rolawson Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 1 hour ago, gaberdeen said: I am very happy with my 2014 Ram 1500. Got just about 23 mph on my recent Maine trip. 5.7 Hemi. 4x4 or 2x4? The Department has a bunch of 2014 to 2018 Rams that are 4x4 and can't come close to that fuel economy. Setting the cruise at 55mph you might get 18mpg. Link to post Share on other sites
gaberdeen Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 4x4. But this is driving in 2wd. Cruised at about 70 mph. Eco boost kicked in. Link to post Share on other sites
dogrunner Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 5 hours ago, WI Outdoor Nut said: I also rent weekly due to my work travel, and when possible, rent trucks. Below are my thoughts: Ram - more low end power than the other trucks. Feels almost like a 3/4 ton with ride and power. Overall comfy controls. I have seen well above 20 mpg on hwy and want to say it was around 24 mpg at 75mph. Don't recall if I had a tailwind or not. Bluetooth is easy to use. Chevy - Very comfy - almost car like ride. I am not of fan of the 5.3 L. It makes its power by high RPM and drives me nuts (just my opinion). Fuel economy was very good as well. Ford - PIA Bluetooth. Good ride. 10 speed is great. I prefer the 3.5 L vs v8, but if not pulling, both are fine. If above 5000#'s on a regular basis, the eco is really an amazing motor. The AL body is very interesting living in a rust belt state. Dealing with a 2012 F150 right now that is rusting out, if you go the Chev or Ram route, makes sure you get the underbody treated, especially the rockers and 1/4 panels. Their are holes taped up between the sandwiched metal panels. The tape comes off over time and in my case, filled up with dirt from hunting. Then was saturated with our salt brines, then rusted out. I never thought I would entertain a Ram, but overall impressed with the truck. Personally, I won't buy a GM product with the 5.3 - just can't stand that motor. Would consider a GM product with the 6.2. But a lot of this is personal preference. And fwiw, I am not brand loyal when it comes to trucks. Actually the Ram has the same HP as the Ford 5.0 and only 10 pounds more torque that you probably won't feel and it has way less torque than a 3.5 Eco. Link to post Share on other sites
bobman Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 Ive checked. the gas mileage steady state at 73 mph between Atlanta and DALLAS texas multiple times and get 23-24 with the ram 5.7 ram this is with a 700 lb pump cutaway in the bed it feels much stronger than the ford or Chevy to me but they are all nice the ford 5.0 and the Chevy 5.3 make power but they really spin some rpms to do it Link to post Share on other sites
Dogwood Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 1 hour ago, bobman said: Ive checked. the gas mileage steady state at 73 mph between Atlanta and DALLAS texas multiple times and get 23-24 with the ram 5.7 ram this is with a 700 lb pump cutaway in the bed it feels much stronger than the ford or Chevy to me but they are all nice the ford 5.0 and the Chevy 5.3 make power but they really spin some rpms to do it Wow those are impressive mpgs! 5.3 hemi seems to be the most common power plant. I have no interest in a diesel. Link to post Share on other sites
bobman Posted November 7, 2018 Share Posted November 7, 2018 73 mph with the cruise control on I-20 it drops off the cylinders and goes into eco mode and then if you need to pass someone it’s very fast 5.7 Hemi Ram Link to post Share on other sites
mcgreg Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Also starting to look at trucks in the 2015-17 yrs. No experience with any yet but am strongly thinking an alum body ford. Boy is Mi addicted to salt. Hate it for any owner who paid the money for a new truck and then ends up looking at wheel well and rocker rust through 6-7 yrs later. Link to post Share on other sites
settem Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I don’t really understand the comments about how a 5.3 Chevy has to be reved up to make power. The torque curve on that motor peaks right at 3 to 4k? The 5.3 is pretty much tried and true. I guess it comes down to... Buy what makes you happy! Link to post Share on other sites
blanked Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 watch the commercial where the tool box falls off the truck side panel and puts a hole in the ford fiberglass bed. that's a deal breaker to me Link to post Share on other sites
dogrunner Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 4 minutes ago, blanked said: watch the commercial where the tool box falls off the truck side panel and puts a hole in the ford fiberglass bed. that's a deal breaker to me It’s not fiberglass, it’s aluminum. Link to post Share on other sites
Dogwood Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 1 hour ago, blanked said: watch the commercial where the tool box falls off the truck side panel and puts a hole in the ford fiberglass bed. that's a deal breaker to me Uh, as opposed to rusting out in wetter climates? Link to post Share on other sites
WI Outdoor Nut Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 On 11/10/2018 at 10:19 PM, settem said: I don’t really understand the comments about how a 5.3 Chevy has to be reved up to make power. The torque curve on that motor peaks right at 3 to 4k? The 5.3 is pretty much tried and true. I guess it comes down to... Buy what makes you happy! Setter - I agree - buy what makes you happy. I am certainly not one to tell someone what to spend their money on. But when asked for feedback, provide one's experiences. Having pulled many loads with the GM 5.3 powerplant in the last 15+ years, if you start to slow due to headwind, hill or very heavy load, it will drop down a gear or two and "really spin" to gain back that speed. In comparison to the ecoboost, for the most part, the gear does not change, the turbo's just spin and feels much smoother. Not to say the 5.3 GM is bad, and for most applications, has more than enough power, but to move loads down the road at HWY speeds, it drops gears, and increases RPM. Pull 5-6000#'s with this motor and you will see what I mean. If all you are hauling is a few dogs, I think it would be a great truck. Link to post Share on other sites
blanked Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 2 hours ago, Dogwood said: Uh, as opposed to rusting out in wetter climates? Houston gets 60 inches rain a year. No rusting Link to post Share on other sites
River19 Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Let's be clear here, most if not all rust issues with vehicles comes from winter salt use and/or mud from dirt roads than actual water. Hence everyone in the "north" searches for used cars from FL, GA, TX etc. provided they haven't been in a flood...... I think Ford and the Aluminum body is heading in an interesting direction, but the frames are still steel right? Link to post Share on other sites
Dogwood Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 28 minutes ago, blanked said: Houston gets 60 inches rain a year. No rusting 28 minutes ago, blanked said: Houston gets 60 inches rain a year. No rusting Good point. Should have specified plus salt. Link to post Share on other sites
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