AggieJustin

Would switching to DEF increase fuel mileage over the current setup while still meeting emissions requirements? The biggest complaint of many owners is the big hit that the trucks took on fuel mileage in order to meet emission requirements.

jthorpe

Thanks for coming guys. I really appreciate you choosing our forum to answer questions. I have a feeling that there is going to be a lot of good information coming out of this. With that said, I have a 2007 Dually. My 2004 came with Goodyear tires and I had great luck with them. I can't remember the brand name of the tires on my current truck but it's a name I haven't heard of. I don't put a lot of miles on my truck and I keep the maintenance up very well. I'm at 21000 miles now and the tread on my tires is already very low. I'm curious if you plan on changing tire brands for your trucks as for these, I am not very impressed. It's not going to be long before I need new ones.

As for the rest of the truck I have no complaints. I pull a 12k lbs 5th wheel with it and it pulls like a dream. Absolutely the best truck I've ever owned. I've owned all three and once I switched to the Ram, I have never looked back.

Ram Engineer #6

We significantly improved our interiors beginning with the 2009 RAM 1500 truck. Material quality, fit/finish, and features are at a premium level. Check one out. You'll be impressed!

jthorpe

I agree. My city mileage on my 99 was something like 17 or 18. Now I'm running about 12 with my 07. Love the truck, but sometimes the low mileage kills me.

JustRamIt91

I would also like to thank you for answering my questions.

I know it adds to the cool factor, like the boost gauge in the fords. It also adds peace of mind knowing that we aren't driving our trucks past our own personal limits.
This leads me to ask why have us monitor anything other than speed, we do not NEED to know... but they are still there. Just fill the empty space with dummy lights, nobody would know the difference

Lary Ellis (Top)

I absolutely agree with this statement, not having to use the DEF fluid is a BIG plus for owners. I had a customer tell me on the phone that his neighbor drives one of those "Other" brands and ran out of DEF fluid out in the middle of no where. In rural areas just finding diesel can be tough enough but DEF is a lot tougher to find.

Ram Engineer #4

There is a very small improvement in fuel economy that would be wiped out by the added cost and inconvenience of the DEF fluid. Currently, DEF fluid costs about $8/gallon so this needs to be added to the total fuel bill.

donhov

Any thoughts on the various questions concerning the the various blend etc doors on the heating systems and the "High" failure rate for them?

AggieJustin

Aside from buying a new truck, are there any options for all of us running around with busted up dashes on earlier trucks? Are new replacement dashes made of better materials to avoid cracking? Last thing I want to do is shell out for a new dash that will fall to pieces in a short time in the Texas sun again.

Ram Engineer #7

Can you supply the specific tire brand and size that is on the truck ? Did you buy it new with these on it ? We select tires based on a wide variety of performance characteristics, including tire wear. This mileage sounds unusual and I assume from your other comments you are attentive to your tire pressures. The change to this tire would have been driven by superior performance in certain areas, but I would like to follow up on wear testing if I had further info.

Ram Engineer #10

I agree gages are cool and add to the look, as far as peace of mind rest assured that the truck constantly monitors these values and corrects to protect the motor from damage.

levigarrett76

i REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS!

I have Four.

#1, Why is a real working oil pressure gauge not offered?

#2 Why does the intake horn on the 2003-2007 5.9 have the restriction hump in it right where the two bolts go? Was this something to do with emissions or to simply use 4 of the same sized bolts to save money?
We have found putting the old 98.5-2002 Intake horn gives a very noticeable torque increase in the low end.

#3, What would be the chances of Dodge ever offering a "Glider Kit" much like the big rig companies do?

#4 Any insight on the ongoing problems with the Blend doors on the A/C? Mine just went out yesterday =/

Cummins Engineer #1

To further clarify the fuel economy question:

You have to remember that Ram and Cummins are using a unique NOx adsorber catalyst, so we are not controlling NOx solely with increased EGR flow. As a result, any potential fuel economy benefit from switching to a DEF system is pretty marginal. Additionally, not having an additional fluid to maintain is a nice convenience that only Ram and Cummins can offer diesel pickup customers.

donhov

Also, any chance that the torque curve on the existing torque converter can be made better. When pulling my 11000 lb fiver on a slight uphill grade I feel like I may not get going it slips so bad. 07 5.9 383 diff etc....Ny 04.5 was just as bad so it must be inherent to the converter.

Ram Engineer #1

The 2009 and newer Ram pick ups have a all newHVAC system that has improved performance and reliability.