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Ram 'Built to Serve' special editions honor five U.S. military branches

Ram has just announced a series of special-edition trucks that honor the five branches of the U.S. military and the roughly 7% of Americans who currently serve or are veterans. Called the "Built to Serve" editions, five trucks released over the next year will come in exclusive liveries and offer exclusive options to commemorate the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Available on every bodystyle and powertrain, a Built to Serve package will add $2,795 to the price. Ram hasn't said which branch the first truck honors, but that pickup will debut tonight — Wednesday, Nov. 6 — at the “Stars and Strings” concert at the Fox Theater in Detroit.  Each of the five comes in one of two special colors chosen to "evoke the spirit, the mission and history of that service," and a limited build number. The colors and quantities are: Gator (1,000) and Diamond Black (1,000) Ceramic Gray (1,000) and Patriot Blue (1,000) Anvil (1,000) and Billet Silver (1,000) Tank (1,000) and Flame Red (1,000) Spitfire (500) and Bright White (500) The interiors are set off with contrasting stitching in either Light Frost, Light Ambassador Blue, Light Diesel Gray, Core Green, or Orange. Built to Serve trucks will be known by their U.S. flag and edition decals on the rear quarter panels. Cosmetic upgrades for all five versions include an all-black grille and surround, black badging, side steps, black four-inch exhaust tips, body-colored wheel arch trim, and 20-inch wheels finished in Technical Gray. The option price adds the Off-Road Group, normally a $795 extra, including features like four underbody skid plates, electronic-locking rear axle, off-road shocks, tow hooks, and all-terrain tires.  Special features in the cabin come in the Black Onyx Chrome trim, Velcro panels on the front and sides of the front seats for service patches, PALS/MOLLE webbing to hang pouches on the front seatbacks, lockable front center tunnel storage, all-weather floor mats, and an instrument panel badge. Ram will use the trucks to help bring more attention to an initiative the automaker has run since 2015, also called Built to Serve, that works to organize grassroots volunteer efforts. Between now and Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, 2020, the Built to Serve program wants to log 1.3 million volunteer hours. That figure represents one hour for each active member of the five services.

2014 Ram 1500 named Truck of Texas, Chrysler Cleans Up at Truck Rodeo

Trucks are king in Texas, so the annual Truck of Texas awarded by the Texas Auto Writers Association gives automakers big bragging rights. This year's Texas Truck Rodeo featured 63 trucks, crossover and SUVs, and the 2014 Ram 1500 took home the prestigious Truck of Texas, giving the pickup back-to-back wins for this award. The good news didn't stop there for Chrysler Group, as Ram, Dodge and Jeep dominated most other categories, accounting for 14 of the possible 24 awards.
Ram also was named the Truck Line of Texas winning seven individual awards - including Best Powertrain with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel, Best Technology with the new Heavy Duty rear coil suspension and Best Commercial Vehicle with the 2014 Ram Promaster. The Jeep Grand Cherokee won two individual awards to be named the SUV of Texas, while the Hyundai Santa Fe was named the Crossover of Texas, and Nissan picked up three awards, too. Scroll down for the full list of categories and winners.

2018 Ram ProMaster Quick Spin Review | Big van, big fan

I've moved a lot over the past decade or so. Since the beginning of 2008, I've held nine different addresses: five in Alabama, two in California and two in Michigan. I've had a lot of experience moving, sometimes multiple times to multiple states in a single year. Simply put, I get around. And f or most of these moves, I made do with SUVs, hatchbacks, borrowed pickups or rented box trucks. After putting more than 2,000 miles on a GMC Savana during my (second) move to from Alabama to California, I was fed up with the headache of it all. The GMC had no cruise control, no sound deadening and a V8 that downed fuel with the gusto of a drunk at an open bar. It was an almost entirely unpleasant experience. Yes, I know that's how trucks used to be, but when there's an alternative, I'll take it. This latest move — all of 2.2 miles — was the shortest I'd had in years. While our long-term 2018 Honda Ridgeline would have sufficed for 90-percent of the move, it isn't quite long enough to move two couches, a shelf and a king-size bed. Sure, I could have gone to U-Haul, but why bother there was a Ram ProMaster in the local fleet that I could put to good use? I wanted to really see how far things have come in recent years. My chariot was a long-wheelbase high-roof van in work-site white. It's as inoffensive and anonymous as they come. The ProMaster is based on the Fiat Ducato, and it's an unfortunate looking machine, though I doubt many people in the market for a good work van give much thought to the van's design. There are a lot of variations of the ProMaster when it comes to wheelbase and cab configurations, but all models have the same standard drivetrains. Power from the 280 horsepower V6, like the one in the van I drove, is sent to the front through a six-speed automatic. A 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 is optional, boosting torque from 260 pound-feet to 300 pound feet, but it's paired with a less-than-stellar automated manual transmission that's not nearly as smooth or refined as its torque-converter counterpart. The seating position was high and commanding. It's a bit of a climb to get into, but once you're seated it's actually quite comfortable. Since you're nearly on top of the front wheels, forward visibility is excellent. The passenger area is spartan but packs tons of little cubbies, pockets and cup holders. I found perfect spots to stick extra bungee cords, gaffers tape and ratchet straps. Compared to the old vans I was used to, it was a revelation.