2024 Ram 1500 Classic Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra flunk IIHS headlight test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put pickup truck headlights to the test and found that the majority of them were equipped with subpar units. The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was the only truck to earn a rating of "good." The large pickup truck test was comprised of the: 2016 to 2017 GMC Sierra, 2017 Nissan Titan, 2016 Ram 1500, 2016 to 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, 2016 to 2017 Ford F-150, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tundra. The Sierra's headlights earned a rating of "acceptable," the headlights found on the Titan and Ram 1500 were found to be "marginal," and the ones on the Silverado, F-150, and Tundra were rated as "poor." IIHS claims the F-150 was the most disappointing out of the large pickup trucks as both its halogen and optional LED headlights failed to provide adequate visibility during testing. The Ridgeline (which earned a "good rating"), is usually considered a midsize or small truck, though IIHS included it in the field of large pickups. The headlights on the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, 2016 GMC Canyon, 2016 Nissan Frontier, and 2016 to 2017 Toyota Tacoma, which made up the small pickup truck group, all earned a rating of "poor." The IIHS claimed the Colorado had the worst headlights of any truck that was tested, as the base vehicle's units were only able to illuminate up to 123 feet in front of the car. The Ridgeline's headlights, for reference, were able to illuminate up to 358 feet in front of the vehicle. To conduct its test, the IIHS utilizes a special tool to measure how far light is projected out of the headlights in different driving situations. The trucks' headlights were tested in a straight line and in corners, while vehicles with high-beam assist were given extra praise. The headlights on the pickup trucks also mimic the testing that was done on small SUVs and cars earlier this year. Next year, automakers will need to fit their vehicles with headlights that earn a rating of either good or acceptable to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Related Video:

A beginner's guide to plowing snow with a heavy-duty truck

I live in a desert, so the only things getting plowed around here are mud flows and brewer neighbors. But I enjoy machinery and haven't plowed any snow since a "loaded" truck meant one with A/C and a CD player, so I jumped at the chance for a plow primer in a Ram HD on a Canadian airfield. Running a plow is like welding – the basics come quickly but experience pays dividends. The first thing to deal with is a frequently changing horizon because, stout as they are, even three-quarter-ton heavy-duty trucks will move up and down in front considerably with a 600-to-800-pound plow hanging off, and fast plow hydraulics rival some low-riders for bounce effect. Getting going is easy unless you forgot blocks and the plow froze to the ground, rookie. If you have to drive to your plowing assignment, blade height needs some experimentation to find the best cooling airflow; if you think sub-freezing temperatures negate that concern, remember you've installed what amounts to a 20-square-foot air brake up front that the truck has to overcome, and blowing snow could block some cooling air passages. Whether it's a "straight" blade or V design, always have it tilted to the right lest you catch a hidden post, solid mailbox, or edge of a snow bank. Most plow operators I spoke to rarely exceed 45 mph in transit because of cooling, front suspension travel, and common sense, and you should go even slower if you don't have some ballast like chains, extra fuel tanks, or a salt spreader to balance the load on the back. With trucks' relatively slow steering and all that weight up high, oversteer is best avoided. With a little clean space to get a run, stick it in Drive to gather momentum and lower the plow simultaneously to float, where the weight of the plow rests on and lets it run along the surface. Momentum is good until you hit something you didn't know about, at which point the plow's breakaway systems limit damage but your truck could still hit something big; caution never hurts. Start out at 10 to 15 mph, depending on consistency and depth, making a clean wave off one side. If you have to push it straight, as you slow coincidentally raise the blade at the bottom of the pile to shove it up higher. Carry too much speed here and you'll stop with an unceremonious thud. Common mistakes cited among a few experts were people pushing banks of snow rather than plowing it, and rushing the shift between Drive and Reverse, throttling up before the shift is completed.

Ram 1500 Rebel OTG concept shows up in a patent filing

Stellantis filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 12, initially found by Car and Driver, in the generic category "Automobile Body." But the images within portray a specific vehicle: The 2020 Ram Rebel 1500 Off the Grid (OTG) concept from the 2019 SEMA show. That concept dipped a regular old Ram in a vat of Mopar and third-party accessories, the result a rig built for bugging out. Off-the-shelf and custom Mopar gear included a larger grille with flow-through RAM lettering, a steel front bumper with integrated off-road lights, a high-rise snorkel, side steps doubling as rock rails, a two-inch lift kit, and fender flares over beadlock wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear meat. The Ram Power Wagon donated its 10,000-pound Warn winch, the Ram Tradesman donated its rear bumper for a better departure angle and vinyl interior flooring. This could be considered the base form of the truck, and it's what the patent drawings illustrate — a rig Stellantis could put on a dealer floor in 48 hours. The third-party accessories are missing. On the concept, those were a Yakima rooftop basket and utility rack with more LED lighting, a rooftop tent, awning, and solar array, and a bed-mounted slide-out cooking area and cooler from Dometic. With factory-built hardcore off-roaders even more popular than they were in 2019, the question is whether Ram plans to throw a Rebel-based hat in the ring. Muscle Cars & Trucks wonders if Ram is considering dividing its performance truck lineup into a big-bore go-fast TRX side challenging pickups like the Ford F-150 Raptor and a hardcore expedition side taking on pickups like the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2. The concept Rebel OTG was powered by the 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel with 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, which would be another big differentiator on a showroom floor. Or, as C/D muses, this could be a template for a Mopar special edition, something Ram can test the waters with before committing. Or, as with so many other patents, it could be nothing. If nothing else, it's nice to see Ram still thinking about it. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.