Our new '19 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 "Build"

[tjZ06]

Okay, "build" is an over-statement, it's just getting subtle, tasteful mods. We'll consider superchargers once the kits have been out a while and tested.

Our new game-plan calls for Melissa to tow a box trailer, so her Jeep Grand Cherokee wasn't going to cut it. Granted, the JGC towed our 20' flatbed with the (heavy) Z1 RZR on it just fine, but I wasn't about to ask her to tow a 24' box trailer with it. We decided it was time for her to get back into a truck. She's always been a truck girl anyway, she had a '06 Ram w/ the 5.7L Hemi for almost 10 years before we got the Jeep.

In general I'm a Chevy guy, and both the GM 1500 trucks and 1500 RAMs were all new for 2019. Ford wasn't really in the running, because Ford. Sure, the 3.5L Ecoboost is impressive (375HP/470TQ) but it still sounds horrible, and the F150s are fugly right now... oh, and it's a Ford. Anyway, I really, really wanted to like the Chevys. You have to love the 6.2L direct injected motor (420/460 HP/TQ) and the new 10 speed auto. But damn it, we just couldn't "fall in love" with the Chevys. The look hasn't grown on me and the interior is really lacking, especially compared to the RAM. Right now RAM has the nicest half ton truck out there. It doesn't hurt that Melissa has always been a Hemi girl!

Originally we were looking at the Rebel, in the end though we thought the kitschy red plastics in the interior and fabric seats would look "dated" after a while, and neither of us were sold on the grill. Also, nobody had what we wanted in a Rebel on the lot anywhere within 500 miles. If we were going to have to order, we might as well make it "ours."

One of the big reasons we had to order is we wanted the optional 33 gallon fuel tank (base is 26 gallon) and it seemed like nobody stocked them with that option. I really can't understand why dealers don't order them with the bigger tank. Once we got to looking around, we landed on optioning out a Laramie, rather than going with a Big Horn or Limited.

As you all know the Big Horn has the King Ranch/High Country style brown leather, but RAM took it one step further with way more "cowboy" adornments, including (fake) belt-buckles on the seat-back pockets... definitely NOT us. The limited is super nice, but we also didn't like the grill as much, it requires the air suspension (more on that later) and the interior has some embossing on the leather that looks like the pattern on the back pockets of $500 jeans. Also VERY not us.

So, with the Laramie we were able to get a nice black leather interior with suede/alcantara accents which is very much us. I have a '11 D'max and we did my interior with lots of tasteful alcantara. We were also able to get all of the tech we wanted (12" touch screen, radar cruise, auto high beams/wipers/etc., 19 speaker HK sound system, etc. etc) and the utility options we wanted (33 gallon fuel tank, 3.92 gears with E-locker, off road group, towing group, etc.). We also got the sport appearance package, which really sets the truck off.

Sorry all the pics are in the garage, it's still smokey AF up here in Lincoln:


(this was actually when it arrived at the dealer in Woodland, the smoke was even worse there so it makes it look a bit darker than it normally does, IMHO)



No, one thing that is EFFIN KILLIN ME is the holes in the bumper for the front plate. Apparently RAM won't send a truck into CA without them drilled (it's a metal bumper, not plastic). We'll get some Bumper Plugs that will make it pretty unnoticeable, but it'll still bother me, because I'm speSHUL.

 

[tjZ06]

So, what's the plan, and why not get the air suspension? On these 2019 RAMs (and I think some of the '18 and earlier) they are full coil-spring front and rear, a-arm front and multi-link back, no leaf springs. That's what allows for the air suspension of course. I really liked the air setup on her JGC, and it made it nice for towing (since it auto-leveled out). I think she found it more annoying than anything. That said, we planned to lift this truck from the get-go, so the air susp was out. All of the lift makers say "not for use with models equipped with air suspension" but I did find folks who had run lifts with the air anyway. Still, I didn't want to chance it and run into issues if you accidentally put it in the higher modes (since you're already lifting it, you don't want to put it in the higher mode and run into crazy geometry, brake lines being too short, etc.). So, that's why we didn't do air, and here's what we already have sitting at home for it:

• MagnaFlow Exhaust (black from the muffler-back)
• Method NV305 "Double Standard" 20x9" Rims
• 35x12.5-20" Toyo Open Country M/Ts
• Ready Lift 3.5" SST Lift Kit
• Air Lift Ultimate rear air bag kit (with internal bump-stops)
• Air Lift 2" Spacer Kit (to make up for the lift, which is only 2" in the rear)
• Same Air Lift Wireless compressor/controller as my truck
• Amp Steps (back-ordered, ugh)
• Weathertech Floormats (hardcore modding, yo)
• Mudflaps to protect the paint with the larger wheels/tires that will sit further out (ordered both Weathertech and Mopar so we can decide which we prefer)

It'll also get fully ceramic coated today, and most of the badges are going to be removed ("RAM" door badges, "LARAMIE" and "4x4" tailgate badges, and "4x4" stickers on bed-sides). Basically, anything that's not "formed" into the truck will be taken off. The grill badge, hood insert, and tailgate badge will stay (again, because they're formed into the truck) but are getting blacked-out. We'll probably also black-out the chrome on the mirrors.

 

[tjZ06]

Got the exhaust done. Normally a simple cat-back I'd just do myself, but it looked like it'd be a bit tough to get the exhaust out with the truck on the ground and the jackstands I had wouldn't really get a truck up very high in the air (they're relatively short, from working on the Z06, my RZRs, my sand rails etc... pickups you generally need a very large set of jackstands), so I used our local mobile muffler guy:



I guess the mic on my Boost Mobile Obama-phone isn't very good (it's actually a S8, it's just lived a rough life ), and I probably should have taken it out of the case. The vids don't really do the difference justice, but oh well, here they are...

Before cold-start:


After cold-start:


Before idle:


After idle:


Before rev:


After rev:

(keep in mind, we're still under 100 miles on the truck, so these aren't super-high revs)

 

[MADDOG]

You are having too much fun there....

 

[mboymopar]

Great vids!

 

[O.R.T.]

Nice new toy. I definitely feel ya on our air quality the past two weeks but at least we got rain this week. Looking forward to seeing how this build goes and if you’re ever game see about meeting some of us for the Golden State Mopar get-to-gethers. (We need more trucks represented!)