I currently drive a paid-for 2018 F-150 XLT Sport. I really like my 2.7 liter engine and the 10 speed transmission.

I am uncomfortable in the Ford after 1-1.5 hours of driving in the cloth seats. My lower back really bother me. I am considering a 2020 Ram Laramie Night Edition which would require taking a loan out. I find the leather seats/cushioning much more comfortable in the Ram but have not ridden in one for a long period of time. I also considered reupholstering the seats in my F-150 but was told that would not help my situation.

The Ram has the 8 speed Hemi ETorque engine. I do not do a lot of towing.I feel like I am taking a step back in technology in some ways in regards to the Ram by going with the Hemi eight speed (though I like the engine) vs the 2.7 liter and the 10 speed transmission. However, the Ram has many additional features I like. I will not consider the F-150 with leather and upgrades because it is out of my price range.

What is the forum's thoughts on the Ram trucks? Has anyone else made the move from the F-150 to the Ram? Has anyone else gone from traditional cloth seats to leather seats or better cushioning and noticed a difference or improvement in how their back feels on longer drives.

Before I’d go into debt buying a new truck over seats when the current truck is only 2 years old, I’d go test drive a different trim level new f150 and see if I could find a seat that is comfortable to me and then find that seat at a salvage yard.

I started driving at 15 with a 1980 Dodge Power Wagon. Over the years, I bought a couple of other Dodge trucks. Through the late 90s till a year ago, I drove Tahoe’s and Suburbans. I finally decided to buy another truck. I drove several and settled that I was going to buy on a newer Chevrolet. My buddy who owns a Chevrolet dealership took in 2017 Dodge Outdoorsman. He pestered me a bunch to drive it. So I went and picked it up for the weekend. I bought it the next Monday. Dodge has really stepped up their game. It drives and rides really well. Fuel mileage depends highly on how I drive. If I drive it like a cop, I get 15 mpg. If I drive conservatively, I can get 19-20 mpg on the interstate.

I plan on buying another when I replace this truck.

Consider other trim levels. I have an F150 and love the seats although mine is a platinum. I am guessing there is something in between.

Have you tried different settings on the lumbar adjustments with the seat on your F-150? I had a 2015 F-150 Sport and now a 2019 F-150 Sport. I did have a Ram as a loaner for over a month with the 2015 was in the body shop.

Granted it was the previous body style Ram, but I could not wait to get out of it and back into my F-150. The rotary gear selector for the transmission is maddening. It's not intuitive and there's a significant delay from when a gear is selected and the transmission actually engages. Scared the crap out of me, thought the truck was in park, took my foot off the brake and it was still rolling. The 4 wheel drive system in the Ram has significant drivetrain bind, lots of popping and lurching when turning.

Also check some of the F-150 forums and see if others have had a similar complaint and how they fixed it.

Good idea on checking out the F-150 forums. To get leather seats in the F-150 is a significant step-up in price from talking to the dealer. They don't have the various package offerings like Ram.

Yes, I have tried different positions for the lumbar support. Of course the test drive wasn't long enough for me to notice an issue. It is fine for city driving but on longer drives my back hates me worse than it has on other vehicles.

I was a Ford truck guy for 28 years, but now I'm just an old Ford truck guy. I still drive the F-150 4x4 I bought new in 1991 to work every other day (128k miles). The 2003 SuperCrew XLT Lariat I bought new was a big step up from that, but alas the 5.4 Triton head gasket issue finally caught up with me in 2012. I had the motor rebuilt because I still liked the truck, but eventually sold it in 2017 to my neighbor (his son still drives it). And Mrs. 'Hook still has her 2001 Eddie Bauer Expedition (106k miles) because it still looks good, drives great and is reliable, but mostly because she's cheap like that.

I replaced my '03 SCrew in 2018 with a '14 Ram Laramie Longhorn 1500. To me, it was a HUGE step up in luxury and features. The dashboard and controls are laid out with much better thought, IMHO. The transmission certainly shifts easier, and the seats offer much more support for my back than the leather seats in the Ford ever did. It is very comfortable on long drives.

So here's the meat of this story: The guy I bought the Ram from is a retired auto dealer who owned five different dealerships (including Dodge/Ram and Ford) and decided he wanted to try the new F-150 in 2018. When he brought his new F-150 Platinum home he proudly showed it off to me and we rode around in it. Frankly, I wasn't that impressed. Normally he keeps his vehicles 2-4 years and trades them in for something new, but he only kept it for a year and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. He now owns another Ram 1500.

I'm very happy with my Ram and plan to run it for a number of years yet before replacing it with another Ram. The 5.8 Hemi and the 8-Speed is not going to be a step back in reliability or performance compared to the new technology of extracting the same performance with 3.1 less liters and two more gears. Overall, I'll never go back to Ford because I think Ram has them beat in so many ways. And my neighbor with some experience in these things proved it to me after one year of owning his Ford Platinum.

Good luck with your decision, and post up some pictures of your new Ram when you get it.

Don’t buy a Chrysler product. Roll up a towel and put it behind you to support your back.

My problem in looking at the options for full sized trucks is that virtually everyone is a fanboy of one brand or another, often without any true freestanding facts to back up their position. I'm admittedly a GMC/Chevy fan, though I've had an F150 and an F250 before. All have been crew cabs, regardless of brand.

As I'm getting toward 100K on my Silverado, I've started looking around and reading reviews. On virtually all of the reviews comparing the big 3, the Ram gets kudos for riding the smoothest and having the best creature comforts. I have sat in some of the late model Dodge trucks, and they sit very comfortably to my (GM) mind.

The thing I can't get over is the looks of the exterior. I do like the looks of the newest model better than some of the past ones, but in my mind the big cross (or "x") in the grill is butt ugly. And the sides and back have little character/style. Seems kinda dated to me. I really love the looks of the new GMC Sierras, but do think their interior lacks some of the comforts of the Dodge.

Will follow this thread, good luck.

That's why I like the sport (body color grill) or the night edition Ram(black grill and rims).

I have tried various options in regards to the lumbar support and back support. I don't know if a towel behind my back would really improve anything since the truck has the powered seats with lumbar support. Maybe still worth a try.

So far every Ram owner I know has really like the truck. Of course they may be bias but I haven't met anyone unhappy with their trucks. I have been hesitant in buying a Chrysler product but I'm really tempted since the Ram seems to ride and drive so much better. I also noticed the Ram seems to have less body lean than the F-150.

We recently test drove the Chevy Trailboss and were shocked at how bad I thought the seats were. My girlfriend and I both wanted to like the truck but the seats were a deal-breaker. We didn't like them in the LTZ either. They were too firm in our opinion.

It's strange to me I can sit for 8-10 hours of my shift in a Ford Explorer (Interceptor) with duty gear on and not have a sore back. I think the seats must be different.

I also checked out the F150 Forums. It seems there are some people who had the same issue as me. One member did switch out seats but it involves disconnecting the airbag and hooking it back up. I would have to have someone do that for me, as I have no mechanical ability.

I assume, like me, when driving /sitting in your Explorer you are wearing your gun belt. This is going to sound silly, but that belt is giving you lower back/lumbar support. Try a long drive in your truck with a gun belt on and see how it feels. You might need some sort of support for your back. I've been riding in Crown Vics, Chargers and now an Explorer for going on 29 years. All that time behind the wheel kills your back, ask any trucker. If further support is needed find a custom upholsterer to help you out, they can do magic in making the seat fit you right.

quote:

Originally posted by Alyron:
I assume, like me, when driving /sitting in your Explorer you are wearing your gun belt. This is going to sound silly, but that belt is giving you lower back/lumbar support.

I am wearing a duty belt and gear. That is a good idea. I will call an upholsterer tomorrow and see if they think they can help.

The Rams I’ve been in are the most comfortable interiors I’ve been in for a truck.

My last three trucks have been Ram 1500 4x4's and with one exception I have no complaints.

It's somewhat of a pain keeping up with the recalls

I have back trouble. On long drives I find that using the seat heater helps a great deal. Even in hot weather.

I had a similar problem when I bought my 2014 F-150. In my case I sat too low. After looking at different alternatives to raise the seat position I talked to the folks at a local upholstery shop. They originally wanted to just add padding, keeping the original seat and upholstery.

Once it got in the shop, someone suggested installing a bladder (from a Cadillac, I think) with a switch they mounted on the side of the seat. Now I can adjust how high I sit and the amount of firmness.

So, maybe a trip to a local upholstery shop would give you some ideas on how to make your seat more comfortable, or recover it in a different material. Should be MUCH cheaper than a new truck.

I would change the seats long before I'd lose a ton of money by trading in a 2 year old truck. There are plenty of good aftermarket seats available for the F-150.

I have a 2013 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.7 with 95k on it with a dozen Colorado to Fla trips(1800 miles or so one way) a lot of Co to Neb trips and with the leather fully adjustable seats which include heat and ventilation I would rate them very good. I have back spasms sometimes so I can understand your issues. The truck has had a few recalls but it's held up pulling a 15k 5th wheel. Ram has come a long way.

I will give you my firsthand experience. I had a 19 Ram 1500 Big Horn crew cab and it was one of the most comfortable vehicles I "had" ever owned up to that point. However, the gremlins it had from day one were downright scary and ones that the dealer could not replicate. It went through at least 3 to 4 recalls while we had it. It had brake issues they would not fix or acknowledge and as mentioned, several electronic glitches and one very loud noise which would surface every now and then. I finally gave up on it as we were using it to travel a good bit and I did not want to take the chance on being stuck somewhere. I am sure my wife would chime in on other issues but we had seen enough not to trust the vehicle at all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: whododat,

Go out and rent a Ram for the weekend and see what it's like.

Bob