Ecodiesel or Hemi

[mlappin]

So my 99 Cummins is getting long in the tooth and unreliable enough I don’t want to use it for work anymore. Side job is the sales and installation of outdoor wood boilers. Main job is row cropping with hay and beef cows as well.

I’d mainly be using the replacement for the boiler side of things, I have several straight trucks and a heavy duty tandem trailer for the heavy work. The wife’s Jeep Liberty can actually handle either trailer I use for the boilers.

So in a nutshell next truck will be a half ton for the improved ride quality, just can’t decide between a eco diesel and a hemi. I do all the engine rebuilds on the farm, actually do all the repair work except for injection pumps and injectors.

Heard some horror stories about the eco diesel engines, but also seem to remember the 5.9’s had the 53 block issue and the 6.7’s had their issues as well.

Looking at used, can’t see paying more for a new pickup that will rot out eventually than my Dad paid for the 52 acres next door.

Resale value isn’t an issue as on pickups I tend to drive em till they are DOA and beyond fixing. They usually serve the last couple years as wood cutting and plow trucks.

Either trailer I use for the wood boilers are 4000-6000 lbs so no real need for a 3/4 ton.

Used trucks price between gas and diesel are close enough in price thats not an issue, however horrible gas mileage while towing with the hemi is a consideration. We have B5 road fuel on the farm at all times so no risk of getting bad diesel while on the road.

 

[Ohio5pt7]

I can't speak to the eco what I can say is my 18 crew cab 4x4 hemi with the unwanted 3.21s prior to lift would get 24mpg out of a tank consistent but it lived on the highway. Towing my 7500lb load 30ft travel trailer to SC thru the mountains it averaged 11.5 mpg. The eco intrigued me also but was a no go price wise when I bought. I've seen some say with a tune the eco gets like 30+ which is great. And imho I wouldn't own a diesel that wasn't tuned and deleted not because I like rolling coal that just means it's a **** tune lol but because all the EPA bs really hurts reliability. All in all I still love my hemi more than enough power 70mph up the mountains with the TT. I will say with the new wheels and tires it's painful lol I new see 15.5-16mpg. I don't think it'***** 8th since install but I also only run 75 max.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[ramffml]

(Eco)diesels don't like to idle or do short runs, they need to be worked.

 

[kurek]

Diesels in general are most efficient compared with spark ignition engines when both are asked to work continually. If I was making a lifestyle of towing a camp trailer or livestock trailer as the most common thing my truck was doing I'd be interested in a diesel.

For unladen driving, stop and go city driving, traffic and off-road the efficiency advantage evaporates and the spark ignition engine provides more responsive driving.

 

[mlappin]

(Eco)diesels don't like to idle or do short runs, they need to be worked.

I’ve not had any issues with the 5.9 so far, but even towing the trailers I have isn’t much of a workout for it.

I may just find a cheaper half ton for now and let the eco diesel get some more maturity on it.
Far as the boilers go I don’t like to get more than an hour from home, not so much for the installs but in case of service required in the middle of a blizzard.

 

[mlappin]

Out of curiosity, what kind of mileage are the 5.7 Hemi’s seeing before they are junk? I have over 300,000 miles on my 99 cummins and my dad has one with over 600,000. Had a old 79 Power Wagon with a 318, rolled a set of rod and mains in it once and ground the valves, had over 200,000 miles on it of strictly farm work before it went buh bye.

 

[Ohio5pt7]

I've seen 200k not on mine personally but here on the forum

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[mlappin]

I've seen 200k not on mine personally but here on the forum

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

Engines have gotten better over the years for sure. My wife’s 2004 Liberty just rolled 200K, never had any engine issues, maybe uses a quart between 5000 mile oil changes in the summer and none in the winter.

 

[Sandevino]

All things considered, get the Ecodiesel. You’re already accustomed to the maintenance schedules and related quirks diesel brings with it. While the Hemi will have more horsepower, you need torque for hauling which the ecodiesel has to its advantage.

 

[Simpleman]

Go with the Hemi

 

[Ram904]

Hemi without a doubt.

 

[Ohio5pt7]

Just to **** everyone off find a low milage 13 or older 6.0 Silverado [emoji2962]. All jokes Aside if I would ever buy a used truck I'd by a low milage cat eye. Used SUV would be Tahoe which I actually bought used and if I can find one I'd love to have a 6.0 excursion with less than 75k to build. So weird being on forums but not being a brand ***** lol.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[mlappin]

Anybody have real world numbers on what your Hemi powered Rams are seeing for gas mileage while towing? The stove trailer doesn’t pull that hard, think of a trailer used to deliver a LP tank except taller to handle a wood boiler, most wind resistance is from the boiler. Install trailer is just a tall 6x10 with a press brake in it, and maybe another few thousand pounds of tools, copper fittings and pipe, hydronic pumps and a coring drill with stand.

 

[NOV87]

All things considered, get the Ecodiesel. You’re already accustomed to the maintenance schedules and related quirks diesel brings with it. While the Hemi will have more horsepower, you need torque for hauling which the ecodiesel has to its advantage.

Ecodiesel is not even close to Cummins in reliabilty. They're probably the worst in RAM truck segment. Great when they run. But that's a hit and a huge miss, from what I gather...

 

[JohnnyMac]

If you're buying used and are considering the EcoDiesel, I'd look at a 17 or later as those motors are considered 2nd Generation. It's got a couple differences from 1st Gen. I'd also invest in a tune from GDE or SFT. I believe the SFT still allows you to disable the EGR which is pretty much the main killer of the Eco's. Tunes are good for a bit more HP/TQ and a couple more MPG's. All modern day diesels have issues with the new emmissions crap. I haven't got a tune (yet) and I see 25 mpgs all around with a 4" lift and 35" AT tires. I was able to average around 16 mpgs pulling my dump trailer loaded at about 8800lbs. Ideally, I would look for a new 2020, as they are much improved (and expensive), but there are a lot of older Eco's running around doing just fine.

I own an EcoDiesel so I'm a bit impartial, but I've driven and owned a Hemi as well and am personally much happier with this motor. Some of the nay-sayers are folks that have never owned or even driven an EcoDiesel, so keep that in mind. My two cents....

 

[Livinalittle]

I only know two people personally who bought eco diesels and both guys got rid of them. One traded his in for a 2019 hemi because he said the maintenance cost on the eco-diesel outweighed the fuel economy.

 

[Floyd1979]

Anybody have real world numbers on what your Hemi powered Rams are seeing for gas mileage while towing? The stove trailer doesn’t pull that hard, think of a trailer used to deliver a LP tank except taller to handle a wood boiler, most wind resistance is from the boiler. Install trailer is just a tall 6x10 with a press brake in it, and maybe another few thousand pounds of tools, copper fittings and pipe, hydronic pumps and a coring drill with stand.

Let me start with my 2009 Dodge hemi , sold it in December of 2019
442,150 original power train
towing 6,000 TT - 8-10

2015 Ecodiesel Longhorn Rambox Crewcab 4wd Air Suspension
Sold it in November , every time we pulled our TT we got a service engine light . Mpg tow 12/13

bought 2019-2500 Megacab Rambox 4wd Cummins

2020 Crewcab Rambox hemi Lonestar 3.92 rear axle
24,000 miles , did a round trip 225
25.0 mpg
If I tow our shop trailer 12 ft
14-16 mpg

From 2014 -2019 Ecodiesel if you get a good one your blessed , if it’s bad it’s BADDDDD

I took the settlement money and got rid of my Ecodiesel

 

[Ervin]

Had the baby diesel on my 2015 Jeep. My problem, I never drive over 35-45 in the city. And only drive 4-10 miles a day normally. When you don't pay attention to the screen on the dash telling you to take it on the highway, it shuts down. Tried to take it back to the dealer to clean it, wouldn't go over 15 MPH. So like someone said previously, you have to drive it and work it. Then you have to buy the DEF which is one more thing to pay attention to. If you run out in Podunk Utah, you're in trouble.

 

[Ohio5pt7]

Anybody have real world numbers on what your Hemi powered Rams are seeing for gas mileage while towing? The stove trailer doesn’t pull that hard, think of a trailer used to deliver a LP tank except taller to handle a wood boiler, most wind resistance is from the boiler. Install trailer is just a tall 6x10 with a press brake in it, and maybe another few thousand pounds of tools, copper fittings and pipe, hydronic pumps and a coring drill with stand.

My 7500lb TT thru the mountains 11.5mpg. that was before the lift and wheels.

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk

 

[Ohio5pt7]

Ecodiesel is not even close to Cummins in reliabilty. They're probably the worst in RAM truck segment. Great when they run. But that's a hit and a huge miss, from what I gather...

Pretty sure someone on this forum has one with like 600k huge hit but ive seen more replaced by 100k lol

Sent from my KYOCERA-E6920 using Tapatalk