What is it?
The Ram 1500 is the full-size American pickup that defined the Australian remanufacture market. Every truck lands as a left-hand-drive cab from Sterling Heights, Michigan, then heads to Walkinshaw at Clayton in Melbourne for a full RHD conversion. The DT-series moved to the 3.0-litre Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six as its lead engine, with the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 kept on Big Horn. Four core variants in Australia, 4,500 kg braked tow across the line.
The lineup runs from Big Horn Hemi V8 at $119,950 drive-away, through to Limited Hurricane HO RamBox at $169,348 drive-away. Warranty cover sits at 3 years, 100,000 km.
Interior and Technology
4,500 kg braked tow rating, more than any mid-size 4x4 ute. Hurricane I6 makes 403 kW in Limited HO trim, the Hemi V8 stays on Big Horn for buyers who still want the eight-cylinder soundtrack, and the Walkinshaw RHD conversion is the OEM-backed pathway in Australia.
3-year / 100,000 km warranty trails the 5-year norm for new utes. Kerb weight over 2.4 tonnes pushes fuel use into 11 L/100 km territory, the 2,083 mm width complicates inner-city parking, and there is no ANCAP rating, occupant safety relies on FMVSS plus conversion sign-off.
Should you buy the 1500?
Reasons to buy
- 4,500 kg braked tow rating, more than any mid-size 4x4 ute. Hurricane I6 makes 403 kW in Limited HO trim, the Hemi V8 stays on Big Horn for buyers who still want the eight-cylinder soundtrack, and the Walkinshaw RHD conversion is the OEM-backed pathway in Australia.
- Warranty: 3 years, 100,000 km.
- Braked towing rated at 4,500 kg.
Reasons to wait
- 3-year / 100,000 km warranty trails the 5-year norm for new utes. Kerb weight over 2.4 tonnes pushes fuel use into 11 L/100 km territory, the 2,083 mm width complicates inner-city parking, and there is no ANCAP rating, occupant safety relies on FMVSS plus conversion sign-off.
- You want a 5-year warranty (the segment norm for new utes), kerb weight under 2.4 tonnes, or a vehicle that fits standard inner-city parking bays at 2,083 mm wide.
- Confirm garage width and driveway turning circle before signing. The 5'7" tub on Crew Cab is shorter than a dual-cab ute owner might expect at 1,712 mm, factor your tradie or tour loadout in.
- Top trim climbs to $169,348 drive-away.
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