Will the next Gen Ram HD trucks have a true 2nd Row Bench Standard?

8406 Views 41 Replies 15 Participants Last post by hotmach, Apr 20, 2017

BobbiBigWheels

Discussion Starter · Apr 13, 2017

Hey guys -

For the 5th time in my 2 year selling career I lost a sale to Ford/GM due to our Crew Cab Ram HD trucks having the "cut-away" middle seat in the second row. Here's his email, and mine:

Hey Rob,
After searching for used and not seeing anything out there, We recently just purchased a new gmc 2500hd. Went with the sle preferred plus package .

You did a good job listening to what we wanted in terms of features. We weren't a fan of how the rear middle seat in the dodge was narrow compared to the adjacent seats. It pretty much ruled out dodge for us.

Thanks for the follow-up,

Best regards,
Bodin

Hey Bodin,

Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate that. You are not the first, nor the last client to mention the 2nd row middle seat, I'm hoping it is addressed in our next generation truck.

Thank you for the opportunity, contact me any time if I can help.

Rob

Anyone know if this is going to be solved moving forward?

Reactions: 1

21 - 40 of 42 Posts

Devildodge

· #21 · Apr 14, 2017

Really, in a shortbed. What large item can you put in front of or behind the wheel well.
If you get gravel or sand you got to dig out the sides.

Guess I may not see things the way others percieve.

I use my trucks and believe me my toolbox across the front takes up more room the the ram boxes down the side.

I think people should really give it a try first. Cause I am sure not getting these reasons for why people don't want these things.

Or as my chevy frienemies say, oh well its a Ram. That is all I see here.

Sorry, a rant

wilbur

· #22 · Apr 16, 2017

Devildodge said:
Really, in a shortbed. What large item can you put in front of or behind the wheel well.
If you get gravel or sand you got to dig out the sides.

Guess I may not see things the way others percieve.

I use my trucks and believe me my toolbox across the front takes up more room the the ram boxes down the side.

I think people should really give it a try first. Cause I am sure not getting these reasons for why people don't want these things.

Or as my chevy frienemies say, oh well its a Ram. That is all I see here.

Sorry, a rant

Real trucks have 8 foot boxes...

Reactions: 1

Devildodge

· #23 · Apr 16, 2017

wilbur said:
Real trucks have 8 foot boxes...

Agreed

somber

· #24 · Apr 16, 2017

wilbur said:
Real trucks have 8 foot boxes...

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?

Reactions: 1

freshforged

· #25 · Apr 16, 2017

somber said:
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?

with pickups right now its all about the bling and 4 doors is shinier. Most 4door trucks I see around here are running with only a driver and nothing in the bed so that tells you everything you need to know right there

Reactions: 2

Devildodge

· #26 · Apr 16, 2017

If I could get the 6.4 hemi with a six speed row your own stick shift and long bed with ram box...I would own another 4th Gen. Until then my search is for an 03 v10 6 or 5 speed quad cab long bed. Almost found one... the price is still above 10 grand though...and for now my 99 will do just well.

I have found some regular cab long bed 2010 to 2016 but they are like a Cummins with out the motor ...the price stays up on them.

MoparMantis

· #27 · Apr 16, 2017

wilbur said:
Real trucks have 8 foot boxes...

I ended up buying a 2500 this last time for that reason. I needed a crew cab and wanted the 8 foot bed. I don't need a 2500. A 1500 would easily suit my needs, but you can't get the crew cab with 8 foot bed anymore.

ramajama

· #28 · Apr 16, 2017

BobbiBigWheels said:
Understood, RamBox is 52", fair point - I will say that the space on either side of the the wheel wells is used space though.

With the kind of cargo I haul most often, I use every available inch of bed space. Including the area in front of and behind the wheel wells and on top of the wheel wells. I thought hard about rambox in my next truck as there's a lot to like but I am just gonna stick with a regular box. I know I'd regret not having those extra nooks to stow cargo in.

dmcdonald

· #29 · Apr 16, 2017

somber said:
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?

Very simple in my neck of the woods. Trucks rule the market by a large amount and the vast majority are not used for work. They have certainly become the family vehicle.

GasAxe

· #30 · Apr 17, 2017

BobbiBigWheels said:
Rambox is such a polarizing feature - many clients hate the narrowed box. What do you keep in yours?

(takes deep breath)
Fire extinguisher, first aid kit, clip board, bungee cords, tie down straps, small tarp, rain pants, measuring tape, diameter tape, 200' tape, zip ties, 3-4 cans of spray paint, 2 cruising vests, 2 hard hats, cheap plastic rope 50', 3/4 inch rope 75', clevises, axe, come-a-long, jumper cables, pulp hook, ice cleats, hip chain, shovel, cant dog, small tool box, chainsaw chaps, tree calipers, log scale stick, duct tape, electrical tape, road triangle, jack, and a few rolls of flagging in various colors.

Reactions: 5

MPE426HEMI

· #31 · Apr 17, 2017

somber said:
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.

Reactions: 1

MPE426HEMI

· #32 · Apr 17, 2017

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.

somber

· #33 · Apr 17, 2017

MPE426HEMI said:
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.

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.

Reactions: 1

MPE426HEMI

· #34 · Apr 17, 2017

somber said:
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.

Reactions: 3

UN4GTBL

· #35 · Apr 18, 2017

MPE426HEMI said:
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.

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.

MPE426HEMI said:
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.

You can still get a 4'x8' sheet in a RamBox bed widthwise, but it won't be an 8' bed.

MPE426HEMI said:
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.

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!

Reactions: 3

MPE426HEMI

· #36 · Apr 18, 2017

UN4GTBL said:
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

· #37 · Apr 18, 2017

UN4GTBL said:
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.

Reactions: 1

hotmach

· #38 · Apr 18, 2017

My 2500 get's worked daily. It also is the family vacation vehicle as we tow the rv with it. Never felt the indent bench in the back was an issue, not sure why anyone would. I don't have a Ram box but if available would try it. My trucks will always have 8'boxes.

I agree a "real truck" has an 8' box. i'll add also, a real truck has a bench in the front.

Reactions: 4

somber

· #39 · Apr 18, 2017

hotmach said:
I agree a "real truck" has an 8' box. i'll add also, a real truck has a bench in the front.

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

MPE426HEMI

· #40 · Apr 19, 2017

somber said:
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

Reactions: 1

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