2023 Ram 1500 Classic Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Ram mulling superlux pickup above Laramie Longhorn

Looking at the fullsize pickup landscape, automakers are bringing more and more luxury to the mix. Ford has its King Ranch, GMC has the Denali and now Chevrolet is adding a High Country model, but it sounds like Ram might be looking to make a step up from its already posh Laramie Longhorn trim (shown above). Speaking with new Ram boss Reid Bigland, Automobile is reporting that Chrysler could be looking to reach even higher to add even more premium accoutrements to its truck line.
It's hard to imagine how much higher Ram could get with its luxury especially considering the 2013 Ram 3500 HD Laramie Longhorn used for our recent First Drive carried an as-tested price of $70,285 - even lighter-duty 1500 models start at $45k in LL trim. We wonder if this means we might finally get to see a production version of the Ram Long Hauler that we saw testing earlier in the year. Either way, high-dollar pickups add up to massive profit margins for automakers, so as long as there are customers willing to pay the price, we'll doubtlessly continue to see more premium features inside future trucks.

Ram partners with Lucchese on a range of luxury boots

A few months ago, Ram announced a partnership with Michigan-based Wolverine boots on a range of work boots based on the Ram 1500 Tradesman, Rebel, and Limited trims. The number two full-size truckmaker so far this year in sales isn't finished with footwear, Ram announcing a range of dress boots in collaboration with Texas-based boot company Lucchese. There are five styles in total, three for men, two for women. Since these Western-themed cowboy specials are based on the $58,565 10th Anniversary Limited Longhorn Edition, which lives at the opposite end of the trim range to Tradesman, the Lucchese models can cost more than 10 times the Wolverines. Whereas the entry-level Wolverine Tradesman cost $229, the top-dog Lucchese men's Tooled Western Boot runs $2,495. That money gets luxury features and Lucchese's hand-worked processes that pass each boot through as many as 120 pairs of hands on the way to being finished. That $2,495 boot is made with a hand-tooled quarter, which is the shaft of the boot that runs up the leg above the ankle, and a giant gator vamp, the vamp being the lower portion of the boot that covers the foot. The men’s Caiman Horseman Boot includes a hand-cut inlay quarter and giant belly caiman vamp for $995. The menÂ’s Ostrich Horseman model wears a fancy stitch quarter and hand stained ostrich vamp for $745. The women's Giant Gator Western Boot is made with an inlayed quarter and a giant gator vamp for $1,395. The final model, the women's Horseman Boot, gets a side seam quarter and inlay with a goatskin vamp for $695. Each boot is also emblazoned with some kind of automaker logo which can include the word "Ram" or "Longhorn," or the Ram bighorn sheep logo. And if a Ram owner needs to get even more on-brand where the leather meets the ground, Ram sells a three-pack of branded socks for $25. Ryan Nagode, chief designer for Ram interiors, said this partnership can be traced back to a visit to Texas with his design team more than a decade ago. The group noted the creativity and attention to detail on the wares at boot and saddle shops, aspects that would increasingly make their way into Ram interiors as trucks got more luxurious from top to bottom. Closing the circle, Lucchese boot designer Trey Gilmore strove to re-create certain aspects of the 10th Anniversary Longhorn truck, like the Mountain Brown leather interior. The boots are available for pre-order now at the Lucchese site.

The 2021 F-150 elevates Ford's bed game

The new 2021 Ford F-150 is ushering in a new era of pickup capability, but there's more to it than the introduction of the PowerBoost hybrid. While that new powertrain is certainly the truck's headlining element, the supporting electrical architecture enables a level of utility that hasn't been offered in past consumer half-tons. The true party trick is Ford's new "Pro Power Onboard" feature, which is essentially a built-in generator that provides juice for the 2021 F-150's rather robust in-bed power station. This system is available even on gasoline-engine models, but its utility is maximized with the electrified powertrain. ICE models equipped with the option max out at 2.0 kilowatts, while the PowerBoost hybrid can be had with either a 2.4- or a whopping 7.2-kilowatt inverter.  The idea here is that the F-150 can essentially stand in for a high-output portable generator. In a worksite example provided by Ford, a PowerBoost model with the 7.2-kW upgrade and a single tank of fuel could provide 32 hours of power for an 1,800-watt compound miter saw, a 1,000W circular saw, a 1,200W battery charger, a 1,200W hammer drill, and a 1,000W air compressor with hundreds of watts to spare for lighting and other accessories. But even without the Pro Power Onboard option, Ford's new bed setup enables more versatility than in previous models. The new Tailgate Work Surface option adds a flat work area with integrated rulers, recesses for pencils or small tools, and even a stand for a personal device.  Ford is neither the first to offer an auxiliary power outlet in a half-ton pickup bed, nor was Ford the first to introduce a more feature-rich tailgate. GMC's MultiPro tailgate was a major innovation on that front, and while it is geared mostly toward improving the cargo utility of the bed, it can also be customized with 12-volt power and even an accessory speaker system. The Ram 1500 is also offered with both a multi-function tailgate and AC power in the bed, though the latter option is limited to models with the RamBox cargo package.  As half-ton pickups approach levels of towing and hauling capability that begin to blur lines with heavy-duty offerings, it's clear that automakers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves without stepping on their own bigger trucks' toes. These new bed and tailgate innovations may yet be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to full-size pickup versatility. Related Video: