Anybody towing with a Ram 1500 5.7?

[2nazt]

@Sly J the 8 speed is a game changer. I had a 12 Ram 5.7 and tested a new 8 speed 5.7 and was blown away. I ended up with the ecodiesel w/8 speed. It’s amazing. One day I’ll tune it with GDE and be even happier. But I’ll upgrade to a 3500 Cummins at some point.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

By the way stay away from the Bakflip VP, I had it on my Ram and know 3 other people that have it and they are all delaminating and starting to sag. They sandwich foam board between pieces of metal and use spray adhesive to keep it together, I repaired mine 3 times before I traded the truck.

You got that right! I’m on my 2nd VP. I have to say that my warranty replacement, that I nearly tossed in the dumpster while new, is holding up well. No sag yet after 8 months. Fingers crossed.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I have a 2016 4x4 Longhorn edition w/ 3.21 gears. We drove to New Orleans to evacuate for Hurricane Irma and made it from New Orleans to Tampa on a single tank with 2 gallons of the 32 gallon tank to spare. It was not our intention but fuel was scarce east of Pensacola. The computer said we averaged 22.1 mpg for the trip which sounds about right for the 640ish mile trip. In August we towed the boat from Tampa to NC and averaged 14 mpg both ways. We always keep around 70-72 mph while driving, whether towing or not.

I really like the truck overall but there were a few quality issues out of the gate. The under-hood light was not installed from the factory, one of the engine mounts was improperly torqued from the factory which caused an annoying rattle over bumps, and the side molding was separating from the wheel wells within a couple months of purchase. All were fixed promptly under warranty so no real issues there.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy the Ram as the GM trucks (my dad has a Silverado) STILL don’t have smart key/push button ignition, they use backup cameras that have horrible clarity, & the rear cup holders look like an afterthought the way they stick up on top of the rear armrest. Ford would be my 1st choice of money didn’t matter but it does, and for a similarly priced Ford, it’s pretty barren.

I would have made 2 changes if I could go back. 1) get the 3.92 gears. I think it’s a $50 (yes fifty) option and everyone says it makes a huge difference towing & a negligible difference in mpg. 2) Rambox. Being my 1st pickup truck I didn’t realize how much I would be lacking places to hide stuff so the back seat doesn’t look like a dumpster. There are some awesome cubbies under the floor & seats but two boxes in the fenders would be insanely convenient in hindsight. Good luck with your shopping!

EDIT: I can 2nd Sam’s note on the powertrain. The 8 speed is very smooth. Even with the 3.21 gears it doesn’t hunt for gears & the shifting is every bit as smooth as my Lexus before it. I was reading about the transmission before I got it & learned that because of the design it can make “extreme shifts” which means it doesn’t have to cycle from 7-6-5-4 it can go straight from 7-4. The new Ford 10 speed can do the same thing now and I believe the new GM 8 does this as well. At the time this was unique. Point is, the powertrain is great

I think it is important to note what motor you have.... getting 22 in the 5.7 is realistic but you need to baby it. 22 in the Eco is easy all day. I made it to right outside Atlanta from Tampa with a pair skis on the back.

I love my Ram... I think there is something wrong with my trailer tires because it seems bumpy. When I had a pair of Jet-Skis I could do 95mph and not even notice them back there. (Didn't mean to do that but 1400 miles of not feeling the trailer and going down hill... oops lol.

BakFlip has changed their quality a ton over the years.... and they stand by their product. They couldn't find my receipt (which was out of warranty anyways).. and they still sent me a brand new G2 cover. The new cover has a bunch of stuff the old one didn't... and the quality was much improved.

 

[motoman006]

We have two of the 5.7 with 8 speed and one ecodiesel with 8 speed here at work

I drive the ecodiesel
Real world mix of highway and city I end up around 23-25mpg, mant costs are more on these trucks

The 5.7 guys are averaging 14mpg
I'm not sure how they drive but they get used for budding jobs and get a lot of miles out on them

We sold both 5.7 recently and I still have the ecodiesel

Also side note
Mine will be replaced with a new f150 diesel they should be out in 2018