Waldo Pepper

I was going to wait till 2000 mile mark but with all the time taken up the next 4 or 5 weeks with selling old house (sold and closing next week) and buying new house on 10 acre track in Ozark Hills I thought I do a quick report.


1. Computer error for MPG per actual math places reporting error of about 2.5% below actual MPG, so in reality it is getting slightly better millage per gallon, but not enough to brag about IMHO.


2. Around town MPG runs by computer 23.8 to 24.4 so far. Cruising at 75mph interstate computer shows 28-29mpg depending on winds. At 65mph truck seems to settle in at 33/34 MPG really steady. IIRC that's about 1500 RPM range but I don't remember exact numbers.


3. Best sustained MPGs was 42 MPG on a trip to Arkansas and speed limit was 55 mph or below because of one small town and shot couple miles in MO.


So far I have had no complaints about the truck except it's so **** high I carry small Tupperware step to assist wife and I in and out. I'm 6'5" and wife is 5' 2" but I'm 69 today and wife is almost 62.


Number of diesels owned in past is about 6 cars, 4 MB's last MB was 05 model and two VW's '00 & 01models.


I have used Power Service on each fill up.

rossn2

Why? Has this been approved for use on the Ecodiesel with all the Exhaust filters and stuff???

Is your ED a Crewcab, Quadcab, 4x4, what rear end, air suspension???

Waldo Pepper

Nothing I ran across on first fast read thru looking for any strange in the section on the ECO system. Will look back thru it in couple weeks. The tank for the goat pee must last 10,000 miles or more if no excessive idling or heavy pulling although I have 9 hrs on the idle timing clock. So far the over all average MPG for 1789 miles is 26.8, but it might have been 28.6 and I too tired from packing and shopping for new kitchen appliances. Wow has that stuff got expensive, spent $2,800 for kitchen and still have refer and freezer to buy.


It's largest cab and has the 5'7" bed, 4x4, 3:55 rear gears with limited-slip differential, 8sp MB tranny will have to look but the window sticker I think gave front differential gearing. The one I test drove for a day had 2:72 rear axel and was sluggish from light, and at passing, the CPU never got above 18 in town and never got a long haul trip, but best I could tell on a 5 mile flat stretch it was going to about 28 max at 65-70 range.


The gearing was so tall the tranny (CPU?) fought early upshift and was always going up to 2500/3000 range driving in town. It might have been okay out on the prairie in Kansas, but in town or hill country it sucked. It was $47,300 IIRC and mine $46,700 approx. or about $600 difference what struck me. didn't pay much attention to price as I used employee number of my B-I-L and paid about $35,000 for the truck and got 0% financing.

gorms

Pretty good numbers, I hope it stays together for you. If so its just about the perfect setup for a 1/2 ton truck in my opinion.

Waldo Pepper

One odd thing is the two ECCO Diesels I have seen and the first one I drove were all single exhaust, mine is duel exhaust at least after the rear axle. I haven't had time to look under the truck to see how it's set up, but pretty sure it's not duels from heads back. Truck also has factory tow kit with HD Cooling for engine and tranny to IIRC, and I like the back up camera and proximity sensors that have on/off switches.

NE frmhnd

Your front diff will have to match the rear.
The transmission is actually a ZF unit, that Chrysler licensed off ZF Meritor so they can build it themselves.
They really have 2.72 gears available? What are they going for, a 100 MPH truck?

Waldo Pepper

The 8sp tranny is made in Germany per window sticker, not in US like the units in Chargers and gasser trucks. They will probably be made in US at future date.


Your understanding of gearing lacks a little practical use. A 2:72 will not have top end increase in practical world. My truck will zip past 100 mph easy, but the one I drove with 2:72 was geared to high for only couple hundred HP. My guess is at 65/70 range it would be in the best MPG speed for that gearing, much slower and it would start dropping down in gear and about 80mph to 90mph run out of power to push past the air resistance. This was common to a lot of cars and trucks of the mid 70's and 80's going for mpg on the gas engines. I had a 70 with 3sp trans and 2:72 gears and it topped out at about 75mph, changed to 3:55 gears and topped out at about 120mph and got better mpg's in everyday driving.

induchman

If we return, we'd be looking for a regular cab, long box and 3.73 or 4.10 gears. Like to see a real world test pulling 7000lbs.

induchman

Why on earth would you need that? Winter blends have similar in the bulk tanks.

Danderson

High? Maybe for your wife,but to me the 1/2 tons are ground huggers.
That's a heck of a discount!

Rick323

The Ram eco diesel only come with 3.55 or 3.92 gears.

Grit Dog

Yeah, 2:72 gears are car gears.
That fuel mileage is phenomenal.....and diesels are supposed to get better with age (mine has always been the same but I bought it w/ 10k mi and well broke in hauling a big TT the whole 10k mi).
If that mileage holds out, and the trucks dont have any major issues, this will be THE 1/2 ton truck to have! Mid to high 20's avg mpg in a full size 4x4 p/u with over 400 ft lbs is a dream.
How's the power and throttle response?
The 2014 2500s and 3500s I have at work here have the same sluggish off the line throttle response. Too many comuters deciding what it should do when you mash the skinny pedal. In real world driving I think it would be annoying or even dangerous as some have claimed. Where I'm at, they never go over 35mph and no point punching the throttle since its either gravel, snow or ice.

Oh yeah, NICE truck Waldo!

rossn2

Here's mine: 2014 Quad Cab, 4x4 Laramie, Air Suspension, 3.55 rear, 8 spd auto trans, Tow pkg with Electronic Brake Controller..
Aftermarket: HuskyLiner molded mudflaps, floor liners, Tinted windows with Vent Visors, Spray-in Bedliner, N-Fab bars.

AVG 24.5 mixed city/hwy driving right now. Have had EVIC readout of 28 at 55mph on stretch of Hwy 281. Roundtrip from Lampasas to San Antonio up and down Hwy 281 was 26.5mpg. This thing has the HO V6 from VM Motorio in it, as do all the Ram trucks with the Eco Diesel. It runs like a raped ape off the line. Can't complain about the truck at all!

Wulfdiesel

nice details on the trucks guys

I gotta admit Im curious

It would just be hard to get rid of my 06' 3500.... sentimental value and such... haha

SeaW250

I'm very happy to see these finally out. I'm probably the only guy to trade an SRT Challenger for a TDI VW. But at current pricing (both cars and gas / diesel difference) I'm concerned how the popularity will be. Availability in my area is not terrific 19 available versus 79 Hemis. Only a couple under 45k. Hopefully discounting will coincide with my next purchase.