New to ram and 5.7 hemi

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

Hey everybody I am looking to buy a ram 1500. Preferably 2017 or newer. Been doing some research on them and just trying to find real world answers from people that drive them. It will mostly just be commuter and just regular driver. It will tow a 27 ft 7500 gvw travel trailer a couple times a year but that’s the extent of its towing. Any knowledge with these and the hemi would be benificial. Thank you

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

First off, welcome to the site!

What is the scaled weight of your trailer? To many people give bad advice on gvw trailer weight. They'll say buy a trailer with a gvw under your max tow and you'll be fine which is wrong. There is nothing stopping you from loading the trailer up with more weight than the gvw. You need to load up the trailer and get it weighed. I use a local feed store that has a public scale since I don't have any cat scales near me. Know that loaded weight of your trailer before you look for a truck.

That being said a Ram with a Hemi and the 3.21 rear will have around an 8000 lb tow rating while one with the 3.92 rear with have around 10000 lb tow rating.

However your major limiting factor will be your payload. Along with the trailer weight you should know your loaded tongue weight. That comes off your payload. The more options the truck has the lower the payload. Some loaded Rams have a payload below 1000 lbs. Check the door sticker.

Bottom line is know all the weights of your trailer before you look at a truck. Let us know what you get and post some pics.

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

Which rams have the highest payloads? Laramies are mostly out of my price range in less they’re older but I would prefer to stick with a 19 or newer. They look roomier in the cab and seem to have higher tow ratings and such then the older style. Any knowledge on those years would be great

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

Typically the highest payloads are on the trucks with the least amount of options. I had a '19 Classic express (4th gen) , Quad Cab, 4x4 and it had a 1550 payload. That is on the higher end of the payload ratings for a 4th gen. The express is on the lower end of trim levels but mine had some nice options. My new truck is a 5th gen Bighorn crew cab, long bed, 4x4 and it has a payload of 1750. The Bighorn's are the most common and it's a mid level trim. It's a non e-torque engine. The e-torque engines have an additional battery for that feature. In looking for a truck the e-torque trucks with the same trim and similar options had a slightly lower payload. I'm thinking that's because of the additional battery. Also to me it seems like the 5th gen Rams have a higher payload than the 4th gens.

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

Big horns are my preferred trim since there nice but not super trimmed out like a Laramie or longhorn even tho those are nice. I’m also new to the hemi so is there anything with towing with one of those that I should know? I’ve always towed with turbo diesels so it would definitely be a difference

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

Jordan48ram said:
Big horns are my preferred trim since there nice but not super trimmed out like a Laramie or longhorn even tho those are nice. I’m also new to the hemi so is there anything with towing with one of those that I should know? I’ve always towed with turbo diesels so it would definitely be a difference

Turbo diesels make their power in the low RPM range. Hemi's make their power in the higher RPM range. Keep that in mind when towing. Other than that and the obvious differences in hp & tq there's really nothing else that stands out.

Rlaf75 · Oct 31, 2022

The hemi engines are capable of towing but it will be different than a diesel. The power outputs of each are different so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that literally every option in the truck will affect the payload capacity.

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

I would love to buy a newer Cummins or powerstrome but the price for what I use the truck for mostly wouldn’t pay off. The truck will mainly be a commuter a couple days for wife and weekend truck. I love where I work so no commute for me. We don’t tow very far mainly fairly local areas. Farthest trip with trailer so far was 100 miles up the coast. The hemi tends to be very thirsty when it comes to towing correct? And are there any issues with the mds system? Don’t know much about it

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

Towing a travel trailer you'll get about 10 mpg. It's the wind resistance that kills your mpg more than the weight. As far as mds goes I've never had a problem with it. I just leave it on. I can't feel it kicking in or turning off.

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

Loudram said:
Towing a travel trailer you'll get about 10 mpg. It's the wind resistance that kills your mpg more than the weight. As far as mds goes I've never had a problem with it. I just leave it on. I can't feel it kicking in or turning off.

So you can turn it on or off? That’s kinda nice at least. I’m assuming tow haul keeps all eight cylinders on as well. Do they get decent fuel mileage or close to what epa ratings are? Not looking for great but decent fuel economy would be nice. I like te price point compared to the f150 as well. Ford asks way to much for low trim with higher miles then ram

JayLeonard · Oct 31, 2022

Loudram said:
Towing a travel trailer you'll get about 10 mpg. It's the wind resistance that kills your mpg more than the weight. As far as mds goes I've never had a problem with it. I just leave it on. I can't feel it kicking in or turning off.

I never got 10 with my 2017, more like 8.5 - 9

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

On the 4th gen, tow/haul won't turn it off. You have to press the manual gear selector and set it to what ever gear limit you want. It's usually 8th gear. I'm assuming it's the same on the 5th gens. I've only had my truck a few days so I'm not sure.

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

JayLeonard said:
I never got 10 with my 2017, more like 8.5 - 9

I've gotten 10 to 11 on a flat road with my old 4th gen with the 3.92 rear. I don't know about my new truck yet.

Jordan48ram · Oct 31, 2022

What about just casual driving with mds on? Is it about the same as the f150s?

Loudram · Oct 31, 2022

Jordan48ram said:
What about just casual driving with mds on? Is it about the same as the f150s?

16 round town 20 highway.

Jordan48ram · Nov 1, 2022

Are air bags a good thing to have on the rams?

Loudram · Nov 1, 2022

I personally don't like them. I'd rather upgrade the springs. After that there's nothing to think about. That's what I did on my old '19 classic. They worked great. Nothing to inflate or deflate or leak. Other guys love them.

Just remember with springs or airbags they DO NOT increase your payload capacity! They just help reduce squat. That's it.

New to ram and 5.7 hemi

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