Dodge 5.7L towing?

[m1kflyingtiger]

I previously had a cummins and miss the diesel for sure. I currently have a '07 Chevy 1500 with the 5.3L and 4 speed and it SUCKS for towing my 3 place enclosed. Ideally I'd get another cummins but I'm having trouble justifying the price. How is the ram 2500 with the ga motor and 6 speed auto for towing?

 

[volcano buster]

Still towing the 3 place enclosed?

 

[CO Powder]

I have an '06 2500 4x4 quad cab short box with the Hemi and 6 speed manual. I have owned six other 3rd gen trucks, one other Hemi, the rest CTD's.

The 5.7 is a complete pooch in the mountains, worthless and gutless with any weight behind it. Now this is at altitude, from 7000 feet up to 11,000. Still, I was down to third gear, which is more like second with the granny first, doing 30 in a 60mph zone trying to pull an empty flatbed car trailer up the pass. My CTD work truck will tow 25k up the same hill better than the hemi...

I also had an '03 Hemi automatic. You DEFINATELY don't want one of those. The 2-3 gear spacing is horrendous for towing on the 5 speed auto.

The problem is the high torque peaks in the newer gas V8s. My Hemi has a max torque at 4200 rpm, that is caning it pretty hard to make power.

If you can stomach the gas bill, a GM with the 8100 is a great puller as is the '05 and newer Ford V10. That said, my Hemi Dodge is a 12-13mpg truck, that's my highway mileage.

I wouldn't do it... I will sell you mine though, 140k miles, $11k

 

[polarisfornow]

I have also owned a bunch of the 3rd gen rams (02-08) and in their day they were pretty good for a gas engine. But the other options from ford and chevy were pretty terrible as far as half tons went. And no one really knew any better because that's all that was available. Having owned 3 of the 4th gen trucks (09 hemi, 12 hemi, 14 ecodiesel) I can say they are much better And I would never go back. The 09+ had 50 more hp, and the 12+ had a 6 speec that was better for towing. i pulled a 4 place all over with my 12 hemi and it was pretty good. Much better than the 5.3 you currently have.

 

[Mafesto]

I understand that many of us have brands they prefer as well as brands they don't care for.

That being said, Dodge has not made a gas engine worth a fidlers f__k for towing purposes since they 86ed the V10.

Same with GM since the demise of the 8.1

If you haven't towed with the Ecoboost, you need to give it a try.
That thing lugs along at under 2000 RPM without even a hint of wanting to downshift.

I cannot believe that Ford is not offering this engine in the 3/4 tons.
I would prefer it over their 6.2

 

[eyefish123]

I have a 2012 Ram 2500 with the six speed automatic and I pull a 3 place enclosed. This truck is certainly not a Cummins (I have one of those also) but it does just fine. I have to go down to 4th gear on the interstate passes but it does just fine. Just make sure it is in tow mode. I get between 10 and 12 mpg depending on what speed I tow at. I could not justify $7,000 extra for the diesel when the mileage was not that much better and diesel fuel was $.80 more per gallon at the time I purchased.

 

[milehighassassin]

I understand that many of us have brands they prefer as well as brands they don't care for.

That being said, Dodge has not made a gas engine worth a fidlers f__k for towing purposes since they 86ed the V10.

Same with GM since the demise of the 8.1

If you haven't towed with the Ecoboost, you need to give it a try.
That thing lugs along at under 2000 RPM without even a hint of wanting to downshift.

I cannot believe that Ford is not offering this engine in the 3/4 tons.
I would prefer it over their 6.2

8.1 is a great motor, the 6.0 can get the job done, just not at the speed of the duramax.

Ford doesn't believe that the ecoboost can hold up to regular heavy cycles. The same reason that GM keeps the 6.0 around is the same reason Ford is not putting the ecoboost into the HD segment.


BTW, I have a friend of a friend selling a pretty nice extended cab Sierra with the 8.1 I think it has about 125k miles. Located in Utah

 

[Mafesto]

I was very skeptical of the durability of the Ecoboost,
but you are not seeing any major widespread issues with that engine.
I will be the first to admit that I am seeing a higher rate of minor isues than I expected,
But it has not been enough to make me regret having one.

You are right about the 8.1
That is the Holy Grail of gasoline mills.

 

[JW]

A 2013 or older Power Wagon with 4.56 gears and the hemi is nice. My father in law has one and towing to and in little mountains (Black Hills) is impressive. Gonna put a car motor in a pickup, you'd better wind it!! His is an 09, the first year of the horsepower jump. And you get lockers too!!!!!!!!

 

[mortelec]

I've had 4 rams in the past 10 years. My current is a 2014 1500 5.7 and 3.92 gears. Pulling with this is by far the best of them. Combination of more hp and the 3.92 gearing is awesome. We pulled a 4 place open this past march and no complaints. The way there the weather was cold 0 - 10 above and we averaged 10.5 - 11 mpg. On the return the weather was in the 40's and 50's and we averaged 12 - 12.5 mpg. Mileage doesn't sound great but considering we were averaging 75 - 80 mph and fully loaded I think it was great. This truck seems to stay in a gear and not be constantly hunting for the right gear like others I've had in the past.

 

[m1kflyingtiger]

Thanks for all the input guys! After a bunch of test drives, some involving a trip to the house to hook up, I bough a 2011 3.5 ecoboost.

 

[Mafesto]

Thanks for all the input guys! After a bunch of test drives, some involving a trip to the house to hook up, I bough a 2011 3.5 ecoboost.

Good choice

 

[dragonflats]

I sure liked my 2012 GMC SLE half ton with 6.2 and max tow package (3.73). I now have 2014 Chevy Silverado half ton 6.2 max tow but now you have to get LTZ or slt in gmc to get the 6.2

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Jaynelson]

Good choice...after towing with an ecoboost, all the other gas motor options from all the other manufacturers are 1/2 hearted attempts at best. Quiet, smooth, pulls hard at low rpm and good on gas. I've never been a ford guy but would totally buy one for that motor...it's the real deal.

 

[phatty]

2014 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 5.7 Hemi. 8 speed with 3.7 gears. Added rear airbags.
Has Sled deck on year round. 23-24 mpg empty at 65 mph. This truck has 2 sleds on it pretty much 3 days a week all winter long. And motorbikes most of the summer.

Pulls like a dream. 2 sleds on the deck, pulling 2 place trailer with 4 guys, extra gas and all gear. 4 trips like that this year about 800-1000 miles. Averaged 11-13 mpg depending on road conditions. Never once did it complain or struggle for power.

I also pulled a 9k camper 900 miles in may. It handled it just fine and no issues. 8 mpg on that trip (over several passes and 75 mph on freeway). I pushed the truck hard and it took it all in stride, even at its max tow load.

I pulled couple skidsteers over the summer as well as fully loaded dump trailers and had no issues pulling either of those. If it was full time I would get a diesel, but couple weekend projects here and there its not a big deal.

I was a GMC guy my entire life. After driving all the new trucks the new dodge was the best riding truck IMO. I stuck with the gas because the ECO diesel was hard to find and expensive. But I sure love this truck. I highly recommend it.

 

[adamg]

Don't those come with factory airbags? Or is that only other trims?

 

[phatty]

Don't those come with factory airbags? Or is that only other trims?

there is an option for factory airbags, but its like 2k extra and is on all 4 wheels. I just bought the airlift ones for $100 and installed my self. works great!