The owner's handbook

Living with a Cummins

Maintenance, towing, lifting, steering, buying used, storage and swaps, for every kind of Cummins owner: Ram pickups from the 12-valve to the 6.7, Titan XD, diesel pushers, work trucks, owner-operators and boats.

Built around one rule: your manual decides the numbers. We explain the jobs; we do not invent intervals or specs.

Contents

  1. 01Ram owners
  2. 02Other Cummins owners
  3. 03Maintenance
  4. 04Towing
  5. 05Lift and steering
  6. 06Buying and ownership
  7. 07Mods and swaps
  8. 08Reference

Lifting or steering a Cummins Ram?

Heavy front ends and big tires are hard on track bars, arms and steering linkage. Our lift and steering chapter explains the geometry and links straight to the parts, generation by generation.

Lift and steering chapter →

Parts from Dodge Off Road: long arms, track bars, steering kits, air bags and traction bars.

Black lifted 3rd gen Ram on a Dodge Off Road 6-inch suspension system, parked in a gravel lot
A lifted 3rd gen Ram on a Dodge Off Road 6-inch kit. Dodge Off Road 6-inch kit.

Three habits of good Cummins owners

1. Read the manual

Intervals depend on your engine, year and duty cycle. Towing and idling usually mean the severe schedule.

2. Keep fuel clean

Filters and water separators are cheap. Injection systems are not.

3. Keep records

A logbook of every service helps you spot trouble early and sells the truck later.

Gray and silver 2012 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty crew cab with the Cummins diesel
A 4th gen Ram 2500 Cummins. One engine family, many chassis generations. Photo: CZmarlin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.