Equipment Today was recently invited to Las Vegas, NV to drive the 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups. The trucks were driven across varying terrain from around Red Rock Canyon to Eldorado Canyon with towing, payload and off-road courses available.
To highlight the wide breadth of its product offering, Ram allowed us to sample six distinct trim offerings from the work-focused Tradesman to the luxurious Longhorn and Limited models. Ram has tried to tailor its products to meet individual customer needs, from tradesmen and off-road enthusiasts to the discriminating equestrian enthusiasts and everyone in between with its six different trade offering and numerous option packages. Hopping from cab to cab, there were obvious and notable differences, with each offering providing a totally unique feel.
But people buying heavy-duty pickups are really interested in capability. The big news in the powertrain department is the optional new 6.7-liter Cummins High Output turbodiesel that pumps out 1,000 lbs. ft. of torque, available from first gear up on the Ram 3500 with Aisin six-speed transmission. With the torque available from the first press of the pedal, large loads with trailers weighing up to 35,100-lbs. behind the 3500 model, the pickup responded with confident, smooth pulling power. How much is 35,100 lbs.? The trailer loaded with the Case backhoe fell short of this mark, so an additionally pallet of bricks was also added to bring the total weight up to the 35,100-lb. limit.
For customers who prefer gasoline power, the standard engine is a 410 hp 6.4 -liter Hemi mated to an eight-speed transmission that produces 429 lb.-ft. of torque.
To further highlight capability, there were test trucks loaded up to 7,680 lbs. of payload.
But increased load can create confidence issues if brakes do not feel like they are up to the task. To address this, Ram designed a new braking system with upgrades to calipers, booster and master cylinder. This helped shorten stopping distances, increased capability and improved brake feel.
Rounding Off the Rough Edges
Heavy-duty pickups have a reputation for a stiff ride, especially when unladen. In the past this was an accepted price for the payload and towing capability. Ram Trucks has been attempting to eliminate this tradeoff, first introducing a five-link coil suspension on the 2500 that replaced the leaf spring system while the Ram 3500 uses a Hotchkiss rear leaf-spring system with optional air suspension. By adding supplemental air bags, Ram engineers were able to soften the heavy-load leaf springs, allowing for more unladed suspension movement.
For 2019 Ram Trucks introduced Frequency Response Damping (FRD) shocks on all four corners. The valves of an FRD shock automatically adjust for the type of vertical wheel input, allowing a supple suspension on rough terrain. The addition of progressive springs on the trucks allows a softer, more comfortable ride when not loaded due to the soft initial rate and higher load capability due to the increased stiffness in the latter portion of the spring rate.
We drove almost an hour on twisty, bumpy two lane canyon roads and the trucks did a good job of isolating passengers from the rough roads while still feeling planted and stable in the corners. There is an automotive level of comfort that you could drive on these types of roads all day and not feel beat up.
Perhaps the most notable impression from driving the trucks was the lack of noise, almost any noise. Road noise was almost nonexistent. There were no rattles or squeaks, but there are new trucks after all. Engine noise was minimal until the you really pressed the accelerator and even then is was pleasantly muted. The company claims active noise cancellation, anti-vibration devices and acoustic glass in the front and side windows reduces in cab noise by 10 dB and we have no reason to doubt this claim.
Technology takes center console
Anyone who has purchased a heavy-duty truck within the last five years is aware of the technology revolution that is changing customer expectations. Ram has responded with a large 12-in. screen mounted in the center console that provides a wealth of information, including an array of camera images that help you connect trailers and navigate tight spots.
The company’s Uconnect 4C NAV with a 12-in. fully configurable screen can display one application, such as the navigation map, across the whole screen, or the screen can be divided in half, operating two different applications at once.
This screen provides several unique camera views. On the back of the cab there is a camera with grid lines. If you are hooking up a gooseneck or a fifth wheel you can use the camera to back right under the pin or back right under your fifth wheel. No spotters needed. The camera on the tailgate also has gridlines and zoom so if you are hooking up a tag trailer with a pintle or ball you can back right up and you don’t need a spotter.
There are also many built-in safety features, such as forward collision warning with braking that are moving up from smaller trucks. The trucks also have adaptive cruise control with braking that works even when hailing a 35,000-lb. trailer.
Blind spot warning helps you keep track of the vehicles around you. There are 360-degree and surround view cameras. A camera is located in each mirror so you can see the side view. When you are pulling a trailer there is another view that you can pull up. It gives you a split pane view down the side of your trailer. When you are trying to back up, that camera actually gives you an extended view and you can pan that to the right or to the left just to see where you are headed with the trailer. Also in the mirrors are spotter lights that shine light down the side of the trailer as you are backing up.
One safety concern when pulling loaded trailers is tire pressure. Ram has a unique solution, trailer tire pressure monitoring. You can add up to 12 sensors per trailer for up to four trailers. So if you have four trailers, you can configure all of those into the system and set it up to get warnings when the tire pressure is 10% below the determined threshold..
Different at First Glance
When first approaching the 2019 Ram Heavy Duty pickups you will notice something different, but you may have a hard time putting your finger on it. This is due to functional changes to the front grille design.The grille and upper header are about an inch and a half higher than they are on the outgoing truck. The grille itself is about 30 percent larger in surface area to accommodate increased cooling requirements for the increased towing capability.
