What We're Driving For the Long Haul
We've got the route, the time and the will. And now we have an amazing truck and trailer combination.
We've had a few good weeks in a row lately, and now it looks to be topped off with a cruise over our Hurt Locker heavy-duty test route, as we put the Ram Long-Hauler concept through its paces. In fact, it looks like our vehicle is the same unit we got spy shots of several weeks ago.
We'll be heading out of Los Angeles and toward the Eisenhower Tunnel on the Loveland Pass in Colorado, then to the Davis Dam hill climb in Arizona. We'll be gathering our impressions and collecting data along the way so we can report what a truck like this would mean for Ram and for anyone else who needs to do long-distance hauling. For now, they're telling us it's just a concept truck, without any plans to go into production.
We're trying to post as many photos during the trip as possible on our PickupTrucks.com Facebook page, so feel free to check it out and shoot us a friend request. In the meantime, wish us luck. It looks like we're going to get some weather.
Comments
Does this truck have the commercial truck rated Cummins. Or the high horse power rating?
The hotshot/expedited freight guys would love something like this.
I dont like grill guards on Ram HD's as the Ram HD's are the best looking trucks the grill guard takes away from it.
I still think it's missing some key features.
A back seat is handy when you've got your crew but truckers need a sleeper cab more than a back seat. If it actually was a little bigger, maybe flared up at the top above the original roof line, it could give some head room for someone sitting up in the sleeper bed and double as a wind deflector.
Not having to stop and find/pay for a hotel room would be very valuable.
3rd axle. Why not?
Air brakes.
Am I the only one who knows how to innovate?
Or is this truck just for hauling barbie dolls?
That truck is absolutely level even with the fifth wheel on. Is it loaded. What is the tongue weight? Got to love air suspension.
Diesel is running same price a gasoline here in central California. 4.19 for both, if you shop around. We have had a refinery shut down here since the first of the year. Yet we are swimming in excess fuel of both types. No excuse for these prices. Seeing the price spread of diesel coming down is good. But the price of either is unacceptable and there is no excuse except for speculators greed.
4.19 times 170 equals 712.30 ouch
Need a bugger trailer should of got a back-hoe and a flat bed and hauled that.
LOL,
The grill guard is camo. This way it looks like somenody had a truck modified and it is not a prototype. Better than the bras and swirl wraps.
Sure hope they don't put the 68RFE in this thing. It would be awesome for RAM to finally utilize the Allison tranny.
@Buddy looks like it was primarily designed to tow a medium sized Horse Trailer or Float in this part of the world. The problem , is how many people want something like this? Is it economically viable to produce, considering the economic climate?
Dodge is coming for Ford no doubt. I dumped my Silverado for a new Ram last year with the Laramie Longhorn trim and never looked back. Chevrolet just went into the gutter with their build quality and interiors. I had a truck with 50k that looked like it had 150k on it and it was ugly to begin with. I know it's a Ford truck world now and I was Close to buying a Ford but I actually preferred the transmission shifts in the Dodge better so it won out. When I see things like this I know the Super Duty has a laser target on it. And Dodge is the only one to get it done with it's SFA. All I can say is Go Mopar!
TJ
It may get an Aisin instead of the Chrysler tranny. The C&Cs get the Aisin, where the regular beds get the Chrysler tranny.
@ DonSchmidt,
In Canada the Dodge heavy duty diesel trucks outsell Ford and GM,and the Ram 1500 is nipping at the F-150 in sales !
In my astute opinion Dodge had the best looking truck since the 90's,and these new Dodge Ram's are killer !
@ Ram owner from Canada
As a fellow Canadian i'll back you up all round with what you say but will add they've been giving the cummins engine for free for well over a year. I'm sure this has something to do with it. They are great trucks, though.
Nice truck,wont be too long before the feds "eliminate" trucks as well,it coming kids ! USSofA !
Enjoy your trucks/cars/motorbikes before long they will be outlawed by the left wing feds !
Have mercy here comes the fear mongering.
omg, we got to all find a rock to hide under. Lol
A very nice article have you written. I really enjoyed reading your post.You have lots of good ideas.This is really a great stuff.
Hope to see such a informative stuff in future!!
max,
stick to your compact truck. noody wants to hear you whine about these glamerous beasts.
Mark, im looking at the points for your route, and why does it make sense to travel east up to the point d, grand junction, then travel south back to point h in california. Why not, from point d, continue to travel south, and circle back around to california. It may be a few more miles, but it seems less akward.
You should go to denver, then to pueblo, pass alberquerque, through arizona and back to los angeles.
Nice looking truck. It is hard to beat a Cummins.
I'd like to see this come to the market. I think there is a need for it.
It would not be a heavy sales leader but as an option I think they could move about 50K units a year.
Not to be "that guy," but the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel isn't on Loveland Pass; the tunnel is about 2 miles to the north of the pass. US 6 goes over Loveland Pass. If you're looking for an additional challenge (not to mention spectacular scenery), I would suggest a drive over the pass, with its steeper grade and tight switchbacks.
Nice looking RAM. RAM has stepped up in the creature comfort and nice looking interiors.
@Magnum and @Dodge RAM from Canada:
Correction. Chrysler is the #1 market gainer hinting grabbing sales from the GM crowd. Hyundai wins also in market gain for cars.
Ford is #1 in sales overall in Canada for the second year in a row. "F-Series remains the top selling pickup in the country"
http://www.driving.ca/Civic+still+tops+Ford+claims+2011+sales+crown/5945642/story.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/driving-it-home/top-10-sales-winners-at-car-dealerships-in-2011/article2185040/print/
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/chrysler-canada-2011-sales-surge-nine-high-162659169.html
http://www.wheels.ca/article/798648
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/04/auto-sales-december.html
http://www.driving.ca/Canadian+truck+sales+still+fire/4205959/story.html
@Jackalope - thanks for the links. Ford didn't see any significant gains at 3%. GMC took a 9% hit. Looks like Chrysler's gains were at Chevy's expense. Dodge Ram truck sales were heavily driven by discounts.
Exerpt "Chrysler sold more trucks than any other automaker. Chrysler truck sales, thanks in part to massive incentives, surged 20 per cent to 12,609. Ford truck sales were equally strong, posting a 25 per cent gain to 11,600. GM sold 10,327 trucks, an increase of 3.5 per cent.
January sales are still recovering from the low point of 2009 but well off the high mark of January 2008."
Most experts feel that Canadian sales gains (industry average of 3% IIRC) were driven by discounts/rebates.
I agree a 100% with Luke about going over the Loveland Pass! Now that's a challenge!
I drive a dodge 2500 cross country and the seat is killing me. Any info on long haul seats would be very helpful. Aftre several hundred thousand miles stock seats give up.
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