2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Hypermiling a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to 38.1 mpg

You never quite know what Wayne Gerdes has up his sleeve. The man who coined the term hypermiling is always looking for adventurous ways to prove that anyone – even you... yes, you – can eke out more miles per gallon just by changing the way you drive. Saying that is easy. Proving it by going on outlandish cross-country drives is hard. But for Gerdes and his team of fuel economy fiends over at CleanMPG, hard is half the fun. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. Which is why we always answer the phone when Gerdes calls. He likes to take journalists along on his drives, not only to try teach us how to hypermile but also to prove that we can be taught. The first time I 'helped' him and his team was when we got over 30 miles per gallon in a 2011 Ford F-150 XLT with the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6. The EPA rated that truck with at just 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. So, we'll count that trip as a success. Next up was a cross-country drive last fall in a trio of Audi TDI vehicles to prove that you don't need to drive extra slow to beat the EPA numbers. In fact, we made it from Los Angeles to New York City in just over 46 hours, cramped but not cranky. We had once again proven that how you drive is hugely important to your fuel usage. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. The EPA says that the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel we would be driving gets just 22 combined mpg (19 city and 27 highway). Gerdes' idea was to drive it as far north from Houston, TX towards Detroit, MI as we could go on one tank. The day before we left, our itinerary got an extra stop. Instead of taking one of the official Shell Eco-marathon prototype vehicles to Detroit, it was decided to bring the winning diesel-powered prototype from the just-finished event to The Henry Ford Museum, where it had been arranged the car would be displayed. The winning car was built by a small team (just four students) from Sullivan High School in Sullivan, IN, who managed to beat a number of college teams with a score of 1,899.32 mpg. That target would be a bit out of reach for the Ram, but could we get 1,000 miles from the tank? Since the truck has a 26 gallon tank (officially, anyway), that would mean the EPA says we could only go 702 miles, assuming all highway driving. Could we make up 300 miles with careful driving? That spells both challenge and fun.

Ram updates 1500 and Heavy Duty trucks for the new model year

Happy Labor Day weekend, and happy 2020 Ram truck news day. The changes for 2020 aren't huge, mostly limited to aesthetics, starting with a Night Edition package to the Big Horn and Laramie trims. A Black Appearance Package was offered for 2019, but this one is a little different. Those who choose the Night Edition won’t be limited to black paint only, meaning you can get all that black trim along with a contrasting exterior color. ItÂ’ll have a black grille, badging, exhaust tips, headlight/taillight bezels and wheels (20-inch for Big Horn, 22-inch for Laramie). The white Ram 1500 pictured here is equipped with the package. A Black Appearance package is coming to the Rebel trim, too, with 18-inch wheels, a front skid plate, front spoiler, lighting bezels, badging, tow hooks and exhaust, all finished in black. YouÂ’ll also be able to option a driver assistance package on the Rebel for 2020 that includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, auto high beams and forward collision mitigation. The 2020 Ram Heavy Duty adds a couple nice tech features. Lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, enhanced connected services and dual auxiliary camera support are all added as options for the new model year. Additionally, there are two new paint options: Olive Green and Hydro Blue. The Power Wagon doesnÂ’t change much, but there will be a new black wheel option for 2020. One final note of change for 2020 is the addition of “eTorque” badging on the hood of so-equipped Ram 1500 trucks. Previously, Ram made 1500 eTorque models indistinguishable from their non-electrified brethren.

Omaze is giving away a luxurious, custom Ford F-250 off-roading machine

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze.  Enter to win this giveaway or any other Omaze experience between now and November 26, 2020, use code UNWRAP300 and receive 300 bonus entries. Winning this sweepstakes will be the best Black Friday deal you’ll ever find. Personally, IÂ’m not much of a heavy-duty pickup guy. I donÂ’t have a camper to tow, nor the garage space for a big truck. But I can appreciate them. Driving a Ram Power Wagon off-road in the Nevada desert is boatloads of fun. If you need to tow 15,000 pounds and love off-roading, thereÂ’s nothing better than a heavy-duty pickup, and this custom F-250 that Omaze is giving away is one youÂ’d love to take off-road in the wide open space of a desert. Win a Custom Ford F-250 4x4 Diesel and $20,000 - Enter at Omaze This truck, customized by LGE-CTS, is a monster. It features a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel under the hood that produces 475 horsepower and over 1,000 lb-ft of torque, 1,050 to be exact. You read that right. Four-figure torque. It also has a towing capacity of 15,000 pounds and a payload of 3,320 pounds.  Here are some of the other off-road customizations, according to Omaze: “Baja Forged 5” bulge carbon fiber fenders and bed sides, Baja Forged front and rear tubular bumpers, bed cage spare tire rack, rigid light bar and accessory lights, Warn 9,500-lb winch, ICON Stage 5 Coilover conversion suspension with 3.5” lift, 8” Method wheels w/ 37” Toyo tires, Banks cat-back exhaust, iDash and Pedal Monster.” While it may look like an off-road brute on the outside, the interior is all luxury, with a panoramic sunroof, and luxurious leather heated and cooled seats. Another addition to the interior: $20,000 in cash. And like most Omaze giveaways, taxes and delivery fees are covered, so you can spend that cash however you want. The best part is that every donation supports First Responders ChildrenÂ’s Foundation, which, for almost two decades, “has provided financial support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty as well as families enduring significant hardships due to tragic circumstances.