New owner of 2024 RAM 1500 LIMITED ELITE

[One Viper Bite]

Hi all - just picked up this 2024 RAM 1500 LIMITED ELITE CREW CAB 4X4 in Ivory White Tri-Coat Pearl. I've never really been a truck guy, but the last 2 years of my life have been calling for one. Between remodeling my house, racing motorcycles AND cars, the U-Hauls and asking friends for favors was becoming expensive and inconvenient. Needless to say, I can't believe I put off owning a truck for so long. This thing is nicer to drive than my 2018 E400 that's fully loaded. I looked for months to find one with all of the options I wanted and needed. Finally found this one out in Arizona and moved quickly to grab it before it disappeared. Options that were a must for me:

1. Level 1 Equipment Group - With all of the long road trips I plan on taking in this thing for racing, I needed it to be easy to drive and a nice place to sit in for long periods of time
2. Trailer - Tow Group - while I currently don't have a nice toy hauler, the plan is to get a toy hauler / mobile home to be able to endure long race weekends with a way to haul my race bikes, get a good nights sleep and have a workshop in the pit
3. Body-Color Bumper Group - didn't like the chrome bumper look
4. 3.92 Rear Axle Ratio - In the spirit of being able to support a bigger toy hauler in the future
5. 33 Gallon Fuel Tank - minimize stopping for fuel, especially since a lot of race tracks tend to be in areas where the fuel is at a premium
6. Multi-Function Tailgate - wanted to be able to quickly and easily move things in and out of the bed without having to clear the tail gate. Like generators
7. Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof - I love natural light and the size of this sunroof was something I couldn't pass up. It puts the panoramic sunroof in my Mercedes to shame
8. 4X4 - for better towing and some light off-road use. I'm also an avid snowboarder and I live in Los Angeles. We're lucky enough to get snow in our local mountains just an hour away from the city and those roads can get a little dangerous during winter storms. 4X4 makes it a lot easier to navigate safely and without having to strap on chains every single trip
9. 5.7L HEMI (with eTorque) - I own a 2008 Dodge Charger and I know the 5.7L HEMI very well. I know how to work on it, do basic maintenance, diagnose common issues, etc. Would a 2025 with the Hurricane be better in every measurable way? Yes. Would the Eco Diesel be a better work horse? Probably. But I just wanted something I was familiar with. Plus, I think the Hurricane needs more time to sort out kinks and bugs just like the HEMI had to when it was launched in 2006.

Other options this truck came with that I was not necessarily looking for:

1. Elite Package - couldn't care for this package before I saw it in person. But in person...WOW. The light interior paired with the Panoramic Sunroof makes it such a stunning place to sit in. Plus the added bright pedal kit is nice and the adjustable Mopar tie-downs will come in handy for securing bikes in the bed I believe.
2. Ivory White Tri-Coat Pearl - also couldn't care for it until I saw it in person in the sun. Such a stunning color for a truck. I've owned (and own) a few tri-coat paint vehicles and I know they can be a real pain to color match in the event that something goes wrong, but I can live with the risks because this color is stunning.

The only option missing on this one that I was torn on were the Ram Boxes and the Night Package. However, since I couldn't get my hands on one to test fitment of two full sized motorcycles in the bed, I was worried about have limited bed space with the Ram Boxes. Plus, it was impossible to find one with the Ram Boxes that checked all 7 of my other required options. So I felt ok making that sacrifice. The Night Package I have also grown to accept because even though I was iffy about the chrome, on this truck with this color, I kind of almost prefer it now. It almost feels a little more grown up and luxurious with the chrome. Really happy with the way it looks.

Like I said, I can't believe it took me so long to buy a truck. I have 3 motorcycles in my garage, 1 supercar, 2 sports cars, an EV, luxury sedan, the list goes on. Since I bought this, I don't want to drive anything but the RAM. I'm so in love with this thing! It's incredible. My first few days with it I got to drive it from AZ to Las Vegas and then from Las Vegas, home to Los Angeles. I've done the drive from Vegas to LA at least 100 times in my life and I have NEVER arrived feeling refreshed and like I could do it all over again on the same day. Couldn't have asked for a better way to get acquainted with the truck.

Couple of things I'm looking to add to it soon:

1. Paragon Platinum Retractable Tonneau Cover - I'm looking for a hard cover that is easy to remove because I will be often be loading two racing bikes into the truck bed and having a cover that folds up and obstructs my view or a canister type cover will not allow clearance for the front of the bikes. This seems like my best option. However, I have a multi-function gate so I think I will be needing to replace the factory braces with the next item on the list.
2. Right On Bracket - Bed Replacement Bracket Kit - looks like these are necessary to fit the tonneau cover. But if anyone has any experience or feedback or suggest a better tonneau cover for my needs, I'm all ears.
3. Truck Bed Moto Chock Railing - would like to explore something like this, however, given the reinforcing brackets needed in the bed for the MFT, I'm not sure something like this would work. Looking for recommendations from others that haul motorcycles in the bed to secure them
4. Flated Air Topper + Bed - Looking for an option to turn my truck bed into a sleeping quarter for race weekend where hotels are not close to the race track. Given that I'll be hauling the bikes in the bed until I get a toy hauler, I need something that is not permanent / easy to transport and set up once I've unloaded my motorcycles and equipment for the race weekend. Been looking at the Flated system and have read good things about it. But again, open to suggestions here.

Anyway, I think written a long enough dissertation here. Really looking forward to being a part of this community and exploring the world of trucks. This is so new and exciting for me. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a new addition to my garage and I have added some pretty cool things to it over the years!

 

[Zach@granger]

Hi all - just picked up this 2024 RAM 1500 LIMITED ELITE CREW CAB 4X4 in Ivory White Tri-Coat Pearl. I've never really been a truck guy, but the last 2 years of my life have been calling for one. Between remodeling my house, racing motorcycles AND cars, the U-Hauls and asking friends for favors was becoming expensive and inconvenient. Needless to say, I can't believe I put off owning a truck for so long. This thing is nicer to drive than my 2018 E400 that's fully loaded. I looked for months to find one with all of the options I wanted and needed. Finally found this one out in Arizona and moved quickly to grab it before it disappeared. Options that were a must for me:

1. Level 1 Equipment Group - With all of the long road trips I plan on taking in this thing for racing, I needed it to be easy to drive and a nice place to sit in for long periods of time
2. Trailer - Tow Group - while I currently don't have a nice toy hauler, the plan is to get a toy hauler / mobile home to be able to endure long race weekends with a way to haul my race bikes, get a good nights sleep and have a workshop in the pit
3. Body-Color Bumper Group - didn't like the chrome bumper look
4. 3.92 Rear Axle Ratio - In the spirit of being able to support a bigger toy hauler in the future
5. 33 Gallon Fuel Tank - minimize stopping for fuel, especially since a lot of race tracks tend to be in areas where the fuel is at a premium
6. Multi-Function Tailgate - wanted to be able to quickly and easily move things in and out of the bed without having to clear the tail gate. Like generators
7. Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof - I love natural light and the size of this sunroof was something I couldn't pass up. It puts the panoramic sunroof in my Mercedes to shame
8. 4X4 - for better towing and some light off-road use. I'm also an avid snowboarder and I live in Los Angeles. We're lucky enough to get snow in our local mountains just an hour away from the city and those roads can get a little dangerous during winter storms. 4X4 makes it a lot easier to navigate safely and without having to strap on chains every single trip
9. 5.7L HEMI (with eTorque) - I own a 2008 Dodge Charger and I know the 5.7L HEMI very well. I know how to work on it, do basic maintenance, diagnose common issues, etc. Would a 2025 with the Hurricane be better in every measurable way? Yes. Would the Eco Diesel be a better work horse? Probably. But I just wanted something I was familiar with. Plus, I think the Hurricane needs more time to sort out kinks and bugs just like the HEMI had to when it was launched in 2006.

Other options this truck came with that I was not necessarily looking for:

1. Elite Package - couldn't care for this package before I saw it in person. But in person...WOW. The light interior paired with the Panoramic Sunroof makes it such a stunning place to sit in. Plus the added bright pedal kit is nice and the adjustable Mopar tie-downs will come in handy for securing bikes in the bed I believe.
2. Ivory White Tri-Coat Pearl - also couldn't care for it until I saw it in person in the sun. Such a stunning color for a truck. I've owned (and own) a few tri-coat paint vehicles and I know they can be a real pain to color match in the event that something goes wrong, but I can live with the risks because this color is stunning.

The only option missing on this one that I was torn on were the Ram Boxes and the Night Package. However, since I couldn't get my hands on one to test fitment of two full sized motorcycles in the bed, I was worried about have limited bed space with the Ram Boxes. Plus, it was impossible to find one with the Ram Boxes that checked all 7 of my other required options. So I felt ok making that sacrifice. The Night Package I have also grown to accept because even though I was iffy about the chrome, on this truck with this color, I kind of almost prefer it now. It almost feels a little more grown up and luxurious with the chrome. Really happy with the way it looks.

Like I said, I can't believe it took me so long to buy a truck. I have 3 motorcycles in my garage, 1 supercar, 2 sports cars, an EV, luxury sedan, the list goes on. Since I bought this, I don't want to drive anything but the RAM. I'm so in love with this thing! It's incredible. My first few days with it I got to drive it from AZ to Las Vegas and then from Las Vegas, home to Los Angeles. I've done the drive from Vegas to LA at least 100 times in my life and I have NEVER arrived feeling refreshed and like I could do it all over again on the same day. Couldn't have asked for a better way to get acquainted with the truck.

Couple of things I'm looking to add to it soon:

1. Paragon Platinum Retractable Tonneau Cover - I'm looking for a hard cover that is easy to remove because I will be often be loading two racing bikes into the truck bed and having a cover that folds up and obstructs my view or a canister type cover will not allow clearance for the front of the bikes. This seems like my best option. However, I have a multi-function gate so I think I will be needing to replace the factory braces with the next item on the list.
2. Right On Bracket - Bed Replacement Bracket Kit - looks like these are necessary to fit the tonneau cover. But if anyone has any experience or feedback or suggest a better tonneau cover for my needs, I'm all ears.
3. Truck Bed Moto Chock Railing - would like to explore something like this, however, given the reinforcing brackets needed in the bed for the MFT, I'm not sure something like this would work. Looking for recommendations from others that haul motorcycles in the bed to secure them
4. Flated Air Topper + Bed - Looking for an option to turn my truck bed into a sleeping quarter for race weekend where hotels are not close to the race track. Given that I'll be hauling the bikes in the bed until I get a toy hauler, I need something that is not permanent / easy to transport and set up once I've unloaded my motorcycles and equipment for the race weekend. Been looking at the Flated system and have read good things about it. But again, open to suggestions here.

Anyway, I think written a long enough dissertation here. Really looking forward to being a part of this community and exploring the world of trucks. This is so new and exciting for me. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a new addition to my garage and I have added some pretty cool things to it over the years!

Congratulations on your new ride and let me say, that is a very sharp looking truck!