Ram 1500 Mega Cab - Poor Man's Power Wagon?

[BigTex]

Ok, so the Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 is a ways away from being a Power Wagon, I get that. However, I drove one of these yesterday at work. It's an '08, 79K miles, Hemi......I've gotta say, I'm impressed. I've never been a Dodge Guy. I've owned 90's and 2K's GMs and Fords. My dad had a '98 Ram 2x4 with the 318 in it. Meh.

Power Wagons are way outside of my price range right now, as the used ones are still north of $30K. So after driving this one, I began searching CL and these '06 to '08 Mega Cabs with the Hemi, look like could be had local for $12K to $18K with around 100K miles on them. I loved the room in it. It was comfortable, and had all the creature comforts except leather.

So what's the deal on these? Good Truck? Bad Truck? I've learned that the milage is 10-12 in town, and 13-15 on the highway, so not great. But my '02 Supercrew only gets around 15. Is it really a 3/4 ton truck with 1500 badges? I noticed they are 8 lug, but don't really know the specs on these.

It would be just an all around truck, to replace my supercrew. Family duty, towing a car hauler with a tractor or truck on it from time to time, Home Depot runs....

And to keep Chili happy, here's a picture. (It's not the one I drove, but similar. I grabbed this off the 'net)

 

[elee]

I did not realize these were straight axle... You have a very confused sharp truck!

 

[kfgk14]

I did not realize these were straight axle... You have a very confused sharp truck!

I don't think the 1500's are straight axle...the 2500-3500's are but the 1/2 ton trucks went to IFS in 2002.

 

[thebrassnuckles]

We drive the 3/4 tons for work. We have our darkrooms mounted on them (a cab over camper with no windows.) I think the shocks are blown out on all of them so they sway back and forth like a sailboat. its a little crazy. with those setups we get about 9 or 10 mpg highway, but that's with some oilfield driving on dirt roads and such.

I was trying to buy one from our company cause we get them pretty damn cheap, but they convinced me otherwise. It still could have been a good deal, but these trucks have 80k+ HARD miles on them.

The GVWR is pretty stout for a 1/2 ton

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap (lbs): 8510
plus you get that real 6.5 foot bed. It could be a good platform for a FWC. They are really long. Its essentially a 4 door longbed classis. The turning radius leaves a bit to be desired.

my 2011 crew cab is ~6600 curb weight around 5400... I dont have much room to work with.

 

[njtacoma]

The newest ones are IFS, but the first "Mega Cabs" were solid axle 1/2 tons, when the rest of the 1/2's were IFS.

A quick look seems to say that through 2008 the 1/2 tons were solid axle trucks. I seem to recall something about the megacabs being built in the factory with the 3/4 ton chassis, so all 1/2's were 8 lug solid axle trucks but still called "1500's"

(I think the GM quadrasteer 1/2 tons were all 8 lug trucks as well - IFS but still 8 lug)

 

[Halligan]

All 3rd generation Mega Cab 1500's are a 3/4 (as in 2500) ton truck with a slightly reduced GVW. The frame, axles, brakes, wheels, are all 3/4 ton Dodge parts. This was a ploy by Dodge to trick some people into thinking they were buying a 1/2 ton truck because Dodge did not actually have a big cab available that was built on the IFS 1500 Ram platform. At the most the spring rates may be softer than a 3/4 ton Mega Cab but like I said it's all heavy duty otherwise.

Dodge now offers the 1500 in both quad and crew cad version but this is only since the 4th gen Rams were released. With the introduction of the true crew cab on 4th gen 1500's you now can only get the Mega Cabs in 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

 

[kfgk14]

All 3rd generation Mega Cab 1500's are a 3/4 (as in 2500) ton truck with a slightly reduced GVW. The frame, axles, brakes, wheels, are all 3/4 ton Dodge parts. This was a ploy by Dodge to trick some people into thinking they were buying a 1/2 ton truck because Dodge did not actually have a big cab available that was built on the IFS 1500 Ram platform. At the most the spring rates may be softer than a 3/4 ton Mega Cab but like I said it's all heavy duty otherwise.

Dodge now offers the 1500 in both quad and crew cad version but this is only since the 4th gen Rams were released. With the introduction of the true crew cab on 4th gen 1500's you now can only get the Mega Cabs in 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Ah, smooth move dodge, very sneaky...

Thanks for the info.

 

[BigTex]

That's one reason this truck intrigues me. My wife tells me that I don't "need" a 3/4 ton. Well, this one is a 3/4 ton with a solid front axle in 1/2 ton clothes. So it's only the '06 to '08 models that are like the one in the picture?

 

[elee]

That's one reason this truck intrigues me. My wife tells me that I don't "need" a 3/4 ton. Well, this one is a 3/4 ton with a solid front axle in 1/2 ton clothes. So it's only the '06 to '08 models that are like the one in the picture?

I beilieve thats what he is saying. Would insurance be for a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton?

 

[Regcabguy]

I believe the Hemi equipped 1/2 tons use a 10.5 AAM in the rear.

 

[DoMiNiC1]

Your wife is informed. lol. I told my wife I was getting a truck, I got home and she said, wow that thing is super big... why does it sound like that? I had her sit in the leather bound interior and the rest was smiles. :sombrero: Good luck, hemi's will run forever.

 

[Larry]

All 3rd generation Mega Cab 1500's are a 3/4 (as in 2500) ton truck with a slightly reduced GVW. The frame, axles, brakes, wheels, are all 3/4 ton Dodge parts. This was a ploy by Dodge to trick some people into thinking they were buying a 1/2 ton truck because Dodge did not actually have a big cab available that was built on the IFS 1500 Ram platform. At the most the spring rates may be softer than a 3/4 ton Mega Cab but like I said it's all heavy duty otherwise.

Dodge now offers the 1500 in both quad and crew cad version but this is only since the 4th gen Rams were released. With the introduction of the true crew cab on 4th gen 1500's you now can only get the Mega Cabs in 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

:iagree: GM did the same thing with their 1500HD crew cabs for a few years where they played the marketing “Name that truck” game and derated a ¾ truck on paper to fill a marketing nitch for the need of ½ ton crew cab. Now everybody offeres a true 1/2 crew cab

 

[Halligan]

I believe the Hemi equipped 1/2 tons use a 10.5 AAM in the rear.

No Hemi equipped half ton uses the AAM 10.5 EXCEPT the aformentioned 1500 Mega Cab (2500 in disguise). The early 3rd gen SRT8 1500 with the Viper V-10 engine may use the 10.5 AAM but I'm not 100% on that.

 

[Halligan]

I beilieve thats what he is saying. Would insurance be for a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton?

Should be 1/2 ton because that's how it's marketed.