They don’t get much bigger, have more range or more pulling power than the 2011 Ram Long-Hauler Concept Truck, which was rolled out by Chrysler this week and scheduled to make an appearance at a string of commercial vehicle events throughout the year.
The vehicle is based on a Class 5 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab, and is designed to suit the needs of anyone that tows multiple or heavy trailers, drives long distances or small business owners looking for a tough work truck.
Typical buyers would include race car teams, car haulers, RV owners, ranchers and rodeo competitors, and even boaters.
Designers started with a Class 5 Ram 5500 Crew Cab and converted it to a Mega Cab passenger compartment, added an 8-foot box and upped the range between refueling stops with a mid-ship fuel tank. Combined with a second frame-mounted tank and a third, optional, bed-mounted auxiliary tank, total fuel capacity is 170 gallons.
And we’re not talking about gallons of gasoline here. No, the big truck features an inline six-cylinder 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine rated at 800 pound-feet of torque. The legendary diesel engine is mated to a six-speed Aisin AS68RC automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive transfer case coupled to a 4.88 Dana 110 axle with dual rear wheels.
Other specs include a 197.4-inch wheelbase, a 37,500 Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR), full Kelderman air suspension, 19.5-inch aluminum wheels and 2+2 leather-trimmed seating.
As mentioned, the Ram Long-Hauler, while only a concept, will be seen across the country in the next eight months to help gauge public opinion on the appeal of a vehicle that provides an upgrade from a 1-ton truck without moving up to a full Class 6 truck.
