What is this whole Gen" thing?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Dodge trucker

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2021
Posts
302
Reaction score
172
Location
Kankakee il
Ram Year
1985
Engine
225
I don't get this 1st gen 2nd gen 3rd gen thing?
I have had dodge trucks older than 1981, I think dodge started building trucks in something like 1926. They don't count? I'd love to find a 67-71 model rust free
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,703
Reaction score
16,709
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
1981 was the first year the Dodge truck included the Ram designation, that's why it's referred to as first generation.
Every time the truck undergoes a major change of platform, it's referred to a different Generation of vehicle. A major platform change is when basically everything on the vehicle has undergone a redesign.
Take the Gen4 truck(DS body), it started in 2009 and is still being built today (Classic models). The body panels and frame are pretty much unchanged although like most generations a mid-lifecycle update happened for the '13 model year. Starting in '13 the interior, electrical, front end and powertrain options were refreshed.
 
OP
OP
D

Dodge trucker

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2021
Posts
302
Reaction score
172
Location
Kankakee il
Ram Year
1985
Engine
225
so again no Dodge truck before 1981 "counts"??? The frame and undercarriage as well as the 3 engines still available in 81 were the exact same (besides emissions add ons) as what came in the 1972s, and as long as you swap "everything" you can swap cabs between 72-80 and 81-93. by everything I mean doors, fenders, and bed. so I would think that the gen should at least go back to 1972..... and as many body style changes as have happened starting in the 1920s, I'd think the series that started in 1981 woujd be what,,, 5th or 6th gen? with the military power wagons and such being their own "gen"....
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,703
Reaction score
16,709
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
so again no Dodge truck before 1981 "counts"???
Before '81 they were just a Dodge pickup with a series designation. From '81 to '08 they're Dodge Ram trucks, from '09 and on it's just Ram trucks(no Dodge).
Make note of the forum name: Ram Forum, here to primarily discuss all things Ram truck related, there is sections to discuss other makes and models.
 

2012RAM1500RT

Senior Member
TOTM Winner
Joined
Dec 8, 2020
Posts
2,224
Reaction score
4,145
Location
nowhere
I have a 2012 with a window sticker and a build sheet that has "Dodge Ram" on them, the tray on top of my dash has "Dodge" on it so mine is a Dodge to "me". I think in 2013 the "word" Dodge was taken off of both window sticker and build sheet so now some people are ok with calling them Ram. They will always be a Dodge to me. When they go to electric or put a different engine besides a Hemi I will stop calling them a Dodge and just buy 2012 and under. By the way, google ramforum and see what comes up.
 
Last edited:

392DevilDog

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Posts
1,939
Reaction score
2,893
Location
Glasgow, Pennsylvania
Ram Year
2015
Engine
392 Hemi
The Gen thing started with Cummins owners. And has gone on to be a designation for RAM trucks.

The Gen thing has gotten out of hand. For instance...my 1999 8.0l V10 is a 2nd Gen RAM. But a 1st Gen V10 and a 1st Gen Quad Cab.

Before 81 they were dodge trucks...2wd being D series and 4wd being PowerWagon.

Then in 81 2wd became RAM and 4wd became Power RAM.


Then in 89 they put a Cummins in it...and became a 1st Gen...then retroactive to 81...hahaha

It is endless.
 

2012RAM1500RT

Senior Member
TOTM Winner
Joined
Dec 8, 2020
Posts
2,224
Reaction score
4,145
Location
nowhere
The Gen thing started with Cummins owners. And has gone on to be a designation for RAM trucks.

The Gen thing has gotten out of hand. For instance...my 1999 8.0l V10 is a 2nd Gen RAM. But a 1st Gen V10 and a 1st Gen Quad Cab.

Before 81 they were dodge trucks...2wd being D series and 4wd being PowerWagon.

Then in 81 2wd became RAM and 4wd became Power RAM.


Then in 89 they put a Cummins in it...and became a 1st Gen...then retroactive to 81...hahaha

It is endless.
Now my head hurts! Lol
 

crash68

ACME product engineer
Staff member
Administrator
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Posts
10,703
Reaction score
16,709
Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
Then in 89 they put a Cummins in it...and became a 1st Gen...then retroactive to 81...hahaha
The generation(s) of the truck and the engine are separate. Given how long and many different revisions of first the 5.9 and now the 6.7 Cummins, they too have different generations.
Now if you really want to be miffed by the whole generation monikers, there has not been a Gen 1 EcoDiesel in the Ram trucks. Gen1 of EcoDiesel engine was the Cadillac prototype that didn't hit production, the Gen2 is in the DS body(Gen4) trucks and the Gen3 is in the DT(Gen5) trucks.
 

Sluff Track

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2021
Posts
41
Reaction score
67
Location
Irvine CA
Ram Year
Looking
Engine
?
The generation(s) of the truck and the engine are separate. Given how long and many different revisions of first the 5.9 and now the 6.7 Cummins, they too have different generations.
Now if you really want to be miffed by the whole generation monikers, there has not been a Gen 1 EcoDiesel in the Ram trucks. Gen1 of EcoDiesel engine was the Cadillac prototype that didn't hit production, the Gen2 is in the DS body(Gen4) trucks and the Gen3 is in the DT(Gen5) trucks.
This is like talking STAR WARS: is it the first movie, fourth book (A NEW HOPE) fifth movie, first book, etc. :emotions122:
 

ramffml

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2019
Posts
2,773
Reaction score
5,017
Location
ramforum
Ram Year
2019
Engine
hemi 5.7
3rd gen is definitely "no go" for me, those headlights... like staring into the abyss of a deranged soul. Jeep GC had those style of lights for a while too.

4th gen is ok, took me a while to get over the jay leno chin. The sides don't really do anything for me, looks like a pair of parenthesis coming down the road at you:
(-++-)

5th gen is finally where they hit their stride. The sides have some rugged curves and lines, and the front is not quite so "mack truck" which I get is the exact thing that many like about the previous gens. It's just not for me. The 5th gen has that "extra something", not quite as plain and simple as the 4th.
 

2012RAM1500RT

Senior Member
TOTM Winner
Joined
Dec 8, 2020
Posts
2,224
Reaction score
4,145
Location
nowhere
To me the 2nd Gen started it all with the big truck look. I had one and loved it till I seen the 4th Gen in '09 and I haven't cared for the look of any other since. When you get to the 5th Gen they just started to kind of blend in with the others to where they are all starting to look the same again except for the new fords which reminds me of sponge bob square pants in the front and the new chevy heavy duty that took the ugly trophy from the smart car! All of this is of course just my opinion!
 

MADDOG

Not RamForum Staff
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Posts
14,443
Reaction score
9,877
Location
Arizona
3rd gen is definitely "no go" for me, those headlights... like staring into the abyss of a deranged soul. Jeep GC had those style of lights for a while too.
Third gens had a great look, IMHO.

Just look deeply into these headlights.... :cool:

16-04.JPG
 
OP
OP
D

Dodge trucker

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2021
Posts
302
Reaction score
172
Location
Kankakee il
Ram Year
1985
Engine
225
The Gen thing started with Cummins owners. And has gone on to be a designation for RAM trucks.

The Gen thing has gotten out of hand. For instance...my 1999 8.0l V10 is a 2nd Gen RAM. But a 1st Gen V10 and a 1st Gen Quad Cab.

Before 81 they were dodge trucks...2wd being D series and 4wd being PowerWagon.

Then in 81 2wd became RAM and 4wd became Power RAM.


Then in 89 they put a Cummins in it...and became a 1st Gen...then retroactive to 81...hahaha

It is endless.

and mind numbing. They were still D and W series all the way til 93. they split up the D/W, the 1st half of them "don't count" even though underneath they are very much the same truck 72-80 and 81-93.

and you look at late 40s/early 50s "pilot house" series trucks, and the "Job Rated" trucks had a Ram ornament too. Bigger than the one on my 85 has
 

Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
194,926
Posts
2,864,177
Members
155,296
Latest member
VLG6963
Top