Ford owner thinking about a Ram, tips?

Run, run far away!!! Just kidding, like what everyone else has said...look for 3:55s if your going to tow with the V6. Mine is CC, 4X4 and a Hemi, I get 20mpg on the highway with 3:90s. I think that is inline with what the Hemi/3:21 guys are getting on the highway. Really don’t think 3:55s will hurt your highway mileage. Now with that said, could be difficult to find a V6 and 3:55s on the dealer’s lot. I know it was hard to find my 3:90/tow package/off road package. You would think the tow package and 3:90s would go together, but everything on their lot was 3:21 with the tow package and 3:90s without the tow package.

Get the lowest rear end gears possible.

And if it's 2WD, put 4.10s in it.

Out of curiosity, why are you considering trading in your Ford. That would be part of the equation. Tell us what you don't like about the Ford and we can tell you where the Ram could fix the 'problem'.

BarbersBlue said:

Out of curiosity, why are you considering trading in your Ford. That would be part of the equation. Tell us what you don't like about the Ford and we can tell you where the Ram could fix the 'problem'.

Click to expand...

Bravo. Bravo [emoji122]. Never even thought of that


Tiped on ifone using Tapatalk and auto correct. Can’t you tell?

BarbersBlue said:

Out of curiosity, why are you considering trading in your Ford. That would be part of the equation. Tell us what you don't like about the Ford and we can tell you where the Ram could fix the 'problem'.

Click to expand...

Or we can tell you where ram doesn’t measure up.


I know the voices in my head aren’t real, but man, do they ever come up with some great ideas

Well coming from a Ford 8 months ago I can say I am very happy with the change. First I do believe Ram's quality is better than Ford. The 150 had freezing lock issue, door wouldn't lock issue, intermittent radio/info unit going dark with black screen, instrument cluster also going black so no speedometer readout. Those all reared their ugly head in the first 6 months of ownership. I am sure the Ram will have issues as well but I got to the point of getting rid of the Ford before anything goes wrong and didn't want to go through another winter of no lock and door closing issues.

The 3.6 is a proven platform and like others have said try to get the 3.55 gearing if you can. I've had the 3.21 and was not impressed by it. Don't get me wrong it did what I wanted it to do I just like more low end grunt and now that I have a 3.92/Hemi combo it's a night and day difference . As far as transmission goes the Ram 8sp is a dream. The Ram 6sp was a dog compared to the Ford 6 but I don't believe the 6sp is available anymore on the Ram.

You will hear lots complain about squat and body roll but the Ford forums have the same complaints and both are an easy mod to rectify if it bugs you. Personally I think the CC Ram 5.7 box has a more planted feel the Ford CC 6.5 box. Not sure if that has to do with less weight or longer box of the Ford or both.

Lights for both are crap and you will need to address that if you drive nights. For me putting higher wattage fogs solved the problem. I also replace reverse lights with LED.

The UConnect system of the Ram may not be perfect but is light years ahead of Ford's Sync garbage. In fact this Outdoorsman I am driving currently is the best system (8.4) I've had in ages.

Comfort wise the Ram hands down over a Ford.
Bang for the buck in my case was overwhelming advantage Ram.

So my experience has been a big two thumbs up.

As for the headlights, I coverted them (and all other lights) to LED, day and night difference, excuse the pun.... I have the quad headlights. I can see a tick on a nats ass a half mile away, and that's not a picture you can unforget...

As mentioned, way more truck for the money when it comes to Ram.

I would make sure you see "anti-spin" differential on the build sheet - it's amazing how many 4x4 trucks FCA will build that don't have a limited slip/locking rear diff. Now, i think it does have some sort of braking assist thing that may give the appearance of a limited slip, but i was taking no chances. Nothing worse than an open rear diff IMO.

I have an '18 V6 CC 4x4 w/ the 3.55 gears, LSD, and the Harvest package. I was hoping for better MPG, that's why i went with the V6 but i hover around 17 to 20 (computer calculated, AC always on) which based on some things i've read on here really isn't much better than the HEMI; but then again we all have the same trucks and seem to get widely different reports on MPG.

Outside of the things i posted in the "what you don't like about your Ram" thread, I really like the truck.

Hemi all the way!

I swapped a 2005 F150 for a 2015 Ram 1500, and I think the one thing I wish I'd known about was the transfer case debate. There are 2 transfer cases available on 4th gens and you should probably read the threads here about it and make up your own mind. I ended up with the transfer case that I would have wanted, but only by accident.

I'd read up on the different packages or trim levels and get to know the difference. There are lots of little things that we could give you advice about, but you'd have to know what you want.

An example is the auto tilt mirrors in reverse. It might be something you don't give 2 ***** about, but if it's something that's important to you you'd have to know that unless you get the chrome mirrors you aren't ever going to have it. Same thing with the transfer cases, and probably dozens of other little things. If one of those little things is something you really want, it won't be a little thing when you sink $30k into a truck and find you don't have what you want.

Matt first welcome to the group ! I have the 2015 4x4 XLT Quad Cab with the Pentastar and 3:21 rear ! It works good enough for me My RAM is basically a street queen! I avg, 21/22 around town and 23/24 mpg highway with Summer gas, 1 to 2 mpg less with winter gas. One of the guys at work picked on a 2014 RAM 1500 with the Hemi and if he stay light on the gas he is averaging 18/19 MPG . not sure his gears ! My RAM rides more like a car then a truck . My F150 rode like a truck, Good but not as car like ! FORD'S and RAM'S are both great trucks,all depends on your wants and needs!

I have had several of each. If Ram made a turbo 3.6, I might look at going back. I currently have a 17 King Ranch dual turbo and love it. All highway and well over 20. I loved my 14 3.6 ram. Had 2 ecodiesels after that. They were both junk. This note and a dollar will buy you a cup of coffee.

21 years of Dodge pickup trucks and yes I really liked my 2010 Ram Laramie Crewcab, putting up with the minor issues as they all have them. BUT my truck has been in a dealer service bay for 2 months getting electrical issues sorted out, $4000 so far. Fiat-Chrysler maintains these have no defects. Chrysler will have to seriously up their game for me to ever consider purchasing another.

I am on my 2nd lease of a Big Horn with the V6 Pentastar. Previously I had six Ford F150 leases, XLT's and FX4. All the Fords had V8's. If I were to drag race the V6 Ram vs. the Ford F150 V8's, I suppose the Ford's would pull away near the end of the quarter mile, but up to about 80 mph, I'd say it would be about even.

I have found the Ram to be the superior truck in every regard. It is astounding how much better it is. I would have never thought so when I first looked at them over three years ago. I was a Ford guy through and through. The only reason I changed to Ram is my lease came up the year Ford went to the aluminum body and they were asking an arm and a leg for a lease deal. So I went to Ram.

I use my Ram for hauling payloads of up to 800 lbs. It pulls nicely, I don't even notice I have anything in the bed. I've never towed anything with it, so can't comment on that. I've had 3.21 gears in both and I like it for the gas mileage on the highway.

My wife has a 2016 AWD Charger with the V6 Pentastar. No problems whatsoever with that car. I think the Pentastar is a fabulous engine. I remember reading the literature three years ago and thinking, "Man, these people at Ram are really proud of this V6 engine. What's the big deal?" But having had two trucks with that engine I can say that I totally get it now.

I had a thermostat replaced in my 2015 at about 25,000 miles. Otherwise no problems.

I've had my 2018 for a year now, only 9,000 miles. The only thing I've noticed is a small water leak into the cabin area which dripped from the overhead console into the floor console. Maybe an ounce of water total. This was during a rare January thunderstorm in Minnesota. Others have said the gasket on the cab mounted brake light could be leaky. All I know is it hasn't happened again and my truck is parked outside almost always.

The last three F150's I had all had a leaky gasket around the cab mounted third brake light. There was always debris and/or moisture inside the lens cover. After the first two were fixed under warranty, I didn't bother with the third one.

If you get the 2018 with the 8.4 UConnect sound system, be aware that Ram pushed a software update last September that screwed up the equalizer in the stereo making it sound extremely bass heavy. They've since fixed it--took them eight months--and my stereo is sounding great again. People with the 8.4 UConnect with Navigation are still waiting for their fix.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/uconnect-software-update-received-whats-in-it.126015/

May I ask why you are opting for the 2018 vs. the new style 2019?

Coil springs were used on Chevy trucks in the 1960's and then their use discontinued. Softer ride with coil springs and they take up less space but they provide no way to increase payload capacity. There are Mickey Mouse solutions like the Timbrens, that simply reduce the amount of travel of the rear axle but do not add more load capacity. Ram realizes that few people buying pickups actually use them as trucks but more as passenger vehicles with the choice of crew cabs even with much smaller boxes.

When I was researching the Ford F-150 trucks I found many posts about defects that were not being addressed by Ford and where the dealers basically told customers to take a hike and stop bothering them. Less than one year old trucks that leaked into the cab when it rained or would stutter and stumble or doors that would suddenly pop open on the highway. Jeep Cherokee is equally bad and a reason why despite their features I bought a Chevy Traverse instead. Life is too short to spend much of it sitting in the customer lounge of a car dealer or being without the use of a new vehicle for months while waiting for parts. My 2011 Chevy 2500 has a defective airbag inflator and so I have disabled it and GM refuses to replace them after sending out a recall notice more than 3 years ago. Needless to say but my next truck is not going to be from Chevy or from Ford.

Axle ratios and gearing are done to increase fleet mpg for trucks to meet the CAFE standards and not for the benefit of customers. Want better mpg then slow down and avoid short trips and keep the vehicle as light as possible, which includes light wheels and lightweight tires. For towing or off-road use I prefer 4.11 gears, though my diesel gets by with 3.73 gears but then the diesel produces maximum torque at half the RPM's of a gas engine. Going from 3 and 4 speed transmissions to 8, 9, and 10 speed ones and making trucks lighter and more aerodynamic is what has improved fuel economy for pickups, not taller gearing.

I have a 2018 Tradesman regular cab 4x2 with 3.55 open rear and the V-6 and couldn't be happier. I've owned Rams with both the 5.7 and 6.4 gas. I would say that each is built for a purpose. If you do light hauling and towing the V-6/ 8 speed 3.55 combo is hard to beat. In everyday unloaded driving I dont notice the difference between the Pentastar and the 5.7 Hemi. It all depends on need and the way you drive. The 8 speed mated with the V-6 is smooth as silk and I think a game changer for V-6 motivated trucks. I have had one all highway tank of gas get 24.5 mpg and have yet to have a tank full under 20 mpg (hand calculated) regardless of driving conditions. Personally I would shop for the 3.55 rear as I dont think it hurts mileage at all but increases the get up and go and adds about 3000 lbs to the towing ability. These are great trucks.

My last truck was a '13 F150 with the 3.5 EcoBoost. I had no issues with the truck and sold it at just under 200k miles. I don't tow often and don't live near any mountains or drag strip so really didn't need a big engine. I ended up with a RAM for purely financial reasons as when I was shopping for a new F150, the dealers were, in my opinion, way too proud of them... I ended up at my local dealer which is a FORD/DODGE/RAM dealer and after shaking my head at a '19 F150 that was out of my budget, the salesman asked me if I wanted to look at a RAM. Man am I glad I did. I ended up buy a '19 classic with the 3.6 V6 and I love it. Do I miss the torque of the EcoBoost, sure thing, but the Pentastar continues to impress me. no regrets here.

I bought my Ram based off my experience with my Charger. I love the Hemi. I've owned 2 GMC's (87 & 97) and never had a problem with either of them.

I've always like the way the Rams looked and after test driving a few of them in (Bighorn & Harvest trims) I like the features they have and the way they drove. Other than the cruise control recall, I love it. As others have said, if your looking at the V6, look at the higher gearing. Get what you want and enjoy.

For what it's worth my 4x4 crew cab hemi gets just as good of milage than a v6 and a ton more power.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Matthew Ritchie said:

Thanks for the replies. I believe this had the 3.21 (or similar) rear end, seemed ok around town, does it help with mpg on the highway or does the trans just end up dropping a gear?

Click to expand...

I have 321 in my 1500 tradesman and love it but I don’t tow anything. 8 speed transmission is wonderful.