What inspired you to buy a RAM truck?

Kenobi · Mar 13, 2022

My first new truck was a 2009 Tacoma, I always owned cars, a van and a SUV before. Loved that little beast, and it handled everything I threw at it. After 140k miles the frame was rusting bad, so Toyota replaced that for free (class action lawsuit).

But, after 12 years, it was showing its age. I looked for a full size truck for a year, comparing the new 2022 Tundra, F-150 and Ram 1500. I gave the GM products a courtesy look, but they never seriously interested me.

I was very close to ordering an F-150 Hybrid, but the Ram always looked like a nicer truck to me. What sealed the deal was sitting in the back seat of both 4-door pickups and realizing how much better the Ram's rear seat leg and head room were.

The 3rd Gen Ecodiesel was always a primary consideration because of the torque and excellent MPG. I also didn't need a fast truck, I've got another toy in the garage if I wanna go fast. Plus this will do the right amount of towing I plan to do after retirement.

When the dealer got a purdy, black Night Edition Ecodiesel in, and it had all the right options, I went and bought the truck that night.

BossHogg · Mar 13, 2022

A lot of interesting stories here, RAM's marketing folks would be wise to understand what brings customers to their brand and capitalize on it.

My story, I retired from GM in 2008 but I was too young in years to stay retired so I went to work in the supplier market. At that time I had a 2005 GTO and a 2008 Chevy HHR SS. My wife and I later moved to a couple of Tahoes, LTZ for her, Z71 for me. Eventually, she complained about the size of the Taho and having to park in parking garages so she picked up a 2013 Equinox LTZ that she still drives. She has been hinting around about getting a Jeep, she is a tomboy at heart.

I sold my Tahoe and bought a 2013 RAM Laramie, my first move into Chrysler, I was a bit nervous but the RAM's interior compared to GM and Ford was a no-brainer. In the late '90s, Ford burned me twice on what should have been covered by warranty (missing needle bearing in a power steering pump, and poorly designed transmission shift valve) and I've never considered a Ford again.

I was so happy with the Laramie, I went straight to RAM for my heavy towing needs and ordered a 2015 RAM 3500 Cummins which I still have for towing the big stuff. Recently, I came down with new-car-itis (spelling) and ordered a 2022 Longhorn ECODiesel which replaced my Laramie.

RAM has my business going forward unless they do something to screw up our relationship.

HEMIMANN · Mar 13, 2022

My 2007 Chevy.

Mister Luck · Mar 13, 2022

When you started high-school do you remember the girl that was way out of your league maybe she was a senior to your freshman year you never saw her but she knew some of your friends..

in the early 70’s there were still plenty of muscle cars to be had and if you were from an affluent town even snobbish euro sports cars were easily accessible to budding first time drivers..

Rita was one of these not snobbish out of my league seniors that drove her mom’s BOSS 302 she shared with her older sister. I think she realized I existed when I was sophomore and she invited a group of us over to her boyfriend’s house to have a beer so she could show off her conquests of dating an older guy, in that intimate setting we sort of became friends and found we shared the same birthday.
I think she may have always wanted a little brother and Rita referred to me in this way confidentially.
I was very happy to even be recognized by her let alone known to her on a first name basis ..

This was a small town .. and over a few short years we still maintained our friend ship through mutual friends and acquaintances even after high school.

So needless to say I had a permanent crush on Rita and one day she drives up to me in a ‘75 Blacked Out Warlock that has huge tires, a 6 inch lift, over the cab 4in diameter “light bar” with 4 Hella’s on top and two on the front bumper… It had a step-side bed it was formidable and angry.

…Rita …motions me to come over and say’s “you want to go for a ride ?”

It turned out to be her new BF’s truck that worked at a local resort and he let her borrow it to see her mom she explains to me as she effortlessly weaves in and out of light traffic and comments how you can see everything ahead instead of being stuck in a cramped claustrophobic sports car like a Porsche or Beammer and whole heartedly I agreed.. she could drive that truck like a sports car and have a commanding view of the road ahead which at that time the tallest vehicle I had ever been in.

. I think I’ll remember the feeling of that ride gave me for the rest of my life…

joeygster · Mar 13, 2022

When I was a kid there was this really cool guy in the neighbourhood with a Ramcharger. I loved that rig of his. Fast forward to the intro of the 2nd Gen Ram when it was redesigned to look like a Kenworth semi truck. I was hooked and from that moment I wanted one. Took me going through a lot of vehicles and phases but I eventually grabbed my 2016 after leaving the sports car phase behind.

392DevilDog · Mar 13, 2022

Well. I owned so many Dodge Trucks as a young man. They always got me where I was going. I was a junior in High school when the 2nd Gen came out. My dad's coworker bought a new V10 and it was just magical. And then the Movie twister. So my first RAM truck was a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. Then I got hooked on HeftyDuty trucks when I bought my First W250...a 1985 Dodge Power Ram.

Then I finally got that 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 with that awesome 8.0l Magnum.

Then got my first Cummins. A 2013...did not really like it. We sold it and got a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500.

And then we got our Current 2015 with the 392 HEMI.

I have always been and always will be a Mopar Truck fan.

There are so many more. But no more pics on this phone. Still got the 85 the 99 the 03 and the 15

dhay13 · Mar 13, 2022

My first Ram was a 1985 D150 regular cab 8' bed. I have had old then new then old then new, etc. I like older stuff but then get an itch for new. Well, not anymore but in the past. I have always been a gearhead so liked messing with them. My first 'truck' was a 1985 S10 Blazer, then a 1986 K5 Blazer (back in 1988-ish). Bought a brand new 1990 S10 Baja then a 1979 GMC Sierra 1500. Then when I got married and we had kids I made sure my wife always had the brand new vehicles for the kids then I would drive cheaper trucks. So saw this D150 and bought it around 1993 for about $2000. Had about 100,000 miles on it. 318. I rebuilt the carb and got the factory choke working right then painted it myself and put headers and full true dual exhaust with Flowmasters on it. In fact, bought it a couple of days before the Blizzard of '93 here in PA, which the anniversary is coming up for. Had it for about 2 years and it was a great truck. So that was my first Ram truck. My next Rams were the ones I mentioned earlier with the 2007 friends and family deal

KoboldTaco · Mar 13, 2022

Kenobi said:
My first new truck was a 2009 Tacoma, I always owned cars, a van and a SUV before. Loved that little beast, and it handled everything I threw at it. After 140k miles the frame was rusting bad, so Toyota replaced that for free (class action lawsuit).

But, after 12 years, it was showing its age. I looked for a full size truck for a year, comparing the new 2022 Tundra, F-150 and Ram 1500. I gave the GM products a courtesy look, but they never seriously interested me.

I was very close to ordering an F-150 Hybrid, but the Ram always looked like a nicer truck to me. What sealed the deal was sitting in the back seat of both 4-door pickups and realizing how much better the Ram's rear seat leg and head room were.

The 3rd Gen Ecodiesel was always a primary consideration because of the torque and excellent MPG. I also didn't need a fast truck, I've got another toy in the garage if I wanna go fast. Plus this will do the right amount of towing I plan to do after retirement.

When the dealer got a purdy, black Night Edition Ecodiesel in, and it had all the right options, I went and bought the truck that night.

Man, good journey here - I do enjoy hearing all the ways people fall in love with their machines. I had a Toyota once upon a day, good trucks and it did everything I asked of it. Ford for me is Fixed or Repaired Daily - sadly a bad experience but thats not everyone’s experience. The lightening is cool, just not practical for most folks. For the commuter, casual truck user I can see it being a good fit. Nice find with the Night Ed Eco. Not easy to find on the lot like that. Hopefully you got the truck before the crazy markups! Nice to meet you.

KoboldTaco · Mar 13, 2022

BossHogg said:
A lot of interesting stories here, RAM's marketing folks would be wise to understand what brings customers to their brand and capitalize on it.

My story, I retired from GM in 2008 but I was too young in years to stay retired so I went to work in the supplier market. At that time I had a 2005 GTO and a 2008 Chevy HHR SS. My wife and I later moved to a couple of Tahoes, LTZ for her, Z71 for me. Eventually, she complained about the size of the Taho and having to park in parking garages so she picked up a 2013 Equinox LTZ that she still drives. She has been hinting around about getting a Jeep, she is a tomboy at heart.

I sold my Tahoe and bought a 2013 RAM Laramie, my first move into Chrysler, I was a bit nervous but the RAM's interior compared to GM and Ford was a no-brainer. In the late '90s, Ford burned me twice on what should have been covered by warranty (missing needle bearing in a power steering pump, and poorly designed transmission shift valve) and I've never considered a Ford again.

I was so happy with the Laramie, I went straight to RAM for my heavy towing needs and ordered a 2015 RAM 3500 Cummins which I still have for towing the big stuff. Recently, I came down with new-car-itis (spelling) and ordered a 2022 Longhorn ECODiesel which replaced my Laramie.

RAM has my business going forward unless they do something to screw up our relationship.

Nice to meet you. When I posted this topic, I never thought about RAM looking at this as marketing insight; interesting perspective if they bump into this. I promise I’m not with RAM but just a guy with an interesting story and I thought to ask ya’lll. I think others are also enjoying remembering that moment they decided to be a RAM owner. Ford trans issues plagued me for two trans and so I’ve never looked back. The Sierra never let me down and I’m stoked for the next chapter. Thanks for sharing your story brother!

KoboldTaco · Mar 13, 2022

HEMIMANN said:
My 2007 Chevy.

Enough said and crystal clear

KoboldTaco · Mar 13, 2022

Mister Luck said:
When you started high-school do you remember the girl that was way out of your league maybe she was a senior to your freshman year you never saw her but she knew some of your friends..

in the early 70’s there were still plenty of muscle cars to be had and if you were from an affluent town even snobbish euro sports cars were easily accessible to budding first time drivers..

Rita was one of these not snobbish out of my league seniors that drove her mom’s BOSS 302 she shared with her older sister. I think she realized I existed when I was sophomore and she invited a group of us over to her boyfriend’s house to have a beer so she could show off her conquests of dating an older guy, in that intimate setting we sort of became friends and found we shared the same birthday.
I think she may have always wanted a little brother and Rita referred to me in this way confidentially.
I was very happy to even be recognized by her let alone known to her on a first name basis ..

This was a small town .. and over a few short years we still maintained our friend ship through mutual friends and acquaintances even after high school.

So needless to say I had a permanent crush on Rita and one day she drives up to me in a ‘75 Blacked Out Warlock that has huge tires, a 6 inch lift, over the cab 4in diameter “light bar” with 4 Hella’s on top and two on the front bumper… It had a step-side bed it was formidable and angry.

…Rita …motions me to come over and say’s “you want to go for a ride ?”

It turned out to be her new BF’s truck that worked at a local resort and he let her borrow it to see her mom she explains to me as she effortlessly weaves in and out of light traffic and comments how you can see everything ahead instead of being stuck in a cramped claustrophobic sports car like a Porsche or Beammer and whole heartedly I agreed.. she could drive that truck like a sports car and have a commanding view of the road ahead which at that time the tallest vehicle I had ever been in.

. I think I’ll remember the feeling of that ride gave me for the rest of my life…

Bro, heck yeah. I could feel the ride reading your story. As @BossHogg said, if RAM only knew some of these stories, how their marketing might look at this for attracting new drivers and owners. Man, thank you for sharing that story. Its one I will read over and over for a while.

KoboldTaco · Mar 14, 2022

joeygster said:
When I was a kid there was this really cool guy in the neighbourhood with a Ramcharger. I loved that rig of his. Fast forward to the intro of the 2nd Gen Ram when it was redesigned to look like a Kenworth semi truck. I was hooked and from that moment I wanted one. Took me going through a lot of vehicles and phases but I eventually grabbed my 2016 after leaving the sports car phase behind.

Thank you brother - the 2016 looks amazing and I truly can’t wait to climb in and start the truck for the first time. I really am visualizing that moment so I can have it manifest sooner and get that truck manufactured asap!

Thank you for sharing and I’m glad you didn’t get distracted by the sports car phase. You can still have it as long as you keep your trucks ha.

KoboldTaco · Mar 14, 2022

392DevilDog said:
Well. I owned so many Dodge Trucks as a young man. They always got me where I was going. I was a junior in High school when the 2nd Gen came out. My dad's coworker bought a new V10 and it was just magical. And then the Movie twister. So my first RAM truck was a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. Then I got hooked on HeftyDuty trucks when I bought my First W250...a 1985 Dodge Power Ram.

Then I finally got that 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 with that awesome 8.0l Magnum.

Then got my first Cummins. A 2013...did not really like it. We sold it and got a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500.

And then we got our Current 2015 with the 392 HEMI.

I have always been and always will be a Mopar Truck fan. View attachment 488384 View attachment 488385 View attachment 488386 View attachment 488387 View attachment 488388 View attachment 488389 View attachment 488390

There are so many more. But no more pics on this phone. Still got the 85 the 99 the 03 and the 15

Thank you for sharing - many of the RAM’s you pictured brought me back to my childhood. I can still smell the interior, a mix of gas, cigarettes and slowly rotting carpet and plastic material. The RAM with the snowplow on the front - yup. I would take that truck all day long today!

Fatbob Frank · Mar 14, 2022

The competition made me buy Ram.
The main reason I bought a Ram is that one side of my family is diehard Chevy people so I get first hand experience in all the complaints and numerous recalls.
The other half of my family are Ford fanatics and ( while they usually complain less) nearly all of them are mechanics and always fixing something.
I have neither the time, inclination or ability to spend that much time working on my daily driver or running it to the shop to be fixed.
Plus when the the inevitable Ford vs Chevy debate really heats up at family gatherings it's quite fun to just sit back and stir the pot...

RASelkirk · Mar 14, 2022

A: Had a '98 Dakota R/T, bought new with zero major issues over 20 years.

B: Was ~ $15k cheaper than a similarly GM or Ford.

C: Sport package & Blue Streak color!

D: Still available in regular cab, short bed.

Russ

leroys73 · Mar 14, 2022

Father-in-law retired from MOPAR. Part of his retirement package was he, wife, and kids would be able to buy MOPAR at what the dealer actually pays the manufacturer. Not what they call invoice. We had a special number to call and a special authorization number given to us. The manufacturer compensated the dealer who handled the deal.

Some vehicles such as the Hellcat were excluded.

However, he and my mother-in-law have both passed away so no more super good deals.

Mbi777 · Mar 14, 2022

Pretty easy for me. Just liked the looks, color scheme outside and interior. Not hung up on any particular brand.

3CUMMINS · Mar 14, 2022

In seven letters, CUMMINS.

djnelson5460 · Mar 14, 2022

I hope your recovery goes well man. I was a die-hard Chevy guy, started driving a ‘77 K1500 plow truck, first truck I bought was a ‘95 1500 work truck, then a ‘07 Silverado 1500. I was always told Dodges got bad fuel mileage and had transmission failures, but after 2014 when they went to the ZF 8 speed and the ‘09 up Hemis having less problems (from what I researched), I decided to try out Ram. My ‘07 Chevy box rusted out bad and got 15-16 mpg, and had a 7500lb tow rating. In 2019 I got a ‘18 Ram 1500 SLT with a Hemi, 3.21 gears, 13K miles for $27,000 and couldnt be happier. Comparable Chevys were $10K more. It gets 19-20 mpg in the summer and has a higher tow rating than my last Chevy. Ive gotten it undercoated with Krown every fall and change the oil every 5K miles, it has 73K on it now with zero engine or trans issues, knock on wood. Thats a sweet truck you ordered, great taste!

Noob2Trucks · Mar 14, 2022

GTyankee said:
I bought a Ram because a Chevy Truck salesman told me that 2009 Chevy trucks only had disc brakes on the front, i knew he was misinformed or flat out lying

Then i went to a Toyota & there were 5 or 6 salesmen staring at me from the shaded area of the building, they just stared at me & i looked at every style of truck they had & i had questions, they did not walk to me & i was not going to walk to them.
I was almost off the lot, pretty close to my 10 year old Chevy 1500, when 2 of the salesmen almost ran over to me. They asked if i needed help & i just told that i was looking for a new truck & i left.

Of course, i always shop in dirty work clothes & i was wearing a Camouflaged Military jacket because it was chilly.
I may have forgot to brush my hair

View attachment 488321

Hahah, good for you! Same thing happened to me at Lexus. I was looking around for something and everyone was social distancing (before it was cool ) got ready to leave and NOW you want to talk. Went next door and bought a GTI. I loved that car. Got 1.9% with no credit and 4k down. VW took care of me on that one.

What inspired you to buy a RAM truck?

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