Ram Trucks-The Good Part Two

usbackroads--Ram Trucks Part Two

Ok, every guy knows that we pick the trucks based on horsepower, rear end ratio's (hmmm, I will have to think more on this one), and rear slip differential (is that a SF thing??).   In the picture above Snowpatch is shown for scale.

The Federal Government is the largest purchaser of vehicles in the United States.  And it is low bid.  So you can imagine what the BLM and Forest Service rigs were outfitted with in the 1970's.  AM radios??  Well, that was a luxury item that the Federal Government was NOT going to pay for in a vehicle.  Air conditioning.....in your dreams.  So on dusty roads there was more dust IN THE VEHICLE than behind the vehicle!!

This all changed with the energy crises in the late 1970's.  All of the sudden Detroit could NOT sell anything, but to the Federal Government.  So all the sudden, BLM had rigs with air conditioning and AM radio's.  So did all the BLM employees fight over horsepower, rear end ratio's and slip differentials??  Nope, they all wanted an AM radio and AIR CONDITIONING not to mention the BUCKET SEATS. 

Think about it.  Most trucks are fairly similar in terms of ability go down the road or trail.  Well, I had a three speed automatic with BLM.  You DO NOT want a truck like that.  It shifted into second at 20 mph's and had NO low end torque.  That will tell you where I fit in the BLM pecking order.

Given similar tires, rear end ratio's, etc. most trucks will be more than adequate in the woods or on the road.

That leaves you the interior package and the all important sound system.  I admit that we waited a year for the new Ram interior redesign and it was worth the wait.

Ok, everybody knows about heated seats.  The Ram comes with COOLED seats.  Now I thought that was the dumbest thing, until I turned them on.  Even with the dry heat of the west.....worth it.  I have not tried the heated steering wheel after a year.  That might be a bit much.

Finally a zone cooling system.  Worth the wait.  One for me, one for Susie, and one for Bugaboo and Snowpatch in the backseat.

Stereo system is pretty cool.  Two glove boxes.  Ipod connector in one.  Fewer cup holders than in the 96 Ram, but better locations. 

Bucket seats are comfortable, though Susie hates the headrest on her seat.  Those infamous FOB's from hell do have the ability to reset all drivers seats, mirrors, etc based on which key is inserted into the ignition.  That might be important if two of you drive the same vehicle and are of significantly different heights.

It has TWO 12-volt outputs and one 120 volt output.  So your laptop can just be plugged into the dash.  There are really more gizmo's and settings that I have not bothered to learn them all in the year that I have owned the truck.

Where the interior is lacking is where to put the GPS, phone, laptop, satellite phone, work folders, pens, pencils, etc. etc.  The original RAM design was a "working" truck.  Dodge should continue that train of thought.  If I have a plug for a laptop, it means I need a place for the laptop.  Maybe a velcro patch where the GPS antenna can sit.  Maybe a spot for a two-way radio??   A way to port video to the "multi-media" screen?  All that stuff goes into a truck these days and it will be somewhere.  So design a place for it.

Stick a  200 watt marine solar panel on the roof.  Keeps the battery charged.   Lets you do all sorts of things.  It is just wasted space on that roof.

 I was excited about the box storage in the cab.  I put the chains and tightners in there and promptly forgot about them.  But it is nice to have a place where they are out of sight.  Way back in the 1980's I had a special rack built behind the truck seat for my speakers, chains, shotgun, etc.  It worked great, but nobody has really followed up on that concept.  Make the rear seats removable.  The dogs don't care and there would be more room for work equipment.  The extended cab, the new frontier in industrial design!

We were excited about the RamBox, but it did not come in the one-ton trucks at that time.  Looks like a great idea.  Maybe somebody should redesign the entire pickup bed.

The Ram has a good interior,  I preferred it to the Ford interior.  Never did look at a Chevy, but that is a different story.  You live in the inside of your truck.  And like those BLM employees it did make a difference to which truck they picked.

We waited a year for the new interior in the Ram and are glad we waited.  The 2011 Ram Truck.  I would buy it again.  Stay tuned for Part 3 where we will cover those "unimportant" things like engine, transmission, and other stuff.