Like with all of the long-term loan vehicles we get our hands on, we put each and every one of them to the grind. Nothing has changed in the case of our big, capable '09 Dodge Ram Laramie crew cab 4x4, which has definitely been embraced by our entire staff. Since we first introduced the arrival of the fully loaded Ram in issue 13, of 2009 we have towed project trucks to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and all over our Southern California area without any hesitation from the Hemi V-8 powerplant.
Although we haven't encountered any major problems along the way so far, we did take note of an oil change notification that appeared just after the 1,000-mile mark from the previous lube and oil service. Nothing more than normal city driving occurred in that 1,000 or so miles, and while under our local Dodge dealership's care, the oil supply was refreshed and a flash update was also conducted in order to debug any errant electronic message that could've triggered the premature alert. Since then, we are right on schedule for our next maintenance date and have yet to see any irregular warnings appear on the dash.
Since we have been keeping the Ram busy towing across state lines, we have been taking full advantage of the Ram Box-equipped bed, as most of our towing supplies are housed in the two roomy, built-in tool boxes. While our test model was at the dealership, the helpful technician noticed that a locking cylinder on one of the Ram Boxes was not fully catching. No problem-we just placed an order for a warrantee-covered replacement locking mechanism and that was the end of that tiny ordeal.
With many more big jobs lined up for the '09 Dodge Ram, we have no doubts that it will continue to serve with the same reliable performance that we would expect from our '09 Truck of the Year selection. Current mileage is 10,861 and MPG is 16.1.