Ram has a range of vehicles ready to work, from light-duty pickups to chassis cabs and cargo vans. If you own a delivery business, work on a farm, do construction or maintenance, haul heavy items, or otherwise need to tow or move things, then Ram may have the vehicle you need. These trucks and vans are built to work hard, even those made for smaller work loads. Let’s take a look at the offerings I found at the Ram dealer near me.
The 2020 Ram 1500
This lighter-duty truck comes in six different trims: the Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie Longhorn, Laramie, Limited, and Rebel. Starting MSRP is $32,145, and has the option of either four-wheel or rear-wheel drive. Four engine options are offered, which range from a 3.6-liter V6 eTorque that runs on standard gas, a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel, and a 5.7-liter V8 Hemi which can also come with the eTorque option. An engine block heater can be added to any of the engine choices.
Size ranges are available in both cabs and beds. Quad and crew cabs are both options, and both long and short boxes are, too. Package offerings get crazy, with a long list of choices to fulfill practically any work needed from trailering to off-roading or from safety features to chrome details. The list of exterior feature options is also long, with choices like hitches, tonneau covers, spray-in bedliners, and a multi-function tailgate. Wheel sizes range from 18-22 inches and can be anything from black to polished aluminum.
The interior comes with an infotainment system screen starting at 5 inches and can be as large as 12 inches, and is linked with Ram’s Uconnect system. Remote start, telematics, blind-spot and cross-path detection, and front and rear park assist are a few features that can be added. Of course, these are all amazing options that can really get the blood pumping when building the truck of your business dreams, but be cognizant that each of these items costs extra. The base price is deceiving. When you choose the engine, packages, infotainment, and other various and sundry details to get the truck you want, it adds up fast.
With that said, if you can go all the way and load the 5.7-liter Hemi with the Ram 1500, you can tow up to 11,620 pounds. That’s nothing to sneeze at and not bad for the lowest trim. When properly equipped the Ram 1500 can tow up to 12,750 pounds.
The 2020 Ram 2500
Like the 1500, the Ram 2500 comes in six different trims: the Big Horn, Tradesman, Limited, Laramie Longhorn, Laramie, and Power Wagon. The price begins at an MSRP of $33,745. With the 2500, drivers can choose between three available cab choices, regular, crew, and mega. Again, you can choose either all-wheel or rear-wheel drive, and either a short or long box.
The 2500’s engine options are a 6.4-liter heavy-duty V8 HEMI or a coveted 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel I6. Also available are the engine block heater and several alternators.
The list of packages offered for the Ram 2500 is even longer than the 1500. For the exterior choices, you can opt for gooseneck towing, tonneau covers, cargo boxes, trailer brakes, towing mirrors, a deployable step, a cargo view camera, or a sunroof. Again, that’s just part of the list. Wheels range from 17-20 inches.
For the interior, you get to uncheck an option that makes more sense than possibly anything else on a truck made for work: delete carpet. Finally, deleting carpet from a work vehicle that’s probably just going to be caked in mud anyway. If only the cushions could be removed so the whole thing could get power-hosed. Aside from the interior options of the 1500, you could add a rear back-up alarm, or trailer camera wiring. With this model, you can tow up to 19,680 pounds when fitted with the 6.7-liter Cummins engine, a serious amount of weight.
Ram 3500
The Ram 3500 comes in five trims: the Big Horn, Tradesman, Laramie Longhorn, Laramie, and Limited. Base price starts at an MSRP of $35,195, and three cab options of regular, crew, and mega are available. As with the other Ram trucks, you can choose either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and you have the choice of either a short or long box. Three engine options can be chosen, from the 6.4-liter V8 Hemi to the 6.7-liter V8 Cummins turbo diesel or the 6.7-liter V8 high-output Cummins turbo diesel.
A few different package options are offered with the 3500, like heated seats and adding on dual rear wheels. For the exterior, a few additional choices for steps up into the cab show up in the list, plus features like LED bed lighting and a power sunroof. Once again, you can choose to remove the carpet and opt for black vinyl flooring, though if you want to upgrade the stereo to the nine-speaker system with a subwoofer, this is now an option. When going with this model, the options are virtually the same as the 2500, except the 3500 can tow up to 35,100 pounds with the high-output diesel engine. The power is where you gain much more in this model.
The 2020 Chassis Cab
Ram has made another wide range of possible configurations available for the Chassis Cab models, starting with the 3500 at an MSRP of $35,000. This base model comes standard with the 6.4-liter V8 Hemi and 8-speed automatic transmission. Lots of options can be added for alternators, the Cummins diesel engine, axles, and fuel tanks. Trim options like heated side mirrors, manually-folding towing mirrors, and remote keyless entry can be added.
For the Chassis models, new groups open up to outfit the vehicle for different back ends, like the ambulance group, electrical accessory group, towing group, or the safety group. The options are there to build the back end to suit different business needs, with the safety group being the most expensive, yet also most comprehensive. Wheel sizes are either 17 or 18 inches, with the option to add dual rear wheels. The interior can be configured with a bench seat, or the middle seat can be removed, with options like adding powered lumbar support, upgrading the infotainment system, limiting the speed allowance, or adding a back-up camera.
If you go with the higher end of choices for the Chassis Cabs, the 5500 starts at a base price of $39,920. Again, options are wide-ranging and can be uniquely combined for the truck you need.
The 2020Ram Promaster City
For businesses who could benefit from a delivery vehicle that doesn’t require double parking everywhere you go, the Promaster City may be an answer. With a base MSRP $24,430, the starting point for a new cargo van is attractive. Again, remember this is quickly shifted with the necessary addition of packages or options you may need to have for the full functionality of the van. The base model of this van comes standard with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, has a 9-speed automatic transmission, and a heavy-duty suspension.
Packages like cargo partitions and roadside safety are options, as well as towing, interior LED lighting, a roof rack, and lots of door options to accommodate sliders or swinging doors on the sides or back of the van. The interior comes standard with cloth on the bucket seats, though vinyl is available. A 5-inch display for infotainment is standard, and a trial of Sirius XM for a year is loaded. A lot of features like cruise control or daytime running lights are extra, so watch out for costly additions.
The 2020 Ram Promaster
Ram’s Promaster comes in an astonishing 19 model choices, and starts at an MSRP of $31,145. The array of vehicle options is almost overwhelming, but this cargo van can be built to suit the needs of any business requiring the transportation of goods unless you want to transport people. Sadly, this massive vehicle comes with the option to outfit it for RV use and an endless number of possible cargo uses, but not for passengers.
On the other hand, you have lots of choices for virtually any other cargo, with plenty of engine options, heights, window placements, and even the option of building the van as a chassis cab. Towing packages are available, and are an especially valuable option if you plan to make this van into an RV. If you have a business that needs to move a lot of cargo, but you don’t need a full-sized semi-trailer, this is the type of van you need. This is also a great option for anyone running a handyman or construction business, which requires a lot of tools to be used on-site, with plenty of space to organize tools and the GVWR to handle the heavy load if you go with the 2500 or 3500 models.
Overall, Ram has you covered if you own and operate a business in need of a vehicle with space, the ability to haul, the option to tow some of the heaviest trailers, and the choices to build the vehicle to suit the exact specs you require. No matter what your business, from food trucks to roaming offices or construction work to delivering flowers, the Ram dealer near you can help you decide how to outfit your vehicle to suit your business.
