2021 Rebel Night Edition 10k Review

[Sorceress21]

2021 Ram 1500 Rebel Night Edition, w/ air suspension and the Off-Road package.
5.7l with the 8HP75 Transmission

Bone Stock – No Mods

Loaded to the bone, nearly all available options, no bed accessories and got the basic tow package but not the full bone one with a trailer brake controller. Though I do have a tow/haul mode

So, I’m just about to 10k and my first scheduled service. I wanted to give a good review on this truck as it’s my first foray into the RAM line. For perspective, I’m a 51-year female, been a truck / Jeep owner/enthusiast for years, moderate novice off-road experience, fair mechanical skills but not expert level on any of it. I’m an overland expedition camper and don’t have much interest in any serious rock crawling or extreme “jeep trails” with this truck. I came off a 2018 Tundra TRD Offroad edition which I loved and had zero issues with but I wanted some technology upgrades that Toyota just doesn’t offer yet.

The Review 0 to 5 stars:

My overall rating:

Generally, I’m pleased with the purchase and have no major misgivings thus far.

My one main gripe that’s no one’s fault but mine is after examining the availability of the after-market parts market and post-purchase research on the suspension system I must admit I think it was a mistake to get the truck with the air ride system as it seems many who have lifted earlier year Rebels with the air suspension have had many problems post install. It seems that system just doesn’t like lift kits and lift kit aside, seems to have a 2 to 3 year lifespan before it starts breaking down. Time will tell how this goes with the 2021. I have not been able to determine from any research if the 2021 model year had RAM make any really reliability improvements to the air ride system or not. The jury seems to be out on this. Being I’ll be towing a ski boat I also have to think about the disappointing payload capacity with the Rebel, though according to a MOPAR VIN check my truck can tow just over 11k:



Reliability:

Couldn’t give it 5 stars as I’ve had some glitches that I feel shouldn’t be occurring on a brand new 65k truck.

1. Cricket Chirp - My rig has it, though in the last couple of weeks it seems to have gone away. I've read these forums on the issue and despite the "lubricant" spray fix on the caliper clips fix I am unconvinced this is brake issue.
2. The automatic day/night mode change on the instrumentation and Infotainment display has been slightly glitchy. I don't like that during the day it switches to night mode if I go under a large overpass then takes up to a full minute to go back to day mode. I've had one instance of the system switching to day mode mode during the night and staying there until I shut down and restarted the truck. This happened one time only.
3. The dreaded RAM engine tick has already set in. It started around 5k miles for my truck. Will see if anything can be done on the 10k service
4. The driver's heated seat doesn't get very warm at all, not even half as warm as my Tundra's did on full. Will address this with the dealer on the 10k service.
5. Had two occurrences of a transmission "clunk" when shifting to Drive from Park. This is usually a non-issue and happens from time to time on 4WD trucks but I'll have it checked on the 10K service.
6. The Speed Limit Zone indicator in the NAV system isn't more than 80% accurate in any given area. I noticed the most discrepancies when I was on a work trip in the Dallas area. Seems that RAM needs to get Garmin to force an update or be more fluid about that database. There's also a fair amount of missing streets in the NAV database that have been around for a few years. The Navigation function also is horrendously bad with interstate interchanges that are complex. It often tells you to keep right or left when you need to do the opposite. I have already asked RAM for a map update and there currently isn't one available. I was told to write a complaint to Garmin. The weather Radar display shows precipitation far to dim even when set to the maximum opacity. That's a nitpicky one but still, should have better graphics.
7. Not really a reliability issue but the LED lights that surrounds the rim of the headlight assemblies are far too dim for use as real DRLs over the DRL mode for the actual headlights. They really need to be at least 3 or four times brighter. Not an issue with my truck alone, all the other Rebel's I see on the road have the same issue. Being they are LEDs you'd think this could be adjusted.

Overall Road / HWY Performance:

MPG -

Obviously a 5.7 L V8 isn't gonna be a fuel efficient vehicle, I understood that going into the purchase. Thus I can't really complain but wanted to point out that the actual MPG is a lot lower than advertised for the truck as equipped. RAM is clearly going way beyond the normal MPG embellishment all manufacturers advertise regardless of make or model. I haven't gotten better than 14.5 average (system indication) on the interstate. I don't really care as MPG was never a consideration for me personally but wanted to mention it for the review.

On road ride and handling -

On wet or dry roads is the best I personally have had in a 4WD vehicle. This truck is extremely comfortable to drive on long road trips. The ride even with the 33" Duratracs is, for me, luxury SUV equivalent. Combined with the steering assist function holding a lane is effortless. I find I can drive a lot farther in this truck without getting tired than I could in the 18' Tundra I owned. On wet roads the traction is excellent and for me hydroplaning has been non-existent even going through heavy puddles at highway speeds.

Traction in 8 inches of snow was exceptionally good. I never even had to use 4WD when making a run to the store during our only big snowfall here in Northern Kentucky. I took the truck behind the strip mall and tried to make it slip in 2WD to understand the threshold and the rig wouldn't break traction no matter what I did under 25 mph.

Torque and Acceleration -

This was disappointing for a 5.7 L Hemi. I was expecting the truck to do a bit better. Both in the 0 to 60 standard as well as torque. My guess is that the issue here is all the optioned equipment I have results in the truck being slightly underpowered for its weight. I have yet to test the truck with towing or any moderate off-road use so if those test well I may up my rating here. But despite the truck sounding aggressive I feel the acceleration falls a little flat. It's not unacceptable, but just a bit less than I feel it should.

Planned Mods:

I'm going to ready the truck for the Tuk Road in late summer. Me and friend have a trip planned to run the whole road up from the states to Tuktoyatuk Canada in the Arctic Circle. My mods plan is gonna have to be a weight watchers tactic as my available payload is not on the good side.

Lift kit - Undecided

I’m waiting for BDS to certify their lift kit for 2021 fitment and once that’s done I may wait another few months for the reviews to come on to see how it’s going. I’m undecided there as I’m not sure how long I’ll keep this truck as I’m considering going back to Toyota or upgrading to the TRX in a year or two. I’m not really sure this truck needs a lift at all as for me performance is far more important than look. With the Off Road height mode, 4WD Low and rear diff lock all engaged I think this truck’s light to moderate off road capability with the stock suspension is pretty good thus far for use on Forest Service backroads. I have no intention on using this truck for any kind of intentionally challenging off-road driving and will actively avoid back country roads or trails that require substantial suspension enhancements to successfully navigate with reduced damage risk.

Now if I don't lift the truck I will be doing some upgrades on the existing suspension where I can without tearing into the air suspension system. Still researching this.

Siderail Rock Sliders

Another undecided mod as of right now, there's next to zero 2021 fitment options out there for true load bearing side rails. There's a few available but I don't care for the look of them and they seem to be untested and un-reviewed beyond how well they install. Additionally any back country roads that make rock sliders relevant I'll probably never go on.

Front and Rear Bumpers

I'm definitely ditching the stock bumpers as I want recovery winches on both ends as well as a swing out tire carrier and Jerry Can Rack. Still too few options on market for the 21' so this will wait a bit especially as I'll need bumpers with the parking sensor cutouts.

Tires and Wheels

Wheels and tires change have to wait for the BDS lift to get certified for 21' As my decision to or not to lift the truck will heavily impact tire/wheel choices.

Changing out the stock wheels is definitely happening regardless of the lift as I want beadlock capable tires for those muddy forest road air downs. I also want a splash of color in the truck and though I like the all black body I'm think bronze or anodize blue wheels to break it up a bit. As for tires, I'd like to upsize to 35's however without the lift that's a no go. Had a local off-road pro shop run a check and do some measurements and 35's will rub without a lift without question. Also, being I'm not gonna do intensive trail running 35's are probably unnecessary anyway.

Overland Bed Rack / Rooftop Tent

Looking at several manufactures I'm definitely adding an expedition rack system. I love the ease of access of hanging tools and gear off the rack. Considering the Leitner Active Cargo System but don't like that you have to drill into the bed for the install. I'm leaning heavily now towards the Addictive Desert Designs Rack.

COMMS

Still trying to figure out where to mount my CB radio and how/where I'll mount the antennas. I'm likely gonna mount the co-phase whips on the rack I get. Will eventually add a 10 Meter Mobile radio as I m working on a Ham lic.

 

[vietatran05]

Nice review! I’m in the same boat as you. I failed to research the air suspension before I purchased my Rebel. Im thinking about converting my air ride to coils, but I’m still researching as well. Airdelete.com told me they have a conversion kit in the works, but not sure when that will be available.

 

[USAFA-09]

Torque and Accel, get a Pedal Commander, seriously "problem" solved. There are other related/comparable products...but I personally love the PC and the bluetooth app and capability is flawless and super convenient.

In addition...the Tazer DT is a showstopper must-have!

In total, ~$600 brings the truck/features/performance to near perfection, for what it all is and can/should do

 

[Sorceress21]

Torque and Accel, get a Pedal Commander, seriously "problem" solved. There are other related/comparable products...but I personally love the PC and the bluetooth app and capability is flawless and super convenient.

In addition...the Tazer DT is a showstopper must-have!

In total, ~$600 brings the truck/features/performance to near perfection, for what it all is and can/should do

Something for anyone with a 2020 or new Rebel to consider before installing a custom tune. Your Ram Rebel has a feature that is helpful to one degree but harmful in another. It's always connected to the MOPAR/Chrysler computer and data system via the native 4G Unconnect up/download function. This function allows software updates to get pushed to your rig even when the vehicle is off. That is nifty but a double edged sword when it comes to privacy. If you upload a custom tune into the electronic control system a native data logger will create an event log that RAM can see if you take it in for service and potentially even if you don't. It used to be that you could remove the tune for a dealer visit and RAM would never know you are running one, and put it back in afterwards. Now you can't hide it from them any more therefore your warranty is at risk if you upload a custom tune.

This is 2nd hand thus I can't say if it's true or not, but an acquaintance of mine claims he uploaded a custom tune into his 21' RAM 2500 and a few weeks later he got a letter from MOPAR stating his warranty was voided due to an unauthorized tampering with the ECS. I asked him to see the letter and he said he had already thrown it away. No idea why he'd lie about it but wanted to be forthcoming to the forum so ya'll understand this story is unverified but worth considering in your decision process.

 

[joemo]

Torque and Accel, get a Pedal Commander, seriously "problem" solved. There are other related/comparable products...but I personally love the PC and the bluetooth app and capability is flawless and super convenient.

In addition...the Tazer DT is a showstopper must-have!

In total, ~$600 brings the truck/features/performance to near perfection, for what it all is and can/should do

I bought a hikeit but am not impressed for the acceleration aspect. It just does not seem to do much if I am being honest.

 

[Sorceress21]

Nice review! I’m in the same boat as you. I failed to research the air suspension before I purchased my Rebel. Im thinking about converting my air ride to coils, but I’m still researching as well. Airdelete.com told me they have a conversion kit in the works, but not sure when that will be available.

I considered that myself. However, I like the flexibility of the Air Ride system so I'm not gonna mess with it for now. If it starts becoming glitchy or unreliable while I still own the truck and I've decided to keep it long term then I'll rip it out and replace it with a coil over conversion.

My philosophy here is to not attempt to turn this truck into something it isn't, but that's just me and applies to my thought process alone. The older I get the less interested I am in hard-core off roading. Heck, at the end of the day I might not do a thing to this rig and just trade it in a couple years out for something a little more capable and modifiable.

 

[Sorceress21]

I bought a hikeit but am not impressed for the acceleration aspect. It just does not seem to do much if I am being honest.

There's only so much one can do via software to change the performance of any engine before you've got to start bolting on actual engine upgrades. I would guess that any of the Tune systems available can't get anything more than maybe a 2 to 5% increase on HP or torque. How noticeable on the pedal will a gain that small be? I'd say negligible at best.

However, perhaps someone out there has a different experience or opinion as I'm certainly no expert.

 

[vietatran05]

I considered that myself. However, I like the flexibility of the Air Ride system so I'm not gonna mess with it for now. If it starts becoming glitchy or unreliable while I still own the truck and I've decided to keep it long term then I'll rip it out and replace it with a coil over conversion.

My philosophy here is to not attempt to turn this truck into something it isn't, but that's just me and applies to my thought process alone. The older I get the less interested I am in hard-core off roading. Heck, at the end of the day I might not do a thing to this rig and just trade it in a couple years out for something a little more capable and modifiable.

You make a good point.

 

[RebelWraith]

Something for anyone with a 2020 or new Rebel to consider before installing a custom tune. Your Ram Rebel has a feature that is helpful to one degree but harmful in another. It's always connected to the MOPAR/Chrysler computer and data system via the native 4G Unconnect up/download function. This function allows software updates to get pushed to your rig even when the vehicle is off. That is nifty but a double edged sword when it comes to privacy. If you upload a custom tune into the electronic control system a native data logger will create an event log that RAM can see if you take it in for service and potentially even if you don't. It used to be that you could remove the tune for a dealer visit and RAM would never know you are running one, and put it back in afterwards. Now you can't hide it from them any more therefore your warranty is at risk if you upload a custom tune.

This is 2nd hand thus I can't say if it's true or not, but an acquaintance of mine claims he uploaded a custom tune into his 21' RAM 2500 and a few weeks later he got a letter from MOPAR stating his warranty was voided due to an unauthorized tampering with the ECS. I asked him to see the letter and he said he had already thrown it away. No idea why he'd lie about it but wanted to be forthcoming to the forum so ya'll understand this story is unverified but worth considering in your decision process.

My guess is he rolled in to the dealer with a modifed/unlocked PCM still installed. Many 2019 and 2020 owners have been running around and swapping in the factory PCM when going in for service without any issues. 2021s have at least one tuner available and no one has mentioned this issue. Seems rather odd.

 

[RebelWraith]

There's only so much one can do via software to change the performance of any engine before you've got to start bolting on actual engine upgrades. I would guess that any of the Tune systems available can't get anything more than maybe a 2 to 5% increase on HP or torque. How noticeable on the pedal will a gain that small be? I'd say negligible at best.

However, perhaps someone out there has a different experience or opinion as I'm certainly no expert.

The two major tuners for the Rams can get around 10% increase conservatively. They have dynos showing upwards of 15% if using 93 octane. Depends on what you want to run.

 

[Sorceress21]

My guess is he rolled in to the dealer with a modifed/unlocked PCM still installed. Many 2019 and 2020 owners have been running around and swapping in the factory PCM when going in for service without any issues. 2021s have at least one tuner available and no one has mentioned this issue. Seems rather odd.

That was my first thought but he never went to the dealership but had uploaded a custom tune according to him.

 

[Phatman112]

Great review! Just got my Rebel 6days ago and love it so far. Can't wait to hit 10K milestone and hopefully have great reviews as well.

 

[dunehiker]

Great comprehensive review, glad you're enjoying your Rebel! I've had mine for about a week and a half and so far loving mine. Agreed with others on the Pedal Commander, I had it on my 2020 Big Horn and could really tell the difference. I'm waiting to get out of the "break-in" period before I install it in this truck.

 

[AevJk1day]

Great comprehensive review, glad you're enjoying your Rebel! I've had mine for about a week and a half and so far loving mine. Agreed with others on the Pedal Commander, I had it on my 2020 Big Horn and could really tell the difference. I'm waiting to get out of the "break-in" period before I install it in this truck.

How closely do you follow the break in period guidelines? I bought mine out of state and have to drive 900 miles home upon delivery . Didn’t think of the break in period when I negotiated this and the dealer didn’t mention anything.

 

[dunehiker]

How closely do you follow the break in period guidelines? I bought mine out of state and have to drive 900 miles home upon delivery . Didn’t think of the break in period when I negotiated this and the dealer didn’t mention anything.

I'd have to check the manual but I believe for the first 300 or 500 miles it mentions varying your speed with occasional full-throttle accelerations. And I believe there's something about no towing? I've been following it for the most part, but tbh I wouldn't worry too much about driving it home, the break-in period isn't like it was for cars 15 or 20 years ago. For me, I'm just more concerned about doing any mods for the first several hundred miles or so just in case there are any factory issues I don't want to introduce another variable.

 

[AevJk1day]

I'd have to check the manual but I believe for the first 300 or 500 miles it mentions varying your speed with occasional full-throttle accelerations. And I believe there's something about no towing? I've been following it for the most part, but tbh I wouldn't worry too much about driving it home, the break-in period isn't like it was for cars 15 or 20 years ago. For me, I'm just more concerned about doing any mods for the first several hundred miles or so just in case there are any factory issues I don't want to introduce another variable.

OK ,thanks.