Hey Dodge, put the Hemi back in the 3500 !!

[rrl989]

I remember the HD ratios of Hemi vs CTD, 20/80, so that's why they stopped the Hemi in the HD's as I recall. But, I wish they would again offer the Hemi again in a 3500 DRW. Hard for me to pull the trigger on the 6. 7 with (from what I read) such poor mpg's. I need some power at 12K GVW, but not necesarily the CTD. The reasons are fewer today for me because of the emissions/mpg issues.



I get 18 mpg empty with my daily driving 12V. I want a new truck, if I move away from the CTD, I have to look at the Ford, and now Chevy !! Now I've been with the TDR for 14 years, so I do like CTD's, so don't yell at me too much, but I'm thinking times are different today. If offered, I think even a Hemi could get 13-15 mpg today empty. Seems like many more people would now opt for the Hemi in todays market. Just venting. I really don't want a Chevy, but the cost is so much lower that a comparably equipped CTD, really lower.

 

[jgillott]

I completely understand where you are coming from. There is certainly a market for a gas offering in these trucks. However, I think that the 13-15 MPG that you are looking for will be a stretch with a 3500. My 2010 1500 Crew cab 4x4 gets a consistant 13. 5-14 mpg unless I run completely empty on the highway with no stops. Then, it may squeek 18. My guess would be that a loaded 3500 gasser may get 8-10 and that 13-15 the you quoted at upper end in a highway cruise. I'm afraid that our good friends at the EPA have strapped us with no realistic choice for good MPG in this size of a vehicle.

 

[HBarlow]

Ram dropped the gas V8 for good reason. Nobody in their right mind would buy a 3500 with a hemi expecting good fuel mileage or good towing power. The gas engine is a car engine. It provides strong acceleration in a relatively light car and high rpm horsepower. With a heavy trailer in tow a hemi would be more likely to deliver 6 or 7 mpg and spend all its time with the tach buzzing 3500 rpm or above.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

I agree ^^^



My company just bought a couple 11 F-250's and the power and mileage just isn't even close to what I was expecting out of these. Sure gas is cheaper at the pump, but if you are burning through it twice as fast and have a lack of power to boot, then where do you really save???



I work in the oil field here and we drive around 100 miles per 12hr shift and see speeds around 45 tops on the dirt roads out here and go through an entire tank of fuel in 2 shifts!!



Please hold the comment Harv, but even the POS 6. oh no F-250's we had prior, yielded nearly double the time between fillups :-laf

 

[rscurtis]

Others are correct, the day of the big block gas engine is over. The 8. 1 Chevy and the 6. 8 V10 are no longer offered in pickups. Even if they were still available, neither one would see the high side of 10 MPG on a regular basis. The only way the new offerings are going to see 13-15 MPG is when you drive them off a cliff.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree ^^^

My company just bought a couple 11 F-250's and the power and mileage just isn't even close to what I was expecting out of these. Sure gas is cheaper at the pump, but if you are burning through it twice as fast and have a lack of power to boot, then where do you really save???

I work in the oil field here and we drive around 100 miles per 12hr shift and see speeds around 45 tops on the dirt roads out here and go through an entire tank of fuel in 2 shifts!!

Please hold the comment Harv, but even the POS 6. oh no F-250's we had prior, yielded nearly double the time between fillups :-laf

I believe you Mikey. The thing that allowed the Furd Sick. Ohhs to deliver such outstanding fuel mileage was that part of their duty cycle spent on the roll-back wrecker. Fuel consumption was very low during those rides to the dealers.

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Just had one get a ride there a couple days ago :-laf

 

[chrishenderson1970]

i work in the oil/gas patch and the operators i work with drive ford gas jobs and they burn through 2-3 times the fuel i do doing similar driving. plus the longevity of gas vs. diesel it's a no-brainer for a 3/4 or 1ton. IMO

 

[rrl989]

I know the Hemi was a guzzler years back, but it's a 390 HP / 20 mpg engine in the 1500 today, surely it could be beefed up (again) for the HD's. Unfortunately I only need payload of a 3500 DRW about 15% of the time because of my passion for owning large, heavy truck campers. Getting 18 mpg the other 85% of the time is great with my current CTD, but I'm reading those days are over and I don't know what my next move is. Ford's new 6. 2 LTR gasser seems to give 14 mpg empty on the 3500 SRW, that could be my next hauler instead of a 15 mpg CTD, just thinking out loud.

 

[AH64ID]

While I don't think its a good motor for the application, you can still get the Hemi in a DRW config, but you have to get a C&C truck.



My brothers 2500 QC LB Hemi gets 10-12 on the fwy, and 6 on the back roads. A great tank for him is 14 mpg. A DRW will be much worse.

 

[Regcabguy]

I know a guy with an '06 regcab 2500 4wd. Running empty with 265's he's never exceeded 14. 5 mpg. Typical in town mileage is 9-10. Nice truck if you can afford to feed it. BTW,he only paid $11,000 for it w/20K. Wonder why?

 

[AH64ID]

The 1500 QC SB Hemi is a 390/407, weighing in it at just under 5,300 lbs, with a final drive of 2. 38:1.



The 3500 DRW C&C CC LB Hemi is a 383/400 motor, weighing in at just under 6,300 lbs (no bed), with a final drive of 2. 75:1.



The C&C has an EPA rating of 13/19, but that may be a tad optomistic!

 

[rscurtis]

Keep in mind also that the Hemi in a 1/2 ton has cylinder deactivation, a feature not used in the HD's.

 

[craiggo]

The thing that allowed the Furd Sick. Ohhs to deliver such outstanding fuel mileage was that part of their duty cycle spent on the roll-back wrecker.

This was totally false, it cost me way more on the back of the wrecker on it's way to the dealer than it did on towing my trailer. The best mileage on my 6. 0 was when it was out of the truck being bench tested.

For those that didn't know this, Ford gave buyers a free rear window heater option to keep your hands warm while you were pushing them.

Craig

 

[AClayton]

This was totally false, it cost me way more on the back of the wrecker on it's way to the dealer than it did on towing my trailer. The best mileage on my 6. 0 was when it was out for the truck being bench tested.



For those that didn't know this, Ford gave buyers a free rear window heater option to keep your hands warm while you were pushing them.



Craig

So if it was a pickup, you gotta a heated tailgate? :-laf



Alan

 

[HBarlow]

This was totally false, it cost me way more on the back of the wrecker on it's way to the dealer than it did on towing my trailer. The best mileage on my 6. 0 was when it was out for the truck being bench tested.

For those that didn't know this, Ford gave buyers a free rear window heater option to keep your hands warm while you were pushing them.

Craig

Craig,

Your story easily trumped mine. I declare you the winner on Furd stories but you do have an advantage having owned one.

Was it true that Furd recalled all the trucks with Sick. Ohh engines to install wingnuts on all of the cab bolts to make cab removal easier and faster for engine repair or replacement?

 

[SVick]

Maybe use Dzeus (however you spell it) fasteners like on race cars.

 

[craiggo]

So if it was a pickup, you gotta a heated tailgate? :-laf



Alan

I always pushed mine from the side in case someone (like a hot chick in another truck) came around the corner, that way I could jump in quick and look like I was really driving it.



Never worked though.....

 

[BIGDADI]

I had a 2010 Dodge 2500 with the 5. 7, 4:10 gears and automatic transmission. The rig had plenty of power if you were not pulling or hauling a load. MPG was around 14 on the road. If I was to hook onto our travel trailer it was a whole new ball game. MPG was around 7, slow acceleration and pulling grades was a chore for the rig with the RPMs at highway speeds up in the area of 3500-4400. I sold the truck and picked up the 3500 DRW. The difference is amazing. The first time I took the trailer out on a trip, I told my wife that we needed a bigger trailer to match the power of the Cummins. Of course she said NO! Go with the diesel if you can. It will pay for itself in the long run and you would be happy with the power.

 

[rrl989]

Thanks for the 5. 7 vs. 6. 7 comparison. Pretty much what I thought, 14 mpg empty with plenty of power, but hauling with the 5. 7 is not so good.