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Old 10-27-2014, 07:13 PM   #1
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Default You have to take the good with the bad ....

After returning from a very pleasant 8,365 mile trip around the country towing our 3,500 lb Cobblestone with our 2014 Ram with the fuel efficient 3.6 L Pentastar V-6 (avg 14.3 mpg for the entire distance), we traded up to a Fun Finder 214WSD this month. The FF214 is about 2,000 lbs heavier (loaded) but well below the capacity of our full sized Ram (7,200 lbs). As suspected, the drive home from the dealership with the new FF was effortless. Getting the longer trailer down our driveway and turned around in the front yard matched my estimate and there were no issues whatsoever. The following week (2 weeks ago) we were all loaded up and ready to head up to our week's reservation in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. See below ....



Now, for the bad part .... a heavy rain the night before had left our 200 foot long driveway wet and covered in leaves. It is a very steep driveway, approx. 35 to 40 degrees incline. The Ram is a 2WD model with "traction control" but no limited slip differential. Needless to say, it didn't make it half way up the driveway. The traction control simply transfers drive to one wheel or the other so they just take turns spinning in place. Raking all the leaves was no help. Basically we had just brought home a new "room addition" to the house as we weren't going anywhere with it.

Now for the good part ..... two days later, we ordered the truck I've wanted since the day they were announced back in 2010. They had just been released earlier this year but my wife insisted we pay off the 2014 before upgrading. So one week from today (11/3) our new 2015 4WD Ram EcoDiesel will come off the assembly line in Warren, MI. With 420 lbs ft of torque at 2,000 rpm, 4WD and LSD, we should have no problem getting up our driveway. Add to that the projected 16+ mpg towing and 30 mpg not towing, we will enjoy many trips with the new Fun Finder for years to come



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Old 10-28-2014, 07:13 PM   #2
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Default fuel mileage

If you do pull the new camper with the 2014 gas Ram, please post how the mileage compared to pulling your smaller trailer with that same truck.
Thanks,
Mike
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Old 10-28-2014, 07:57 PM   #3
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Default Re: fuel mileage

Quote:
Originally Posted by M&M
If you do pull the new camper with the 2014 gas Ram, please post how the mileage compared to pulling your smaller trailer with that same truck.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
I doubt very seriously that we'll venture out with the new FF 214 with the 2014 Ram V-6 Pentastar gas engine. The new diesel will be built this coming Monday so we're expectant parents at this point.

I can give you some fuel data with it however ....
The V-6 Pentastar engine is very fuel efficient for a truck. Easy cruising on back roads of 50 -55 mph gets around 22 mpg. Best mileage in 45 mph range is around 24 mpg.

The summer trip towing the 3,500 trailer over 8,000 miles showed 14.3 mpg but about 250 miles of that was cruising around sight-seeing (no towing). 80% of the towing was sedate cruising 55 to 60 mph. About 20% was moderate 65 mph on Interstates. Still not bad in my opinion (the 2010 4.7 L V-8 Ram we had previously only got about 12.5 to 13 mpg pulling a smaller 2,500 lb trailer).

When we brought the FF 214 (maybe 4,900 lbs at that point) home from the dealer we drove the 50 miles home through the suburbs running 35 to 55 mph and it showed a drop down to 12.8 mpg. This included quite a few stops at red lights which really drop the mileage figure however. This is about what I expected based on all my previous experience. I think on the open road at the same sedate 50 to 55 mph, it would easily get up around the 13.5 mark.

If the 2014 had a limited slip differential, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. I really like the security of having 4WD and the torque of the diesel to deal with anything life throws at me in the future travels (not to mention the high 16 mpg I'm expecting towing the FF214).



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Old 10-29-2014, 09:10 AM   #4
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Thanks for the reply. I think the mileage you are getting is very good for pulling a trailer.
Mike
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Old 10-29-2014, 10:07 AM   #5
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Hey Mike,

Yes I agree, the current 2014 V-6 if driven sedately gets exceptionally good mileage. Compared to the previous V-8 we had in the 2010 Ram, it was a welcome relief. The V-6 is only 3.6 L compared to the V-8's 4.7 L. The V-6 has a lower numerical gear ratio of 3.55:1 compared to the V-8's 3.72:1. The 2014 V-6 also has a newer 8 speed tranny compared to the 5 speed in the 2010. Downshifts are closer together so that the engine doesn't rev as high. The 2014 also came with 20 inch wheels compared to the 2010's 17 inch wheels. All these little differences add up to much improved fuel economy.

Also, I might add that my driving habits have switched from getting there when I want to, to getting there when I get there. The game I now play to amuse myself is centered around studying the fuel flow data on the truck's read out and doing everything I can to minimize usage. We minimize our Interstate travel when we can and favor the little byways and highways where we can cruise at 55 mph or less.

The new Eco Diesel is truly phenomenal ... 420 lbs ft of torque @2,000 rpm. This is more than the 5.7 L Hemi at its maximum @ 3,600 rpm. The EcoD also uses a speciallized ZF 8 speed tranny as well. The smaller displacement (3.0 L) and much less rpm reduces consumption as well.

Here's a sreen shot from the onboard display from one of the EcoD's owners posted on their forum .... 67 mph average over 221 miles = 30.2 mpg. This is a full size 1/2 ton Ram pickup !





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Old 10-31-2014, 07:25 AM   #6
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With the weight distribution hitch bars detached it would have pulled the incline with no problem. Went through this on gravel with a 2 wheel drive tundra. Got tired of having to undo the hitch bars on gravel inclines and bought a new tundra with 4 wheel drive, problem solved but an expensive solution in my case.
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Old 10-31-2014, 08:01 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roy
With the weight distribution hitch bars detached it would have pulled the incline with no problem. Went through this on gravel with a 2 wheel drive tundra. Got tired of having to undo the hitch bars on gravel inclines and bought a new tundra with 4 wheel drive, problem solved but an expensive solution in my case.

I hadn't thought about disconnecting the bars Roy ... sure wish I had, but it did occur to me that there might be places in our travels that replicated this condition and consequently, needed to be addressed. As I said, the previous trailer @3,500 lbs went up the driveway without a hint of issue so this really caught me off guard. I agree, the solution we took was a costly one, but it sure is nice having the peace of mind that the 4WD offers isn't it




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Old 11-25-2014, 07:21 PM   #8
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The Happy Ending to the story is finally here. We have what we believe to be the best all around towing vehicle for our needs. Great fuel economy for everyday driving and exceptional pulling power and economy for pulling a moderate sized load of approx 5,000 lbs. We won't have any real data to support my theory until January however.

In any case, you guys can see this awesome vehicle on our updated Fun Finder blog ... see link below in the signature.

You can click on an individual picture in the blog to view the photo full size.

Also, we'll soon be upgrading the 720p 32 inch flatscreen to a new 42 inch 1080p LG flatscreen so I'll be posting more pictures a week from now.



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Old 11-26-2014, 01:52 PM   #9
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Default New toys are nice

Can you post the cargo capacity of your truck? Should be on a sticker inside the driver's door. just wondering what that truck can carry in people and cargo.
thanks.
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Old 11-26-2014, 06:41 PM   #10
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Default Re: New toys are nice

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Originally Posted by TCP
Can you post the cargo capacity of your truck? Should be on a sticker inside the driver's door. just wondering what that truck can carry in people and cargo.
thanks.
The Rams in general are some of the heaviest in their class and don't have quite the payload capacity of some of their contempoaries, but certainly enough for most people (such as myself). For starters, we have a 4WD Quad cab Big Horn trim level with a 6'-4" bed with a curb weight of 5,300 lbs. According to the door sticker the GVWR is 6,950 lbs. This information relates to the payload capacity I believe. A different trim level in 2WD could weigh less and therefore increase the payload capacity. The towing capacity is a different set of numbers largely based on a variety of trim and equipment levels (gear ratios, wheel size, suspension packages, etc.).

If you want to research the data for other trim levels you can find info at ...
http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/towing_guide/

If you want to read a recent Motor Trend comparison of the Ford, Chevy and EcoDiesel, check this link ....
http://m.motortrend.com/roadtests/tr...let_silverado/

I hope this is helpful to you. Let me know if you have any additional questions. So far, I only have 130 miles on the truck, half of which is stop and go city and the other half at 65-75 mph Hwy and my fuel average is 26.7 mpg. I love the low end torque and the acceleration at speed compared to the 4.7L V-8 & 3.6L V-6 I had previously.



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Old 02-25-2015, 12:35 PM   #11
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Default Eco Diesel Update

I think I've put this photo elsewhere but I guess it belongs here as well as anywhere else. I have posted several pictures of the Eco Diesel's EVIC showing great fuel mileage when not towing and driving sedately .... 27 & 28 mpg avg.

This is from two days of towing at 55 mph mostly with a bit at 60 mph. Some stop and go traffic through small Florida towns such as Crystal River and Leesburg. Truthfully, it is not quite as good as I expected. My trailer weight calculation is about 5,200 lbs but I think I need to verify on a certified scale.



Also, since this picture was taken, we did a day on Interstate 75 heading north out of Florida with the cruise control set at 65 mph. The EVIC was showing 14.2 mpg until we got to Georgia and started climbing the very small hills and gaining a bit of altitude where it dropped back down to 13.8 mpg. I guess that's the number I'll use for trip calculations in the future.





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Old 02-25-2015, 05:35 PM   #12
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Thirteen MPG as an average for towing is amazing. Are other folks who use your tow vehicle reporting the same results??

Well done!
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Old 02-26-2015, 06:27 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by profdant139
Thirteen MPG as an average for towing is amazing. Are other folks who use your tow vehicle reporting the same results??

Well done!
People on the Eco Diesel Forum with 6,000 lb (or more) trailers are claiming 15 and 16 mpg although some of these are utility trailers with different nose configurations and frontal areas. People also sometimes exaggerate and miscalculate I think.



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