RAM 1500 as daily commuter?

[Dusty1948]

Hey all, strongly considering leaving my sedan life behind and doing my 60 mile round trip commute in a Ram 1500 limited.
No “need” for the truck, I live in a subdivision and park everyday in a parking garage. I had a truck (F150) a few years ago during a shorter commute, and miss the usefulness and creature comforts.
Any “long” commuters like me, have any opinions?
Any regrets on getting a truck and upping the gas cost?
I’m worried a few months/years into driving it the gas cost will start to grind on me, but the periodic usefulness and space can’t be beat.
Love to hear how you guys came to a decision.
Thanks.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It sounds like you have no specific need for a truck has a hauler, but desire one for many of the tactile reasons associated with one. Don't blame you. While I'm in a financial position to own both a truck and a daily driver for economic reasons, I choose otherwise.

First, I only want one vehicle and that vehicle must be able to carry/tow ATVs and other small equipment. I could do it in a sedan, but that would necessitate having a trailer. I hate trailers because I've owned a couple. Then there's the problem of getting my aged body into a small sedan. That's like trying to stuff my 5'7", 200 pound frame into the lower ball turret on a B-17. It just plain hurts.

In all honesty I like a pickup because of all the tactile reasons many have mentioned in previous posts. Not only do I find entering and exiting a pickup much less painful to my body, but the commanding view is only something you'll get in a full-size pickup. That alone has saved me from countless deer and vehicle collisions. The ride of my Ram 1500 is smooth, quiet, comfortable, and secure. No small or even medium sedan I've been in comes close.

You're concerned about fuel consumption with a full-size pickup. I'm not sure what you are driving now, but that may be your major concern depending on how sensitive you are to the issue. I suggest you need to determine what your threshold of pain will be with respect to gas mileage. If the next question is what can I expect from a Ram Limited, you may or may not be helped by comments here because as already noted reported fuel economy is all over the map. It is important that one be mindful that the most determinate variable regarding gas mileage is the largest variable: the driver. And that explains why reports are so varied.

Since my Ram is my only vehicle, it is my daily driver. I also rack up a lot of miles in a year. For that reason I have chosen to own two-wheel drive models in recent times. This reduces weight and driveline loss, and in a Quad cab version gives you the highest gas mileage and payload (if that's a requirement). I live in a suburb. My commuting generally is a mix of suburban and some rural roads, with about <>10% city driving and <5% cross-town expressway. In other words, mostly "around town."

I've enclosed pictures of the current state of gas mileage on my current tank of gas. Please note that I have 372.4 miles on this tank, so it's not a recent reset and represent real driving. I stick to posted speed limits and my driving style could be categorized as 'patient.' The current mileage is typical for my summertime driving. My Laramie has the 3.21 axle. I would speculate that a similarly equipped Ram 1500 with the V6 Pentastar motor would do even better. Of course, finding a two-wheel drive Ram 1500 of any trim on a dealers lot is going to be next to improbable. I had to order mine.

Sorry for the long response and good luck whatever your decision.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 17 July 2018. Now at: 033149 miles.

 

[Le_Slacker]

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How do you get 360 Surround View to stay on long enough? Mine times out when inching forward in Drive,
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I dunno.... the one I go to most is a big U lined with a wooden fence. When I get to the speaker I turn it on.... make my way around the loop and then turn it off when I’m straight again, which is around 2.5 truck lengths before the pickup window.

There’s another one near my work. This one is tight. All front and back sensors go nuts navigating this one with all the yellow posts everywhere and right turns.... the 360 helps this one even more. But it’s so tight that I now skip that one and just walk in after I park.

 

[SpeedyV]

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How do you get 360 Surround View to stay on long enough? Mine times out when inching forward in Drive,
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If you manually trigger them, they don’t shut off until you hit 10 mph.

 

[Le_Slacker]

If you manually trigger them, they don’t shut off until you hit 10 mph.

Now I have to do 10 mph in the drivethru lane to test that out

 

[Limitedlifestyle]

It sounds like you have no specific need for a truck has a hauler, but desire one for many of the tactile reasons associated with one. Don't blame you. While I'm in a financial position to own both a truck and a daily driver for economic reasons, I choose otherwise.

First, I only want one vehicle and that vehicle must be able to carry/tow ATVs and other small equipment. I could do it in a sedan, but that would necessitate having a trailer. I hate trailers because I've owned a couple. Then there's the problem of getting my aged body into a small sedan. That's like trying to stuff my 5'7", 200 pound frame into the lower ball turret on a B-17. It just plain hurts.

In all honesty I like a pickup because of all the tactile reasons many have mentioned in previous posts. Not only do I find entering and exiting a pickup much less painful to my body, but the commanding view is only something you'll get in a full-size pickup. That alone has saved me from countless deer and vehicle collisions. The ride of my Ram 1500 is smooth, quiet, comfortable, and secure. No small or even medium sedan I've been in comes close.

You're concerned about fuel consumption with a full-size pickup. I'm not sure what you are driving now, but that may be your major concern depending on how sensitive you are to the issue. I suggest you need to determine what your threshold of pain will be with respect to gas mileage. If the next question is what can I expect from a Ram Limited, you may or may not be helped by comments here because as already noted reported fuel economy is all over the map. It is important that one be mindful that the most determinate variable regarding gas mileage is the largest variable: the driver. And that explains why reports are so varied.

Since my Ram is my only vehicle, it is my daily driver. I also rack up a lot of miles in a year. For that reason I have chosen to own two-wheel drive models in recent times. This reduces weight and driveline loss, and in a Quad cab version gives you the highest gas mileage and payload (if that's a requirement). I live in a suburb. My commuting generally is a mix of suburban and some rural roads, with about <>10% city driving and
I've enclosed pictures of the current state of gas mileage on my current tank of gas. Please note that I have 372.4 miles on this tank, so it's not a recent reset and represent real driving. I stick to posted speed limits and my driving style could be categorized as 'patient.' The current mileage is typical for my summertime driving. My Laramie has the 3.21 axle. I would speculate that a similarly equipped Ram 1500 with the V6 Pentastar motor would do even better. Of course, finding a two-wheel drive Ram 1500 of any trim on a dealers lot is going to be next to improbable. I had to order mine.

Sorry for the long response and good luck whatever your decision.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 17 July 2018. Now at: 033149 miles.

Thanks for the perspective!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jdmartin]

well...I guess I'll have to be the turd-in-the-punchbowl. I am a big fan of having a second vehicle that is long paid off, comfortable, and already has plenty of scratches and dings, and using THAT vehicle for commutes, trips to the dump, anything routine. In the long run it saves money. Keeps mileage way down on the Limited, keeps it in the B2B warranty, feels like a treat when I do drive it. My second veh is a 2008 Ford Edge, 150,000..bought it new, still runs awesome, with ice cold ac, leather, pano, heated seats..etc.

This is me as well. I put 25-30k miles in commuting every year for 20 years. I buy reasonably cheap, comfortable econoboxes for commuting, kill them with miles, sell and repeat. I'm on my last one now - a 2013 Kia Soul stick that I bought new for $12.5 in 2012 and now have almost 160k miles on it. I'll probably have almost 200 on it when I'm done, and I'll sell it for $2-4k. Between the gas, wear and tear (15" tires vs. 18", for example), and depreciation, I saved enough driving beater boxes to totally pay for my Ram.

If it were only the gas I'd probably just go with the truck. That said, you do 300 miles per week commuting, which is only 15k miles per year. That's not much more than average miles, so if you want the comfort go for it. Just realize your costs are more than the gas.

 

[go-ram]

If you manually trigger them, they don’t shut off until you hit 10 mph.

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I think there is also a time-based shutoff as well. When I turn on Surround View when inching toward the concrete wall in the parking garage at work (every inch counts with a full-size pickup in a parking garage, for courtesy to others as well as protecting the truck), it will shut off after a handful of seconds even when speed is near zero. I've never timed the shutoff, but it definitely exists.
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On a similar note, is there an easy way to put the Surround View icon in the "home" row of icons at the base of the Uconnect-12 display? At least then it would be only one tap away instead of two taps.
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Thanks.
.

 

[SpeedyV]

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I think there is also a time-based shutoff as well. When I turn on Surround View when inching toward the concrete wall in the parking garage at work (every inch counts with a full-size pickup in a parking garage, for courtesy to others as well as protecting the truck), it will shut off after a handful of seconds even when speed is near zero. I've never timed the shutoff, but it definitely exists.
.
On a similar note, is there an easy way to put the Surround View icon in the "home" row of icons at the base of the Uconnect-12 display? At least then it would be only one tap away instead of two taps.
.
Thanks.
.

That's odd. I can leave my cameras on in Park indefinitely, for example. They only shut off if I turn them on and then shift (e.g. from D to R, R to D, P to D, etc.).

And yes—one of the first things I did to customize UConnect was to go to Apps, grab that icon, and replace the default camera icon at the bottom right corner. Much more useful!

 

[Stevenc150]

...On a similar note, is there an easy way to put the Surround View icon in the "home" row of icons at the base of the Uconnect-12 display? At least then it would be only one tap away instead of two taps.

Treat it like a tablet, press/hold/drag to bottom. Truck has to be stopped tho...not that I actually tried this while cruising down the interstate @ 80mph