Trip Report: 84 days, 10,922 miles

FlyingChief · 09-03-2016, 03:06 PM

Trip Report: 84 days and 10,922 miles

We just returned to our home in Southern California after a trip that lasted 84 days and covered 10,922 miles. See the map for the full route. While it's all fresh in my mind, I wanted to post a quick trip update. As a reminder, we have a 2016 Raptor 355TS and pull it with a 2013 Ram 3500 crew cab, long bed, dually.

The truck performed flawlessly. The only mechanical 'problem' was I hit a pothole on I-10 in Louisiana that knocked the right front out of alignment. After a bit of a challenge finding a shop that could fit the Ram on the alignment rack, got it realigned in Florida and switched out the spare (unused) for the right front that was showing some signs of wear due to the misalignment. Averages about 10 mpg towing and used 2.5 gallons of DEF every thousand miles or so. Learned that when the DEF gauge reads half, it will take a full 2.5 gallon container. We paid an average of $2.33 per gallon for diesel, ranging from a low of $1.84 in Texas to a high of $1.00 per liter in Canada. Other than the alignment issue, no other problems or issues at all with the Ram.

We have the B&W Companion hitch that fits in the factory pucks in the Ram. It also functioned flawlessly. Not a single problem at all.

The Raptor had no problems other than what I would consider normal wear and tear for moving your house down very rough roads for 10,000 miles. First, we did not have ANY tire problems. When we bought it, it came with ARISUN tires on it. I figure they started with a couple of thousand miles on them from the delivery drive from Indiana to Yuma. I have a TPMS (Tire Minder) and watched it closely. I was also very conscientious about checking and maintaining both torque and tire pressure throughout the trip. They still look pretty good, although I'll probably change them out before we go to Alaska next year.

The CO/LP detector failed....but they all do (at 1:30 AM). I replaced it with an identical one from Camping World. 2 minute job and no more issues. The remote control sensor on the living room TV failed. Searching online, this is apparently a common problem with Samsung TVs. We use the satellite remote most of the time anyway. The only other problem was one of the two pendant lights over the kitchen island snapped clean off at the base due to some VERY bad roads in Michigan. That's a 'road' problem, not a Raptor problem. I'm going to look for something other than pendant lights for replacement.

We haul a Honda Gold Wing Trike in the back of the Raptor. Loading and unloading were easy....especially with the autolevelers. If we got into a site where the back end was high and the ramp too steep (causes a ground clearance problem with the trike), it was simple to lower the rear and raise the front to lessen the angle. The built-in, welded-to-the-frame, 5,000 lb tiedowns worked perfectly.

And that's it. No other problems, breakages, leaks, or anything else.

What an adventure! If anyone wants to see the full trip, you can visit our blog at 84daysblog.wordpress.com.

Since there are so many bad experiences posted here, we wanted to share the great trip we had with a minimum of problem

Butchy · 09-03-2016, 04:18 PM

Sounds like a great trip FlyingChief! I will review your blog as we are planning a similar trip next year.

the sodfather · 09-03-2016, 05:21 PM

That sounds awesome! I look foreword to the time where we can do the same. Just got to get a couple kiddos out of school..

Tbos · 09-03-2016, 05:27 PM

Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for posting.

theallde · 09-03-2016, 07:14 PM

Hello Bill & Doty:

Thank you for writing the blog.

Have you posted a map of your route?

Thanks & Welcome Home ..... Don

notanlines · 09-04-2016, 05:17 AM

What? A large pothole on I-10? Say it ain't so. Are you certain you weren't on I-40 west of Memphis in Arkansas? fI have read some of your blog and "yall done good, fella!" Fine job on the blog. Glad you had a great trip. We're heading your way as I speak. Leaving Oklahoma on Tuesday headed to Colorado for a week and then to Southern California.

roadglide · 09-04-2016, 06:43 AM

Flychief I liked the pleasure riding , We use a Harley for our primary vehicle while traveling. 2 1/2 gallons DEF for 1000 miles seems extreme.

gearhead · 09-04-2016, 07:58 AM

I-10 just west of Lake Charles is a killer. Not much of it, but it's bad. The approaches to the Baton Rouge bridge can be bad but I'm usually going a bit slower there.
Some of the back roads near paper mills can get bad too; heavy log trucks creating bad ruts in the hot summer. Be careful in rainstorms.
Not that Texas doesn't have issues......

Good report on the trip. Sounds like the trailer did well except the lights. One of ours did the same thing. Discovered it hanging by the wires.

Kathy Gammon · 09-05-2016, 04:08 PM

Sounds great despite the problems. My friend ran into trouble on the I-10 in LA too last Spring on our way to Arizona. Really ruff roads! I'm interested in a tire minder for my rig too. 2015 Chevy 3500 and 2016 Montana 3711FL. Can you tell me more? Are they easy to install etc.?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FlyingChief · 09-07-2016, 08:08 PM

Yes. They come with very clear instructions that are easy to follow. They offer different packages (different numbers of sensors). Just count up how many wheels you want to monitor before you place your order.

FlyingChief · 09-07-2016, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadglide

Flychief I liked the pleasure riding , We use a Harley for our primary vehicle while traveling. 2 1/2 gallons DEF for 1000 miles seems extreme.

For the Cummins, the predicted usage rate is 2-3%. We got about 10 mpg. So that means I was adding 2.5 gallons for every 100 gallons of consumption. That's right on what is predicted for the motor. And it is right on with what other RAM owners have reported.

roadglide · 09-11-2016, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingChief

For the Cummins, the predicted usage rate is 2-3%. We got about 10 mpg. So that means I was adding 2.5 gallons for every 100 gallons of consumption. That's right on what is predicted for the motor. And it is right on with what other RAM owners have reported.

I didn't know that was the average for the Dodge. My 13 duramax pulled 1500 miles and used 1.5 gallons DEF. it has 5 gallon tank, 5000 miles what the dealer said befor it goes into limp mode.

notanlines · 09-12-2016, 05:29 AM

Large trucks may pull in the 2 1/2 % range, but all the people I've talked to and the forums I've visited are generally in the 1 to 1 1/2 % range towing heavy. I have never, ever talked to an RV'er who was putting in a 2 1/2 gallon box every 100 gallons. Something is amiss, or calculations are in error.

FlyingChief · 10-13-2016, 11:27 AM

Notanlines, sure you have.....me!

All I was doing was posting my actual, real-life experience. I'll be glad to show you my trip records. And my usage was consistent with what other RAM HD users report while towing on the RAM and Cummins forums. You'll find dozens of reports there down to 2.5 gallons for 80 miles. Don't think anything is wrong.....it is what it is.

I noticed that you have a Ford, which I had before this RAM. My DEF usage is definitely higher in the RAM than it ever was in the Ford.

schmeg · 10-13-2016, 02:10 PM

I have the 2016 Ram 3500 CTD dually. I use the same amount of DEF as FlyingChief. I just got back from a 1900 mile trip and used 4 gallons of DEF. We tow a Fuzion 414 which is similar to your Raptor. Just a bit bigger with an extra axle. I purchase at a local truck stop for 2.97 a gallon, so its not an issue. I will toss a 2.5 gallon keg in the basement of the RV as a backup on long trips. I just bookmarked your blog. I look forward to reading it tonight. My wife and I plan on going out next August for 3 months. We live in Maine, so we will be heading west.

**JRTJH** · 10-13-2016, 04:57 PM

To date, with 23,168 miles on the truck, my records reflect that I started with a full DEF tank, currently have a full DEF tank and have added 12.5 gallons since new. With the 4 gallons added by the dealer at the last oil change, the total DEF usage in 23,168 miles is 16.5. That equates to about 1400 miles per gallon.

Figuring my fuel mileage at 16 MPG, (very rough estimate of total combined towing/solo fuel mileage) that would be roughly 1448 gallons of diesel. So, I'm adding 1 gallon of DEF per 87 gallons of diesel. At that rate, my usage per 2.5 gallons of DEF would be 2.5x 87 or about one container of DEF per 217.5 gallons of diesel. That's a tad less than half the reported DEF usage in the Cummins. WOW, you're using more than twice the DEF my Ford uses.

theallde · 10-13-2016, 05:39 PM

I don't do such detailed records as John does but my DEF usage is approximate what his usage is - same TV and mpg.

Wonder why the big difference between the Dodge and Ford?

schmeg · 10-13-2016, 06:34 PM

Perhaps the 6.7 Cummins produces more nitrogen oxide than the 6.7 Scorpion. After all, that is what DEF is used for. The neutralization of that compound and turns it into nitrogen and water. I'm just glad my truck isn't like a pre DEF truck which utilizes less than ideal fuel injection mapping to get the job done. DEF usage isn't an issue for me. A small price to pay for better performance and a cleaner engine due to less reliance on EGR and better mapping.

**JRTJH** · 10-13-2016, 08:20 PM

I agree, using DEF to clean the exhaust is much better than using excessive diesel and not getting the same results. Better fuel mileage, cleaner exhaust and cheaper system to operate (so far). Hopefully it's also more reliable than the older emissions systems as well.

I was reading about a 2013-2015 RAM recall for the emission system issues. one of the problems was "excessive moisture" in the catalyst. I wonder (no facts that I've seen, just my speculation) if the increased DEF might be one of the factors in excessive moisture ???

http://www.trucktrend.com/news/1610-...ssions-recall/

old timer · 10-14-2016, 03:39 AM

Wow Chief
We live in Norcal and did a similar trip this summer. We went across the southern states Arizona New Mexico Texas Louisiana Florida then up the east coast to South Carolina Virginia Beach New York Washington D.C Niagara falls on the Canadian side then down to Indiana to Tennessee then over to Missouri up to Iowa then south Dakota Wyoming Idaho Nevada then home. Our trip was 12,000 miles. I took over 2,000 photos. What a blast. Next year we are going to Maine for some lobster LOL

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