Sigh.. Okay... I'm considering a new quad cab Ram. A base 4x4 slt with the hemi and tow package.. The time is close at hand when cargo capacity has to yield to people capacity and I hate to admit that my 06 2500 reg cab 4x4 hemi with the six speed is not pratical.

I don't need a hard core work truck any more, I hate the rear coil spring suspension on the 1500 Ram, Hate the c v joint front drive axles, but, in looking at the jeep liberty, grand cherokie I have to admit the Ram is a ton more practical.

With a trailer hitch, I could be happy, should the need ever hapen to move out my house..

Right or wrong, my inital impressions of the 09 Ram left my thinking, really nice ridding car with a box, so, to get to the point, I'm asking the guys who work thier 1500 Rams How dose the Ram hold up?

Any really bad opions, or prasie on the new Ram?

The real kick in the grion for me is I hate automatics, But thats' the way Ram 1500 rolls.

 

I've been happy with mine. I use it for work in the summer for a lawn care business and tow a trailer every day around 4000lbs loaded and 1000lbs fertilizer in the bed several times during the summer. No snags, main complaint is the big gap between 1st and 2nd gear blunts acceleration when towing.

It's not quite the workhorse my '08 Titan was, and is less fun to drive, but when work is done for the day the ram is by far the most comfortable 1/2 ton out there and in my opinion the best looking.

 

Well let me give you a story. Tailgate fell off, drivers door hinge is broke, back sliding window is stuck open, transmission has no reverse at this time, gps dont work, hood wont open and the tires are junk along with 2 factory bent wheels.
































JUST KIDDING

 

I still don't understand why people are so adverse to the coil springs. Becasue "a real truck has leaf springs"? Leaf springs are inferior to any decently designed 5-link coilover setup. The links keep the axle motion predictable regardless of loading and acceleration. The means no axle hop, no lateral body motion relative to the axle, no axle wrap, etc. IF you decide against this truck don't make it becuase of its superior 5-link coilover design. I admit the truck does have a fairly light spring rate in the rear (i.e sag under load), but this is easily remedied with air bags.

Now that i have done my rant for the day, this truck is a phenomenal multipurpose truck. I have towed a dual axle trailer with a loaded weight of 6500+lbs between south carolina and florida on several occasions (not gooseneck or 5th wheel). This is possibly the most sure footed 1/2 ton I've yet to drive. Furthermore, when the truck ain't workin' its a joy to drive and ride in. I have 13K miles and the only issue has been a chipped windshield (obviously no fault of the truck).

Finally if you haven't actually looked at one or driven one personally, do it. I owned a '95 Ram before this and frequently had issues with it so i swore I wouldn't get another. Well all the research I did and actually driving the various trucks (not to mention the lifetime drivetrain warranty) sold me on the Ram. It's a superb truck, and unless you get a lemon I think you will be pleased too if you choose to get one.

 

If your main reason for the switch is going from "cargo capacity to people capacity", I'd recommend taking a real hard look at the crew cab over the quad cab. The "people cargo" will be a lot happier.

As far as how it's holding up, still kinda early for anyone to say. Personally, with some of the problems people have posted on here, I feel like I'm kinda waiting on a shoe to drop, but my truck personally has had absolutely no problems in the 9 or 10 months I've had it, which is nice considering my last car I ordered from the factory developed electrical problems while driving it home from the dealer.

 

I have owned 5 different pick-up's since 2002, 2 Dodge, 2 Fords all new and this truck overall is the best. I think the Ford's have a slight advantage in cargo capacity but my Dodge is fully loaded only 5% of the time.

 

23k miles so far with no real problems

 

21,300 miles. Flawless--not so much as a squeek.

 

~15k miles and no issues except the passenger seatbelt buckle rattles against the plastic trim on the door pillar. I resorted to keeping the passenger seat belt fastened.

 

Some things to consider:

If you get leather expect the seat material to stretch and/or tear.

If you tow with a tongue weight of about 200 lbs expect the rear to dip.

If you have a keyless entry remote expect it to not work when you're in a questionable part of town - and if you use the key to open the door, the alarm will go off to attract attention to you.

If you get the Uconnect set-up your phone will repeatedly connect and disconnect.

If you have 20" wheels and tires and want to use your spare tire when you purchase your next set of tires so you only have to buy 3, you can't because the spare is a temp spare.

If you want to know what the temperature is outside after you've been driving your truck for five minutes you'll have to wait another 15 minutes because Chrysler uses low-tech temperature sensors.

If you do any night time driving in the boonies and have the quad headlights, bring a flashlight because the high beams suck.

If you drive when the sun is high in the sky, like summer, and you have the console with bucket seats, expect to be blinded by the chrome trim ring around the shifter.

If you have someone with long legs in the back seat of a crewcab and you front passenger puts their seat forward, expect the seatbelt buckle to rattle against the door pillar unless the passenger tucks it back to fit between the seat and the door pillar.

If you want good gas mileage with the Hemi engine then don't go up any hills or grades.

If you want a limited slip differential you have to get gas guzzling rear end ratios.

If you want memory seats and outside mirrors expect to have to purchase the Laramie trim package, because if you get leather on a lesser model you have to move the seats and mirrors yourself after someone else drives your truck.

If you want real ventilated seats get a Chevy or GMC because Dodge only uses vacuum motors in their leather seats.


The Hemi engine is a great engine, but why don't they use platinum or iridium tipped spark plugs that go for 100,000 miles instead of copper tipped plugs that need to be changed every 30,000 miles?

The coil spring rear end allows for a very comfortable ride - if you want leafs get a 3/4 ton truck.

The RER nav/DVD radio with the 30 gig hard drive is pretty cool set-up, I just unloaded my iPod to a flash drive and loaded it into the radio - no cables to worry about.