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RZ Talks Shop With Ram Truck Engineer Kevin Mets

24 years ago and fresh out of college, budding engineer and self-proclaimed pickup enthusiast Kevin Mets joined the ranks at Chrysler More

Cummins 6.7’s Biggest Fan (Part 1): Inside Cummins HQ

This week, Cummins Engines launched a 6-part behind-the-scenes video series aimed at bringing Cummins fans behind the brand and under the hood. In this first episode, Tim and his trusty 2010 Ram Heavy Duty rolled up to Cummins headquarters in Columbus, Indiana to snag some face time with Cummins Chief Technical Officer, John Wall. Although he’s an extremely busy man, Wall was generous enough to take a few minutes to explain all the nuts and bolts (literally) of the legendary 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel.

To follow all six legs of Tim’s trip, head to the Cummins YouTube channel to catch every new episode as it goes live. For more information about the real star of this series, check out Cummins Engines’ official website.

2010 Ram Heavy Duty Resonates with American Heartland

At Ram, there is nothing that we cling to tighter than our commitment to the basic traits of the traditional American pickup truck. We build our trucks to be rough-and-tumble rigs capable of outliving even your mother-in-law, and we have a fierce sense of pride in our product. So, too, do our customers.

Amongst the most notable of those customers are Terry and Barb Hogan of Decatur, Illinois. Owner and operator of Hogan Grain & Equipment Company, Terry has spent years putting his various work trucks through the wringer, and he knows a workhouse when he sees one. Up until November 2009, Terry’s fleet consisted of an eclectic mix of pickups, the bulk of which were in need of some form of maintenance. Busy at the helm of Hogan Grain & Equipment and farming over 4,000 acres of land, Terry had neither the time nor the inclination to spend hours laboring over repairs. Instead, he turned to a brand he’s held synonymous with dependability since he first crossed paths with a Power Wagon in 1974: Ram Trucks. Trading in two Fords, a Chevy, and an older Dodge pick-up, Terry & his wife eventually exited Bob Brady Chrysler Dodge with three new Rams in tow: a 2009 Ram 3500, Ram Chassis Cab, and a 2010 Ram 2500 ST Crew 4×4. The latter was the first 2010 Heavy Duty model to ever reach a customer’s hands – and we’d be hard-pressed to find a better match. “We’re targeting both lifestyle and vocational customers,” explained Ram Heavy Duty Brand Manager Steve Johnson. “One of our key vocational targets is Agribusiness – like the Hogans.” According to Terry, our “targeting” and the countless man hours spent engineering a truck specifically for buyers with needs like Terry’s has not gone unnoticed. “I think it’s great you’re spending the time to listen and talk to the customer,” said Terry. “That’s how this country was built. You have to listen to the customer – understand them. Provide them what they need to keep them loyal and make your business grow.” Which is exactly what we strive to do – for both Terry and his fellow American craftsman.

For more photos, hit up our Flickr page.

AutoPacific Crowns Ram HD Best Heavy Duty Pickup

We already knew that our trucks are the best, but it’s still rewarding to hear it confirmed by the source that matters most – the consumers. After combing the data from 42,000 owner surveys, the Ram HD has been awarded AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the Heavy Duty Pickup segment. AutoPacific’s data is compiled directly from owner feedback which means our truck held up under the most grueling test of all: the real world. “Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience.”

So what does that mean, exactly? That Ram is once again spanking the competition – and we don’t plan on stopping.

2010 NTEA Work Truck Show Video Showcases Ram’s New Features

Although we sincerely wish we could spend every day prowling the grounds of St. Louis in search of bigger and better ways to upfit our naked chassis (sounds dirtier than it is), the 2010 NTEA Work Truck Show only runs for four short days and Friday marked its official close. To celebrate a great run, we decided to save the best footage for last and chose to dedicate today’s final installment of show coverage to both the 2010 Ram HD and Ram 1500. In this collection of videos, our own Bob Hegbloom once again generously takes the time to outline some of the newest features on the 2010 Ram and shares a little bit about the decision process behind the upgrades.

Hit the jump to check out all the cool vids – and try to keep your drool off the keyboard. More

Automobile Mag Tests The Ram 3500

There was a point in time when rugged, mammoth machines like the Ram 3500 HD were strictly utilitarian vehicles designed with pure function in mind. Today, the truck of legends told has been successfully married with creature comforts and the result is a rugged rig with a smooth ride. During his long-term review, Matthew Phenix of Automobile was impressed by his optioned-out 3500, ranking it in quality and comfort amongst the luxury industry’s heaviest hitters. Though not actively employed in an industry that typically necessitates the use of an 11,000lb towing capacity, Phenix nevertheless found favor with the truck and its appeal to the common, casual driver.

Check out the full story here.

Raminator Goes Heavy Duty

Question: What weighs over 5 tons, is deafeningly loud, and shoots smoke from its nostrils?

No, it’s not your mother-in-law. It is the Hall Brothers Racing Raminator Monster Truck, which will be returning this season thanks to a renewed partnership between Ram and the Champaign Illinois-based race team.

Over the course of their careers, brothers Mark and Tim Hall have racked up numerous monster truck championships, and plan to continue their victory streak with an all-new Raminator. Modeled off the 2011 Ram HD, the new Raminator stands 10-feet tall and packs an earth-shredding 2,000 horsepower from its methanol-burning, supercharged 565ci HEMI®.

Interested in checking it out for yourself, but can’t make it to any MTRA or USHRA Monster Jam events? Don’t worry, the year-long race schedule allows the Hall Brothers to showcase the Raminator at nearly 100 Ram dealerships across the country in addition to a host of local events. Oh – did we mention that it crushes cars? Let’s see your mother-in-law do that!

Cummins Diesel Power Will Continue

Diesel fanatics rejoice! Continuing one of the most successful relationships in automotive history, Ram and Cummins have announced a multi-year contract extension to ensure that the B-series engines will continue to deliver class leading torque in the Ram HD line. The contract extension is music to the ears of Ram HD owners, as 80% tick the 6.7-liter diesel option when purchasing their heavy hauler. And with the new 2010 line of trucks, Ram has the quietest, greenest, and smoothest diesel engined trucks on the road. All that and 17,600 lbs of towing capacity? Translation: now you can buy a bigger boat.

Check out the full release over at Cummins

Motor Trend’s Secret to Expensive Testing? Save Receipts!

Somehow we’d lost this funny gem from the Ram Heavy Duty Motor Trend 2010 Truck of the Year announcement on the cutting room floor until now, but we didn’t want you to miss it: Motor Trend Senior Editor Edward Loh lets us in on some cool secrets of their testing process — notably, that they test a truck’s payload with bags of rock salt from Home Depot, they naturally pick the full load up in a Ram in the first place, and (“I probably shouldn’t tell you this,” Loh admits) they then return the thousands of pounds of bagged rock salt to Home Depot the next day! As he points out, “Logistically, how do you test payload? Do you use manure?”

Cummins Turbo Diesel: The Cleanest Meanest Engine Around

A true workhorse with best-in-class low-end torque, the Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel comes standard on all Ram 3500s. (In fact, it’s the only truck in its class to offer a diesel engine standard.) A truly peerless power train, the Cummins was a key reason that the Ram HD was named Motor Trend’s 2010 Truck of the Year.

But did you know it’s also one of the cleanest, quietest, most eco-friendly motors available? To put it in perspective, the Cummins Turbo Diesel met 2010 emission requirements way back in 2007 — leading the way for the innovations achieved in this year’s incarnation. Cummins used a High Pressure Common Rail fuel system and cooled exhaust gas recirculation to lower emissions. And they didn’t forget noise pollution in the process: the NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) dampening features in the 2010 model have led to a 50 percent quieter engine and all-around reduction in cabin noise levels. Wouldn’t you know it: The Ram Heavy Duty is the strong, silent type.