RamBox or 5th Wheel Prep Group?

[Gadgettr1]

I'm looking at ordering a new 26 Limited Megacab SRW 3500. I'm planning on ordering it with pretty much every option other than a sunroof, DRW, and dual alternators. But the real question is whether to get the 5th wheel prep or keep the RamBox? We haven't decided if we are going to get a 5th wheel in the future or not yet, but its possible. I also have never had a truck with the RamBox, although people I've talked to that have them love them. I do plan on taking the truck for a long distance ride or two with just me, the wife and the dog (127lbs) staying at hotels along the way that allow the pup. Thoughts for and against the 5th wheel prep vs the RamBox?

Thanks.....

 

[dieselscout80]

You can install the gooseneck hitch and the four pucks in a Rambox truck, but you can’t buy it new that way.

If you search on line you can find multiple different instances of the installation. The places you cut the holes to install the gooseneck and the four pucks are already marked in the bed floor visible by looking inside the box.

That said the only fifth wheel hitch that will work with the Rambox is the Reese Sidewinder hitch (maybe other manufacturers are making the same thing now).

Traditional fifth wheel hitches on RV type trailers will hit the sides (inside surfaces) of the Rambox.

Gooseneck hitch trailers like equivalent trailers work on the center gooseneck ball. Note the goosebox adapter likely doesn’t work.

 

[Rlaf75]

I only have a little grocery getter 1500 but in my opinion, since you're undecided about the 5th wheel but its a definitely still a possibility, I would opt for the regular bed without rambox. It will leave you with more options down the road. Also if you're looking for the storage, get a roll up tonneau cover to keep everything underneath that. The roll up cover will allow you to still mount the 5th wheel without removing the cover in its entirety. Simply roll it up and you have full access to the bed. Again, in my opinion, the rambox takes a decent sized bed and reduces its size a lot which limits bed use for other things.

 

[commander]

You CAN always add a 5th wheel, but not the Ram Boxes! I have had 2 Rams with the Ram Boxes, and will not buy another one without. A great place to store all the "stuff" that is inside the cab cluttering up things.

JT

 

[BossHogg]

But the real question is whether to get the 5th wheel prep or keep the RamBox? We haven't decided if we are going to get a 5th wheel in the future or not yet, but its possible.

I'm curious why you are ordering a 3500 over a 2500. The 3500 offers more payload, suitable for a fifth-wheel RV or a gooseneck trailer, but it rides much stiffer than a 2500, which can pull about the same amount of trailer weight as a 3500.

I would hold off until you decide on a fifth wheel if that is the reason for the 3500.

 

[Gadgettr1]

I only have a little grocery getter 1500 but in my opinion, since you're undecided about the 5th wheel but its a definitely still a possibility, I would opt for the regular bed without rambox. It will leave you with more options down the road. Also if you're looking for the storage, get a roll up tonneau cover to keep everything underneath that. The roll up cover will allow you to still mount the 5th wheel without removing the cover in its entirety. Simply roll it up and you have full access to the bed. Again, in my opinion, the rambox takes a decent sized bed and reduces its size a lot which limits bed use for other things.

I was wondering about one of those roll up boxes. Are they waterproof? (ie do they keep the bed dry). I have had a cap on my current 2500 since day one, and I love having it but there are definitely times that it would have been more useful to have the bed wide open.

 

[Gadgettr1]

I'm curious why you are ordering a 3500 over a 2500. The 3500 offers more payload, suitable for a fifth-wheel RV or a gooseneck trailer, but it rides much stiffer than a 2500, which can pull about the same amount of trailer weight as a 3500.

I would hold off until you decide on a fifth wheel if that is the reason for the 3500.

I currently have an older 2500 and I've never had an issue with the ride. I know it will be stiffer, it'll also have the factory air bags which in the past rode better than the non-airbag 3500s when unloaded. But the biggest reason is I want a MegaCab.

 

[Gadgettr1]

You can install the gooseneck hitch and the four pucks in a Rambox truck, but you can’t buy it new that way.

If you search on line you can find multiple different instances of the installation. The places you cut the holes to install the gooseneck and the four pucks are already marked in the bed floor visible by looking inside the box.

That said the only fifth wheel hitch that will work with the Rambox is the Reese Sidewinder hitch (maybe other manufacturers are making the same thing now).

Traditional fifth wheel hitches on RV type trailers will hit the sides (inside surfaces) of the Rambox.

Gooseneck hitch trailers like equivalent trailers work on the center gooseneck ball. Note the goosebox adapter likely doesn’t work.

Thank you. Are there any negatives to running that hitch vs a traditional hitch? I've never had a 5th wheel personally (although my dad had one in his Ford). Thank you for the reply.

 

[Rlaf75]

I was wondering about one of those roll up boxes. Are they waterproof? (ie do they keep the bed dry). I have had a cap on my current 2500 since day one, and I love having it but there are definitely times that it would have been more useful to have the bed wide open.

I can tell you from my experience, as I'm sure most will agree, there isn't a tonneau cover on the market that is 100% free of water intrusion. With that said, I have a cheap soft roll up on my 1500 and it does a great job of keeping things dry in the bed. I can go through an automated carwash and its nice and dry but if it's sitting in a downpour rain overnight there will be about a cup give or take of water in the bed. I have factory plastic bed rails and nothing on the front of the bed so there are small gaps in each corner and then the gaps between the tailgate are where water can get in. It is minimal though. Nothing i keep in the bed gets wet though. All in all I love the cover because minimal water gets in and it takes about 30 seconds to roll it up for full bed access

 

[dieselscout80]

Thank you. Are there any negatives to running that hitch vs a traditional hitch? I've never had a 5th wheel personally (although my dad had one in his Ford). Thank you for the reply.

I don’t have one yet either.

That said a fifth wheel is slightly more stable than a gooseneck, but a gooseneck articulates better.

Fifth wheel hitches have the option for a sliding hitch. Fifth wheel hitches are heavier than gooseneck hitches.

Gooseneck hitch is easy to remove if you need to use your truck’s bed and storage easily.

 

[Gadgettr1]

I don’t have one yet either.

That said a fifth wheel is slightly more stable than a gooseneck, but a gooseneck articulates better.

Fifth wheel hitches have the option for a sliding hitch. Fifth wheel hitches a heavier than gooseneck hitches.

Gooseneck hitch is easy to remove if you need to use your truck’s bed and storage easily.

Thank you

 

[Gadgettr1]

I can tell you from my experience, as I'm sure most will agree, there isn't a tonneau cover on the market that is 100% free of water intrusion. With that said, I have a cheap soft roll up on my 1500 and it does a great job of keeping things dry in the bed. I can go through an automated carwash and its nice and dry but if it's sitting in a downpour rain overnight there will be about a cup give or take of water in the bed. I have factory plastic bed rails and nothing on the front of the bed so there are small gaps in each corner and then the gaps between the tailgate are where water can get in. It is minimal though. Nothing i keep in the bed gets wet though. All in all I love the cover because minimal water gets in and it takes about 30 seconds to roll it up for full bed access

Thank you. Which roll up do you use? One of the hard or soft ones? I kinda like the hard ones that can use the t-slots.

 

[murderman]

I'd opt for the GN/5er prep (which includes in the bed wiring), but I'm a bit biased since I have two GN trailers. As far as RamBox, I've never had that option so I can't speak to its usefulness vs. limitations; I've always run Weatherguard across the bed boxes in my pickups for secure storage.

 

[Rlaf75]

Thank you. Which roll up do you use? One of the hard or soft ones? I kinda like the hard ones that can use the t-slots.

I actually use a soft roll up cover. I bought a cheap MaxMate branded off amazon for $179 back in 2021 when I bought the truck and its been flawless since. A week and a half ago we got 19 inches of snow and it held up great. We got another 12 inches over night into this afternoon and its still holding up great. I thought about buying a hard roll up cover to replace it but I cant justify taking this on off because its been so great for me. It still looks like it did the day I put it on the truck

 

[Moxiedad]

No one can make that decision for you, but I'll chime in as another fan of Ram's fender boxes. The wife and I love them, especially for road trips. She has one side, and I have the other, and we keep almost everything we need for a night in a motel in soft bags stashed in the boxes. But even around home, I use "my side" almost daily. Some things are always in there -- for example, paracord, paper towels, TP (you never know), "occasional use" clothing like raincoat and wool mittens according to season -- with plenty of space left over for daily convenience, like trips to the farm market.

The only downside I can see to fender boxes is that they limit options for bed racks.

 

[suicideking]

The Ram Box would definitely be a cool thing to have. Though if there's a large enough chance that you will want to use a 5th wheel, I'd do that. I don't know what those options are, but if it would mean that you would have to trade the truck in for one that could use the 5th wheel, then that would really suck.

As others said, really up to your priorities.

 

[dieselscout80]

Reese Sidewinder

https://www.etrailer.com/5th-Wheel-Pin-Box/Reese/RP34FR.html?feed=npn&srsltid=AfmBOoq6E1L37hseJrn0iIJ3oa9JzPtFaHMnDt-IvyZz8-HXCq8FWcbswzc

 

[olyelr]

I have a rambox and really enjoy it. But the reality of it is, it just depends how you use the box. It works great for some, but wont work at all for others.

One deal killer for ramboxes is if you are a topper kind of guy. There is actually a topper out now for ramboxes that raises up, but who the hell is gonna waste time raising it up just to get in the rambox real quick?

Also, while it does have useful storage, it really kills the interior space of the bed. Not enough for me to care for my personal use of the bed, but for some it does.

 

[Jman98]

I'm looking at ordering a new 26 Limited Megacab SRW 3500. I'm planning on ordering it with pretty much every option other than a sunroof, DRW, and dual alternators. But the real question is whether to get the 5th wheel prep or keep the RamBox? We haven't decided if we are going to get a 5th wheel in the future or not yet, but its possible. I also have never had a truck with the RamBox, although people I've talked to that have them love them. I do plan on taking the truck for a long distance ride or two with just me, the wife and the dog (127lbs) staying at hotels along the way that allow the pup. Thoughts for and against the 5th wheel prep vs the RamBox?

Thanks.....

I’ve had two 1500’s with Ram Boxes and I just ordered a 2500 Rebel with them. I went down the same rabbit hole trying to determine why it was an either or option for the 5th wheel prep package and if you really couldn’t pull a 5th wheel with Ram Boxes. As mentioned earlier you absolutely can tow a 5th wheel with Ram Boxes, however, you do have to use a specific hitch configuration.There was an earlier post with the link to it. Since you can have the 5th wheel prep done later, but not the Ram Boxes, I ordered my truck with Ram Boxes. Can I do it later for the same $595 as from the factory, not a chance. But considering how much these things cost now, it’s not that big of a deal. On the topper point, I saw an add a couple of days ago for a topper for Ram Boxes trucks with side panels that open like windows/rear window on a conventional topper. Open the side window then open the ram box. It’s a bit more fiddley, but you get both the topper and the Ram Boxes. I seems to me there’s a way to have your cake and eat it too, but you have to start with buying the Ram Boxes.

 

[joesstripclub]

Thank you. Which roll up do you use? One of the hard or soft ones? I kinda like the hard ones that can use the t-slots.

I previously had a Truxedo roll-up cover on my 1500. Liked it and was happy with the quality but wished I had a low profile one. When I got my 2500, I ended up with Tonno Pro low profile one since it was $200 less than the equivalent Truxedo Lo Pro cover. Happy with it so far, it seems to be probably 95% as good as the Truxedo. Keeps 99% of water out. My suggestion is to get one that only requires one latch to release. The one I had with a latch on both sides of the bed was kind of a pain.