I've seen two official statements from Stellantis on it. One was that the engine is modern and is streamlined to fit into various applications without significant rework. The other is that owners dont check their oil level often so this sensor that can automatically tell the owner when oil is getting low is beneficial for those customers.
I have never seen a good reason on why they don’t include both, just “it isn’t needed” and “most owners don’t use it”. There needs to be a better reason, like it would not fit in certain applications or removing it improved “x”, as most people don’t need or use an air pressure gauge due to tire monitoring systems being ubiquitous but you don’t remove the ability to use air pressure gauges just because of that.
No dipstick is a really bad idea, might be fine on day one but when that truck is 6 to 8 years old and sensors start going and your burning oil you may wish you had a dipstick.
I think a dipstick should be there. That said, with today's vehicles, you'd be hard pressed to find a vehicle that overheated it's oil unless the owner is a total fool. If you take the vehicle to the dealer every 5K miles for scheduled maintenance, chances are you will never have any issues like that. The reality is, engines today are more refined and reliable than ever and oil is far superior to what it was in the 70s and 80s.
I've had no dipstick on my E90 BMW since 2007, and it's never been an issue. Considering the Hemi 5.7l didn't have a low oil level warning, this is actually an improvement.
@@stevenpeterson7234 you don’t need a dipstick for the trans as it doesn’t burn\use trans fluid in between changes; you just need a “fill hole” like a differential that represents the point where the trans fluid gets filled to, and you can use it to check the current state\quality of the fluid. Most transmissions do not have enough clearance to add a dipstick to the top of it, much like differentials. An inexpensive suction gun with a tube will allow you to retrieve the fluid to examine it and check the level if it has a fill line hole.
towing 8500lbs uphill 35-60 in 9 secs is crazy!!! And it's an off road truck that is very quiet at 60db while towing up hill and everything is running cool. Decent gas mileage too for the task at hand.
Smaller engines with insulation and rubber bushings all over the place to absorb vibrations. Work great brand new, but in 10 years as the rubber wears out they will sound much louder.
@@Mdan7 I agree it will be quieter than any other 10 year old vehicle, but I don’t think it is enough to make it quieter than a brand new vehicle with fresh rubber bushings.
@Cloud30000Also foam insulated body panels. Terrible in climates that use road salt. Body rots out within 10 years. All that insulation traps moisture.
I like this Ike gauntlet towing videos, last Monday finally had the chance to go downhill with my 2020 Ram 2500 hemi pulling a 33 ft travel trailer on our way from Cleveland OH to Kanab UT, it was a great experience, only thing never wanna do again in dark lol, probably taking a southern route back home. Great content as always 😀
@varga13zsolt I went to "rescue" my neighbor today in my 2024 Ram 2500 Hemi and I was pleasantly surprised!! I came from a 3500 Cummins. He is a hotshotter and I pulled his trailer with his 3500 Ram Cummins on it and it did great!
pulled my friends 37 foot camper over to the west slope and that auto exhaust brake on the 250 i have just held me at 55 the whole way down, it was the most relaxing downhill i've ever done haha!
I find it odd, that they are surprised of a small engines lack of engine braking. It is Physics. 11 brake applications is still safe, on what is a very tough towing test.
@Cloud30000 which video are you referring to? In searching back I only see the Raptor R towing anything similar to this. The only other Ike video I saw was when they were towing much less weight in an enclosed trailer.
@@ALMX5DP I will have to search for it; it was a while ago, so the discrepancy could be in fact due to trailer weight and each time TFL mentions the Raptor doing better I forgot it was with a different weight.
I assume none of the vehicles you drive have fuel injection or electronic ignition as well. Stop it lol. Having a sensor is literally better. You can constantly monitor your oil level and would immediately be notified if it's low rather than waiting to find out till you check the oil level the following week (or when the motor blows up). No one checks their dipstick everyday.
I had had Ram and Dodge products for the past 10 years - including the "dreaded" EcoDiesel in a Ram 1500 Longhorn, and have had ZERO issues with them all. I have towed with them and put 100K+ miles too. In fact, they have been much more reliable than my GM - and especially Ford - products that I've had. Ford is still the manufacturer with the most recalls, bar none.
Unfortunately the HVAC and stereo controls still run through the screen, my coworker has been through 4 head units in 18,000km. Yes, his is a 2024 with a hemi but I still don't trust the electronics from Stellantis.
Seems like, to ace the downhill, these smaller boosted engines need some sort of exhaust brake, to compensate for the lack of displacement. Thanks for the video guys!
I don't get why people don't understand oil weights. 0w-40 means it's a 0 weight at 32F and below, and when it's hot, it's 40 weight. Polymers are a wonderful thing.
@lucascb750 well sort of. The way you explained it would mean the oil thickens as it gets warm which is impossible. The true answer is that it's as thick as a cold 0 weight oil, and then thins out to the equivalent of a warm 40 weight when it warms up. So it thins out, just not as much as a single weight oil
My understanding is that polymer molecules shrink when cold in the mix and grow when warm, causing the difference in viscosity. So technically, the liquid itself isn't getting thicker. A particle suspended inside the liquid is altering its flow rate.
Imagine that, a low displacement engine not providing a lot of engine braking. This isn't really a surprise. Though I'm less concerned about the engine braking as I am about brake fade from heat.
The confusion is that the v6 Raptor, with only 15% more displacement, provides significantly more engine braking and saved the brakes from heating up. Why is this the case? Are the compression ratios that much different, since the Hurricane uses 50% more boost (assuming the v6 Raptor testing wasn’t flaw by trailer differences)?
Sounds like they are not letting the throttle close enough to effectively slow the truck down and with less displacement you are already at a disadvantage to start with
@Cloud30000 that's what I,was wondering also! Is the compression ratio lowered more than the Hemi and the Ecoboost due to more turbo psi? Therefore not providing as much engine braking ability?
@@EGGINFOOLS Although an interesting metric, I’ll admit, that doesn’t matter with BOTH “Engine braking” OR “Brake Fade” Brake fade is more than just heat buildup. Pad Friction material and bake fluid, in addition to rotor metallurgy and construction, all add their individual variables to brake fade.
I’d like to see y’all use trailers that mimic what most users attempt to tow which is an enclosed trailer / travel trailer that has lots of wind resistance. Want to see how these trucks handle “campers” and not just weight
One of my main guys bought a TRX as a “tow pig” after me warning him it is very much NOT a towing truck…but he wanted to justify his pavement princess and that was one of the ways. Well, he towed a 8x21’ cargo trailer (~5000 lbs) about 1500 miles through mountains. Conclusion? Tows effortlessly, gets halfway decent mileage for a gasser (averaged 8.7), but squatted about 2” past even with the small tongue weight. On the same trip, I was towing the same trailer but about 2,000 lbs heavier with a large truck camper on the back of my 5500 ram Cummins with 4.88 gears (not ideal). Weighed in at 24,000 lbs and averaged 11.3 mpg on the exact same trip. If I had different gearing I’d probably get 12-13.
@@EGGINFOOLS Another quality comment here “RUclips Land” Everyone line up. We’re in for an edumacation here-‘ens. Please We’re all waiting…. Please, I got all the time in the world. … Please…. …. Make the internet a worse place with the abrasive nonsense and pithy comebacks.
84k and I'm not allowed to check my own oil. At this point buy a cheaper HD, put a Carli kit on it and have a more all around pickup. I live on a farm so my opinion won't be swayed
Love the Ike tests. As a truck driver can you please stop riding in the middle lane. I never saw you guys passing anyone but you were constantly getting passed on both sides. This is dangerous.
Well said. I mentioned how dangerous it is to pass on the right so traveling slower in the middle and left lanes cause people to pass on the right! Why don't people simply read the signs? SLOWER TRAFFIC USE THE RIGHT LANE!
Great videos keep them coming.. I want to make a suggestion. Can we get a Ike gauntlet tow test w/ the older diesel ie. 2nd gen cummins, lb7 duramax, and 6.0/7.3 power stroke? The nostalgic side of me would thoroughly enjoy that!
I wish it was common sense. So many ignorant people driving in the wrong lane when towing just have no idea! It's so dangerous to pass on the right and professional drivers absolutely hate when you pass on their blind side! People need to learn road educate!
Because semis are crawling up the hill in the far right lane. They maintained 60mph all the way up. The people passing are the lovely Colorado drivers that treat every highway as the freaking autobahn
I’ve never seen a man so freaked out by his own reflection; there are professionals for that, rather than wanting all public mirrors shattered like a mad king.
Where I live the temperatures reach 120 degrees regularly (for about 3 months of the year). You cant even touch your paint without getting burned, or even your steering wheel, this is before one starts the engine. Would this truck work for me, in the summers of Arizona? After heat soaking it with a good work out, and then getting stuck in traffic jams?
I'm always confused about this, if your engine is operating at 200F as normal, then what does it matter what the outside temperature is, it's never going to be even close to the normal operating temperature of an engine. Whether it's 70F or 110F, what does that matter to an engine that runs at 200 all the time?
@@gpaje Physics; it is generating far more than 200F, so it needs to shed away the extra heat. That’s the job of the radiator, but it is harder to shed heat when the difference between the coolant temp and the ambient temp is small like in arid climates. Have you not seen the TFL toaster tests with most trucks over heating due to not shedding enough heat at slow speeds?
@andrewc1036 sure, but we're talking about an engine here that operates at 200f, it's hardly any difference to it when the outside temperature is only 30 to 40° diff, in fact it has to close the thermostat occasional to maintain the temp at 200f even in hot weather.
A heat Exchanger operates at a rate, cooling properties vary, but it's a given percentage of ambient. 20 degrees, 20% or otherwise. Adding a turbo or even a supercharger heats the air going into the engine , as well as cooking everything plastic in the engine compartment. cooling the water temperature is not the only challenge.
So promising if the RHO's that we've had delivered weren't plagued with defects, check engine lights, melted cats, and misfires. Seems like the press trucks got better builds and exempt from problems. This is really sad concidering we spent 86k+ on a truck that has to be fixed when there are no fixes in sight. Take a look at some RHO forums and you'll see what's happened to us in under 500 miles. What's going on RAM?
Roman was Gold in this video!! Funny stuff man!!! Many ppl don't check their oil. It's almost like ppl don't buy manuals and they don't check their oil.
I am an employee that builds grand cherokee at the mack assembly plant i ordered a rho in sept it was built on Oct 9th and was told it's in repair and have been stonewalled since it's been 11 weeks and counting in repair i can't wait to finally get it one day
I love my 6.4 in my HD 2500 telling me all about it... AND, doing its job and letting my brake foot relax. It would seem that Tow Haul on the transmission side could be tuned to address a not unserious issue. See how I used that double negative there...
Andre, you gotta pull that hat brim down a bit! You look too much like Moe Szyslak from the Simpsons. Thanks for the comedy this Sunday morning! Great show!
The curved brim, while becoming an aesthetic style now, actually was designed and works better for directing the rain behind you and providing better peripheral vision with minimal loss of shade. I curve all my brims for this reason, as I hate things blocking any part of my vision (note that most baseball brims don’t spread to the side as the detriment was determined to outweigh the benefit).
Coil overs provide a better ride when empty, which RAM determined the 2500’s are 95% of the time and thus people would value that over the sacrifice made for the other 5% of the time. If you only use the truck for towing or hauling heavy loads, the RAM 2500 doesn’t make sense (much like any off road spec truck, but that does’t stop most people from choosing them as tow rigs).
@@andrewc1036 if you “ONLY” use the truck to haul or tow heavy (meaning you have another vehicle you use for things other then hauling or towing, like commuting empty and bought the truck just to use for hauling and towing), the RAM 2500 doesn’t make sense as most other mfg’s 3/4 ton trucks with leaf springs will do both better and the coil overs do not provide any benefit when hauling or towing heavy. If you primary use it as a commuter and occasionally haul or tow, then the 2500 will provide a more compliant daily ride empty but you sacrifice on hauling and towing control with the coil overs.
I'm honestly impressed with how well the editor synchronizes the auxiliary shots with the main audio stream. 6:19 you can see Andre's mouth movements are in perfect sync with the audio. Attention to detail 👌
I worked for a company that had trucks with no dipsticks and only relied on the computer to monitor the oil level. Well that ended in a very expensive engine replacement. No dipstick is a very bad idea.
These new trucks have so many gears and most of them are for cruising. I wish they’d make the first few gear closer in ratio together so that there are more towing gears and grade shifting gears. I always thought it weird to have long 1st and 2nd gears when there’s 10 speeds. Make the first like 4 gears for towing and the rest for mileage instead of all of them for fuel mileage haha
The payload in our trucks suck in comparison to what they get in Australia. Their midsize trucks get around a 1 ton payload. Would be pretty cool to have a midsize truck with that capability.
That's because they have thicker springs for that job, the ride is rough, you can spec a full size truck to have great payload, but you're going to have to give up some things.
@@gpaje the springs are only a small part of payload, which is why just adding a helper spring or bags won’t give you a higher payload. On the high payload options, they often have beefier brakes and thicker frames\axles, but it is always more than just different springs.
@@przemeksledziewski1973 I am fine with midsize payloads to be honest. 1200-1500 lbs is pretty good for these trucks. It's the fullsize trucks with similar payloads that I find funny. They're so big they don't fit in the average sized garage, but don't really have the respectable payload they should have. I would just get an HD truck, but yeah a midsize truck with a 1 ton payload would be awesome ride quality be damned. I could imagine an off-road suspension which would help with ride quality in general wouldn't cut the payload in half. Also you say American trucks are pathetic but they put more powerful engines in American trucks and towing capacity is on par so it can be argued that you could just buy a trailer and be able to pull way more weight than whatever foreign truck could carry in its bed.
That a pretty low profile trailer. If it was a cargo or RV it would have helped some on the downhill. Won’t be near a diesel with EB but will help improve the downhill. I think RAM did a nice job. Now - if they can fix the dead battery and other issues that are rampant with brand new RHOs. Ugh….
Ford went through a lot of dead battery issues; turned out to be a software problem, with it constantly checking for updates regardless of the battery state and draining trucks that sit for a week. Updated the software to pause all updates if the battery dropped below 50% and the issues went away. I suspect RAM has the same problem and needs to update the way their software updates work to account for trucks that are not driven every day.
Going from 0w20 to 0w40 when they had a problem with low pressure when the oil overheated, they knew that with 0w-20 that would cause a connecting rod to be lost.
My guess is that these engines are more than likely consuming oil. The 3.0L Duramax is allowed to consume 1quart of oil every 3000miles and that is considered normal. It might be something similar with this engine. By removing the dipstick and using a sensor and alert system Stelantis is simply covering their own behinds if there are any engine problems due to oil consumption. They can deny any warranty claims saying the system shows you were alerted to add oil so it's on you if you didn't. As for the sensor failing down the road they don't care as long as it gets them through the warranty period. This might not be the case but I believe it's something in the same ball park.
After you showed the trailer hitch and talked about sag, just afterwards the front of the truck did look like it was quite high. Maybe stiffer rear suspension if people pull heavy trailers.
Stiffer rear suspension…you mean the non-off road trim? All off road spec trucks suffer this same problem due to softer springs for better articulation on trails.
I think you should do your downhill test in cruise control just like you did on the uphill test. I think and know you will get different down hill braking results with all of your test trucks. IMHO most people use the cruise control while towing, I know I do.
Most manufacturers recommend against using cruise control when towing. Especially difficult for the drivetrain when towing large loads. Are you towing under 10k lbs?
@@johnhahn8464 Yes, Under 10K. If the manufactures did not want you to use cruise control while towing that feature would be tuned off with a trailer hooked up or tow haul mode engaged IMHO.
@@johnhahn8464 All it say is using cruise control while towing is not recommended by the manufacture. Manufactures recommendations are simply that recommendations.
I would buy a Raptor before this and here's a short reason. After my wifes 09 Escalade died only having 154,000 on it due to the AFM crap I really looked into who's offering better motors. I decided on replacing it with a Navigator with the 3.5HO, the raptor engine. The one thing I realized in my research is most cars are only using direct injection. Ford incorporates port injection and only uses it to keep the carbon buildup to a minimum.
I must be really lucky then cuz I haven't had any issues with the 4 Ford's we currently own. Haven't had any expenses apart from normal maintenance. 2006 4.0 Mustang - 155k miles (Replaced plastic Thermostat housing w/ aluminum.) 2013 Focus - 125k miles 2015 EB Mustang - 35k miles 2018 Flex 3.5 EB w/ Five Star 91 octane tune - 121k miles I sold my 2002 4.6 Explorer 3 years ago when we bought the Flex and it had 217k miles. Bought it with 90k miles. I had to replace the radiator and wheel bearings.
@@thekingofnoobs8362 I think you missed the irony of my comment. Is it really just luck? Or does it show a pattern of reliability, across multiple different vehicles?
I would like to see a Hurricane 6.0liter single turbo gasser in the HD. Call it the "Cat 6 Hurricane HD." Ideal architecture for towing and HD use, no BS diesel treatment choking the engine, one less turbo for less failure points and complexity, better engine breaking. If it was even close to 1.5 times the current HO Hurricane....now that I would be interested in.
When these heavy trucks have such low tow and payload rating I think it would be fun and possibly funny to see it compared against a Ranger with it's 7500 lbs tow rating. You could even compare the MPG, 0-60, and stability. And yes, I know a mid size should be worse but I'm interested to see it proven on TFL. You could do it with your Ranger Raptor but it only tows 5500ish where the Ranger is up to 7500.
Is it the top dog off road ram truck. I don't think it or the trx can hold a candle compared to the power wagon. Let's see that video trx vs rho vs power wagon.
No oil dipstick because Stellantis engineering knows the engine will fail before it needs an oil change. I can't wait to see the early adopters issues.
Andre keeping the tradition of the western hat going. Nice. Though, Mr. Truck wears it a bit better. 😝 And Roman needs to not be so relatable. I too hate seeing my own reflection; I also hate being photographed. 😶 So, RUclips is safe from me. LOL! 😳
@@flight2k5 depends what you consider an issue. Some people want to be able to check and add fluid if they decide to service their own trans. They should all have drain plugs and dipsticks.
This may be picky, but I would surely miss my dual glove box in my current Ram, I have no need for a passenger screen. My wife brings her iPad along for road trips anyway.
You know what no one I have seen yet reviewing a ram has talked about The fact that there's no vacuum brake booster anymore it's an electric brake booster I don't see anybody talking about that also most of the new Rams don't come with a VR chat button so you either have to wake it up with a voice command or some other way of waking it up but you no longer have the button on the steering wheel
( www.weigh-safe.com/TFL ) Check out these smart, lightweight and heavy duty hitches!
I'd LOVE to hear directly from the engineers about why they removed the engine dipstick.
I've seen two official statements from Stellantis on it. One was that the engine is modern and is streamlined to fit into various applications without significant rework. The other is that owners dont check their oil level often so this sensor that can automatically tell the owner when oil is getting low is beneficial for those customers.
I have never seen a good reason on why they don’t include both, just “it isn’t needed” and “most owners don’t use it”.
There needs to be a better reason, like it would not fit in certain applications or removing it improved “x”, as most people don’t need or use an air pressure gauge due to tire monitoring systems being ubiquitous but you don’t remove the ability to use air pressure gauges just because of that.
$
@@ALMX5DPBoth of these reasons were given on the podcast with the engineer.
@Cloud30000 good point,
You guys have one of the best truck channels on RUclips, I always waiting for what’s next. Thank you.
I think thats a TFL tee shirt, "We need Dipsticks"
BBB - Bring Back Buttons.
BBS - Bring Back Shifters.
BBD - Bring Back Dipsticks.
What's next? 😄
They don't need more, there are plenty in the comments
@@Arexodius BBC Bring back carburetors 😂😂😂
No dipstick is a really bad idea, might be fine on day one but when that truck is 6 to 8 years old and sensors start going and your burning oil you may wish you had a dipstick.
I think a dipstick should be there. That said, with today's vehicles, you'd be hard pressed to find a vehicle that overheated it's oil unless the owner is a total fool. If you take the vehicle to the dealer every 5K miles for scheduled maintenance, chances are you will never have any issues like that. The reality is, engines today are more refined and reliable than ever and oil is far superior to what it was in the 70s and 80s.
It's no accident. They did it hinder reliability. It's the only reason any automaker does anything in this modern era.
I've had no dipstick on my E90 BMW since 2007, and it's never been an issue. Considering the Hemi 5.7l didn't have a low oil level warning, this is actually an improvement.
@@2012bigPerm 🤣.....uhhh, no. A dipstick has zero bearing on reliability.
@@ryansheard8092 it’s the dipstick outrage gang 🙄
“That thing squats like me after a bad Mexican meal”. 😂😂😂
I hate all the touchscreen controls. We need buttons. We need dipsticks. Give us manual things.
My 23 Nissan Titan has dip sticks for the oil and trans!! It's the best new/old truck on the Market!!
@@stevenpeterson7234 you don’t need a dipstick for the trans as it doesn’t burn\use trans fluid in between changes; you just need a “fill hole” like a differential that represents the point where the trans fluid gets filled to, and you can use it to check the current state\quality of the fluid. Most transmissions do not have enough clearance to add a dipstick to the top of it, much like differentials.
An inexpensive suction gun with a tube will allow you to retrieve the fluid to examine it and check the level if it has a fill line hole.
@Cloud30000
Yes, I know this lol. It's called easier then the suction gun.
6SM ta boot!
Nope, you should ALWAYS have a physical way to check what your engine needs. We are relying too much on technology and electronics.
Given Andres too small cowboy hat, I really figured Roman would yell " to infinity and beyond" to continue the toy story theme..
Sheriff Woody
That is truth
Andres need to wear a Russian hat instead.
😂😂😂
Woody is much cooler than Andre though.
towing 8500lbs uphill 35-60 in 9 secs is crazy!!! And it's an off road truck that is very quiet at 60db while towing up hill and everything is running cool. Decent gas mileage too for the task at hand.
It’s not 0-60 it’s like 40-60, but still powerful.
@@bigdaddypatty2420 oh ya! lol. if i recall most test pulls are like 12-14 secs at the bottom of the hill
Love the quietness... Dipping to 57 point something decibels. How truck makers have managed that I'm not sure but it's low key amazing
Smaller engines with insulation and rubber bushings all over the place to absorb vibrations. Work great brand new, but in 10 years as the rubber wears out they will sound much louder.
@Cloud30000 Stright six engines are about ideal for a low vibration design. It will be quieter in 10 years than any other engine configuration.
I drive these daily at a Ram dealership. Hard to tell if they are running. Need to check the tach to make sure.
@@Mdan7 I agree it will be quieter than any other 10 year old vehicle, but I don’t think it is enough to make it quieter than a brand new vehicle with fresh rubber bushings.
@Cloud30000Also foam insulated body panels. Terrible in climates that use road salt. Body rots out within 10 years. All that insulation traps moisture.
Andrey I love the fact you wear cowboy hats towing, but get a felt hat for winter. Straw hat for summer.
I love mole skin hats for winter; softer, warmer, and more water resistant than felt, but harder to clean.
And get the right size
I like this Ike gauntlet towing videos, last Monday finally had the chance to go downhill with my 2020 Ram 2500 hemi pulling a 33 ft travel trailer on our way from Cleveland OH to Kanab UT, it was a great experience, only thing never wanna do again in dark lol, probably taking a southern route back home. Great content as always 😀
@varga13zsolt I went to "rescue" my neighbor today in my 2024 Ram 2500 Hemi and I was pleasantly surprised!! I came from a 3500 Cummins. He is a hotshotter and I pulled his trailer with his 3500 Ram Cummins on it and it did great!
pulled my friends 37 foot camper over to the west slope and that auto exhaust brake on the 250 i have just held me at 55 the whole way down, it was the most relaxing downhill i've ever done haha!
I find it odd, that they are surprised of a small engines lack of engine braking. It is Physics. 11 brake applications is still safe, on what is a very tough towing test.
V6 Raptor had much better engine breaking with only 15% more displacement (assuming the v6 Raptor testing wasn’t flaw by trailer differences)
@Cloud30000 I wonder how much the 10 speed vs 8 speed trans affects this.
@Cloud30000 which video are you referring to? In searching back I only see the Raptor R towing anything similar to this. The only other Ike video I saw was when they were towing much less weight in an enclosed trailer.
I think they are very well aware of that…. 5:55 they totally mention it.
@@ALMX5DP I will have to search for it; it was a while ago, so the discrepancy could be in fact due to trailer weight and each time TFL mentions the Raptor doing better I forgot it was with a different weight.
I want dipsticks you dipsticks! Engine and transmission. Enough of this electronic nonsense.
😢😢
Get an old truck (or an Super Duty)...
I assume none of the vehicles you drive have fuel injection or electronic ignition as well. Stop it lol. Having a sensor is literally better. You can constantly monitor your oil level and would immediately be notified if it's low rather than waiting to find out till you check the oil level the following week (or when the motor blows up). No one checks their dipstick everyday.
@@AP383BB is it possible to do both though? Level is not always enough. You may want to examine if it's dirty or contaminated
@ljmorris6496 f that....
Did Mr. Truck retire? This is a great video. These two gents plus Nathan are why I watch your channels.
Andrey is straight-up ROCKIN that coyboy hat!! LOL I can see him on the boat with that hat, doing 60 knots, with twin Yamahas blazing!
A newly developed high performance turbo engine from a French-Italian conglomerate. Should be super reliable.
@@JJ4213FL 👍😅😅😅
Nailed it.
I had had Ram and Dodge products for the past 10 years - including the "dreaded" EcoDiesel in a Ram 1500 Longhorn, and have had ZERO issues with them all. I have towed with them and put 100K+ miles too. In fact, they have been much more reliable than my GM - and especially Ford - products that I've had. Ford is still the manufacturer with the most recalls, bar none.
Wow Andre's Hat beats Mr. Trucks Hat
@@ronaldspins I think Andre said (in a different video) that Mr Truck gave him that hat.
Unfortunately the HVAC and stereo controls still run through the screen, my coworker has been through 4 head units in 18,000km. Yes, his is a 2024 with a hemi but I still don't trust the electronics from Stellantis.
I went with the 8.4 inch screen with manual controls. Zero issues.
Seems like, to ace the downhill, these smaller boosted engines need some sort of exhaust brake, to compensate for the lack of displacement. Thanks for the video guys!
09:43 I used to think runaway truck ramps were really cool roadside ski slopes when I was a kid 😂
I don't get why people don't understand oil weights. 0w-40 means it's a 0 weight at 32F and below, and when it's hot, it's 40 weight. Polymers are a wonderful thing.
@lucascb750 well sort of. The way you explained it would mean the oil thickens as it gets warm which is impossible. The true answer is that it's as thick as a cold 0 weight oil, and then thins out to the equivalent of a warm 40 weight when it warms up. So it thins out, just not as much as a single weight oil
My understanding is that polymer molecules shrink when cold in the mix and grow when warm, causing the difference in viscosity. So technically, the liquid itself isn't getting thicker. A particle suspended inside the liquid is altering its flow rate.
You do know the W stands for Winter not weight
@@dang5553 yeap
Imagine that, a low displacement engine not providing a lot of engine braking. This isn't really a surprise. Though I'm less concerned about the engine braking as I am about brake fade from heat.
The confusion is that the v6 Raptor, with only 15% more displacement, provides significantly more engine braking and saved the brakes from heating up. Why is this the case? Are the compression ratios that much different, since the Hurricane uses 50% more boost (assuming the v6 Raptor testing wasn’t flaw by trailer differences)?
Sounds like they are not letting the throttle close enough to effectively slow the truck down and with less displacement you are already at a disadvantage to start with
@Cloud30000 that's what I,was wondering also! Is the compression ratio lowered more than the Hemi and the Ecoboost due to more turbo psi? Therefore not providing as much engine braking ability?
We dont know how hot the brakes were on either truck.
@@EGGINFOOLS Although an interesting metric, I’ll admit, that doesn’t matter with BOTH “Engine braking” OR “Brake Fade”
Brake fade is more than just heat buildup. Pad Friction material and bake fluid, in addition to rotor metallurgy and construction, all add their individual variables to brake fade.
I’d like to see y’all use trailers that mimic what most users attempt to tow which is an enclosed trailer / travel trailer that has lots of wind resistance. Want to see how these trucks handle “campers” and not just weight
Never seen a TRX or RHO towing anything
RHO’s are still too new to be abundant around me, but I see Raptors towing trailers and parked in camp grounds in New England all the time.
Towing a big payment.....👍
One of my main guys bought a TRX as a “tow pig” after me warning him it is very much NOT a towing truck…but he wanted to justify his pavement princess and that was one of the ways. Well, he towed a 8x21’ cargo trailer (~5000 lbs) about 1500 miles through mountains.
Conclusion? Tows effortlessly, gets halfway decent mileage for a gasser (averaged 8.7), but squatted about 2” past even with the small tongue weight.
On the same trip, I was towing the same trailer but about 2,000 lbs heavier with a large truck camper on the back of my 5500 ram Cummins with 4.88 gears (not ideal). Weighed in at 24,000 lbs and averaged 11.3 mpg on the exact same trip. If I had different gearing I’d probably get 12-13.
Tow with my TRX frequently. Granted nothing crazy, but 4-6K pounds regularly. No big deal, but then again Ram doesn't market these as tow vehicles.
This sums up the auto industry right now, new trucks that are more expensive and provide less performance and reliability.
Thank the EPA
Less performance?
@@roadsplorer did you mean to say performance? Lol
@@EGGINFOOLS Another quality comment here “RUclips Land”
Everyone line up. We’re in for an edumacation here-‘ens.
Please
We’re all waiting….
Please, I got all the time in the world.
…
Please….
….
Make the internet a worse place with the abrasive nonsense and pithy comebacks.
@roadsplorer How is this less performance?, unless you're talking about the more expensive TRX. If you wanna tow, get an HD/Cummins...
84k and I'm not allowed to check my own oil. At this point buy a cheaper HD, put a Carli kit on it and have a more all around pickup.
I live on a farm so my opinion won't be swayed
No dipstick is dumb. And where did Andre get the kid’s little cowboy 🤠 hat? 😂
Love the Ike tests. As a truck driver can you please stop riding in the middle lane. I never saw you guys passing anyone but you were constantly getting passed on both sides. This is dangerous.
Well said. I mentioned how dangerous it is to pass on the right so traveling slower in the middle and left lanes cause people to pass on the right! Why don't people simply read the signs? SLOWER TRAFFIC USE THE RIGHT LANE!
I cannot stand the oil level sensor. Why get rid of the dip stick? They never fail electronically and never get out of calibration. Brilliant!
Around the 12:30 mark when you were showing off the brake controller, I noticed it says tow haul inactive. Was it active the whole test?
Great videos keep them coming.. I want to make a suggestion. Can we get a Ike gauntlet tow test w/ the older diesel ie. 2nd gen cummins, lb7 duramax, and 6.0/7.3 power stroke? The nostalgic side of me would thoroughly enjoy that!
What an amazing looking truck!
Why do you run in the middle lane with cars passing on both sides? Slower traffic keep right is just common sense.
Maybe because they want to avoid traffic to keep the test without stops and go's
I wish it was common sense. So many ignorant people driving in the wrong lane when towing just have no idea! It's so dangerous to pass on the right and professional drivers absolutely hate when you pass on their blind side! People need to learn road educate!
Because semis are crawling up the hill in the far right lane. They maintained 60mph all the way up. The people passing are the lovely Colorado drivers that treat every highway as the freaking autobahn
The hat is tradition Roman, deal with it and comply.
I’ve never seen a man so freaked out by his own reflection; there are professionals for that, rather than wanting all public mirrors shattered like a mad king.
The golden years of power and engine noise is fading fast 😢
Where I live the temperatures reach 120 degrees regularly (for about 3 months of the year). You cant even touch your paint without getting burned, or even your steering wheel, this is before one starts the engine.
Would this truck work for me, in the summers of Arizona? After heat soaking it with a good work out, and then getting stuck in traffic jams?
I'm always confused about this, if your engine is operating at 200F as normal, then what does it matter what the outside temperature is, it's never going to be even close to the normal operating temperature of an engine. Whether it's 70F or 110F, what does that matter to an engine that runs at 200 all the time?
@@gpaje Physics; it is generating far more than 200F, so it needs to shed away the extra heat. That’s the job of the radiator, but it is harder to shed heat when the difference between the coolant temp and the ambient temp is small like in arid climates.
Have you not seen the TFL toaster tests with most trucks over heating due to not shedding enough heat at slow speeds?
@@gpajeyour body is 96 inside. Is it easier to get cool when it’s 90 or 45 degrees outside?
@andrewc1036 sure, but we're talking about an engine here that operates at 200f, it's hardly any difference to it when the outside temperature is only 30 to 40° diff, in fact it has to close the thermostat occasional to maintain the temp at 200f even in hot weather.
A heat Exchanger operates at a rate, cooling properties vary, but it's a given percentage of ambient. 20 degrees, 20% or otherwise. Adding a turbo or even a supercharger heats the air going into the engine , as well as cooking everything plastic in the engine compartment. cooling the water temperature is not the only challenge.
No dipstick no deal Ram.
😢😢😢 cry much
You probably have to download an app to check your oil level.
@scottythebody0811 cry much
I never check my oil or my mirrors, so I don’t need either.
@Cloud30000
Vehicles have become “smarter” because drivers have become less competent…like never checking your mirrors.
The filming and editing of this episode was top notch 👍
I think the real test here was Andre trying to stretch that hat over his head
My favv trio, Roman, Andre, & Nathan!
Sooo, the regular 1500 with the low output 3.0l but higher tow rating will fail worse. Can't wait for that test.
Why would it fail worse? It has a higher compression ratio, it might engine brake better.
@@Jay-me7gw Not enough to fight the higher trailer weight.
Been watching since Andrei sunk the hummer 😭 been watching ever since love the videos
Thank you! Much appreciated.
Man, that video was classic! Poor Andre with the water pouring in.
That intro with the callouts was nice!
Rebel High Output
Wont happen
@@843MudMafia. he's saying thats what "RHO" stands for....
It stands for rebel high output. Hes right
Remove hemi option
Mr Truck was with you in spirit.
No, thank God she wasn't there at ALL
3 liters. That’s only 180 cubic inches. That’s smaller than a slant 6.
Which had a dipstick.
@ or two.
Did diesel engines shrink when turbos were introduced to them?
@@chucknSCthis truck also had 2 dipsticks….. driving!
there was a 170ci slant six
Is there anyone from Stetson watching this?
If there is, show mercy and help the Russian out
@@Highaltitude45 😅
Start out by sizing it correctly then give him instructions on how to wear it.
I'm no cowboy but pretty sure if he were on Yellowstone wearing that hat there would be a trip to the train station in a Cummins Ram.
@ 😅
TFL is awesome. New truck prices are not awesome.
So promising if the RHO's that we've had delivered weren't plagued with defects, check engine lights, melted cats, and misfires. Seems like the press trucks got better builds and exempt from problems. This is really sad concidering we spent 86k+ on a truck that has to be fixed when there are no fixes in sight. Take a look at some RHO forums and you'll see what's happened to us in under 500 miles. What's going on RAM?
Roman was Gold in this video!! Funny stuff man!!! Many ppl don't check their oil. It's almost like ppl don't buy manuals and they don't check their oil.
Getting rid of dipsticks is the most stupid thing the automotive industry has done. Or close to it.
Is it really cheaper to have a sensor over a dipstick? I mean common
Cheaper for stelantis. Lol
And more profitable when the sensor fails and you lock up the engine...
I am an employee that builds grand cherokee at the mack assembly plant i ordered a rho in sept it was built on Oct 9th and was told it's in repair and have been stonewalled since it's been 11 weeks and counting in repair i can't wait to finally get it one day
@@larrykirk9825 what do you mean in repair
Any one else feal like Roman wanted to cry every time the TRX was mentioned in past tense.
I love my 6.4 in my HD 2500 telling me all about it... AND, doing its job and letting my brake foot relax. It would seem that Tow Haul on the transmission side could be tuned to address a not unserious issue. See how I used that double negative there...
“I don’t want a hairy truck dude”!!!!! LOL!!!!!
Andre, you gotta pull that hat brim down a bit! You look too much like Moe Szyslak from the Simpsons. Thanks for the comedy this Sunday morning! Great show!
The curved brim, while becoming an aesthetic style now, actually was designed and works better for directing the rain behind you and providing better peripheral vision with minimal loss of shade. I curve all my brims for this reason, as I hate things blocking any part of my vision (note that most baseball brims don’t spread to the side as the detriment was determined to outweigh the benefit).
Coil over suspension is the worst for towing heavy loads. I will never understand why Ram stopped using leaf springs in their 2500 series.
Leaf springs are more stable than coils, that’s why a sway bar is standard equipment on the ram
Coil overs provide a better ride when empty, which RAM determined the 2500’s are 95% of the time and thus people would value that over the sacrifice made for the other 5% of the time.
If you only use the truck for towing or hauling heavy loads, the RAM 2500 doesn’t make sense (much like any off road spec truck, but that does’t stop most people from choosing them as tow rigs).
@@pathunter7003 Ram 2500’s have a rear sway bar? Is it disconnectable to improve off road performance?
@Cloud30000if you haul or tow, the 2500 doesn’t make sense? What?
@@andrewc1036 if you “ONLY” use the truck to haul or tow heavy (meaning you have another vehicle you use for things other then hauling or towing, like commuting empty and bought the truck just to use for hauling and towing), the RAM 2500 doesn’t make sense as most other mfg’s 3/4 ton trucks with leaf springs will do both better and the coil overs do not provide any benefit when hauling or towing heavy. If you primary use it as a commuter and occasionally haul or tow, then the 2500 will provide a more compliant daily ride empty but you sacrifice on hauling and towing control with the coil overs.
I'm honestly impressed with how well the editor synchronizes the auxiliary shots with the main audio stream. 6:19 you can see Andre's mouth movements are in perfect sync with the audio. Attention to detail 👌
Good job whoever made that thumbnail
Yippee I have been waiting for this moment to see what the RHO will do in real life circumstances. Thank You 🙏
I worked for a company that had trucks with no dipsticks and only relied on the computer to monitor the oil level. Well that ended in a very expensive engine replacement. No dipstick is a very bad idea.
These new trucks have so many gears and most of them are for cruising. I wish they’d make the first few gear closer in ratio together so that there are more towing gears and grade shifting gears. I always thought it weird to have long 1st and 2nd gears when there’s 10 speeds. Make the first like 4 gears for towing and the rest for mileage instead of all of them for fuel mileage haha
I will glady keep my 09 duramax deleted and tuned, tows like crazy and the tune makes the grade shifting almost like having an exhaust brake
The payload in our trucks suck in comparison to what they get in Australia. Their midsize trucks get around a 1 ton payload. Would be pretty cool to have a midsize truck with that capability.
That's because they have thicker springs for that job, the ride is rough, you can spec a full size truck to have great payload, but you're going to have to give up some things.
Same truck, different test criteria combined with neutered specs to prevent cannibalizing sales of half tons.
@@gpaje the springs are only a small part of payload, which is why just adding a helper spring or bags won’t give you a higher payload. On the high payload options, they often have beefier brakes and thicker frames\axles, but it is always more than just different springs.
American trucks are pathetic
@@przemeksledziewski1973 I am fine with midsize payloads to be honest. 1200-1500 lbs is pretty good for these trucks.
It's the fullsize trucks with similar payloads that I find funny. They're so big they don't fit in the average sized garage, but don't really have the respectable payload they should have.
I would just get an HD truck, but yeah a midsize truck with a 1 ton payload would be awesome ride quality be damned. I could imagine an off-road suspension which would help with ride quality in general wouldn't cut the payload in half.
Also you say American trucks are pathetic but they put more powerful engines in American trucks and towing capacity is on par so it can be argued that you could just buy a trailer and be able to pull way more weight than whatever foreign truck could carry in its bed.
I know they've probably mentioned it before, but why did they not use cruise control on the downhill?
Cruise control automatically uses the brakes, and they want to see how the truck does with as little use of the brakes as possible.
I like the hurricane I6, however I really wanna hear about that P38. I'm an old Rover guy and I've wanted one for a while
That a pretty low profile trailer. If it was a cargo or RV it would have helped some on the downhill. Won’t be near a diesel with EB but will help improve the downhill. I think RAM did a nice job. Now - if they can fix the dead battery and other issues that are rampant with brand new RHOs. Ugh….
Ford went through a lot of dead battery issues; turned out to be a software problem, with it constantly checking for updates regardless of the battery state and draining trucks that sit for a week. Updated the software to pause all updates if the battery dropped below 50% and the issues went away.
I suspect RAM has the same problem and needs to update the way their software updates work to account for trucks that are not driven every day.
Going from 0w20 to 0w40 when they had a problem with low pressure when the oil overheated, they knew that with 0w-20 that would cause a connecting rod to be lost.
We've got 2 dipsticks, but neither checks the oil level.
Hahah final some truth!
😂
My guess is that these engines are more than likely consuming oil. The 3.0L Duramax is allowed to consume 1quart of oil every 3000miles and that is considered normal. It might be something similar with this engine. By removing the dipstick and using a sensor and alert system Stelantis is simply covering their own behinds if there are any engine problems due to oil consumption. They can deny any warranty claims saying the system shows you were alerted to add oil so it's on you if you didn't. As for the sensor failing down the road they don't care as long as it gets them through the warranty period. This might not be the case but I believe it's something in the same ball park.
wow intake air temp is 66. really nice more power . maybe you need bigger intercooler. get colder and drop pressure. sound fun !
After you showed the trailer hitch and talked about sag, just afterwards the front of the truck did look like it was quite high. Maybe stiffer rear suspension if people pull heavy trailers.
Stiffer rear suspension…you mean the non-off road trim?
All off road spec trucks suffer this same problem due to softer springs for better articulation on trails.
It's a ram what do you expect. Crap mileage too. Copy Ford led the way and started this. About time they got with the game.
I think you should do your downhill test in cruise control just like you did on the uphill test. I think and know you will get different down hill braking results with all of your test trucks. IMHO most people use the cruise control while towing, I know I do.
Most manufacturers recommend against using cruise control when towing. Especially difficult for the drivetrain when towing large loads. Are you towing under 10k lbs?
@@johnhahn8464 Yes, Under 10K. If the manufactures did not want you to use cruise control while towing that feature would be tuned off with a trailer hooked up or tow haul mode engaged IMHO.
@wayneanderson991 just read your owners manual it's all in there
@@johnhahn8464 All it say is using cruise control while towing is not recommended by the manufacture. Manufactures recommendations are simply that recommendations.
@@wayneanderson991 thank you for repeating my initial comment
It's a small displacement engine, you can't expect much of a engine brake!
The fact that they removed the engine and trans dipsticks shows just how stupid the engineers really are absolutely positively ridiculous
I would buy a Raptor before this and here's a short reason.
After my wifes 09 Escalade died only having 154,000 on it due to the AFM crap I really looked into who's offering better motors. I decided on replacing it with a Navigator with the 3.5HO, the raptor engine.
The one thing I realized in my research is most cars are only using direct injection. Ford incorporates port injection and only uses it to keep the carbon buildup to a minimum.
They stole the idea from toyota but there engines are still trash
I must be really lucky then cuz I haven't had any issues with the 4 Ford's we currently own. Haven't had any expenses apart from normal maintenance.
2006 4.0 Mustang - 155k miles (Replaced plastic Thermostat housing w/ aluminum.)
2013 Focus - 125k miles
2015 EB Mustang - 35k miles
2018 Flex 3.5 EB w/ Five Star 91 octane tune - 121k miles
I sold my 2002 4.6 Explorer 3 years ago when we bought the Flex and it had 217k miles. Bought it with 90k miles. I had to replace the radiator and wheel bearings.
@Mercipher21 I'm afraid so I would want a car going on luck i want known reliability
@@thekingofnoobs8362 I think you missed the irony of my comment. Is it really just luck? Or does it show a pattern of reliability, across multiple different vehicles?
@Mercipher21 no it doesn't show a pattern of reliability ask any shop what truck do you see most at the shop 90% of them would say ford f150
I would like to see a Hurricane 6.0liter single turbo gasser in the HD. Call it the "Cat 6 Hurricane HD." Ideal architecture for towing and HD use, no BS diesel treatment choking the engine, one less turbo for less failure points and complexity, better engine breaking. If it was even close to 1.5 times the current HO Hurricane....now that I would be interested in.
That Old U-HAUL Passed you towing a car on a trailer , Did it Crash ? 👀
They're to dramatic about everything. If it would have crashed, we would have known.
Been waiting for this one!
When these heavy trucks have such low tow and payload rating I think it would be fun and possibly funny to see it compared against a Ranger with it's 7500 lbs tow rating. You could even compare the MPG, 0-60, and stability. And yes, I know a mid size should be worse but I'm interested to see it proven on TFL. You could do it with your Ranger Raptor but it only tows 5500ish where the Ranger is up to 7500.
I work for a RAM dealer....if you have a new RAM go check on your probably blown rear main seal
😮
BMW also gives you a i6 with no dip stick
Most BMWs I see going down the road have a dip stick 😉
You sure it isn't made by bmw its an inline 6 and it uses 0w-40 this isn't an "American brand"
they've been making dipstickless engines since about 2007.
Love the cowboy hat Andre!
Stellantis. That is all you need to know to stay away from this headache
Would have been intetested in seeing the boost going up and the vacuum going down. Also, im assuming there is no intercooler?
Doing this test in the dead of summer (for some trucks) vs. the dead of winter (for this truck for example) is a terrible metric to use.
Is it the top dog off road ram truck. I don't think it or the trx can hold a candle compared to the power wagon. Let's see that video trx vs rho vs power wagon.
No oil dipstick because Stellantis engineering knows the engine will fail before it needs an oil change. I can't wait to see the early adopters issues.
Andre keeping the tradition of the western hat going. Nice. Though, Mr. Truck wears it a bit better. 😝 And Roman needs to not be so relatable. I too hate seeing my own reflection; I also hate being photographed. 😶 So, RUclips is safe from me. LOL! 😳
For those who buy this, the battle will be "at what low mileage will this motor grenade?"
I remember when everyone was up in arms when transmission dipsticks weren’t on trucks anymore. Now it’s not an issue. 🤷♂️
@@flight2k5 depends what you consider an issue. Some people want to be able to check and add fluid if they decide to service their own trans. They should all have drain plugs and dipsticks.
@ but they don’t anymore. They haven’t for fed 10 years. You can service your own transmissions at home without a dipstick
This may be picky, but I would surely miss my dual glove box in my current Ram, I have no need for a passenger screen. My wife brings her iPad along for road trips anyway.
That secondary screen is horrible.
Why?
@ mostly because of that reflection.
You know what no one I have seen yet reviewing a ram has talked about The fact that there's no vacuum brake booster anymore it's an electric brake booster I don't see anybody talking about that also most of the new Rams don't come with a VR chat button so you either have to wake it up with a voice command or some other way of waking it up but you no longer have the button on the steering wheel
Always glad to see another Ike video.
That is a high performance air filter 👌