Battle of the oil burners!

When it comes to diesel truck choices, the internet is full of bad information.  While most of this bad information is sadly based in brand loyalty, much of it is either ignorance or simply outdated information.  With this in mind we set out to thoroughly test each truck in order to provide you with scientific conclusive results from real world applications.  Although this is a Cummins powered Ram enthusiast site, for the duration of this testing I'm taking off my Cummins hat so that we can provide you with fair and unbiased information.  While aftermarket upgrades can make any of the engines perform with similar numbers, we're going to limit our testing to 100% stock trucks, each equipped with automatic transmissions and 3.73 gear ratios with limited slip differentials. 

The most noticeable difference is in the engines themselves.  The Dodge Ram uses the same Cummins ISB inline six cylinder diesel engine found in the Freightliner FL-80 (64,000# GVWR) and the Ford F750 (30,000# GVWR) medium duty trucks.  Both the Ford and the Chevrolet use V8 diesel engines designed for light duty trucks, with the Ford Power Stroke being built by International and the Chevy Duramax being built by Isuzu.

Fit & Finish

Ford Interior

While all three trucks had excellent fit & finish, the Ford interior was noticeably superior to the other two.  The layout is both user friendly and aesthetically pleasing.  The Ford and Chevy both have full size rear seats, while the Dodge rear bench seat is about 3/4 the size of the front seat.

Ride Quality

While all three trucks had excellent ride quality, the Chevy was noticeably superior to the other two.  The Chevy uses an independent front suspension which does an amazing job of smoothing the ride.  Both the Dodge and the Ford use coil sprung live axles and all three run live rear axles.  The spring rate is much softer on the Chevy and it may require additional suspension upgrades if you're into "large" women.

Off Road Prowess

To test true off road prowess I can think of no place better than Tellico ORV located just outside Murphy, NC.  The trails range from "Very Difficult" to "God, please help me!" and can test the limitations of any vehicle and driver.  We loaded up and made the 1,940 mile trip to the Tellico ORV Staging Area.

To our dismay, the Chevy quickly became stuck in the Staging Area parking lot.  An F350 and a tow strap later and we were able to continue on.  This was just the first of many disappointments at Tellico.

The trails at Tellico are long, steep, and very rocky.  Due to their size, none of the 3 trucks are suited for what I (as a Jeep owner) consider aggressive off roading, and none were up to the challenges you typically face at Tellico.  It was all we could do to limp them back to the Staging Area and head for home.  In all fairness, all 3 do perform relatively well off road and will serve you well in most reasonable off road situations.  While it gives it an amazing highway ride, the independent front suspension and lowered riding height (compared to the Ford/Dodge) detract from the Chevy's off road capability.  I found the "Z71" off road package ultimately doesn't mean much in real off road situations.

Acceleration - Unloaded

One of the most surprising aspects of all three trucks was how fast they can accelerate despite their very heavy curb weight.  Since acceleration seems to be important to many, we lined up the trucks for an old fashioned 1/4 mile drag race. 

The high revving Ford took 1st, followed by a close 2nd/3rd Chevy/Dodge finish. 

Acceleration on level ground - Loaded

Since the primary benefit to owning a diesel truck is moving very heavy payloads with authority, we decided to try the drag race again with added resistance.  We hooked 10,000 pounds to each truck and lined them up for another run.

As black smoke filled the air, all 3 trucks launched hard from the start.  The awesome torque of the Cummins powered Dodge Ram proved to much for our test trailer as it ripped the trailer completely in half!  After some creative reinforcement from Nathan Collier of Collier Welding, the trailer was welded back together..

Since the Cummins torque proved to much for a bumper pull trailer we swapped it out with a goose neck and lined the trucks up for another start.

All 3 trucks launched hard once again, with the Cummins powered Dodge Ram taking an early lead that only widened.  Both the Power Stroke powered Ford and the Duramax powered Chevy made impressive runs, finishing less than a dozen truck lengths behind the Dodge.

Acceleration on 10% grade - Loaded

We lined the trucks up and launched them again for a drag race, this time however, they would race up a consistant 10% grade for 6 miles.

Less than 1 mile into the pull the 10,000 pound load proved to much for the Duramax powered Chevy, which completely melted its little aluminum Japanese Isuzu diesel engine and caught the truck on fire.  Rescue workers worked desperately to save the truck but it was a total loss.  Luckily we were able to get the trailer disconnected before it burned, and thankfully our test driver escaped unharmed.  The staff of InlineDiesel.com apologizes for this unexpected tragedy, but the Isuzu powered Chevy was done.

After the Chevy melt down we were a little unsure of the Power Stroke, so we dropped the 6 mile climb in favor of a standard 1/4 mile uphill drag race.  Considering the grade and the 10,000 pounds in tow the Ford made a strong run, but it was no match for that awesome Cummins torque.  It completed the 10% grade uphill run some 4 seconds behind the Dodge, and burned twice as much fuel doing it.

Tug-O-War!

We hooked the Dodge and the Ford for a tug-o-war, but as you can see the Ford once again just could not stand up to the industrial power of the Cummins ISB.  We had hoped to run a few more tests but at the end of the day the Cummins powered Dodge Ram was the only truck left standing.

Vicious Attack!

Just as we had given up on being able to further test our Cummins powered Dodge Ram, a large male Montana Wild Kitty pounced on our test truck and launched a vicious attack!

After several minutes the Wild Kitty realized that he was no match for our Cummins.  He took a sniff, and disappeared into the wilderness as fast as he had appeared.  Our test driver was a bit shaken up, but the Dodge Ram had maintained its integrity throughout the attack, and (other than needing a change of shorts and a can of Lysol) he escaped harm.

Conclusion

Despite very rigorous testing the Cummins powered Dodge Ram never faltered.  It is our unbiased conclusion that if you truly need a diesel truck, you truly need a Cummins powered Dodge Ram.

The staff of InlineDiesel.com has done our best to provide you with real world results from real world testing.  We would like to thank my son Joe who graciously provided us with the test vehicles.  We extend to him our sincere apologies for destroying two vehicles and a trailer.  Had we realized the full potential of the awesome Cummins power we wouldn't have been so aggressive in our testing.  We truly hope your questions have been answered.  It was worth everything we did in order to give you the hard facts, and we hope you will benefit from our efforts.

If you would like to discuss anything about this test or Cummins powered Dodge Ram trucks in general, Click Here to visit our forum.  To see video of some of the meanest Cummins powered Dodge Rams around, Click Here to visit our Multimedia section.