2023 Ram Heavy Duty Rebel First Drive English Us
Channel: kamran sumqayitli
Date: 2023-04-29

2023 Ram Heavy Duty Rebel First Drive
The moment we've been anxiously waiting for has finally arrived: Ram has let us loose behind the wheel of its new Heavy Duty Rebel. Announced at the 2022 State Fair of Texas, the 2023 Ram Heavy Duty Rebel joins the Power Wagon and TRX to round-out the company's trifecta of off-road-dominant pickups. The Heavy Duty Rebel takes pages out of the Power Wagon playbook, including the same flexy suspension, Bilstein monotube dampers, and electronic locking rear differential, and pairs them with up to 16,870 pounds of towing and 3,140 pounds of payload-hauling ability. Available with both the 6.4-liter gasoline V-8 (410 hp and 429 lb-ft) and 6.7-liter Cummins diesel (370 hp and 850 lb-ft), the Heavy Duty Rebel is a great compromise for those who need great capability and off-road ability. We recently spent the day driving the Heavy Duty Rebel in the mountains of Southern California, and let us tell you, neither the scenery nor the truck left us disappointe
Heavy-Duty Animal Off-Road
We're not going to bury the lead on this one … Ram built the new Heavy Duty Rebel to be the most capable heavy-duty pickup in off-road driving south of its own Power Wagon. And if our short experience behind the wheel is any indication, we'd say that they have succeeded.

Before heading off the pavement Ram aired-down the tires on the Heavy Duty Rebel to something more suitable to the terrain: 45 psi in front for the Cummins trucks, 40 psi for the gassers, and 40 psi in the rear for all. Our trails consisted of a combination of dirt, loose rocks, sand, and shale, with a good mix of climbs, descents, and desert whoops. Overall, the Heavy Duty Rebel was darn impressive. The Bilstein monotube shocks dampened the harshness with ease, resulting in very little head toss and almost no full-jounce moments. The flexy suspension kept all four tires mostly in contact with the earth while the truck's Goodyear Duratrac tires provided excellent grip.
To really demonstrate the truck's ability, Ram set up a course that took us up rutted and loose climbs with more than 20 degrees of incline. Shifted into low-range and with the rear locking differential engaged, the Heavy Duty Rebel made short and easy work of those climbs. Less experienced drivers were left visibly in awe of the truck's ability. It was fun to watch.

If we were to nitpick, we really would like to see the truck fit a 35-inch-tall tire. The small increase in tire size would help relieve anxiety about both breakover angle and ground clearance at the differentials. And can we please get the 18-inch wheel option? With the standard 20-inch wheels there's just not enough sidewall for our comfort. It's a small thing, but it would go a long way. We also noticed that the rear locking differential was a bit finicky to get engaged. This could have easily been user error or impatience, but we spent a fair bit of time with the indicator light either flashing or not illuminated at all before the differential finally engaged. Small things, but worth mentioning.
Calm And Collected On The Highway
When the dust settled and dirt gave way to pavement, the Heavy Duty Rebel became an entirely different truck. It is one of the most quiet and smoothest-riding heavy-duty pickups on the road today. Punctuating its quietness, we could easily hear the hum of the Goodyear Duratrac tires over that of the Cummins engine. If it weren't for the knobby tires, the truck would be nearly silent inside the cab. The rear five-link suspension does wonders over broken and uneven pavement, while the Bilstein monotube shocks soak up each and every bump in the road. The Heavy Duty Rebel is simply too good on the highway to believe it's a heavy-duty pickup. If you think we're being too generous, get out to the dealer and try one for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
The Cummins Power Wagon We Always Wanted
According to the powers-that-be at Ram, one of the most frequently asked questions still to this day is, "When will there be a Cummins Power Wagon?" The answer still remains a simple "Not at this time." Aside from the Cummins engine putting too much weight over the front axle and producing too much torque for the front electronic locking differential, the main reason (or excuse, if you prefer) for not including the oil-burner is the interference of the truck's 12,000-pound Warn winch with the necessary cooling stack for the Cummins.

Well, for the foreseeable future, the Heavy Duty Rebel is as close to the Cummins-powered Power Wagon as we're going to get. On the trails we could definitely feel the added weight of the Cummins engine. However, Ram engineers have done a great job with spring rates and shock tuning to lessen the negative effects of the engine's heft.