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Ram 1500 diesel overlander, off-road Jeep Wrangler show present and future of Mopar

Ram and Jeep both have some heavily customized off-roaders for SEMA this year. The Ram is a 2020 1500 Rebel with the diesel engine and an overlanding theme, and the Jeep is a 2020 Wrangler Unlimited with a general off-road theme. Each features loads of Mopar accessories, and, in the case of the Ram, accessories from other companies. They both have a few parts that haven't made it to market yet. 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel View 16 Photos 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel OTG The Ram 1500 has the suffix of OTG, which stands for off-the-grid. It's designed to be an overlanding vehicle perfect for getting you far away from civilization and still have your needs taken care of. As such, the new EcoDiesel with its strong fuel economy and large amounts of torque is a good engine choice, and the Rebel has plenty of rugged style to begin with. That style is augmented by some special concept Mopar parts such as a high-flow grille complete with flow-through Ram block letters, a la the Chevy "Flow Tie," and steel bumper with a retro-fitted Power Wagon winch. Another concept part is the intake snorkel. Dodge also dug into the existing catalog of Ram parts and added the base Tradesman's vinyl flooring for easy interior cleaning, as well as the Tradesman's rear bumper that doesn't have cut-outs for exhaust. The exhaust was then tucked away behind the bumper, giving the truck a better departure angle. Many ready-to-purchase accessories have been added to the Ram 1500 OTG, too. From the Mopar catalog comes off-road lights, rock rails, wheels and bolt-on fender flares. The utility rack, basket and tent all came from Yakima. A roof-mounted solar array along with sliding cooking areas and bed-mounted cooler all come from Dometic. A representative from Dodge also showed how the split tailgate can be used as an easily accesible place to have fold out cooking or table space. 2020-jeep-wrangler-mopar-accessories-01 View 4 Photos 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited While the Ram has parts from all around the aftermarket world, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has been outfitted entirely with Mopar parts. And most of those parts are already available, with two exceptions. On one side of the truck, Jeep is showing off some concept mesh covers for its tube-doors. The idea behind them is that they still allow for plenty of air flow, but help keep shrubbery, mud clods and other things from getting in. They're also simple to install or remove, since the slide on and zip up.

Massachusetts man charged $48,000 for a tow [w/video]

Tow truck operators are right up there with landlords and IRS auditors on the list of professionals you don't want to deal with. A man in Massachusetts has all the more reason to avoid a tow after he was hit with a $48,000 bill, Fox 25 reports. Joel Ramer and his girlfriend were off-roading in Walpole, MA last week when they wandered were they shouldn't have. They landed in a mud pit on private property. Ramer said it took Assured Collision towing company 12 hours to free his vehicle from the muck. But when he got the bill for the tow, he thought the accounting department must have been off by a decimal. "When I went to pick up the vehicle from Assured Collision, he'd informed me there was some damage done to the vehicle, but didn't get into details. He also informed me the bill was $48,000," Ramer told Fox. "I thought they made a mistake." The phrase 'some damage' was putting it lightly. Ramer says Assured Collision totaled his Jeep. "Frame is broken, leaf spring is broken, drive shaft is broken," Ramer said. The itemized bill showed Ramer exactly what he was paying for. Assured Collision charged him $16,000 for an on-scene supervisor. That's $1,250 an hour. The Statewide Towing Association told Fox 25 that the actual industry standard is $175-$325 an hour. The company also claimed that power lines put them at risk, calling it a "hazmat situation." That allowed them to tack on another $5,000 fee for dangerous condition liability insurance. Finally, there was an extra $10,000 fee for an off-road recovery incident response unit. Insurance won't help with the cost of the tow, so Ramer's broke Jeep is in Assured Collision's hands. On top of the enormous bill and busted Jeep, Ramer was arrested and cited for trespassing on land owned by a utility company and disturbing the peace. Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Fiat Chrysler to pay $800M in Jeep, Ram emissions cheating case

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has agreed to a settlement worth about $800 million to resolve claims from the U.S. Justice Department and state of California that it used illegal software that produced false results on diesel-emissions tests, but still faces an ongoing criminal probe. The hefty penalty is the latest fallout from the U.S. government's stepped-up enforcement of vehicle emissions rules after Volkswagen AG admitted in September 2015 to intentionally evading emissions rules. The Fiat Chrysler settlement includes $311 million in total civil penalties to U.S. and California regulators, up to $280 million to resolve claims from diesel owners, and extended warranties worth $105 million. It covers 104,000 Fiat Chrysler 2014-16 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee diesels, the Justice Department said. Regulators said Fiat Chrysler used "defeat devices" to cheat emissions tests in real-world driving. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that "the settlements do not change the Company's position that it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests." The company did not admit liability. "You wouldn't pay $311 million total dollars to the federal government in civil penalties if there were not a serious problem," U.S. assistant attorney general Jeff Clark told a news conference. The settlement also includes $72.5 million for state civil penalties, and $33.5 million in payments to California to offset excess emissions and consumer claims. German auto supplier Robert Bosch GmbH, which provided the emissions control software for the vehicles, also agreed to pay $27.5 million to resolve claims from diesel owners. Owners will receive an average of $2,800 to obtain software updates as part of the emissions recall, Fiat Chrysler said. Elizabeth Cabraser, a lawyer for the owners, said the "substantial cash compensation" will ensure that consumers get the recall fix. Bosch, which also provided diesel emissions software to Volkswagen, also agreed to pay $103.5 million to settle claims with 47 U.S. states that said the supplier "enabled" the cheating and should have known its customers would use the software improperly, the New York Attorney General's Office said.