More Than Meets The EyeThe one crucial mistake that I made when approaching the all-new
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| Dodge says you can do more for less with the new 3500 Chassis Cab. I believe them. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Chassis Cab was to think that it was merely a Ram 3500 pickup truck without its rear box. Admittedly, it's an error easily made if you're not immersed in the commercial truck world, a segment that Dodge is working hard to grow its market share in, especially since the domestic brand already offers the seemingly similar Ram 3500 box-off commercial vehicle. To the average person this probably doesn't make much sense, or more likely doesn't matter a whole lot; here we have two trucks that share the same 'get out of the way' big-rig looks and identical spacious interiors, but the similarities are all skin deep. The differences are enough to allow these vehicles to compete in two very different categories. Where the 3500 Box-Off is a light commercial vehicle, capable of hauling some pretty impressive loads, mind you, the Chassis Cab is a Class 3 commercial vehicle, which, by comparison, is equivalent to a diesel-electric freight train. You get the picture.
With
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| No way, man, you mean our new work truck has leather seats and wood trim...? (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
that aside, the Ram 3500 Chassis Cab is available in all the standard shapes and sizes that most pickup trucks come in. You can get one with a two-door regular cab, or a four-door quad cab, but so far at least, there's no word yet on a ginormous Mega Cab version, and Dodge doesn't offer an extended cab with mini rear-hinged doors. The choices continue with rear or 4WD, 60 or 84-inch axle-to-cab chassis lengths, single or dual rear wheels and either gasoline or diesel engine. Trim levels range from the base ST model (the work truck special) which has vinyl seats and flooring, no stereo and manual accessories, to the luxury Laramie (ranch owner's dream) that boasts heated leather seats, satellite radio, woodgrain trim and available DVD navigation, amongst other unexpected creature comforts. This kind of diversity is important in the segment, which sells upwards of 140,000 units per year in the United States. The target market of the Ram 3500 Chassis Cab can be divided into three types of owners: micro-businesses, which operate fleets of less than ten units, larger firms that operate between 10 and 50 trucks, and individual owners. Dodge is aiming at the most rapidly growing sector, the micro-businesses.
Now, normally I don't road test commercial vehicles; they're
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| Up-fit friendly design means you can add all different kinds of beds to the frame rails. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
generally difficult to get hold of, and even more difficult to navigate in urban and suburban areas of large cities, which is where I do the majority of my daily driving. But, given the opportunity, who am I to say no, especially if the vehicle's manufacturer claims that it raises the bar on the entire commercial game, even if the playground is downtown San Diego.
Besides having the strength to carry and the
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| Every little boy's dream: having a real dump truck. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
grunt to drag around whole city blocks, another important area that Dodge is playing on is up-fit friendliness. The term up-fitting refers to the kind of deck that a buyer or firm will add on top of the rail chassis. Dodge has made it universally easy to retrofit almost any kind of deck, be it a flat-bed, dump body, tow-truck, box-frame, etc., by fitting a new 'clean' frame rail design with no intrusions or height changes, while conforming to the industry standard width of 34 inches (864 mm). It's the first time something like this has been done in the segment, which means that the up-fitted body does not have to be modified to accept a different fuel filler neck, or unique electrical wiring for the brake and signal lights.
In
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| Dual rear wheels help spread the load over the ground. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
addition, Dodge has done some serious work on developing the chassis that the frame rails rest on. Starting with the materials, the Chassis Cab's frame is constructed of 50-ksi (50,000 psi) strength steel, which trumps the Class 3 segment average of 36-ksi (36,000 psi); playing an important role in helping the single-rear wheel variant to have a class-leading GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or the maximum amount the vehicle can carry) of 4,763 kg (10,500 lbs). The shape of the chassis' frame is also important; the C-shaped beams that make up the frame provide greater strength, as well as a convenient, sheltered channel in which the main hydraulics, fuel line and cables are routed. The vehicle's cables are run on the driver's side rail, while the passenger's side rail has been left empty, allowing for secondary systems such as a hydraulic pump for a dumper bed or tow-truck to be routed. Meanwhile, strategic placement of the fuel tank - which, by the way, is the largest standard tank in its class at 197 litres (52 gal) - allows it to lay flush with the frame, preventing intrusions into the bed area.
One
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| Nevermind the horsepower, it's the 610 lb-ft of torque that matters the most here. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
of the factors that will undoubtedly sway small fleet operators towards the Dodge is its low cost of ownership. Much of this has to do with the motors that are offered. Standard to the Chassis Cab is the 5.7-litre HEMI V8 that makes 330 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque, which automatically puts it at the top of its class for power. Most customers, however, will opt for the new 6.7-litre Cummins turbodiesel V8. This monster of an engine makes 305 horsepower and an Earth-axis altering 610 lb-ft of torque that will create light loads out of any task.
While the EPA doesn't mandate fuel economy ratings for commercial vehicles, Dodge's engineers refute that the Cummins with the six-speed automatic is roughly 5 percent more thrifty at the pumps than the equivalent diesel-powered Chevy, GMC or Ford. On our short run, I averaged about 21.9 L/100 km (10.7 mpg), which isn't a whole lot, but a 5 percent savings is, at the end of the day, a 5 percent savings which will quickly add up, given the hard life that most of these trucks will live.If you factor in a fleet of 10 trucks or more, all of a sudden what might otherwise seem a token amount becomes considerable.
The
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| Despite what the gauge says, it'll run on the regular stuff too. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
diesel also has a couple of clever tricks up its sleeve that ought to perk the interest of commercial fleet owners. For one, it's available with Power Take Off, which enables the engine to provide up to 35 horsepower for powering an accessory hydraulic lift or a generator, although, for the record, the HEMI can be had with PTO as well, but only when equipped with the manual gearbox.
Another advantage that the Cummins has over its rivals is that even though it was designed to run on the new low-sulphur diesel that will be arriving in October, it can accept standard pump diesel too, something that the new Ford Powerstroke and GM Duramax diesels cannot do. Furthermore, the Cummins
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| Factory-offered exhaust brake is a class first. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
diesel has the longest oil change intervals at 24,100 km (15,000 mi), and can be ordered with an exhaust brake. The exhaust brake is usually offered as a retrofit to most heavy-duty trucks for around $2,000, but Dodge is offering it straight from the factory for $360 ($300 USD). By using the stout engine to provide a slowing force, it extends the lifespan of the brakes. It's an effective mechanism too; as soon as you let go of the throttle you can hear the engine load up, and gently start to drag speed back. Mind you, it doesn't have the rough, heart-stopping chatter that you often hear from most big rigs.
It takes a while to get accustomed to the sheer size of the Chassis
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| Inside the cab, the 3500 Chassis Cab is just like a regular 3500 pickup. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Cab, although becoming at home with the seating position and controls is quite easy. It towers over even the tallest of pick up trucks, and feels as if it's always driving over the yellow dotted lane dividers. Swiveling tow-haul mirrors with convex corners did help me see around, but feeding the Ram through San Diego's whizzing traffic was an exercise that required patience and the utmost vigilance for minding insect-sized commuters. The physical act of driving on the other hand, simply couldn't be easier. The steering is fingertip light, and with a tight turning circle it's quite a handy vehicle. Like the brake pedal, the ride is extremely stiff in order to deal with its payload maximum, although I'm told that it is suppler and less bouncy than what the competition is offering. Also, driving these trucks with a full load of air, other than the Dodge representative that came along for the ride, doesn't exactly help out in the ride department; add a few dozen sacks of cement and things
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| King of the Road. And yes, you really do use those mirrors. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
will no doubt smoothen out. Seeing as I've not driven the competition, I can't comment, but compared to a standard pickup truck the 3500 Chassis Cab feels as if it has spars of pig iron for springs and dampers. Just the same, if my description sounds too comfortable for you Dodge offers an even heavier-duty suspension setup, although you'd really have to need it to endure its bone-crunching potential.
And what does it cost? Dodge is offering the most basic Ram 3500 Chassis Cab with single rear wheels, a standard cab and two-wheel drive with the HEMI and a manual gearbox for the extraordinarily low sum of $28,995 - a price several thousand dollars less than the competition. In and of itself that price is an absolute steal, given the development Dodge did on the chassis, and for its outright workhorse potential. For the small business owner, the promise of lower operating costs and strong residual values should be enough to tip the market in Dodge's favour, which should help the brand get a solid foothold on the heavy-duty commercial market and expand the Ram brand in new directions.
Specifications:- Base Price Range (base - Laramie Quad Cab 4X4 MSRP): $28,995 - $44,655
- Body Type: 2-door, commercial vehicle; 4-door commercial vehicle
- Layout: front engine, RWD (opt. 4WD)
- Engine: 330 hp, 375 lb-ft of torque, 5.7L, 16-valve OHV V8 (HEMI)
- Optional Engine: 305 hp, 610 lb-ft of torque, 6.7L 24-valve DOHC I6 Turbodiesel
- Transmission: 6-spd manual (opt. 5-spd auto; 6-spd. auto w/PTO on Diesel)
- Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
- Dimensions (L/W/H/WB; SWB): 6,459 / 2,021 / 2,009 / 4,153 mm (254.3 / 79.6 / 79.1 / 163.5 in)
- Curb Weight (min-max; SWB): 2,919 - 2,928 kg (6,436 - 6,456 lbs)
- Tires: 235/80R17 (opt. Dual Rear Wheels; same size)
- Observed Fuel Economy (Diesel; city/hwy avg): 21.9 L/100 km (10.7 mpg)
- Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive - 60/100,000 powertrain
- Competitors:Chevrolet Kodiak / Silverado Chassis Cab; Ford F350 Super Duty Chassis Cab; GMC TopKick / Sierra Chassis Cab
- Website: www.dodge.ca
