Ram ecodiesel

mmfan55

Member
What are the experiences? Power,durability, dependability, problems, light hauler or grocery fetcher, etc....
 
2014, put 50K miles on it. Injectors went out, Replaced under warranty, No DEF related issues, MPG HWY/City Mix was 18 to 20. Never saw some of the upper 20 MPG some guys say they get. Nice Truck. WOuldn't know its a diesel honestly. Very quiet and just a very low diesel tone to it unless you modify it of course... Good luck.
 
If your only getting 18-20 then there isn't likely a financial benefit to it versus a comparable gas truck. Especially since I know guys that are getting 17 mpg highway out of new GM 2500HD 6.0's.
 

My 2013 Denali HD 6.0L Z71 will get 15-17 mpg highway all day. Mixed driving nets about 12-13 mpg. Not bad for a 6700+ lb truck.

I looked at the Ecodiesel. Seems to fill a niche that did not exist in the 1/2 ton light truck market. The Titan XD Cummins fits between 1/2 and 3/4 ton, marketed as a "5/8 ton." I needed a 3/4 ton and did not want the expense of purchase and maintenance (DEF, $100 oil changes, injectors, ect) on a HD diesel engine.

Haters can say what they want. Gas is still the most economical overall (initial cost, fuel cost, maintenance cost) in the 1500-3500 class of trucks.

I know hotshot drivers that traded in their 3500 Ram Cummins and bought 3500 Ram 6.4 Hemi's and make more profit pulling 48' trailers.

CT
 
Not getting much feedback from owners. Either no one own one or they just don't want to talk about that Italian built engine. Fiat Chrysler sure don't advertise and promote that engine much.
 
My 2014 Hemi is getting a steady 19.5,last tank was over 20. I just can t see a diesel in my future.
 

My coworker has one. He is pretty happy with it. Way better mileage than my truck (same model), mid 20s for mpg compared to my 15 mpg v8.

I'm not sure if they have released the 2017's yet, due to the EPA investigation...
 
The days of the simple and efficient diesels died with the 12 valve.
I doubt very highly I will ever own a full size newer diesel truck. My 6.0 pulls my gooseneck fine for me. Though not a rocket ship, its a tough motor built with 6 bolt mains that red lines at 6,000 rpms. Even the new 6.0's are only getting 380ft-lbs but because they can rev so high it can maintain highway speeds while pulling grades.
In my opinion the new Ecodiesel is nothing more than a marketing ploy and there is no real life financial benefit to buying it. I find that most diesel owners these days own them simply for bragging rights and/or are sucked into the marketing hype.
 
If money was no object, I still would not buy a new truck, diesel or gas. I strongly object to all the unnecessary and expensive computerized systems found on todays new trucks that don't get much if any better fuel mileage, and sometimes get even less. For example, a new injector on most any new truck today, Dodge, Chevy, or Ford, costs over $600. Rebuilding the pump costs $4000-$6000. Plus these new trucks are real picky about their food. I can buy a whole set of injectors for my "93 Dodge for less than $300, and rebuild the pump for $600. And even with well over half a million miles on it, it still gets 23 mpg. Plus I can feed it used ATF, motor oil, vegetable oil, transformer oil, or any other lightweight, combustible oil. I carry used motor oil in the bed. I put 3 gallons of it in every tank full. It makes the motor run smoother, gives me more power, lubricates the pump, and gives me over 60 miles of free driving with every tankful. I could run a 50/50 mixture probably but I don't want the smoke. I ran this truck for 6 months all over this country burning nothing but pure used ATF. But I prefer used motor oil because it is relatively free of particulate matter, unlike used ATF. The only drawback with these first generation Dodge diesels is that the Cummins motor is still asking for abuse long after the rest of the truck is starting to fall apart. I am correcting that problem by putting a "93 Cummins into a low mileage "94 Chevy dually with a "98 NV4500HD tranny which some of you may have noticed elsewhere on this forum. The hell with all this new technology that just costs more but without providing you with enough if any offsetting benefit.
 
(quoted from post at 18:18:43 02/16/17) What are the experiences? Power,durability, dependability, problems, light hauler or grocery fetcher, etc....

I know we have gone Off Topic...

Look at how many private owner HD are diesel... (Most of them)

Look at how many commercial HD trucks are gas... (Trade contractors, City, State, ECT)

That alone told me what to buy at this time in the space time continuum.

CT
 
I'm with Walter. Too much technology = too much $$$$$$$$!!

I've read with enthusiasm over the years about the diesels used in Europe and how quiet and fuel efficient they are. Can't understand why the USA hasn't adopted some of those engines.
 
I don't quite feel that much loathing for my Dodge truck body. I suppose most people would be happy to get 500K miles out of their vehicle, especially when a lot of those miles were in pulling 20K# loads over hill and dale all over this country. The only really serious problem with the body is that the frame up front which was intended for a 318 or a 360 or maybe a 225 was not beefed up enough to carry the heavier 5.9 Cummins. I eventually had to take my truck to a frame shop to have the whole front end rebuilt. Plus the brakes could have been a lot bigger. Other than that it's just lots of little things that break on most any vehicle with that many hard miles on it. I know a man who drives a 2010? GMC with a Duramax in it who drives about 265 miles every day and who says his truck has 1,300,000 miles on it. Maybe so, but that truck has never pulled anything. It's just a driver. So almost all of those miles are highway miles in high gear and low rpm's hauling nothing but him, and he is not a big man. By contrast I have often hauled 15-20K# loads with my truck from can to can't and sometimes longer, and we're not talking about flat ground here either. So I don't really feel that I ought to complain about the truck itself. It has been very good to me and has made me a lot of money. It's just getting somewhat ragged, kind of like me.
 
nearby town got a new ambulance and got gas engine in it.they were tired if noise,smell and high maitanance costs.friend got new pickup 2-3 years ago.if I get in it I have no idea what im looking at on dash.barely see over side of box,no way to put things in and out over the sides like we used to.
 
Local contractor has 2, new pickup for leisure and van for work. Loves both. Way better fuel economy than his previous hemi p/u and Econoline van. My 2013 Silverado 2500 with 6.0 is a pig on gas and always has been. Lucky to 14mpg empty and pulling my dump trailer loaded (14,000#gross) very lucky to get 7-8mpg. On the other hand, calculated we would need to put over 450,000 miles on a diesel version to break even on the extra cost and that was when diesel was still cheaper than gas. For our measly 20,000 miles/yr driven, truck would be long rusted away before that would happen, especially with our winter salt conditions. MK
 

That's what so many people don't understand. Lots of people buy into the diesel hype thinking they are saving so much money....somehow.
And you know they think that because lots of diesel owners brag about mileage..Thats when I turn around and ask how much they paid for the truck.
Which usually shifts the conversation into "but the torque....but the torque!"
 
I would agree, doubt a Diesel pays for itself unless towing heavy for 60-100 thousand miles.

I just like the sound and torque, kind of like Tim the tool man.
 
Got to factor in the resale value also. I
have an 01 Cummins I paid 15,500 for with
65k on it 7-8yrs ago. I bet I can still get
12-13 for it. 133k manual 4x4. Very well
taken care of though. New ones I'm not sure.
Figure I can't afford one until their 10yrs
old anyway.
 
If you paid $15,500 for an 01 Cummins 8 years ago you got yourself a steal then. 12-13k is kind of a stretch now though.
 
(quoted from post at 13:27:42 04/03/17) If you paid $15,500 for an 01 Cummins 8 years ago you got yourself a steal then. 12-13k is kind of a stretch now though.

It's not a stretch in SC. Dad just sold an '05 Dodge 350 SRW 4x4 for $28,700. Granted it only had 57K on the odometer, but the newer vehicles with EGR and DPF and DEF are keeping the older trucks values up.
 
(quoted from post at 18:43:58 03/16/17) It's a shame Cummins would allow their engines to be wasted on a Dodge truck.

Yep - FORD needs them more! :lol:
 
(quoted from post at 18:43:58 03/16/17) It's a shame Cummins would allow their engines to be wasted on a Dodge truck.

Especially since FORD or GM needs them worse! :lol:
 
(quoted from post at 23:29:55 05/24/17)
(quoted from post at 13:27:42 04/03/17) If you paid $15,500 for an 01 Cummins 8 years ago you got yourself a steal then. 12-13k is kind of a stretch now though.

It's not a stretch in SC. Dad just sold an '05 Dodge 350 SRW 4x4 for $28,700. Granted it only had 57K on the odometer, but the newer vehicles with EGR and DPF and DEF are keeping the older trucks values up.

They are keeping the value of Pre-DEF and DPF trucks up for sure but not ones that are 16 years old. Those trucks that are just before DEF/DPF are appealing because they have the new shine without the new headaches.
There aren't too many 12 valves and 24 valves diesels out there that don't have a million miles on them and aren't beat to hell.
When someone finds one with wicked low miles in good shape and no rust its gonna fetch a premium.
The same can be said about a mint condition low miles 2003 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.0 gas. You find one with say 50,000 original miles, loaded, not from the rust belt and a certain crowd would be willing to pay top dollar for it. I have seen 03-06 low miles 2500HD 4x4 6.0's in great shape with no rust sell for 15k, recently.
Kind of seems pointless to buy a diesel truck and only drive it 57,000 miles in (assuming) 12 years. That's why it was worth so much. And in my opinion, that price is too high especially if its an automatic.
 

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