Traded my '21 Bighorn "Off Road" for a '22 G/T

[BigD]

I think they made the GT for the people who complain about the dial shifter. I'm glad the majority of trims kept the dial. I think most people like it. The interior of my Ram is the main reason I bought the truck. I love all the storage space. I had a column shifter in every truck I've ever owned. Sick of it. In 2 yrs of ownership I've never accidentally turned the radio knob or anything else when reaching for the dial shifter. Also I'm 6 ' 7 " & I don't have to hunch over to reach my dial shifter. Lol. Never accidentally bumped the 4x4 button either. Have no idea why the GT would ride rougher than the BH? Maybe it's all just in your head?

 

[cornelius967]

Maybe it's all just in your head?

Thanks for sharing. Maybe keep some of your thoughts to yourself in the future.

 

[CMil527]

Good looking rig.. congrats!

 

[Anarki]

Coming from lowered and sport tuned cars, I find my G/T to be smooth and absorbs bumps quite well. Mine has the 22s to boot.

 

[CentralPaRam]

Hello from Southern Illinois! Lifelong Mopar fan; bought my first new truck in March of '21. I've already traded it for a '22 RAM G/T (man, did I dislike that goofy rotary shifter!). I loved my RAM "Off Road" but as we started using it as our "go to" vehicle the lovely wife wanted a few more creature comforts and a little more back seat room for when we hauled some friends with us (the Bighorn "Off Road Package" (ORP) was a QC-6'4" and the G/T is a CC-5'7"). I'm enjoying the new G/T but I must say that the Bighorn ORP had a nicer ride. The ORP was like driving an Imperial on the freeway and a Rubicon in the mountains: the ride was so incredibly smooth on the road! Now I'm trying to figure out how to get that amazingly supple ride in the G/T. I hope I can figure out what to do to get the more comfortable ride back, until then I'll just enjoy the awesome music coming from the sport exhaust!

I have a Laramie with off road package, and get a lot of complements on the ride, very smooth. Looks like I have the same 20 inch wheels as your G/T, although I have the OEM wildpeak tires (not the retail wildpeaks).

I think one of the contributing factors for the smooth ride on the ORP is that Ram recommends a pretty low air pressure on the OEM Wildpeaks (mine is 32 psi). When I first got my truck from the dealership, it had around 38-40 psi. It was definitely a rougher ride. I took it down to the recommended air pressure, and it really improved the ride quality.

You may have already tried this, but If you are running high on your tire pressure, maybe drop it down to the recommended and see how it feels. Cheap fix if that is the issue.

 

[cornelius967]

Coming from lowered and sport tuned cars, I find my G/T to be smooth and absorbs bumps quite well. Mine has the 22s to boot.

I can agree that it is a smooth ride. But I literally came from the Bighorn ORP that I traded in and it is nowhere as smooth and supple as the truck I just traded. I drove the ORP 500 miles to trade it in and drove the G/T 500 miles back home a day later, they don't have the same road feel.

I think I might buy a set of ORP front shocks and springs and see if that makes a difference.

 

[cornelius967]

I think one of the contributing factors for the smooth ride on the ORP is that Ram recommends a pretty low air pressure on the OEM Wildpeaks (mine is 32 psi). When I first got my truck from the dealership, it had around 38-40 psi. It was definitely a rougher ride. I took it down to the recommended air pressure, and it really improved the ride quality.

I checked the tire pressure when I left the dealer in Wisconsin. It was at the recommended pressure, which according to the sticker in the door jamb is 39 psi. I just checked the photo of the sticker from my old Bighorn Off-Road and it recommends 38 psi.

I'll lower it a couple psi tomorrow to see if it makes a difference but I think might have more to do with the ORP suspension pieces.
'22 RAM G/T

'21 Bighorn Off-Road

 

[Shots]

I did a lot of snow plowing in my "youth". When I bought my Bighorn ORP, I got the Snow Plow Prep Group and was intending to put a snow plow kit on it. We don't get much snow down here in Southern Illinois, but when we do it is a mess because hardly anyone has a snow plow. I kept wondering how the heck I was going to plow snow with that goofy rotary shifter.

That makes sense. I would have never guessed plowing as the concern. Not may people do that with a 1500, and those that do typically do it with a Tradesman, not a Laramie. Sounds like a legitimate concern though. I'm glad that Ram makes at least one option that works for you though.

I never noticed that the dial doesn't stop spinning. Maybe I misunderstood, but now I'm going to have to try to see if mine will keep turning past P.

Like BigD, I never had issues with the 4wd buttons, but I have noticed the similarity between the radio knob and shifter. I'm not sure I've ever had an issue with it, but I can see how it could cause one, especially if you're plowing.

.... Also I'm 6 ' 7 " & I don't have to hunch over to reach my dial shifter. ...

Good grief man, at 6'7" you've probably got a big enough wing span to touch the glove box without leaning/hunching over.

 

[cornelius967]

I never had issues with the 4wd buttons, but I have noticed the similarity between the radio knob and shifter. I'm not sure I've ever had an issue with it, but I can see how it could cause one, especially if you're plowing.

It happened on the drive home from Connecticut where I bought my Bighorn ORP w/Snow Plow Prep Pkg. I've got long legs. But to keep from getting back pain on long drives I position my seat so that my arms aren't stretched out to reach the steering wheel (even with the telescoping set at full extension). So my knee is about 1.5" from the buttons for the transfer case. It was dark, I went to scratch my right knee and accidentally pushed the 4WD High button going at highway speeds. So, it does happen: it happened to me. :-/

I wasn't planning to start a snow plowing business with my 1500. But we live out in the country with a long drive and -- now that I'm getting older; not the young buck that I used to be -- I thought I'd get one of those Western HTS 1/2 ton Home Use plows for the few times that the snow got deep enough that I might need a plow. Now I'm thinking maybe I'll get one of those side-by-sides with a little plow on front.

 

[jl13]

The Bighorn ORP had 18" with All-Terrain tires. The G/T has 20" with all-season road tires. I thought that the 20" with less sidewall might be the issue. I might look into locating a set of 18" wheels and put the Falken Wildpeak A/T tires on it. I want that smooth ride again! I'm also considering the Mopar/Fox 2" lift kit to see if the lift was part of the equation that created that absolutely supple ride of the Bighorn ORP.

less side wall might not be the issue here.
My big horn BTS came with 20" and the oem wildpeaks also ORG and rode like a dream
But I am so use to being level or lifted with more aggressive tires that I couldn't keep it stock.
I didn't kill the ride quality but I can feel a difference.
good luck trying to figure things out

 

[cornelius967]

My big horn BTS came with 20" and the oem wildpeaks also ORG and rode like a dream

That's what I'm talking about. I'm not sure folks believe me when I say that my Bighorn ORP/ORG "rode like a dream". It might be the nicest riding vehicle that I've ever driven. It was so smooth and supple on the road! Even "off road" our friends riding with us couldn't believe how smooth the truck was on mountain trails around Ouray, CO (my Bighorn ORG was as capable as their Wrangler Rubicon!) .

 

[jl13]

That's what I'm talking about. I'm not sure folks believe me when I say that my Bighorn ORP/ORG "rode like a dream". It might be the nicest riding vehicle that I've ever driven. It was so smooth and supple on the road! Even "off road" our friends riding with us couldn't believe how smooth the truck was on mountain trails around Ouray, CO (my Bighorn ORG was as capable as their Wrangler Rubicon!) .

Well the G/T is a performance package so maybe i think somebody mentioned shocks or suspension could be different. I don't know enough. I recently was at dealer for an oil change and they had one on the lot. I was tempted to ask and see if they would let me do a test drive but i let my chance pass

 

[Shots]

... I thought I'd get one of those Western HTS 1/2 ton Home Use plows for the few times that the snow got deep enough that I might need a plow. Now I'm thinking maybe I'll get one of those side-by-sides with a little plow on front.

My brother just got one of those side-by-sides with a plow on it. That thing works a lot better than I expected. We got 16" of snow last week (we get a lot of snow, we both live in the snow belt here in Ohio), and he was able to plow his driveway with that thing. Meanwhile I was doing mine with a snow blower like a chump. I really didn't expect that side-by-side to handle that much snow so well. Depending on the cost difference, I'd probably do that over the Western HTS.

 

[cornelius967]

Well the G/T is a performance package so maybe i think somebody mentioned shocks or suspension could be different.

I wondered the same thing but I'm pretty sure that if they (FCA/Stellantis) upgraded the suspension in any way that they would be mentioning that in their advertising and PR efforts. Corporations rarely forego an opportunity to promote what changes were made to a vehicle to upgrade performance. But perhaps they did stiffen the suspension.

 

[Croak]

I think they made the GT package as a way to bring costs down on the TRX by spreading the costs to other models. With a GT, they throw on a CAI and exhaust to sweeten the deal, but the real money in the package is the TRX center console, paddles, etc.

Fun fact, it's also the ONLY way to get vented seats in a Rebel (GT package and Night package, voila, cooled front seats!)