If You Had Input, What Would You Like To See....

[8675309]

Another 50 horsepower and torque, aluminum body and other areas for 500lbs of weight savings, OEM performance parts like Ford does with their cars (but for ram trucks).

For RAM not to be ran by lawyers that will deny your warranty claim over a muffler. Like my signature says....ram, domestic and domesticated.

5sp manual tranny option.

Never stop making regular cabs.

 

[Jughed]

I dunno - for a 3/4 ton, 1 step above "work truck"... I pretty much like it as is.

 

[BWL]

The off road package to be a bit more expensive, but have a real transfer case like the power wagon and slightly taller tires vs slightly different shocks, shorter tires and small skid plates. At least it includes the locking diff in the package now.

 

[dstryr]

They could make the well under the rear seat one long tub to hold long guns. Not everybody shoots or hunts but those of us who do like a place to store that type of gear.

 

[17Delmonico]

They could make the well under the rear seat one long tub to hold long guns. Not everybody shoots or hunts but those of us who do like a place to store that type of gear.

Not just guns. Even something as simple as a truck sized ice scraper, emergency shovel, etc.

 

[dstryr]

Another idea, it wouldn't hurt to have a switch for the rear seat passengers to open the back power slider window.

 

[Random_Walk]

This^^^ I wish the only computer on my truck ran the fuel injection and transmission no need for anything else, keep it simple stupid.

These trucks would cost alot less and have far fewer problems.

I agree, but Devil's Advocate:

The clawing for ever-increasing fuel economy pretty much requires a lot of electronic control on the engine, drivetrain, etc. The drive for more power is demanding it too (see also eTorque). If we were to strip all that out and just make a basic rig with little-to-no computer power (say, what they had in the late 1980s to early 1990s), fuel mileage would drop to 15-18mpg on the six-bangers, and maybe 10-15mpg tops on the Hemis. You'd also lose horsepower (no more VVT), torque (no more full electronic control over the transmission), and more.

If you're willing to live with that, no worries, but electronics is a huge reason why, for instance, that today's little 3.6L V6 Pentastar VVT (305 bhp) can out-perform against the older Ford 4.6L V-8 DOHC (292 bhp)...

Now as for OP? Bring the Crosshair Grille back!

 

[PaulTGarrett]

I agree, but Devil's Advocate:

The clawing for ever-increasing fuel economy pretty much requires a lot of electronic control on the engine, drivetrain, etc. The drive for more power is demanding it too (see also eTorque). If we were to strip all that out and just make a basic rig with little-to-no computer power (say, what they had in the late 1980s to early 1990s), fuel mileage would drop to 15-18mpg on the six-bangers, and maybe 10-15mpg tops on the Hemis. You'd also lose horsepower (no more VVT), torque (no more full electronic control over the transmission), and more.

If you're willing to live with that, no worries, but electronics is a huge reason why, for instance, that today's little 3.6L V6 Pentastar VVT (305 bhp) can out-perform against the older Ford 4.6L V-8 DOHC (292 bhp)...

Now as for OP? Bring the Crosshair Grille back!

Playing Angel's advocate... (??? LOL)

If we still had the simplicity of the 70's drive train, fuel mileage could easily be managed with some simple tuning (which could come from the factory if they were honestly serous about it)... The only thing that all this computerized CANBUS'd and electronic control crap has done is make a new revenue source for the dealers by making it nearly impossible to maintain or customize your truck. Seriously... A trip to the dealer to reprogram your frickin' computer just so you could add a trailer brake controller or upgrade your stereo?? There is no description for how large of a pile of cacca that is... And not being able to upgrade the lighting to modern LEDs because the computer will think all your lights are burned out?? What the frickin' frick?!

For example... My '78 Bronco had a 460, C6 transmission, part-time transfer case, 8" Rancho lift, and 17x40 Ground Hawg tires... I stripped off all the pollution control crap, added an Edlebrock "Performer Package" (matched cam, intake & carb), upgraded ignition, ****** headers & Cherry Bombs, rebuilt the C6 with a trailer-towing shift package, and re-geared the diffs to get the tires to match the power curve... Very simple and not overly expensive performance upgrades, all but the C6 tranny rebuild were done in my driveway...

I got 15-ish mpg driving around town and 25-ish mpg on the highway (usually running 65-70 mph, screw that 55 nonsense!). Power and torque??? I would put money on the line that I could hook up to most any modern over-computerized vehicle and drag it down the street like a dog on a leash... My new (to me, anyway) 2012 RAM CTD with stock drivetrain??? According to the EVIC I get around 12 in town, 16 has been my best highway mpg. As soon as my new shop is built in my back yard, there's going to be some wrenchin' done to fix that...

Seriously, not meaning to be or sound snarky here, just a comment on some general things said around on different forums regarding modern trucks...

I don't care about fuel mileage or how comfortable the ride may be. If I did, I would have kept my father's Mercedes. I drive a 4x4 truck for the utility and strength of the vehicle. The ride and mileage just go with the vehicle. I want a vehicle that I can pull a loaded equipment trailer at work during the week, put my boat in the water on summertime weekends, and bust through the palmettos and swamps while deer hunting in the fall. That hardly describes what comes out of the auto manufacturers these days...

I may poke fun at the "grocery getters" as I call most trucks today, but honestly, to each their own. If you like what you drive, more power to you, two thumbs up! I just have never owned anything but a 4x4 and simply expect them to be as rough, tough, and brutally honest as I am. The day may come when I can't climb into my RAM, Bronco, or swamp buggy, but you can bet your ass that one way or the other, my mobility scooter will be a 4x4 (even if I have to build one myself!). And it certainly will NOT have a computer to control it!

 

[fraleywp]

I want them to make a 2 door Ramcharger

This wont likely happen because it could affect Wrangler sales. It would have to compete with the 2020 Bronco which is targeting the Wrangler. I realize your wish would be on a 1/2 ton platform but the target buyer would be looking for a 2 door SUV on a truck frame.

It would be cool to see a new RAM Charger. It would definitely bring back some teenage memories for me.

The Jeep Gladiator is also coming and will be competing with the 2019 Ranger. Should be interesting to see the two in a comparison review. The Gladiator and Ranger will both annihilate the competition IMO, but that is another topic.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[fraleywp]

Playing Angel's advocate... (??? LOL)

If we still had the simplicity of the 70's drive train, fuel mileage could easily be managed with some simple tuning (which could come from the factory if they were honestly serous about it)... The only thing that all this computerized CANBUS'd and electronic control crap has done is make a new revenue source for the dealers by making it nearly impossible to maintain or customize your truck. Seriously... A trip to the dealer to reprogram your frickin' computer just so you could add a trailer brake controller or upgrade your stereo?? There is no description for how large of a pile of cacca that is... And not being able to upgrade the lighting to modern LEDs because the computer will think all your lights are burned out?? What the frickin' frick?!

For example... My '78 Bronco had a 460, C6 transmission, part-time transfer case, 8" Rancho lift, and 17x40 Ground Hawg tires... I stripped off all the pollution control crap, added an Edlebrock "Performer Package" (matched cam, intake & carb), upgraded ignition, ****** headers & Cherry Bombs, rebuilt the C6 with a trailer-towing shift package, and re-geared the diffs to get the tires to match the power curve... Very simple and not overly expensive performance upgrades, all but the C6 tranny rebuild were done in my driveway...

I got 15-ish mpg driving around town and 25-ish mpg on the highway (usually running 65-70 mph, screw that 55 nonsense!). Power and torque??? I would put money on the line that I could hook up to most any modern over-computerized vehicle and drag it down the street like a dog on a leash... My new (to me, anyway) 2012 RAM CTD with stock drivetrain??? According to the EVIC I get around 12 in town, 16 has been my best highway mpg. As soon as my new shop is built in my back yard, there's going to be some wrenchin' done to fix that...

Seriously, not meaning to be or sound snarky here, just a comment on some general things said around on different forums regarding modern trucks...

I don't care about fuel mileage or how comfortable the ride may be. If I did, I would have kept my father's Mercedes. I drive a 4x4 truck for the utility and strength of the vehicle. The ride and mileage just go with the vehicle. I want a vehicle that I can pull a loaded equipment trailer at work during the week, put my boat in the water on summertime weekends, and bust through the palmettos and swamps while deer hunting in the fall. That hardly describes what comes out of the auto manufacturers these days...

I may poke fun at the "grocery getters" as I call most trucks today, but honestly, to each their own. If you like what you drive, more power to you, two thumbs up! I just have never owned anything but a 4x4 and simply expect them to be as rough, tough, and brutally honest as I am. The day may come when I can't climb into my RAM, Bronco, or swamp buggy, but you can bet your ass that one way or the other, my mobility scooter will be a 4x4 (even if I have to build one myself!). And it certainly will NOT have a computer to control it!

Your wish has already been granted. lol

https://www.terrainhopperusa.com/

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[huntergreen]

I agree, but Devil's Advocate:

The clawing for ever-increasing fuel economy pretty much requires a lot of electronic control on the engine, drivetrain, etc. The drive for more power is demanding it too (see also eTorque). If we were to strip all that out and just make a basic rig with little-to-no computer power (say, what they had in the late 1980s to early 1990s), fuel mileage would drop to 15-18mpg on the six-bangers, and maybe 10-15mpg tops on the Hemis. You'd also lose horsepower (no more VVT), torque (no more full electronic control over the transmission), and more.

If you're willing to live with that, no worries, but electronics is a huge reason why, for instance, that today's little 3.6L V6 Pentastar VVT (305 bhp) can out-perform against the older Ford 4.6L V-8 DOHC (292 bhp)...

Now as for OP? Bring the Crosshair Grille back!

A big part of the reason for increased mpg is weight savings. Body panels are paper thin and the frame is a shell of what frames used to be. That being said, I don't miss the days of carburators, points and condenser being replaced every 20000 miles.

 

[K-Dawg]

A big part of the reason for increased mpg is weight savings. Body panels are paper thin and the frame is a shell is a shell of what frames used to be. That being said, I don't miss the days of carburators, points and condenser being replaced every 20000 miles.

Come on. Changing points/condenser. Filing the build-up off of the distributor cap contacts. Setting the timing with the strobe timing light. This was all how we stayed "in tune" with how the truck was running...instead of relying on computer (sometimes flakey/faulty) generated status and messages. We used long screwdrivers to hear where the knock or ping was coming from...and we fixed it. Now you have to pay a "technician" $100 an hour to diagnose which one of a couple dozen sensors is causing the truck to run like crap. And who really cares about fuel mileage in a pick-up truck. Give me another 500 lbs of sheet metal and a frame that won't cave in like a politician with money in his pocket. There needs to be two categories of trucks. Those who just want an SUV with a bed to haul groceries, and those who want a real truck.

 

[PatinAZ]

A second gas tank, like the trucks from yesteryear. I could give a **** less about MPGs. Don't make me plan my routes, when towing, around gas stations.

 

[fraleywp]

A big part of the reason for increased mpg is weight savings. Body panels are paper thin and the frame is a shell is a shell of what frames used to be. That being said, I don't miss the days of carburators, points and condenser being replaced every 20000 miles.

You can have a simple electronic ignition without all the computer controls. However, the huge performance increases we have seen in small displacement engines would not be possible without a computer to constantly analyze sensor readings and adjust timing and other operating parameters on the fly. Sure you can still do the old school method of adding displacement, but you will not be able to achieve the dynamic performance of a modern engine.

I have a 66 Mustang with a Ford Racing 302 in it. I run it with a carburetor and electronic Pertronix distributor. The Pertronix eliminates the need for traditional points but still requires you to adjust timing.

It runs great and certainly gives you that nostalgic performance feeling, but it isn't dynamic at all. How you tune it is static and requires you to compromise one end of the performance for the other. In other words you have to decide if you want to rev high or get power down low. The only way to have both is using a computer controlled ignition. I am not saying that you can't have an engine with power down low that will rev high, what I mean is that you have to give priority to one or the other. There is no way to have VVT type of behavior. Vacuum advance helps but just not as capable.

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[Dahkness]

Lot of good things in this thread, but I'm going for creature comforts as well...living in the north east, having the option to turn on passenger heated seat and rear seat (where equipped) with the remote start would be great. My seat and steering wheel are always warm but the gf has a cold seat in the winters until after we get moving.

 

[PatinAZ]

Come on. Changing points/condenser. Filing the build-up off of the distributor cap contacts. Setting the timing with the strobe timing light. This was all how we stayed "in tune" with how the truck was running...instead of relying on computer (sometimes flakey/faulty) generated status and messages. We used long screwdrivers to hear where the knock or ping was coming from...and we fixed it. Now you have to pay a "technician" $100 an hour to diagnose which one of a couple dozen sensors is causing the truck to run like crap. And who really cares about fuel mileage in a pick-up truck. Give me another 500 lbs of sheet metal and a frame that won't cave in like a politician with money in his pocket. There needs to be two categories of trucks. Those who just want an SUV with a bed to haul groceries, and those who want a real truck.

Between EPA emissions standards and NHTSA/CAFE standards for cars/trucks, your dream of a car/truck that won't crumple like a beer can in a fender bender exists only in finding old vehicles on craigslist.

 

[Random_Walk]

Playing Angel's advocate... (??? LOL)

{brevity snip}

I don't care about fuel mileage or how comfortable the ride may be. If I did, I would have kept my father's Mercedes. I drive a 4x4 truck for the utility and strength of the vehicle. The ride and mileage just go with the vehicle. I want a vehicle that I can pull a loaded equipment trailer at work during the week, put my boat in the water on summertime weekends, and bust through the palmettos and swamps while deer hunting in the fall. That hardly describes what comes out of the auto manufacturers these days...

I may poke fun at the "grocery getters" as I call most trucks today, but honestly, to each their own. If you like what you drive, more power to you, two thumbs up! I just have never owned anything but a 4x4 and simply expect them to be as rough, tough, and brutally honest as I am. The day may come when I can't climb into my RAM, Bronco, or swamp buggy, but you can bet your ass that one way or the other, my mobility scooter will be a 4x4 (even if I have to build one myself!). And it certainly will NOT have a computer to control it!

Don't get me wrong, I get it... the simpler days and simpler ways are beautiful in many ways. I am thoroughly proud of having once built a truck up from junkyard status to running beast, complete with the biggest motor I could lay hands on. It was a Ford F-250 Supercab with a bored-over 460 under the hood. It could drag a 5,000 lb hunting trailer up a steep grade in the central Utah mountains, with a bed full of gear, firewood, and a 55-gal drum of drinking water... and accelerate while doing all that. I kept a 1992 Jeep Wrangler going until 2012 in spite of heavy abuse to the thing (rewired it nose-to-tail, rebuilt the transmission on it, lifted the suspension 4", replaced the rear axle, upgraded or re-worked most of the undercarriage that wasn't frame or skid plate, added performance parts as desired, replaced anything that broke or wore/rusted out (hoses, radiator, the occasional floor pan, etc))... and it *never* saw the inside of a repair shop.

BUT - this flexibility does come at a cost, which is what I was pointing out. Without all the gee-whiz electronics, you have to start making compromises. You get to pick: max power, with little-to-no efficiency, max efficiency but a gutless engine, or a usually nasty compromise of the two.

I still love tinkering with a wrench. I want the ability to maintain and fix my current truck for as long as the frame holds up. As someone who knows programming, electronics, and mechanics fairly well, I should be able to do that, which is where I think your source of frustration is also.

We can (as a concept) still do this though, even on today's over-computerized machinery. The only additional tools are a laptop and USB adapter, really. The problem, however, is that the computer crap is mostly proprietary. If FCA would allow downloads of all of the OS and microcode for the ECM, PCM, etc as well as a listing of codes/mods possible (with a big fat "you will immediately void your warranty if you download this!" disclaimer), and allow 3rd-parties to make/reman the electronic components (I've replaced the old ECM/computer on that Jeep I mentioned up there), I believe we can still continue working on our stuff home-garage-style. Maybe to be fair, open-source the software/firmware and allow 3rd-party manufacture of ECM/PCM/etc components for trucks over 3 years old?

You just have to have a few new skills is all.


PS to OP - I guess what I'd like to see is a more home-mechanic-friendly truck, which I think a lot of folks are asking for.

 

[indept]

A big part of the reason for increased mpg is weight savings. Body panels are paper thin and the frame is a shell is a shell of what frames used to be. That being said, I don't miss the days of carburators, points and condenser being replaced every 20000 miles.

20000, it used to be 12000. As for mpg, weight is 1 part but computerized engine / trans control is huge, allowing precise variable ignition and valve timing plays into it a lot as compared to the old weight and vacuum advance distributors of the past.

 

[PaulTGarrett]

Your wish has already been granted. lol

https://www.terrainhopperusa.com/

Holy crap! I've gotta put one of those on layaway!! LOL

Come on. Changing points/condenser. Filing the build-up off of the distributor cap contacts. Setting the timing with the strobe timing light. This was all how we stayed "in tune" with how the truck was running...instead of relying on computer (sometimes flakey/faulty) generated status and messages. We used long screwdrivers to hear where the knock or ping was coming from...and we fixed it. Now you have to pay a "technician" $100 an hour to diagnose which one of a couple dozen sensors is causing the truck to run like crap. And who really cares about fuel mileage in a pick-up truck. Give me another 500 lbs of sheet metal and a frame that won't cave in like a politician with money in his pocket. There needs to be two categories of trucks. Those who just want an SUV with a bed to haul groceries, and those who want a real truck.

K-Dawg, you brought a tear to my eye... You get it...

 

[huntergreen]

Come on. Changing points/condenser. Filing the build-up off of the distributor cap contacts. Setting the timing with the strobe timing light. This was all how we stayed "in tune" with how the truck was running...instead of relying on computer (sometimes flakey/faulty) generated status and messages. We used long screwdrivers to hear where the knock or ping was coming from...and we fixed it. Now you have to pay a "technician" $100 an hour to diagnose which one of a couple dozen sensors is causing the truck to run like crap. And who really cares about fuel mileage in a pick-up truck. Give me another 500 lbs of sheet metal and a frame that won't cave in like a politician with money in his pocket. There needs to be two categories of trucks. Those who just want an SUV with a bed to haul groceries, and those who want a real truck.

We already have two cstagories, light duty and heavy duty.