2013 Impressions...

[EDankievitch]

Ok, So it took some doing but I was able to talk the local Dealer (PortJeff Ram of Li Ny) to take my 2012 in on trade. These guys really went above and beyond to make the deal work as I was very upside down in the 12. Thanks again for making the deal work guys, and keeping my payments very close to what I was paying.



That said all I have to say is WOW!!!:--) The 13 is nothing like the 12. for starters my MPG's are a full 5 mpg better than the 12 could ever do. I went from 13. 5mpgwith the 12 to 18. 9 Mpg with the 13. And 5that's hand calculated not the lie-o-meter on the dash. The 12 was 6 speed manual with the 3. 73 rear gears. The 13 is an auto with the 3. 42 rear gears. Aside from the engine Rpm's running around 1350 rpm at 60 mph I don't feel any loss of tourque. It pulls just as well maybe even better.

The engine lube oil is still clear, I mean really clear at 500 miles. The oil on the 12 was always black soon as you started the engine it would be black. I'm looking forward to not having to change every 1800-2100 mile. I almost went to the dark side and bought a Ford... ... Yea that 2012 had me that upset with Dodge... I'm very glad that I went with the Ram... They got it right.

 

[jgillott]

I'm very interested to hear how your truck and the othe 2013's do over the next few months. We have been holding off replacing the '04. 5 which is beyond it's last leg I'm afraid.

 

[SSteilow]

Glad to hear your happy with your 13 Ram.
Keep us posted on how your Ram does.
Scott

 

[rscurtis]

Ed, look at the photos of the 6. 7 engine I posted in the "Other Vehicles" forum (Carlisle Truck Nationals) and you'll see you made the right decision.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The Chrysler talks at May Madness, and the Ram and Cummins guys and talks at the CMEP rally, left me very impressed with the new 2013 3500s. At least four friends and I are all at one point or another in getting new Rams after years of lethargy. Each year we planned to keep our old Rams because the new ones weren't all we wanted. . . that has changed.

 

[EDankievitch]

Just finished a 575 mile trip up to Lake George and back. Running Bob tail. if I'm doing this right I'm showing 575 miles it burned 27 gal of fuel that comes out to about 21. 1 real mpg. My average speed was better than 53 mph, even figuring in traffic. Not bad for a stock right out of the box truck. My 2012 would have struggled to make 17 mpg on this same trip. Ram/ Cummins you got it right on this truck. My only issue is the radio the U connect does not always sync up with my phone. Voice commands- I've all but given up trying to use them. And the Sat radio keeps loosing the signal. The 12's radio was much better at keeping the signal. Progress... lol. StillI can live with a radio that cuts out and gives this kind of mpg's

 

[EDankievitch]

Ok, So it didn't take long for the all stock part of my truck to fall off. The leveling kit went in along with a set of SpynTec freewheeling hubs. So far the hubs seem to be giving about 1 mpg better around town.

One thing that I did find that I did not like was the coolant hose coming off the bottom of the pressure bottle, The 13's do not use a coolant recovery tank like the older trucks. With the new system the tank has a hose off the bottom that runs to the water pump intake fitting. I found the hose laying on top of the pass side shock stud. There is a chafe guard on the stud and a clip to hold the hose away from the stud. Well my hose was on the stud and showing some signs of chafing. Seems the clip was not fully seated and had slipped off. Something to look for to avoid future problems.

The Sat radio antenna's new location on the front of the cab by the marker lights. The new location seems to loose the signal a lot more than the old location on the top of the cab.
This truck has been awesome so far the performance and the MPG's have kept me smiling each time I turn the key.

 

[Kirwin]

Are you saying that the overflow hose from the pressurized coolant recovery bottle came off its fitting and was laying on the shock tower? I noticed on mine that there is no hose on that fitting and I thought that was pretty odd. Ken Irwin

 

[rrl989]

Hi EDankievitch, what kind of deal could one expect on a leftover 2013 Laramie from the Port Jeff Ram? How much below msrp (without the rebates) What's your feel on this?