Ram 1500 owners (current gen) come on in!

[PDX_Zs]

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. 🙂

[stevemorris]

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]

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]

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]

I like my rotary shifter, works perfectly:h.

[TurnThePage]

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]

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]

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]

.

[jfkmk]

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]

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

[Sportsmen]

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/

[bikendan]

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.

[Sportsmen]

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.

[Navyvette]

I custom ordered a 19 Laramie and even getting it exactly the way I wanted it was 11k off sticker. Lots of good deals out there on Rams. Ford is a great truck but they are just to proud of them for me. Usually in the 4-5k off sticker and they are usually higher.
Two things I wish Ram would add is the trailer aid systems and the massaging seats. They are nice.