2014 RAM Diesel 1500

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grassy

grassy

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Folks,

If I understand what the folks who own diesel trucks, there is very little gas millage change from loaded to empty...

According to Motor Trend, the real world millage for this truck is 26 mp (us) g. Does this means that if I was hauling a 7K pound tag along trailer, I would achieve over
20 mp (us) g ?

Thanks
Ian
 
I don't know about the newer ones, but I have a couple of friends who own diesel Rams and they claim at least 20 on a trip pulling a load, one of them used to pull a very large 5th wheel camper probably in the neighborhood of 6500 pounds.

Another one owns a farm and is always pulling something heavy.
 
I know I will have to replace my RAM in the future (before my wife retires). Just trying to get my head around all the combinations.

Thanks
Ian.
 
My 1995 2500 extended cab 4x4 gets about 19-20 just the truck but pulling my trailer depending on my speed 10.5-13 mpg with my 24' car hauler. It doesn't matter if it loaded or not

So no I don't think the 6 diesel will get the same mileage
 
There are quite a few different variables,but the main thing about it is a diesel will pull a load better and easier than a gas motor no matter what it is.My 06 2500 5.9 Mega Cab diesel has 175k on it and still runs great while getting 20 plus(DON'T EVER GO BY THE "LIE-O-METER").As long as you maintain your vehicle and don't abuse it to within an inch of it's life,it will last you forever and get better mpg than a gas motor while doing whatever you want it to do.I honestly wouldn't own a diesel newer than a 12 because of all the emissions BS on them.It is truly more trouble than they are worth.Especially since you can literally buy a decent house for the price of a new truck,including the 1500.If I were you and had my heart set on one,I would wait til the 16 Ram came out because by that time the technicians, the guys who actually work on these trucks will know if they are worth having or not.Anytime I consider buying a new vehicle I go straight back to the shop and talk to the guys who actually turn wrenches on them.Never listen to a salesman because all they want from you is a sale and all any of them really know about what they are selling is what they have read in a booklet in the showroom.My biggest concern with the 1500 diesel trucks would be the frame.Do you know if they are beefed up like the 2500-3500?Might be better off just getting a good used 2010-2012 model gen. 4 and saving some cash.A new diesel will get horrible milage at first anyway.It doesn't get good until you rack up a bunch miles on them.

Best bet is to really just check out some of the diesel forums and find out what the guru's have to say about it.Good luck with it and let us know what you find out.I've been curious about the new 1500 as well.
 
Thanks.

My mechanic still says a gas engine would be best even though I would be pulling a trailer for at least 15K kms a year.

i haven't seen a 1500 diesel in person yet...I was assuming that it was the standard 1500 with just a different motor.

I am leaning heavily toward a 2500. The cost is what is messing with my head.

Thanks. Good advice.

Ian.
 
grassy said:
Thanks.



My mechanic still says a gas engine would be best even though I would be pulling a trailer for at least 15K kms a year.

i haven't seen a 1500 diesel in person yet...I was assuming that it was the standard 1500 with just a different motor.

I am leaning heavily toward a 2500. The cost is what is messing with my head.

Thanks. Good advice.

Ian.
Click to expand...


if your towing and a good diesel is available the do it over a gas rig any day. you'll like the reliability over the gas rig.


I've got over 400k on my 92 diesel and unloaded get around 24 maybe 25 if I'm running it a bit. I did have to do the injectors last year to get back up there though.
I get 20-21 when hauling my car trailer with a car on it (70 challenger +trailer tops in around 5.5k+) I've had it loaded for bear and totally overweight by dragging 2 1937 buick business coupes home on the trailer from Georgia for a guy and got around 19-20 so a lot of weight can lower it but nothing like a gas rig. Diesels las a Loooooonnng time if you take care of them and are "usually" built a lot sturdier than the gas rigs.
 
My Duramax varies, a lot, loaded to empty. But it has a leaky injector or two that some one is just too damn lazy to replace. Buddy has a year or two newer Duramax, his mileage drops slightly when towing...but he drives like a mad man even when pulling something so...

I think I may have put 3k miles on my truck in the past 12 months so I am in no hurry to fix it. A while back I pulled a 15k load up some of our rolling hills....truck never even unlocked the t/c or shifted out of o/d.

If you are pulling any sort of load by all means get a diesel if you can afford it. Mine is an 02, but it has a sewer pipe (4") exhaust, a k&n air filter kit and and an Edge chip, truck runs fantastic. At the rate I am putting miles on it I will never need to get into the motor, other than the injectors. Towed a 10k load from Phoenix to Spokane in August a few years ago. Even climbing those long grades south of Kingman, with the a/c blasting and the cruise set at 80 coolant temperature never rose above 210*....even then the clutch would engage and drop it back down to 190*. Best thing I ever did, vehicle wise, was to buy that diesel....
 
The 1500 maximum payload no matter what the Manufacturer says is too close to the actual load of a trailer and a car. I always buy the 2500, as the brakes and suspension offer added safety to the operation. I found that you can buy a 3/4 ton with standard equipment for no more than a 1500, and then you have to add things to the 1500.
I have used Cummins since 1996,and that is a working truck. I'm not convinced the 3.0 Diesel is up to 7500 LBS on the back of a truck. Ram is using it because it is convenient, and raises their EPA ratings. My son had that engine in a 2005 Jeep, which was fine. But his cost of maintenance exceeded that of my 2007 Cummins. Ram should have adopted the Cummins being sold now to Nissan. Big Mistake. Cummins owners are very loyal, and will follow that company. My Brother (passed away) drove Fords for years until he bought the 97' Cummins. He told me if Ford had put the 5.9 in a Ford, he would still be driving a Ford. Ram Knows that, but apparently they think they can win over new buyers, unless Nissan takes them all. It depends on the details of the new Nissan truck itself. Just look at the Cummins shops around the country, with Ford trucks parked there waiting to be converted over to Cummins engines.
I own a 12' 3500 now, and it's my 7th Cummins, and likely my last, as it will probably last longer than me! LoL
 
Buying a new, 2500 or 3500 diesel is pricy...other than no installed snow plows, what should the parameters I should be looking for ?
 
2500 Cummins aren't for everyone, but they do many things very well. One good feature is resale. They are like money in the bank. it is amazing that dealers have waiting lists for used Cummins trucks, and those people pay a high price for them. My
other brother recently ordered a new 2014 Ram, and sold his 06' 3500 outright for 4,000 less than he paid for it new. Eight years old, and It also had 80k miles on it. No gas engine truck will do that, and no Ford or GM diesel will do that either. So they cost up front, but they are money in the bank. They are big, and not for everyone, but it is a certain perspective.
 
I bought a new '95 3500 extended cab ( auto cause the " then" wife had hard time shiftin), 4:10 rear,. 18 highway 13 pullin BIG gooseneck. 1 3:54 will get about 5 better. 175,000 and will outlive me probably..
I have friend that uses one at home 'offroad" ya might say. runs it on used atf, guess he would run it on skunk pee if he could get it for free!????
LOL
people buy cummins to pull, I can't imagine anyone buying less than a 2500. YA need the bigger brakes, heavier frame, bigger everything associated withg 2500, 3500 to pull any trailer bigger than a single car trailer. looks to me resale will HAVE to be much bteer on heavier truck!?????? I've pulled big gooseneck trailers since I was 16 (50 yrs ago), maybe my opinion is jaded.....
o=v er the years I seen untold number of people get sold a half ton truck to pull with. the salesman reads the co info and it says RIGHT there will pull so and so......look at what farmers ranchers horse people use..... it won't be a half ton or gas truck.....
now if I wanted to just pull little car trailer, wanted a softer ride. an urban/surburban truck..... crewcab half, diesel, plenty of $$$$ to spend, then the half the little truck might be just the ticket??????? just me...
 
barbee6043 said:
I bought a new '95 3500 extended cab ( auto cause the " then" wife had hard time shiftin), 4:10 rear,. 18 highway 13 pullin BIG gooseneck. 1 3:54 will get about 5 better. 175,000 and will outlive me probably..
I have friend that uses one at home 'offroad" ya might say. runs it on used atf, guess he would run it on skunk pee if he could get it for free!????
LOL
people buy cummins to pull, I can't imagine anyone buying less than a 2500. YA need the bigger brakes, heavier frame, bigger everything associated withg 2500, 3500 to pull any trailer bigger than a single car trailer. looks to me resale will HAVE to be much bteer on heavier truck!?????? I've pulled big gooseneck trailers since I was 16 (50 yrs ago), maybe my opinion is jaded.....
o=v er the years I seen untold number of people get sold a half ton truck to pull with. the salesman reads the co info and it says RIGHT there will pull so and so......look at what farmers ranchers horse people use..... it won't be a half ton or gas truck.....
now if I wanted to just pull little car trailer, wanted a softer ride. an urban/surburban truck..... crewcab half, diesel, plenty of $$$$ to spend, then the half the little truck might be just the ticket??????? just me...
Click to expand...
X2, and am with ya all the way!
 
oldmopardude said:
2500 Cummins aren't for everyone, but they do many things very well. One good feature is resale. They are like money in the bank. it is amazing that dealers have waiting lists for used Cummins trucks, and those people pay a high price for them. My
other brother recently ordered a new 2014 Ram, and sold his 06' 3500 outright for 4,000 less than he paid for it new. Eight years old, and It also had 80k miles on it. No gas engine truck will do that, and no Ford or GM diesel will do that either. So they cost up front, but they are money in the bank. They are big, and not for everyone, but it is a certain perspective.
Click to expand...

That is one of the very few complaints I have about my 2500 Cheby....it is big....get in the habit of parking in the back of lots...and being extremely careful while turning right onto a busy road. My truck has an extremely poor tuning radius. Aint no "flipping a *****" as the wife calls u-turns on a two lane road.

Don't know if this is just a cheby thing....but the diesel's weight shortens the service life of front end parts. At 150k or so my truck took out the hubs/wheel bearings on both sides as well as the upper ball joints. Simple enough fix, was about $500 in parts.

Don't know about the transmissions in the new trucks....but when I was looking for mine my buddy that owns a trans shop told me to stay away from a Dodge with an auto in it. Plain and simply put he said the trans suck. If all you do is drive it they will last...if you plan on using the truck for the diesels intended purpose...to pull....they leave a lot to be desired.

No matter which brand of truck you buy, if it has a diesel and an auto in it be prepared to spend some serious $$ when it comes time to rebuild the trans. Out the door price at my friends shop, with a multi-disc billet/stainless t/c is right around 7k no mater what the brand. But this is one those deals you get what you pay for. When he did mine he just charged me his price on parts and fluid. 0 labor. Bill was still a touch under 4k. I wrote a check directly to the t/c shop....$1300. On the flip side of it...unless you are abusive it will probably be a one shot deal.
 
Here in Texas there are tons of dealers who only sell used diesel trucks.Quite a selection here.My 06 was only used to deliver 5th wheels around the country so it wasn't abused by anyone who wanted to play in the mud.Several guys run hotshot trucks to deliver oilfield supplies and equipment so they're always only using them to tow a goose neck.Instead of buying a brand new truck and having to remember the DEF fluid and keeping the emissions on them up to par (DEF is the worst idea for a diesel EVER and will give you nothing but headaches.If it runs low and starts to crystalize you're stuck in the water.),I would seriously consider a good used 2012 and older model.You can buy a nice low milage 2010-2012 Laramie Longhorn 2500 for $40-45,000.Still $20,000 cheaper than new and with less headaches.I just prefer the 5.9 over the 6.7 and really like the 06 headlights/tail lights over the 07 and up.

http://www.trucksintexas.com/
http://www.americantrucksource.com/
http://www.discountmotorco.com/
http://www.vernonautogroup.com/
And that is just a few...
 
I agree the 1994-2001 transmissions weren't up to all that torque at 1800 RPM, But I have never had a transmission go out or cause any trouble in any of them. I used them properly, though. Most city guys would tow in overdrive(bad), and not service regularly. I tow up to 15,000LBS on a regular basis, and the 07' up transmissions with auto tow haul are superb. In the 90's Ford Guys would spread the rumors of trans problems in an effort to disparage the Cummins. In reality the Cummins put it's max torque up to a thousand rpm's lower than the Ford or Duramax, so the ability of the engine to perform at such a low rpm challenges the best transmissions. The additional feature is a person doesn't have to remove the whole cab to service the engine, like Ford. Now, when the trucks get to the nine speed range, like the Semi trucks,
it will Improve mileage and longevity even more.
 
I traded my 2011 Ram 1500 Hemi for a 2014 Ram 3500 CTD. It is night and day when towing my 29 FT Keystone Outback Travel Trailer which grosses 7000lbs.

Also, there is a fairly significant difference in how much weight can be put in the bed of the 2500 vs. 3500. My door sticker says I can carry over 3,900 lbs. in the bed. This will make a difference should you want a 5th wheel as most 5th wheels have a pin weight of 2000lbs or more. The new 2500 has coil springs and the 3500 have leaf springs (at least the 2014 does).

My wife commented yesterday (as she was sitting in the passenger seat) when we were coming back from camping that she sure feels better having the 3500 pulling the camper vs. the 1500! I can tell you I do too!
 
I have an 05 duramax and there is a difference in mileage dependent upon conditions. City driving versus freeway. Speed and weight hauled.

I drive a big rig for a living and the same always applys. Weight being a huge factor. Of course were talking up to 80,000 loaded.

The idea of loaded as the same as unloaded is not realistic from what I have seen.

Also from what I have heard talking to drivers is the inline engines will outlast a v8 diesel by a long ways. Cummins makes great engines. I have driven many 15 litre Cummins powered rigs. They are smooth and pull hard. So I would get a dodge diesel before I would go ford or Chevy. Being dodge uses an inline Cummins engine. Best mpg to from what I have heard.

Before buying new I would see if there being forced to run def fluid(horse piss). Its an extra cost to run and causes problems at times. If their running horse piss I would look into buying a year or so before they started running it.

By the way Cummins also gets the best mpg in the big rigs from what I have seen. Better than Volvo, Detroit and cat.
 
The 2014 Ram 1500 Diesel isn't a Cummins, it's a VM Motori V6. I did some work on aftermarket parts for it. It's an interesting engine for sure, a lot lighter weight than the Cummins I6. I would say that it's hard to compare it to any Cummins Powered Ram because the I6 makes much more torque.

Just some food for thought.
 
nerd racing said:
The 2014 Ram 1500 Diesel isn't a Cummins, it's a VM Motori V6. I did some work on aftermarket parts for it. It's an interesting engine for sure, a lot lighter weight than the Cummins I6. I would say that it's hard to compare it to any Cummins Powered Ram because the I6 makes much more torque.

Just some food for thought.
Click to expand...

Well then if it was me I would buy an older Cummins powered one. What the heck is a VM motori diesel? Lol. I have a duramax and it has proven to be great. 200,000 and all I have done is change the battery's, serpentine belt, and fluids. So maybe the motori engine is good to. Its just knowing what I know now it would be hard to buy anything except an inline diesel engine. And Cummins on top of that. V configured diesel engines had been used in big rigs. But I don't see any. From what I have heard they last about half as long before needing a rebuild. In lines routinely last a million plus miles. Maybe that doesn't matter much if it never gets near those miles in its lifetime.
 
I have seen some trucks offered w/o a box...if I am just running a 5th wheel, do I need a box...or maybe just a flat bed..the wife thinks I am crazy with this one..
 
I bought my 3500 for less than the 2500! The salesman I know said everyone walking in just wanted a 2500. The dealer dickered a bunch more on the one ton. The front spring rate difference is huge, but I can't tell any real difference in ride. I sure feel safe.However, around here the 3500 sells faster and for more when used. Go figure!
 
I have owned 4 Dodge diesels, a 98, 02,05 and a 12. the 05 would make 22 mpg at 75 on the Interstate. The 12 would do a best of 16. The others were in the 18-20 range.

I traded the 12 in on 14 Hemi. You are right on the resale value of the diesel, I traded for a buck!

I wanted the new 1500 diesel, but it was not available yet when I traded. I have driven the new 1500, and was impressed! I think 24 mpg would be realistic. And probably 15 mpg towing.

It is rated torque wise the same as the Hemi. My Hemi has no problem towing my open trailer or my boat.

I drive about 40,000 a year. The plan is trade for a 1500 diesel after the 1st of year.

Curt Rees
 
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