2024 Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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The $100,000 Winnebago Solis is a Ram ProMaster camper with a pop-top

Think of it as bunk beds for the outdoors. Maximum personal space, and the campsite has plenty of room for activities. It's an overall win-win. Camper vans with pop-tops are some of the most useful and versatile adventuremobiles out there, and now Winnebago has created its first entry into the growing market. For the first time, Winnebago is entering the Class B pop-top camper van business with the new Solis. Based on a Ram ProMaster chassis, the Solis' exterior is 19-feet-6-inches long, 8-feet-11-inches tall, and 6-feet-8-inches wide. Inside, the ceiling is 6-foot-2-inches high, and campers have access to 21 gallons of stored water. Power comes from a 280-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and a 220-volt solar panel is integrated into the roof. In the video below, Winnebago Product Manager Russ Garfin says the goal with the Solis was to maintain durability while keeping things as simple as possible to get the job done. With the front captain's chairs swiveled around to face inward, they look at a cabin that is basic but comfortable. The driver's seat pairs with a removable swiveling plywood table with two more seats on the other side. Behind the rear passenger seats, there is a tri-purpose heated bathroom. The toilet is technically in the shower, and the space can also be used as a drying room for wet gear or laundry. The cassette toilet holds five gallons, and the shower has hot or cold water. The gray tank holds 20 gallons. Opposite the bathroom, the kitchenette is on the passenger-side wall. On the end near the door is a 12-volt compressor-driven fridge and freezer. The cooking unit also includes a countertop extension, built-in storage, a two-burner stovetop with backsplash, and a full faucet and sink. All of the insulation and plumbing on the Solis is four-season ready, as well, so adventuring can be done anywhere at any time. In the rear, the Solis has a murphy bed that flips up and out of the way. It sleeps two adults and stores a new "movable table" underneath. When the bed is up, that table can be put down to make a working space or for hanging out at the rear of the vehicle. There is also more storage under the rear floor space. Doubling the sleeping space is the fiberglass pop-top. The roomy space sleeps two more adults and is easily accessible thanks to a folding ladder that can be stored above the driving cabin. The Solis simplifies the camping experience by packaging full amenities and lots of sleeping space within a small van.

2019 Ram 1500 Review and Buying Guide | Excellence at all price points

Quite simply, the 2019 Ram 1500 is our favorite full-size pickup. From its most basic Tradesman trim to the fanciest Limited and everything in between, we're enamored with its well-rounded, well-executed and generally thoughtful range of talents. It nails all the hard-working truck necessities, while going several steps further with such things as a class-best ride, clever interior storage, attractive cabin design and many unique features. It's not offered with the breadth of powertrain offerings as rival trucks, but the eTorque mild hybrid system standard with its V6 and optional with the Hemi V8 at least improves fuel economy and refinement. If you're looking for a new pickup, the Ram 1500 is a must-drive. What's new for 2019? The Ram 1500 was completely redesigned for 2019, although the previous generation truck is still sold under the name Ram 1500 Classic. Essentially, the new Ram builds on that otherwise excellent predecessor by adding refinement, innovation and mechanical improvements. You can read about them more in-depth in our 2019 Ram 1500 First Drive Review. 2019 Ram 1500 Interior View 56 Photos What's the interior and in-car technology like? It's easy to be smitten by the Ram 1500 in its fanciest Longhorn and Limited trim levels, which are bedecked in soft leather, special color schemes and unique styling elements like the Longhorn emblem literally branded into real wood trim. There are unique features like the huge vertically oriented touchscreen and the ventilated reclining back seat. It's easily the most luxurious pickup ever made. Crucially, however, we are actually more impressed by the basic Ram 1500 Tradesman and Big Horn trim levels. While the quality of plastics is typical for the segment (that goes for those ritzy Rams, too), the different textures and attractive design result in a cabin that looks and feels better than trucks that cost a comparable amount or more. For instance, the rich gray cloth upholstery in a Big Horn test truck contributed to a far more premium environment than the one found in a leather-lined 2019 Chevy Silverado. The Ram doesn't just impress aesthetically. The five-passenger model's center console features the sort of clever, multi-configuration storage solutions normally possessed by Hondas. Abundant thought was clearly put into how people might use this space – it's not just some cupholders and a pair of differently sized bins.

Peugeot E-Boxer seems like it would make a nice electric Ram ProMaster

Though electric cars, and especially pickup trucks, are the hot zero-emissions battlefield, there's another sector that's heating up: commercial vans. Startups such as Rivian and Bollinger have announced plans for vans, and Ford has shown a prototype of an electric Transit. It seems Stellantis is slightly ahead of the curve, though, as it has revealed details of its electric vans with the Peugeot E-Boxer. And the reason you should care is that the E-Boxer and gas-powered Boxer are nearly identical to the American-market Ram ProMaster and Italian Fiat Ducato. Powering the E-Boxer is a single electric motor at the front. It's not particularly powerful with just 122 ponies, but it has a more respectable 192 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 68 mph, which would probably need to be raised if these vans were offered in the U.S. Supplying power is one of two available battery packs: The shorter models get a 37-kWh battery that is rated for 124 miles of range on the WLTP cycle; longer models get a 70-kWh battery rated by WLTP for 211 miles. Those numbers would likely be lower in American EPA testing. While the range isn't incredible, enormous range likely isn't as important for delivery vans that might operate locally. These vans also come with DC fast charging in case more range is needed quickly. Though not quick, the Peugeot E-Boxer doesn't sacrifice on practicality. No cargo space is sacrificed for the electric powertrain, so you can fit just as much into one as a similarly configured gas model. Payload capacity is comparable to the gas vans, even the V6 ProMaster, too, with a maximum of 4,167 pounds. This number does vary based on configuration, just like cargo space. Peugeot will offer it in four different lengths with three roof heights as well as chassis and cutaway cab models. So it's just as configurable as the regular version. With some adjustment to how quick the E-Boxer can go, it would seem like it could be offered in the U.S. and beat some competitors to the punch. It's all built on the existing Ram ProMaster platform that we get here. And electric power would seem appealing to businesses that need delivery vans: lower fuel and maintenance costs. Time will tell if Stellantis sees things the same way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2018 Volkswagen California Review