Mr Truck bought a brand new pickup truck. It’s a 2024 Ford F-150 XL work truck. What better way to welcome his first truck than challenging it on the Ike Gauntlet – the world’s toughest towing test – against a brand new 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman work truck? On this episode of the Ike Gauntlet, it’s a brand new Ford 5.0L “Coyote” V8 versus a brand new Ram 3.0L “Hurricane” twin-turbo I6. Let’s go!
These two trucks are configured the same. They are both crew cab trucks with extended length beds. The are both base work truck models with 4×4, and they both offer six seats.
They are also quite different. The Ford has a naturally aspirated V8, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and an efficiency-minded 3.31-to-1 rear axle ratio. This rear axle limits this truck’s towing capacity to 9,200 lbs. It’s plenty for what Mr Truck needs, but it could be more if it had a 3.73 rear axle and a maximum towing package.
The Ram is powered by a new twin-turbo straight-six engine that is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This Tradesman has a maximum towing package with a 3.92-to-1 rear axle ratio. This truck’s towing capacity is around 11,000 lbs.
World’s Toughest Towing Test
The Ike Gauntlet is the world’s toughest towing test because it’s an 8-mile stretch of I-70 interstate highway that goes to the top of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. This stretch is a 7% grade and the top elevation is 11.158 feet above sea level. If a truck can tow well here, it will tow great anywhere!
Ike Gauntlet Downhill
Both of these trucks did not show a stellar downhill performance with pulling out 8,600 lbs trailer. We focus this test on the transmission’s grade shifting setup, and the truck’s ability to slow down without excessive use of the brakes. A great downhill run would have me using the brakes less than 10 times. 10 brake application is an average result. This Ford F-150 with the 3.31-to-1 axle did 11 brake applications, while the Ram 1500 did 14 brake applications.
Ike Gauntlet Uphill
This test starts at an elevation that is close to 9,000 feet above sea level. At the top of the Ike Gauntlet highway, there is approximately 32% less air density than at sea level. It means that internal combustion engines could lose a third of their power while trying to pull a heavy trailer up a mountain. Turbocharging helps a lot, but it still cannot account for all of the air density loss.
Both trucks performed well on the uphill. It took the Ford V8 around 18 seconds to accelerate 35-60 mph on the Ike Gauntlet on ramp. The Ram’s hurricane twin-turbo took around 15 seconds for the same acceleration.
The 5.0L V8 is rated at 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. The 3.0L TT I6 is rated at 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque.
Both truck were able to maintain the 60 MPH speed limit on the way up the mountain. They both completed the 8 mile distance in 8 minutes, but I had to use 100% of the Ford’s power for the majority of the run. I did not use 100% of the Ram’s power – the twin-turbo still had a lot more give.
The Ford’s trip computer showed 4.2 MPG for the uphill. The Ram’s trip computer was very similar – showing 4.3 MPG.
The Verdict
In the end, this Ford’s sticker price is around $5,500 less than that of the Ram. Yes, the Ram has several additional high-tech features, but the Ford F-150 offers more payload capacity, more fuel capacity, and it did better on the downhill. This comparison goes to the new 2024 Ford F-150.
Please join Kent “Mr Truck” Sundling and I in the video below for all of the Ike Gauntlet fun.
