2009 Dodge Ram: No, the “Ram Box” is not some freaky club-dance move.
Jack Baruth | January 11, 2008
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Story by Jack Baruth
“Ram Box”. What the heck is it? Well, it’s not a particularly offensive rap song, although it could be. Instead, it’s a rather bizarre secure-storage system built into the 2009 Dodge Ram truck. In this third generation of “big rig” styling Dodge trucks, it appears that Chrysler has decided that it’s not enough to have a new HEMI engine, a completely new frame and body, a new 1500 CrewCab form factor, and a quality regiment that includes 6.5 million miles of testing: they’re actually throwing in the kitchen sink. A pair of kitchen sinks.
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According to our friends at Chrysler:
“RamBox is a unique, segment-exclusive cargo management system that includes four key elements:
- Two weatherproof, lockable, drainable, lighted storage bins that run the length of the 5-foot-7-inch pickup bed, and are as wide as the wheel well, creating a total of 8.6 cubic feet of space;
- Configurable bed dividers;
- An adjustable bed extender that fits on the lowered tailgate that adds 2 feet of additional length to secure loads up to 7 feet long;
- And a cargo rail system with sliding, adjustable cleats for tie-down versatility
Truck buyers want dry, lockable storage, and Rambox not only meets that need, it takes it a step further with the addition of built-in lights and drains. And there’s still enough room between each bin to lay a sheet of plywood flat in the pickup bed.” So there you have it. Actual kitchen sinks in a truck.
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The rest of the 2009 Ram, which debuts at the 2008 NAIAS (”Detroit Auto Show” for people who aren’t scared of the word “Detroit”), appears to be similarly impressive. The debut of the GMT900 pickup trucks in 2006 made the previous-generation Ram look a little rough around the edges, so every effort has been made to improve refinement, including triple-sealed doors, a variety of structural NVH reduction measures in the cab, and most interestingly, a coil-spring rear suspension. This feature, more than any other, shows Dodge is deadly serious about pursuing suburban (with a small “s”) truck buyers. A claimed payload of over 1,800 lbs and a max towing capacity of 9,100 indicate that Dodge hasn’t given up much work-truck ability to make this happen; still, in a market where Toyota is clogging televisions with ads for the Tundra’s 10,000-pound tow capacity, it’s a very considered and calculated decision to choose passenger comfort over a shocking tow-capacity number.
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The interior is chock-full of soft-touch materials, “six-ring instrumentation”, and two-tone upholstery. Side-curtain airbags are standard for front and rear passengers. There’s a MyGIG hard-drive music system and Sirius Backseat TV to keep the little cowboys occupied. If the previous Ram seemed a little short on soccer-mom features, the 2009 is making up the mommy gap with a vengeance.
There was no engine gap in the old Ram; it featured two of the industry’s best-loved trucking engines in the fuel-efficient MDS Hemi and iconic Cummins turbodiesel. That didn’t stop Dodge from adding variable valve timing to push the 5.7 HEMI to 380 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque, which is considerably better than Ford’s 5.4 Triton, equal to Toyota’s best truck V8, and only slightly behind the six-liter V8 in the GMC Sierra Denali. The Multi-Displacement System (MDS) has been revised to expand the range of conditions under which the engine will operate in four-cylinder mode. Presumably, Rammers who are towing 9,100 pounds won’t see much of that four-cylinder mode, but for the vast majority of drivers, MDS is a useful addition.
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This is an important vehicle for Chrysler. As fuel prices rise and the economy tightens, the full-size truck market is looking less like the pleasant money-maker of years past and more like a bare-knuckles brawl for every last possible sale. To succeed in this market, the Ram has to please a very wide range of customers - from urban cowboys who Armor-All their tires to construction-site foremen. We’ll be looking forward to seeing for ourselves if the ‘09 has legs to match its coil springs; we already know it has a kitchen sink.
Dodge Dakota meets Chevy Avalanche. Nice try. Yet another flop from Dodge.
Mike | January 11, 2008Dodge Dakota meets Chevy Avalanche.
Nice try.
Yet another flop from Dodge.
Only 9100 lbs towing? Wow that sucks balls!
Justin Reily | January 12, 2008Only 9100 lbs towing? Wow that sucks balls!
I think that the side lock-away storage is kinda cheesy 1.
Lex | January 12, 2008I think that the side lock-away storage is kinda cheesy
1. upper bed side mostly gets damaged in construction.
2. they are useless if you like canapy.
3. doesn’t look good.
Canapy? Are you one of those homo Frenchies? Isn't that
Giant Ram Dong | January 13, 2008Canapy? Are you one of those homo Frenchies? Isn’t that a thin pancake?
Giant Ram Dong = dougy/wesley/billy.. take your choice. They are all
Mike | January 13, 2008Giant Ram Dong = dougy/wesley/billy.. take your choice.
They are all one in the same. so ignore the idiot response’s… dumbo drives a dodge. would you expect any less?
Giant Ram Dong, or who ever you are No I don't
Lex | January 14, 2008Giant Ram Dong, or who ever you are
No I don’t have or ever will have canapy on my trucks, but there are alot of people that do, and I’m sure that it will be the reason for them not to buy a new dodge
I for one like it! Great use of waisted space. Hope
Dave | January 14, 2008I for one like it!
Great use of waisted space. Hope it is an option for those that use a canopy.
Good job Dodge!
Sign me up!
Holy crap - waht a bunch of whiny piss ants
Rich | January 30, 2008Holy crap - waht a bunch of whiny piss ants ! Mike: You have not even seen this vehicle, but you think it is a flop Justin. The 9100 lbs of towins is ball sucking. (1) Dodge has stated that it wants the 1500 to be the #1 commuter truck (2) if you would not buy something because it is 900lbs short of the ‘magic’ number, go suck on a Ford or Toy pipe. Giant Ram Dong -take the ‘canopy’ out o you ars. 60% of 1/2 tons are crew cabs. 40% of those have some type of covering. DAVE - thank God. Someone who is not some damn negative. I’ve never owned a Dodge anything. Iown a ‘06 F-150 CrewMax 5.4. I’ve driven the new GMC/Chevy. I just drove the Tubdra and, short of a ‘vette, it is the best vehicle I’ve run. The ‘09 Ford does not look like a homerun, but Dodge does. It has everything a “this is my drive to the office, & Home Depot Truck. Plus there is a place for my wife to put groceries during the winter. If the Ram drives as 1/2 as nice as it looks Dodge is going to pull in market share. We are loosing the world wide auto battle. You guys have read 10 articles & never even turned the ignition. How does this Ram compare to your draweings of this model or predictions from last year. Guys - lighten up. Dont be so negative? After you put 100 miles on one - then write a review.
My year-old Ram has been in the shop for seven
Robert | February 5, 2008My year-old Ram has been in the shop for seven weeks, and I get it back today. It has less than 5000 miles on it.
I couldn’t give a crap about sinks and and 6-ring instrumentation and 9100 pound hauling capacity, all I see is “dealership trips” when I see the accessories that are bound to break and die in a Chrysler product. I won’t buy another Dodge, regardless of how many rings the instrument panels have or how soft-touch the interior is, until I have some confidence that they can make car I can keep on the road more than 10 months out of the year. Even if it never breaks again, it will be the least reliable car I’ve ever had. And I owned an Alfa Romeo. Won’t own another Ford, my Taurus was a deathtrap that was at the dealership at least 15 times, won’t own a GM product, this Cobalt loaner with 1200 miles has more groans and rattles than my 69 Chevy c10 did when it was 25 years old.
Toyota, here I come! I may trade my POS in today on the way back from the dealership before it breaks again. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear about some build quality improvements from Dodge, I’d love to be able to consider buying an American car again some day. Fancy guages? They’ve gotta be kidding.
Finally a American company competing with toyota. We all knew
Bill Bergfield | February 9, 2008Finally a American company competing with toyota. We all knew gm wasn’t capable of it. Hell their still using a 4 speed transmission with a pussy 315 h.p. engine. It must suck to be the slowest truck on the market. Thanks Dodge for 380 h.p. and over 400 foot lbs of torque. If only justin, lester, and mikey could afford one. Is it mike or john now.
Now that is one bad ass truck. If only gm
Mike | February 10, 2008Now that is one bad ass truck. If only gm could compare. I guess now that ford has a 6 speed transmission gm is the only one sucking dick with the way outdated 4 speed. Figures gm has always had junk.
Now thats one bad ass looking ride
Justin | February 16, 2008Now thats one bad ass looking ride
Hell yea! Now thats a truck
Lance | February 28, 2008Hell yea! Now thats a truck
I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trent | March 2, 2008I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've got an '07 Quad Cab Ram with the Hemi,and
steve | April 4, 2008I’ve got an ‘07 Quad Cab Ram with the Hemi,and it’s great. Had to change the goofy-looking bug-eye taillights,but that’s fine. This ‘09 is a good-looking truck. I’m pretty happy with all the storage my truck has,but this one has a lot more. I used to wonder why you always see the trucks driving around with the Reading beds that have all kinds of compartments,yet they never did that with a standard truck bed. Now they do. Nice.
This is the coolest Dodge Ram ever. Incredible towing capability
Racine | June 10, 2008This is the coolest Dodge Ram ever. Incredible towing capability and more storage space. Headlamp design is obviously better than the previous model. Also has a great interior. This gotta be sitting in my garage.