Ram Expands RamBox Lineup, Lowers Pricing

2012 Ram with RamBox option. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

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2012 Ram with RamBox option. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

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For years, one  tradeoff of owning a pickup was the lack of a locking trunk. If you needed to keep a laptop or camera bag out of sight and secure, your options were limited. Ditto for tools, especially over-sized things like shovels or post-hole diggers.

Honda debuted a locking trunk in the bed of its Ridgeline pickup, but it wasn’t really big enough to accommodate long or oddly-shaped items. Enter the RamBox, launched by Ram (then Dodge) on its fourth-generation Ram pickups in 2009.

The RamBox converts the previously unused bed sides into lockable storage. The compartments are weatherproof, and even feature floor drains for easy clean out. Better yet, they’re large enough to hold things like golf clubs, tool boxes, shovels and kayak paddles.

Until now, the RamBox option was only available on short bed Ram 1500 models, with a bed length of 67 inches. For 2012 Ram pickups, the Chrysler division has expanded the RamBox lineup to include 76-inch bed models, boosting RamBox storage capacity by 18 percent.

The longer bed gives RamBox buyers 8.6 cubic feet of storage, versus 7.3 cubic feet on short bed models, and it's now available on Ram 2500 and 3500 models as well.

Better yet, RamBox pricing has dropped by 32 percent. For either size bed, the RamBox option is just $1,295. and that buys you more than just lockable storage.

The RamBox package also includes an adjustable bed divider and expander, which allows owners to use the tailgate as part of the bed, or split the bed into multiple segments. It also includes a cargo rail system with adjustable cleats to make tying down oversize loads easier.

The RamBox is now available on 80 percent of Ram pickups. Need more of an incentive to check off this option box? Opt for the long bed RamBox, and you can carry up to 140 cans of beer for your next weekend camping trip.

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