I have a 4900 lb camper and have towed it with 3 different Rams. The Eco Diesel is hands down much more comfortable to tow.
The first one was a 2019 Laramie with the 5.7 Hemi and 3.21 gears. Towed the camper from NY to the California coast a total of 8000 miles in 28 days. It got the job done but struggled in some circumstances. It screamed going over mountain passes and struggled in high elevations due to the effects of altitude on engine performance. Headwinds were brutal with the sail the camper creates and sometimes it was a struggle to maintain 55 MPH even on flat land and would be in 3rd or 4th gear just revved up to 4000 RPMs. Wind resistance is a killer. Averaged 9-10 MPG. The BIggest issue though was the 26-gallon fuel tank. That was miserable. Fill up and then at 150 miles in you had to start looking for a gas station especially out west on more isolated stretches of road.
After that, I had to have the 33-gallon tank so I traded for a 2021 Limited with the 5.7 Etourque Hemi and while I was at it got the 3.92 gears hoping for a better towing experience. The 33-gallon tank was a huge improvement but that was all. Not to start a 3.21 VS 3.92 war but sorry, zero, zip, nada difference at speed towing. All it did was drop my gas mileage when not towing (milage was the same 9-10 when towing) and make the tires break loose more than I liked when taking off from a dead stop. At speed towing though absolutely no difference. Still struggled and screamed in headwinds and going up steep grades. If towing heavy the 3.92 gears probably would get the load going easier and with less wear and tear on the truck but once up to speed..... phhht! No benefit.
Now earlier this year with the vehicle shortages I was able to get a trade-in value on the truck at almost what I paid for it so I found an Eco diesel limited about a 4-hour drive from me so did the deal and picked it up. Got the Ram boxes on this one which I never thought I would use but now that I have them can't imagine being without them! This one has the 33-gallon tank and with my experience on the 3.92 gears, I opted for the 3.21's on this one for the better gas mileage. It didn't disappoint in that regard with hitting 30 mpg on highway trips. So just 2 days ago I hooked up the camper and towed it up to a campground about 50 miles from me. Much, much, more relaxed towing experience. So different than the 5.7 Hemi. Going up grades it was easy to maintain 55 mph at well under 3000 RPMs. On flat stretches I found myself creeping over the 65 mph limit without noticing and under 2000 RPMs. As a bonus on the trip, it averaged 13 MPG. Really a much better tow vehicle than the Hemi. I wasn't expecting it to be much different than the Hemi and was pleasantly surprised at how much nicer it towed.
I think you'll love it. I know I really enjoy mine!
Good review. Good to know it's not just me.
A few years ago, I was in a wreck and the other insurance company paid for me to get a Ram for about a month. The 2020 Classic was a 5.7 Hemi, but I'm not sure what gear ratio. In either case, I'm no stranger to towing between various trucks.
Going back to my earlier review, my Frontier has been a towing champ for the last 7 years. It definitely punches above its class and anyone who has been in the passenger seat while I'm towing can confirm they didn't expect it to tow so well for a mid-size truck.
When I rented the Hemi Classic, I expected a huge leap in towing experience. I towed both my 18' dovetail and 16x7' enclosed with the rental, and in all honesty, it felt shockingly similar to the Frontier. The Hemi's 8-speed transmission made it worse, in fact. It was constantly gear-hunting, every adjustment in my right foot required a different gear. There was a bit more see-sawing than I expected from a 1500, and I maybe pulled off 10mpg. I was never struggling for power, the Hemi made it pretty clear that it can accelerate, but overall, the Hemi Classic really discouraged me from wanting a 1500.
When I came around to ordering my truck, I didn't really intend to buy another pickup truck, much less a Ram, but I was shopping the entire segment of tow-capable family haulers and the Ram1500 beat everyone in almost every category. I outfitted my truck to put on highway miles. The Laramie was a very good value for the luxury options, the EcoDiesel 3.21 was a good package for a smooth and quiet highway ride, but now that I've actually towed something on the back, IMO, it blows the Hemi out of the water. It's the most comfortable towing experience I've ever had, and on the same roads I've pulled trailers dozens of times.
If anything, the problem is that the Hemi is a lot like that M5 you see on the trailer. It's always chomping at the bit. The Hemi wants and needs to be revved, the EcoDiesel has such a different personality. It wants just 1 gear and you can pretty much drive it all day with just one pedal. It's very relaxing and it has so much torque at any rpm that there's never any drama trying to find the powerband.
