Towing Trip - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Towing Trip - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com conducts a long-term test of the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel and goes on a towing trip with a hobby car on a trailer and a full bed.

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ebeaudoin

Interested to see fuel economy update. Can you provide one for the trip?

fordson1

Yeah - the only half-ton P/U with a diesel, the first time they tow with it...and they leave the fuel economy numbers out of the post. Get some sleep, come back, slap your forehead that you left this info out, and do the update.

Also notice that this is a fine tow vehicle, but as a haul vehicle, it is, again, compromised by the too-short bed.

rangergress

Here's some more tow info on the Ecodiesel. I tow a 24' enclosed trailer weighing 7400-7800lbs depending on the road trip. Monthly we go 7-16hrs roundtrip. Terrain is flat to rolling. Truck does really well. Previous tow vehicle was a 2000 F-250 Diesel and the Ram is vastly nicer to tow with. Quiet, comfortable, luxurious, reassuring towing manners, it's the difference between arriving at the event worn out and half deaf, and arriving relaxed with a big smile. I tow at 60-64mph and get 13.5 to 14.5mpg. That's slightly better then the pre-EPA F-250 got, which is a tough standard to beat. As a daily driver the Ram Ecodiesel gets amazing mpg. I have a 12mi commute half surface streets and half hwy, and get 24mpg. On the freeway I can get 30mpg if I keep the speed <70mph. The F-250 got 12mpg in that commute.

cracknut

I also came from a 2001 f250 diesel but now I tow a 5000lb brick (20 enclosed car hauler) with a 2013 Touareg TDI and it achieves about 15-16mpg towing at 60mph. Towing the trailer empty (2500lbs) hardly affects the mpg at all - it's entirely aero. Average 28-30 mpg when not towing.