News Manager: 2014 RAM 1500 EcoDiesel Heads West

A work truck scheduled to be trucked to Calif. gets ready to haul a household there and save fuel in the process.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Aug. 14, 2014

2014 RAM 1500 Tradesman with the 3.0L EcoDiesel - $32,080 as driven while rated at 21/28 mpg City/highway. Heading west with an overnight on the Mississippi and a drive along the Pacific Coast!

Social Media? How about #RAMTargets40 ?

Marian has been in the San Diego for quite some time while we try and sell our home in IL. Although that process is taking much longer than expected, visiting Southern California has become a staple and while doing so, a home needs to be moved in steps. And RAM provides.

When I requested a 2014 RAM 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel as a stripped work truck for a World Record attempt, RAM’s Nick Cappa was hesitant. As in how was he going to sell a stripped work truck from a press fleet after a particular press fleet vehicle has run its course through the local media outlets?

Now that I have had a few days in the fuel efficient Tradesman, it will probably go like a hot knife through butter to a California area dealership. A rancher, a farmer, a general contractor, or a fleet will buy this baby in hours. Why? Because it lists for < $30k and is built perfectly for a Southern Californian that needs a work truck, not a show truck. In the land where diesel fuel costs less than gasoline, it is quite literally the perfect work truck.

So why Southern California? Apparently the Press Fleet out there is lacking an working EcoDiesel so one was destined for it anyway. RAM could ship it there with maybe 5 other trucks pulled by a big rig at 6 mpg (36 mpg per truck equivalent) or let me take my chances and see if we could not only be the first to cross the country in a full sized pickup besting the transportation average but setting a World Record as the first full sized pickup to cross a large portion of the country at > 40 + mpg. We will have to see about that.

I like the Outdoors so my trusty Eureka! camping gear is also along for the ride.

Most also know I do not leave home in any car or truck without a ScanGauge attached. For the 3.0L EcoDiesel, I am watching instantaneous HP, RPM, Throttle Position and LOAD.

Low and behold, it is equipped with some Goodyear Wranglers, one of my favorite tire company’s.

And like all vehicles, it needs fuel. Not as much as you might think given the super diesel inside but it still needs fuel. Shell took care of that need and the Fuel Rewards Network is saving me a few cents/gallon at each stop along the way.

So I loaded it up with stickers and have affectionately decided to call her “Stickers.” :)

And here we are.

This morning my oldest son and I hit the road with the totally loaded up 2014 RAM 1500 Tradesman with the 3.0L EcoDiesel.

2014 RAM 1500 Tradesman with the 3.0L EcoDiesel

It is packed!

The 8' bed has approximately 1000 lbs of stuff - clothes, pictures, electronics, bins, mementos – so this is no joy ride. This truck is actually doing quite a bit of work.

Quote:

Kin folks said Wayne move away from there.

Said California is the place you want to be

So we loaded up the truck and we moved to Beverly.

Hills that is. Swimming pools and movie stars…

So San Diego it is. ;)

After topping off and sealing up the tank at a Shell on Highway 41 – I was born around the nation fame – and Wadsworth Rd. in Wadsworth, IL, first stop was the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) building for a Midwest Automobile Media Association (MAMA) meet. This was its trial by fire as 40 mpg is a huge number for a pickup loaded to the top of the box.

After just 15 miles however. we arrived to a 15-minute stop and crawl due to a Limo fire in the opposite lanes that balled up traffic with gapers. Me too I guess?

A stop at CATA.

After leaving the CATA, I had a little trouble with the Garmin.I set it for no tolls and spent ~ 5 miles on surface streets as we headed up and over I-88 before getting back on the Interstate. It sucked. We also had our first DPF Regent. Not fun for fuel economy. With the aFCD showing 43.3 mpg at the time.

Day 1 Google Map Route

Wadsworth to Illiniwek Campground – 198 actual miles.

This route includes a night of camping on the Mississippi at Illiniwek Forest Preserve (following the RAM advert theme again) where I am typing this up plus more camping as we make our way west.

Tomorrows stay is scheduled for Kearney, NE, home of the famous Fort Kearney.

Day three will be NM or AZ and the day after that, maybe we will have hit the Pacific Ocean. Maybe?

Yeah, one of those cool drives that I wish more of you had the opportunity to do for yourself. And hopefully at that World Record breaking number?

How is the truck doing so far? Not bad, not bad at all. :)

43.1 mpg after 196.7 miles displayed (198 miles actual) from the 21/28 mpg rated pickup.

Three mountain ranges and god only knows what kind of weather we will run into ahead so this one has another 1,700 miles into the unknown still left to go. I hope Stickers will hold onto some of what she allowed so far.

Camping along the Mississippi