Classics are being built and held due to chip shortage

[tron67j]

Thought this was interesting, speaks to the impacts to manufacturing all over.

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/03/21/ram-1500-classic-chip-shortage/

 

[sandawilliams]

My timing was just right. I ordered Jan. 6th and truck arrived March 11th. Just before the chip shortage happened. I read that ram orders can now take 24 weeks.

 

[GTyankee]

Hopefully they will prioritise vehicles that people have placed orders for

The orders for dealership inventory can be put on hold

 

[GTyankee]

Fleet ordering has also been changed

2021 RAM 1500 (DT) Final Orders Due just changed to ASAP
2022 orders don't have an ordering date, TBD

RAM 1500 Classic (DS) Reg. Cab, ordering ends on April 8th ... made in Saltillo Mexico

reference:
https://www.donlen.com/buildstart-trucks-chrysler.html

 

[magic280z]

Ford and GM have announced similar problems at some of their plants too.

2019 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 - Crew Cab/5.7 Bed - 5.7 Hemi - 3.92 - Anti Spin - Level 1 Options - RamBox - BUG

 

[sandawilliams]

Hopefully they will prioritise vehicles that people have placed orders for

The orders for dealership inventory can be put on hold

They take care of dealer orders before others. Need to take care of their bread and butter.

 

[chri5k]

The wait may get longer after a fire this past Friday at a major chip maker.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...er-renesas-auto-chip-plant-fire-idUSKBN2BE05I

 

[*tim*]

Hopefully they eliminate the active fuel management temporarily like gm is doing

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[mikeru]

Hopefully they eliminate the active fuel management temporarily like gm is doing

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

This alone would make me buy a new Ram today. Although it's called multi-displacement system (MDS) for Ram trucks.

 

[PoMansRam]

It would be interesting to know how that works. If these classics are being built and parked w/out computers, how do they move/drive them? Where do they put them? I'm assuming they've got some of what ever is needed to plug into a batch of trucks at a time to be able to move them?

 

[crash68]

It would be interesting to know how that works. If these classics are being built and parked w/out computers, how do they move/drive them? Where do they put them?

The chip manufacturer that is causing the delay primarily makes audio chips, it's most likely the radio or dash displays that the auto companies are lacking.
As for where they would store them, the storage lot is just south of the Warren Truck. (X marks the spot)

I've see them stack trucks up there like cord wood (figuratively speaking).

 

[GTyankee]

A picture of the Warren Plant back some years ago, this is on a normal day & the trucks are lined up to be loaded on the freight train or semi truck haulers



If you look at the aerial pix above that Crash 68 posted, you can see the loading ramps for the freight train right below where you see the words
FCA Warren Truck Assembly Plant

Besides the Warren plant for storing vehicles, there is also another Plant that has been closed down until just recently, it's called the Jefferson North Assembly Plant, FCA also owns the old Budd Wheel Plant, & the Mack Avenue Engine Plant
So they have all the storage areas they might need for a while

Jefferson North Assembly Plant now.



zoom in on all of those railway freight cars & you can see the yellow loading ramps

 

[PoMansRam]

Cool. Thanks for posting the images fellas. Could you imagine those lots snowed in? Lawd have mercy that's a lot of snow to shove around.

I wonder if each and every one of those trucks has to be shuttled back into the plant somewhere to install what's ever missing, or do they do it right out in the lot? You never think about how many **** beaters have poked around in your shiny new ride or farted in the interior before you get it.

 

[crash68]

I wonder if each and every one of those trucks has to be shuttled back into the plant somewhere to install what's ever missing, or do they do it right out in the lot? You never think about how many **** beaters have poked around in your shiny new ride or farted in the interior before you get it.

It's a good possibility that they'll install the parts in the storage lot just due to the numbers involved. There used to be a sizeable lot next to the factory where repair vehicle would be parked, that is now the new paint shop and area added to the production floor.
Many years back they had to recover, evacuate and recharge over a thousand trucks, there was a portable charging machine set up and they were done in that lot.

 

[GTyankee]

When a new Ram rolls off the Warren Assembly Line, it goes to a parking area where car haulers then pick them up & haul them to another place in Warren, it's called GFX Ltd. It is a place for outfitting Rams, both for the dealerships & for Special Service Rams
GFX has partnership owners, Line-X & another corporation.
https://gfxlaw.com/
&
https://www.gfxltd.com/

Then the Rams are hauled back to the Warren Assembly Plant to get a final inspection & checking to see if the electronics need to be updated.
Then they drive the Rams over to the parking area that is used for Transit to the dealerships.

If the Rams are 5th Gen, they are assembled at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, i read someones post last week, that they outfit those Rams, somewhere on the property.

I don't know how they do it down at the Saltillo Mexico Assembly Plants, where they assemble the Heavy Duty Rams & Standard Cab Rams, as well as the Ram Vans

 

[Truck Fun]

They take care of dealer orders before others. Need to take care of their bread and butter.

Does the factory even know whether or not a truck is for the dealer's inventory or special ordered for a customer?

 

[GTyankee]

When the ordering process begins
The paperworks goes to Auburn Hills Mich.
On the paperwork, your name & dealership is noted

If the paperwork is accepted, it is assigned a VON, Vehicle Order Number

The paperwork is sent to some office that checks for the parts needed to build the Ram described on the VON, the Ram is now in Build Status C

When they know that all the parts are readily available to build that Ram, it changes to Build Status D, It means that the paperwork now has a VIN # on it, it is still just on paper

Then that paperwork goes to the assembly plant & it is given a Date to start being built, once it has that date, the Build Status changes to D1, ( it is called Gateway )

Then on that date a Frame with the VIN# is brought in and positioned on a conveyor belt, the sheet metal is being assembled for painting in another area, the assembly has begun & about 16 hours later the Ram rolls off of the Assembly Line & the copy of the paperwork in electronic form travels with it.

All the way through assembly, they know exactly where & when anything occurs concerning that Ram, each station have chip readers & everything is filmed

 

[GTyankee]

Michigan assembly plant new Ram parking area, sometime in the past

The fog lights are horizontal, not vertical, so that is a clue for timeline

 

[oilslick]

Does the factory even know whether or not a truck is for the dealer's inventory or special ordered for a customer?

Yes! If a customer orders a truck, it's called a "sold order".

 

[ramffml]

Yes! If a customer orders a truck, it's called a "sold order".

I factory ordered my truck and the window sticker even has my name on it which is kind of cool.