Do you miss the days of a truly stripped-down, no BS vehicle? Crank windows, cloth seats, and the biggest motor you could possibly get? How about tow packages and deep gears? Yeah…most of those options are gone from most of today’s cars, and finding one on a dealer lot is next to impossible unless you know your way around a fleet ordering form, but I managed to find this gem near the office while out for lunch, so I stopped in and took a quick look.
What we have here is a 2013 Ram Tradesman 1500 with a tick under 10,000 miles on the clock. Tradesman, in current Ram-speak, is the bare-bones truck. You aren’t going to find fake wood, leather, giant chromed grille, or a AM/FM/CD/SAT/NAV/WTF/BBQ system in the dash. You’ll be honestly lucky if you find carpet or power windows. The Tradesman series are the perfect entry point for someone looking for the most for the least out of a vehicle and still has a taste for some of the old-school thought. Take note: crank windows! I’ve surfed car lots looking at these trucks and this is the newest one I’ve seen with actual crank windows. The cloth 40/20/40 seat is comfy enough, and the huge console that has been a feature since the 1994 Dodge Ram is present and accounted for.
The gauges are clean and basic, and other information bits, like oil pressure, fuel mileage and TMPS info is in the EVIC panel (center display). Minimal BS for the driver. All the better, because this Ram was ticked with all of the right options. Follow me underhoood…
Yep, that’s the 5.7 V8, good for 395 horsepower and 407 ft/lbs of torque in this setup. Backing up that engine is a six-speed automatic on the column…none of that rotary-dial crap…and a shift function is controlled by up-and-down buttons on the steering wheel.
I don’t know what I like more about this Ram…the fact that I would have no trouble using it like a truck whatsoever, or the fact that this is an all meat, no filler package that has been off of the lot long enough to depreciate to a reasonable dollar figure. New, these things are close to $30,000. Sitting here is next-to-new, complete with the new car smell still present, with a spray-in bedliner and all, for $20,995 listed. Anyone who can haggle should be able to find some wiggle room. Would you daily drive it, or would you use the good amount of space in the engine bay for a turbo setup. You do remember space in the engine bay, right?
I drive the Chevy version of that truck for work every day. If I had need for a pickup, that’s what I would own. That truck you featured is what a truck should be – nothing more, period, end of story. Today’s barcaloungers roaming the roadways with their pristine beds, floors, power everything, and sat-nav to boot, are not trucks – they are a neutered man’s piss-poor attempt at the reclamation of his manhood. Nice try, but, you failed – no grande, decaf, half-soy, half skim, with a little bit of nutmeg latte for you.
But these trucks are so damned heavy anyway! I’d rather just drop a gen 3 hemi in my ’86…
My dad is the king of the stripper truck. Nothing he has ever owned has had a hint of luxury in it but all of them have had the good mechanical stuff. His current truck is a single rear wheel 2013 Chevy 3500 HD with a 6.0L gas engine, rubber floor mat, base radio, base seat, plow package, locker, dual batteries, crank windows, and the base wheels.
I think he paid less for it than the asking price on the Dodge here. It was no more than like $25,000 out the door and for a modern truck that is kind of an incredible feat.
Oh…he also works them to death so there ya go.
I bought an 03′ RC/SB stripper with the 5.7 with the intention of running it on the track.
It ran 14.6’s in stock form, weigh in at approx 4600 lbs, all for 18k.
Before it was stolen, it was doing 13.8’s and I got the weight down to around 4200 lbs. Still more heavy than the Chevys, but not too bad.
I was disappointed in Chevy’s offerings at the time, in 2003, because you could only get the RC/SB stripper with the 4.8 and they left me no choice but to go with the Dodge.
At the end, the Chevy guys were swapping engines and had proper computer/tuning support to really give me a hard time at the track.
It was a great truck and had a lot of fun with it.
Is this a mirage?
I thought real trucks had died a horrible death years ago!
That’s the deal of the decade, all things considered. The only things it’s missing are a third pedal and a lever to row gears with.
When the engine in my truck had died I’d originally planned to buy a Tacoma, but you can’t find a stripper Taco like this, even the fleet-sales trucks have power windows and locks and those annoying electric-shifting t-cases. It’s ridiculous. I finally just decided that I’ll make my own truck. Cheaper in the long-run, but not as headache free as driving off the lot.
I like this truck, but this is a 15K truck all day long. It probably sold new for 20K. Oh, and the “rotary crap” is for the optional 8 speed ZF transmission.
I can never figure out why you would want to be seen in the “Rolling Shrine” trucks that populate our streets these days.
I’ve got a basic ’85 C20 8600GVW with a swapped 383 and a 4 gear granny trans, I totally love the thing, and the only luxury I get is A/C!
I bought a brand new 2012 Ram Express in January 2013 for $17,400. The dealer was getting rid of their leftover 2012’s. It was advertised at this price on the dealer’s website. No haggling, no hassle, easiest car deal I ever made. My truck is just like this one with the standard cab, short bed, crank windows except the Ram Express package includes 20″ wheels, body color bumpers and chrome dual exhaust tips. I love this truck and I still cannot believe there wasn’t a line around the block to buy these trucks at this price. There were several on the lot when I bought mine.
Point is, you can still buy a brand new truck without too many bells and whistles if check out the Ram Express.
I came close to buying a leftover ’11 Express loaded for $20K on Ebay. At the time I lived in Jersey and the truck was in NC. Before I was cleared for a loan, it sold.
The standard cab has better leg room than the Chevy or Ford.
Funny you should post this. While looking for a truck the other day, I came across EXACTLY what you described. Ram 1500, 5.7L Hemi, short bead, roll up windows, manual door locks….Best of all? 560 miles!!!!!!!! Black on black with a spray in black bed liner. Car Fax was so clean on this ride. Even better? $22K!!!!!
It looks awesome in my driveway!!!!
I have a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular cab shortbed,crank up windows,manual locks, rubber floor,plastic bedliner. It has a two tone gray interior,20 in rims pearl blue paint 5.7 hemi 392 gear pickedit upin North Carolina in 2013 8000 miles never seen snow ! Got it out hte door $18000
it is spotless! Got lots of plans maybe 6 speed manual,supercharger,headers
custom exhaust, posi and much more ! It all takes cash though so until then I will just keep it clean and out of weather!