Posted on 08/13/2010 8:33:55 AM PDT by Boogieman
Chrysler's Ram truck division is taking direct aim at hunters with a unique feature on its new line of Outdoorsman pickup trucks - a gun closet.
Called the The Mopar RamBox Holster, its a rack that can hold two rifles or shotguns inside one of the lockable, watertight compartments...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
It was the dumbest thing. I was changing positions in my canoe when something in the water jumped right next to the boat. It startled me enough that I tipped completely over, suddenly sending all my guns and fishing equipment to the bottom. I haven’t been out on a lake since.....
My Ridgeline pulls a 4400 pound boat/trailer with no problem.
A BIL traded one of his Avalances in for a Ridgeline and tows two Harleys on a trailer with no problem after watching how slow my gas gauge dropped with 4 adults and some light towing versus one of his Avalances. His Ridgeline started this winter when his wife’s didn’t at 20- zero, and she drove it to work and will be trading her Avalance for a Ridgeline before their next snowfall.
My Ridgeline doesn’t pull as much as my big block OJ Simpson Bronco did, but I save enough on gas to rent a big V8 if and and when I need it.
And, more importantly, well armed.
I agree with you about the robustness of the Cummins diesels, but I disagree about the styling. Dodge has it all over Ford and Cheepie. (And I’m a Ford man of long standing)
Do a lot of that, do ya?
I had that Honda 3.5 V6 / 5 speed auto powertrain in my wife’s Saturn Vue.
A sprightly grocery getter but not a pickup truck package, IMHO.
That's impressive.
The same tranny shoots craps pretty quick in the Odyessy when you use it for towing.
My Hyundai Entourage has a 3.8L engine and is rated to pull (and stop) 3000 pounds.
That Chrysler looks like a Range Rover.
what distinguishes the Dodge diesel is the Cummins motor no doubt
they are more rugged too...firmer ride and less yuppie
I’ve owned ...let me see...(not counting dad’s trucks growing up)
1976 Silverado
1984 Ford F150
1988 Ford F250
2004 GMC Dually plushed out
2007 Dodge Mega Cab max trimmed out
2009 Ford F250 FX4 all trimmed out and lifted and big wheels and exhaust etc
last three were all diesels
don’t know about brand new Dodges...the grills look odd
GMC was softest...best ride...and very comfortable..like a Town Car 1970s
Ford was typical Ford oversteer but very neat interior and macho styling...brawny...like they like...but no outside temp gauge...on a 50K truck..nuts
Dodge was less luxurious then...very firm seats and less fancy stuff but handle great and really moved...little junk seemed to break easier in the cab...just irritating knobs and whatnot
before the Megacab the Dodge truck backseat was spartan compared to the other makers..and I have to have that with all my spawn
just my take on all of them
Ford good looks
GMC smoothness and comfort
Dodge power and handling
put em all together and you would have the perfect truck
which is why some folks here in Woodbury TN slap new Cummins motors in Fords
http://www.beansdieselperformance.com/
I always preferred the Ford look with the exception of gen 7 (80-86) till that abortion in 97-03. I mostly liked the exteriors on the following generation (04-08), though the profile that looked good on the sides was a mistake when carried around onto the tailgate, but the interiors were cheesy to me, and I really don’t like the newest ones. That’s why I still have a 96 351 with 194K miles. Runs great. I’ll probably keep it till it hits 250 or 300K and get a Dodge.
The interiors of the Dodges are clean and businesslike while still comfortable. I agree with you though, the newest body style is a little strange. I think I still like it though.
One of my wife’s nephews work for Honda before and after we bought our Ridgeline. Our local BIG O dealer owner worked for Acura. Both said that the Ridgeline’s transmission was the best of a marriage between the Pilot’s and MDX. The Odyessy was never mentioned.
Below is a link reconfirming their insight and input.
The one complaint, I have re my Ridgeline is the inability to buy true off road gear to protect the expensive underside. Honda’s lawyers apparently wait to sue anyone daring to make some real off road secondary market protection.
So that has eliminated a few of my fly fishing sites where I needed the OJ Simpson Bronco Clearance and still hammered some rocks with the underplates. I can negotiate 6-7 inches of clearance, but anything more could really damaged the expensive underside.
Honda ad guys should be fired when they show the Ridgeline doing off road stuff.
One of our younger relatives out here with 4k boat and a dog of a F150 preferred the Ridgelines. His new F150 does a good job.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/trucks/112_0503_2006_honda_ridgeline/performance.html
The Ridgeline uses a five-speed automatic transmission and Honda’s 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 from the Pilot/MDX, but tuned here to 255 horsepower and 257 pound-feet. By mounting the engine sideways in the bay, Honda has created the only transverse-engined truck on the market. Also similar to the Pilot/MDX is the use of Honda’s VTM-4 automatic AWD system. No low-range here, but some light off-road during our drive proved this SUT more than capable at crossing streams, crawling up semi-steep trails, and gripping its way through some half-treacherous troughs.
Honda pulled a few rabbits out of its hat for the Ridgeline, the coolest of which is a lockable, weatherproof, in-bed storage area included with a floor drain that allows it to be filled with ice and beverages for primo tailgating at the stadium lot. Another nifty item is the dual-action tailgate that operates in a conventional up/down motion and a side-hinged, swing-door motion (first seen in old Ford/Mercury full-size wagons). Honda engineered this gate for access to the hideaway storage bin and to prevent yard material from cramming the gap between the tailgate and the bed when off-loading. It’s a smart idea that works.
Click to view GalleryTo prove just how serious the Ridgeline is about competing in the pickup-truck business, we hooked one up to a 5000-pound trailer and drag-raced an equally equipped Ford F-150 with an optional 5.4-liter V-8. The Ridgeline’s lack of displacement and two cylinders put it at a distinct disadvantage, but the race was close, and the Honda was barking at the Ford’s heels the entire time. We didn’t expect it to beat the Ford, but we were surprised at how close it was.
Direct competition includes Ford’s next-generation Sport Trac (see number 0:42), which made its debut alongside the Ridgeline at the Detroit show, though the Sport Trac’s body-on-frame chassis may not ride as comfortably or handle as well as the Ridgeline’s.
I also, tell people that the best mpg comes after you have over 15 to 20 K on the Ridge. Buy a good used one and enjoy the 18 to 20 mpg in town and 22+ on the road.
My wife has a great joke about the relatively small bed of the Ridgeline:
The bad news is that everyone thinks it has a small truck bed.
The good news is that noone wants to borrow it because of its perceived small bed.
I can’t be what she and our DIL and some of their friends get in and out of the “puny” bed.
Have a good day.
You say that like it's a good thing... (I'm thrilled as can be with all my LH platform Chryslers, because while front wheel drive, they still have the engine in the correct way) ;-)
I didn’t say that, the reviewers did.
If you don’t like a Ridgeline fine, who cares.
We used to have a 2nd Gen Dodge w/ Cummins, tough old beast for sure. I currently have a GMC w/ Duramax. I drive the highway and enjoy the easier ride of the IFS. My son and I have done a good bit of work to the truck. It has 500RWHP, 1000 ft/lbs of torque and can run a 13.25 in the 1/4 mile. On the highway, I get 24MPG,19MPG in the city. I am toying with the idea of putting CNG on it. From what I've studied, it should drop my fuel costs to ~$1.50 per gallon. I will offset a good bit of my investment w/ fuel savings, but do it mostly for a hobby.
What, a piddly little rifle-caliber M60? And just one of them? Oh, no!
Nice little bakkie. But the bed mount leaves the belt subject to dust and grit , especially when travelling on unpaved roads or off-road. Something more elegant is required.
Might have to go to a kombi/van/sport-ute....
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