Update: DO NOT BUY RAM WITH RAMBOX - Warping and Alignment Issue with 2019 Rams

[Bluesurf]

Has there been any official documentation from FCA or a dealership stating they are aware of this issue? Dropping my truck off to the dealership tomorrow and they are already stating that the warping in the paint comes from the factory that way and there is nothing that can be done...

A good Law Firm would love to turn this into a Class Action Suit. FCA would change their deaf tune.

 

[Boston]

this thread convinced me not to get the rambox. Along with another thread on sunroof, i think if i spend some more time on this forum i might not but a Ram at all LOL

Every car truck maker has a forum named after them and people naturally use a forum to report a problem or er troll about a problem.

First vehicle I got with a sunroof, I loved. But that was 20 years ago. I'm less loving them now due to glare so it's a $1500 option that I'm not so sure about anymore.

 

[RamCares]

Has there been any official documentation from FCA or a dealership stating they are aware of this issue? Dropping my truck off to the dealership tomorrow and they are already stating that the warping in the paint comes from the factory that way and there is nothing that can be done...

I apologize for the trouble! If you are willing to follow up with us via private message, we are more than willing to get a case escalated on your behalf for further support while working with the dealer.
You may also call in at 866-726-4636 or submit your info here to receive an email follow up from a customer care specialist. https://bit.ly/3fy5Kfo

Mark
RamCares

 

[HydroRebel]

As long as I own a Ram it will have Ramboxes. Sure the fitment might not be perfect and certain people experience it worse than others. The fitment on mine is pretty good and I use them daily. The 120V receptacle in there is a huge bonus for me as well. If I ever switch to another brand down the road I will miss the Ramboxes the most.

 

[lasani1121]

What are your tire and rim package ? 22s ?

sorry for the late response. I didn't get a notification via email. It's factory replacement 18"s. I have the factory tires on it. simply replaced the wheels.

 

[MikeinSonoma]

Ok guys so here is my update. I am going to preface this by saying I LOVE the 2019 Rebel. I had the 2015 V6, 2017 V8 and bought the 2019 with all the bells and whistles to keep it long term as I have kids and starting to buy their cars in 3 years. This truck is/was to be my toy for a while but I am highly disappointed with this manufacturer defect. I would strongly encourage people to refrain from purchasing a 2019 Ram with a RamBox. This is issue is going to cause you more headaches and issues in later years in the life of your truck.

This is a bit lengthy and the purpose of it is to provide the group with enough information as opposed to going in circles trying to figure out this issue. So lets get into it.

I took my truck to Tuttle Click Ram in Irvine, CA. The Collision Center Manager is highly knowledgeable. His name is Robert Gegg.

This is my first ram with a rambox. It is a great functional option on these trucks but the 2019 definitely has a significant design flaw.

The challenge:

Plastic door on the rambox vs aluminum door. This is THE problem. The Plastic contracts and expands in heat and cold exponentially hence the warping. The door and the black cover on top will warp and overtime may very well need to be replaced as there is no fix for the warping.

Adding insult to injury:
1) The rambox door simply cannot be replaced. The plastic door is built into the rambox and the rambox is bonded to the body of the truck. The rambox with the door can be replaced but it’s an extensive process.

2) The plastic door when replaced will not be pre-painted and will never match the color tone on aluminum body panel. If you need to repair the plastic due to a ding or scratch it will not match correctly to the aluminum body. It will be visibly noticeable. The workaround, at an unnecessary extra cost, would be to spray the door and the entire aluminum side to match the color tone of the new plastic door. Aluminum is more forgiving when trying to match the color tone and blending is easier.

3) There is no support on the inside back of both the door and black cap on top. The plastic door and black cap on top will expand and contract in heat and cold weather. I live in Orange County, SoCal and its always hot here so that means my door will always contract inward creating gaps and the black top, from the pictures below with bow at each end and get worse over time.

4) To help my issue to a certain degree, the body shop could only move the striker slightly down on the inside where the door latches onto in order to pull the door down to have the door not stick outward and away from the truck. (as seen in the pics below). This did not solve the issue but did the following:

a. Closed the gap to a certain visible degree.
b. In turn created gaps by having the door push inward. The plastic door is not flush to the body but rather goes inward. Now my gaps are not exposed to the outside (up and away from the body) but now going into the truck as seen in the pics below.
c. I have to now slightly slam the rambox door to ensure the latch engages the striker.
d. The only positive item, there is a contour line on the door and body that now are uniformed to the aluminum. This is the only thing that was resolved from lowering the striker.

5) I am thinking from an resale value perspective as well and what the impact could be.
a. Known issue with 2019’s will drive down value if a fix is not offered by RAM.

The right solution is to have FCA replace the entire Rambox with an aluminum door. Anything the dealership will or can do is going to be a band aid b/c it does not eliminate the fact that the door is plastic and the black cap is plastic and has no internal support built into it to manage the expansion and contraction of the plastic.

At this juncture I would not recommend anyone buying a 2019 with a Rambox. There is no real solution to fix this problem with the 2019 rams. FCA needs to find a long-term viable solution – which is to do a recall and replace the the plastic door with an aluminum door.

This is a manufacturer defect, it needs to be fixed by FCA. If not then I will investigate lemon laws that can apply to this issue and will seek legal advice if the matter is not resolved. I am at a point where I do not want the rambox. I would rather have a RAM without it!

I have a 2021 Rebel with the rambox and on my passenger side, it’s is exactly as you’re describing. It had a large gap and wouldn’t close at different temperatures. They do xed it by making a gap wider. I took it back and they fix it so it looks perfect and now you have to slam it so hard to close it, and then it will pop open sometimes. The dealership said they were going to make some calls also said there was a known problem that either had to be a wide gap are hard to close… Apparently known since 2019! Only $70,000 for a truck twice that they would deliver with this issue. I’m also having a third less gas mileage than I should, makes me wonder if the same quality control for the Redbox is what they use on the engine.

 

[MikeinSonoma]

So i checked my pictures from the first day and they were warped. I just didn't notice them. I guess i was so excited it didn't even come to mind.

You took the words out of my mouth back on December 30, ‘20 I noticed it but was so excited getting my $70,000 truck. And who would think it wasn’t something that could be easily adjusted.

 

[securityguy]

Exactly the reason that I went out of my way NOT to buy a RAM with RAM Boxes!

 

[Ellisstrong]

My rambox lids were repaired and it didn’t involve anything too extensive seems like to me. From my repair list it seems they only replaced the plastic on top of the lid and they both look fine now

 

[securityguy]

My rambox lids were repaired and it didn’t involve anything too extensive seems like to me. From my repair list it seems they only replaced the plastic on top of the lid and they both look fine now

Until they warp again...which they will

 

[ayoslickxd]

I may line x my piecesmaybe that will keep it from warping ?

 

[Neurobit]

I may line x my piecesmaybe that will keep it from warping ?

Doubt it, as Line-x will flex along with it. Also, once you do that, kiss having them replaced under warranty goodbye.

 

[SpeedyV]

For what it's worth, mine looked pretty good (based on other forum members' comments regarding my pictures) when I took delivery in September 2018.

They look exactly the same now, 30 months later.

I could probably improve their gaps slightly by following the excellent instructions @Edwards provided years ago. But while they are not perfect (and I am a perfectionist), they are pretty much on par with the fit and finish of the rest of the truck.

FCA was forced to go with a new supplier on the 5th-gens when the old one went out of business, and (apparently) deep plastic extrusions are challenging to get right. Some trucks look good, while others start out bad or eventually take a turn for the worse.

Bottom line...these are most certainly a "hit or miss" item.

 

[Ellisstrong]

Until they warp again...which they will

It’s garaged now and I work from home so it will probably take a while for that to happen... It never bothered me that much anyway to be honest. No one would’ve ever even noticed it unless they have a ram. The usefulness far outweighs the cosmetic issue in my opinion.

 

[AtlasRam1500]

wonder if we could get enough of us and get someone to make them out of aluminum

 

[securityguy]

wonder if we could get enough of us and get someone to make them out of aluminum

Even if you could, they would crazy stupid priced since quantity would be very low. Someone would have to produce thousands of them, if not more, to make the price even come close to reasonable. Great thought...maybe someone can find a vendor and, if they do a great job, tell RAM to start using them

 

[Adkram]

Definitely have noticed this on mine. Chalked it up to RAM being really bad at panel fitment. My drivers side is worse but I also use that one a lot more and usually its stuffed with stuff. That said - I REALLY love having these. Its such a great feature for how I use the truck. I probably wouldn't have complained unless they started leaking or popping open on their own.

 

[c3k]

I did not buy a RamBox option (even though I think it's a great idea) because of how poorly it's been executed.

 

[laramie4x4]

I did not buy a RamBox option (even though I think it's a great idea) because of how poorly it's been executed.

and FCA surely patented the hell out of the idea so Ford/GM can't offer something better.

 

[go-ram]

Definitely have noticed this on mine. Chalked it up to RAM being really bad at panel fitment. My drivers side is worse but I also use that one a lot more and usually its stuffed with stuff. That said - I REALLY love having these. Its such a great feature for how I use the truck. I probably wouldn't have complained unless they started leaking or popping open on their own.

It's not that "Ram is bad at panel fitment", it's an issue of residual stress imparted during molding, and the fact that the basic geometry of these lids are prone to becoming "banana shaped". The problem CAN be solved by sufficient effort by engineering (the structural design of the lids) or by manufacturing (the molds and the mold-cycle process), and hopefully eventually Ram will solve it.
My 2020 Longhorn slowly developed the Ram Box lid warping issue, but all the rest of the panels/hood/doors all fit beautifully.