Did I Ruin My Ram HD Cummins with a Lift & Camper? I Tow Cross Country to Find Out!

[@lancemaki1248]

As much as I like seeing TFL mod your trucks for overlanding/off-roading, have you ever considered modding trucks to make them more confident tow rigs? Not trying to increase capacity/capability, but just making them a truck that helps the driver feel more comfortable towing?

[@daroldlewis4896]

Andre and David are excellent. Always a joy when they collaborate!

[@doublebackagain4311]

Andre look at how professional car-haulers tie down vehicles = Below the suspension. You connected the strap hooks to the tow hooks on the front of the Buhanka. Couple of good bounces, the suspension cycles, and those hooks could come off. Much better to attach to axle Below the suspension (just like you did in the back). Stay safe my friend.

[@perpelle]

I have told them this many times by now. Don't understand the problem tbh. Ignorance?

[@acb5015]

I was going to post the exact same thing. While it works 99% of the time, it is quite dangerous.

[@doublebackagain4311]

@@acb5015 Even if the hooks never come off, the suspension cycling up & down basically snatches on the tie-downs the entire trip = No Bueno.

[@Hybris51129]

@@perpelle Ignorance and ego which something of a pattern I have noticed as I have watched for TFL content. These guys really think they know better than anyone and make some of the strangest decisions possible. Like "Stubby" a 4x4 with a open diff that is somehow considered a "true pickup" and at $40k+ to boot. What truck buyer outside of a fleet or rental company would buy that?

[@perpelle]

@@Hybris51129 Sorry, didn't know that you were the officially spokesperson for the truck buyers.

[@NatesHomeTours]

Here is a great Idea that I think should be mandated in all new trucks, auto adjusting headlights that re-aim down when you put a load on based on how much the rear of the truck is squatting. Especially with the LED headlights, when the truck is squatting the headlights become blinding.

[@noneyabizz8337]

Truck headlights should be mounted lower in general

[@Td5Adventures]

That's the standard in Europe with LED or HID the headlights have to be auto-levelling depending on load etc.

[@TheRamGuy]

Amazing mileage towing all that weight with 37's going through the Rockies. Awesome truck

[@BF1-P]

This series is great, and i don’t want it to end.

[@andyharman3022]

They have such a smooth way of transitioning to the Sinclair commercial, you hardly even mind it. When I used to travel out west, I filled up at Sinclair stations often. Even filled up at their "home" station in Sinclair, Wyoming once where they have a refinery, and bought one of their stuffed dinosaurs.

[@johnbelew]

So the Hemi towing similar weight got 9.4mpg…. Which is 14% worse….. diesel costs 30% more, plus def, plus 10K up front. Is diesel really king?

[@bluman79]

Saw you guys yesterday (Monday) in between Moab, and I-70, on 191! I had passed the wheel off to my wife, on our return to GJ, from Phoenix, and I was just coming to, from a little catnap and I just caught the van out of the corner of my eye, and turned around to confirm it was y'all. One of these days, it's going to work out, where I can catch up with you, when you're here in town, but nonetheless, super cool to see ya, "out in the real world"! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@captainm7155]

Love your guys channel. I had a Ram 2500 diesel on 37's, and you're right. I hardly noticed any power difference. I love the diesel for towing, but I hate the expensive repairs due to all of the pollution equipment - new turbo at 90k, and the list goes on. My brother-in-law's Cummins had the same problem. I took the same route to Moab EJS last year towing my Willy's Jeep on a flat trailer behind my Ram 1500 with 3:92 gears. It does very well with the 6500 pound trailer. I got into a snow storm and had the same snow melting chemicals all over my rig. Had to stop in Grand Junction and wash it off before going on. Love snow but hate the salt.

[@wade7959]

The Frank episode was great!! 😉 Seriously, I'm digging the series. David and Andre are excellent together. It just never hurts to add a dog to the on screen personalities. Glad you brought Frank.

[@joshuahernandez8496]

I wouldn’t call it “highly modified “ just and lift and tires

[@codyking5612]

To them it is

[@jasonbilek764]

Lmao no kidding right, oh it’s heavily modified with a 3 inch lift

[@krashnpa]

Lol, what a bunch of haters!

[@joshuahernandez8496]

@@jasonbilek764 lol don’t forget the 37s

[@derek6947]

Frank’s the hero for this video!

[@ItsMeGiga]

I have a power wagon and towing my trailer to the campsite up hill was like 5.4mpg but that was a heck of a climb. Some days I wish I had a diesel but I'd miss my locking diffs

[@justplain8793]

Maybe I missed it but has the speedometer/odometer been recalibrated to match those tires?

[@adaycj]

he used GPS miles.

[@dieseldrax]

17:38 The topping off/overfilling issue only exists with gasoline vehicles that have EVAP systems. Diesels don't have this, so you can fill them all the way up with no ill effects.

[@jrlaymance]

Always, always tie down vehicles with the axles or tires, this allows the suspension to work and not only makes the ride in the tow vehicle more enjoyable, but it also prevents the possibility of the straps coming off, also, always use straps with spring snaps or use tape/zip ties to safety connect your hooks Always enjoy your videos.

[@ablair8132]

I think the next thing you should do is add a a&b 53 gallon tank.

[@TaigaTurf]

Nice drive through the Rockies in winter. Great to see Dave as always

[@pistolcutler4874]

The f150 lighting would be dead on the side of the road

[@zachklopman9046]

Andre and David are top-tier

[@dalejones4322]

Great video guys. Frank is a well behaved dog. This is a great idea for a series. Be careful and have fun

[@jakeweber9787]

The trailer and weight in the bed squatted the back of thr truck. Did you adjust the headlights to point down or are you "that guy" at night who blinds everyone and gets pissed when people keep flashing their lights at them. If you lift a truck and still plan to tow, put airbags on it.

[@jrlaymance]

Air bags with a dedicated air system and a pneumatic actuator helps a lot to keep a level,nice riding tow vehicle, can even use them on lifted trucks. Have a system I custom installed on my F150 that is lifted 6 inches, have had 1600#'s on the hitch according to my weighsafe hitch and not a hint of "West Coast Lean"

[@DuaneCaldwell]

Great kickoff to the roadtrip guys! Glad to see Frank contributing to the video here, and I hope we see some more from him in future episodes. That grin and wagging tail makes this feel like a real overland roadtrip.

[@luisa.7021]

I tried doing the wait 30 sec to try and get an accurate reading at Costco and some one told me to get outta the way if I'm done😂

[@stiffmeister0hYeah]

you must be in California.

[@Malc664]

You say no mate, this is the first tank. I gotta fill the second one yet. I've never seen people so rude like this at a servo. You may have to turn your back to people so they can't see what your business is

[@luisa.7021]

@Malcolm Stuart N yeah that's what I've had to do. Just pretend it's still filling. Works pretty well tho. Some pumps cut sooner then others so I've actually continued to use the trick.

[@robertyoung8289]

​@@stiffmeister0hYeah Unfortunately I am. And your so right. 🙄

[@danielreynolds9583]

Those tires are actually 35s if you measure them from what I’ve experienced with BFG

[@mbw65]

How about a mileage correction with the larger tires?

[@youngblood23rb]

Fuel burned is fuel burned, they used gps to calculate the distance not the truck odometer

[@nbk9nbk1]

Not 1 person with a cummins considers this towing.... just FYI (aluminum trailer with a car on it 👌 😎 😀)

[@regsparkes6507]

Nothing much better than a 'Road Trip'! :) Can't help but think of all that sheet metal ( Loaf of Bread ) with no big 'TFL Truck' decals to advertise on this trip!

[@drnick40]

Great video guys! Thank you. The moral of the story is that for cars, the electric is the way to go, for trucks, the diesel is the king.

[@perpelle]

So what's the excuse for not strapping the bread to unsprung/wheels/axle weight in the front?

[@brentmcmahon8188]

My 05 Dodge 3500 4 foot 4x4 long bed dullay 5.9 and empty I will get 523-5 miles out of a tank of fuel and I do have a 6 speed manual 373 gears.

[@brentmcmahon8188]

Door. Da

[@j.delaney5525]

Did you recalibrate your speedometer for the larger tires. My speed is off by 10% so my mileage is also off.

[@MrChadx1]

Agreed their speedometer and odometer are off if they didn't recalibrate, but they used GPS distance (not odometer distance) for the calculation so it was a sound calculation.

[@Silverback_GMT410]

Man I love seeing the Buhanka! Glad it’s finally going off road. The fact you can have a living space inside and the full roof rack is a killer touch!

[@brentmcmahon8188]

Topping off only hurts gas card and truck because in gets in vapor canister and could cost to fix it .

[@brock2000]

Huge Arizona fan here, had a nice surprise this morning. While driving on Interstate 40 in Kingman, AZ I look to the other side of the interstate and I saw you guys towing the Buhanka and exiting onto Hwy 93. It was a nice surprise. Stay safe out there you guys.

[@Marktools0129]

ʜᴇʏ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ, ꜰᴇᴇᴅʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇᴅ❤️ ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇ-ɢʀᴀᴍ.. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ!

[@kmonto1971]

That sag is crazy in the back.

[@MajDisaster19]

From what I can tell the std axle on a cummins is 3.73. A 4.10 is available on the Hemi. I haven't done the math on what that equates to for torque at the wheel on a Hemi but the 4.10/Hemi with crew cab is rated for 16,880 pounds towing cap whereas the 3.73 drops to 14,380. With about double the torque of a Hemi, the Cummins boasts about 19,000 pounds. It becomes less of a matter of what the two vehicles can pull and more a matter of mileage. Then again, at about a dollar a gallon more for diesel and the added cost of diesel maintenance/parts, I'm not sure the Hemi is such a bad option especially if most of the time you're not hauling large loads. Gotta admit though, 37's or 40's look pretty darn cool. With then Hemi/4.10 I'm not sure I'd go bigger than 35's. Thoughts on 37's with that Hemi/4.10 combination?

[@ablair8132]

My dad has a 2019 ram 2500 cummins and pulling a 13,000 pound bumber pull camper trailer so large box gets about 11 with no wind and between 9 and 10 with qind.

[@donaldliverance2597]

The buhanka looks like a great platform to swap some American systems into like a drivetrain and suspension

[@theoneandonly2590]

Air bags in the rear & the proper drop hitch

[@RimdarRanch]

Just curious how the F-150® Lightning™ would have done on this trip... ( LOL)

[@thecleanoffroader]

Driving cross country from Maine to Arizona in my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk and a Uhaul 5x9 trailer. To my new home in Phoenix..

[@henryford2736]

They use diesel oxidation. This creates bubbles when fueling. The 30sec allows the bubbles to settle...

[@robinrapport8728]

$4.05 is the cheapest I’ve seen diesel down in the Quartzsite area. I’ve got a 22 ram 3500 with the HO motor long bed and I pull a 35 foot fifth wheel. My truck has a 50 gallon tank which is great. I’d love to do a Lyft and larger tires which will come this year sometime.

[@justintarvid]

The Ram looks better with the lift and tires but y'all did all that work to turn it into an overlander to use once.

[@0159ralph]

They briefly brought up BF KOs tires these are great on my 2019 etorque 1500 ram. I average out city/highway about 17 mpg not flooring the gas. I thought about a level kit but I'm okay leaving the truck stock.

[@specforged5651]

Don’t say that to the half ton guys! The sticker says it can tow 12k and by god they’re going to do it! “Destroying fuel systems” by filling your tank to the top. Some people, my god.

[@manuelguzmanjr6622]

i am impressed. Nice job. and Tires look great!

[@jameshanna7914]

Beautiful is not a word I would use to describe that Ram truck😂

[@toddgibbs1321]

I would be very interested to see how this compares to my 2021 mega cab hemi with 4:10 gears and the 8 speed transmission. I am stock to maintain the towing and plowing. I suspect the cost of diesel vs gas plus the cost of the Cummins really put me in a strong position. I would love a lift and 37” inch tires. I just don’t want to screw up how well this truck does what I need it to do.

[@natei3518]

Overall, I agree with your position. Although one thing many do not consider, is the fact that when you consider resale value, it often makes the comparison between gas/diesel even that more competitive. ...and then it comes down to, what satisfies your needs better.

[@Mattman2500]

I have a 2022 6.4 with 4:10 gears. I towed a from southern PA to southern NY. My truck with trailer empty weighs 12,4,00lbs . I had a 40hp Kobota on the trailer. I got 10 mpg to 10.2 or something like that. My truck does have 35x12.5 tiers as well. That drive was all state roads no highway.

[@kcp7042]

Diesel is still king for towing…. Unless it’s the HD rebel!!🤣

[@cobhamlondon]

Lets take a sip everytime Andre say "dude" 🥴

[@karryhoward3946]

D, said it all love these guys together.

[@DD-kx8ed]

Did you really drill the fenders for those flares? You only use those when you are trying to hide rust.

[@JOHNJ0HN9111]

Andre and David seem like long lost brothers no on well them two get along and finish each otheres sentence

[@TevisC]

I don't believe for a second the large tires and lift didn't harm the capacity of this truck. You're towing in half ton territory. Put a real load like 16,000# behind it and be prepared to be scared to death..

[@charlesmetherd9136]

As a former car hauler I can tell you that is NOT the proper way to tie down a vehicle.

[@ALMX5DP]

How would you tie it down there?

[@perpelle]

​@@ALMX5DP unsprung weight.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@perpelle what do you mean by that in relation to my question? Put tie straps through the wheels?

[@perpelle]

@@ALMX5DP strap to unsprung weight. Wheel and axle is certainly that.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@perpelle if it’s feasible to do sure but specific vehicles and trailer tie down points do sometimes dictate. Without seeing more of the underbody of the Buhanka hard to suggest one method over another absolutely. For my car as an example, I use front tow points and rear LCAs being those are the easiest to access and work with my trailer.

[@rvingmylifeaway8295]

If I add a leaf spring to my truck, will that increase the payload capacity of my truck?

[@360titanable]

What app are you running on your phone Andre that shows the altitude and your GPS ?

[@craigquann]

I like your little loaf of bread. Lol. That looks like an awesome little overlander.

[@taijones1003]

That station in Fruita is usually the most expensive around the valley😂

[@truckdude8080]

You guys need to upgrade the lights

[@dirtpharm]

No need to check the oil. It's a Cummins. When it stops dripping you know it needs some.

[@robertyoung8289]

I love Frank!! 😍

[@leavemwet2739]

That steering wheel is all over the place. Does that thing need an alignment??

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

That 68RFE with stock gearing in the axles probably is not happy...

[@muddyram]

How have the BFGs held up? I have the same truck but ended up running toyo MTs. I’d like to switch to the BFGs when the time comes but heard they don’t hold up well on the heavy duty rigs

[@mikehackett1213]

I have a 21 Ram 2500 diesel and tow a dump trailer all the time. Put KO2s on at 28k miles. I’m at 64k and they’re still going strong. I’d estimate they still have 50% tread at least. So far so good!

[@muddyram]

@@mikehackett1213 thank you so much, it’s always nice to get some real world feedback. I appreciate it.

[@Zachmansd]

I had a set of 35" bfg all terrains on a ford super duty and pretty much just highway miles I got over 75k on them, wore them down bald.

[@albertoperezvillena5397]

Love the video, I like it that is more spontaneous, and love David, Andre, Alex and now Frank. Greetings from Chile!

[@jasm.5823]

Are y’all going to disconnect your grid heater relay?!

[@je1540]

Lol 😂 Andre actually looked befuddled when he said 4️⃣

[@michaelmeyers1827]

I pay 3.79 in eastern nebr.

[@hooptietime4427]

How do you guys drive that thing with the mirrors down? I can’t do it. They’re always up.

[@TevisC]

Ghost trailer hu? :P

[@WW-wf8tu]

Take away. Yes TFL ruined the truck with all the crap that was done to it. Should've left it alone. lol (don't hate me I am allowed my opinions too) Take away, Andre does not like dogs as evidenced by his lack of inclusion of Frank in the # of occupants in the vehicle. lol And we should probably not let Andre fill up vehicles that we car about getting scratches on, by the evidence of his aim @4:27. lol

[@americanrambler4972]

David makes Aerodynamic Van comment, cut to the bread loaf on the trailer with the bread rack on the top. 😅 aerodynamic like a parachute! And that camper is pretty bad as well. And the lift kit and the large knobby tires. Fuel efficiency? Not bloody likely!

[@malloced]

Please fix the reverse rake. Leveling is so stupid.

[@davidberkovits9738]

How much d e f are you using with this Ram and where do you get your d e f?

[@laurencecoleman8817]

Is that a banks tuner on the dash or is it just a gauge

[@laurencecoleman8817]

Well never mind I spoke too soon I just finished watching the video

[@4-LOW]

So you didn't go over your payload rating? Those Cummins 2500s have miserable payload. That trailer alone at 6,500 lbs. is eating up 50% of your payload. What about the camper, gear, people, etc?

[@justincase7109]

Diesel $5.30 usd a gal in Vancouver B.C.

[@asdf51501]

Same trip in an EV would be a literal nightmare.

[@danaguillot822]

Love the Dog!!!

[@alfonsokelly2878]

Why didn’t you go with the BFGoodrich KO2 Tire instead of the BFGoodrich Trail Terrain tire?

[@ALMX5DP]

Aren’t those KO2s?

[@ryansheard8092]

They are KO2s.

[@scottyellis3442]

Probably because that's what BFGoodrich "gave" them

[@kenschmitt7064]

We are paying 3.99 in Quartzite AZ. For diesel. Much nicer!

[@alexandermckay8594]

Just how close to the limit are you with the tires and everything else? The door sticker doesn't reflect your changes, obviously. I would think you're damn close to max on that trip if you include Frank.

[@dapymp17]

What’s a good 40 inch tire for the ram if you plan to tow 20k max(more like 19k), and want good performance in Colorado year round??

[@andyharman3022]

If you want to tow that much weight, stay with the stock tire setup.

[@spikestubbs210]

What GPS app were you using on your phone?

[@davidbryanwoodworksandmore]

I think it’s altimeter app.

[@TexasScout]

My new work truck is a 2022 ram 2500 tradesman four-wheel-drive with a 6.4 L gas motor, over the last 11,000 miles I have average 12.3 miles to the gallon. It’s kind of ridiculous.

[@JohnDoe-nz6bk]

That’s not too bad!

[@jesseobrien2641]

Thats not ridiculous at all. That's right about what it should be getting. I take it you really have had no seat time in a hd truck before.

[@ryansheard8092]

It's not only not bad, unless you're towing 15K lbs regularly it's a less expensive truck to own long term.

[@TevisC]

Still way cheaper to operate than a Cummins.

[@TevisC]

... when you figure in the cost of the engine and emissions upfront and def, fuel filters, oil changes, and injector service at 170,000 miles.

[@colewo92]

Do you guys not have 93 octane in Colorado? In Chicagoland we have 87-89-93 octane never seen 91 octane

[@cheistopherback5002]

I'm from Colorado and we don't have 93 but regular is 85

[@colewo92]

@@cheistopherback5002 wow, I have never seen 85 octane in my life (30 years old). I drive an Infiniti G37x that requires premium fuel. Looking upon the owners manual it says 91 octane minimum not only 93 is available in Chicagoland. Currently 02-22-2023 prices is $4.85/gallon for 93 octane

[@IBSC2000]

What about the transmission temperature?

[@GeorgeGeo]

This truck should be kept.. its a true workhorse

[@BruceDragon-sf1tr]

You joking right? Watch the transmission, transfer case, motor etc run its course after 150k miles.. I bet money. You want a work truck, get a Ford. You want a truck that's beautiful and roar nice ,buy a Chevy. You want a truck that has a little more hp than most trucks and having some fun ,buy a Dodge. Ford focus on work horses, Chevy and Dodge is focus on something else. I thought these trucks were all the same too at one time but they're not

[@GeorgeGeo]

@@BruceDragon-sf1tr my in laws have a 5th Wheel with Ford HD Diesel pulling it. Shit died in a month. Got a ram and it’s been so much better for them

[@lisam4503]

@@BruceDragon-sf1tr Most everyone I've seen either work their truck for a living or that constantly tows fifthwheels like the Dodges better than the Fords. Ford has put out more crap trucks since the 90's then either Dodge/Ram or Chevy/GMC. Keep hanging on to that every Ram transmission is garbage myth also. I've seen so many Fords with blown out torque converters. They sound like cement mixers.

[@BruceDragon-sf1tr]

@@lisam4503 Dodge truck rating 3 out of a 5 star rating, Chevy 3.5 out of 5 star rating. There's only two trucks that has a 5 out of 5 star rating, Guess who makes those trucks with 5 star rating?? TOYOTA and FORD... end of story

[@lisam4503]

@@BruceDragon-sf1tr According to who?

[@jonasoutdoors]

Awesome video keep up the good work 👏

[@jdhunt1284]

Our banks tuner…but it’s not a tuner? Sure turned my Dmax into a monster on level 6 but call it what you want

[@Silverback_GMT410]

Did that center screen reset?

[@Drowe218]

I think it was the white balance on the camera, it looks off until the headlights turn back off from being in the tunnel(screen was dimmed)

[@nealbaker5985]

you guys need to learn how to secure a vehicle before you kill someone

[@DillonPrecisionFan]

I would at least consider the Kelderman coil spring replacement bags on the rear...no sag!

[@Mannycts]

My 2021 Cummins 2500 already killed the transmission 😡

[@Zanderthelab]

Topping it off will throw off the gas tank sensor.

[@badgerpa9]

luckily they don't have a gas tank.

[@hanzhenry5818]

The Cadillac SEVILLE (s) of the truck world