Looking for advice on buying a new 5th gen 1500

[BB_Mike]

Hello, and thanks for clicking in. I am wanting a new truck and have narrowed it down to the Ram 1500 and a Tundra. Let me know if I am insane or not about the following:

My issues for the RAM are with options, and the lack of customization where it matters.
I want a Limited because of the interior. Because of this, I am stuck with a shorter bed, the now cheap plastic Rambox, and the High Output engine.
What I would be ok with on the Limited is a shorter bed (no boxes), and standard output SST engine. Am I crazy to want this?
What I like about the interior of the Limited is the leather quality and that massage feature is cool.
I cannot take a Laramie and put the leather I want into it. I could put in aftermarket leather, but I loose that neato massage filter (and software to access it preventing a swap).

My use for the truck is a daily driver with a family of 4. So the rear seat matters. twice a month, I will pull about 5,000 pounds. Once a month, I will take a 1,000 mile road trip. My commute is usually 15 minutes daily. MPG is not that big of a deal, but the whole point of a turbo motor is good gas mileage if you stay out of the throttle.

I do not need or want 90% of the fancy package stuff that is being offered ( I can back up my own trailer, haha), but I am ok taking most of the software gimmick stuff because I can turn it off. I cannot turn of H.O. or a rambox. I don't need a 3.92 rear gear.

Tundra is almost the same... I love their high end interior, but you have to get the hybrid to achieve that interior and that hybrid puts batteries underneath the rear seat, thus deleting storage under the rear seat.

I am thinking about waiting for the Ramcharger. I think that the philosophy will not change to force me into the rambox short bed, but I will be closer to 20MPG versus 15MPG, and have high horse power.

Thoughts? the sales rep's at my nearby dealerships are looking at me like I am stupid not to want a plastic rambox... "because I can put ice and beer in there". face. palm.

Anybody want to swap pickup beds that wants a Rambox? half joking. What's funny is one of the first youtube videos I saw reviewing the 1500 Limited showed a smooth bed with no rambox. so I was put back when the builder app and sale rep's all said no. I hate fake pre-production stuff. I was ready to buy a truck last week and I walked away not wanting to buy anything.

 

[mikeru82]

Welcome to the forum Mike. It's always been a complaint of mine that you can't just order a truck with what you want and nothing you don't want. But that would make an already very expensive vehicle a lot more expensive.

I like the Rambox option for how I use our truck. Same for the MFT. It's kind of funny that it was difficult back in 2020 to find a Limited with the Rambox option and now you can't get one without.

Unfortunately you're going to have to choose between the lesser of two evils yourself. I have no experience with current Toyota trucks, but from what I've read I would stay away from them until they sort out the engine failure issues I've been reading about. Truth be told, if I were buying a truck right now I'd probably go with Ford lol.

 

[PetePA]

Welcome to the forum Mike. It's always been a complaint of mine that you can't just order a truck with what you want and nothing you don't want. But that would make an already very expensive vehicle a lot more expensive.

I like the Rambox option for how I use our truck. Same for the MFT. It's kind of funny that it was difficult back in 2020 to find a Limited with the Rambox option and now you can't get one without.

Unfortunately you're going to have to choose between the lesser of two evils yourself. I have no experience with current Toyota trucks, but from what I've read I would stay away from them until they sort out the engine failure issues I've been reading about. Truth be told, if I were buying a truck right now I'd probably go with Ford lol.

Hello, and thanks for clicking in. I am wanting a new truck and have narrowed it down to the Ram 1500 and a Tundra. Let me know if I am insane or not about the following:

My issues for the RAM are with options, and the lack of customization where it matters.
I want a Limited because of the interior. Because of this, I am stuck with a shorter bed, the now cheap plastic Rambox, and the High Output engine.
What I would be ok with on the Limited is a shorter bed (no boxes), and standard output SST engine. Am I crazy to want this?
What I like about the interior of the Limited is the leather quality and that massage feature is cool.
I cannot take a Laramie and put the leather I want into it. I could put in aftermarket leather, but I loose that neato massage filter (and software to access it preventing a swap).

My use for the truck is a daily driver with a family of 4. So the rear seat matters. twice a month, I will pull about 5,000 pounds. Once a month, I will take a 1,000 mile road trip. My commute is usually 15 minutes daily. MPG is not that big of a deal, but the whole point of a turbo motor is good gas mileage if you stay out of the throttle.

I do not need or want 90% of the fancy package stuff that is being offered ( I can back up my own trailer, haha), but I am ok taking most of the software gimmick stuff because I can turn it off. I cannot turn of H.O. or a rambox. I don't need a 3.92 rear gear.

Tundra is almost the same... I love their high end interior, but you have to get the hybrid to achieve that interior and that hybrid puts batteries underneath the rear seat, thus deleting storage under the rear seat.

I am thinking about waiting for the Ramcharger. I think that the philosophy will not change to force me into the rambox short bed, but I will be closer to 20MPG versus 15MPG, and have high horse power.

Thoughts? the sales rep's at my nearby dealerships are looking at me like I am stupid not to want a plastic rambox... "because I can put ice and beer in there". face. palm.

Anybody want to swap pickup beds that wants a Rambox? half joking. What's funny is one of the first youtube videos I saw reviewing the 1500 Limited showed a smooth bed with no rambox. so I was put back when the builder app and sale rep's all said no. I hate fake pre-production stuff. I was ready to buy a truck last week and I walked away not wanting to buy anything.

mikeru makes a very good point. The quality of the Ram interior is excellent. Adding more complexity to their product offerings would lead to either: 1. More expensive trucks or 2. Lower quality materials.

I looked at all the available trucks before deciding Ram. I didn't get exactly what I wanted (I wanted a 2025 Tungsten in Patriot Blue) because they don't offer the Patriot Blue anymore. However, I couldn't be happier with what I was able to order and am glad I didn't go with the Denali, Chevy or Tundra. I didn't even consider Ford... mainly due to my aesthetic preferences.

 

[DEG]

Nearly every manufacture include features in higher end models that are not available in lower level models. They do this believing there will be people who want that 1 feature (e.g. premium interior) enough that they spend more money on a higher end truck. Your post demonstrates it works.

 

[akaTheDude]

absolutely love my Ramboxes on my 2024 limited. You say now cheap boxes, what do you mean by that? Did they change?

 

[mikeru82]

They've always been plastic.

 

[Pikeman_66]

Hello, and thanks for clicking in. I am wanting a new truck and have narrowed it down to the Ram 1500 and a Tundra. Let me know if I am insane or not about the following:

My issues for the RAM are with options, and the lack of customization where it matters.
I want a Limited because of the interior. Because of this, I am stuck with a shorter bed, the now cheap plastic Rambox, and the High Output engine.
What I would be ok with on the Limited is a shorter bed (no boxes), and standard output SST engine. Am I crazy to want this?
What I like about the interior of the Limited is the leather quality and that massage feature is cool.
I cannot take a Laramie and put the leather I want into it. I could put in aftermarket leather, but I loose that neato massage filter (and software to access it preventing a swap).

My use for the truck is a daily driver with a family of 4. So the rear seat matters. twice a month, I will pull about 5,000 pounds. Once a month, I will take a 1,000 mile road trip. My commute is usually 15 minutes daily. MPG is not that big of a deal, but the whole point of a turbo motor is good gas mileage if you stay out of the throttle.

I do not need or want 90% of the fancy package stuff that is being offered ( I can back up my own trailer, haha), but I am ok taking most of the software gimmick stuff because I can turn it off. I cannot turn of H.O. or a rambox. I don't need a 3.92 rear gear.

Tundra is almost the same... I love their high end interior, but you have to get the hybrid to achieve that interior and that hybrid puts batteries underneath the rear seat, thus deleting storage under the rear seat.

I am thinking about waiting for the Ramcharger. I think that the philosophy will not change to force me into the rambox short bed, but I will be closer to 20MPG versus 15MPG, and have high horse power.

Thoughts? the sales rep's at my nearby dealerships are looking at me like I am stupid not to want a plastic rambox... "because I can put ice and beer in there". face. palm.

Anybody want to swap pickup beds that wants a Rambox? half joking. What's funny is one of the first youtube videos I saw reviewing the 1500 Limited showed a smooth bed with no rambox. so I was put back when the builder app and sale rep's all said no. I hate fake pre-production stuff. I was ready to buy a truck last week and I walked away not wanting to buy anything.

yeah, I ran into the bed issue myself when ordering my 25. the only bed you can get currently on a limited without ram boxes is a 6 foot 4 inch bed. that's what I ended up doing after taking members advise here and looked at the short and long beds side by side and other members trucks posted here. the short bed just doesn't look proportional to the cab and front end. the larger bed looks better proportionally. I did not want the ram boxes either.

 

[Alter Ego Trip]

yeah, I ran into the bed issue myself when ordering my 25. the only bed you can get currently on a limited without ram boxes is a 6 foot 4 inch bed. that's what I ended up doing after taking members advise here and looked at the short and long beds side by side and other members trucks posted here. the short bed just doesn't look proportional to the cab and front end. the larger bed looks better proportionally. I did not want the ram boxes either.

It's certainly subjective. I have always thought the other way around; the short bed looks more proportional to the rest of the truck than the long bed. That short bed sure is worthless for hauling anything though lol.

I personally can't stand Tundras. The old one was a joke, and the new one is the fugliest thing I've seen come out of a factory as of late (and that includes the cyber truck).

I'm almost certain, you'll see the SB open up in the near future, without having to get Ramboxes. Just depends on what your timing looks like.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I purchased a 2020 Laramie with the 5’ 4” bed as an impulse buy due to my previous truck being totaled in an accident, and a 6’ 4” bed could not be found within 1K miles of me that had all the features I wanted, so I settled for the 5’ 4” bed. It drove me crazy for about a year or so. I broke down and sold it and ordered a 2022 Laramie with a 6’ 4” bed. I will never go back. My trucks have always had a standard 6’ 4” bed and I’ve never regretted having the extra space, but I sure regretted the shorter bed on many occasions.

 

[Alter Ego Trip]

I purchased a 2020 Laramie with the 5’ 4” bed as an impulse buy due to my previous truck being totaled in an accident, and a 6’ 4” bed could not be found within 1K miles of me that had all the features I wanted, so I settled for the 5’ 4” bed. It drove me crazy for about a year or so. I broke down and sold it and ordered a 2022 Laramie with a 6’ 4” bed. I will never go back. My trucks have always had a standard 6’ 4” bed and I’ve never regretted having the extra space, but I sure regretted the shorter bed on many occasions.

Well, that's because you ordered the super super short bed secret option. If you would have gone with the standard 5' 7" bed, you would have been fine.

 

[BB_Mike]

Thanks for the replies. I apologize for saying cheap about the ram boxes. This is what I mean:

All good points you have made. The dealership and online did not offer the 6'4 bed for the Limited. Hmmmm.

I think my plan is to wait for the RAMCharger. If that isn't good, I will go for the following:
2025 Limited 1500 with the H.O. SST and a 6'4 bed or I wake away.

Oh, and I also only wanted 2WD. I do my own maintenance, and 4WD is just a deadweight PITA for me.

 

[Pikeman_66]

It's certainly subjective. I have always thought the other way around; the short bed looks more proportional to the rest of the truck than the long bed. That short bed sure is worthless for hauling anything though lol.

I personally can't stand Tundras. The old one was a joke, and the new one is the fugliest thing I've seen come out of a factory as of late (and that includes the cyber truck).

I'm almost certain, you'll see the SB open up in the near future, without having to get Ramboxes. Just depends on what your timing looks like.

agree on the tundra friggen ugly

 

[DEG]

The online Build and Price feature lets you select a 6.4 bed for the Limited but it only comes with 4x4. Higher trim level 1500 trucks often come with reduced cargo capacity due to the weight of all the options. Mine is only 1300 lbs, after adding the weight of a few passengers, tonneau cover and other crap I often carry I probably only have about 800 - 900 of cargo capacity remaining.

Even if you never use 4X4 they retain a much higher resale value and are in far greater demand.

 

[rick619]

First world problems lol...

I bought my 2023 new about 3 months ago and did consider the Tundra. Main issue for me was the look of the front end. I was ok with the look of the rest. I literally spent some time looking at Tundra's near me by holding up my hand to block off the front end about mid hood area. Then I'd lower my hand and just shake my head. Couldn't get past that.

Other than that, I subscribed to facebook groups for Ram, Tundra, F150, and Chevy/GMC just to read what people were saying. Complaints, etc. I went in day 1 preferring the look of the Ram. Then read the posts from all the others. Seemed like Toyota didn't have a ton of *MAJOR* issues. Mostly quality control issues. Rattles and minor defects that would bug the Sh*t out of me. Ram owners seemed the happiest with their purchase. I won't go into Ford and Chevy because you don't mention considering those. I did like some of the standard features. Don't have to choose which gears you want because they don't offer any options, all get the same gears.

I still scratch my head about the Tundra Hybrid iforce. Who in their right mind wants a Hybrid that gets WORSE MPG than the non-Hybrid? Sure, more power, but still I just don't understand the point. If you're going to pay more for a hybrid, it should get significantly better MPG.

Regarding your dislike of the fact that you have to get the ramboxes if you want the Limited: Is that only with the '25? If so, have you considered getting a '24? There should be plenty available. Sound like you want the new I6 Turbo (which I didn't want). I'd also think you'd have more of a selection of Laramie, but don't like the interior? I'd also trade my bed for one with the ramboxes in a second, though not something I was willing to pay more for.

 

[mikeru82]

Thanks for the replies. I apologize for saying cheap about the ram boxes. This is what I mean:

All good points you have made. The dealership and online did not offer the 6'4 bed for the Limited. Hmmmm.

I think my plan is to wait for the RAMCharger. If that isn't good, I will go for the following:
2025 Limited 1500 with the H.O. SST and a 6'4 bed or I wake away.

Oh, and I also only wanted 2WD. I do my own maintenance, and 4WD is just a deadweight PITA for me.

The guy in the video saying that Ram cheaped out is simplifying things, but he speaks the truth. For whatever reason, Ram changed vendors which supply the Rambox on 5th gens. Could have been financial. But the design of them is definitely inferior to those in 4th gens. When we first got our rambox 5th gens, the wife and I were not happy with the fit of them. I was able to figure out how to adjust most of that out, but they still don't fit as well as the rambox lids on either 4th gen we had previously.

Having said that, we've pretty much learned to ignore that in four years we've had our current truck. They might not look perfect but the usefulness of them far outweighs the aesthetics of how the lids fit. In other words, function over form. Not trying to talk you into anything here. If you don't want something you don't want something. GL with whichever way you decide to go.