Why no Ram 1500 Builds!

[outdoorco75]

I think you’ll be good with any of those trucks. Ram felt nice. Rode well. I tested the Tradesman model and it had everything I wanted except the non-split rear seat. As you know, torque in that Ecoboost is awesome. I’d swing that way just on that.

What did you end up going with? I am toying with a 2021 Rebel or F150. I live at elevation so the Ecoboost would be nice, but the Rebel out of the box is so much more capable in my opinion.

 

[MG99]

I’m very happy with my 1500. 1770lb payload. Hemi. 4x4. I Put on Rebel wheels and tires (18” on 33’s). Need a bed rack and RTT. Eventually I want to do a minor lift and skid plates and it’ll get me anywhere I want for camping in comfort.

 

[MG99]

I just bought a 2020 ram 1500 and will create a mild build thread soon. Wont be too much to add, as it's a solid platform (though a bit long!) Build a low profile bed rack for my rtt for about $100 and no welding, which I documented and will include. Then I'll do solar, add my fridge, come up with a bed rail system, throw on a lift and get some sliders and I'll be good to go I think. One drawback is that with the crew cab and 6'4" bed, I actually have a longer wheelbase than the crew cab 2500 but and not as high off the ground

I look forward to seeing your bed rack and build thread.

 

[outdoorco75]

I’m very happy with my 1500. 1770lb payload. Hemi. 4x4. I Put on Rebel wheels and tires (18” on 33’s). Need a bed rack and RTT. Eventually I want to do a minor lift and skid plates and it’ll get me anywhere I want for camping in comfort.

So the Rebel starts at 1750 before options. I guess it is because of the beefier wheels to start, suspension and skids amongst other things. I test drove a loaded one and the sticker said 1371 lbs. Hoping that a model without sunroof, bed boxes will get 100 lbs back. I live in CO and want something fully capable off the lot since I don't have the time or know how to do suspension mods in my garage.

 

[outdoorco75]

Because the majority of the folks that have built up 1/2 tons for camping/exploring are realizing their payload capacity is surprisingly light so you're seeing more and more folks step up to 3/4 and 1 tons.

Myself included

It's funny. GVWR has always been a thing.

Seems folks in general only seemed to really start paying much mind to it in the last couple years.

Hence the lean towards 3/4 and 1 tons of recent. I cringe every time i see a Tacoma with a loaded FWC or similar on it, wayyyy over the limits. Response usually: "Nah, they told me i just needed airbags and E rated tires" ummmmm That's not how math works! hahaha

Browse the classifieds and you'll see Tacomas and half tons for sale over and over again, and usually have verbiage along the lines of "Moving up to....", etc..

You'll almost never see a 3/4 or 1 ton for sale with someone saying "I want a smaller truck" just saying

Half tons have their place in the world, but built up and loaded with gear isnt it.

That's my unsolicited .02

But aren’t Tacoma payloads sub 1000 lbs? Why do they have any business being loaded up?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I Drove 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank in the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

I Drove 1,000 Miles on a Single Tank in the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Is 1,000 miles on a tank of fuel actually possible in the real world? Yes—and then some.

www.thedrive.com

Has anyone got a good experiences with the RAM diesels?

Well...I had one try to speed up when I was passing him the other day.... Needless to say, he didn't have anywhere near the power to play that game

 

[Antwon412]

I have the start of a Ram 1500 build.
2020 Ram Rebel.
Haven’t done much yet. A simple level kit with new upper control arms. Some new wheels and larger tires. Added a Softopper and some higher clearance step bars. Some off road lights. And then just today I picked up a bed slide for it. Have not even mounted the bed slide yet.

 

[Gummee]

Aftermarket isn't as big for the ram as others. Most guys with the rams are leveled with big rims and that's the market. There's a few of us on some other forums running pretty decent builds, but we don't have the support like other. Things like sliders and bumpers are almost non existent. You have to remember the 2500s get the glory for the ram lineup.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

The good news is that for the most part, they're the same truck and more often than not, the 2500/3500 stuff fits the 1500

...says the guy with a 2500...

M

 

[Grassland]

Isn't there aftermarket springs available for the Ram 1500/Classic? Like, in place of what the add a leaf does for leaf spring trucks?

I was under the impression the rear differential didn't easily accept aftermarket lockers, and was more expensive to re gear. I can't remember why as it's been a while since I considered a Ram.
As well, I don't recall factory E locker available at all, and most trims you had to add an LSD as an option which meant nothing on the lot ever had one except the overpriced Rebel.

The increased difficulty/cost of re gear, no factory E locker like Ford, less aftermarket support. No cheaper off road trim like FX4 in Ford. All reasons why less people wheel them.

The 09-20(classic) are still one of the nicest body styles if you ask me.

Other than the ugliness the new Gen Ram with E torque piques my interest.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

But aren’t Tacoma payloads sub 1000 lbs? Why do they have any business being loaded up?

Because lemmings follow what they see in Instagram and wanna be cool without thinking it through

yeah, literally every single Tacoma you see “built up” is overload payload and the for sale ads will (or should) mention front end suspension parts replaced

 

[TT-Tacoma]

Pretty sure the eco diesel is complete crap, under sized rod bearings that eat themselves at 100k miles! Unless you step to the 3/4 or 1 ton gas is the way to go!

I'll say I couldn't be happier with my two ecodiesels in the garage. My 16 Ram CC Limited 4x4 knocks down 24-25 mpg consistently and there is no shortage of power. Yes it's tuned but even pre AEM it had plenty of grunt. I used to pull my 24' travel trailer loaded to about 7000lbs and get 14 mpg. Plus with air ride the thing rides amazing loaded or unloaded.

My wife's 14 WK2 Overland is a crawl machine in 4 low and almost 500 ft lbs with the same tune.

I wouldn't discount them and mine are not the new generation. The new Rebel with the ecodiesel would be a great combo.

 

[Grassland]

There are springs with increased rate (Eibach claims 10% greater rate, Tuff Truck makes some that are supposedly heavier, the Superlift 140's are progressive with a significantly heavier load rating) but that does not change the vehicle's rated payload only how much it sags while loaded to maximum. There are airbags available as well.

The rear differential can be made to accept the carrier from an earlier Ram, which opens up the door to true-trac and other (different from OE) clutch locker options. And you can regear and all that... but also I'm not sure how much that matters.

For example you can get 3.92 gears and that coupled with really any of the engine choices and the low range transfer case gives you ample power to the ground for anything. Like what are you trying to accomplish exactly that 3.92 gears and 410 ft-lbs won't do? For perspective you have 410 lbs of torque times a 4.71:1 first gear ratio times 2.64:1 low range ratio times 3.92 axle ratio is 19,985 ft-lbs to the wheels in first gear low range.

The Ultimate Overlander Landcruiser VDJ76 can deliver a maximum of 11551 ft-lbs to the wheels in first gear low range and that's nothing to deride - but still less than 60% of what a regular ol Ram 1500 does.

You can fit 35's or 37's on a 1500 if you want to and you can turn them just fine on or off road with stock gears, even with the V6 engine.

As far as traction aids go, the factory limited slip differential from 2013 onward doesn't even have any preload on the clutches so they don't see any meaningful amount of wear just driving down the road or going around corners. Since all '13+ 1500's have the low speed traction control from Jeep ("BLD") they just rely on that to load up the LSD clutches and it does an excellent job of that. The rear axle binds up tightly, very fast and delivers basically the same result as a locker. Somebody reading this right now is getting sand in their underpants at what I just said but let's not be pedantic about it - context is important. We're talking about an overlander not a rock buggy. I've owned 4wd's with full lockers and done my share of proper rock crawling, I wouldn't take a full size pickup truck rock crawling. But I know what fully locked diffs feel like and on deep moguls in my Ram with just the factory LSD + traction control I can't tell I don't have a locker. Even on booger trails it stays in line and hasn't overheated the brakes because the LSD and traction control play nicely together and amplify each others' effectiveness.

What I'm getting at is you can point at the absence of a locker for the 4th gen (you can get one with the 5th gen..) and you can point at the lack of regearing choices and you can point at the coil springs and the IFS or whatever and say that disqualifies it from being a good platform but that's really all just web wheeler bunkum. Out in the really real world none of those things are handicaps.

Three things stop mine: 1. how fat it is 2. covid precaution Canada border closure and 3. how little vacation time my wife gets.

Online in Canada the ram builder only lets me choose from 3.21 or 3.55 for the 20 classics.
3.92 is a good option tho, I've just never seen one on a lot. Generally don't see ones with LSD on the lot either.
I guess we are back to how useless dealers are because when I was looking at Rams locally in 2013/14 it was open differential and highway gears unless you stepped up to 50k trucks.

 

[rnArmy]

2nd Gen 1500. 1996 SWB Reg Cab 5.2/auto. Solid axles front/rear. 2" taller coils up front, 2" lift long-leaf add-a-leaf in the rear. Now with 4.10 gears, true-tracks front/rear. 285/75/16" tires. ARE topper. Bought it new, now with 230,000 miles. Figure 10 - 11 mpg overlanding, 12 - 13 mpg on the highway. But very comfortable to drive!

 

[roaminglost]

I got one going on ?
Still under payload ?

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Sport Crew. Pretty loaded up with options and the 5.7L Hemi, great truck. It is nicely set up with the 8 speed and the tow package, so the 3.92 and all the traction control stuff. I find the engine, trans, gear ratio to be an awesome combination for power, mileage and off the line towing grunt. Very happy with it so far. I picked it up used from someone who ordered it with this config.

I am not looking to offroad this much, softroad and backroad exploration and camping sure. I am not going to go too crazy however. I am looking at a small lift with new shocks and upper control arms, and eventually some slightly larger tires and maybe a tune. My custom camper is made to fit the short bed perfectly and it does... sooo looking forward to getting it out in the bush with the camper on there soon (well in the spring I guess).

If I had it my way, I would have picked up a 2500 or even a 3500 instead of this... really had my heart set on a 2500, but there was literally nothing available used when I wanted to pick this up. I have enjoyed this truck for family trips, towing our 24' travel trainer and hauling the family out to dinner. It's comfortable and roomy and reasonably good on gas. But... that cargo capacity, weak sauce.

I may end up selling this, the camper and the travel trailer this coming year and picking up a 3500 gasser with a BIG slide in camper. Ultimately that is where I want to be for the family. Not great for the backwoods, but good all around.

Poser driveway pics with the camper loaded up for the first time in forever...



Bice fit! Nice and level too.