Every generation gets their status-symbol vehicle. Be it the ultimate chrome barge from the 1950s, great Lincoln vs. Cadillac cars from the 1960s and 1970s, 1980s power sedans from BMW and Mercedes, or the ultimate overkill sport-utility vehicles of the 1990s and 2000s, there always seems to be a standout that costs a ton, sells a ton, and can do a ton, but dances on the lines of overkill without any sort of remorse. And while SUVs are still high-ranking, I’d tend to argue that overloaded diesel pickups are the current winners of the status-symbol war in the U.S. market. What used to be the final say in a work truck can now be optioned out so loaded that a ten-year-old Cadillac starts to look bare-bones besides one. Want leather? You can get it by the cow inside. Want gadgets? To your techie-nerd desires, manufacturers are willing more than ever to bend over backwards. Want power? You couldn’t have picked a better time to buy a vehicle. But is it worth it? Does a $70,000 pickup truck born and bred from workhorse roots really need to exist?

Martin Dodge in Bowling Green tossed us the keyfob to a 2017 Ram 3500 Mega Cab to test out, and for the first time, I was a bit nervous as I guided the Delmonico Red monster out of the parking lot and into the real world. Make no mistake, this sucker is big…as a buddy pointed out, it eclipses his 1972 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in size. Having the dual rear wheels doesn’t help the feeling that you are piloting something that needs to be monitored all the time in traffic. You aren’t only watching what you are doing, but you are watching what other people do in this rig. It isn’t unmanageable…I became comfortable in about ten minutes…but it’s worth mentioning. With big crew-cab diesels as popular around my local as Toyota Camrys were twenty years ago, though, I wanted to see why the popularity exists.

The Good

It has been a long, long time since I’ve gotten into a vehicle and felt small inside. The Laramie has 72.2 cubic feet of interior space to contend with…which means, in rough terms, that Brian and I could sit up front with a two-foot gap between us and Chad could sleep on the rear bench and we’d still have room to stuff some bags inside.

You name it, this Ram had it. I appreciate options like the trailer brake system, the engine brake system, and the automatic fold-in mirrors, but easily the one option I fell in love with was the ventilated and cooled seats. On a hot and humid day, having a nice gentle breeze blowing…well, you know where…is a godsend.  You want storage? You’ve got storage! The one thing that Rams have been known for since the 1994 redesign was more than ample storage space inside, and here, the Laramie didn’t disappoint at all. It shouldn’t have, either, given how much interior room is available.

If nothing else, I appreciate a good dash design. Everything you need should be clear, legible, and within reach, and again the Ram doesn’t disappoint. I especially dug the turbo gauge readout in the center screen of the gauges. Shame I barely saw it come alive…

The 6.7L, 24-valve Cummins inline-six cylinder engine. It’s the single most expensive option on this truck at $8,700, and it’s also the most worthy option. This one is backed up with the 68RFE six-speed automatic, which puts horsepower at 370 and torque at a nice, fat 800 ft/lbs. That’s the mid-level option, too…on the low end of the scale is the six-speed manual, which gets you 350 horsepower and 660 ft/lbs, or you can shell out the money for the Aisin 6-speed automatic and end up with 385 horsepower and 900 ft/lbs of torque. Pick your poison, but in any setup the Cummins will not disappoint. Running up to highway speed, the Ram moved like a 1970 land barge: not exactly violent, but swift enough to drop jaws. The speedometer twists around at a surprising rate. We have good information that another $2,500 or so will net you 500 rear-wheel horsepower and a four-digit torque figure, so long as your state doesn’t do inspections. Legal or otherwise, that’s a hell of a promise for a stock engine, even in a truck that weighs in as heavy as this Ram does.

The Bad:

I get why the Ram 3500 is as big as it is, but what I do not get is the overall shape of the Mega Cab setup. The standard four-door cab isn’t exactly small, but when paired off with the 6’4″ bed, the utility of the Ram almost becomes cartoonish. A big, leaf-sprung dually like this Laramie is supposed to be a work truck, not the modern-day equivalent of an Imperial with a bed on the back, yet here we are. There is only one way this truck’s setup works, and that’s as the tow pig for a bigger, fifth-wheel trailer. Here, the Laramie is set up properly:

The $445 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Towing Prep Group is money well spent on this truck, and under $1,500 more, you can have the truck fitted with a direct-mount hitch that can drag up to 25,ooo pounds behind it. And I really appreciate Ram offering a spray-in bedliner as an option, something that I think should be mandatory on a pickup nowadays. Otherwise, I’d recommend tracking down a Crew cab with the 8-foot bed…you’ll get real work use out of that.

Finally, let’s address the price. This isn’t even the top-trim level of Ram pickups…the Laramie Limited fills that gap. But the bottom-line price on this Mega Cab is $69,800. What composes that? From the base price of $53,345 for the Laramie Mega Cab 4×4, you add in:

• $8,700 for the 6.7L Cummins/68RFE six-speed automatic
• $1,295 for dual rear wheel package, with the 17×6 aluminum wheels and spare
• $1,095 for power sunroof
• $745 for Uconnect 8.4 with navigation
• $545 for leather-trimmed bucket seats up front with heating and cooling, and rear seat heat
• $495 for spray-in bedliner
• $445 for the fifth-wheel prep group
• $395 for the Convenience Group (auto hi-beams and rain-sensitive wipers)
• $345 for center high-mount stoplight with cargo camera
• $245 for remote start
• $245 for chrome body-side molding
• $195 for keyless package
• $195 for power adjustable pedals with memory function
• $95 for Cold Weather package (block heater and grille cover)
• $50 for 3.73-ratio rear axle
• $50 for transfer case skid plate

And that brings us to our conclusion. Yes, the Laramie is a sweet ride, but when shopping for a dually, are you that concerned for luxury, or do you want a workhorse? More often than not, we see these Rams actually pulling trailers and doing work, and that’s why we took a look at the black Tradesman parked next to the Laramie. It’s not a Mega Cab, it only has Uconnect 5.0, and the interior isn’t nearly as tarted-up as the Laramie. But it’s set up for a fifth-wheel package as well, the running gear is exactly the same, and the final cost is a straightforward $57,000 out the door. And if you really want a work truck more than you want a pickup truck, you might consider looking for a commercial Ram dealer. A nearby lot has Ram 4500 chassis-cabs ready to go for the low $50K range. Why would you go for the Laramie, unless you simply want the most comfortably-appointed hauler your money can buy?