RAM 1500 owners...Tell me the pros and cons. I'm trying to decide which pickup to buy. Edit: I bought a '24 RAM 1500 Limited! Yippee!

[barrak]

One little upgrade I would suggest is a rubber bed mat to cut down on shifting and banging loads. With the Dee Zee DZ77015 mat I have back there, my unsecured ice box wouldn't budge even when empty unless I brake hard.

I find I'm appreciating the auto running boards much more than I expected. Bed step is a blessing too. Ride is too smooth to be allowed for a truck... got even smoother when I swapped the OEM 285/45R22 Pirellis with the 275/60R20 Blizzaks for winter driving. 6.5" profile vs. 5" makes a very noticeable difference, despite the rougher tread pattern.

The adaptive cruise works fine for highway driving but too aggressive for city driving. But then nothing short of a CVT or BEV would remedy that.

 

[themust]

So here in California, locking the bed is essential. I have a trifold that I love and migrated over from my ‘19 Laramie to the 21 Limited I now have. If u done have to have the trifold open all the way often, then the occasional obstruction may not be an issue. But if u have the advanced safety package it includes (along with head up display which is awesome) a digital rear view camera/mirror that is mounted above the rear window and isn’t obstructed by a raised tri-fold tonneau. As to tires, I finally ditched the Yokohama X-AT 12.5x35x 22 for Cooper Road and Trail 285x45x22 all around. The improvements to the ride are huge. But the truck now feels like it adheres to the road instead of riding on top of it, if that makes sense. The rain was a disaster with those wide Yokohamas. Couldn’t leave a stop sign without spinning the rears. Corners were a white knuckle proposition. But so far with only early winter California rain so far, the new tires have transformed the truck.

 

[mresseguie]

I believe you mentioned towing a camper? If so, just be mindful of your payload. With all those options it's going to be pretty limited, no pun intended!
I hear you on the trifold, however I've run a soft cover trifold since 2007 with no issues whatsoever, but I am of course mindful that it's an easy entry should someone want to. To me the thing is that it stops people from seeing into the bed, removing almost all chance that someone would risk getting caught only to find an empty bed.

And yeah the mileage will update to the proper range pretty quickly.

Enjoy the ride!

Fortunately, the guy who sold me his trailer owns a 2022 RAM Laramie - basically the same vehicle I have (same options), but mine is a Limited. I'm confident our truck will tow the trailer just fine.

That's encouraging to know you've had a soft cover trifold for so long and suffered no intrusions. As long as we already have it, I'm not in a rush to replace it. It's just that I've fantasized about getting an RSI SmartCap for a couple years now, and....I still have to wait.

Here's what our trailer looks like: E21C Travel Trailer

 

[mresseguie]

One little upgrade I would suggest is a rubber bed mat to cut down on shifting and banging loads. With the Dee Zee DZ77015 mat I have back there, my unsecured ice box wouldn't budge even when empty unless I brake hard.

I find I'm appreciating the auto running boards much more than I expected. Bed step is a blessing too. Ride is too smooth to be allowed for a truck... got even smoother when I swapped the OEM 285/45R22 Pirellis with the 275/60R20 Blizzaks for winter driving. 6.5" profile vs. 5" makes a very noticeable difference, despite the rougher tread pattern.

The adaptive cruise works fine for highway driving but too aggressive for city driving. But then nothing short of a CVT or BEV would remedy that.

I had originally planned to buy a rubber mat for the bed, but a guy I know recommended getting a Bedrug like this: BedRug Bed Mats Bed Liners & Accessories | RealTruck Either way, I need something soon to pad my knees.

My truck has the Pirelli tires, too. I don't know enough about various tires to know how well they'll suit my needs. Most of my driving over the next 6 months will be pavement with a little BLM driving thrown in. Unless there's a strong reason to switch, I'll probably keep the Pirellis until their treads wear thin.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I had originally planned to buy a rubber mat for the bed, but a guy I know recommended getting a Bedrug like this: BedRug Bed Mats Bed Liners & Accessories | RealTruck Either way, I need something soon to pad my knees.

My truck has the Pirelli tires, too. I don't know enough about various tires to know how well they'll suit my needs. Most of my driving over the next 6 months will be pavement with a little BLM driving thrown in. Unless there's a strong reason to switch, I'll probably keep the Pirellis until their treads wear thin.

If you want to pad your knees, the Bedrug is what you should get. This is a 4th gen Ram Bedrug I bought locally for a good price and modified to fit. Didn't take much

 

[mresseguie]

If you want to pad your knees, the Bedrug is what you should get. This is a 4th gen Ram Bedrug I bought locally for a good price and modified to fit. Didn't take much View attachment 172073

I had a momentary bit of excitement as I looked at the photo, but I suddenly realized this probably won't work for me unless it is easily removed/easily put back in. I've been known to haul things like compost, mint hay, and dead leaves in my old pickup to use in my garden. I wouldn't be able to do that if I installed anything as nice as the Bedrug in this photo. I may have to settle for the old rubber mat that I have in my Taco's bed.

 

[mplaramie]

I had a momentary bit of excitement as I looked at the photo, but I suddenly realized this probably won't work for me unless it is easily removed/easily put back in. I've been known to haul things like compost, mint hay, and dead leaves in my old pickup to use in my garden. I wouldn't be able to do that if I installed anything as nice as the Bedrug in this photo. I may have to settle for the old rubber mat that I have in my Taco's bed.

You can get just the bed rug mat. It velcro down so it's real easy to remove.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I had a momentary bit of excitement as I looked at the photo, but I suddenly realized this probably won't work for me unless it is easily removed/easily put back in. I've been known to haul things like compost, mint hay, and dead leaves in my old pickup to use in my garden. I wouldn't be able to do that if I installed anything as nice as the Bedrug in this photo. I may have to settle for the old rubber mat that I have in my Taco's bed.

It's held in with Velcro, pulls right out. It's also made with marine grade carpet and foam. Easy to wash with just a pressure washer.

 

[Andymax]

I had a momentary bit of excitement as I looked at the photo, but I suddenly realized this probably won't work for me unless it is easily removed/easily put back in. I've been known to haul things like compost, mint hay, and dead leaves in my old pickup to use in my garden. I wouldn't be able to do that if I installed anything as nice as the Bedrug in this photo. I may have to settle for the old rubber mat that I have in my Taco's bed.

I have the full BedRug and cannot recommend it highly enough, at least for similar use to mine. I haul EVERYTHING right on the rug. It sweeps, vacuums, and/or sprays right out. When I haul mulch, and the occasional deer, I simply lay a 6x8 tarp in the bed. I've never had a reason to remove it...and it is AWESOME on the knees, etc. If hauling stuff like this is only occasional, trust me you won't regret it. Were I hauling such stuff every week or two, then maybe that's a different story.

 

[themust]

If the photo above your alias is your current pickup, our trucks are twins. I got the regular tailgate instead of the multifunction version.

 

[mresseguie]

First time posting a photo and first time posting a photo of my new RAM 1500! Hope I succeed!



I've driven it about 450 miles already, and I LOVE how it handles. Half the time I want to drive just under the speed limit just so I can cruise along. The other half of the time I want to fly. This is one cool ride.

 

[themust]

First time posting a photo and first time posting a photo of my new RAM 1500! Hope I succeed!

View attachment 172559

I've driven it about 450 miles already, and I LOVE how it handles. Half the time I want to drive just under the speed limit just so I can cruise along. The other half of the time I want to fly. This is one cool ride.

Yup. Twins! While not up to my prior 4 cars which were all BMW’s, these trucks can do amazingly well in handling, with the right tires. I took a friend on a drive on CA 84 winding from Silicon Valley the pacific. I pushed as hard as I could through the twisties and I came away very surprise how balanced and commutative the vehicle is. In fact, the steering feel when cornering hard is better than my wife’s current BMW with electronic power steering. Clearly the good cars like that are far better in virtually all handling conditions but for a truck, it’s impressive how confident these are.

 

[Andymax]

Yup. Twins! While not up to my prior 4 cars which were all BMW’s, these trucks can do amazingly well in handling, with the right tires. I took a friend on a drive on CA 84 winding from Silicon Valley the pacific. I pushed as hard as I could through the twisties and I came away very surprise how balanced and commutative the vehicle is. In fact, the steering feel when cornering hard is better than my wife’s current BMW with electronic power steering. Clearly the good cars like that are far better in virtually all handling conditions but for a truck, it’s impressive how confident these are.

And if you want a quantum leap in handling...Hellwig rear sway bar, set to medium setting.

 

[themust]

And if you want a quantum leap in handling...Hellwig rear sway bar, set to medium setting.

So your truck is the twin to my last truck. Best vehicle ever. Don’t the sway bars require all sorts of other mods and also deteriorate the ride? Where the trade offs?

 

[silver billet]

So your truck is the twin to my last truck. Best vehicle ever. Don’t the sway bars require all sorts of other mods and also deteriorate the ride? Where the trade offs?

The swaybar changes the ride, "deteriorate" depends on your preference as I feel it "enhances" the ride quality. If you like a sloppy/lazy suspension that dips in corners then you might prefer stock, I run the hellwig in the stiffest setting and could almost use more yet. The downside (again, those words depend on your preference) is that the suspension feels a stiffer, and you notice the road a little more in corners but if you're towing this upgrade is well recieved by pretty much everyone.

To answer the second part of your question, the swaybar does not depend on any other mod.

 

[Andymax]

So your truck is the twin to my last truck. Best vehicle ever. Don’t the sway bars require all sorts of other mods and also deteriorate the ride? Where the trade offs?

No degradation whatsoever in my opinion. Tighter cornering with less yaw/roll is the result. And as Silver Bullet said, there are zero additional mods needed. Some prefer to replace the swaybar links, but I've not found that necessary at all. I've not yet tried the highest setting...I'll wait to spring and maybe do it then because I could see the truck being easier to break free in the slippery stuff at the higher setting.

 

[silver billet]

No degradation whatsoever in my opinion. Tighter cornering with less yaw/roll is the result. And as Silver Bullet said, there are zero additional mods needed. Some prefer to replace the swaybar links, but I've not found that necessary at all. I've not yet tried the highest setting...I'll wait to spring and maybe do it then because I could see the truck being easier to break free in the slippery stuff at the higher setting.

For what it's worth I haven't noticed any difference in snow/winter performance though I haven't been looking for it either.

 

[barrak]

So your truck is the twin to my last truck. Best vehicle ever. Don’t the sway bars require all sorts of other mods and also deteriorate the ride? Where the trade offs?

Your tires and ride height should have a say in the sway bar upgrade decision. My truck is stock. Back end chatters a bit when wearing the OEM 5" profiled summer tires and is much more sure-footed with the 6.5" profiled snow tires. I don't plan on a sway bar upgrade unless I decide to lift the truck and toss away them darn slippers.

 

[HSKR R/T]

For what it's worth I haven't noticed any difference in snow/winter performance though I haven't been looking for it either.

I mean, it all depends on how you drive and your skill level in the snow. Having a stiffer sway bar could potentially increase the chance of the rest end sliding out as both tires would break loose easier since there is more equal pressure on each side. As opposed to a loose sway bar where body roll putting more weight on outside tire will let inside tire spin

 

[SkittleRam]

I'm only three days in, but I already love my new truck. Yup, I got the night edition, power running boards, Advanced safety group w/ adaptive cruise control, 3.92 axle, dual-pane sunroof, 33-gallon tank, Limited level 1 equipment group, CPP 27M, Air suspension, spray in bed liner, and the tri-fold bed cover.

Two small negaitive comments about my Truck so far: First: that tri-fold bed cover is not going to stop anyone armed with a knife, but at least no one can see inside. My wife wants us to use it until we find a lockable tri- or quad-fold hard top where as I want to buy an RSI SmartCap for it. We'll see where that goes. The other nit pick I have is the digital gas guage told me my range was 335 miles on a full tank of gas (33 gallons). That has got to be wrong.

Time to sell my '07 Prerunner with 109k miles on it. It may take a week to sell it. It was a fun truck, but we don't need it anymore.

Your range will increase as you drive, my range is about 400 miles on a full tank @ 12.5 mpg average.