Are new 1500 orders on hold now?

[steven_sbs]

I'm looking to order a new 1500 Longhorn this week and I just had a dealer tell me that no more new orders can be placed until after January. Anyone know anything about this? Thanks...

 

[barr0208]

ok think about it for a minute Christmas is coming I would think that the orders they have right now may not be filled before shutdown.

 

[JB1]

They shutdown for the holidays

 

[barr0208]

They shutdown for the holidays

really you must work a non union job lol yes Christmas shutdown I worked for cnr and for the week xmas to the new year they used minimal staff to keep priority commodity in motion.

 

[steven_sbs]

I chatted with the Ram help person this morning. They confirmed no more new orders will be accepted until January. Looks like I'm not getting a new truck anytime soon.

 

[Jeepwalker]

To shut down a huge assembly line that might be a mile long and easily open it up at minimal cost/disruption, there is likely a very specific wind-down process that makes the most sense. I suspect they also use this time to perform factory maintenance and implement mid-model changes (dies, process, etc). I was a contractor to a number of factories (non-automotive) and there were always a few pieces of equipment that was kept running on its last legs until a shutdown occurred when it would get changed or rebuilt, roofs repaired, new concrete poured, new dies put in place, welding on the building, safety equipment checked, paint shop blasted and scrubbed down, new wires run and so on. A flurry of activity would occur in a short time during shutdowns. Some of the equipment is enormous and requires cranes, hoists and teams of contractors from different trades working overtime. We're not talking about something the size of a refrigerator you just roll out on 4 wheels. The less product and workers in the way the easier the work can be done.

Another factor too, potentially, is they may want/need to clear the factory of vehicles prior to year end because new regulations could come into effect, say, after Jan 1. I don't know of anything in specific, but there have been cases in history where workers went on strike, walking off the job leaving all the cars in various states of assembly and by the time they returned to work planned regulations or improvements essentially required all the cars to be retrofitted (at great expense), or were unsaleable at all, meaning all 1500 cars would have to be scrapped. That's only happened a few times, and is an extreme example, but it DOES represent what 'can' happen if too many cars are left sitting half-built on the assembly line even over a planned shutdown period potentially.

 

[Stefan N]

But still, why not just take the order and say "we have longer delivery/build times right now"!??

 

[StinkyHotChocolate]

I expect part of the wind-down and wind-back-up processes include retooling the lines for new options, removing old options, features, etc. By stopping the ordering process, they can ensure people aren't ordering "old" features or options that won't be available when the line restarts.

I also expect there is a lag in communication regarding what is/isn't available from the factory, and they want to ensure dealer ordering sheets have the correct information, so they put a hold on things to make sure we don't have threads in a few months like "WHY THE HELL DID THEY NOT PUT MY HEATED SHIFT *** IN MY NEW 2018????"

 

[30below]

really you must work a non union job lol yes Christmas shutdown I worked for cnr and for the week xmas to the new year they used minimal staff to keep priority commodity in motion.

Unless you were in the Running Trades.Seemed i got called to work half the xmases in my 38 years

 

[KCaudill]

I work in the automotive supplier and assembly. Im an Electrical Engineer that has worked at the Honda assembly plant and various supplier plants that supplied parts for the big 3, GM, Ford, FCA along with others. I tell you they shut down a week for thanksgiving, and the week of Christmas through the new years following Monday. During the shutdown of production is when all the tooling changes for the new design changes happen. It is a huge mass chaos of work that is perfectly orchestrated down to the minute of product restart. So them not taking orders is mostly that they will not be in plant to accept them.

I currently work for a supplier that makes the engine bearings for all the Hemi and pentastar engine platforms for FCA (including Cummins), all the v8 and v6 engines for Ford, and 85% of the engines for GM. And a few other smaller manufacturing. If you have any questions about engine bearings for the FCA engines or spark plugs give me a shout.

 

[Ramnewbie]

I'm looking to order a new 1500 Longhorn this week and I just had a dealer tell me that no more new orders can be placed until after January. Anyone know anything about this? Thanks...

Are you wanting something that special that you have to order it? Not knocking ordering, just questioning it? My last 2 vehicles I bought I just got on the internet and searched all the dealers in the general vacinty, found the one I wanted and called my local dealer and said this is the vehicle I want, can you get it. Within a day or two new vehicle in driveway.

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[corneileous]

Well crap, I sure hope this isn’t true. I don’t wanna have to wait until after the first of the year to be able to order my new truck. That’s just wonderful news.


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[corneileous]

Are you wanting something that special that you have to order it? Not knocking ordering, just questioning it? My last 2 vehicles I bought I just got on the internet and searched all the dealers in the general vacinty, found the one I wanted and called my local dealer and said this is the vehicle I want, can you get it. Within a day or two new vehicle in driveway.

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I know this post wasn’t addressed to me but, hey, if they can find what I want that’s further away than from the 150-mile radius that Ram’s website limits us to, that’s fine. I don’t really wanna wait 5 weeks to get my new truck but I don’t wanna settle for something less, either. Plus, I don’t want them yankin’ stuff off and throwing stuff on in their shop just to make me happy, as well. Lol.


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[Ramnewbie]

I know this post wasn’t addressed to me but, hey, if they can find what I want that’s further away than from the 150-mile radius that Ram’s website limits us to, that’s fine. I don’t really wanna wait 5 weeks to get my new truck but I don’t wanna settle for something less, either. Plus, I don’t want them yankin’ stuff off and throwing stuff on in their shop just to make me happy, as well. Lol.


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I totally understand, and I agree I'm not that much on dealer mods. Jus sayin that just because you're local dealer don't have what you want doesn't mean it's not available. I also realize that some options you will only get if you special order. I had never thought about my local dealer getting a vehicle from another dealer until I pretty much just stumbled onto it by talking with my salesman.

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[steven_sbs]

Are you wanting something that special that you have to order it? Not knocking ordering, just questioning it? My last 2 vehicles I bought I just got on the internet and searched all the dealers in the general vacinty, found the one I wanted and called my local dealer and said this is the vehicle I want, can you get it. Within a day or two new vehicle in driveway.

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Yes I am looking for a special configuration. Not so much the things I want, but more like things I don't want. I don't want a sunroof. No way, no how. I don't want a short bed or quad cab. I don't want the huge trailer mirrors. I'll end up breaking one when I go through the bank drive-in lane. I don't want the Southfork package many dealers add to the Longhorn.

I have to have a 6' bed for carrying the things I carry. My wife likes the filigree seats, getting those makes her happy. Happy wife, happy life. In case anyone is interested, here's the config I'm looking for:

2018 RAM Longhorn 1500
Crew Cab 4x4 6'4" Box
Pearl White / RV Match Walnut Brown Metallic Clear-Coat two tone exterior paint
Premium Filigree Leather Seats Canyon Brown / Light Frost Beige interior color

Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle
3.92 Rear Axle Ratio
4 Corner Air Suspension
Protection Group
RamBox Cargo Management System
Trailer Brake Control
Rear Window Defroster

It looks like an easy config. I spent all day today on cars.com and ram.com searching across this great land of ours. I found three that would work for me. One was already sold. One was 2154 miles away on the other side of the country. The third was at a dealer who was being a real pain in the butt about answering questions online. Every question I asked was answered with "Come in and lets talk". They never understood that I was two time zones away.

So it looks like I'm waiting until January. By that time, they will have announced the 2019 trucks, so maybe I'll end up waiting a little longer and getting one of the new model. Or I'll order a 2018 and get a better deal because it's the outgoing model. Either way, it gives me more time to hang out here and get to know y'all better.

 

[corneileous]

Yes I am looking for a special configuration. Not so much the things I want, but more like things I don't want. I don't want a sunroof. No way, no how. I don't want a short bed or quad cab. I don't want the huge trailer mirrors. I'll end up breaking one when I go through the bank drive-in lane. I don't want the Southfork package many dealers add to the Longhorn.



I have to have a 6' bed for carrying the things I carry. My wife likes the filigree seats, getting those makes her happy. Happy wife, happy life. In case anyone is interested, here's the config I'm looking for:



2018 RAM Longhorn 1500

Crew Cab 4x4 6'4" Box

Pearl White / RV Match Walnut Brown Metallic Clear-Coat two tone exterior paint

Premium Filigree Leather Seats Canyon Brown / Light Frost Beige interior color



Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle

3.92 Rear Axle Ratio

4 Corner Air Suspension

Protection Group

RamBox Cargo Management System

Trailer Brake Control

Rear Window Defroster



It looks like an easy config. I spent all day today on cars.com and ram.com searching across this great land of ours. I found three that would work for me. One was already sold. One was 2154 miles away on the other side of the country. The third was at a dealer who was being a real pain in the butt about answering questions online. Every question I asked was answered with "Come in and lets talk". They never understood that I was two time zones away.



So it looks like I'm waiting until January. By that time, they will have announced the 2019 trucks, so maybe I'll end up waiting a little longer and getting one of the new model. Or I'll order a 2018 and get a better deal because it's the outgoing model. Either way, it gives me more time to hang out here and get to know y'all better.

The tow mirrors do have the power fold-in switch...[emoji41]


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[jasonw]

The tow mirrors do have the power fold-in switch...[emoji41]

When did they make this change? I believe it was available on 2500s/3500s, but not 1500s, unless this was a recent development this past model year (2017+). I know it wasn't an option in 2013, 2014, or 2015, and pretty sure not in 2016 either.

 

[corneileous]

When did they make this change? I believe it was available on 2500s/3500s, but not 1500s, unless this was a recent development this past model year (2017+). I know it wasn't an option in 2013, 2014, or 2015, and pretty sure not in 2016 either.

Well, I have yet to see it in the half-tons, as none of the 1500’s I’ve looked at up close and personal around here have the tow mirrors installed but the ‘17 3/4-ton I looked at this past weekend did have the power fold-in tow mirrors.

I guess I could very well be wrong since none of the half-tons on dealer lots in my area have the tow mirrors on them so I can’t say for totally, one hundred percent sure but since Chrysler now does make power fold-in tow mirrors for the 2500’s, I seriously cannot imagine why the 1500’s couldn’t have the same technology of power-folding tow mirrors since they have the switch on the driver’s door for the regular mirrors.




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[corneileous]

Well, maybe they don’t...[emoji17]

Sorry to get everyone’s hopes up. I’m really bummed that Chrysler didn’t make the halftons with the power folding tow mirrors. That’s a bunch of crap.

If you fast forward this dealership video below to the 11:52 mark and pause it, you can clearly see there isn’t a button on the driver door control panel for the power-fold mirrors whereas back at the 7:06 mark of the video, the guy clearly states that they are power-folding....
https://youtu.be/3iThxTG5_us


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[BossHogg]

Happy wife, happy life.

Amen!