njoverkill, Please explain about the tow/haul mode. What else does it do? I thought it just kept it from going into overdrive.

 

It's hard to tell exactly what it is doing since I'm not towing when I do it. I am guessing that it revs a little higher in 3rd and when in OD it'll jump out of it quickerr... But it's definitely not just an OD lock out as it goes into OD often when in Tow/Haul mode.

 

Dodge already has a Mercedes diesel in the Sprinter. Dodge still has the Cummins contract until '07....or is it '08.

Ford is trying to design another Powerstroke....

What you 'heard' is about 60% right, and a Ford owner wishing he had a Cummins.

 

I have not experienced this. When I take it out of OD, it will not go back into OD unless I take it out of the Tow/Haul mode.

Stringer Pup,

I think that the Cummins contract was extended to 2010 just a few months ago.

 

I hope they keep the Cummins, putting a Cummins in these trucks is about the best choice they ever made.

 

I'll have to pay more attention to tow/haul mode to try to figure out what it is doing. But I drive home from work in tow/haul mode just for fun and it's down that in the 1500-1600 RPMs at 55 mph.... which is right where it should be in OD.

 

Towed with my 05 today and pulled my 10K loaded trailer about 125 miles. I put it into the tow mode and it worked fine. At 65 mph it was 1800 rpm and 1900 at 70, the motor worked effortlessly as it was mostly flatland. I noticed once that it didn't shift into overdrive until I let off the pedal a little at 65 and it then shifted and stayed there. It seemed normal, I'm planning a trip to Denver with the trailer next week, that should give a test as to how its going to work. Truck now has about 1200 miles. Jeff

 

I remember reading an article by Daimler Chrysler CEO saying he didn't think that the world's biggest builders of Diesel Engines should be buying them from another company....and there was a big backlash from "Die Hard" Cummins lovers and I guess he realized that people really love their Cummins. However, i have seen on Detroit Diesel's Web Site, smaller "automotive" diesel's that are Mercedes Built and would probably work well in the Ram 1500, the Durango and the Dakota. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years....especially if Ford puts the V6 Powerjoke into it's F150's and Expeditions. My guess is it will force GM and Daimler to follow suit.

 

I might be wrong but I thought ford was going to run a Volvo diesel in the near future.

 

Diesels in half tons would be pretty cool.... I say put diesels in everything!

Hopefully this diesel liberty catches on although I am not a fan of liberty's at all.

 

BTW I confirmed that the 05 manual states that in TOW/OD it'll go into OD when it senses that it can handle it, for fuel economy e.g. on flat ground. Seems like more of an annoyance to me.

 

Thanks DJP. Just got in.

Mine has the transfer case protected but I believe the fuel tank was going to get a skid plate in 05'?

Thanks for looking.

 

tow/haul changes the shift points in my 5.7L. it holds the gears longer for better accellerating under load, and it downshifts when you let off the gas for good engine braking.

how it is on a CTD, i dont know.

 

Just back from a trip to Colo. with the trailer in tow (roughly 2,000 mi. round trip). Will give performance data after getting it figured out later this weekend. It sure pulled good. Jeff

 

A few years ago Calgary Canada was the cold climate test headquarters for the Detroit in a Ram. The service mgr at the dealership where they were going to do the testing asked me if I wanted to check it out when it happened.
Well, so far I have heard nothing else on it.
With Detroit under the DC umbrella I could see this as an option too.
Also, the Aisen [sp?] auto transmission for bigger trucks is under the DC umbrella...it is supposed to be getting more applications in North America but I have heard nothing about it in the Ram.