Northern MI Cucklyfe: Floating Garage Edition

[CaleDeRoo]

Oh cool. I honestly forgot all about the tradesman trim as I only ever see big horns and up. When does it arrive?

Fun fact you can order the Power Wagon equipment group on a Tradesman 3/4 ton and get all the baller off road stuff without the luxo shit.....costs a fair piece less.

Without stickers too I think.


I like the luxo stuff

[Desertbreh]

Fun fact you can order the Power Wagon equipment group on a Tradesman 3/4 ton and get all the baller off road stuff without the luxo shit.....costs a fair piece less.

Without stickers too I think.


I like the luxo stuff

Everybody does, I just don't love a 65K truck.

[D Griff]

This is why I was willing to so much on a , it was really the only car she liked that I was even remotely interested in co-owning and while she's totally down to take the C5 on local trips (like 90 minutes each way or less), her DD is the primary trip/doing stuff together/with the car, so I was willing to spring for the to make it somewhat interesting to me, I really didn't like the Fusion much or other things she was interested in. I was able to talk her into Bikini which was to me as well and she actually loves getting complimented on the color (a daily occurrence).

So yes, I agree, the Wrangler is a lot of fun/a different kind of fun, but they do still drive poorly and it is amazing to get into a fun car with any sort of responsiveness after piloting the Wrangler for a few trips.

I wish I could have talked mine into a more interesting color, but she was really against it. So we have maybe the most common JL in existence, which is meh to me. Still fun in the Jeep way to drive, so I like it, but it's just not what I'd pick.

I think I'll like the Ram for uniqueness, I've never seen a bright bloo Tradesman with all the black parts and off-road bits. It'll certainly drive better and be more comfortable than on long trips.

My wanted white as well, I was pretty hard on it.

I've never seen a bloo current gen RAM, that color is quite .

[max225]

Without stickers too I think.


I like the luxo stuff

Everybody does, I just don't love a 65K truck.

That mid size gladi $

[D Griff]

His was actually this gen, 1977ish, even had the Martini racing decals on a white paint job, lol he was at the tail end of trying to be a car enthusiast and then falling into a Plymouth Reliant!

That is dope.

[CaleDeRoo]

Speaking of blue rams

[D Griff]

Dang, that second one is almost Detroit-spec.

[CaleDeRoo]

Dang, that second one is almost Detroit-spec.

This was a Big Horn with chrome bumpers. I like that big D got the quad cab. The proportions are better.

They had a Challenger 50 in the showroom and that thing has an awesome stance. Wasn't for sale though.

[max225]

Dang, that second one is almost Detroit-spec.

This was a Big Horn with chrome bumpers. I like that big D got the quad cab. The proportions are better.

They had a Challenger 50 in the showroom and that thing has an awesome stance. Wasn't for sale though.

a car that is in the show room that is not for sale. gonna

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Oh cool. I honestly forgot all about the tradesman trim as I only ever see big horns and up. When does it arrive?

Fun fact you can order the Power Wagon equipment group on a Tradesman 3/4 ton and get all the baller off road stuff without the luxo shit.....costs a fair piece less.

That's basically what I did with the 1/2 ton. All the baller Rebel offroad shit without any lux.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Dang, that second one is almost Detroit-spec.

Too fancy, mine is going to be way stripped down, but that's the color!

[ChrisoftheNorth]

This was a Big Horn with chrome bumpers. I like that big D got the quad cab. The proportions are better.

They had a Challenger 50 in the showroom and that thing has an awesome stance. Wasn't for sale though.

a car that is in the show room that is not for sale. gonna

Makes absolutely zero sense.

It'll be collectible one day

[razr390]

Honestly I am really on board with this. A simple no frills but off road capable truck is probably the right amount of car anyone who does house shit, camping/parks, and lives in the north with lots of snow winters needs

Plus it probably has the longest staying power if we’re being honest. I know you said it would probably be for a year, but I predict you’ll fall in love with this truck and want to buy it out after getting to know it.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Honestly I am really on board with this. A simple no frills but off road capable truck is probably the right amount of car anyone who does house shit, camping/parks, and lives in the north with lots of snow winters needs

Plus it probably has the longest staying power if we’re being honest. I know you said it would probably be for a year, but I predict you’ll fall in love with this truck and want to buy it out after getting to know it.

Well, if my JT is any indicator, there's zero reason to buy out a corp lease at the end. Minuscule discount for tons of miles, meh. The only reason to buy this truck is I'm pretty sure it's the only one ever built. I can't find ANY photos or listings for Quad Cab 4x4 Tradesmans with the Off Road Group and no other options. Will be a and nobody will even know. I like that.

But to your point about me falling in love with it, it's entirely possible. Having a simple no frills truck that enables my lifestyle is really appealing. I can't flex with it at the mall, or rock crawl boulders, or take the roof off, but it'll go anywhere I want in the area I live while hauling a ton of crap and up to 6 people if needed. And it should get relatively decent fuel economy on the highway for my long 4 hour drives downstate since I kept the base 3.21 gears.

I could buy the truck new for $35k right now, it might be a grand or so cheaper at the end of the lease...compared to $50k for a JT, I could buy this truck and a $15k MINI or Wrangler or something. But It'll likely have ~20k miles on it, so I'd probably order a new one to purchase if I like it THAT much.

Keeping a truck like that around permanently really opens up my options for cars should I chose to. Side by sides, dune buggies (VW based), 2-door Wranglers, MINIs, Abarfs, Porsches, etc, etc...having the utility squared away will be nice. Hell, the house comes with a boat slip on Lake MI, need a 1/2 ton truck to haul a boat around if we chose to do that eventually (a fast boat is more appealing to me than a fast car because there's more freedom on the water).

[ChrisoftheNorth]

And since it's Friday morning and I've worked my ass off all week, I'm not too motivated to work...here's some more thoughts on the JT.

I've said the JT is my favorite vehicle ever. It still is...but I have to admit it has limitations because in an effort to be everything to everyone, its ends up not being particularly outstanding at anything.

It's loud.

I think it's the Rubicon trim, but man is it loud on the highway. I've ignored it and excused it, but we drove downstate on Tuesday and back yesterday, can't deny the wind noise and road noise gets tiring after 4 hours. Getting to your destination feeling worn out is not great, especially if it's a regular thing. Our JL Sahara is significantly quieter and easier to drive long distances. An Overland JT might be the answer, but I really don't think they look as good and the hit to off-road capability makes it because...

It's not a great truck.

The design dictated a shallow bed. It looks really cool, and the designers love to talk about how you can reach the bottom of the bed from the side, but that makes it pretty crappy at hauling much. I've really learned that as we pile stuff in it moving. And big/bulky items are a PITA to load because the bed is so high. Great for throwing camping gear, bikes, and "lifestyle" stuff in, not so great for loading a washer dryer, or a load of lumber because the 5' bed is super limiting on the length of stuff you can put back there. All in the name of off-road capability, but...

It's just OK off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about the truck initially were the overall length and wheelbase. From the off-roading I've done, it's not a huge issue, but it's not great either. The crappy breakover angle means scraping the belly quite a bit. Fortunately, the lockers help drag over anything, but tight sections of trails are really difficult to navigate with the length. 3 point turns aren't always practical, yet need to be executed to get the long ass wheelbase around trees, rocks, etc. At times, it feels like you're spending more time trying to navigate the truck around crap than having fun.

A true jack of all trades, master of none.

I love that the truck feels like it's ready to do absolutely anything. I spent over a month straight with the top and doors removed this summer, and I loved driving it like that to pick up plants, lumber, and truck stuff. Made mundane boring tasks fun and no other vehicle can really do that. We took it camping with the top off, and that just made the experience even more enjoyable being so immersed in nature. People also absolutely love it, tons of comments on the truck itself, the color, and the overall fun feeling it exudes. It's a truck 5 year old me would have built out of Legos, and that feeling of youth is what makes the truck so endearing. Getting rid of it for a Ram kind of feels like growing up, and I'm not sure how I'll feel about that.

[Desertbreh]

Fun fact you can order the Power Wagon equipment group on a Tradesman 3/4 ton and get all the baller off road stuff without the luxo shit.....costs a fair piece less.

That's basically what I did with the 1/2 ton. All the baller Rebel offroad shit without any lux.

Can't do this with a Toyota, as we have witnessed!

[Desertbreh]

And since it's Friday morning and I've worked my ass off all week, I'm not too motivated to work...here's some more thoughts on the JT.

I've said the JT is my favorite vehicle ever. It still is...but I have to admit it has limitations because in an effort to be everything to everyone, its ends up not being particularly outstanding at anything.

It's loud.

I think it's the Rubicon trim, but man is it loud on the highway. I've ignored it and excused it, but we drove downstate on Tuesday and back yesterday, can't deny the wind noise and road noise gets tiring after 4 hours. Getting to your destination feeling worn out is not great, especially if it's a regular thing. Our JL Sahara is significantly quieter and easier to drive long distances. An Overland JT might be the answer, but I really don't think they look as good and the hit to off-road capability makes it because...

It's not a great truck.

The design dictated a shallow bed. It looks really cool, and the designers love to talk about how you can reach the bottom of the bed from the side, but that makes it pretty crappy at hauling much. I've really learned that as we pile stuff in it moving. And big/bulky items are a PITA to load because the bed is so high. Great for throwing camping gear, bikes, and "lifestyle" stuff in, not so great for loading a washer dryer, or a load of lumber because the 5' bed is super limiting on the length of stuff you can put back there. All in the name of off-road capability, but...

It's just OK off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about the truck initially were the overall length and wheelbase. From the off-roading I've done, it's not a huge issue, but it's not great either. The crappy breakover angle means scraping the belly quite a bit. Fortunately, the lockers help drag over anything, but tight sections of trails are really difficult to navigate with the length. 3 point turns aren't always practical, yet need to be executed to get the long ass wheelbase around trees, rocks, etc. At times, it feels like you're spending more time trying to navigate the truck around crap than having fun.

A true jack of all trades, master of none.

I love that the truck feels like it's ready to do absolutely anything. I spent over a month straight with the top and doors removed this summer, and I loved driving it like that to pick up plants, lumber, and truck stuff. Made mundane boring tasks fun and no other vehicle can really do that. We took it camping with the top off, and that just made the experience even more enjoyable being so immersed in nature. People also absolutely love it, tons of comments on the truck itself, the color, and the overall fun feeling it exudes. It's a truck 5 year old me would have built out of Legos, and that feeling of youth is what makes the truck so endearing. Getting rid of it for a Ram kind of feels like growing up, and I'm not sure how I'll feel about that.

You've vacillated between youth and old man cars many, many times and you will do so again. You grew up when you ditched the purple 951. You grew up when you dtiched the GTI. You grew up when you ditched the Corvette. You grew up when you ditched the ZR2. Are you getting the rythm? Can you feel me brother?

[max225]

And since it's Friday morning and I've worked my ass off all week, I'm not too motivated to work...here's some more thoughts on the JT.

I've said the JT is my favorite vehicle ever. It still is...but I have to admit it has limitations because in an effort to be everything to everyone, its ends up not being particularly outstanding at anything.

It's loud.

I think it's the Rubicon trim, but man is it loud on the highway. I've ignored it and excused it, but we drove downstate on Tuesday and back yesterday, can't deny the wind noise and road noise gets tiring after 4 hours. Getting to your destination feeling worn out is not great, especially if it's a regular thing. Our JL Sahara is significantly quieter and easier to drive long distances. An Overland JT might be the answer, but I really don't think they look as good and the hit to off-road capability makes it because...

It's not a great truck.

The design dictated a shallow bed. It looks really cool, and the designers love to talk about how you can reach the bottom of the bed from the side, but that makes it pretty crappy at hauling much. I've really learned that as we pile stuff in it moving. And big/bulky items are a PITA to load because the bed is so high. Great for throwing camping gear, bikes, and "lifestyle" stuff in, not so great for loading a washer dryer, or a load of lumber because the 5' bed is super limiting on the length of stuff you can put back there. All in the name of off-road capability, but...

It's just OK off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about the truck initially were the overall length and wheelbase. From the off-roading I've done, it's not a huge issue, but it's not great either. The crappy breakover angle means scraping the belly quite a bit. Fortunately, the lockers help drag over anything, but tight sections of trails are really difficult to navigate with the length. 3 point turns aren't always practical, yet need to be executed to get the long ass wheelbase around trees, rocks, etc. At times, it feels like you're spending more time trying to navigate the truck around crap than having fun.

A true jack of all trades, master of none.

I love that the truck feels like it's ready to do absolutely anything. I spent over a month straight with the top and doors removed this summer, and I loved driving it like that to pick up plants, lumber, and truck stuff. Made mundane boring tasks fun and no other vehicle can really do that. We took it camping with the top off, and that just made the experience even more enjoyable being so immersed in nature. People also absolutely love it, tons of comments on the truck itself, the color, and the overall fun feeling it exudes. It's a truck 5 year old me would have built out of Legos, and that feeling of youth is what makes the truck so endearing. Getting rid of it for a Ram kind of feels like growing up, and I'm not sure how I'll feel about that.

You gave me so much shit about the wind noise... I would be rolling in a JL right now if it wasn't for that... I certainly hear you and it's nice to read a post without rose colored glasses.

I do think you should get back into something fun. This thing shouldn't be a norm

[ChrisoftheNorth]

That's basically what I did with the 1/2 ton. All the baller Rebel offroad shit without any lux.

Can't do this with a Toyota, as we have witnessed!

It's interesting because I didn't even know it was an option on the Ram. As I was ordering the truck I saw the off-road group option, and looking into it I was by the content...it's truly a poverty Rebel...skid plates, shocks, tires, rear locker even electronic stuff like hill descent.

But this is also an example of why Toyota quality is so great with no options, and build to order stuff introduces quality issues. Even though it's simple, an engineer somewhere had to make sure the off-road group content works on the tradesman...an option group that extremely few people select as evidenced by my inability to find one in inventory anywhere. Those are engineering resources that could have been deployed elsewhere for maybe more impact. Not to mention, the plant has to keep these parts on hand and know how to install them on different trims. Again, seems like NBD "all trucks are the same", but you'd be amazed by the subtle differences between trim levels that can throw off manufacturing.

Still glad they offer it so I can order it. I think it's a big of a failure on part of the marketing dudes that haven't made this more well known, but that's out of my purview. I may reach out to some brand managers when I get the truck if it ends up being badass.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

And since it's Friday morning and I've worked my ass off all week, I'm not too motivated to work...here's some more thoughts on the JT.

I've said the JT is my favorite vehicle ever. It still is...but I have to admit it has limitations because in an effort to be everything to everyone, its ends up not being particularly outstanding at anything.

It's loud.

I think it's the Rubicon trim, but man is it loud on the highway. I've ignored it and excused it, but we drove downstate on Tuesday and back yesterday, can't deny the wind noise and road noise gets tiring after 4 hours. Getting to your destination feeling worn out is not great, especially if it's a regular thing. Our JL Sahara is significantly quieter and easier to drive long distances. An Overland JT might be the answer, but I really don't think they look as good and the hit to off-road capability makes it because...

It's not a great truck.

The design dictated a shallow bed. It looks really cool, and the designers love to talk about how you can reach the bottom of the bed from the side, but that makes it pretty crappy at hauling much. I've really learned that as we pile stuff in it moving. And big/bulky items are a PITA to load because the bed is so high. Great for throwing camping gear, bikes, and "lifestyle" stuff in, not so great for loading a washer dryer, or a load of lumber because the 5' bed is super limiting on the length of stuff you can put back there. All in the name of off-road capability, but...

It's just OK off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about the truck initially were the overall length and wheelbase. From the off-roading I've done, it's not a huge issue, but it's not great either. The crappy breakover angle means scraping the belly quite a bit. Fortunately, the lockers help drag over anything, but tight sections of trails are really difficult to navigate with the length. 3 point turns aren't always practical, yet need to be executed to get the long ass wheelbase around trees, rocks, etc. At times, it feels like you're spending more time trying to navigate the truck around crap than having fun.

A true jack of all trades, master of none.

I love that the truck feels like it's ready to do absolutely anything. I spent over a month straight with the top and doors removed this summer, and I loved driving it like that to pick up plants, lumber, and truck stuff. Made mundane boring tasks fun and no other vehicle can really do that. We took it camping with the top off, and that just made the experience even more enjoyable being so immersed in nature. People also absolutely love it, tons of comments on the truck itself, the color, and the overall fun feeling it exudes. It's a truck 5 year old me would have built out of Legos, and that feeling of youth is what makes the truck so endearing. Getting rid of it for a Ram kind of feels like growing up, and I'm not sure how I'll feel about that.

You gave me so much shit about the wind noise... I would be rolling in a JL right now if it wasn't for that... I certainly hear you and it's nice to read a post without rose colored glasses.

I do think you should get back into something fun. This thing shouldn't be a norm

Did you read the post? I'll still give you shit about wind noise because our JL Sahara is just fine. Might be the headliner option, but I have no issue driving that long distances. The JT is on a different level. Most of the time it's fine, but this week it was really windy and holy hell the noise got old. I think it's the ride height and tires from the Rubicon making the biggest difference. I don't really want to pile miles on the JL, so the Ram will be a welcome change on the highway from the JT.

What I'm going to test is if a do-all truck like the Gladiator is better than a utility truck and a more dedicated fun thing. I'll feel better about doing something fun when there's a little more certainty next year (house move done, job settled, etc). OR like I said, my "fun" vehicles might change to boats or side by sides or both.

[Desertbreh]

Can't do this with a Toyota, as we have witnessed!

It's interesting because I didn't even know it was an option on the Ram. As I was ordering the truck I saw the off-road group option, and looking into it I was by the content...it's truly a poverty Rebel...skid plates, shocks, tires, rear locker even electronic stuff like hill descent.

But this is also an example of why Toyota quality is so great with no options, and build to order stuff introduces quality issues. Even though it's simple, an engineer somewhere had to make sure the off-road group content works on the tradesman...an option group that extremely few people select as evidenced by my inability to find one in inventory anywhere. Those are engineering resources that could have been deployed elsewhere for maybe more impact. Not to mention, the plant has to keep these parts on hand and know how to install them on different trims. Again, seems like NBD "all trucks are the same", but you'd be amazed by the subtle differences between trim levels that can throw off manufacturing.

Still glad they offer it so I can order it. I think it's a big of a failure on part of the marketing dudes that haven't made this more well known, but that's out of my purview. I may reach out to some brand managers when I get the truck if it ends up being badass.

The Tradesman Power Wagon is the extreme example of this. It's fucking cool is what it is. Not much different than a COPO 427 Camaro in 1969. I'll gamble the quality hit not to have a bunch of short scotch drinking executives having their 20th office meeting of the month in a strip club in South Tokyo dictating what I can and cannot have on my truck.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

And since it's Friday morning and I've worked my ass off all week, I'm not too motivated to work...here's some more thoughts on the JT.

I've said the JT is my favorite vehicle ever. It still is...but I have to admit it has limitations because in an effort to be everything to everyone, its ends up not being particularly outstanding at anything.

It's loud.

I think it's the Rubicon trim, but man is it loud on the highway. I've ignored it and excused it, but we drove downstate on Tuesday and back yesterday, can't deny the wind noise and road noise gets tiring after 4 hours. Getting to your destination feeling worn out is not great, especially if it's a regular thing. Our JL Sahara is significantly quieter and easier to drive long distances. An Overland JT might be the answer, but I really don't think they look as good and the hit to off-road capability makes it because...

It's not a great truck.

The design dictated a shallow bed. It looks really cool, and the designers love to talk about how you can reach the bottom of the bed from the side, but that makes it pretty crappy at hauling much. I've really learned that as we pile stuff in it moving. And big/bulky items are a PITA to load because the bed is so high. Great for throwing camping gear, bikes, and "lifestyle" stuff in, not so great for loading a washer dryer, or a load of lumber because the 5' bed is super limiting on the length of stuff you can put back there. All in the name of off-road capability, but...

It's just OK off-road.

One of my biggest concerns about the truck initially were the overall length and wheelbase. From the off-roading I've done, it's not a huge issue, but it's not great either. The crappy breakover angle means scraping the belly quite a bit. Fortunately, the lockers help drag over anything, but tight sections of trails are really difficult to navigate with the length. 3 point turns aren't always practical, yet need to be executed to get the long ass wheelbase around trees, rocks, etc. At times, it feels like you're spending more time trying to navigate the truck around crap than having fun.

A true jack of all trades, master of none.

I love that the truck feels like it's ready to do absolutely anything. I spent over a month straight with the top and doors removed this summer, and I loved driving it like that to pick up plants, lumber, and truck stuff. Made mundane boring tasks fun and no other vehicle can really do that. We took it camping with the top off, and that just made the experience even more enjoyable being so immersed in nature. People also absolutely love it, tons of comments on the truck itself, the color, and the overall fun feeling it exudes. It's a truck 5 year old me would have built out of Legos, and that feeling of youth is what makes the truck so endearing. Getting rid of it for a Ram kind of feels like growing up, and I'm not sure how I'll feel about that.

You've vacillated between youth and old man cars many, many times and you will do so again. You grew up when you ditched the purple 951. You grew up when you dtiched the GTI. You grew up when you ditched the Corvette. You grew up when you ditched the ZR2. Are you getting the rythm? Can you feel me brother?

The Gladiator just felt like a super youthful departure from old. Moreso than past moves. We'll see how this transition goes.

[Desertbreh]

You gave me so much shit about the wind noise... I would be rolling in a JL right now if it wasn't for that... I certainly hear you and it's nice to read a post without rose colored glasses.

I do think you should get back into something fun. This thing shouldn't be a norm

Did you read the post? I'll still give you shit about wind noise because our JL Sahara is just fine. Might be the headliner option, but I have no issue driving that long distances. The JT is on a different level. Most of the time it's fine, but this week it was really windy and holy hell the noise got old. I think it's the ride height and tires from the Rubicon making the biggest difference. I don't really want to pile miles on the JL, so the Ram will be a welcome change on the highway from the JT.

What I'm going to test is if a do-all truck like the Gladiator is better than a utility truck and a more dedicated fun thing. I'll feel better about doing something fun when there's a little more certainty next year (house move done, job settled, etc). OR like I said, my "fun" vehicles might change to boats or side by sides or both.

For a grown ass man Max is a pussy about wind noise for a fact.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It's interesting because I didn't even know it was an option on the Ram. As I was ordering the truck I saw the off-road group option, and looking into it I was by the content...it's truly a poverty Rebel...skid plates, shocks, tires, rear locker even electronic stuff like hill descent.

But this is also an example of why Toyota quality is so great with no options, and build to order stuff introduces quality issues. Even though it's simple, an engineer somewhere had to make sure the off-road group content works on the tradesman...an option group that extremely few people select as evidenced by my inability to find one in inventory anywhere. Those are engineering resources that could have been deployed elsewhere for maybe more impact. Not to mention, the plant has to keep these parts on hand and know how to install them on different trims. Again, seems like NBD "all trucks are the same", but you'd be amazed by the subtle differences between trim levels that can throw off manufacturing.

Still glad they offer it so I can order it. I think it's a big of a failure on part of the marketing dudes that haven't made this more well known, but that's out of my purview. I may reach out to some brand managers when I get the truck if it ends up being badass.

The Tradesman Power Wagon is the extreme example of this. It's fucking cool is what it is. Not much different than a COPO 427 Camaro in 1969. I'll gamble the quality hit not to have a bunch of short scotch drinking executives having their 20th office meeting of the month in a strip club in South Tokyo dictating what I can and cannot have on my truck.

Between the 1500 Tradesman OffRoad group and the 2500 Tradesman Power Wagon group, Ram has a no frills bordering hardcore off-road lineup that nobody knows about AND it's unique in the industry from what I can tell. Chevy does offer the 1500 Custom Trail Boss, which is an equivalent of this, but they're the closest and they don't do anything on the hideous HD.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Did you read the post? I'll still give you shit about wind noise because our JL Sahara is just fine. Might be the headliner option, but I have no issue driving that long distances. The JT is on a different level. Most of the time it's fine, but this week it was really windy and holy hell the noise got old. I think it's the ride height and tires from the Rubicon making the biggest difference. I don't really want to pile miles on the JL, so the Ram will be a welcome change on the highway from the JT.

What I'm going to test is if a do-all truck like the Gladiator is better than a utility truck and a more dedicated fun thing. I'll feel better about doing something fun when there's a little more certainty next year (house move done, job settled, etc). OR like I said, my "fun" vehicles might change to boats or side by sides or both.

For a grown ass man Max is a pussy about wind noise for a fact.

Fact.