[MPE426HEMI]

But something has happened to the market. I've been looking for standard cab (2-door) trucks around here. Almost no dealer orders them. On the RAM build & price, you can't even spec one at a higher trim level than Big Horn. Also, if you spec the 8 foot box, no RamBox for you. I guess I don't understand what's happened to the market for pickup trucks. Looking at them from a farm perspective, trading bed space for a back seat isn't what you want. Has the entire pickup market converted to contractors needing to haul work crews to the site? Or is it the new family sedan? Why does nearly every truck being sold these days have a back seat and a tiny bed?

Yup. Most people I see, they should have just bought an SUV. At least the few times they needed to put something in the back, it would have been covered. (However, pickups have so much money on the hoods, at certain times of the year, a pickup may have been cheaper). It's today's family vehicle and cooler than a minivan too.
It's a vehicle I will never need.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

I see many tradespeople with trucks full to the hilt with gear. Depends I guess on what your going to be using the box for. I see the Rambox as an awesome feature.
Personally, for me, if I couldn't get a full sheet of plywood in the box, there'd be no point for me to buy one. Because, really, that's the only need I'd require.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

That's what the minivan is for! I put much muckier/dirtier stuff in the bed of my pickup, such as a load of manure. If it's something clean, I'd rather put it in the minivan.

I put a ton of stuff in my minivans. Even had one loaded with rocks to dump at a pit. The most versatile vehicle IMO.
I'll leave the trucks to the people who really need them.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

A couple years ago, we were getting such good discounts on trucks, that a lot of our employees with company vehicles were able to get full size trucks, and did so. Fast forward to now, and the truck discounts aren't quite as generous.

Yes, there was some wicked, good deals on trucks for awhile. So much so, that I found myself considering buying one when I realized I could get a 1500, V8, 4x4 for pretty much the price of a Journey R/T (the only trim that was available with AWD at the time, in Canada). It was a lot of machine for the money. Now it seems to have cooled off some.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

Same here. Sidewalk screening was by far the messiest stuff we've hauled. One of our vans did multiple loads of paving stones too.

There are definitely pros and cons to both vehicles that's why it's great that there is the choice!

The thing that pissed me off on the last minivan I bought (2011), was that there was no inside handle, on the rear door, so I had nowhere to tie down the rear door when I had stuff like 12' boxes of vinyl siding in the van. Lol So I took the inner panel door off behind the latch and tied it through.
There's so many configurations on the Ram now, there's a lot of choices. Ram seems to always have listened to what consumers wanted. Some truck manufacturers are still trying to catch up.

 

[MPE426HEMI]

Agreed. I have no interest in bucket seats for a truck.

But then it's not cushy without buckets! I liked how quickly you could slide right out of a truck with a bench. Buckets tend to make you want to climb out of them. Maybe a PITA for those who use a truck for work and are frequently getting in and out. JMO