2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Review - Towing an Enclosed Trailer, Is It Enough?

Diesel is marketed the "holy grail" for people who tow a lot. Ram sent us a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited with the 3.0L V6 #EcoDiesel engine, and we used it to pull an #enclosedtrailer to our $1,500 Grandma Car Rallycross Challenge. Did the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel tow our trailer and Volvo well enough? Or is the VM Motori turbodiesel not quite enough when faced with hills?
2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Written Review:
outmotorsports.com/2020/08/20...
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[@1gr8oil]

Very good review of the Ram Eco-diesel. Thanks of the time you took to get this published!

[@OutMotorsports]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed!

[@caseymartin8144]

Just drove mine from Orlando Florida to Chesterfield Va on one tank of diesel!

[@nityapatel6558]

I just bought mine for this very reason! Amazing mpg!

[@killerb5726]

That pretty impressive, I’m in Chesterfield and had to fill up a couple of times in my wife’s traverse when I went last time.

[@hikethisplanet1017]

Great job , very informative Thank You

[@nickhiscamera8748]

Excellent review. Insanely detailed!

[@OutMotorsports]

Thanks boo

[@MrNismopro]

1:49 - "Only 442 lbs/ft of torque". I still remember when I bought my 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins that had "only" 460 lbs/tq. Now we're seeing these numbers in 3 liters.

[@kenhaze5230]

Thumbs up for correctly saying "damped" instead of "dampened." The tailgate isn't wet, it opens softly.

[@johncu7007]

EXCELLENT review 😉👍 - you covered (in a short/shorter time) better than most others that I’ve viewed. I hope to get one of these (when I can afford it), but it is VERY difficult to get a “night edition” [diesel], since the Pandemic started. And I’ve also noticed that the “price” has gone up significantly lately. So when I first began my interest in this truck (in 2020) it was going for around $70,000. Now (Oct 2021) it is more than $78,000 (fully loaded). So if “inflation” keeps going in this direction (up) then I may not be able to afford this soon.

[@912garage3]

Same here. I have been eyeing one of these for almost 2 years now and the price increase is ridiculous. Considering a “classic” model 2016-2018 just because the new prices are so horrible.

[@haleyly80]

Outstanding review, thank you for the specs.

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@kimojon9665]

WOW! what a truck!!! That is so beautiful and bad ass looking at the same time. Love that truck!

[@williamrutkowski]

Great thorough review. 😉

[@jasons5842]

Thanks for the video, towing mpg is what I needed to know.

[@ChickenSoupMusic]

It can get 33 ish mpg highway so…. Better mpg than a Power Wagon 😂

[@aaron5222]

Good review. Lots of good information

[@OutMotorsports]

Thanks! 👍

[@michaelcullinan9213]

Changed out my 20 inch rims for 18's with a 275 profile, much better ride quality. 2021 Laramie with air suspension, love this truck, pull a 24 foot ATC car hauler easy

[@tylrhufm]

I've never been a huge fan of Dodge Trucks but this thing is beautiful! They really included many creature comforts in this model.

[@OutMotorsports]

They're really nice - ventilated rear seats, even! We'd spec ours differently (a Laramie trim, to start) but the impression of quality trickles down to lower trim levels. Buttons and switches move with a weight and purpose. Very, very nicely done.

[@chrisholland2016]

Those are some badboys I have a patriot blue ram 1500 limited night edition powered by the ecodiesel and I love it. Like it's a beast I can even tow two of my horses with it and I just love it. Very torquey and just phenomenal. When it comes to trucks I'm all about the get up and go and the ecodiesel definitely has the power. Really can't complain about that truck whatsoever. Really love it.

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you are loving yours! Patriot Blue is a fantastic color, especially on the Limited.

[@chrisholland2016]

@@OutMotorsports yeah and not to mention I had a 2014 f150 limited back in high school in blue jeans metallic. Gorgeous truck but I'm starting to like the ram better. Not to mention the best fuel mileage too because well powered by ECODIESEL.

[@churdoz]

I am just subscribing to see more of this man 😛

[@TheBadbucky]

Very good video. I have this exact truck without the Ram boxes, 2021 though. This being my 2nd truck, the last an F-150, I don't think I'll miss the Ram box feature. I absolutely love this truck. Sooo, why do you have Michigan plates but you're rolling around One Loudoun heading towards Leesburg? I live like 5 miles from that Starbuck's and it ain't no where near Detroit. Maybe we can meet there and gawk at each others trucks. I also curbed my truck the 3rd week of owning it. dinged it pretty bad but I'm getting that repaired. Had my f150 for 11 years and never did that.. I'm getting some A/T 305/45r22's which fit (snuggly) when the suspension is at its' lowest, but should remedy the curb rash. Other than the wheels, the truck is a dream.

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed! And yep, you clocked me at One Loudoun. The truck was a manufacturer press vehicle that we had for a week to review, hence the Michigan tags.

[@CleaningMyGun]

FCA now owns VM Motori, FYI.

[@rjd827]

How does your 5.7 hemi compare in towing vs the ecodiesel. I have a rebel now with the hemi but considering getting an ecodiesel. I tow quite a bit usually around the 5,000 lbs mark but for long durations (300 miles) on the highway going to my cabin. Typically tow at 70 mph.

[@jessebrown9030]

Great video, I have an Eco D Rebel I love it. Traded my 1 year old 5.7 the mpg was killing me towing my boat

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed and you're liking your Rebel! The 5.7 is a great engine but it's pretty thirsty, loaded or not.

[@rondellschuyler7074]

Lucky you. The hemi has a low oil pressure problem. Cam and lifters go bad. Engine block oil passages are to blame. A high pressure oil pump from melling or milodon is necessary. My brother is going thru this problem. Seen many have this problem.

[@JaviIbarra]

Thank you so much 👏👏👏

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed - be sure to subscribe!

[@alexcassie6188]

Nice Review. Just a small point to clarify, the 8HP75 transmission is not a "corporate transmission", it is a design from ZF in Germany (which is a good thing, since they have proven more reliable than the Corporate predecessors) that FCA has a licensing agreement to build them in the US and market them under the Torqueflite 8 name..

[@OutMotorsports]

Thanks - we're using "corporate" in the sense that it's installed in basically everything FCA sells at this point. Corporate standard if not a Chrysler design, which, as you mention... is not a bad thing.

[@MultiPartizan1]

ZF transmissions are made in Austria design technology and production as well.

[@alexcassie6188]

@@MultiPartizan1 Chrysler makes the ZF 8HPxx transmissions under license in the USA now and brands them "TorqueFlite 8" or 850RE in some models. But it is still a 3rd party (ZF) design, which has a better track record than the 68RFE and other Chrysler designs from everything I've read.

[@Good-luck-Jonathan]

That is not the corporate Chrysler transmission that is a ZF 8HP75 that is not licensed manufactured under Chrysler, but built Germany directly from ZF. This is the best transmission you can get in the world, reliability, and shifting.

[@outthedoorlife]

480LB of torque? 410 is listed by manufacturer. What was the diff. 3: ?? Are you aware of any changes to HP or torque for 2022? Thanks for the video. Very comfortable ride but wishing it had more HP and yes, more torque.

[@Daireishi]

@16:00 get the limited with off-road and keep 20" wheels. Can't get night-edition with off-road, but oh well. Also, it's 21/29 for the 4WD version you had. 15-16 for 4WD towing pretty impressive. Would get an ECU tune done, can go up to 300hp and like 520 ft-lb torque.

[@helloeveryone906]

Pretty good vehicle for anyone not towing over 10k . Good enough for 1 car trailer, boat , 20 ft+ camp trailer. No heavy equipment.

[@l8tapex]

I have the gen3 2WD REBEL on the way and hope it can but kept the 2500 HD to tow the A Sedan mustang and trailer. thanks

[@kayvonmansouri]

I wish without a tune, you could force it into a higher gear. Mine does the same thing while towing, and there is no reason to rev the motor, if you could force to the next gear you could stay in the torque better. My 2 cents. Great review, I have a 2nd gen and really want a 3rd gen, but my wife wants a new car first, so that means i have to buy 2 just to get to what i want!!!!

[@rondellschuyler7074]

Cummins diesel needs to develope and bring to market a 3.0 diesel. If used in the dodge truck, that will definetly sell.

[@hemiaddiction]

Put your 2016 on cruise control and the transmission grade shifts amazing when it needs to

[@OutMotorsports]

It does an okay job, though cruise control + towing is not always the best idea. Sometimes, though. Ford still wins on downshift logic when in Tow/Haul mode.

[@hemiaddiction]

@@OutMotorsports I drive for a living and always use cruise control. Especially with a trailer

[@jsboening]

Saw one on the lot and my jaw dropped when I saw it’s $74k sticker. Going to take me a while to absorb that.

[@OutMotorsports]

New trucks are all SO expensive! Worth keeping in mind, though, that you can often get pretty big rebates from the domestic brands, and lower trims can be optioned up like a higher trim. So if Ram is offering a big rebate on a Laramie, it may be more cost-effective to get a "Laramie with all the stuff" and take the rebate vs buying a Limited or Longhorn or whatever.

[@jasons5842]

I agree with the 22s, especially when it comes to ride quality, they just flat out sucks.

[@OhioPrepperOne]

I have a 2008 ram 1500 that came with 20” wheels and I hate them. The ride with 20” wheels is so harsh it seems. Does anyone else notice that as well? Would running 17” wheels make a huge difference? I do have a 144k miles on the truck, could it be that it just needs new shocks / struts and that would make it not so harsh on typical road bumps? Great review!

[@OutMotorsports]

Smaller wheels with a taller sidewall on the tire would absolutely help the ride quality. If there was a same-year Ram 1500 that came with a 17 or 18" wheel, look to those wheels/tire sizes. At 144k, though, your shocks/struts are also 100% tired and ready to be replaced.

[@ramrider1453]

I have a 2019 Longhorn with 20” rims. I find the ride fantastic. Got the BF duratracks for tires. These tires are a bit of a rougher ride but still, rides nice and smooth. IMO.. cheers

[@KrustyKlown]

Diesel better towing fuel mileage is offset by high cost of Diesel fuel + DEF + hassle. The 5.7L Hemi with eTorque has slightly higher towing capacity .. and the Hemi sound is soothing to the soul.

[@OutMotorsports]

Indeed. Cost of buy-in plus overall ownership cost doesn't make a ton of sense compared to many modern gas engines... though that diesel sound is sure nice sometimes. But, so is the Hemi and now, the Hurricane twin-turbo inline six that Stellantis has is a phenomenal towing engine. We drove it in a Grand Wagoneer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5qYfqyOe7Cip7M

[@Garagegraderacecar]

did you happen to notice how much urea use while towing? vs. not towing?

[@OutMotorsports]

It was delivered to us with a full tank and barely moved the needle while we had it. We put about 350 miles on the truck, most of that towing, and might have seen the gauge move a few percentage points, maybe. We can ask the fleet company how often they're putting DEF in it.

[@arseniboston9659]

Can you do same but with v8 etorqe and 2021 version. Thank you.

[@OutMotorsports]

We can sure ask! It depends on what is available locally at the time.

[@tonyb3406]

Yes or no?? I just wanna know if, Is it worth it? Let me work it I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it.

[@aaronj8600]

I might have missed it, but what gears? 3.21/3.92?

[@OutMotorsports]

This one had the 3.92 gears.

[@matthewstocks2960]

So it's a limited. Oh yea I think I got that!

[@benjaminsciascia6975]

new to towing. I am looking to tow an enclosed 8.5 x 24 trailer with a car in it. would this eco diesel be a good choice? or step up tot he 2500 series

[@OutMotorsports]

This 1500 EcoDiesel would do it, but at 24' length, you'd have a better time with a 2500. Beefier chassis will help with the "sail in the wind" effects of a bigger enclosed trailer. Weight-wise, you'll likely want either engine offered in the 2500 (6.4L Hemi gas V8 or 6.7L Cummins diesel) for easier acceleration. We reviewed a Cummins-powered Ram 2500 at the start of the year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWfOZaepmL-Jb6s

[@vernlochtefeld1626]

If you like to tow the enclosed car hauler at 80 mph get the 2500 especially if fuel economy isn’t a bigger deal to you. If you spend your tow time at 65-70 you will like the ED and the money saved at every fill up. Skip the 22” wheels get the TBC, 3.92, & tow mirrors. If over 5,000 pounds Mfgrs recommend using a WDH. Get one with built in sway control. Cat scale it & adjust loading to replace your unloaded steer weight then mark where your car should set in the trailer. Now you should always have a safe stable tow. You can additionally benefit from air bags or Sumo neoprene springs if you don’t like air. I transport TTs & boats commercially for the Mfgrs with my fuel efficient 2014 Ecodiesel 730,000 miles. Set up properly 1/2 ton diesels can be great tow vehicles up to 8k after which you would be better served by a HD truck.

[@535banshee]

@@vernlochtefeld1626 Most trailer tires are rated at 65mph max. I don’t understand why people tow anything at 80mph. I hear a lot of people bitch about blow outs on travel trailers but I always see them towing at 75mph plus. It’s their own damn fault not the tire.

[@jasonpruett360]

@@vernlochtefeld1626 with 730,000 miles on your truck, have you had any major problems? I'm on the fence about choosing between a 2500 or the 1500 diesel. I won't be using it for transporting trailers but I do have a tt that weighs 7500 lbs. I've got a 3500 Silverado with the 6.0 gas and it doesn't like pulling it at all.

[@vernlochtefeld1626]

@@jasonpruett360The EGR cooler developed an internal leak leaking coolant into the exhaust and out the pipes. This had me running low on coolant as there was never a puddle plus the coolant degas tank is pressurized so it only goes so low while the coolant in the motor continues to drop. The low coolant eventually caused it to kill a water pump & push a head gasket. That was at 371,000 miles. Now FCA has a warranty replacement EGR cooler to resolve it. Or people with an aftermarket tune can do an EGR cooler delete kit. The 14 thru 19s suffer from emissions tuning & emissions problems since the government AEM detune. Nothing investing $900 in an aftermarket motor & trans tune combo that comes with tool to swap back & forth for dealerships service visits doesn’t fully address & permanently resolve. Plus picking up power mileage and an engine brake for an even better tuning truck. Great truck after this investment. Unfortunately it’s the over regulated world we have voted upon ourselves fortunately the aftermarket has answered the call.

[@mfuribondo]

Does anyone know if the vents on the hood are functional or are they just for looks?

[@colenelson9443]

A little late but they're non functional unfortunately.

[@homecottage875]

Did they fix all the problems with the previous Echo diesel versions? They still have an EGR cooler that should have never been put on that engine in the first place and the fuel system and the coolant system and the regen system absolutely horrible horrible repair record most of these trucks are at the dealership way to often... most people including myself have spent more time in someone else's vehicle then we have in our Echo diesel!!! It's a beautiful truck otherwise... pull that engine out and put something else in it!

[@c219troll]

Did you have it in 4WD auto or 2WD?

[@OutMotorsports]

2WD, 4WD Auto is best left to randomly changing road conditions. We just drove the truck in the dry so no need for anything but RWD.

[@chrisharvey6984]

RAM Limited's are available with a 20" wheel, the 22" is an option.

[@OutMotorsports]

Indeed. Missed that on the window sticker they gave us - the 22s are a part of the Black Appearance Package, though.

[@kimojon9665]

@@OutMotorsports You should have used the overhead camera monitoring when you did your turn, the wheels would not have gotten curbed.

[@kasb58]

what was the rear axle ratio?

[@OutMotorsports]

Gearing on this one was 3.92.

[@npc1197]

Best thing to do on modern diesel is to delete the emissions. Egr will fail on you. And dpf filter will clog up if you dont do alot of highway driving.

[@OutMotorsports]

That's great, right up until you have any potential powertrain issue and a voided powertrain warranty thanks to emissions deletion. Be careful!

[@expresssmogcheck9548]

WHATS YOUR MPG TOWING

[@OutMotorsports]

Hey Rean, the dashboard claimed 14.5 MPG with the enclosed trailer, which should be fairly accurate. Naturally-aspirated V8s with this same trailer and load (including Ram's own 5.7 Hemi) will do about 10-10.5 MPG by comparison.

[@rentedgarage9592]

How did you get the dealership to let you borrow the truck for a weekend trip with towing?

[@OutMotorsports]

Not borrowed from a dealership, this was a week-long loan directly from FCA/Ram corporate for the sake of this review.

[@blackarmouredbeast1989]

What feet size is the trailer?

[@OutMotorsports]

20’ box, 4’ v-nose. 27’ hitch to tail lights.

[@mrwhamisrick]

Unless you have 3:92 gearing, its not rated for 9700 lbs

[@ramanandh4378]

How about mileage?

[@OutMotorsports]

Towing was something like 13? It’s been a while but 12-13 sticks out (compared to 9-10 with a similar gasoline powered V8 truck). Unloaded was low to mid 20s highway. We think.

[@outthedoorlife]

@@OutMotorsports Was this constant mpg? Were you following the jump in mpg when maintaining speed on hills? Can the 3.0L diesel keep the truck at speed with low rpm like a 2500 does?

[@HateTheIRS]

For a 4x4 the fuel economy is 21 city and 29 highway. The 4x2 is 22 city and 32 highway. You said the truck was a 4x4, then proceeded to state the fuel economy numbers for a 4x2.

[@zxej6879]

What gear ratio makes more of a difference. And the EPA rating fails to state what speed they test at for the highway rating. Also with the Ecodiesel. The highway fuel economy can be 5mpg higher after 20k miles. I have a 2016 Ram 1500 Tradesman Quadcab 4wd Ecodiesel 3.92 ratio. The 3.55 and 3.21 behave quite different.

[@nityapatel6558]

I just bought it so it has 4 option and buttons behind the steering wheel to choose from. 2wd which is default and then 4wd auto and the 4wd high and 2wd low for off reading.

[@aaron5222]

Where can I find a pair of shorts shorts like that. Low key not kidding

[@OutMotorsports]

Gap, about four years ago. 7” inseam if you’re tall.

[@aaron5222]

@@OutMotorsports thanks! I am far from tall but I will figure it out

[@Austensales1]

I think your statement on towing is incorrect, the eco diesel can pull more than the v8, I have the big horn 1500 2wd ecodiesel and it’s rated at 12,600, I believe with the same trim and everything the same besides the engine there’s no reason the v8 should pull more

[@OutMotorsports]

According to the official towing guide from Ram, the Hemi V8 is the way to get the highest towing capacity. Tow ratings will always be a tiny bit higher on 2WD trucks as they have more room in their payload thanks to no extra weight of the 4WD system to carry around. This guide is for the 2021 Ram 1500s but should not be markedly different from 2020: www.ramtrucks.com/towing/towing-guide.html

[@Austensales1]

@@OutMotorsports Interesting, I have the 2021 1500 ecodiesel 2wd bighorn am I incorrect on the 12600 towing cap? It’s got the towing/load package with the class IV hitch

[@OutMotorsports]

Yes, the highest number you can spec a 2021 2WD EcoDiesel Big Horn to on that tool is 10,040 lbs, and that assumes the 3.92 axle ratio. If you have a 3.21 rear end, it goes down to 8,340 lbs. Maximum payload for the truck that is rated to pull 10,040 lbs is listed at 1,810 lbs. You can look at your payload sticker (driver's door jamb, will have a "weight of passengers and cargo to not exceed......" sentence which is your payload number) and that'll help figure out what your actual tow rating is.

[@Austensales1]

@@OutMotorsports thanks for the tips, I’ve got the 3.92

[@nickfox919]

The eco diesel was designed for fuel economy

[@brianconnolly6683]

I bought one 2018 ecodiesel and sold it after one year and 42,000 miles because of so many problem with the EGR Cooler and got stuck 6 time. Worst thing I bought!!!!! When you tow with these, the EGR is shit!!!!

[@OutMotorsports]

Sorry to hear about the issues on your 2018! That sounds really frustrating, being stranded is the worst. Ram actually introduced a new EcoDiesel engine (they call it "gen 3") when they launched these "DT" generation 1500 trucks for 2020. Your 2018 Ram 1500 would have been a DS-generation truck with the gen-2 EcoDiesel. Here's hoping the EGR has been improved on the Gen 3 - EGR is something that every manufacturer has seemed to struggle with...

[@scottandrews4822]

@@OutMotorsports Great reply. Yes, they have a low and high pressure EGR now, so hopefully that will help.

[@joshweir3613]

I Have a new 2021 longhorn 1500 with the same 22 rims. The stock tires are junk. Put a new set of toyos at3 and that will salve all the problems you are referring to.

[@OutMotorsports]

If it were ours, we'd avoid the 22s in general! But always good to remember that factory rubber is not *always* the best choice. So much can be changed/alleviated with different tires.

[@kevinmoncada4633]

The short shorts really?

[@OutMotorsports]

A 7” inseam from Gap is hardly short, embrace your body girl

[@mosmosarellano]

I see a truck here not the shorts.

[@givnofuchs5742]

Chevy Chase called...

[@toddbunnett640]

Looking real hard a 2021 rebel ecodiesel. There is just enough people bitching online about failures to make me hesitant. That being said, for every 1 person that has a failure 25 people praise them!

[@OutMotorsports]

A lot of buyers seem to love them!

[@evilgti2000]

Thumbs down for calling your coffee "Starb's"

[@OutMotorsports]

Would you have preferred 'Starbies' instead?

[@mattwestphal8095]

Lol

[@rwhipple73]

Dude you’re towing a big ass trailer, it’s not a race.

[@OutMotorsports]

It's not a race, but being able to safely pull out and pass another car or truck is absolutely a concern with any tow vehicle.

[@rwhipple73]

@@OutMotorsports I you have to “pull out and pass another car or truck” while towing a trailer you aren’t planning ahead with your driving like you should be.

[@OutMotorsports]

@@rwhipple73 Okay.

[@farfetch7]

😂🤣😂🤣

[@czealtamahawk1228]

Bed too short and payload too low

[@Hbosstowing]

That truck would roll over and die, pulling that click bait pic you have at the beginning of video

[@OutMotorsports]

You mean the trailer in the video's thumbnail? That's the trailer we pulled starting at 7:20 in the video. It's an aluminum-construction 20' box with 4' V-nose, weighing in around 6500 lbs with a car loaded up (in this case, a '98 Volvo S70) and tools/wheels/tires. It towed the trailer well from a stability perspective, though power once on the move was a bit lacking as the EcoDiesel only makes ~280 crank HP and that's just not enough to pull off a highway-speed pass. But no, the truck did not "roll over and die" with this trailer, it did quite well.

[@boatdesigner12]

Just another obsolete truck. I'll take a Tesla.

[@OutMotorsports]

The difference is this truck exists! F-150 EV and Rivian R1T will also exist soon, whereas Tesla Cybertruck is more or less vaporware.

[@pjfan173]

So you’re driving a Congo Car. How many children did it take digging cobalt with their hands to make your car? Climate Change is the biggest scam in history and EV’s are right behind it.

[@hyeonlyfe]

@@OutMotorsports try towing your trailer more than 100 miles with an electric truck. You will be trading it in for the diesel.