Dodge Ram locks horns with hurricane damage

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By Tim Spell MOTOR MATTERS

It's a godsend. I got the right test truck to lock horns with a monster of a post-hurricane clean-up job.

It's coincidental and fortunate that Dodge sent Ram pickups in the aftermaths of hurricanes Rita and Ike. Our Texas beach property at Gilchrist, on the Bolivar Peninsula, required special attention after both storms.

Hurricane Rita's floods deposited massive debris -- docks, rooftops, stairs, etc. -- on the property. And Hurricane Ike deposited the house itself miles away.

The world left behind by Rita was a mess, but Ike's force left the peninsula looking like a bad Tim Burton cartoon.

Cummins Turbo Diesel grunt from a then-new-for-2006 Mega Cab 2500 4x4 proved efficient for tugging the hulking structures off the property. A new-generation 2009 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4, base priced at $34,850, is driven to the property after Ike's storm surged bulldozed Gilchrist into oblivion. The test truck is upgraded with a $1,500 Texas-exclusive Lone Star package, the counterpart to the Big Horn package, available throughout the rest of the nation.

Under its bulging hood sits a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with a Multiple Displacement System, which switches back and forth from eight- to four-cylinder mode. This Hemi, which ups the price $1,310, delivers 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque to 20-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels and P275/60R-20 tires, optional on Lone Star and Big Horn packages. Bolted to a five-speed automatic transmission, its estimated fuel economy is 13 miles per gallon city and 18 mpg highway. Two-wheel drive ups highway fuel economy by 1 mpg. Its tall clearance and 4x4 traction handle the challenges of surfaces Ike had transformed into a jagged moonscape look. Homes' concrete foundation pieces are stacked like piles of broken glass, enormous chunks of pavement are chewed off State Highway 87 and roadways are topped with giant mounds of sand.

On smooth or rough pavement, the Ram's ride quality is impressive -- not giving a hint you're cruising in a rugged full-size 4x4 pickup. A key contributor to the smooth ride is the Ram's new multilink-coil rear suspension, which is about 40 pounds lighter than the traditional leaf-spring suspension it replaces.

Arriving at the beach, the only structures standing are some of the pilings that had supported the house, and a gate to the backyard. The only salvageable items on the property are a gang of concrete creatures that had hung out in the garden. Lifting these sculptures into the new size 5-foot-7-inch bed tests my back, but isn't a challenge for the Ram's 1,360-pound payload capacity.

Driving north, where our short street dead-ends at Galveston Bay, there are mind-blowing examples of how Ike mistreated vehicles. The bay is littered with submerged, twisted and smashed cars and trucks.

Several feet to the west of the road, pieces of objects peek through the mounds of dried sand and sludge. A tug on an exposed electrical cord uproots a lamp that had been in our kitchen. Digging where a small handle pokes through the sand uncovers my prized fishing reel. We even discover our wrought-iron bed, remarkably deposited in one piece.

Tools needed to cut, pry and pound objects free from debris are stored in clever RamBoxes, offering 4.2 cubic feet of storage per side. Incorporated into the bed sides, these lockable, weatherproof, drainable, illuminated storage bins are tailor-made for storing tools and sports gear, and excellent "coolers" for up to five cases per side of iced-down 12-ounce beverages. Toting light grocery loads is the most common application for the test truck. The downside is that these boxes widen the bed rails to about 10 inches, making it more difficult to reach over the rails to grab cargo on the bed floor.

Loaded with cargo that had survived Hurricane Ike, it's time to return to civilization. Tired after a day of hard work, the 2-foot climb into the cab would have been easier had the truck been fitted with side steps.

Once inside, I settle into an interior with supportive, well-bolstered seats, and tailoring and fit and finish far outclassing any interior Dodge has had in a pickup. The Ram is fitted for the first time with a true center console and floor shifter.

Life is quiet inside the cab, courtesy of a more aerodynamic body and enhanced noise insulation.

The peaceful sound of the waves, closer to the highway than before Ike, is heard as the power moonroof opens. The beautiful coastal weather invited in is a weird contrast to the hell that had brewed a couple of weeks earlier.