a snow bank.

Here is 2 HP pulling 18,000 lbs!!

In the second video those horses are putting out WAY more than 2 HP but they can only do it for a few seconds. Much like the pickup, they have a very low duty cycle when pushed to make a lot of HP. Much like the semi, they can make 2 HP all day long. At least that's what Mr. Watt tells me. 🙂

[NC_Hauler]

I'm Rick James wrote:

ib516 wrote:
You'd be right, all three of them exceeded 70 mph during pickuptrucks.com's testing.

How did Pickuptruck.com get their hands on a 2015 Ram? That's quite a feat considering they aren't in production yet.

ON EDIT: I don't think that had been noticed until you just posted on it about a 2015 Ram....supposedly not in build mode till August if not mistaken...I know some have orders in for them, but don't know of anyone that owns a 2015 3500 Ram Dually at this time, though between the 2013 through 2015, The 3500 Dually will be the same as far as frame, suspension, engine, tranny, gearing etc....only thing that "MIGHT" happen would be the rear air ride system, but will believe it when I actually see one.

[I_m_Rick_James]

ib516 wrote:
You'd be right, all three of them exceeded 70 mph during pickuptrucks.com's testing.

How did Pickuptruck.com get their hands on a 2015 Ram? That's quite a feat considering they aren't in production yet.

[NC_Hauler]

ib516 wrote:
You'd be right, all three of them exceeded 70 mph during pickuptrucks.com's testing.

Kind of figure it should be done fairly easily with only towing 12,000#..My 5er is a high profile 5er and again, loaded to 16,200#...and I feel very confident my I could hit 70 mph by the time I topped that mountain, maybe a tad faster...but again, I hit the BOTTOM of that mountain, some 3 1/2 miles further down at 60-65 mph, easily maintained speed all the way up...I'm temped to see what I could hit....will give it a shot next time I tow it:B

[ib516]

You'd be right, all three of them exceeded 70 mph during pickuptrucks.com's testing.

[NC_Hauler]

RCMAN46 wrote:
The reason they did not do the entire hill in my opinion the ford would have been able to exceed the 70 mph speed limit.

It is also possible the Ram and Chevy could also exceed the 70 mph speed limit on part of the hill.

Agree with you. While towing my 16,200# 5er on that same stretch of I64,( but hitting the bottom of the mountain at 60-65 mph), I too feel I could have easily hit 70 mph, (though I don't like to tow that fast), but I've towed up this mountain with this truck and 5er I mentioned for a year now, (with the 13' ) and never felt a lack of power...State Police will pull you over, if they so deem at 75 mph and will give you a warning..80 mph will get you a ticket if again, the State Police are running radar...

I was satisfied at getting to the top of that mountain, fairly easily at 65 mph....I believe all three could do the speed limit the entire length of the mountain....why go faster?? Speed limit is 70...ST tires on some 5er's limit speed, unless owner is oblivious to such things is limited to 60-65 mph, per manufacturer of most of the ST tires on the market. I know quite a few times over the last 7-8 years I've towed and driven on that stretch of I64, have seen Motorhomes and trucks towing TT's or 5er's that have over heated and pulled over to the shoulder....Temps can get into the low 90's, but again, the humidity can be that high also, making it very hard for some TV's to cool down depending on how hard they're pushing the load...

Now I'm really looking forward to towing up that part of I64 again and will probably push my truck with 5er in tow just to see how it does...but I have the 4:10, not the 3:73, and I think the Ford has an even better gearing to "get up that mountain"..


No surprise to anyone I would think...more HP, more TQ...even I figured the Ford would be #1 in these test...but if the test don't mean anything to me, I owned Chevy D/A's before I'd heard of these test....then went to a Dodge in 2010, when it had been "low man on the totem pole" more than several years in a row....I know what my truck will do and how efficiently it will do it...it's enough for me and my use for it...