RAM 3500 towing observations

[power-stroke]

Towing observations....

Just towed my 5th wheel up to Elkhart, IN to have independent suspension and disc brakes installed. Not too far... about 675 miles from my home in NC. To date, it is the farthest I've towed with the RAM 3500. After spending 13 hours on the road, I've had the following observations.

RAM is a very stable tow vehicle. Yesterday was windy as I passed through Fancy Gap, VA and Beckley, WV. No problems at all. Of course I expected nothing less with a dually.
The RAM tows confidently. It chugs along without any excitement. The Aisin would downshift to 5th gear and maintain speed at 2000 rpm. I manually downshift to 4th (rpm in the 2800 range) and began accelerating up the hill. I was curious why the Aisin did not downshift to 4th on its own... perhaps 5th was the most economical? Note: the sound of the Cummins working is awesome!!

DEF consumption seems high... could be perception since I did not have a gauge in the F350. Before leaving, I topped off the DEF and fuel. My DEF gauge now registers less than 1/2 after the ride up. Easy enough to fill up at truck stops.

Headlights are outstanding... especially compared to F350. Having said that, I had several oncoming cars flashing me as if my brights were on. I had my rear air set to Alternate Ride Height... not sure if that made me nose high.

I only have two minor complaints: (1) size of fuel tank (2) fuel filler neck!! I'm only getting about 225 mile range while towing. 75 gallon Transferflow is next on my list. What's wrong with a good old fashioned filler neck with a cap? Real PIA to add fuel treatment (without a funnel).

The entire trip was uneventful... which is the way I like it! I really like this truck!

Jay

 

[SnoKing]

There is a OEM funnel under the passengers seat with the jack. But why are you treating fuel. RAM does not call for any treatment as far as I know! SNOKING

 

[power-stroke]

SNOKING.... I actually purchased a funnel for convenience. Left the one under the seat so it will be there when I really need it!!

I've been trying ARCHOIL AR6200 to see if it had any negligible impact to fuel economy; especially while towing. I haven't been able to discern any difference (comparing 1st 2500 miles to last 1000).

Jay

 

[Cummins12V98]

Your truck is nearly the same as mine and I have never had anyone flash their lights. I leave my truck in ALT Ride all the time.

TransferFlow does NOT make a replacement tank but TITAN does. Maybe you were talking in bed tank.

We will be heading South on the 29th so I can really compare my towing speeds compared to my old 11 HO Dually with around 29K+ combined weight compared to my 32K combined and the new truck.

I would like more capacity. So for the short term I will be cleaning out a couple DEF jugs and filling with Diesel for the chance I get low on fuel.

 

[power-stroke]

Cummins12V98...

I'm considering the transferflow bed tank. Based on the rate of DEF consumption on this trip, I'm guessing I have about 1000 mile DEF range. If I add a 75 gallon bed diesel tank (plus my 32 gallon oem tank), my fuel range should be close to my DEF range. I'm not a marathon driver, but stopping every 3-4 hours gets old. Not to mention each fuel stop usually takes 30 minutes.

Jay

 

[TCollier]

Like I've said before these trucks are built with everything needed to tow except fuel capacity. I installed a 43 gallon tank/tool box in the bed. I felt that was the best trade off for me. The only reason I didn't go with the Titan mid body replacement is because it called for drilling the frame. I cringed at the thought of that on a brand new truck with a bragged about 10,000 psi steel frame. I'm sure it's perfectly fine but I just couldn't bring myself or let some do it.

 

[gsbrockman]

Towing observations....
RAM is a very stable tow vehicle. Yesterday was windy as I passed through Fancy Gap, VA and Beckley, WV. No problems at all. Of course I expected nothing less with a dually.
Jay

Fancy Gap & Beckley are certainly two areas where the power, the Aisin, and the exhaust brake certainly shine!!!

Nothing like stopping off at Love's in Fancy Gap and returning to I-77 north and listening to everything work in harmony.

 

[kthaxton]

My '15 2500 had a leveling kit installed at the dealership. The first few weeks I owned it I had many people flash their lights at me. I also thought the lights were kind of marginal. I ended up aiming the headlights and the fogs, no more headlight flashing and much better lighting on the road. I would say you're on the right track with the leveling feature being a cause.

 

[Kirwin]

With the load in my bed and the bumper pull trailer I have, I had to lower my lights . Easy to do I put an arrow around the hole in the fender so I could remember which way to go. 2 turns does it for me. Easy fix. T20 or 6mm socket if memory serves. I keep the screw driver under the back seat.

 

[power-stroke]

Fancy Gap & Beckley are certainly two areas where the power, the Aisin, and the exhaust brake certainly shine!!!

Nothing like stopping off at Love's in Fancy Gap and returning to I-77 north and listening to everything work in harmony.

gsbrockman...

Sounds like you know the area well. I completely agree with your assessment!!!
I'm just down the road in Mooresville, NC.

Jay

 

[gsbrockman]

gsbrockman...

Sounds like you know the area well. I completely agree with your assessment!!!
I'm just down the road in Mooresville, NC.

Jay

I pull some shower & restroom trailers (all tag style, 12'10", and about 13k or more in weight) for a good customer in Belmont, NC and have been up & down 77 quite frequently. Love the view coming over Fancy Gap on I-77 south at night!!!!

 

[fthorsby]

Power-Stroke:
Not sure how many miles you have on your truck, mine used a lot of DEF in the first 5,000 miles. It also uses much more while towing. I think I read one tank should last about 5,000 miles, but certainly not while towing.

 

[Mawvelous]

Just remember DEF consumption is about 2.2 % of Fuel Consumption. When towing fuel and DEF consumption should increase significantly

 

[phxpsd]

Just remember DEF consumption is about 2.2 % of Fuel Consumption. When towing fuel and DEF consumption should increase significantly

And they do!!!!

 

[power-stroke]

fthorsby...

My truck is brand new... had about 2900 miles on the odometer when I left my driveway, has about 3600 now. When comparing the DEF consumption to my last F350, the two could be similar. Frankly, it could all be in my head because I now have a gauge to look at to actually observe consumption.

It absolutely consumes more will towing versus empty.

Jay

 

[EGroeneveld]

My 2016 Ram 3500 has about 3,300 miles on it and I'm at 1/2 tank of DEF. About 1,200 of my 3,300 miles are towing and/or the camper.

 

[Dogpatch]

Is there a particular brand of DEF to be used in the 2015 Ram 6.7 Cummins TD?

I'm not through my first tank of fuel yet and looked at about 5 different brands of DEF on the shelf.

 

[gsbrockman]

DEF = DEF = DEF..........just be sure, if buying off the shelf, to verify the date code on it.

Personally.....I like buying DEF at the truckstops. It's always fresh (high turnover), generally is cheaper, and there's no box / jug to dispose of.

 

[Mingoglia]

Now that I have almost 12k miles on mine I can say the fuel economy has gone up considerably.... and with better fuel economy, you should see better DEF range. So let it break in a bit.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Is there a particular brand of DEF to be used in the 2015 Ram 6.7 Cummins TD?

I'm not through my first tank of fuel yet and looked at about 5 different brands of DEF on the shelf.

Just bought a couple 2.5 gallon containers of Premium Blue DEF at the "Wallacost" for $11.97 each.