So we are looking for a new family around town truck. We have the big, bad, and built 3/4ton ‘Burban for towing. Just want a 1/2 ton for kicking around town, carrying water toys, gravel, construction stuff, and motos, Very seriously considered the Raptor, but the short, short bed makes it kind of useless for our purposes. I am liking the Ram. I really like the 5.7, And the incentives are serious right now, so they are coming in about $5gs less than a comparably equipped F150. We rented one during our last vacation for ten days, and really like the Ram. The rotary shift is stupid, but I got used to it. So the questions. Anything anybody absolutely hates about their Ram 1/2 ton? And (I want to be careful here, so as to not fire anybody up)Why does the F150 have listed payload ratings that seem to be much higher? Anything else I should know about the Ram? We are looking at CrewCab, 5.9, leather, big tank, etc... oh and my girls really dig the front bench seats. :-)

The F150 uses traditional leaf springs with shocks on the outside of the frame. The ram uses coil springs mounted on the inside of the frame that requires the use of a stabilizer bar to control roll to some extent.Also ram is still producing the old body style truck which I'm sure they're using to provide serious discounts on.

Ram 1500s have generally the lowest payload capacities vs the other brands, mostly due to the coil springs.But Dodge supposedly have addressed this in their 2019 line, by increasing payload capacities. So check the payload capacity sticker on whatever Ram 1500 you look at, since you're going to be using for heavy loads.But if you add bling, you'll lose payload. Those fancy trim levels add weight.

bikendan wrote:Ram 1500s have generally the lowest payload capacities vs the other brands, mostly due to the coil springs.But Dodge supposedly have addressed this in their 2019 line, by increasing payload capacities. So check the payload capacity sticker on whatever Ram 1500 you look at, since you're going to be using for heavy loads.But if you add bling, you'll lose payload. Those fancy trim levels add weight.X2 on this. My previous Ram 1500 was a blinged out Outdoorsman and the payload was terrible, barely over 1000#Very nice ride though, a showy grocery getter that could tow my little trailer if I took it easy on toys in the bed.

OK. Got it. Check. .makes sense. Let’s get past the payload thing. Please. What about the truck itself? Anything that owners hate about it, that is not apparent during a test drive or usual research?For an around town truck, it really seems to check all the boxes.

This is a forum about RVing, you're going to get plenty more payload complaints.On mine, the factory tires were shot after 32k miles. They were Goodyear silent armor pro, 17", e rated.Truck did well in a straight line in mud and deep slush, was a bit squirrelly on slippery corners.I had the knob and electronic transfer case, but not the automatic transfer case. I miss that feature from the Sierra I owned way back. So you could turn on 4wd but it's on all the time. Get the automatic transfer case if possible.

Ram 1500 owners (current gen) come on in! | Good Sam Community

40 Replies

stevemorris
Explorer
Sep 06, 2018
the rotary shift knob takes a bit of getting used to but its totally functional. sure beats shifting down a gear on a older column shift and does take up half the consol space like a floor shift
sucks for the wannabe boy racer types who drive around with one arm on the shift lever though!!
the steering wheel mounted + and - controls are great for shifting down for long hills especially on narrow, twisty steep roads. we came across a 17% (yes that's 17%) downgrade in quebec recently doing about 50 kph, dropped down two gears in an instant for the 2 km down grade, beats messing with any column or floor shift
TurnThePage
Explorer
Sep 05, 2018
jerem0621 wrote:
Something I unscientifically did was to go to a Ford dealer and look at the sum of several F150’s axle ratings and compare to the vehicles GVWR. On the Max Tow versions I looked at there was very little if any margin between the sum of the axles and the GVWR...

I did the same test on Ram 1500’s with 5.7 Hemis and found that there was significant margin between the sum of the axle ratings and the GVWR... I’ve lost the numbers but it was like 800-1000 lbs.

Seems to me that Ford taps into the sum of the Axle ratings to feel comfortable increasing the GVWR compared to other half tons.

In other words...

If you load a Max Tow F150..pardon the pun... to the max you will have nearly zero axle rating left over.

If you load a Ram 1500 to the max payload rating you will likely see some significant margin left over on the axle ratings.

I have not done this test with the new aluminum bodied F150... but I need to.

Current owners... can you post your Axle ratings, GVWR, and payload rating?

Thanks!

Jeremiah
Aside from the new 2019 Ram 1500s with the 6 lug wheels, I think the entire last generation has 3900 lb GAWR front and back, for a total of 7800 lbs. This results in a cushion of about 900 lbs when compared to the GVWR of 6900 lbs. All the models I checked conform to that anyhow. The payload on my 2015 1500 Laramie is 1368 lbs (I think). I can go over 2000 lbs without exceeding GAWR if I'm careful. And now that I've suped up the suspension, I'm not afraid to do that on occasion.
fulltimegrams22
Explorer
Sep 05, 2018
I find the rotary shifter strange and something I will have to get used to. Hubby keeps reaching for the clutch and shifter, lol. Soon he should have it down pat because it is his daily driver now. One thing he has discovered is if you don't put it in park, and shut the truck off the shifter puts it in park for you. He likes that, but he isn't making it a habit, he is just trying to remember he has to put in park.
98coachman
Explorer
Sep 05, 2018
I like my rotary shifter, works perfectly:h.
TurnThePage
Explorer
Sep 04, 2018
The rotary shifter is the cat's meow. I can switch from forward to reverse and back to forward WAY faster, which can be critical when you're trying to rock yourself out of a deep icy trough. Along with the buttons on the steering wheel, you have as much control as any floor shifter.
Perrysburg_Dodg
Explorer
Sep 04, 2018
shelbyfv wrote:
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Kind of funny how the sheep always follow the Mighty Ram LMAO.
:W How does it pull your RV? LMAO ROFL

I don't have an RV anymore, but it towed one for my BIL in Knoxville that weighted in at 7800#+ without any problem at all thank you very much! It also tows my 6800# boat without any issue even in the hills on Tenn.

Don

As for the shifter, Road and Track reported that GM and Ford would be using a rotary shifter. I will say the shifter in my Dads 2019 Caddy SUV is a joke. People couldn't figure out the ZF tee shifter in FCA vehicles they sure as heck won't figure out GM's tee shifter. Had to have Dad show me how the thing worked LOL
fulltimegrams22
Explorer
Sep 03, 2018
So, I found a review of our truck by a guy who rents cars and reviews them, lol. Anyway, ours is white and not 4x4, but this is our truck and the same interior as ours.

2018 Ram 1500 Bighorn rental review.
jfkmk
Explorer
Sep 03, 2018
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jfkmk
Explorer
Sep 03, 2018
Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
I do love how the other fan clubs talked smack about the shifter being on the dash and now their trucks with the ten speeds have the same shifter. Kind of funny how the sheep always follow the Mighty Ram LMAO.

Which trucks followed with the godawful rotary shifter? The 2018 Ford and GM trucks didn’t when I test drove them, and the pics I’ve seen of the 2019s didn’t show a rotary shifter either.
jerem0621
Explorer II
Sep 03, 2018
Sportsmen wrote:
bikendan wrote:
Sportsmen wrote:
Current F150s have a higher payload than some of their competition because of the aluminum bodies. They lightened up the trucks with the aluminum by 600 lbs or so which directly related to the higher payloads. An often overlooked advantage to lightening up the trucks.

NOT true. Previous years F150 models, without the aluminum, still had better payloads than the competition. I know beci spent 2 years shopping all the 1/2 ton brands. My 2014 F150 Ecoboost SCREW with Max Tow package but not the HD Payload package, has a payload of 1828lbs.
I never saw a used crew cab 1/2 ton from any other brand with that kind of payload.

payloads on the 2018 F150s are well over 2000 lbs... Lighter truck = higher payloads

https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-xlt/

Something I unscientifically did was to go to a Ford dealer and look at the sum of several F150’s axle ratings and compare to the vehicles GVWR. On the Max Tow versions I looked at there was very little if any margin between the sum of the axles and the GVWR...

I did the same test on Ram 1500’s with 5.7 Hemis and found that there was significant margin between the sum of the axle ratings and the GVWR... I’ve lost the numbers but it was like 800-1000 lbs.

Seems to me that Ford taps into the sum of the Axle ratings to feel comfortable increasing the GVWR compared to other half tons.

In other words...

If you load a Max Tow F150..pardon the pun... to the max you will have nearly zero axle rating left over.

If you load a Ram 1500 to the max payload rating you will likely see some significant margin left over on the axle ratings.

I have not done this test with the new aluminum bodied F150... but I need to.

Current owners... can you post your Axle ratings, GVWR, and payload rating?

Thanks!

Jeremiah