[QUOTE=Old Man with a hemi;3159546]Just noticed this discussion I had with "Old Man", boy its been a while. SIncerely hope all is well. Since our discussion I was involved in an accident with my 2012, $11,000 damage, i had no serious injuries. After repairs, 42,000 miles, I purchased new tires ($1100) took it to the dealer for service, washed it. Went directly from wash bay to sales to "try" a new 2015 with the 8 speed tranny. (mine was the 6 speed with 3:55 gears.) just wanted to TRY it. well you know the rest, I traded!! Not one of my better moves I know!! Same truck, 5.7 Big Horn except the new one had the 8 speed with 2:92 gears. Yes it was a little quicker I think but very little. Love the truck. It definately pulls a little better especially taking off.
Mileage? The dealer guaranteed with the 8 speed tranny 2:92 rears I would get as good or a little better than the 6 speed with 3:55's. He was wrong! I feel at 42,000 miles with the 2012 and 36,000 with the 2015 I have made a good comparison. The 2012 consistintly got 1-2 MPG better than the 2015, city, around town you name it. Towing? they both are terrible just like anything towing regardless of what anyone says. Both are WAY better than my 04 F-150 ford was with the 5.4. Also have friends that bought a Ford-f150 ecoboost about the same time I bought my 2012. When I told them my mileage, empty AND towing they won't tell my theirs and I KNOW either Ram would blow their doors off....nuff said!!

 

2018 Ram 3500 4x4.
Single cab long bed
6.4 hemi obviously auto trans ( 6speed )
3.73 gearing
totally stock.
octane was whatever dealer put in so maybe makes this irrelevant?
Working on second tank of fuel.
98% rural 2% highway.
So here is the scenario; I drove it home from the dealer, drive it once a week to kinda keep things lubricated. I read the meter and hand calculated first tank of fuel and meter said 16.4 or 16.5mpg and hand calc I got 16.2 or 16.3. It was within .2 or .3 of the meter which surprised me. I do not idle it long. I drove it normal from dealer home ( about 57 -ish miles ) but really babied it since. I watch the meter in real time and try to drive for maximum mileage. I haven't driven enough to get through the second tank though. I did put in 93 octane from Sunoco when I filled it up myself. I am so used to 23+ mpg ( haven't had a truck since 2009 ) that I do not use it just to drive around. Partly due to economics of household since buying the truck end of March. Yes, I said March. See previous statement. I hope to be of more help in the future. Just a side note, I got 15point something reading the meter after filling it up myself , resetting the meter and traveling roughly 20 miles down the interstate @ between 55-70mph. Do not know why worse mileage at least short term on the interstate vs secondary roads that go from 30 to 50 to 35 to 40 back to 50 through two towns with several traffic lights and stops and starts to work and back or shopping in surrounding towns. Anyway, I hope this helps somehow.

 

I've rolled over 100k on my 2010 crew cab 1500 (I'm right now 103k and some change). I've noticed an increase in mileage since the rollover. My pre 100k city milage was 16.5, now I am 18.5 with sometimes touching into the low 19s. I haven't had a chance to do any interstate driving yet, but I will be here in a couple weeks. I'll come back and post the mileage on that trip, though I'll be hauling some gear during the trip so it may not be all that impressive. The best MPG I've ever gotten on interstate was 21 mpg, with an average of 18.5 on a normal trip. I'm hoping to beat that.

The truck is all stock, with the exception of changing out a couple wear items. I also do the oil and oil filter changes very regularly. I'm the original owner, so there wasn't any previous owners to skip on them.

 

I currently own a 2014 Ram 1500 4x4 5.7 v8 and it obviously sucks mpg pulling a 30' camper (getting around 6 mpg 7 tops). I am looking to trade this in for either a 2500 6.4 v8 Mega Cab 4.10 axle ratio or a 2500 Cummins Diesel. My Camper is around 34' to tongue and has a dry weight of 6,500 but probably closer to 7500 when loaded. I am looking for any suggestions or info on mpg and pros or cons of each of the two 2500's I am considering for towing this camper around and we do travel a lot with the camper. Thank you in advance.

 

I was just talking to my son's friend this past weekend, who owns a 2017? ( either 2017 or 2016 ). His is a diesel 6 speed manual 2500 4x4 regular cab and he said he's getting somewhere in the 18's ( there again I cannot remember the exact decimal point value he gave ). That was not the tow mileage though. He did not mention that. He mentioned he gets that "with how he drives" which I'm thinking is pretty mellow just due to seeing him come and leave our house and once and a while on the road. I do not think he beats on it or has to do a 100mph. He owns his own business ( welding ) so I think he tries to take care of his equipment. Anyway he has said towing 12K or so it did very well in all respects but didn't give mileage estimate, and everyone knows towing will be a big difference in power, running rpm and fuel mileage too, but if you do not tow all of the time, maybe you might be happy with the 6.4 Hemi. I know I have never had gas mileage like this from a truck ( never owned a diesel ). I have been through another tank of gas with mine and working on another but both times I have forgotten to write down( or zero the mileage on the trip odometer ) to see what I'm getting. As I said in my previous post, the truck's real time meter was very close to the one tank that I did hand calculate so I'm just going to trust it until I think to reset it again and then check one more time by hand. I will say this: I have not been babying it ( not beating on it but not extremely light on purpose to get into eco mode like I have been ) and at least the meter showing the mileage seems to be getting higher running it like that, so I'm thinking it likes to be driven normal and I am expecting higher mileage. I hope this helps you. Sorry to be so "long winded" with a reply.

 

I very well may be wrong but...You didn't say what gears you gave in your 1500. I have never in my life looked at buying a 3/4 ton truck as something for saving gas with, towing or not. Now having said that, the 2500 with 4:10 gears definitely will tow the trailer better than your 1500, put the 4:10 gears in your 1500 it will pull the camper the same way as the 2500. The diesel will pull it even better. The heavier trucks have better brakes but I have a similar trailer behind my 1500, 5.7, 3:92 gears. It tows the heck out of the trailer, stops on a dime because of the trailer brakes. You will not begin to save enough on fuel in 5 yrs to even make one payment on the 2500. In fact i guarantee you're gonna burn more fuel with the 3/4 ton.

 

My 1500 has 3.21 and it goes from around 15-16 mpg without the trailer to 6-7 mpg with trailer. Most others owning the 2500 do indeed get around 11-12 mpg while towing the same trailer so yes, it will save me on gas. We are preparing for a trip to Utah and Arizona going through the Rockies and I can't even imagine what horrible gas mileage my 1500 will get going through the Rockies and how hard it will be to pull compared to the 2500 6.4 V8 HD.

 

The 3.21 gears certainly aren't helping you..... But, pulling a 30 foot trailer thru the mountains, I would not even consider doing that with a half ton truck, regardless of gear ratio. The brakes simply aren't up to that task...... One of the biggest advantages of the 3/4 ton is going to be the significantly larger brakes, far more capable of controlling that trailer......

 

I agree with everything you say about the 3/4 ton truck. As far as brakes go, if you've pulled these travel trailers lately, with the brake control I can actually stop quicker with the trailer than without it. In other words the trailer brakes more than stop the trailer. Its all about load capacity of the towed vehicle. I currently pull a 31 foot JAYCO with my 1500 RAM with the 5.7. With the load level hitch with sway controlI barely feel it. I also agree, the 3:21 gears are not intended for towing, they are for economy only. However with the b speed tranny there always is a gear that works. After all its about the end ratio to the rear wheels which is accomplished with a COMBINATION of tranny/rear end. 2500 rpms at a certain speed is 2500 at a certain speed regardless how that is accomplished.

 

To go a little further if he needs the 3/4 ton because of towing capacity thats on thing but if not he will NOT achieve better tow mileage with the 3/4 ton with 4:11 gears over whet he has. Yes the 3/4 with 411 gears will tow it easier, just as a 1/2 ton with 3:92 will tow it easier.With the 3/4, heavier truck, bigger engine turning higher rpms = less fuel mileage. His 1/2 ton RAM 5.7 has a tow capacity around 10,000 lbs or slightly more, he is not over loaded.