Ram V6 vs Larger V8

[vanvanvanvan123]

I am new to this scene. A friend who has a Class C is recommending a Class B and an extended cab longer "Ram" so I can stand up.
The Ram class B I have seen have all been V6.
A few questions to start.
Scotty Kilmer is down on Dodge of the past few incarnations. He says reliability is sketchy.
How does the V6 compare to the V8; reliability, towing power, mpg difference?
My next question may mot belong here ( maybe this whole thread doesn't either!! )
Stealth is important to me.. And extra long Ram or Transit etc, seems like it screams "van dweller".
I do not feel I need to stand straight in a van.
Here's to a recovering USA.

 

[Chuck Q]

I am new to this scene. A friend who has a Class C is recommending a Class B and an extended cab longer "Ram" so I can stand up.
The Ram class B I have seen have all been V6.
A few questions to start.
Scotty Kilmer is down on Dodge of the past few incarnations. He says reliability is sketchy.
How does the V6 compare to the V8; reliability, towing power, mpg difference?
My next question may mot belong here ( maybe this whole thread doesn't either!! )
Stealth is important to me.. And extra long Ram or Transit etc, seems like it screams "van dweller".
I do not feel I need to stand straight in a van.
Here's to a recovering USA.

Howdy!
I own a '97 Dodge B350 Class B with the 5.9 "Magnum" V-8. Bought it with 60,000 on the odometer and it now reads 165,000. The 5.9 Magnum engine is superb. I average around 17mpg pulling a small motorcycle/trailer. No major work on the engine with one exception. Seems that model engine has a reputation for leaking oil from the intake manifold directly into the cylinders. Very easy to check for this problem. Simply remove the air cleaner, open the throttle plates and look down into the inside of the intake manifold. If you see any oil, it's time to wrench! Your spark plugs on the left bank of cylinders might be "oiled black" as well. The easy fix was a simple replacement of the poorly designed intake plenum and gasket. Parts ran around $75 and it took a few hours to install. No problems! I do most of my own mechanical work and the Dodge is easy to work on and maintain.
I have no personal experience with the V-6 but the V-8 runs smoothly, gets "decent" gas mileage and tows my motorcycle like it wasn't there. No problems negotiating mountain roads with plenty of power to spare. If I had to make the choice again, it would most certainly be the V-8. My opinion only, your mileage and experiences may vary............

 

[user 423]

A friend who has a Class C is recommending a Class B and an extended cab longer "Ram" so I can stand up.
The Ram class B I have seen have all been V6.
Scotty Kilmer is down on Dodge of the past few incarnations. He says reliability is sketchy.
How does the V6 compare to the V8; reliability, towing power, mpg difference?
Stealth is important to me.. And extra long Ram or Transit etc, seems like it screams "van dweller".
I do not feel I need to stand straight in a van.

What year Dodges are you referring to? Class B conversions will be heavier than a regular van so it would be unusual for one to have a V6 and I'm sure most older ones ('80s-90's) would have the 360 V8. Ones with the smaller 318 V8s are out there but would be underpowered IMO. Where are you seeing these V6's? It could be the sellers don't really know what engine they have and are posting the wrong info. Or they feel a V6 would be more saleable for MPG.
Any van with a high top more or less says,"dweller inside". Stealth for long periods,even in a regular looking van, is generally not possible but you will find differing opinions. It all depends on what area you plan to stay in.
BTW: I've owned several Dodge vans and they all were pretty reliable. There are some quirks with them though,so do some research. I used to full-time in an '86 Dodge Class B with the 360 V8 and it was reliable but was a gas hog. 7700 lb. weight.

 

[tzagi]

Back in the day I worked as a service tech and was issued a late 90's shorty van with the v6, moderately loaded it was ok, just ok. But in a loaded class B? It will be a slug on anything but flat land.

 

[frater secessus]

I suspect the RAM referenced is the Promaster, since Winnie and others use them for chassis and they have V6. as described.

The Pentastar v6 is something like 270hp and 270ftlb of torque. The Transit ecoboost v6 has even more. I'd imagine a straight six would be easier to maintain in a van engine compartment.

The PM's towing capacity is fairly low at something like 5000#. A RWD van would likely be a better choice for heavy towing.

 

[crofter]

If you will be a full time dweller, you will need to stand up in the van. Or you could get a cargo trailer and stand up in that.

The RAM V6 works great in the mountains. I have one, no issues & no breakdowns other than tires. However, there is that low back axle. I have stayed off some of the sketchy deeply rutted mountain roads I used to travel in the four wheel drive pickup.

Then again, there is a dweller on here who says he still travels on the sketchy roads with a Promaster.
-crofter

 

[user 423]

I suspect the RAM referenced is the Promaster, since Winnie and others use them for chassis and they have V6. as described.

Yeah, I believe you're correct but I wasn't sure what generation of 'Ram' he means since he mentions V8's which are only found in the older models. Dodge has used the Ram name since the '70's.

 

[user 423]

Back in the day I worked as a service tech and was issued a late 90's shorty van with the v6, moderately loaded it was ok, just ok.

About 20 years ago I used a '77 Maxi van w/360 for a work truck and I also owned a '90 B150 shorty with a 318. The B150 was like a sports car compared to that Maxi!