The Dodge Ram Van, originally called the Dodge B series, is a range of full-size vans that Chrysler built from the 1971 to 2003 model years. It replaced the forward-control Dodge A100, moving to a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout shared with the D series pickup and a conventional bonnet for engine access.
Dodge Ram Van at a glance
| Production | 1971-2003 model years |
|---|---|
| Class | full-size van |
| Platform | Chrysler B (later AB), one-piece Uniframe |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Body types | cargo van, passenger van (Ram Wagon), cutaway chassis |
| Model series | 100 half-ton, 200 three-quarter-ton, 300 one-ton |
| Wheelbases | 109 and 127 in |
| Long version | Maxivan and Maxiwagon, up to 15 passengers |
| Factory | Windsor, Ontario; Saint Louis before 1980 |
| Replaced by | Dodge Sprinter in 2003 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Ram Van.
History of the Dodge Ram Van
The full-size Dodge vans entered production for 1971 on the B platform, later called AB, and used a one-welded-piece Uniframe design that was lighter and stronger than separate chassis construction and gave a lower cargo floor than earlier American designs. The lower centre of gravity improved handling compared with full-frame rivals at the cost of more noise, vibration and harshness. The van replaced the A100 and shared components with the D series pickup. The range included a cargo van, a passenger van marketed as the Dodge Ram Wagon after the Ram nameplate arrived for 1980, and a cutaway chassis dropped in 1979. With a 33-model-year run, the B series and Ram Van is among the longest-lived platforms in American automotive history, and throughout production the vans were built at the Pillette Road plant in Windsor, Ontario, with Saint Louis Assembly also used before 1980. In the 1970s the range was also rebadged for Fargo and Plymouth, the latter marking the debut of the Plymouth Voyager nameplate.
From 1971 to 1978 Dodge produced two B-series models: the Tradesman cargo van and the Sportsman passenger van. In line with the D series pickup, the van was sold in three payload series: half-ton 100, three-quarter-ton 200 and one-ton 300. Only five inches longer than the A100 and A108 it replaced, it moved the front axle forward to create much more interior space. Both models came on 109-inch and 127-inch wheelbases, and during 1971 an extended-length Maxivan and Maxiwagon was added with an 18-inch rear body extension; the Sportsman Maxiwagon could take four rows of rear seats for up to 15 passengers. The Tradesman was a cargo van only, while the Sportsman came in Sportsman, Custom Sportsman and Royal Sportsman trims, the last rivalling the Dodge Royal Monaco station wagon for equipment.
The first-generation vans shared their powertrains with the D series pickup, starting with a 198 cu in slant-six, a 225 cu in slant-six and a 318 cu in V8. For 1972 the 198 was dropped and a 360 V8 became the second V8 option, and for 1976 B200 and B300 vans could be ordered with the big-block 400 and 440 cu in V8s. A three-speed manual was standard with a four-speed manual, added in 1976, and a three-speed automatic as options. Year by year the vans gained front disc brakes and chrome door handles in 1972, electronic ignition and standard power brakes in 1973, a redesigned plastic grille in 1974, a sliding side door, a single-piece rear door option in 1975, the Street Van customisation package for Tradesman vans in 1976 and a standard single-panel rear door on Sportsman vans in 1977.
Dodge was the first American manufacturer to popularise extended-length passenger vans with the 1971 Maxiwagon and its 15 seats, and the Ram Van was the last full-size short-wheelbase van, with the 109-inch B1500 offered through 2003. The limited changes over three generations made the vans popular with fleets, service companies and converters because components were compatible across model years. In 2003 the Dodge Sprinter, a rebadged Mercedes-Benz, replaced the Ram Van.
Design and features
- Uniframe construction: a lighter one-piece body with a lower cargo floor.
- Tradesman and Sportsman: separate cargo and passenger models with their own trims.
- Maxiwagon: the extended-length 15-passenger version introduced in 1971.
- Three payload series: 100, 200 and 300, from half-ton to one-ton.
Dodge Ram Van versions
- Tradesman: the cargo van, later with the Street Van package.
- Sportsman: the passenger van in three trim levels.
- Ram Wagon: the passenger version after the Ram name arrived in 1980.
- Cutaway chassis: the chassis used by bodybuilders and motorhome makers until 1979.
The Ram Van replaced the Dodge A100 and was replaced by the Dodge Sprinter, while it shared its front-end engineering with the Dodge D series. More Dodge models are in the Dodge collection.
Sources
- Dodge Ram Van, English Wikipedia: platform, models, engines, production
