Ram Long-Hauler concept offers 1,600-mile range for epic road trips
#1
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Ram Long-Hauler concept offers 1,600-mile range for epic road trips
Kick *** to me!
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....auler-lead.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....auler-lead.jpg
Need a way to get yourself, four buddies and a whole lot of cargo across the country with the bare minimum of fuel stops? The Ram Long-Hauler Concept is your truck. The rig got a quiet coming-out party at the Mid-America Trucking Show, which was held March 31st through April 2nd in Louisville, Kentucky.
This behemoth of a tow rig sports a 197.7-inch wheelbase, or about as long as your average oil tanker. That much space means it has a full-size eight-foot bed and Ram's four-door MegaCab passenger compartment. In keeping with the oil tanker theme, the Long-Hauler has the capacity to hold an astonishing 162 gallons of diesel fuel, thanks to a 60-gallon auxiliary tank in the bed. That much fuel should give this thing enough range to cross the country in two fuel stops if you aren't too liberal with the throttle.
The Long-Hauler is based on the Ram 5500 commercial truck chassis cab, which comes with a 19,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating. Ram combines that with a self-leveling air suspension on all four corners, a dual-rear-wheel package, 19.5-inch Alcoa 10-lug wheels and an Allison six-speed automatic. Add it all up and you've got a gross vehicle weight rating of 37,500 pounds, which should be enough to handle whatever you throw this hauler's way. Doing the grunt work will be a 350-horsepower, 6.7-liter Cummins diesel inline six spitting out 650 pound-feet of twist.
The Ram Long-Hauler, should it make production, will be aimed at those who need enormous towing capacity and range, but don't want to step up to something like a Freightliner SportChassis just yet. There's still no word on a production timetable or what the truck might cost should it become available.
This behemoth of a tow rig sports a 197.7-inch wheelbase, or about as long as your average oil tanker. That much space means it has a full-size eight-foot bed and Ram's four-door MegaCab passenger compartment. In keeping with the oil tanker theme, the Long-Hauler has the capacity to hold an astonishing 162 gallons of diesel fuel, thanks to a 60-gallon auxiliary tank in the bed. That much fuel should give this thing enough range to cross the country in two fuel stops if you aren't too liberal with the throttle.
The Long-Hauler is based on the Ram 5500 commercial truck chassis cab, which comes with a 19,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating. Ram combines that with a self-leveling air suspension on all four corners, a dual-rear-wheel package, 19.5-inch Alcoa 10-lug wheels and an Allison six-speed automatic. Add it all up and you've got a gross vehicle weight rating of 37,500 pounds, which should be enough to handle whatever you throw this hauler's way. Doing the grunt work will be a 350-horsepower, 6.7-liter Cummins diesel inline six spitting out 650 pound-feet of twist.
The Ram Long-Hauler, should it make production, will be aimed at those who need enormous towing capacity and range, but don't want to step up to something like a Freightliner SportChassis just yet. There's still no word on a production timetable or what the truck might cost should it become available.
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#9
Ram Fail.
1. Holds 162 gallons, which is an extra 1,300 lb. it has to carry! With the extra weight, it's going to be less fuel efficient.
2. Cost of gas is over $4, which would be over $600 for a full tank.
3. It has a 6.7 liter gas-guzzling engine, so the 1,600 mile trip with the 162 gallons would be 9.87 miles per gallon.
Again, Ram Fail.
1. Holds 162 gallons, which is an extra 1,300 lb. it has to carry! With the extra weight, it's going to be less fuel efficient.
2. Cost of gas is over $4, which would be over $600 for a full tank.
3. It has a 6.7 liter gas-guzzling engine, so the 1,600 mile trip with the 162 gallons would be 9.87 miles per gallon.
Again, Ram Fail.
#10
I'm not sure where they get the 162 gallon total fuel capacity:
22.5 gal (mid-ship tank per Ram trucks website)
52.2 gal (rear tank per Ram trucks website)
60 gal (aux bed tank from article)
----
134.7 gal total
As for efficiency, the Cummins diesel gets respectable mileage when towing with good power. It's obviously not intended for commuting to the office, but it would be an interesting option if you were an RV hot shot or you had a race team with a big honking trailer.
22.5 gal (mid-ship tank per Ram trucks website)
52.2 gal (rear tank per Ram trucks website)
60 gal (aux bed tank from article)
----
134.7 gal total
As for efficiency, the Cummins diesel gets respectable mileage when towing with good power. It's obviously not intended for commuting to the office, but it would be an interesting option if you were an RV hot shot or you had a race team with a big honking trailer.
#11
Out of Warranty
Some years ago I might have opted out of our motorhome and into something like this to tow a fifth-wheel. The Class A MH had a Dodge truck engine - a 318 V-8 that shared nothing with its automotive counterpart but a displacement number. In a 5-ton un-aerodynamic vehicle the little beast got about 14 mpg on the highway, about 8 in urban driving.
Learned the secret of fuel economy back then - resist the urge to move your right foot except in an emergency. Acceleration was a process measured over the course of a mile. Flooring the throttle only produced noise from the engine compartment and a declining gas gauge - you gained speed very slowly. Accelerating from 60 to 70 required nearly a half-mile at best, so you only eased on the throttle when needed. With a fuel flow meter, vacuum gauge and tach, it was easy to see where your money was going. I was tired of watching my paycheck being dragged through the tailpipe.
We discovered early that the conventional cruise control was your worst enemy. Start up a slight overpass grade and the cruise servo would yank the throttle linkage to WOT, where it would stay until you started down the backside of the overpass. I learned to accelerate slightly, well in advance of the upcoming grade, then let my momentum carry me over the top. If I was doing the limit at 70, I'd roll on a bit of throttle early in anticipation of the grade - maybe up to 74-75, then hold that position. The grade would take me down to about 67-68 mph and then allow gravity to assist me in resuming highway speed on the downhill side. It works - even on a passenger car.
Wonder if that would work with the Cummins? Dunno why not . . .
Learned the secret of fuel economy back then - resist the urge to move your right foot except in an emergency. Acceleration was a process measured over the course of a mile. Flooring the throttle only produced noise from the engine compartment and a declining gas gauge - you gained speed very slowly. Accelerating from 60 to 70 required nearly a half-mile at best, so you only eased on the throttle when needed. With a fuel flow meter, vacuum gauge and tach, it was easy to see where your money was going. I was tired of watching my paycheck being dragged through the tailpipe.
We discovered early that the conventional cruise control was your worst enemy. Start up a slight overpass grade and the cruise servo would yank the throttle linkage to WOT, where it would stay until you started down the backside of the overpass. I learned to accelerate slightly, well in advance of the upcoming grade, then let my momentum carry me over the top. If I was doing the limit at 70, I'd roll on a bit of throttle early in anticipation of the grade - maybe up to 74-75, then hold that position. The grade would take me down to about 67-68 mph and then allow gravity to assist me in resuming highway speed on the downhill side. It works - even on a passenger car.
Wonder if that would work with the Cummins? Dunno why not . . .
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