Sacramento, California – I’ve driven enough vehicles over the years to know that I’m not easily intimidated by any one chunk of hardware.
But the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT Crew Cab 4X4 had me spooked. I felt like an ant looking up at the Empire State Building standing next to the truck … or TRUCK!!! to be more accurate.
How big is it? Let me count the ways.
It’s a rolling Zip code. It makes its own weather. You could carry a Smart fortwo in the cargo bed. I felt like painting “Grave Digger” on its side, a tribute to its monster truck stature.
Dually wheels in the back gave it a particularly ominous appearance, like it might take two airport runways to contain this Ram.
For the record, here are the numbers: 7,639 pounds, 78.3 inches tall, 259.4 inches long, 79.1 inches wide, with a whopper of a wheelbase at 168.9 inches. Payload max a little more than 4,500. GVWR max 12,200.
Niche truck? Yeah, I think so. And the builder, contractor, rancher who wants one needs to put up $46,630 for starters. Some extra goodies on my tester pushed the price to $53,860.
I can understand paying that price is you’re hauling massive amounts of food, gear, feed and the occasional buffalo herd, but this is no urban hauler. Naturally, of course, I had to try it out in my mostly urban environment.
Suffice it to say that I baby-stepped my way around Sacramento at first. Not wanting to knock over mailboxes, parking meters or street cafes, I trudged around town, taking turns too wide and generally creating fear among fellow motorists. Drivers seemed more than willing to get out of my way, I suppose because they didn’t like the idea of being crushed like a beer can under a bulldozer.
Surprisingly, I got comfortable with the heavy duty beast in fairly quick order. On the freeways, I had it up to 70 miles per hour in a hurry. Steering was one-hand easy, although I kept both hands on the wheel most of the time, because the 3500 fills up a lane like Kim Kardashian fills up a little black dress.
The ride was a little bumpier than I thought it should be, given the giant suspension system. The truck rocked a little bit in rhythm on bumpy stretches of road. But generally, high speed runs on clean pavement were surprisingly smooth. The 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel 6 – 350 horses coming in early at 3,000 rpm – was a stout workhorse. It handled all road conditions well, including brisk accelerations.
Gas mileage? Who knows? The truck exceeds the EPA weight standard. I’m not sure I want to know the numbers.
A long list of standard features was a plus, although the dash was Chrysler-typical plain. Seats were comfortable. Interior room was generous. The center console could house a large dog.
All that said, I was happy to give up the truck at the end of a week. I counted myself fortunate to have not hurt myself or anyone else.
For those who do need such heavy duty equipment and can afford it, you’ve earned my applause. Having lots of rural room to wheel this bad boy around is a good thing.
As for me, I need something a little more compact for my urban-dwelling existence.
But the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT Crew Cab 4X4 had me spooked. I felt like an ant looking up at the Empire State Building standing next to the truck … or TRUCK!!! to be more accurate.
How big is it? Let me count the ways.
It’s a rolling Zip code. It makes its own weather. You could carry a Smart fortwo in the cargo bed. I felt like painting “Grave Digger” on its side, a tribute to its monster truck stature.
Dually wheels in the back gave it a particularly ominous appearance, like it might take two airport runways to contain this Ram.
For the record, here are the numbers: 7,639 pounds, 78.3 inches tall, 259.4 inches long, 79.1 inches wide, with a whopper of a wheelbase at 168.9 inches. Payload max a little more than 4,500. GVWR max 12,200.
Niche truck? Yeah, I think so. And the builder, contractor, rancher who wants one needs to put up $46,630 for starters. Some extra goodies on my tester pushed the price to $53,860.
I can understand paying that price is you’re hauling massive amounts of food, gear, feed and the occasional buffalo herd, but this is no urban hauler. Naturally, of course, I had to try it out in my mostly urban environment.
Suffice it to say that I baby-stepped my way around Sacramento at first. Not wanting to knock over mailboxes, parking meters or street cafes, I trudged around town, taking turns too wide and generally creating fear among fellow motorists. Drivers seemed more than willing to get out of my way, I suppose because they didn’t like the idea of being crushed like a beer can under a bulldozer.
Surprisingly, I got comfortable with the heavy duty beast in fairly quick order. On the freeways, I had it up to 70 miles per hour in a hurry. Steering was one-hand easy, although I kept both hands on the wheel most of the time, because the 3500 fills up a lane like Kim Kardashian fills up a little black dress.
The ride was a little bumpier than I thought it should be, given the giant suspension system. The truck rocked a little bit in rhythm on bumpy stretches of road. But generally, high speed runs on clean pavement were surprisingly smooth. The 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel 6 – 350 horses coming in early at 3,000 rpm – was a stout workhorse. It handled all road conditions well, including brisk accelerations.
Gas mileage? Who knows? The truck exceeds the EPA weight standard. I’m not sure I want to know the numbers.
A long list of standard features was a plus, although the dash was Chrysler-typical plain. Seats were comfortable. Interior room was generous. The center console could house a large dog.
All that said, I was happy to give up the truck at the end of a week. I counted myself fortunate to have not hurt myself or anyone else.
For those who do need such heavy duty equipment and can afford it, you’ve earned my applause. Having lots of rural room to wheel this bad boy around is a good thing.
As for me, I need something a little more compact for my urban-dwelling existence.
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