How many here remember how intimidating the 2nd generation Ram trucks were when they came out in 1994? Better yet, how many of you still have one? We want to know what Ram Truck model won you over. After reading about this guy’s love affair with a Dodge Challenger, we’re wondering how many of you feel the same way about Ram trucks? If your Ram Truck is something special, tell us why with a comment below. Feel free to upload some shots to the Ram Flickr page, too. Dirtiest truck gets bonus points.
Mopars have been our family since the early 50′s. The list includes: 1950 Dodge, 1960 Dodge Stationwagon, 1959 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer (my dad bought new when got out of the army), 1968 Dodge Monaco Stationwagon, 1967 Dodge Polara 2dr hardtop (stolen out of a courthouse parking lot), 1975 Dodge charger, 1969 Dodge Charger, 1978 Chrysler Lebaron, 1986 Chrysler Lebaron. Sadly all those cars are gone now. Except the 69 charger, sold it to a friend that restored it and put a stroker RB moter in it. I am keeping the family tradition going though, I currently own 1984 Dodge D350 with a dump dody 360 4spd, 1985 Dodge Ramcharger 4×4 4 spd, 2003 Dakota Quad cab 4×4 auto. I love all those trucks not selling any of them. My next one I’m goin to add to my collection is a 1st gen cummins 4×4, W250 or W350, not sure yet.
Similar story. I bought my first Ramcharger, a 1984 from a friend who owned a body shop. It had seen rough days, beginning as a military 4×4. 318 and granny low. He had driven it through high school, cutting off the top, and having a custom canvas top made for it. We plowed snow with it in the winter for extra money. This thing was a brute, earning every nickname from Mad Max to The Beast. When I bought it, she was in need of some service to remain roadworthy, so I promptly took her off the road, and trailered to the mountains with our 4×4 club. We enlarged the wheel openings, and stuffed some 38″ Gumbo Mudders under it and welded the spider gears, and installed a Jegs Racing fuel cell where the back seat used to be. It won a lot of admiration for getting the trail guides un-stuck on some tough narrow, steep wooded rock crawling trails. I have since gifted itn to a more mechanically inclined friend who upgraded her even further.
My second Ramcharger was a 1989 with an automatic and a snowplow already on it. 318 and an automatic. I towed my 10000 pound dump trailer with her, and nary a groan of discomfort. I love old Dodges.
I then fell in love witha friend’s 1995 duallie 2wd Cummins with a stick shift! That thing would pull a house right off the footings.
Keep the great trucks coming, regardless of intangibles like market share. I read once in a magazine ‘the ford/ chevy have more power in numbers, but the Ram Uses the power the best of all of them. So true, you can just feel the grunt.
All for now, keep up the good work,
Joe
Baltimore, MD
I just traded off my 1992 D250 cummins with 383K on it for a used 2008 Dodge 1500 Hemi !!! I bought the truck BRAND NEW. I lacked 1 month and 2 days of having it 19 years. Like one of my children.
Yea Yea I know, but I don’t need the diesel anymore. Only haul an ATV or pull a little ATV trailer. I have had over the years a 1996 and a 2001 Dodge cummins that I pulled my 5th wheel with. Both did an excellent job. This 1500 I can pull behind my motorhome and the bigger pick-ups are toooo heavy.
First experience with Chrysler vehicles is the 2010 Ram 1500 Crew Cab I bought last year. Loved it at first — looks great, strong engine, solid body. lots of room. However, Chrysler needs to get rid of those junk stock Wranglers and build a truck that won’t develop nagging problems at about 6,000 miles.
Come on, Chrysler. The initial quality is great and may be responsible for all those accolades, but some of us do a bit more than hop in a new vehicle, drive it around long enough to write a review of it and then turn it back in to Chrysler — we actually spend our hard-earned money on these things and hope to drive them for more than a few months before weird problems develop.
Selling trucks for $30,000 plus that aggravate owners after the “new” has worn off is no way to win over Ford and Chevy loyalists. I really wanted to like this truck, too. That’s a shame.
actually I went to the site to make sure my 4.3 supercharged silverado is faster than the new ram by gear ratios/torque/weight. It’s nice that now there may be some competition with the new single cab hemi, a nice looking truck too bad it gets like 14mpg
Well i was looking for a 1991-93 cummins about a year ago. That first gen body style really cought my eye. So, i found a 1991 Dodge ram 250 4-spd on the floor. It had the 360 motor and i loved it. Then, about 2 weeks ago i found this really good deal on a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 318. Its extended cab instead of regular cab and it has 200,000 miles on it and it runs like its a new one.
you guys are making awesome trucks and i just want to tell you to keep up the good work. I’ve got nothing to complain about.
dodge trucks have been in my family as long as i can remember.had to have to hunt in the everglades.my first truck was a jeep commanche that was bought for graduation,but my first money bought a 1985 d-100 4×4 still have it in back yard cant get rid of it.its in good company 87 4×4 ramcharger,90 3/4 ton 4×4 cummings(have two one automatic,one stickshift on 44′s swampers)88 two wheeldrive another ramcharger that we put a truck body on chassis(dont reckamend it at all,and a 74 cj- 5.in the front yard have a 08 2 whhel drive 4.7 my work truck,wife has 2010 3/4 ton 4×4 hemi,and the son has a 2010 jeep x
My first Dodge was a 96 Dodge Ram reg cab short box. Believe it or not I traded a Corvette in on this truck. I never looked back. I loved that truck more than any other vehicle I owned before. Some years later I did try another brand (blue oval) and really, really did not like that truck. I learned, and my next truck was an 2003 Dodge Ram Quad Cab silver color. That truck was my pride and joy. She served me through good times and bad. I truely miss that truck. I ended up selling that truck because I got married and my wife needed a new vehicle and I was supplied with a company vehicle. I am truely looking at a new 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab pickup. DODGE, please keep up the good work and there are a lot of us out there that love Rams…..
My first Chrysler vehical was a brand new 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Crew cab short bed 4×4. I fell in love with it. I had test drove the 2007 GMC Sierras with similiar features and just couldn’t get over the fact that the back tires slipped when I drove over train tracks at 40 MPH. I did the same thing with the Ram and I never lost grib. I can’t say anything against Fords as I honestly didn’t look or drove any during my search for a new vehical. In April 2010, I loved my Dodge so much that I bought a used 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8. I absolutely loved it. I’m just sad that I had to trade it in along with my 2007 Ram in order to buy the 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4. I just essentially traded in 2 vehicals for 1 that had all the same features and more. My wife and I are very much happy with the new Ram. I’m at 14,200 miles and the only issue I’ve ever had was the battery actually died (as in won’t even hold a charge). That was at 6,000 miles. I got it replaced with no cost to me. I’ll always own a Ram for the rest of my years. That is how satisfied I am with my Rams.
I always drove Dodge trucks. Ram is fine for the model name, but sounds stupid as the brand name. If they don’t start calling them Dodges again then I will buy used dodges, no Ram brands for me!
I factory ordered a new 1994 Ram Diesel 2500 reg cab long bed 4×4, and have been driving it ever since. It has a little over 213,000 miles on it, and it runs great.
I’ve had to do a couple of paint jobs and replace the transmission a few years ago. I put new leather seats in at the 10 year point, just to make it smell good.
It gets about 16 mpg overall, not too bad for something its size. My VW Jetta diesel gets over 40 mpg, but it doesn’t weigh a third as much, and it’s brand new.
I’m comparing the Dodge Ram 3500 and the Ford F350 as possible replacement for my old ’94. It still looks and runs good, but something newer and a bit bigger would be nice. Oh yes, and that new back up camera setup would have saved me from several embarassing incidents in the past.
I’ve been raised in a Mopar family, so that’s all I’ve ever known. In his lifetime, my dad has owned a ’66 D200, ’72 Challenger, ’73 D200, ’75 Coronet, ’79 W200, ’85 Ramcharger, ’89 W350, and an ’04 Ram 1500. My mom has had a ’75 Colt, ’85 LeBaron, and a ’94 Acclaim. My first car, which is still my daily driver, is a ’90 Ramcharger. I also have a ’73 Charger and ’74 W300 that I’m hoping to restore.
I’ve owned many cars, but just one truck; my 1993 Dodge Dakota Sport. Eighteen years and 142,000 miles later, the truck has never let me down. I love the sound of the motor, the feel of the power coming through the manual shifter, the nimbleness in tight parking situations, and the classic simple design. The durability and reliability has given me many years behind the wheel of a truck I absolutely enjoy driving. I’m hoping to keep my truck for life, but should there come a time that I have to get a new truck, it only be a Dodge.
A first Gen Cummins powered truck brought me to the Dodge brand for work & pleasure trucks. After MANY Cummins, Magnum V8, V10, Hemi & R/T trucks as well as a great Neon, 08 4.0L Grand Caravan & a 2011 Nitro Shock i’m very sad to say i think my days with Chrysler are done. The new RAM brand has shown NO concerns for customer safety & left me with a unsafe 1,900 mile 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 4×4 Laramie in my driveway. Case # 20219920. New buyers BEWARE… the vehicles are only as good as the company behind them.
First “Ram” experience was with an 02 Dakota, which was a great truck. I sold it off with 68K for a brand new Dakota back in 06. Big mistake. I don’t trust Chrysler quality anymore after this truck and the others cars in my household that are continually in the shop for quality reasons. My Dakota eats sway bar links, tie rods, other various suspension components, brake rotors, and now needs wheel bearings and a power steering rack with 70K. This truck that has only been used on-road and has never seen a day of towing or hauling heavy loads in its life. The sad thing is that I really enjoy the designs from Chrysler Corp. but I can’t justify spending money on a brand new car that is going to need continual replacement of faulty parts. Unfortunately, the 7th Chrysler in our household will be the last.
Thank you for all of your great stories! For those of you that have not yet set one up, we would encourage you to set up a Gravatar alongside your name for a more customized experience here on RamZone.
http://www.ramzone.com/2010/10/13/show-us-your-grill/
In the meantime, please keep the stories coming!
1994 12 valve cummins turbo 5 speed manual
I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 24 valve Cummins diesel that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. The truck features a 4-inch lift, 315/75R16 tires on stock wheels, and 5 inch Silverline stacks. I get compliments everywhere I go and the truck has never given me any problems, even at 180,000 miles. It will pull anything I put behind it and still get good mileage. I love the 5-speed manual transmission and the sound of the Cummins is like nothing else! I also have a 3.9L 4BT Cummins that I’m currently swapping into my lifted 2002 Jeep Wrangler with 35′s. Also, my dad has a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins that he absolutely loves. I plan on buying a Dodge Ram 12 valve Cummins for sled pulling when I can save up the money. I will always be a fan of Ram trucks because they are the only American diesel truck brand to still offer a manual transmission and they don’t require that diesel exhaust fluid crap. Nothing against the Hemi (I’d love to have one in a Challenger), but you just can’t beat a Cummins!
got my 84 ramcharger 4×4 360 4 barrel. these trucks are beasts and could go threw anything between me and my dad we’ve had about 8 of them couldnt be more inpressed with the reliability and the durabulity of these trucks. i hope they keep makin strong trucks and keep showing up the other brands with that monster cummins.
My very first truck was a 1985 ram 1500 with the 318. i loved my old truck. my grandpa had a 1997 dodge dakota sport 4×4. there was nothing that this truck couldnt do or go thru. I have been a dodge man ever since. I love the power, sound, durability, style, and overall package of the truck that you get. my first truck was a dodge ram and my last one is going to be a dodge ram.
My first truck is a 1993 dakota sport with the 5.2 liter (318) Bad ass truck! still driving it now with 177,000 miles. I’m thinking of trading up to a ram 2500 but my dakota with probally still be in the driveway my son has his eyes on it. My only complaint with my Dakota is the paint is starting to come off the cab roof !!
Well im 17 and i own a 1st gen toyota tundra and i love it, but if i had a choice in what i would be driving it would be a ram. i fell in love with the ram when i was about 3 and i saw the 96 ram 2500 in the movie Twister and i said one day id have a truck just like that. But I looked though the rams of the past and I’m working on buyin my favorite ram, the ’78 WM80. Its just so mean looking and its built like a rock with a powertrain thats just a mean.
I live in Colorado, own a 2008 Dodge 2500 Diesel with which I pull a travel trailer through the Colorado Rockies.
I have owned several trucks in my day Fords and GM but nothing as awesome as this Dodge diesel.
I pull a 23 foot travel trailer over the highest passes in Colorado with out even knowing I am pulling a 6000 lb. trailer and pass everything on the road……….
I run 70 on the flat and get 18 mi. per gallon………….
How can a truck with so much power be so quite and it has no black smoke pouring out the tail pipe…………..
It is the most powerful truck I have ever owned and I don’t expect to ever buy another, since i am 69 years old. If I do it will be another Dodge diesel
First dodge was my dads 89 ram longbed which i stole before i got my license. Then he made me get it so he could report it stolen next time i took it. Own a 02 ram sb regular cab. Chipped, lowered, exhaust, tint, tows my 25ft powerboat with 205K miles. LOVE IT. Rough and it still gets the looks with the add ons. Bought my wife a 07 nitro new. 70K and the first engine light came on…gas cap. Dad still has the 89 and is willed to me and he has 08 quad cab. LOOKING FORWARD to the new 11 Ram “Adventurer”…need some info Chrysler guys…That truck is right up my alley…thanks for all your hard work and keep producing quality machines….
I have been a lifelong MoPar fan…..and Dodge trucks were always the best in my eyes…..I own a l966 D-100 CSS, a 1949 Fargo panel, a 1981 W-250. a 1993 W-350 Cummins powered, and 1997 Dakota with 522000 Km’s and still running great………I miss the “Dodge” Ram,but what are ya gonna do……
Traded in an Acura TL for a 2004 Ram Off-Road. Love this truck. The Acura and I had some good times but it just wasn’t up to New England winters and I wanted something bigger and meaner. So far I got a magnaflow exhaust on it and 20% tint. Keep up the good work Dodge these trucks are raw power!
Our ’94 Ram Cummins was a gamble that paid off. It was our first Ram and was followed by a ’95, ’01,’ 03, 2x ’07s and an ’08, all Cummins. Today, we have an ’07 and an ’08 sitting next to the original ’94. They all run like champs, take abuse and never flinch. Now, if they would only make a Power Wagon with a Cummins option for all the loggers, we’d be all set.
I have been fortunate to have owned every Dodge Cummins body design up to 2003. The 2003 3500 dually had a 6 speed manual, 4×4 and crew cab set up. This truck had to keep our construction business going hauling material and equipment on a goose neck trailer. It hauled a small road grader from the east coast to the west coast. It ran continuous for two months while I worked recovery after hurricane Gustov in Louisiana and hurricane Ike in Galveston Texas. The truck hauled supplies to military, law enforcement agencies as well as food and water to local survivors and unfortunately had to be used for body recovery. In 2009 while working on a building setting roof steel I fell two stories and my truck had to haul me to the hospital where I spent several hours in the trauma room being put back together. Unfortunately I had to sell the truck to help with financial responsibilities, but I only have great words of admiration for that great truck and dream of the day when I can get the new model and start the next life adventures with Dodge on the badge and Cummins under the hood.
My dad owns a 2003 ram 1500 qcab 8ft bed 4×4. ST with the hemi. I love it. In 2wd, i’d estimate it will hit 60mph from a dead stop in about 7.0sec, and it would be faster except the wheels spin all through first gear lol. In 4×4, I have clocked it at 5.7sec 0-60mph. I have outrun every other brand of truck on the road, and looked and sounded the best while doing it. For 2003, it had best towing too: 8,200lbs. I have hauled 6,600lbs with no problem, but not any higher. Only downfall is fuel economy. it was rated at 13/17, but im lucky to get 10/13… I would guess that this problem would be fixed with a new 6 speed automatic, but the current 5 speed is a good tranny as well. All in all, good job dodge, your Hemi engine design is FLAWLESS, and i have yet to drive another vehicle with an engine even comparable. Yes, i have driven 2010 models of the tundra, f150, silverado, and sierra. silverado had 6.0, sierra had 6.2, but i would be willing to say that my dad’s 03 hemi would beat them. tundra is probably most comparable, but still, hemi wins. haven’t yet driven the 2011 f150 with the 5.0 or 6.2, but i will be very interested. not willing to try the ecoboost… turbochared V6 in a truck means its always maxed out, even when not towing anything. I have driven a 2007 Titan, but hemi wins hands down. So until i can afford a 2010 or newer ram w/ hemi, i’ll enjoy the 2003!
Well, My first Ram was a ’92 w150, First vehicle I purchased on my own, with money saved up during High school. I found it at a local used dealership being sold by it’s owner. I took one look at the Truck, and was utterly taken with it. It truly was a beast! I loved everything about it, The Roar it made as it started, the vicious growling of the engine as it rumbled down the road, The straightforward no bull-shit interior, It was a “Guy truck” through and through! I had a blast with that monster of a truck. I was 20, when I purchased it and that was a great summer, I had a great deal of adventures with my Ram, out all night roaming the roads, the wind whipping my face through the angle vent windows, listening to nothing but the roar of my engine….I don’t think I’ll ever be able to buy another truck in my life, unless it’s as beastly, monstrous, and truly dependable as that Ram was. It was a ’92, w150 ram, for $600, with only one issue, the need of an air filter….God I loved that thing, I bought it in 2007 ran like a dream. Had to show it off to all of my friends and their opinions were all the same “Holy shit thats a great truck man!” Unfortunately, my Tale comes with a sad ending, after that summer with my Ram…I had to move from my home town, and into an area of nothing but hills…with the current job market suffering like it was (and still is) I had no choice but to part with my Ram, my one companion on the endless summer nights out on the road….It was indeed a sad time, parting with my first truck, bought with my own hard earned money…But I’m always going to be looking to buy another one, I doubt I’ll be able to ever enjoy another truck after experiencing the tremendous thrill my ’92 Ram w150 brought me….
I’ve always been a Dodge/Ram guy. My first truck was a 1973 D100, 318 auto. Since then, I have owned a 67 W200 225 4-speed, 79 W150 318 4-speed, 88 W250 318 4-speed and an 85 W250 318 auto. Having owned both auto and manual trucks, I have to say that I strongly prefer the manual and give a BIG thumbs-up to Ram for keeping it as an option in their diesel trucks. I would like to see it offered in the Hemi again as well, but I realize that most of the demand for the stick comes from diesel buyers. That makes me a diesel buyer now!
I will be buying my first-ever new truck within the next few weeks. This will be a new Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel/ G56 six speed to replace my trusty but badly aging 85 W250. It has been a good work truck for me for 12 years, but it’s time for something new and definitely time for a stick again. My dealer is looking for one for me, but I may have to special order since I want a regular cab long bed. No problem, the old 85 will last me a few more months until my new one arrives, and I’m still going to keep it as a spare truck. Having been with me since 1999, it’s like a member of the family. I know I will love the new 2500, and I plan to keep it for a long time.
Lets see. My first Dodge truck was a 75 150 2wd Club Cab long bed with a 318 and 727, traded my 73 eL Camino for for it. From there I bought a 78 Lil Red Express. Still own it after 26 years. Needs to get restored, when the money comes around. Had ALOT of fun in that truck First time on the drag strip and first girl friend (the drag strip was more memoriable) Where with that truck. After I blew the motor in the express I bought a new 88 Dakota. I still own this one also. It has gone through some modifications over time. It’ been lowered. The V6 had a supercharger on it for sometime. Now it’s in the middle of getting a 408 put in it. I also bought a 04 Dakota extended cab (club cab if you ask me) . Finally got a truck with most of the options I wanted in it. That got totaled on Christmas day 2005. I needed transportations so I bought a 1989 D150. Great truck but had a short in that that I couldn’t find in the middle of January. When I stripped it I found that the cabs roof lights were tapped into the front drivers markers light. The truck turned into a parts truck for my express and friends Dodge trucks From there I bought 2005 2wd Quad Cab with 4.7. Comfy but not a Hemi. I probally had a a few others in there somewhere that I don’t remember. All in all I’ve never been let stranded with any of them. They are just good trucks.