This customer purchased his 2018 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel as it was perfectly tailored to his needs. The truck was purchased for a song as the 2019s were on the lot and it was the right color combination, trim package (laramie) and was both 4×4 and EcoDiesel equipped. Commuting to and from work on mostly highways and driving the family around on the weekends, the truck was everything it was designed to be – comfortable, quiet and boring. He opted for the Commuter 2.0 with our Upper Control Arms to provide am even better ride and stance; complimented by the downsized 17″ Raceline Wheels and 285/75R17 Falken AT3W Tires. This served him well until he got the itch to hit the dirt.

A high-clearance bumper, Baja Designs lighting and our Performance 2.5″ System was fitted in “Stage 2” of this build – we tagged along to film the maiden voyage!

We rolled into Johnson Valley OHV area early in the morning. As with any other platform, finding and pulling the “ABS Pump Motor” fuse was crucial to disable the on-road friendly “Nanny” controls that can ruin your day in the dirt. Don’t quote me, but i think F06 was the fuse. I’ll correct this later if it’s wrong. A quick donut and hard stop ensured the Traction Control didn’t defuel while drifting and slamming on the brakes brought us to a skidding stop confirming ABS had been effectively disabled.

We got a feel for the truck through the dry lake bed and small whoop sections. It’s always fun to spin a 1500 as they’re so much lighter than the HD platforms with which we work everyday. The tuning we threw into these shocks was spot on, the truck handled everything with ease and the owner’s grin was ear to ear the entirety of the trip. We got everything we went for; popped the fuse back in and enjoyed the post-desert high for the 2-hour drive back home.

The day after, i’d received a picture from him that the truck was detailed and all evidence of the previous day’s shenanigans had been erased. It’s amazing to think one can have a truck that polishes up to rival the aesthetics of any other leveled Ram 1500 on the road while handling like a sports car on the highway & keeping up with side-by-sides in the desert. In conclusion, Raptor who? This build totaled under $45,000 including the truck!