I have a '20 3500 Limited CC LB DRW - so it has "Adaptive Steering". When driving on highway, especially towing my 5th Wheel, I feel like the truck is always wandering - I'm constantly steering to keep it in the lane. If they had a meter to analyze how many small corrections I have to make per mile, I'll bet it would be twice as many as the '18 GMC Sierra 3500 CC LB DRW I traded.
When I'm driving the RAM, it feels like there is no steering "center" - like you have worn front tires with no square "shoulder". I thought Adaptive Steering was included to give the truck more "road feel" but you're way busier driving it. It's not a game breaker - but after a day of towing, you're much more fatigued from this paranoid focus you spend all day.
I just bought a 21 PW, ( 4000 miles so far) and i have to say, I was shocked as to how numb the steering is given that it has the old steering system ( big boy gear box lol). The reason I stepped up to 2500 was because they changed the 1500's to electric assisted.
I'm just gonna say it. Electric steering is WRONG! its that simple. Adaptive steering...wrong!
I haven't pulled anything with this truck yet, but I'm actually a little worried in the sense that I cant feel anything. I cant tell if the truck is struggling, is it the tires? are the tires low? am i going to fast, whats happening?
- I am constantly correcting the truck to keep it in the lane. You will DRIFT and you will NOT feel it. I give up changing radio station, climate control, or anything to do with the 12" Uconnect when driving. set it before I move and at most I use the buttons on the wheel. Anything outside of that and i turn it off. Dont get me wrong, its nice! but i'm a buttons kinda guy, you dont even have to look...just feel. cant feel any thing on a screen!
- Hwy driving is interesting, especially in the turns, Its a guessing game when you go into a turn to know how much to turn the wheel in relation to the speed. There's zero feedback, I turn the wheel and the truck seems to be delayed, then I turn it more, but then its to much and i began a battle between me and the truck, the turn and the speed i'm driving. This isn't fun, especially in winter conditions. Hitting the brakes or even taking your foot off the gas in the middle of a turn can create a bad situation when it really doesn't have to - you throw of the balance of the truck. That's a hard no for me! I cant imagine pulling a trailer with this truck.
- winter driving is frustrating- in addition to the above, when you cant feel the tires, you dont know where the traction is or more specifically where it isn't. For the winter drivers on here, you know that heavy snow or slush driving where it can throw the truck left or right? ya well good luck, make sure every system that can be turned off is off! lane assist, collision avoidance, traction control. Now, keep in mind that you will see the truck move , you wont feel it.
- I compare this truck to the video game steering my son has for his x-box.
- Also, the 8 speed is great but it has it own set of issues that make winter driving interesting. Its so smooth that the already unpredictable down shifts become difficult to manage in the sense that you have to react to it. I find myself using the gear selector to avoid this situation.
I have to look into the trucks without the safety group, this could only be a result of that system.
