10,000 mile RAM 5500 report

[Buppies]

Have 2008 ram 2500 315000 miles, 2011 280000 miles, 2019 24000 miles great trucks all three run everyday in our work

 

[ultrarunner]

His GMC had less than 1500 miles and Dealer unable to repair... he wanted trade in back for his business... they ended up getting home something rated for 12k towing.

New GMC in shop for months... solution was to pull entire engine/trans with controls off assembly line and do a transplant... that did the job but soured the experience so traded on the Dodge... still warranty on GMC.

It seems to make a big difference when trading if remaining factory warranty in place...

 

[Hay Dude]

What Dodge do you have?
I am hoping Ram will go the route of GM and build a “6500”, but equipped with air brakes.
Id trade my 20 in on one in a heartbeat.

 

[TMGT]

What Dodge do you have?
I am hoping Ram will go the route of GM and build a “6500”, but equipped with air brakes.
Id trade my 20 in on one in a heartbeat.

My favorite truck I've had was my 05 F650 with the 230hp 5.9 cummins and Allison trans. The only thing that would have made it better was if it had air ride and the 260hp version of the 5.9.
Unfortunately I think the new 650 front ends are too ugly to me.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My brother is still buying Dodges, at least the last three were... But he doesn't keep them long term at all... My Dodge hasn't been so reliable, I like the Cummins, I just wish it didn't have a Dodge wrapped around it!

The most reliable I own, is a "12" Chevy, with 252,000 on it (gas engine) and counting. So far (other than brakes, tires ect..) it has had a throttle position sensor, a relay, shocks and one wheel bearing! Everything else is original, starter, alt., tranny, EVERYTHING else hasn't been touched, still doesn't burn oil and it starts, runs and drives like the day I bought it.

My other two Chevys trucks are on track to be good trucks too.

Gas here us $2.50 to 2.60, diesel is $3.00 to 3.10 per gallon! That a big difference!

BTW, in all the trucks I've bought, I've yet to have one have an noticeable increase in fuel economy after is "broken in"...

SR

 

[Hay Dude]

That was true 5-10 years ago.
GM is a better all around truck, but the newer Rams are closing in fast. The last couple years have been noticeable.
For me it was purely the superior towing capacity and the Cummins/Aisin. GM's 4500/5500/6500 is a big package with disappointing GCWR

Your gas prices are on par with mine, but I'm getting 40-50% better fuel economy with the diesel over any gas truck, so those fuel prices are peanuts compared to my higher MPG. I also get to enjoy 800+ ft lbs of torque with the 40-505 better fuel economy.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

When I factor in the trans/electrical problems my dodge has cost me, the 10k extra the diesel option cost + def, and the extra $ my diesel cost me to maintain it. My gas engine trucks are easily coming out ahead...

All it takes it ONE diesel problem, and you are waaaaay behind on dollars that you never got ahead on, in the first place!!

"been there done that"!

BTW, check your millage with a paper and pencil, Dodges puters are known to be off by quite a bit at times...

SR

 

[Hay Dude]

Extra 10k? I didn’t pay that. Let’s keep the exaggerations in check...
DEF is like $7 for 2 gallons.
I do about 1 of those every 1000 miles. People spend more on cigarettes and coffee in one morning lol
So far I have added 9 containers of DEF.
That’s a “whopping” $63 dollars a year. Lol
I did hand calculate my fuel economy and the computer is spot on. If I spend $3 and drive 14-15 miles, that’s cheaper than spending $2.50 and driving 10-11 miles.

....And lets stop ignoring the 50-100% torque advantage and the 25% towing capacity advantage....
Don’t make me show you how many trips I save per year with a diesel truck fully loaded compared to a gas version fully loaded. Don’t forget to put that on your little “expenses chart”, too...
2 trips for a diesel versus 3 for gas? That adds up real fast.
Any vehicle, truck or car, diesel or gas, can be expensive to fix. Let’s keep it real and not single out diesel vehicles. Seen many gas trucks in the service bays, too.

 

[ultrarunner]

My excavation buddy moves his small excavators on his Cummins powered Ford 750 rollback with air brakes.

Great looking rig and able to get in places he couldn't towing a trailer.

Overall he is disappointed with power and brakes...

I'm thinking finding the sweet spot is harder today.

 

[sd455dan]

Well, I must be spoiled. I would not be ecstatic about a new vehicle with 10k trouble free miles....but then again you have had a couple of minor hiccups, so I suppose for a Dodge that is excellent. Lol

I had a temperature sensor go at about 45k miles on one of the F150’s and was a bit perturbed about it. The other has 151k on it. Bought it with 134k on the clock. 17k uneventful miles.

Well, if you went through some of the nightmares Hay Dude did a few years back with his Ford 6.0 truck(s) IIRC -It would make sense why he is happy with the new Ram truck.

 

[Hay Dude]

They were 6.4’s, but yes they were also pretty bad. Diesels have improved since then, in power, fuel economy and reliability.
Still could be better, but so can just about everything else...

 

[ultrarunner]

So why was the 99 diesel excursion the one that just kept running with zero issues until traded with 280,000 miles?

I think emissions or lack of has something to do with it

 

[sd455dan]

Oops 6.4's.

Still could be better, but so can just about everything else...

Yeah Roger that.



Congrats on the New 5500 series Ram, they are Very impressive trucks.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

IF, I want to pull semi loads, I use a semi, they can be bought cheep, much cheaper than a buying a wanna be semi, and are made much better/safer to pull those loads with.

You may see gas powered pu's in the stealership bays, but the bills to do those repairs are a fraction of what it cost to fix diesel problems... Even the maintenance is half and that's just for an oil change!

How do I know that? Because I've been running diesel pu's since I bought my first one in 1982... Now I'm buying new gas trucks and they are doing just fine...

Looks like you already had diesel problems/expenses and went back for more... lol

SR

 

[Hay Dude]

IF, I want to pull semi loads, I use a semi, they can be bought cheep, much cheaper than a buying a wanna be semi, and are made much better/safer to pull those loads with.

You may see gas powered pu's in the stealership bays, but the bills to do those repairs are a fraction of what it cost to fix diesel problems... Even the maintenance is half and that's just for an oil change!

How do I know that? Because I've been running diesel pu's since I bought my first one in 1982... Now I'm buying new gas trucks and they are doing just fine...

Looks like you already had diesel problems/expenses and went back for more... lol

SR

1. I dont want a semi anymore. Had one and sold it 10 years ago because it cant maneuver smaller customers driveways and gets stuck easily. Many customers don’t want a 20 bale delivery in the residential small farms. I can haul all I need with this truck & trailer. Sounds like you are you saying its light duty gas, like you have, or a semi and everything in between is useless? I see a heck of a lot of the type of truck I run everywhere I go. Guess we all got it wrong?
2. Wanna be? lol... man you are misinformed.
3. If you want to talk smack, at least own something newer than 5-10 years old-diesels have improved greatly. The diesel relics you are referring to from 10 years ago cant hang with the newer ones, unless modified, and even then, its old and rusted, no warranty. Trust me, I know because I was running an 11 year old diesel just 12 months ago. The difference is huge. You get a diesel, or haul 2/3rds as much with gas.
4. If you have a new gas truck and get by with lower, light duty towing specs, low torque, and crap fuel mileage, more power to ya. Yes they are cheaper to fix, but your truck with a heavy (actually light to me) trailer is getting 5MPG and so do I.
5. "already had diesel problems and went back for more" not exactly.... I had 6.4L FORD "diesel problems" and got away from the 6.4L.

 

[Redlands Okie]

2019 dally 4 x 4 ram with over 31,000 miles, HO with Asian transmission and I think 4:10 rear end. Fuel mileage truck only with about a bit over a ton of tools (they never ever come out ) in the back on the highway at 70 to 80 is a little over 14 mpg. Almost all of my driving is local with 8,000 to 17,000 lb trailor including trailor cargo. Getting around 10 to 11 mpg most of the time. 32,000 gross a few times, highway at 80 pulls it down to about 8 mpg. Truck pulls with a freaking LOT of get up and go. The heavier the load, the more the turbo boost kicks in on these rigs. The exhaust brake or whatever the correct term is work really really really well. Better than any of the Chevy and Ford trucks friends have that I have ran.

Saw a noticeable bit better mileage at 10 or 12 thousand and at 25 thousand or so it really got better, if you can call what I get as better

Number one daily annoyance I have is that I preferred the older style mirrors. These new ones have the bottom portion as all wide angle. Fine for road use and changing lanes but absolutely sucks when backing up into tight spaces , which I do do many times a day. Also wish they had 50 gal fuel tanks standard.

Big Horn with the upgraded package and plenty of bells and whistles I did not really care about when I bought it, but will say they are nice.

Edit: Will also say the cab warms up a LOT faster than my old 06’ did. Has louvers that open and close on the radiator and its sure nice.

 

[nikerret]

We had sone pretty sporty discussion, in the last gas versus diesel thread, but no doubt about it-YOU have no business getting a gas engine to tow that heavy.


To the point:

What is your truck set up like? Over 10k is pretty heavy, for just the truck.

What trailer are you using?

Do you figure all your mileage, by hand, or are you relying on the computer?

 

[two_bit_score]

Good update report Haydude!

 

[Hay Dude]

We had sone pretty sporty discussion, in the last gas versus diesel thread, but no doubt about it-YOU have no business getting a gas engine to tow that heavy.


To the point:

What is your truck set up like? Over 10k is pretty heavy, for just the truck.

What trailer are you using?

Do you figure all your mileage, by hand, or are you relying on the computer?

My truck is set up as follows: Ram 5500 crew cab 4x4 with a 9’ aluminum flatbed with (4) tool boxes. 40,000lb rated gooseneck hitch and a 20,000lb rated bumper pull hitch. It weighs 10,500lbs with a tank of fuel.
Trailer: Kaufman 38,500lb 35’ gooseneck with 3” ball. Max load capacity is 14 tons. Typical load is 12 tons of hay or a 10,000lb-20,000lb farm tractor.
I am ordering a 20,000lb deck over dump trailer as soon as they start making them again (due to Covid, most have discontinued deck over dumps).
I do both hand calc mileage and the trucks computer and so far the computer is spot on.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Will say that the computer on my 2019 is just a little over the actual mileage on all highway use. Local driving it will be a couple miles per gallon high, about 20% in my case. I suspect it has issues with use of fuel when idling?