weight Ram 1500 2014 User Guide

Center Storage Compartment — If Equipped
The center storage compartment is located between the
driver and passenger seats. The storage compartment
provides an armrest and contains both and upper and
lower storage area.
WARNING!
•This armrest is not a seat. Anyone seated on the
armrest could be seriously injured during vehicle
operation, or a collision. Only use the center seat-
ing position when the armrest is fully upright.
• In a collision, the latch may open if the total weight
of the items stored exceeds about 10 lbs (4.5 kg).
These items could be thrown about endangering
occupants of the vehicle. Items stored should not
exceed a total of 10 lbs (4.5 kg).
Pull on the upper handle on the front of the armrest to
raise the cover. The upper storage area contains a 12 Volt
power outlet that can be used to power small electrical
devices, refer to “Electrical Power Outlets” for further
information.
Center Storage Compartment
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 239

NOTE:If you are installing a Toolbox, Ladder Rack or
Headache Rack at the front of the Pickup Box, you must
use Mopar Box Reinforcement Brackets that are available
from your authorized dealer.
You can carry wide building materials (sheets of ply-
wood, etc.) by building a raised load floor. Place lumber
across the box in the indentations provided above the
wheel housings and in the bulkhead dividers to form the
floor.
WARNING!
• The pickup box is intended for load carrying pur-
poses only, not for passengers, who should sit in
seats and use seat belts.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Care should always be exercised when operating a
vehicle with unrestrained cargo. Vehicle speeds
may need to be reduced. Severe turns or rough
roads may cause shifting or bouncing of the cargo
that may result in vehicle damage. If wide building
materials are to be frequently carried, the installa-
tion of a support is recommended. This will re-
strain the cargo and transfer the load to the pickup
box floor.
• If you wish to carry more than 600 lbs (272 kg) of
material suspended above the wheelhouse, sup-
ports must be installed to transfer the weight of the
load to the pickup box floor or vehicle damage may
result. The use of proper supports will permit
loading up to the rated payload.
• Unrestrained cargo may be thrown forward in an
accident causing serious or fatal injury.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 249

CAUTION!
Failure to follow the following items could cause
damage to the vehicle:
•Assure that all cargo inside the storage bins is
properly secured.
• Do not exceed cargo weight rating of 150 lb (68 kg)
1500 series vehicles or 300 lbs (136 kg) for 2500 and
3500 series vehicles per bin.
To open a storage bin with the RamBox® unlocked, press
and release the button located on the lid. The RamBox®
lid will open upward to allow hand access. Lift the lid to
fully open.
NOTE: RamBox® will not open when the pushbutton is
pressed if the RamBox® is locked.
RamBox® Cargo Storage Bins
252 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

▫Common Towing Definitions .............591
▫ Trailer Hitch Type and Maximum
Trailer Weight ...................... .594
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ..................... .595
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............599
▫ Towing Requirements ..................600
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .610
 SNOWPLOW ........................ .612▫
1500 Models Only .....................612
▫ 2500/3500 Models Only .................613
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ...................617
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .617
▫ Recreational Towing — Two-Wheel Drive
Models ............................ .618
▫ Recreational Towing — Four-Wheel Drive
Models ............................ .619
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STARTING AND OPERATING 389

what is the best direction to recover the vehicle. Depend-
ing on what you are in contact with, jack the vehicle up
and place a few rocks under the tires so the weight is off
of the high point when you let the vehicle down. You can
also try rocking the vehicle or winching the vehicle off
the object.
CAUTION!
Winching or rocking the vehicle off hard objects
increases the risk of underbody damage.
Hill Climbing
Hill climbing requires good judgment and a good under-
standing of your abilities and your vehicle’s limitations.
Hills can cause serious problems. Some are just too steep
to climb and should not be attempted. You should alwaysfeel confident with the vehicle and your abilities. You
should always climb hills straight up and down. Never
attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
•
Before Climbing A Steep Hill – As you approach a
hill consider its grade or steepness. Determine if it is
too steep. Look to see what the traction is on the hill
side trail. Is the trail straight up and down? What is on
top and the other side? Are there ruts, rocks, branches
or other obstacles on the path? Can you safely recover
the vehicle if something goes wrong? If everything
looks good and you feel confident, then change trans-
mission into a lower gear, shift the transfer case into 4L
(Low) and proceed with caution. You should use first
gear and 4L (Low Range) for very steep hills.
• Driving Up Hill – Once you have determined your
ability to proceed and have shifted into the appropri-
ate gear, line your vehicle up for the straightest pos-
sible run. Accelerate with an easy constant throttle and
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 481

WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL. Use
vehicle brakes in conjunction with engine braking.
Descending a grade too fast could cause you to lose
control and be seriously injured or killed.
• Driving Across An Incline – If at all possible avoid
driving across an incline. If it is necessary, know your
vehicle’s abilities. Driving across an incline places
more weight on the down hill wheels, which increases
the possibilities of a down hill slide or rollover. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm and stable
soils. If possible transverse the incline at an angle
heading slightly up or down.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of a
rollover , which may result in severe injury.
• If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway – If you stall
or begin to lose headway while climbing a steep hill,
allow your vehicle to come to a stop and immediately
apply the brake. Restart the engine and shift into
REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing the
compression braking of the engine and transmission to
help regulate your speed. If the brakes are required to
control vehicle speed, apply them lightly and avoid
locking or skidding the tires.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 483

brakes, once signaled by the other driver. This se-
quence is important to avoid having the recovered
vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.
WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two
straps with a clevis pin. These heavy metal objects
could become projectiles if a strap breaks, which
could cause severe injury. Never leave more than two
or three feet of slack in the strap. More slack than this
greatly increases the risk of injury and vehicle dam-
age. Always keep everyone at least 30 feet away from
a strapping or winching situation.
• Winching (Refer To “Winch Operation” For Addi-
tional Information) – Winching is most commonly
used in the following situations: there is no support
vehicle available, a high controlled force is required to recover the vehicle, there is a high risk of environmen-
tal or vehicle damage, or where nothing else seems to
work. A winch can deliver a high pulling force with a
great deal of control. It allows you to walk the vehicle
out of the situation in a slow controlled manner. This
control works well for avoiding further vehicle dam-
age. Once you decide it is time to use the winch look
for a good anchor point. It needs to be strong enough
to hold more than the vehicle’s weight and provide a
direction of pull as straight as possible. Use block and
tackle if necessary to improve the angle of pull or
increase the winch’s pulling force. If the anchor point
is a tree use a strap around its base and hook the cable
to the strap. If it is another vehicle, then place that
vehicle in PARK and block the front tires. If you cannot
find an anchor point within reach try using your spare
tire by burying it. Once you have determined an
anchor point hook up the cable, ensuring there are a
least five wraps of cable left on the drum, and place a
490 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills with a loaded
vehicle or while pulling a trailer where the system
will not activate and slight rolling may occur, which
could cause a collision with another vehicle or object.
Always remember the driver is responsible for brak-
ing the vehicle.
The system will only work if the intended direction of the
vehicle and vehicle gear match. For example, if the
intended direction is forward up a hill and the vehicle is
in DRIVE and the activation criteria are met, HSA will
activate.
The system will work in REVERSE and all forward gears,
and will not activate if the vehicle is placed in NEU-
TRAL.
Towing And Hauling With HSA
The HSA system does not know if your vehicle is loaded
or towing a trailer unless the TOW/HAUL switch, lo-
cated on the center stack, is selected. When activated, the
“TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster. Refer to “Automatic Transmission” in
“Starting and Operating” for further information. In
order to accommodate the extra weight entailed under
towing and hauling conditions and to increase driver
comfort while launching on a hill, the system recognizes
when the TOW/HAUL switch is activated and compen-
sates by releasing brake pressure at a slower rate while
throttle is applied in order to prevent the vehicle from
rolling down the hill.
530 STARTING AND OPERATING

Trailer Sway Control (TSC) — If Equipped
The TSC system uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize
an excessively swaying trailer and will take the appro-
priate actions to attempt to stop the sway. The system
may reduce engine power and apply the brake of the
appropriate wheel(s) to counteract the sway of the trailer.
TSC will become active automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. No driver action is re-
quired to activate. Note that TSC cannot stop all trailers
from swaying. Always use caution when towing a trailer
and follow the trailer tongue weight recommendations.
Refer to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information. When TSC is functioning, the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” will flash, the
engine power may be reduced and you may feel the
brakes being applied to individual wheels to attempt to
stop the trailer from swaying. TSC is disabled when the
ESC system is in the “Partial Off” or “Full Off” modes.TSC is only active in the default “ESC On” mode. TSC
can be disabled by pressing the “ESC Off” switch and
entering “ESC Partial Off” mode. It is not active in the
“ESC Partial Off” or “ESC Off” modes. Refer to the ESC
portion of this section for an explanation of the different
ESC operating modes.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.
538 STARTING AND OPERATING

Tire And Loading Information PlacardThis placard tells you important information about the:
1. Number of people that can be carried in the vehicle.
2. Total weight your vehicle can carry.
3. Tire size designed for your vehicle.
4. Cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear, andspare tires.
Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed
the load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire’s load carrying capacity if you
adhere to the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the Tire and Loading
Information placard and in the “Vehicle Loading” section
of this manual.
Tire And Loading Information Placard
546 STARTING AND OPERATING