2015 Ram 4x4 muffler rusted out

I made another transport trip out to the east coast. 2400 miles total last week. Going through the Pocono's i started hearing the exhaust get louder and louder. When I got home I checked it out and the back 1/4 of the muffler is totally rusted and there is an oval hole toward the top that is uniform and looks like it is there on purpose, but I can see rusty area's inside it! It doesn't look like it will come apart anytime soon, and the pipe going from the muffler to the resonator has the same rust as the muffler but the resonator and tail pipe look fine. Anyone know why it is falling apart so quickly? The rest of the truck has no rust and the frame looks great, the driveshaft is rusty looking but solid as I don't think they painted them. Just about to turn 215,000 miles...

Usually I hear about exhaust rusting through on vehicles that don't get driven long enough at a time to dry out the exhaust, short runs after a start up will kill exhaust pretty quickly. A vehicle has to run at least a 1/2 hour after it reaches operating temp to dry out the exhaust. When a motor first starts, the combustion process creates an acid/water mixture that will dry up as the exhaust gets hot, the drying process begins at the motor and works its way towards the back. that acid/water mixture rots the exhaust from the inside outward. The muffler and tail pipe are usually the last things to dry out. That is why welding exhaust with holes in it isn't often successful.

Somehow I just can't see that being a problem for you. Either you have been doing a lot of short runs lately, or they must be really making mufflers cheap these days. Gene

I've really got to expect a "bad" part. Last fall I replaced the factory muffler on my 2004 Durango plow truck with 180k. My 2014 1500 has 182k and the whole exhaust looks great.

When truck was new I swapped out the stock muffler with a Flowmaster 40 series. It was done at . https://www.assortlist.com .. Now one of the pipes from the dual exhaust has broke off from the muffler due to rust. Any advice ... 2015 Ram 1500 Sport R/T.

Before about the mid 80s, we consider ourselves lucky if the factory exhaust on our cars lasted more then a year or two, and the after market stuff was worse. Now we are upset if the goes bad in 5-7 years.
If you don't like buying exhaust, drop the big bucks and buy the good stainless steel exhaust, then you will only have to worry about the pipes cracking.
Time kills exhaust, mot miles. It rots from the inside out.
We just replaced the original exhaust from the converter back on our 04 PT last summer, 16 years, I'm not complaining. The cheap aftermarket stuff I put on my coupe is 8 years old and still looks pretty good, again, I'm not complaining. The original exhaust on my 95 Dakota is getting real loud, I'm hoping it makes it until I replace the truck, but Dakota exhaust is pretty cheap.
If you want it to last as long as possible, drive it until it fully dries out, every time you start your motor (at least a 1/2 hour AFTER the motor has reached operating temp). I usually end up putting exhaust on vehicles shortly after I buy them, then seldom have to replace the exhaust again.

I actually like the way it sounds now, but when pulling an enclosed trailer, like I do often, it does get old fast! I better replace it before it falls off completely, but I have no time for down time right now!

Find a take off 3" muffler from a 2500 CTD with a 90 deg elbow to dump out past the box in front of the wheel. It should be almost free and it will be quiet without being restrictive. Just eliminating all the twists and bends in the tailpipe along with the resonator will improve the breathing some.

Kevin

Damn that sucks. My 1998 I sold last yr still had the factory exhaust.