Ram Cummins Vs GM Duramax Ike Gauntlet
VIDEO My summary: - they both can tow 12.5k lbs anywhere, even in the toughest conditions, with ease. - the Duramax exhaust brake works too good? - the GM's hitch is heavily reinforced and you m...
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I have to disagree about the times not being about horsepower available. The road they use for the Ike has constant grade changes from 3% to 7%(check for yourself here road elevation map) and the inconsistency of a human (Mr Truck) foot will cause the truck to constantly loose and gain speed. There is also a very steep part at the very top and flattens out as you come to the lights at the end. Neither truck would not be at a constant 60 mph the whole way up even if you put it in cruise control.
According to how much torque each truck makes at certain rpms, I can guesstimate that the Ford has 400 hp at its disposal at 2,500 rpms, the Cummins has around 300 hp available at 2,050 rpms, and the GM has around 275 hp max at 1,600 rpms.
The next time you tow a heavy trailer, put your truck in cruise control coming up to a steep hill and you will notice that you will loose some speed as you start up the hill and will have to apply more throttle to get back up to speed. Do this in 6th, 5th, and 4th gear and tell me which gear allows you to recoup that speed quicker. I bet you it will be 4th when you are making the most horsepower.
This is why truck drivers will downshift as they are coming to a steeper grade to get their rpms up so they will have enough horsepower to maintain speed.
According to how much torque each truck makes at certain rpms, I can guesstimate that the Ford has 400 hp at its disposal at 2,500 rpms, the Cummins has around 300 hp available at 2,050 rpms, and the GM has around 275 hp max at 1,600 rpms.
The next time you tow a heavy trailer, put your truck in cruise control coming up to a steep hill and you will notice that you will loose some speed as you start up the hill and will have to apply more throttle to get back up to speed. Do this in 6th, 5th, and 4th gear and tell me which gear allows you to recoup that speed quicker. I bet you it will be 4th when you are making the most horsepower.
This is why truck drivers will downshift as they are coming to a steeper grade to get their rpms up so they will have enough horsepower to maintain speed.
