Project Big Horn

[Ryan T]

So as I'm sure most all of you saw in the car buying thread, I picked up a truck last Saturday. The Big Horn edition essentially gets you chrome grill and bumpers, fog lights, leather wrapped steering wheel and 20" rims. This truck will serve as my daily driver in addition to other truck duties. I'd say 90% of the 'truck' duties will be picking up mulch, hauling wood, and moving furniture; typical Harry Homeowner shit. Truck will occasionally be used to pull a trailer but it isn't likely I will push the towing limits of the truck very often. Payload is rated at 1,380lbs and max towing of 8,500lbs with the gearing I have.

2010 Dodge Ram SLT Big Horn 4x4
32k miles
5.7L Hemi V8 with cylinder deactivation. 390hp, 407lb/ft of torque
Crew cab with 5'7" bed, line-x bed liner, bed extender and factory dodge hard, locking cover

Impressions after 650 miles (250 all interstate, 400 of 50/50 mix of town and highway with two trips to the farm to make sure the 4x4 works):
This truck will really move when you put your foot into it. Merging is a breeze even at half throttle and so far it hasn't left me wishing for any more power. 5 speed transmission seems pretty well thought out and hasn't done anything wonky so far.
When one bank of cylinders shut down a light comes on on the dash displaying "Eco" and you can feel it at low speeds. Interstate travel it transitions seamlessly from 4 to 8 cylinders. Going about 40-45 if you pay attention you can feel when it changes without looking at the light. Never any lag or problems going from one to the other.

Fuel mileage is about as expected. Truck is rated at 13/18. I didn't pay any attention the the 250 miles of interstate driving, but I reset it when I filled up last Saturday and over the last 400 miles of 50/50 I've averaged 16.7. I can live with that. We are taking the truck to Charleston this weekend, I'll reset it again and see how it does all highway.

This truck doesn't ride like a truck. These 4th gen Rams did away with the leaf spring rear suspension on the 1500 and 2500 models and replaced it with a coil and spring setup. This makes the highway ride much easier and going over bumps doesn't cause the rear to 'jitter' or feel unsettled like you sometimes get with a leaf spring setup, especially going around corners.

Holy storage and legroom batman! There are storage containers and pockets and shit everywhere in this truck. Underneath the all weather mats in the back are two storage bins recessed into the floor that are a good 8-10" deep and have a removable plastic liner. I've seen several people say they put ice and beverages down in it and use it as a cooler. Would also be good for dirty/wet clothing until you can get home. I swear the legroom for the rear seat passengers is more than the front legroom of my wife's Lexus.

I really like the Line-X liner on this truck. The few things I've put in the back haven't slid around when riding back there and it should be really durable. I had my chainsaw in a slick plastic case back there for two days while I was working on a neighbors shrubbery in the evenings and it never moved while I was driving around. The hard folding bed cover has proven to be 100% water tight and it's nice that it is lockable. The tailgate is also lockable for some extra added security. The only downside I've found is you have to open the bed cover to let the tailgate down. I could remove the plate that causes this, but I haven't decided if I will or not. I've also been pleasantly surprised with the bed extender; if you flip up just the back panel of the bed cover you can place groceries, luggage, or any other items you want to easily reach if you stop and they can't escape arms length. It easily comes out in less than 30 seconds when you don't need it as well.

Problems/issues moving forward:
The backup camera has been somewhat wonky. It'll work about 75% of the time. It is the factory backup camera but was added after the truck was purchased, along with the touch screen radio setup. About 25% of the time the camera feed will show up blacked out. I can put it back in park, get out of the truck and slam the tailgate and it'll work again. Must be a loose connection in there somewhere. Jeff advised me if it continues to be an issue he will send me another camera to install. I may take the current one out and make sure all the connections are good.

Samantha got stung by a bee today and went to get the first aid kit from underneath the back seat on the driver side. The carpet under the storage compartment was damp. No standing water or anything, but the bottom of the first aid kit and my wrench set were both wet. We've had some pretty substantial rains the last few days. Quick google search revealed that it is most likely the 3rd brake light. The seal from the factory is kinda crappy and tends to let water in and it leaks down between the body panels and ends up under the rear passenger seat. I took the brake light out and there was some water inside where the light mounts. Not a lot, but enough. I ran a thick bead of 100% silicone all around the gasket and re-installed it. Hopefully that fixes it. If not, the other, but less likely, culprit is the seal around the power rear window. I'll keep it updated to see if there is any more moisture.

No pictures of the interior yet, but I will get some tomorrow. Here are the only two I have of the outside:

[Senor_Taylor]

I'm very curious to see how your ownership goes. I don't think I've known anyone who owned a Dodge that wasn't 100 years old with 1,000,000 miles on it. What kind of drawbacks do the coils in place of leaves present?

When you say bed extender, are you talking about those metal cage that flip over and sit on your tailgate?

[Ryan T]

I'm very curious to see how your ownership goes. I don't think I've known anyone who owned a Dodge that wasn't 100 years old with 1,000,000 miles on it. What kind of drawbacks do the coils in place of leaves present?

When you say bed extender, are you talking about those metal cage that flip over and sit on your tailgate?

Yes, it is one of the cage looking setups that flips out and comes to the end of the tailgate.

As for drawbacks to the coil in place of leaf springs, I assume I am taking a small hit in bed payload capacity. A lot of the other trucks in this segment have a payload of 1500-2000lbs, but that isn't that big of a deal to me. I honestly don't see myself putting in excess of 1300lbs in the bed of this truck. Anything amounting to that much weight I will just toss on my trailer. Dodge swears this new setup can take a heavy load and I've seen plenty of them towing boats and other large heavy items without much difficulty or squatting. We will see if it pays off in the long run.

[Ryan T]

Not so much on the forum, but I've had a lot of people ask me, "Why a Dodge? Why'd you choose that?" One, it was a great deal. Two, it goes back a long way. My dad bought a 1994 Dodge Ram brand new (his first new vehicle) when the new gens first came out. It was a V6, single cab, 2wd, and basically everything else I consider to be a waste in a pickup, but he loved his Dodge and drove it until he passed in 2001. He left it to me when he passed and as some of you alumni who knew me during my JMU days remember, it was totaled by a drunk driver on Devon Lane when I took the Supra home for the weekend. I still remember getting that heartbreaking call from DJ when it happened. I feel like I've purchased the truck my dad should have bought, and after some years of ownership, wished he had bought. 4x4, V8, and a larger cab. Maybe that's why I've always found myself pulled towards Dodge's.

Before its demise


After it was totaled by a drunk driver

[Senor_Taylor]

How exactly did that happen? Just plowed into it while it was parked? That sucks so much. Great hearing this truck has a sentimental value to you. I hope it treats you well.

[Ryan T]

How exactly did that happen? Just plowed into it while it was parked? That sucks so much. Great hearing this truck has a sentimental value to you. I hope it treats you well.

The owner (who drove a Ford Ranger) was drunk and returning to his apartment on Devon Lane after a night of partying. It was flying down the hill and tried to turn into our complex at a high rate of speed. He lost control and slammed his Ranger into my truck which pushed it into two other vehicles.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Nice! I always loved the ways these look in white! Should serve you well for quite a while.

You guys are making me very jealous for a new truck.;

[Senor_Taylor]

Nice! I always loved the ways these look in white! Should serve you well for quite a while.

You guys are making me very jealous for a new truck.;

DO IT DO IT DO IT.

... and I'll take yours

[Jake]

I dig the white, it looks good! Didn't know you too well at the time but I do remember the red truck and what happened - such a sad way to lose it but this is a nice "v2" of a Ram 1500 for sure.

The under-floor storage compartments sound really nice to have. My truck has some little plastic bins under the back seats (against the back of the cab) but they don't hold too much. Yours sound way more useful.

I've driven a few Ram 1500s with the coil spring rear and they ride so well unloaded compared to a Ford or GM on leaf springs. Pretty neat.

[rherold9]

I've driven a few Ram 1500s with the coil spring rear and they ride so well unloaded compared to a Ford or GM on leaf springs. Pretty neat.

I can say that my truck is definitely not happy in the rear over unsmooth road. Wish it was smoother but trade-offs are trade-offs.


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[Ryan T]

Took a few pictures of the inside and bed liner/bed cover today. Heading out to SC in it tomorrow so I'll report back in about a week once we return from our cruise. Went across the scale at the scrap yard today and the truck with myself and my wife in it weighed exactly 6,000lbs.

Pretty standard gauge setup, controls on the steering wheel for the vehicle information center


Love the touchscreen radio. Also the 12V plug is really handy


Really digging the brown interior



Bedcover. The circles on the far end are where you spin a little latch to open it. You can open it from either end. Also inside with the latch is the key lock.


Here you can see the bed cover with the first panel folded back, the spray in liner and the bed extender. And for anyone wondering, 13 brake rotors is worth $5.60 at the scrap yard.

[Ryan T]

Took the truck to Charleston, SC last Sunday for our cruise to the Bahamas. We were pleasantly surprised with the ride and the fuel economy. Cruise was always set between 5 and 7mph over the posted limit. We took interstate 26 the whole way, through Asheville (requires climbing a mountain and then descending it) and then on through Columbia SC and then to Charleston. I didn't do a hand calculation because we left with 3/4 of a tank and when we filled up at the grocery store we were limited to 20 gallons with out discount, so I never actually filled it up from empty to check against the miles per tank.

Going down, mix of 2 and 3 passengers with luggage in the bed. Checked the mileage in Columbia because we stayed the night there with family before continuing on to Charleston Monday morning. I didn't pay particularly close attention to my driving style going down but I don't think I was really hard on it, I'd call it 'average' driving, stopped two times, once in Asheville at the Outlets and drove around a bit, then again for food about halfway to Columbia.


Charleston to Bristol was this morning, left about 7:30am. Stopped once to drive through and get some breakfast and again for fuel just south of Asheville. This trip I made a special effort to be easy on the gas. Slower acceleration and an effort to keep the revs under 2k and keep it in Eco mode as much as possible. Cruise was still set about 5mph over. Pretty impressed with this for a truck rated at 13/18.


One pet peeve of mine is the cruise control on vehicles these days. It's not just this truck, both of my old Silverado's did this, so did my Ford, Hyundai and Sam's Lexus; the cruise likes to drift a few MPH. If I set my cruise at 76mph, I want it to stay at 76 damnit. Don't drop down to 71 then downshift and go up to 78 then level off at 76. If we can launch satellites to orbit other planets, why can't we get a cruise control that can keep the speed it is set at? /endrant.

[WRXtranceformed]

That's weird, I don't think I've ever experienced that on any of our newer cars. My jag had ACC which was pretty on point, the RDX and GMC definitely hover where they are supposed to..maybe dropping 1 or 2 mph or so if you're going up a big hill but it levels back to where it should be pretty quickly

[JPolen01]

Yeah I've never seen that before. Interesting. My civic stays 1-2 mph within what it is set at depending on hills.

[rherold9]

My Silverado does not do that at all. Usually around 1 or 2 mph even on hills

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[ScottyB]

how'd it ride through Asheville? last time i was on 26 going up there the concrete slabs were buckled so bad it felt like riding through chop on a lake. hopefully with that coil spring setup it was pretty bearable. in the subaru i was literally leaving my seat on every heave.

[Ryan T]

how'd it ride through Asheville? last time i was on 26 going up there the concrete slabs were buckled so bad it felt like riding through chop on a lake. hopefully with that coil spring setup it was pretty bearable. in the subaru i was literally leaving my seat on every heave.

Couldn't tell much about the ride going down as we spent most of the trip through Asheville going about 15mph. Coming back it was pretty smooth, but even the best suspension can only cope with so much of the shitty ass roads that are Asheville.

Couple updates. So as I mentioned in the first post the backup camera would go in and out when we first bought it. I took the back panel off the tailgate and unplugged the camera. There was some dirt and grime in the plug so I blew it out with the air compressor and put some dielectric grease in there and plugged it back in. It's been about two weeks since I did that and the camera has worked 100% of the time.

When the truck has been parked facing uphill in the rain we were getting some water in the rear passenger compartment on the driver side. It was always in the under seat storage area. Quick google search showed that the 3rd brake light was the likely cause of this. I pulled the 3rd brake light out after a rain and there was some water getting in. Cleaned it off and ran a thick bead of silicone around the light and reinstalled. Next rain came and that took care of 85% of the water problem. Under some really hard rain though we were still getting some water in there. Not enough to make anything "wet" this time, just damp. I went out there with the air hose and water hose and tracked it down to the power sliding rear window. It was coming in from somewhere around there. I texted Jeff and he said that there are 3 drains on the back glass that are really small and sometimes get clogged. When they get clogged it can cause some overflow into the cab. Took the air compressor to the 3 drain areas and over the last 2 days of hard rains we have had absolutely zero water inside the cab. Success!

There are 3 drains under the glass that are located above Jeff's finger in the picture. There is a small break in the seal that allows water to drain. One on each side of the glass and one in the middle.

[Senor_Taylor]

Gotta love simple fixes! I'm glad it was that easy! It's a great feeling buying a vehicle and fixing the "small" things right off the bat.

[Jeff]

Man I love this truck. I've loved it from when dad sold it new and when my good friend Chuck had it for a few years before he passed. This is a sweet ride, I'm glad we could get together on it. I know I'm a week late in getting you the figure you asked for the other day, I will get it Friday I promise! I'm on the way to PA tomorrow to pick up another bitchin' 2016 Ram I bought for the lot.

[Ryan T]

Well Ramathorn has been a faithful steed for going on 2 years, basically problem free. Saturday evening Sam and I headed out in it to go watch the town fireworks. About 2 miles out from the house, the battery light came on. I looked and noticed that the charging light was slightly below halfway, where it normally sits solidly in the middle. I cut it off when we got to the lot and hoped maybe it was a fluke. Started it when we left and no light, everything was fine. I’ve driven it 3 to 4 times every day since then; it came back on Monday morning and again this evening on the way home. Every time, the charging gauge was below halfway. I’m hoping to drive it tomorrow and get the light to come on, then come home and hook it up to a voltmeter. My suspicion is that the alternator is dying (Jeff can chime in here with any knowledge!), or I have a loose connection somewhere. I plan on checking all of those connections and related fuses before replacing the alternator. On the plus side, if it is the alternator, it’s a really straight forward swap and shouldn’t take more than half an hour.

I’m just shy of 60k miles, which seems a little short lived for an alternator, but the truck is almost 10 years old and only gets driven about 6-10 miles a day now that we’ve moved so much closer to my office.