2013 Dodge Ram, 25mpg - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-05-2013, 12:24 PM   #1
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2013 Dodge Ram, 25mpg

Has anyone bought a 2013 6 cyl Dodge Ram? I've seen a few of them at the dealers and they look like a good tow vehicle for a Fiberglass rig. Four door Short bed 2wd list for about $31K nicely equipped. I guess you could buy it for about $26K. The main things I did not really like was it had coil springs in the rear and as with most full size trucks these days the bed rails are too high.
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Old 03-05-2013, 02:57 PM   #2
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Same body, different motor, the coil springs are ideal for air bags, less than $100, firestone. The truck rides like a car but I'd be leery of the mpg, it is a heavy truck. What are the spec's on it for towing?
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:02 PM   #3
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3:21 Rear 4.25-4.4K
3:55 Rear 5.8-6.1K
For the 3:55 rear the window sticker is 25 MPG. I was hoping to see if someone has one and what kind of mileage they were getting and if they were towing anything with it.
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:08 PM   #4
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I have the 3:55 but the Hemi and 20" wheels, I get 12 mpg, towing or not.
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:16 PM   #5
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... the coil springs are ideal for air bags, less than $100, firestone.
Or, spend more money (perhaps a lot more) and get factory four-wheel full air suspension, with automatic adjustment, which they call Active-Level.
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Old 03-05-2013, 06:23 PM   #6
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The salesman was telling me about the shifter knob. I said I guess it's like the MOPAR push button shifter. He just gave me a blank stare and did not know what I was talking about.
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Old 03-05-2013, 09:15 PM   #7
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I guess I would be in the 'blank stare' camp also. What models did they put those on, and when?
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Old 03-05-2013, 09:46 PM   #8
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In the 50's and early 60's chrysler products had push buttons for your automatic gear selector. There was a lever that dropped down to put the car in park.
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Old 03-05-2013, 11:08 PM   #9
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You you could get better mileage by removing the bed to make it lighter. Or you could get better mileage and maneuverability by moving the camper onto the truck. Or you could just get a slide in truck camper! That is what I did. I went over to the dark side.
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Old 03-06-2013, 08:32 PM   #10
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Or you could just get a slide in truck camper! That is what I did. I went over to the dark side.
yeah, but then you have to take everything with you and basically vacate your camping spot when all you want to do is go on a bit of a siteseeing excursion.
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Old 03-06-2013, 09:37 PM   #11
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In the 50's and early 60's chrysler products had push buttons for your automatic gear selector. There was a lever that dropped down to put the car in park.
Eddie
We called those "typewriter drive". Type writers were high tech machines that printed on paper with letter shaped hammers transferring ink from a ribbon soaked with ink.
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:10 PM   #12
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Oh my stars, are we going to talk about Plymouths again.. those dog cars

When I was MUCH younger my folks had a pushbutton transmission car, but I thought it was an AMC, it wasn't it was a PLYMOUTH!
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Old 03-08-2013, 07:25 AM   #13
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V6 engine

I've read several articles about the 2013 and 2014 Ram trucks . There was a problem with the V6 engine which supposedly was corrected ( # 3 cylinder). There was also a problem with the 8 speed transmission and the 8 speed is not available with the Hemi V8 until April 2013. The reports on towing with the V6 were all over the map , some saying the V6 was not a good engine for towing due to it's power curve and struggled at towing loads well under its rating. My Ram dealer recommended waiting for the 2014's to come out. He thinks the bugs will be worked out, Plus they may have a small diesel engine and an updated Hemi available in the 2014 Ram !500 . I did the same thing as Jim and installed air bags in the coil springs . Did a lot for the ride NOTHING for the mileage
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Old 03-08-2013, 07:27 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Oh my stars, are we going to talk about Plymouths again.. those dog cars

When I was MUCH younger my folks had a pushbutton transmission car, but I thought it was an AMC, it wasn't it was a PLYMOUTH!
Wow, that image brings back memories. My dad had a 64 Dodge (just like the pic below). Also the family TV. It had that exact button arrangement on the left side of the dash. Thnxs for posting.
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Old 03-08-2013, 07:46 AM   #15
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Thanks Steve. I bought a Saturn Vue the first year it came out and had quite a few first model year issues. I guess I will wait and see how the issues are resolved. This is the info. I was looking for.
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Old 03-08-2013, 08:06 AM   #16
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8 speed transmission

The 8 speed transmission is a German design and is a proven component
The trouble is linking the transmission shift points to the Pentar V6 engine power curve. The transmission was designed for a different engine and Ram is trying thru the the vehicle computer to make the V6 mesh with the 8 speed
transmission.. Look on the internet there are 3 or 4 websites devoted to Ram trucks IE "ramforumz.com"
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Old 03-08-2013, 09:37 AM   #17
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I think that the basic rule of thumb about higher MPG vehicles as of late has been that anytime you add any load the MPG's head for the toilet. With that gearing they are planning on the engine turning slow most of the time and you may have to lock in a lower gear just to keep going ala some GMC's rule about locking out the overdrive when towing.



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Old 03-08-2013, 10:24 AM   #18
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I have 2011 Outback CVT that gets about 31 MPG. It drops to 22.5 mpg pulling a 13 Scamp and 21 mpg pulling a stripped down Scamp 16. If a truck the size of a Ram towing would get 19-20 MPG that would be great. But I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. An older 2wd cummings with steep gearing may have a better chance of reaching that kind of mileage figures.
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Old 03-11-2013, 12:17 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D.
yeah, but then you have to take everything with you and basically vacate your camping spot when all you want to do is go on a bit of a siteseeing excursion.
I see your point. Many people revolve strictly around campgrounds. I avoid campgrounds mostly because they require too much planning; the ones I like are booked months in advance. As a sailor I find the same sort of hassles around marinas. Everyone wants to be close to town for restaurants and bars. I think most people are fearful of being alone. I like anchoring in secluded harbors, cooking my own food, just as I like private places while camping. People drive by these wonderful spots in their rush to get to a campground with hookups just as sailor motor to get the last mooring.

I could remove my camper--many people do remove slide in campers at their destinations. I suppose if you plan to stay there for a long time it might be worth it. If I wanted to stay for long periods, I'd buy a big camper. In any event, I plan to leave my camper loaded for each trip and the jacks at home to save weight.

To me camping is about exploring new places and being able to stop when I'm tired of driving. I hate hunting for a place to stay when I'm tired and I don't want to stop if I am not. I drive long distances. I want to be able to leave at night and if I get tired after only three hours, pull over and rest for a while. No planning required.

I plotted a route to Alaska recently. My uncle wants to go one more time before he dies, and I want to see it. My 20 year old want to do a trip with me too.

For covering ground, only a van camper is better than a Pickup camper. I don't usually stop in one place for long--although I hope to change that.

I will be carrying my bike and a kayak and perhaps towing a Sunfish. I do a lot of bike riding. I can tow a boat, motorcycle, horse, or utility trailer full of supplies with my camper in place. As it is made of metal, fire is less of a concern and I can install a wood stove.

I still like the idea composite camper, as I do big trailers, and van campers. As a boater I like how egg campers are made. I have given some thought to manufacturing an egg campers or simply for my own use. It is facinating. i like the idea of the longevity of these things. With my boating experience I could build one lighter than anyone. I'd think about find an old one to use as a mold and build one on an aluminum or galvanized frame.
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Old 03-11-2013, 12:19 AM   #20
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I would seriously wait for the 3 liter diesel half ton. It will be pricey though.
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