New truck time?

[crash68]

I figured out given today’s fuel prices that I spend $650 more for gas than I would diesel at the same mileage. So that covers DEF (maybe? How often do you fill it??). And forgive my ignorance...but what is DPF? Diesel Particulate Filter? Is that one of the fuel filters that need replaced?

With $650 will buy over 220 gallons of DEF. Typically you'll go through 1%-2% of the amount of diesel fuel burned.
The DPF cleans itself during a regen. As for long term replacement potential is the area of +200K miles.

 

[Ionicbrick]

Yeah so the fuel is probably a wash with the DEF if your using premium. It depends on load as far as how much DEF you use the more load the more DEF. yes that is the dpf but it isn’t a fuel filter it is the exhaust filter. They have maintenance on them too just not sure what it is on the lighter duty stuff. On a Detroit engine in a semi truck they need to be replaced every 300k.


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I’ll have to look into maintenance costs and longevity of this then as well...thanks!


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[Ionicbrick]

Have you watched the TFL truck guys on YouTube. They run all the trucks up the Ike and I think the 6.4 with the 8 speed did better than the 6 speed.


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I haven’t. I watched it when I got my truck... they had the 6 speed in that truck and had the tow limp mod hit them too... but I don’t remember theirs overheating at all. Mine flashes the light and sends a message about temps too hot unless I actively control my speed and push to keep it under. If traffic lets me maintain 55mph up the IKE it’s okay, but still warm. If I get lower than that I struggle up the whole hill since the gearing on that tranny is junk.
I’ll have to watch them and compare it with the Cummins one to see the difference. That would probably give me a lot of insight. Especially since that’s the grade my truck pulls 7-10 times per year with 8k behind it. Which is not near what they do in the videos.


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[Ionicbrick]

With $650 will buy over 220 gallons of DEF. Typically you'll go through 1%-2% of the amount of diesel fuel burned.
The DPF cleans itself during a regen. As for long term replacement potential is the area of +200K miles.

Looks like aftermarket they are $1000-$2000. Looks like it could bolt on, so I should be able to do that myself too if it came to it. I’ve replaced cat converters before that were weld on with no issues. I’m a pretty decent welder...as long as they didn’t cram everything in there like I imagine they did. Lol


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[Ionicbrick]

Okay. Looks like so far the oil change is gonna cost me close to the same since my hemi uses that fancy oil. BUT is it true that it’s a 15k oil change interval? That’s half of my hemi at least.

AND it’s a wash between my premium fuel and diesel/DEF...though I could see a bit of return with better mileage...

So the skin for me then is the extra upfront cost, and possible maintenance down the road... looks like I need to see some comparison videos then.


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[Ramrodd]

I haven’t. I watched it when I got my truck... they had the 6 speed in that truck and had the tow limp mod hit them too... but I don’t remember theirs overheating at all. Mine flashes the light and sends a message about temps too hot unless I actively control my speed and push to keep it under. If traffic lets me maintain 55mph up the IKE it’s okay, but still warm. If I get lower than that I struggle up the whole hill since the gearing on that tranny is junk.
I’ll have to watch them and compare it with the Cummins one to see the difference. That would probably give me a lot of insight. Especially since that’s the grade my truck pulls 7-10 times per year with 8k behind it. Which is not near what they do in the videos.


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What overheats? The coolant temp, oil temp, or trans temp? Just curious. They do pull a lot more weight with the diesels on there tests up the Ike. I think the 2020 2500 6.4 8 speed truck they pulled 14k and it did better than the Chevy but not the Ford


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[Timsdually]

Okay. Looks like so far the oil change is gonna cost me close to the same since my hemi uses that fancy oil. BUT is it true that it’s a 15k oil change interval? That’s half of my hemi at least.

AND it’s a wash between my premium fuel and diesel/DEF...though I could see a bit of return with better mileage...

So the skin for me then is the extra upfront cost, and possible maintenance down the road... looks like I need to see some comparison videos then.


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I had 51,000 on my '17 that I just sold.
Maintenance? Change the filters: Fuel, air, oil.

 

[Ionicbrick]

What overheats? The coolant temp, oil temp, or trans temp? Just curious. They do pull a lot more weight with the diesels on there tests up the Ike. I think the 2020 2500 6.4 8 speed truck they pulled 14k and it did better than the Chevy but not the Ford


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All of it gets warm really. The trucks complaint is about the coolant temp, which gets to 255 easy. Trans hangs just under 200, and oil I think is at around the same.

I watched the video with the latest 6.4 and Cummins. You’re right, they were pulling 14k with it and it seemed to do better than mine. BUT, their ambient temps were much lower than when we go. We go in the summer when it’s 90 degrees or so in town. We start with the AC on, but I turn it off at the bottom of I-70 before we start our climb.

For the diesel they had a dully and were pulling a lot more weight. And it was in the middle of winter. Kinda tough to see an apples to apples comparison, which is why I was looking here first.


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[NH RAM]

What overheats? The coolant temp, oil temp, or trans temp? Just curious. They do pull a lot more weight with the diesels on there tests up the Ike. I think the 2020 2500 6.4 8 speed truck they pulled 14k and it did better than the Chevy but not the Ford


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This is true, but the Ram was max'd for the 3.73 gears and the others were maxed at about 16k due to higher rear end ratios; TFL couldn't get a 4.10 equipped Ram for an apples to apples comparison.

If it were my choice, here's how it would play out. If you're towing at elevation frequently, the diesel seems like an easy choice especially if the gas/diesel costs are a wash. Getting a 3500 Cummins powered mega cab is giving you more mileage potential out of the drivetrain, higher towing potential, and we know that forced induction in the turbo diesel is going to show it's value exponentially as altitude increases. That's to get the load moving....now factor in the exhaust brake to keep the load slowing down and stable and there's no comparison. The 8 speed doesn't do a great job of slowing the load down for some reason. Yes, you're paying 10k more for the Cummins, but for regular towing duty, it would probably take quite a bit to talk me out of a Cummins. Don't get me wrong, my 6.4 handles my 11k 5w well, but I haven't really tested it yet on anything substantial.

Towing my last 33' and 7500# tt on some switchbacks through VT and NY rt 7, which is a miseable drive without anything behind you and about a 7% grade (I believe some signs showed higher), it was tough having to scrub speed on uphill corners and then get momentum going again. I say tough because the truck had to work for it but temps were not an issue. Going down the other side the exhaust brake would have been phenomenal.

 

[RAM-pagingMN]

Sounds like an 8 speed, 4.10 gears and upgrading to an electric fan would serve your needs. ive owned 4 6.4 hemis, 3 of them had the dog 6 speed. the 8 speed is a whole other truck and much better towing.

 

[Ramrodd]

I had 51,000 on my '17 that I just sold.
Maintenance? Change the filters: Fuel, air, oil.

So what did you have? A diesel? If so what were the maintenance cost and what’s the intervals?


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[Ramrodd]

All of it gets warm really. The trucks complaint is about the coolant temp, which gets to 255 easy. Trans hangs just under 200, and oil I think is at around the same.

I watched the video with the latest 6.4 and Cummins. You’re right, they were pulling 14k with it and it seemed to do better than mine. BUT, their ambient temps were much lower than when we go. We go in the summer when it’s 90 degrees or so in town. We start with the AC on, but I turn it off at the bottom of I-70 before we start our climb.

For the diesel they had a dully and were pulling a lot more weight. And it was in the middle of winter. Kinda tough to see an apples to apples comparison, which is why I was looking here first.


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Ok so the coolant temp is very high. My 2019 gets up to 220 then the fan come on and comes back down to around 200. The trans temp never gets above 170 and oil temp stays around 200. That’s towing in the smokies which the highest elevation I see is around 4K feet, and I know I’m not even close to the elevation you are seeing.
I would like to see them do there tests in the heat of summer too. Things are more likely to break in the heat.


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[Ionicbrick]

Ok so the coolant temp is very high. My 2019 gets up to 220 then the fan come on and comes back down to around 200. The trans temp never gets above 170 and oil temp stays around 200. That’s towing in the smokies which the highest elevation I see is around 4K feet, and I know I’m not even close to the elevation you are seeing.
I would like to see them do there tests in the heat of summer too. Things are more likely to break in the heat.


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That’s the thing...I never hear my fan kick up. Never. I still think there’s something wrong with it.


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[Ramrodd]

That’s the thing...I never hear my fan kick up. Never. I still think there’s something wrong with it.


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Well I’m assuming my fan is coming on cause I can see the temp come back down but I can’t hear the fan.


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[Ionicbrick]

Well I’m assuming my fan is coming on cause I can see the temp come back down but I can’t hear the fan.


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See I don’t know. Maybe I should get it checked out. If somethings still wrong with my cooling system then maybe my truck is fine for now, or upgrading to the newer hemi is best. If they say it’s functioning properly then I think the Cummins is in my future.


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[Firebird]

I agree with what others have said, get a 2021 3500 Cummins for those CO mountains

 

[SniperDroid]

If your towing for WORK, spend the BUCKS, buy the BIG 3500 Cummins and Load up the toys.... then Write off the entire purchase cost on First Year Depreciation, and take the HUGE tax deduction! It's affectionately refereed to as "the Hummer Deduction"...

 

[Travelin Ram]

There’s nothing normal about the truck overheating. If the cooling system was normal it’s not going to overheat if you run it WOT at max GCWR up the Ike on the hottest day of summer. It’s engineered to do that. The dealer is just BSing you to get to the end of the warranty.

I still wouldn’t recommend a Hemi for what you do.

 

[Ionicbrick]

There’s nothing normal about the truck overheating. If the cooling system was normal it’s not going to overheat if you run it WOT at max GCWR up the Ike on the hottest day of summer. It’s engineered to do that. The dealer is just BSing you to get to the end of the warranty.

I still wouldn’t recommend a Hemi for what you do.

That’s kind of my thought now. They replaced the cooling fan a couple years ago, but I’ve never heard it kick on and the temp only comes down when we pick up speed with less load. I don’t think they BS’d me, I just haven’t bothered them about it again. I think I will have them look at it, and likely look into the Cummins for 2022.


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[Timsdually]

So what did you have? A diesel? If so what were the maintenance cost and what’s the intervals?


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Yup, diesel. I use the filter life count down in the cluster. When it gets to about 15-20% I would change them both. The fuel filter and oil filter were always a point or two within each other.