2020 Ram 1500 eTorque vs EcoDiesel

[BigDawgBeav]

So we had the discussion about 2500 Ram diesel vs gas... Any thoughts or experience with the 1500 eTorque V8 or the EcoDiesel?

[tuffr2]

I have a negative view of the eco-diesel because of the cheating they got caught with in the earlier model. Kinda same view of e-torque. I am thinking it is a gimmick.

[BigDawgBeav]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I have a negative view of the eco-diesel because of the cheating they got caught with in the earlier model. Kinda same view of e-torque. I am thinking it is a gimmick.

But no experience with the latest generation...

[tuffr2]

I saw that the newest generation of the eco-diesel was much better. I want to say they got 30mpg. which is incredible.

Here is the video I am reciting from memory so I might be off a bit. I did not watch the EcoDiesel video again but here it is.

https://youtu.be/hCkN8uNWeiM

[Calicajun]

I owned a 2014 ECO-Diesel (Limited) with a cab high shell. Not towing doing 70-75 mph from Huntington Beach, Ca to Elk City, Ok the hand calculated MPG was 26.5. Towing your 31.5 foot TT MPG was between 10-12 MPG and did quite well going over mountains. Don't know anything about the gas engine.

[jimcumminsw]

I would not even consider a 1/2-ton vehicle of any manufacture for towing any trailer of significant mass and size. Why? They are built for the weekend handyman who wants a light duty pick-up truck with a car like ride. Most but not all come with P rated tires not the LT's tires that are needed. The suspension system is tune for a car like ride and thus not up to the demands of towing a heavy trailer. They may not have the cooling capacity for the transmission and engine that the demands of towing required nor the braking requirements for towing.

Just cruise this forum and other forums dedicated to the RV world and see all of the issue people with 1/2-ton vehicles have. Their request for improvements to their tow vehicles, tires cooling and so, forth. The complaints of stability issues when towing and request for improvement help! Even "Trailer Life" ran an article about an issue or two back on how to improve the braking performance of a 1/2-ton tow vehicle when towing.

This is just my $0.02 and take it for what it is worth. All of my 40 years of towing a trailer have been with 3/4 ton vehicles or larger. I use to tow a Star Craft 8 pop-up with a 3/4 ton Chevy van. Since this was an adequate vehicle to carry my wife, three children and myself with all of our camping gear in the late 80's.

[homeyclaus]

Originally Posted by jimcumminsw

I would not even consider a 1/2-ton vehicle of any manufacture for towing any trailer of significant mass and size. Why? They are built for the weekend handyman who wants a light duty pick-up truck with a car like ride. Most but not all come with P rated tires not the LT's tires that are needed. The suspension system is tune for a car like ride and thus not up to the demands of towing a heavy trailer. They may not have the cooling capacity for the transmission and engine that the demands of towing required nor the braking requirements for towing.

Just cruise this forum and other forums dedicated to the RV world and see all of the issue people with 1/2-ton vehicles have. Their request for improvements to their tow vehicles, tires cooling and so, forth. The complaints of stability issues when towing and request for improvement help! Even "Trailer Life" ran an article about an issue or two back on how to improve the braking performance of a 1/2-ton tow vehicle when towing.

This is just my $0.02 and take it for what it is worth. All of my 40 years of towing a trailer have been with 3/4 ton vehicles or larger. I use to tow a Star Craft 8 pop-up with a 3/4 ton Chevy van. Since this was an adequate vehicle to carry my wife, three children and myself with all of our camping gear in the late 80's.

That was probably true in the 1980s. The brakes on my Tundra are as big as the 3 ton Grumman vans with the GM chassis I worked on in the mid 90's, and a heck of a lot beefier than my 1990 GMC Vandura 2500.

If you have your electric brakes actually configured right, braking is a non-issue.

The hurr-durr need 12 cylinders and a 11,000 lb curb weight truck to pull a pop-up is about as relevant as a 3000 mile oil change.

There are valid reasons to go with the "heavy duty" light duty trucks, and if you feel better towing with one, nobody will think any less of you. It's not like mileage differs when towing a travel trailer or toyhauler - it's entirely a function of your speed and front surface area, just like towing stability is a function of tow vehicle wheelbase, tv weight, and trailer + tv side surface area. Heavier with a longer wheelbase will always be more stable.

[tuffr2]

I agree with jimcumminsw to a very large degree. 150/1500 series trucks are good for what they are built for. They can tow 6,000lbs for the most part and the more muscular 150/1500 series trucks can tow a bit more.

But people see a 9,000lb 36' trailer and think I have a 10,000lb tow limit thus I can tow this when they can't.

People also have to realize towing 9,000lbs at 45mph is doable but things get intense when you want to tow on the highway at 70mph to keep up with right lane traffic.

Plus people need to know there is a degree of towing comfort than some people want and some people don't.

There are ex pro truck drivers that feel ok with maxing out their truck. While the weekend warrior is better off with towing 6,000lbs.

Agreeing with jimcummins means 80% of the issues in towing are with 150/1500 series trucks or 5th wheels with 250/2500 series trucks...

[bneukam]

Two things Ram service centers don’t know how to work on. The e-torque, and air suspension. They are both complicated, and thus rely on the engineers to help solve issues. Would never consider either one.

[Cumminsfan]

I'd take an Ecoboost 3.5 F150 over an Eco diesel any day.
Sure the ED gets better mpgs unloaded but the EB will do pretty good with the right gearing and you don't have to deal with the diesel part of the truck.
An F150 super crew with the 6.5 bed would make a much better towing truck IMO.
I wish Ford would put Rams interiors in their trucks.

[tuffr2]

The 2021 F-150 will have the Ram quality interior.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by BigDawgBeav

So we had the discussion about 2500 Ram diesel vs gas... Any thoughts or experience with the 1500 eTorque V8 or the EcoDiesel?

I own nor drive neither, but have maintained/foxed a few Ecodiesels, all 2016 and older.

I would stay away from the Etorque for sure. All of the 48V systems have been very problematic and highly unreliable. Serpentine belt driven motors just tear everything apart. I've assisted other techs with belt, tensioner and other problems. It's a LOT of torque to apply to a belt and then move a heavy vehicle around.

There are not many techs that are knowledgeable nor want to work on these. This is a gimmick to attain CAFE regs and meet high MPG for the fleet. You could always ask a RAM tech what they think of the Etorque, I'd be surprised if ANY of them would recommend you get that, especially if you intend to use it as a truck and tow.

[bneukam]

Agree with above. I would take a Eco diesel over an e-torque.
Glad my truck is a 2017 Longhorn with the 5.7, and no start/stop, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise. I usually hold on to my trucks for a long time, and that all smells like trouble.
The Eco diesel just came out last year with mostly all new internal parts, so information is limited until more time, and miles are added.
Mpg’s are great until your paying the maintenance guy thousands to keep it going.

[09 harley]

No matter what go with a 2500. Gas or diesel. Buy what you need. Buy what you want. You are limited by the 1500’s light duty construction. Not much price difference between the two.