Ram Boxes good or bad

[FarmJim]

I had them on my 2016 and have them on my 2020. It's a major reason I bought Ram. Convenient, useful. Another option for carrying many items that aren't dumped into the bed or put in the back of the cab.

 

[R1200GS]

I have had the RBs and loved them for their 'handiness' and their help in helping me better organize things. The problem, and a big one for me, is that I also use a bed cover and I have yet to find a fully 'weather proof' bed cover than can be used in conjunction with the RBs. Thus, my '19 Bighorn is sans RBs for that reason alone.

 

[Mace Peveler]

Didn't want them, but my truck had them. Now I really like them for storing all the crap that usually ends up in the back seat. The only thing I don't like is the fit and finish. I've had a lot of issues with the fascia warping and coming off the lids. The fascia is only held on with double-sided tape and the tape fails with expansion and contraction. It appears to me that the two different materials of the fascia and the lid have different amounts of expansion and contraction between the two so the tape fails. Who knows? I'm no RAM engineer.

 

[Tracy in IL]

100% love mine. Can't imagine having a truck without them.

 

[Machria]

The RAM Boxes are sinmply put, THE BOMB!!! They are the reason I bought the RAM truck, I was a Ford guy prior. I would NEVER buy a truck without them, period!

The box on the passenger side I store all my regular daily stuff in, rope, my trailer hitch, some ratcheting straps, gloves, some basic tools, jumper cables, a few small blocks, better tire wrench... lots of stuff, and still lots of space left when needed. Basically, this is all the stuff most guys keep in a milk crate flopping around unsecured in the bed of their truck. Well, mine is LOCKED, and secure out of the weather.

The drivers side I mostly keep empty except for some diesel additive I put in each tank when I fill up. The empty space I use for groceries when I go shopping. Instead of grocery bags rolling around the back seat or in the bed, I just drop them in the ram box and off I go. Or if I go to Home depot and pick up a few things, again I drop them in the box and they are secure instead of rolling around in the back seat... I get take out food thats hot, drop the whole bag into the ram box and it stays hot (kind of insulated!). If I get get cold food or beer/drinks? Drop them in the ram box, and they stay cold!

Best of all, I still get a full sheet of plywood, drywall in the bed. And I didn't loose any space for the most part for getting firewood which I use the truck for. I still have a big giant empty cargo bed to utilize for whatever! No crate, bag.... flopping around the bed!!

THEY ARE THE BOMB!!!!!

 

[DA67Goatman]

I really like my ramboxes, it's really the only reason I bought my truck, it made me overlook a lot of things I didn't want like leather seats and 4wd. I just wish they came on a real size bed. Anything less than 8ft is dumb, same with having back seats, totally impractical.

 

[Pwrwagon]

Every Truck should have them bar none. I never had them til I got my PW. I was always under impression you lost space in bed. The only space you lose is the useless space by wheel well. Still fits a 4’ wide sheet of plywood , but now you have lots of space. One side I put my 4x4 gear. The other side I keep small stuff. You ca. Put bags of groceries, guns, air compressor ect. You have so many options. Keep bed open for the big stuff. My truck also has compartments under rear floor one side I keep my hictch and diff balls. The other I have a change of clothes.
Ram Boxes are a must if you work out of your truck. Those boxes that fit in bed up front are a pain in the ass to get anything out of Ram Box ease Peezy. There worth the extra $1000 when buying new makes work life so much easier. Ram get my vote for them for sure

 

[moonwolf22]

I've read this thread from beginning to end, and you guys have missed the most obvious reason for having a ram box.... "Opt for the long bed Ram Box, and you can carry up to 140 cans of beer for your next weekend camping trip". Per side!!! Nuff said.....

 

[aux576]

Big fan. Huge.

(*caveat: you asked about a PW w/ RB. I do NOT have a PW, I have a Laramie w/RB.)

Had a 2005 1500 SLT WITHOUT a RamBox for 250k miles before I finally bought my Laramie in 2020 with the RamBox. For YEARS with my old truck I was pining for the Ram Box. Finally go it, and love it. Wouldn’t go back.



I look at RB today as Asian girlfriends in the ‘80s & ‘90s. You had to be a little bit “different” or have “yellow fever” to have wanted an Asian girlfriend. Why? Just because not many people had one or knew about one so it was just unknown and odd so no one wanted one. Once you try one though, you’re like “wow! I shoulda been doing this earlier!” Now the word’s out, more guys are trying it, it’s almost “a thing” now to have one, still niche, but instead of universal hate now there is a lot of ‘I wonder what it is that he likes about that so much?’ I think Ram Boxes are the same. We all come from the same pickup truck for generations, the RB is a little odd, but alluring, but repulsive at the same time. Some make the leap and try it out and are hooked; a few try it and don’t like it and go back. Most don’t try it and wonder about it, and a few don’t try it and tell everyone else how much it must suck because not everyone has one.

The “I can’t do a RB because I need a rack or it limits my tonneau options” is the same guys who say “I can’t have an Asian GF because I like gibundemous boobs”, or “I need a little bit thicker there”. Okay, that’s true, but both are good. Take the RB for a spin and you’ll realize that you will miss the big boobs less than you thought you would and there’s a lot of other things going on there that make up for it.



Asian GF twenty years ago = Ram Box today.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda if we had known more then.



Net sum is: yes RB. Positives outweigh the negatives. And there are negatives, no doubt. But still, RB yes.



To me, biggest single drawback to the freaking Ram Box is that they don’t no more make em in 6’ beds. That alone should be a no-go to lots of buyers.

I never had use for no 8’ bed, but I always had disdain for those little mall crawler grocery wagons with the puny 5’7” beds. But I wanted RamBox so bad I put up with getting a small bed this time around. That is my biggest regret – not the volume or width of the bed with the RB, but the fact that I had to “settle” for the 5’ bed in order to get the RB.

Still, I’d do it again.

I have had some issues where I wished I had a 6’ bed, but nothing critical nor showstopper. However, the RB has been a giant positive for me since day one.



I’m one of those “prepared” type guys so I believe any truck owner should carry (if not for his own use than to be a helpful good citizen to fellow motorists) towing gear, compressor, first aid stuff, hazard warning (foldable triangles, road flares, etc), weather things (umbrellas, ponchos), basic tools, tape, clamps, gloves, rags and assorted 5h1t. All of that used to get smashed under my rear seat in my old truck, in various containers or loose, and would invariably get out sometimes, or would be wet or muddy if I used em on the road (tow strap, gloves for example). Now, all of that kr@p stays in the outside of the truck in the RamBox. I have one side RB for all that, the other is for the wife: she can put groceries in it if she chooses, or dump ice in it and use it for a cooler, or TP if we’re going out in the country, or whatever. The point is, that is “hers” and none of HER 5h1t is kept inside the cab of MY truck.



Let’s look at four of the biggest cons of the RB and dispense with those first:

1. Limit for toneau and rack and camper options.

2. Cargo space lost

3. Bad fit

4. Demand is low so it must suck, right?



Lack of options for racks, etc.

First of all, what percentage of owners even do rack or camper their bed? A minority. And then its not like they CAN’T find an option, just that they are not happy with the lack of choice.



Lost cargo space. Not really - it is just transformed from lose, curved space around the wheels to enclosed - still odd shpaed - but with flat bottom sections no longer curved. So yeah, you do "lose" some volume - but not really - and it’s mostly only “useless” volume that is lost, not practical dimensions.
That same 4x8 plyboard that fit between the wheel humps of my old 2005 ram 1500 still fits flat on the floor of my 2020 bed with RamBox.
What did I lose? That weirdo space forward and aft of the wheel hump. Sure, when I used to drag the family to the kid’s pony club camp every summer that 5 gallon jerry can of water fit nicely in that weird space. So did the basket of dive mask snorkles and towels. But mostly that weird volume – being a curved hump in the first place – didn’t allow for stacking things upright squarely anyway. C’mon everybody, admit it – that weird volume front and aft of the wheel hump we only ever put things in it AFTER we loaded the bed with the large square rectangle stuff and secured the load and THEN we just piled loosely odds and ends into that available trapezoidal volume anyway. It’s not like it was a nice rectangle of volume that could stack well in the first place. Or that sheet metal curve over the tire was particularly load bearing. I don’t know how many dents were in my wheel humps because of stuff I piled onto it that it couldn’t support in the first place. And things you put on it were lifted high in relation to the bed wall anyway. Now, all that impractical space is in an enclosed neat managed space.



Bad Fit:

Well, I have one of the RB doors the gap with the quarter panel is wider than the other side. Big deal. There are QC/QA problems with EVERYTHING nowadays anyway – things are so complex systems-of-systems that EVERYTHING is a quality problem anyway. We own a Wrnagler and it has its own problems. FCA sux for quality but we buy it for its unique features, right? (i.e. there is no Wranglers except for wrangler, the Ram has the best ride quality this generation, the only brand with a RamBox type solution, etc). Fords have their own problems. Y’alls Smart TVs don’t mesh nicely with you other whizbang gadgets in the house. Etc etc. Point is, it aint perfect, but it is great, and nothing is perfect anyway.
Mine don't leak, btw, even in commercial pressure car washes.





Demand is so low that is must suck, right?

I guess. I think it’s a vicious spiral though that leads to RB sales dropping. The factory had massive production quantity and deliverable timing issues with the last generation change that involved the entire vehicle. RB subcontractor production rate was just one of the current generation launch problems. Then they settled on only making RB in the 5’7” bed this generation. How much of that was because of low demand vs how much of that CAUSED demand to drop???

I got Ram boxes and an Asian girlfriend and love 'em both

 

[KeepRight]

Sorry if this has been beat to death on here, trying to get feedback on the ram box whether or not you guys that have them would buy the truck with that option again. Dave Smith Auto in Idaho doesn't stock any pw with the ram box saying they are not a popular option.

The one thing that I truly enjoy about my Ram, are the boxes. These are the greatest design around. Yup, you do loose some bed space, but that isn't an issue for me. They lock and unlock just like the doors and there are lights inside. There are drain plugs if you use them as a cooler. I wish other brand trucks had these.

 

[jejb]

I've only owned a RB Ram for a couple of weeks, and it's my first Ram. But the Ram Box is one of the primary reasons I went from GMC to Ram. It's a unique feature and friends that have had them love them. Mine are loaded with all manner of tools, straps, trail working equipment, hitches, etc. Drove through a very hard rainstorm yesterday on the interstate, and had zero leakage into the boxes. Could not be happier with them.

 

[Floyd1979]

2009 Crewcab Rambox, 442,160
2015 Ecodiesel Longhorn Rambox Crewcab
2019- 2500 Megacab Rambox Longhorn
2020 Crewcab Rambox
All of them works well for me
Use them for work
Doesn’t leak

 

[Floyd1979]

2009 Crewcab Rambox, 442,160
2015 Ecodiesel Longhorn Rambox Crewcab
2019- 2500 Megacab Rambox Longhorn
2020 Crewcab Rambox
All of them works well for me
Use them for work
Doesn’t leak

 

[Willy Bars]

Love my ram box. I have had two. One on a 17 and now on a 19. For me it is a have to have. And the cargo management that is included is extremely helpful. I found the 19 at Dave Smiths. Also there is no problems with pallets.

 

[Darpup]

For what I do they work well. Like others have said the fit of the lids are not the greatest for the price you pay for them.

 

[KC5TGQ]

I love mine. The best invention in years. I love the way they lock and unlock with the fob.

 

[KeepRight]

For what I do they work well. Like others have said the fit of the lids are not the greatest for the price you pay for them.

I'll unsure what you mean be 'the fit of the kids not the greatest.' Mine close as well as any door and or trunk.

Again, for me I love the ram boxes.

 

[Matt ott]

2016 power wagon with out ram box but next one will have them for sure....

 

[bellaireroad]

I’ve put pistol grip toolboxes on every truck I’ve owned. Very convenient for my needs.
So instead of the toolboxes decided to do the swap.
.................................................... https://www.ramforum.com/threads/rambox-swap.154105/

 

[olyelr]

I’ve put pistol grip toolboxes on every truck I’ve owned. Very convenient for my needs.
So instead of the toolboxes decided to do the swap.
....................................................
Rambox swap
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=17770&share_tid=154105&url=https://www.ramforum.com/index.php?threads/Rambox-swap.154105/&share_type=t&link_source=app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Link no workie.

 

[Scott Sanders]

I don’t have any first hand experience with them. And while I think they are good idea in theory and useful for some people one of my requirements for my PW was NO Ramboxes. For me it was one less thing to have problems with and let’s me have the full range of options when it comes to bed accessories. Toppers, expedition racks, ect.

Teacher: "Thank you Johnny. Now, let's get back to the question that was asked..."