Diesel vs V8 etorque for daily driver and towing

[AlbertDC]

I am thinking of getting a Big Horn 1500 or lightly spec'd Laramie this summer when I get a larger travel trailer. I'm looking up built specs on vehicles for sale with the RAM VIN and have found a few that are in the 1600-1700 lb payload capacity which is what I need. I think I want the air suspension, but I'm deciding between the Diesel and the V8 etorque engine, both of which I have found spec'd as above. The trailer, loaded, will be 7500 lbs with a tongue weight of 850-900lbs including WDH when it's full/ready to camp. The RAM will become my daily driver and also obviously used for towing the travel trailer in Utah, over some decent hills/mountain passes.
My question is two-fold: which engine is nicest from a daily-driver standpoint? Which engine will pull that trailer best, especially climbing?
Thanks

 

[IvoryHemi]

How many miles do you put on daily? Short /long commute?

 

[AlbertDC]

How many miles do you put on daily? Short /long commute?

Short commute (~12 miles each way, 50% highway, 50% city), 2-3x/wk (I try to bike the other days). Then 25miles each way up canyon roads to the mountains once a week. Camping trips (towing) are 450-600 miles round trip, about 4x/year. I've averaged close to 11,500 miles/year on my current Q7, which is doing the above duties, over the last 3.5 years.

 

[IvoryHemi]

For a short commute I’d stick with the gas Hemi and get the 3.92 axle for towing duty.

The emissions crap on modern diesels get clogged up with short driving.

 

[AlbertDC]

For a short commute I’d stick with the gas Hemi and get the 3.92 axle for towing duty.

The emissions crap on modern diesels get clogged up with short driving.

Thank you. That is an excellent point that I had not considered. Also do a lot of short errands back and forth ferrying the kids around.
V8 etorque should be slightly better in those scenarios than the standard V8, right?

 

[IvoryHemi]

Thank you. That is an excellent point that I had not considered. Also do a lot of short errands back and forth ferrying the kids around.
V8 etorque should be slightly better in those scenarios than the standard V8, right?

In theory yes, but in practice eTorque makes minimal difference.

You might gain <1 mpg but it does come at the cost of reducing payload by about 80-85 lbs

 

[Pristine1]

Laramie’s likely won’t be in the 1600-1700 range with air ride and e torque. A bighorn would be though. Vin checker is the best way to compare like you are doing. Lightly optioned 4x4 Laramie’s on the lot were usually in the 1500’s. Those didn’t have air ride though.

 

[Dragonmaster13]

I see most laramies around me with 1300-1450 with mid options. Loaded I’ve seen them as low as 975lbs. Big horns usually lowest 1450 and as high as 1700, usually around 1600ish with Hemi and 1575 with EcoDiesel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pyleketerson]

In theory yes, but in practice eTorque makes minimal difference.

You might gain <1 mpg but it does come at the cost of reducing payload by about 80-85 lbs

This

 

[Neurobit]

Loaded I’ve seen them as low as 975lbs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow. My loaded Limited (but no eTorque) sticker says 1,361 lbs.
How can there be so much difference? eTorque batteries weigh that much?

 

[IvoryHemi]

Wow. My loaded Limited (but no eTorque) sticker says 1,361 lbs.
How can there be so much difference? eTorque batteries weigh that much?

eTorque is about 80-85 lbs. So to get down around 1,000 lbs payload the truck will also have some combination of Ram Box, MFT, ORG, pano that eat up payload

 

[Neurobit]

eTorque is about 80-85 lbs. So to get down around 1,000 lbs payload the truck will also have some combination of Ram Box, MFT, ORG, pano that eat up payload

Well I have Pano, just wasn’t aware that MFT, ORG, and RAMBoxes would eat up almost 400 lbs additional weight.
Consider myself surprised.

 

[IvoryHemi]

Well I have Pano, just wasn’t aware that MFT, ORG, and RAMBoxes would eat up almost 400 lbs additional weight.
Consider myself surprised.

Approximately: MFT - 75 lbs, ORG- 100 lbs, Ram Box - 150 lbs, throw in eTorque - 80 lbs = your additional 405 lbs

 

[Neurobit]

Approximately: MFT - 75 lbs, ORG- 100 lbs, Ram Box - 150 lbs, throw in eTorque - 80 lbs = your additional 405 lbs

Got it.
Eye opening for sure.

 

[WXman]

Why does everybody keep saying the EcoDiesel is terrible for city driving? 20,000 miles on these Gen 3 engines and I haven't seen excessive regen cycles or issues with emissions equipment.

8,800 lbs. behind mine in a large enclosed trailer and it'll cruise in overdrive (7th usually, sometimes 8th) on the interstate which is amazing. No gas V8 truck I have ever owned would do that.

 

[IvoryHemi]

8,800 lbs. behind mine in a large enclosed trailer and it'll cruise in overdrive (7th usually, sometimes 8th) on the interstate which is amazing. No gas V8 truck I have ever owned would do that.

I’m always in 7th gear at highway speeds with the Hemi/3.92 towing my 7k TT.

I expect my new 8.2k TT to be no different casually cruising along at 2,200- 2,300 rpm