Highest Mileage Ram Truck In The World In 2024

Summary

• RAM trucks are gaining ground against competitors like Toyota, showcasing remarkable feats of durability and reliability in the long run.
• Cummins engines play a key role in achieving high-mileage benchmarks, as showcased by RAM truck owners surpassing a million miles.
• Regular maintenance, dedicated mechanics like Forest Cunningham, and the trust in the 5.9-liter Cummins engine contribute to the longevity of RAM trucks.

The confident style and undeniable functionality of pickup trucks make them among the best-selling automobiles. Within this broad segment, RAM trucks stand out as one of the most well-known pickup truck lines. In recent years, they have gained significant ground against their competitors, emerging as a threat to brands like Toyota, known for their reliability.

While RAM trucks may not be renowned for being extremely reliable, as reflected in Repair Pal’s reliability ratings of 3.5/5 for the 1500, 2.5/5 for the 2500, and 2/5 for the 3500, some models can still deliver admirable performance, thanks to both the truck itself and the maintenance carried out by its owner over the years. As you may agree, there’s no better way to prove this than by sharing real-life cases of individuals achieving incredible feats, such as surpassing the million-mile mark.

What’s noteworthy about RAM trucks is that there are plenty of cases of people surpassing a million miles with one of their vehicles, and they all have one thing in common: the incredibly durable Cummins engine. Since not all owners share their achievements, it’s difficult to determine which specific truck currently holds the highest mileage record, but each case is special and deserves recognition.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from RAM, Cummins, and Repair Pal.

Owner Of A Dodge RAM 3500 Crossed The Two Million Miles Mark

Crossing the one million-mile mark is already an amazing achievement for a truck owner, but there are cases that truly seem unreal. That’s precisely what happened with Howard Clayton and his Dodge RAM 3500.

In 2011, Farm Show Magazine first connected with Howard Clayton, a resident of Waterloo, Iowa. At that time, he had already driven his 2000 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup nearly 1.7 million miles. Years later, they decided to check if he was still driving it, and indeed he was. They found out that it had already reached 2.5 million miles, a quite exclusive feat in the world of trucks.

The reason Clayton is able to accumulate so many miles each year is his job. Although he lives in Iowa, technically he “lives in his truck”, delivering fifth-wheel camper trailers from Indiana manufacturers to dealers across the country. Due to his work as a contract driver, he racks up more than 130,000 miles a year, working 12 months a year and often being on the road for five to six weeks at a time.

I’ve been in every state of the lower 48, and several provinces in Canada”, Clayton says proudly. “I’ve been doing this so long I know the good places to stay and eat and have truck stop friends all over the country.

The Key Lies In Finding Yourself A Reliable Mechanic

When hearing about these cases, one naturally wonders what it is that allows a truck to endure such high mileage. The best way to find out is to rely on the testimony of his mechanic, Forest Cunningham, from Missouri, known for his work on fuel pumps and high-mileage engines.

Cunningham to Farm Show Magazine

Once a year we clean out all the fluids and refill with fresh synthetics. He has a custom-built set of injectors, a stock injection pump, and an aftermarket device that alters injection timing. He gets more than 300 horsepower with that engine, and I have no idea how much torque.

Clayton has had to replace the battery, alternator, and lift pumps. The closest he has come to engine problems was replacing a head gasket, though he has had a couple of oil leaks over the years.

Moreover, while he relies on synthetic Rotella 1540 for engine oil and Fleetguard oil filters, the transmission and rear-end fluids are also synthetic. He gives them at least part of the credit for never having touched the 6-speed transmission or the rear end. Additionally, Clayton uses a fuel treatment year-round to keep his injectors clean, as well as using Lucas Oil Additive. He adds half a quart of the thickening agent with every oil change.

It thickens the oil just enough for better oil pressure,” says Clayton. “You don’t want it too thick, especially in the winter.

Clayton says there are no secrets to what he and Cunningham do. “I try to keep an eye on maintenance, and if anything goes wrong, I take care of it immediately.”

Despite The Wear And Tear, The Engine Endured Without Replacement

The most surprising detail about this case is the fact that Clayton never replaced his 5.9-liter Cummins engine after all these years and the extensive mileage put on his truck.

Clayton Explained

I ordered the 3500 1-ton dually with a 5.9-liter engine in 2000 and I’ve been driving it ever since. It’s never caused me a lick of problems because I pay attention to regular maintenance and change the oil and filter every 10,000 miles.

Between the first and second visits by Farm Show Magazine, the engine underwent an overhaul once, with new pistons, bearings, and a crank. Additionally, he’s installed a new transmission and rear end and gone through several sets of tires. All of this maintenance was also performed by Forest Cunningham, his trusted mechanic who keeps the beast running smoothly.

At the time of the second interview, Clayton was 74 years old and still working full days, leaving early in the morning and parking at a place of his choice to eat and sleep comfortably before continuing his journey.

There’s more and more trucks on the road every year, and I’m just one of the old-timers,” Clayton stated. “I’ll keep at this as long as I can and as long as my truck keeps running smooth.

Other RAM Truck Owners Who Also Reached The Million-Mile Milestone

As incredible as it may seem, the previous case is not the only one in which a RAM truck surpassed the million-mile mark. While not as grandiose as Clayton’s achievement, Gary Johnson and Donald Jensen are two more of the many cases where individuals surpassed a thousand miles aboard their RAMs, and believe me when I say there are even more out there.

Gary Johnson Hit The 1.4 Million Mile Mark In His 1997 Dodge 3500

Gary Johnson, from Killeen, Texas, has been driving his 1997 Dodge 3500 since he bought it brand new and has more than 1.4 million miles on his truck. Pickup Truck Talk was the first to learn about this story back in 2021, after which they immediately arranged an interview with him to share his experience. Unlike the previous case, Gary faced many challenges in maintaining his truck, primarily reflected in numerous powertrain issues.

Gary explained that he was able to rack up these miles as an RV hauler and trailer hauler, which required him to drive across the country and even into Canada. Additionally, he has taken his truck to Alaska several times while pulling his own camper.

Over the years, Johnson has replaced the transmission 12 times and has swapped out the Cummins engine 3 times, with one of those instances being a rebuild! The reason for this? Oil usage. The engine he had at the time was in great shape, although it was consuming oil like the previous ones. Additionally, Gary mentioned that the body of the truck was in pretty good shape except for some rust on the fenders in front of the doors, though he clarified that this was his fault for drilling holes for mud flaps and not sealing the metal backup.

After all these problems and miles traveled, Gary declared that he still wasn’t willing to buy a new truck, and he made it clear how he felt about new engines.

This is a mechanical engine, and I can work on it,” Johnson said. “The newer engines you can’t work on. … I read about all the problems they have with them on forums.

Donald Jensen, Another RV Hauler, Reached The 1.75 Million Mile Mark

Another case demonstrating that surpassing the million-mile mark in a RAM is possible is that of Donald Jensen with his 2007 Dodge Ram 2500, which, at the time his experience was discovered, had around 1.75 million miles under its belt.

Like the previous cases, something that seems to be a common denominator among owners of RAMs with high mileage, Donald transports RVs from Indiana. He has traveled to 48 states and 10 Canadian provinces. When asked about the reason for his achievement, he credited the engine and referenced the maintenance carried out by the mechanics at Brickner Motors.

Cummins delivers the power and efficiency to make my job enjoyable”, he stated. “Every time this truck goes in the shop it’s a new record as we are in uncharted territory. Things that don’t normally wear out, need to be replaced, such as my driver’s seat.

However, Donald does not have an official way to prove his incredible feat as he had his instrument cluster replaced at 533,752 miles, then another cluster was added at 626,369 miles for a total of 1,150,121 plus whatever the current odometer is reading. At the time of the interview with High Mile Club, the cluster showed 599,889 for a total of 1,750,010 miles. Nevertheless, Cummins became aware of the situation and took him at his word to allow him entry into the exclusive Cummins Million Mile Club.

The Key Element Behind Success: The Cummins Engine

When we talk about RAM trucks, they’re not usually associated with very high reliability, as mentioned earlier. However, we’re facing several cases where the million-mile mark has been surpassed, an achievement that is not insignificant, especially in a truck that wasn’t expected to perform so well. That’s why it’s worth looking for the reason behind this.

When we take a closer look at the common denominator of these cases, we see that all the engines were designed and manufactured by Cummins, the American company originating from the vicinity of Columbus, Indiana.

The 5.9-Liter Engine From Cummins Stepped Up Big Time

Not only was the engine in each of the cases Cummins-made, but it was always the same 5.9-liter engine. How about that?

The original 5.9-liter Cummins B-series engine was a revolution in its day, and the introduction of the ISB 5.9 in 1998 gave RAM drivers even greater power. With four valves per cylinder and electronic engine management, it became a favorite among truck drivers. Over its nine-year run in RAM pickups, power numbers increased significantly, starting from 215 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque and eventually reaching 325 horsepower and 610 pound-feet of torque.

5.9-Liter Cummins Engine Specs

(Data sourced from Cummins)

It Evolved Into the 6.7-Liter Turbo Diesel In 2007

The Cummins 5.9-liter inline 6-cylinder was a fan favorite in RAM pickups for years, but the need to deliver more power and meet stricter emissions requirements led to its evolution into the 6.7-liter Turbo Diesel in mid-2007. A variety of enhancements – along with greater displacement – made it a real crowd-pleaser as RAM owners gained a lot more power, improved fuel efficiency, and a quieter, cleaner-running engine.

The Manufacturer Of The Engine Even Founded The “Cummins High Mileage Club” To Honor Its Devoted Customers

Cummins is extremely confident in the reliability and durability of its engines. With Cummins ownership comes high-mileage bragging rights, and a vehicle with a high odometer reading is a testament to its durability and endurance. Vehicles that continue to perform well after surpassing 200,000 miles are a sign of exceptional engineering, but there are many cases that go far beyond that, exceeding that mark six times over.

According to Cummins’ Website

Cummins pickup truck engines provide legendary power, reliability, and durability. No wonder so many pickup truck owners insist on Cummins or nothing at all.

That’s a bold statement to say, but you can’t argue with them when they have an incredibly high amount of evidence to backfire.

The Cummins High Mileage Club Was Established For Those Who Surpass The 100,000-Mile Benchmark

As evidence of Cummins’ commitment to engine engineering and endurance, they established the Cummins High Mileage Club for anyone who surpasses the 100,000-mile mark. And as if that weren’t enough, they later created the Cummins Million Mile Club to officially recognize all Cummins-powered vehicle owners who have passed the one million mark.

If your Cummins-powered RAM, TITAN XD pickup, Cummins-Repowered crate engine vehicle, RV, or other Cummins-powered vehicle has surpassed the 100,000-mile mark, we’d be honored to have you in the Cummins High Mileage Club.

Since its inception in 2010, the Cummins High Mileage Club has welcomed over 20,000 members. As a member, after every 100,000 miles, you will be able to order a new die-cast Cummins grille badge to proudly display your mileage milestones.

While reading this might seem like a pleasant possibility, it’s actually pretty impressive, considering that some cars struggle to reach 150,000 miles before encountering so many problems that they’re not even worth repairing. These cases prove that, when you fall in love with your truck, you’ll be willing to do everything in your power to keep it in the best possible condition so you never have to part ways with it. Fortunately for us, these achievements gift us with a beautiful story worth sharing.