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REVIEW
RAM Trucks 2500 2016 Quickspin
The big ‘full-size’ American utes are here to stay, it seems. They’re horribly expensive but they fill a gap between the smaller Asian offerings and small trucks – and they do it wellOne of the more recent automotive collaborations is the partnership between RAM Trucks Australia and Walkinshaw Special Vehicles group in Victoria, specifically to do a slick RHD conversion on the Dodge RAM series of US-style ‘trucks.’
The RAMs come out the end of the process with no sign of the compromises we’ve seen with some some other local conversions recently.
One dealer told me he is selling around three or four units a month, and the buyer profile is very much older people, many with wanderlust and an apartment block they want to tow around as a mobile home.
It seems the younger profile head for the lighter Asian utes and double cabs, which will be towing at close to maximum rating.
And here’s where the RAM has few peers in the market. Although the 2500 version I drove this week has a miserly 917kg payload capacity for the fully-lined tray, it can tow up to a whopping seven-tonnes! That’s not a mobile home – that’s a ranch. And it’s perfect for that hefty digger or piece of plant that usually requires a light truck to handle the heavy-duty dual or tri-axle trailer.
The extraordinarily high bonnet means I have to stand on tippy toes so I can see over the grille and into the engine room. The 6.7-litre Cummins ISB six-cylinder diesel engine sits high in the chassis. Cummins designed the Euro VI version with a low-profile CCV system mounted to the valve cover so it could fit comfortably in cab-over medium-duty trucks. It also has a slot for a 400Nm rear engine PTO – not an option in Oz – which is probably why the Borg Warner transfer case has a neutral setting. Maybe some US owners like to mix up a batch of cement when they get where they’re going.
In buses and vocational trucks, this engine has form as a grunty, never-say-die powerhouse that, in its latest iteration is as clean as you can get. RAM dealers suggest 12 litres/100kms but I suspect you’d be unladen and trying hard to do it.
The 30cm gear selector stalk on the right hand side of the steering column feels like one of the old column-mounted gear shifts, but it has plus and minus buttons so you can fiddle with ratios if you want. An auto exhaust brake is standard.
The first speed bump I hit had me thinking: “That’s smooth, just like a car.” Humungous coil springs on the front deliver a very comfortable and car-like ride. Then 3.8-metres later the back end hit the same bump. “Oops, there you go, just like a truck!”
There are 11 drink holders, most of them suitable for supa-size shakes, a rear window power hatch, power and heated seats, cruise control that’s always a couple of kilometres faster than the setting, three seats in front and back and lots of soft-feel black trim to dampen noise.
The sound system is superb and I got my phone synched in a flash.
To paraphrase the stoic Brits who endured the ‘invasion’ of thousands of US GIs post WW2, the RAM is overdone, overweight and over here. But it’s a unique solution to a specific application, and should never let you down.
Just remember to get the right music on your iPod. Mozart and Abbey Road just don’t cut it. You need Yee-Haw.
Specifications:
RAM Trucks 2500
Price: $139,500 drive-away
Engine: 6.7-litre Cummins ISB Euro VI diesel
Output: 274kW and 1084Nm
Transmission: Six speed auto
Warranty: Three years/100,000kms
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Written byDavid Meredith
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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