Best regular cab for offroad

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.

8675309

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Posts
184
Reaction score
41
Location
Southwest
Ram Year
2012 RCSB 2WD 6sp
Engine
HEMI 5.7
Hi,

I'm trying to decide between a single cab, short bed, classic 1500 4x4, 3.92, hemi 8sp...

or a 5th gen single cab 8ft 2500 4x4, 6.4 hemi 8sp.

I don't tow or haul, and if I can fit a quad in either bed (I can, even with ram boxes), I'm fine with the form factor and options and size and MPG of each. My sole question is which will be better for off-road. I plan to invest a significant chunk of money into the suspension of either. The 1500 is IFS up front, the 2500 is SA up front. Both will get the job done. But which will do the job better for crawling around crappy roads on ranches in the chihuahuan desert? I have ridden in the 2500 and enjoy it fine, and owned a 4th gen RCSB and enjoyed it as well (other than being a 6sp). Just stuck between these 2, since both used tried and tested engines and transmissions (RCSB 2021 f-150 was in the running until I saw all of the trouble they've been having, and reliability issues for several years, with Toyota and Ram being 1st and 2nd on truck reliability, far ahead of chevy and ford).

Any thoughts? SA regular cab HD trucks make solid off-roaders once they are lifted, but not many people buy regular cab trucks anymore, and those that do typically lower or leave stock, and are 2wd. I can't find many lifted 4wd regular cab trucks. I don't plan to lift for looks, so will invest heavily in suspension with someone like dirt king or camburg or any of the well-known suspension folks.

Thanks for reading my rant.
 
OP
OP
8

8675309

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Posts
184
Reaction score
41
Location
Southwest
Ram Year
2012 RCSB 2WD 6sp
Engine
HEMI 5.7
Oh, and 35 or so tires on the 1500, and 37 on the 2500.

3.92 on 1500, 4.10 on 2500.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
Not really close if the 2500 has a solid axle as you say, invest in a true locking transfer case and axle. I'm not sure what the 2500 has, but the 1500 just don't lock for ish. Look under the truck, 1500's have a lot of stuff that can break real easy if you wheel it.

Downsize is the weight, truly neither are good for wheeling when compared to really capable machines.
 
OP
OP
8

8675309

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Posts
184
Reaction score
41
Location
Southwest
Ram Year
2012 RCSB 2WD 6sp
Engine
HEMI 5.7
Not sand dunes, the other kind with washes galore ;)

I agree on the SA trucks, but a huge 4 door heavy truck is counter productive. For some reason the industry forgot that short wheelbase, lighter vehicles are better off road and only offer the offroad packages on behemoth sized vehicles.
 
Last edited:

dlromo

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2018
Posts
226
Reaction score
427
Location
TX
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Hemi 6.4
I like my RCLB, I don’t like enough people for a crew cab, does awesome in loose sand and mud, I’m not a rock crawler. It’s my work truck too.

229D8E14-0001-4383-9766-5DA3677A2768.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 9861BEB9-110E-4E7E-AD89-C8A4C25A2FEE.jpeg
    9861BEB9-110E-4E7E-AD89-C8A4C25A2FEE.jpeg
    103.7 KB · Views: 7

kurek

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Posts
2,498
Reaction score
3,440
Location
Northwest
Ram Year
2015
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Seems there's more than one definition of what "off road" means. Neither vehicle's running Dusy-Ershim. In terms of which truck will fit down narrow and boulder-strewn Jeep trails better it's probably a wash.. shorter wheelbase on the 1500 vs. greater average clearance at the rocker panels & chassis on the 2500 . There are situations where either one will have an edge over the other.

For the first 5 years I owned my RCSB 4x4 I lived in Arizona and explored the desert as often as I could, every time I turned around it was because the trail ended or because the trail was too narrow. Not because of traction, not because of ground clearance, not because of articulation or torque or any other factor that might separate a 1500 from a 2500... pretty much just places where a full size truck was definitely going to take body damage if I proceeded.

These days in Washington I mostly turn around because of locked gates, since about 100.0% of all roads into the forest/up mountains/to lakes in this region are gated off. I probably should just get a hybrid and give up owning a 4x4 since I don't see any chance of those roads opening back up in my lifetime.
 

62Blazer

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Posts
1,067
Reaction score
1,255
Location
Midwest
Ram Year
2016
Engine
6.4
I would have a hard time not going for the 2500 truck because of the beefier drivetrain and solid axle suspension, which is generally better for the lower speed off-roading and cheaper and easier to modify.
However the 1500 does have some advantages because it's lighter and more nimble. 35's on a 1500 probably offer just as much or more ground clearance as compared to 37s on a 2500 because of how much bigger the axles are and hang down.
 
OP
OP
8

8675309

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Posts
184
Reaction score
41
Location
Southwest
Ram Year
2012 RCSB 2WD 6sp
Engine
HEMI 5.7
I like my RCLB, I don’t like enough people for a crew cab, does awesome in loose sand and mud, I’m not a rock crawler. It’s my work truck too.

View attachment 467933
Beautiful ride! How does it compare, in driving, to 1/2 tons? I realized I hadn't driven a new 2500, only a 4th gen 2500. How is your gas mileage?
 

GTyankee

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Nov 2, 2020
Posts
10,059
Reaction score
12,599
Location
El Cajon Calif. 92021
Ram Year
2016
Engine
3.0 ecodiesel
What are you needing off road, Pleasure or Work
If it is going to be for Ranching, chasing stray cattle up the washes,
or just to get out to the south 40
Or are you going Gem Hunting

I would be looking for an International Scout, Ford Bronco or something else 4 Wheel Drive & sitting tall
 

dlromo

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2018
Posts
226
Reaction score
427
Location
TX
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Hemi 6.4
Beautiful ride! How does it compare, in driving, to 1/2 tons? I realized I hadn't driven a new 2500, only a 4th gen 2500. How is your gas mileage?
Never been in a 1/2T Ram. I’m averaging about 14 combined.
 

retired

Votes republican and identifies as a he/him
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Posts
2,172
Reaction score
2,778
Location
montana
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.4
Seems there's more than one definition of what "off road" means. Neither vehicle's running Dusy-Ershim. In terms of which truck will fit down narrow and boulder-strewn Jeep trails better it's probably a wash.. shorter wheelbase on the 1500 vs. greater average clearance at the rocker panels & chassis on the 2500 . There are situations where either one will have an edge over the other.

For the first 5 years I owned my RCSB 4x4 I lived in Arizona and explored the desert as often as I could, every time I turned around it was because the trail ended or because the trail was too narrow. Not because of traction, not because of ground clearance, not because of articulation or torque or any other factor that might separate a 1500 from a 2500... pretty much just places where a full size truck was definitely going to take body damage if I proceeded.

These days in Washington I mostly turn around because of locked gates, since about 100.0% of all roads into the forest/up mountains/to lakes in this region are gated off. I probably should just get a hybrid and give up owning a 4x4 since I don't see any chance of those roads opening back up in my lifetime.

me loves the Dusy....but you are right not really Ram truck terrain unless it is a built yota. When we ran it only other running vehicle we saw was a Toyota buggy trying to pull a broken down landrover out. They looked beat.
 

retired

Votes republican and identifies as a he/him
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Posts
2,172
Reaction score
2,778
Location
montana
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.4
curious if you are not going to tow or haul why not look at a power wagon. rides like a 1500 but much more capable offroad.
 

392DevilDog

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Posts
1,939
Reaction score
2,893
Location
Glasgow, Pennsylvania
Ram Year
2015
Engine
392 Hemi
curious if you are not going to tow or haul why not look at a power wagon. rides like a 1500 but much more capable offroad.
Guessing here...but because he wants a regular cab...

I have my eye on a 2007 Regular Cab 6 spd manual Powerwagon...but the guy just wont sell it.

Make Regular Cabs Great Again
 

retired

Votes republican and identifies as a he/him
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Posts
2,172
Reaction score
2,778
Location
montana
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.4
Guessing here...but because he wants a regular cab...

I have my eye on a 2007 Regular Cab 6 spd manual Powerwagon...but the guy just wont sell it.

Make Regular Cabs Great Again
true that. I thought I wanted a regular cab again as I have had plenty of them in the old days, my first was in 1977. Then I spent an hour in a new regular cab truck and I had forgot how cramped they are and how nice the crew cab extra room was.But I know everyone has different needs and likes.
 

Rooster417

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Posts
6
Reaction score
2
Location
63348
Ram Year
16
Engine
5.7
16 4x4 5.7 with pulsar and Craven exhaust 3.92's LSD Bilstein5100 2.8 35 G2's with 90000miles on her 89000 on the tires, rotated every 7500, with only the lifted alignment when originaly done. no parts replaced or needed on suspension.
 

Attachments

  • 13932849_1388395794508320_2671115928467959123_n.jpg
    13932849_1388395794508320_2671115928467959123_n.jpg
    103.3 KB · Views: 11
  • 16 Rig.jpg
    16 Rig.jpg
    132.7 KB · Views: 11

Regcabguy

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Posts
194
Reaction score
118
Location
92117
Ram Year
2007
Engine
5.9 I-6
Hi,

I'm trying to decide between a single cab, short bed, classic 1500 4x4, 3.92, hemi 8sp...

or a 5th gen single cab 8ft 2500 4x4, 6.4 hemi 8sp.

I don't tow or haul, and if I can fit a quad in either bed (I can, even with ram boxes), I'm fine with the form factor and options and size and MPG of each. My sole question is which will be better for off-road. I plan to invest a significant chunk of money into the suspension of either. The 1500 is IFS up front, the 2500 is SA up front. Both will get the job done. But which will do the job better for crawling around crappy roads on ranches in the chihuahuan desert? I have ridden in the 2500 and enjoy it fine, and owned a 4th gen RCSB and enjoyed it as well (other than being a 6sp). Just stuck between these 2, since both used tried and tested engines and transmissions (RCSB 2021 f-150 was in the running until I saw all of the trouble they've been having, and reliability issues for several years, with Toyota and Ram being 1st and 2nd on truck reliability, far ahead of chevy and ford).

Any thoughts? SA regular cab HD trucks make solid off-roaders once they are lifted, but not many people buy regular cab trucks anymore, and those that do typically lower or leave stock, and are 2wd. I can't find many lifted 4wd regular cab trucks. I don't plan to lift for looks, so will invest heavily in suspension with someone like dirt king or camburg or any of the well-known suspension folks.

Thanks for reading my rant.
I've had two 2500 Ram regcabs. I'd get the 2500 5.7. It's already got sufficient ground clearance,the solid axle and Dodge finally got the steering right. Thuren for the win on Ram solid axles. Softer lift springs up front and four Fox reservoir shocks all around and you're pretty good.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
194,902
Posts
2,863,861
Members
155,252
Latest member
radikio
Top