Ram Pro Master Chassis -- Pros and Cons

[happycookin]

We are planning on buying a Class B. There seems to be three (3) choices for the chassis: MB Sprinter, Ford Transit, and the Dodge Ram Pro Master. We have driven all three (3) and really like the Ford. Yet since there are so few RV manufacturers using the Transit chassis, it appears for our price point and to get the features we prefer, we may need to go with the Pro Master.

Would appreciate hearing people's experiences and advice regarding the Pro Master. Is it sluggish? Loud? Does it ride okay? Ways to make it better? Problems? Enough power? Reliability? Maintenance concerns? Other issues? Thanks Much !!

[ditto]

Did you look at the Entegra Expanse?

[happycookin]

Yes, looked at the Expanse. Nice Class B though not the floor plan for us. We like the pop up that many of the camper vans come with on the Ram. Also, the Expanse has very little storage.

[BikerMonkey]

I like my EKKO.

[Danny969]

Pros: 4 inches wider than the Transit or Sprinter which makes a huge difference in livability. Best turning radius. Lowest cost to buy, repair and to maintain. Average reliability. Average gas mileage. Average ride and handling. Front wheel drive. Lowest step in height.

Cons: 6 inches shorter than the Transit and Sprinter which is only a problem if you're taller than 6'2". The electronics added to the 2022, 2023 releases are buggy. Some quirky ergonomics. Not as refined as the others. Can't get 4 wheel drive. Less towing capacity.

If you want to buy a manufactured van, take a look at pleasureway. They sell higher quality vans on all three platforms.

[robertj1979]

We have owned a 2022 Pro Master 3500 (Thor Tellaro) almost a year and have about 19000 miles on it.
Overall we like the way it drives but the transmission is new to the 2022 and is now a 9 speed. However, it only uses 8 gears at most. Not a major issue but something to be aware of. The new transmission has no way to change the fluid without removing it but "they say" it is good for the life of the transmission. Probably too new to determine what that life is. It does shift quite a bit at highway speeds with the slightest of incline. Overall however, no complaints with the drivetrain, so far. The Pentastar engine is a proven platform and has been used in many vehicles for quite some time and should be reliable.

The bad news is all about the technology. The parking sensors and collision forward collision sensors are very "buggy" and frequently do not work. The collision sensor turns itself off every time you turn the van off requiring a reset if you want to use it.
We have gotten so we just don't use it because it is such a hassle.

There have been problems with the "pushbutton" start that 2022 and newer now have. I have had mine at the Ram Dealer to get an extra key programmed and they have no idea how to do it after several attempts. Car locksmiths are no help because vehicle is too new. MAKE SURE YOU GET TWO KEYS if you purchase one because of this problem and I am not the only one having problems with it even though Ram will deny it. I would recommend you check out the promasterforum.com for lots of information on these vans before you make a decision. Another van owner reports he tried to get a key made and the dealer totally "locked up" his van that will now not start on any key (fob). It has been at the dealer several months and they have been unable to repair it due to shortage of needed parts.
The Uconnect system used for radio etc is also very "buggy" as has been mentioned and needs software updates that are not available yet.

We have not had any mechanical problems however and overall satisfied with the ride quality etc. The transmission is very new however so only time will tell how these hold up long term. The technology is the weak link for us with the Promaster.

[AprilS]

This spring we just purchased our first camper which is a converted 2023 Dodge Promaster 3500. We are camping newbies and have only been on a few short camping trips with the Promaster so far. When searching for a camper we focused on the Promaster because of it's size. It's a little wider than the other choices and not as tall. This was a pro as far as we are concerned since both my husband and I are on the short side we felt like a lower footprint was a good thing. I believe Danny969 and Roberttj1979 in that the 2023 Ram is "buggy". There have been times when the door locks do not lock with the key fob. We have to check the doors after we lock them to make sure they actually locked. Also, currently we are in the mountains of North Carolina and the Dodge struggles to get up the hills in this area. There are roads here we will not be taking our camper because they are too steep. Not only is it sluggish going up hills but I think it would be a real strain on the engine and brakes going down hill. Also, in this area we could have benefited from a 4-wheel drive vehicle which the Promaster is not. We have also found the touch screen in the dash to be very finicky. In fact, the dash needs a redesign if you ask me. If you want to know your mileage, you will have to deal with the finicky touch screen. There isn't one on the dash. I think the engine is rather loud but this is our first "truck" so do not have much to compare it to. Driving it is very different from driving a car. This much weight will not stop on a dime and you need to adjust your driving habits accordingly. Leave plenty of room between you and the next car. Also, it does not come with a spare tire. If you want one and it is not part of the deal from your original purchase, it will cost you quite a bit to add one. I think this is a pretty big "con" for the Promaster. For a large vehicle, the glove compartment is pretty small. I am 5'3" and my feet don't really touch the floor that well in the passenger seat which is a swivel seat. So far, these are our only complaints. We have not had any problems "yet" with the push button starter but using the touch screen has been a pain. We don't really like it. Hope this helps.