The Ram will be leaving us shortly. I had very little time left to replace the stove at my family's cabin north of Lake Tahoe. I reserved the Ram for an extended weekend, went home and packed.
Our cabin was closed for the winter, so it was important that my lady and I left early so we could get there with some daylight left to turn the power back on and flush the plumbing of all the antifreeze. Come early Friday morning we left L.A. for a stopover in Truckee to pick up the new stove.
I love trucks and this has been one of my favorites of all time to drive. I think it looks great, it's super comfortable, it's powerful and is a blast to drive. I felt sentimental as I drove the many hours north to Truckee, knowing that this would be my last trip in the Ram.
I used the Ram to close my family's cabin for winter last season. I used it to move into my house. I used it on a couple of really nice camping trips. I drove thousands and thousands of miles in our Ram and I loved every minute of it. In fact, the Ram would always be my first choice of vehicle in the long-term fleet, over the GT-R, over the Viper, over anything. It has been my favorite long-term vehicle in the last few years.
When I got to Truckee, the guys at the Sears helped me load the stove into the back. I used the integrated box divider to snug the box into the bed and with the adjustable cargo tie-downs I was able to get three ratchet straps around it all. I know these cargo management features are not unique to Dodge, but they're super convenient and efficient.
During the drive up the mountain, the strong engine made it feel as though there was no oven in the cargo bed. The Ram effortlessly powered up the steep grades. We got to my cabin later than I hoped. I unloaded the new stove from the bed, loaded up the old one and took it to the dump 40 miles away.
When I got back, I discovered that a pipe hadn't drained properly so it froze and burst over the winter. A bunch of sediment had gotten into the pipes and blocked the drain line. The primitive plumbing in our cabin made it so I had to shut off the main, making staying for the weekend rather unpleasant. A plumber friend of ours in the area couldn't make it out till Monday. That meant it was a quick turn around for us. The next morning it was back into the truck for a long drive home.
During the nine hour drive back, my lady and I both loved the comfort the Ram offered to us weary travelers. I never got numb butt/things. My back didn't get stiff. The only thing I got tired of was driving. I had been in the truck for almost two days.
When I pulled into the office this morning, I checked Trip B. I put 1,371 miles on it over the weekend. A lot of driving, a lot of dead bugs on the grille, a lot of good memories.
This is probably the only long term vehicle I will truly miss.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 33,234 miles
canadaphant says:
12:25 PM, 06/21/10
Aw. I'm sure it'll miss you too Scott.
felonious says:
12:29 PM, 06/21/10
So buy one? :)
throwback says:
01:20 PM, 06/21/10
"In fact, the Ram would always be my first choice of vehicle in the long-term fleet, over the GT-R, over the Viper, over anything."
okay Scott, I think an enthusiast check-up is in order. Especially if the Ram is really your first choice when you don't have anything to move.
wrinklebump says:
01:39 PM, 06/21/10
rofl most of the IL staffers drive pretty plebian machines throwback. Troof is, Vipers and GTRs don't move kids or groceries terribly well
jazrit says:
01:57 PM, 06/21/10
Why don't you buy it from Edmunds and save them the trouble of finding a good buyer. maybe they can sell it to you for no added cost. This what i would if i were in your shoes.
rsholland says:
02:36 PM, 06/21/10
"okay Scott, I think an enthusiast check-up is in order. Especially if the Ram is really your first choice when you don't have anything to move."
Post that over on some pickup truck fan site and see what kind of response you get. ;)
Fact is, once you've had a pickup, parting with it is tough—unless, of course, you replace it with another one.
half_ton says:
02:47 PM, 06/21/10
@rsholland
Well said!
My father had OLD pickups as his daily driver for as far as I can remember. Even though my parents had a new cars (always driven by mother except for out of town trips) he preferred his trucks. There's a bond that gets formed that only fellow pickup truck drivers can understand and I have many memories of fishing trips with the boat in tow heading to the lake. Thank God for the simple things in life . . .
the_big_al says:
03:11 PM, 06/21/10
I have had a 2 trucks over the course of 10 years and cant even begin to count the number of times it has really been useful. I will always have a truck in my driveway, even if it is just an old beater. Nothing beats having a bed and the ability to haul stuff...
06scooby says:
04:34 PM, 06/21/10
Dude, you are very blessed to have a getaway up there even if it is a little pain in the rear to maintain! I live 35 min away from Truckee and don't get up there enough. If I had a place up there, it would be a different story!
Did you take I-80 up from sac to get there? that interstate is a mess right now... another good reason to take a truck that is isolated and has a comfy suspension!
stwok says:
05:40 PM, 06/21/10
I love Truckee. Do you guys go to Northstar?