Ram 1500 rated best of 1/2 ton tow rigs

[Leon T]

This video is interesting. The Ford ranks dead last, GMC is 2nd and the Ram is far and away the winner.

I still don't like 1/2 tons for heavy towing and I won't use one because they have to work so hard to move and stop a big load. Look at the downhill test where each 1/2 ton had to have the brakes applied 10 times to keep speed down. On my Duramax I just hit the engine brake switch, set the speed where I want it and forget about it. No stress.

But for those of you who like 1/2 tons I see why (much better ride for one thing). The Ram also comes with air suspension which is pretty slick. If I had to choose a 1/2 ton tow rig that would be my choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgtBH2xOObE

[Cate&Rob]

I don’t have enough internet bandwidth to watch a 27 minute rambling video, but, do they actually provide and compare payload information? For many years, Ram 1500s have had by far the lowest half ton payloads. Maybe they have finally joined the game?

Rob

[MidwestCamper]

This video is interesting. The Ford ranks dead last, GMC is 2nd and the Ram is far and away the winner.

I still don't like 1/2 tons for heavy towing and I won't use one because they have to work so hard to move and stop a big load. Look at the downhill test where each 1/2 ton had to have the brakes applied 10 times to keep speed down. On my Duramax I just hit the engine brake switch, set the speed where I want it and forget about it. No stress.

But for those of you who like 1/2 tons I see why (much better ride for one thing). The Ram also comes with air suspension which is pretty slick. If I had to choose a 1/2 ton tow rig that would be my choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgtBH2xOObE

I like the air suspension and wish everyone would do this but the 16 spark plug swap at every 30k does not sit well with me on the Ram. I do tike their styling. Actually I like all the big three in this area. But the non towing fuel economy will go to the GMC with DFM. I'll take the 6.2 GM any day. Simple, Strong and efficient. Gas engines have only one option and that is to change cam timing to tune to maximum pumping ( max vacuum) and that's all they can do. Its not the same as a diesel with jake brake style engine braking.

[pilotpip]

After having a dodge that couldn't run 5000 miles without the check engine light coming on, rattled over every bounce after less than 30,000 on the odometer, and rusting fenders after 6 years, I'll stick with my fords.

I've watched a couple of their videos. I'd go far enough to say they're getting a kickback from ram.

[DaveMatthewsBand]

I’ve owned 6 Ford gassers and they were all breaking down at least twice a year, unlike the diesel I’ve owned for the past two years.

So if I had to go back to a half ton I’d be all over that Ram, it’s much more aesthetically pleasing than the other two.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thorvald]

16 spark swap at every 30k??? Who was selling you snake oil? My 1500 requires new plugs every 100,000 miles.

At 30,000 miles all you need to do is :

• Inspect the CV/Universal joints.
• 1500 Models:Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If gear oil leakage is suspected, check the fluid level. If using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing, change axle fluid.
• Inspect transfer case fluid.
• Replace engine air filter.

Here is what my Canadian manual says:

Perform Maintenance At 160,000 km or 120 Months
❏ Inspect the front suspension components, tie rod ends and boot seals; replace if necessary.
❏ Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If gear oil leakage is suspected, check the fluid level.
Change the axle fluid if using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer
towing. (2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 Trucks)
❏ Inspect the brake linings and parking brake function.
❏ Replace the cabin air filter.
❏ Replace the spark plugs. **
❏ Flush and replace the engine coolant at 10 years or 240,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.
❏ Inspect the PCV valve; replace if necessary.
** The spark plug change interval is metrage based only, monthly intervals do not apply.


Sheesh.

i love all trucks no matter what make, but everyone gets a Lemon once in a while. I will buy what ever fits the budget and required capabilities at the time (now that I know that 1500 trucks are bloody minivans with a bed). That being said I will not pay $90k for the name I ‘like’ when I can the same truck for $70k for another make. I grew out of that crap when I passed 18 years old.

[howson]

The Ford ranks dead last, GMC is 2nd and the Ram is far and away the winner.

Timing how long it takes to get up the mountain? The small difference between the three trucks (about 10 seconds) is meaningless. Like brake application going down, what these guys should have measured is how many times the truck had to downshift (and race up through the RPMs) and upshift to maintain speed.

1/4 of their score is subjective? The first guy bases his scoring on "fit and finish" but the video does not show a single example to support his score.

1/4 of their score is uphill MPG? Do these guys spend all their time towing going up 7% grades?

They completely ignore the payload difference between the trucks in their scoring. Crazy.

They go to great lengths to show how to access the bed in the GMC and RAM but neglect to show the integrated step in the Ford's tailgate. The do manage to waste about 10 seconds on each review to show that the tailgate doesn't impact the trailer's tongue jack. (Wow, thanks guys.)

The point system should include ease of connecting, disconnecting, and leveling the trailer. The RAM clearly is the leader (built-in air suspension!) in this area. After all, the title is "Best Half-Ton Towing Truck..." I wish my 350 DRW had an integrated air system that self-leveled.

These guys also spent a lot of time talking about the cameras but failed to mention if they are usable while driving. I suspect the same hand-holding is true in the RAM and GMC like it is in the Ford. I hate that Ford disables the camera system above 5 mph. I fail to understand how a view out the back of the truck in the display is any more distracting than a rear-view mirror.

Enough of a rant for today.

[MidwestCamper]

16 spark swap at every 30k??? Who was selling you snake oil? My 1500 requires new plugs every 100,000 miles.

At 30,000 miles all you need to do is :

• Inspect the CV/Universal joints.
• 1500 Models:Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If gear oil leakage is suspected, check the fluid level. If using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing, change axle fluid.
• Inspect transfer case fluid.
• Replace engine air filter.

Here is what my Canadian manual says:

Perform Maintenance At 160,000 km or 120 Months
❏ Inspect the front suspension components, tie rod ends and boot seals; replace if necessary.
❏ Inspect the front and rear axle surfaces. If gear oil leakage is suspected, check the fluid level.
Change the axle fluid if using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer
towing. (2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 Trucks)
❏ Inspect the brake linings and parking brake function.
❏ Replace the cabin air filter.
❏ Replace the spark plugs. **
❏ Flush and replace the engine coolant at 10 years or 240,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.
❏ Inspect the PCV valve; replace if necessary.
** The spark plug change interval is metrage based only, monthly intervals do not apply.


Sheesh.

i love all trucks no matter what make, but everyone gets a Lemon once in a while. I will buy what ever fits the budget and required capabilities at the time (now that I know that 1500 trucks are bloody minivans with a bed). That being said I will not pay $90k for the name I ‘like’ when I can the same truck for $70k for another make. I grew out of that crap when I passed 18 years old.

Oh they went back to platinum plugs? Thanks for the update.
I worked for them when they pulled platinum plugs and I also had a Dodge half ton. It was a good looking truck with top notch paint body fit and interior. Only problem was I have never burned so much fuel in any vehicle at 12.6 mpg empty. It also began rusting after just three years. The kicker and when I sold it was the flexing of the rear body panels with my small pop up truck camper on its back. But that was long ago. And even an 18 year old could figure out what this truck was all about.
Today, I believe RAM to be a good truck while still being cautious on the corrosion part. First to go is the tailgate so it would be good to pickle the panels just after purchase. LPS3 will seal the seams In all the panels and works extremely well to preserve the body. Todays half ton trucks are the 3/4 ton trucks of yesterday.....hardly a minivan and for many, its all we need.

It looks like they went back to Platinum plugs for the 2014 models. Prior to this....16 plugs at a dealer cost of $400.00 with installation.
https://www.ramforum.com/threads/5-7...change.103898/

[Leon T]

I'm not brand loyal. I will buy the best truck I can get for the least amount of money. I've owned them all (even though I get employee price on GM). Unless this Ram was pricier than a similarly equipped Chevy or Ford, or I found some other compelling reason to drop it (outside brand loyalty which many of my friends and some on this forum exhibit symptoms of all the time), I would buy it.

I follow the manual for maintenance and if the manual says plugs at 100K then that's what I do. Why would I replace 16 plugs at 30K if the manual didn't call for it? My daughter's Jetta said new plugs at 50K so I replaced them, even though they looked fine and it was running fine.

I'm not a TFL fan boy and don't know much about them, but I found the tests interesting and informative. "Fit and finish" is largely subjective, so how else would they rate it? The seat of the pants feeling you get when towing is largely subjective, so how else do you rate it? Testing the "towing" ability of 1/2 ton trucks was the subject of the segment, so I'm not sure why the complaints about them focusing on towing. It would hardly be logical to run 1/4 mile drag races through a foot of snow with an empty truck to test towing ability. As far as them getting "paid off" by Ram to skew the results, I'm not going there.

[pilotpip]

I'm really not brand loyal either, I just had a really, really bad ownership experience with a 2005 ram 1500. I'm sure there are plenty that have had great experiences. What's more important to me is where it's made. I still do my very best to buy American when possible, even if it costs a bit more.

These guys have a video where they're towing a heavy gooseneck with brand new 1 ton duallies and comparing fuel mileage. First, none of the trucks are broken in, second, the weather conditions are changing for the worse throughout the test so the conditions were not the same for each tow.