A little over a month ago, after the Glover family of dealerships began receiving its first 2025 RAM Heavy Duty pickup trucks, our very own Jared Glover decided to get behind the wheel of such a truck and film his first drive and impressions. While his first choice was to take one of the Limited models for a spin, the truck had already nearly sold out by the time he was able to film the video.
Instead, he got an opportunity to get his first impressions on a 2025 RAM 3500 Tradesman, which ended up being a perfect fit. This particular Tradesman, which you can see by watching the video yourself at the bottom of this page, is “fairly loaded” to use Jared’s words. Although the Tradesman is the base trim level, and the RAM 3500 has a base MSRP of $46,570, this particular truck – outfitted with the Level 1 Equipment Package among several other options – has an MSRP of $73,570.
One of the first things Jared noticed was that the Tradesman appeared to have a Night Package added to it, despite that not historically being an option. In truth, it’s still not an option, but rather the standard Tradesman simply has unique, blacked-out design cues that give it that aesthetic. The truck is also equipped with the available 6.7L Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel engine and the Max Tow Package.
Tradesman Level 1 Equipment Package
The Tradesman Level 1 Equipment Package is one of the packages available on this version of the truck, and it was included in the truck driven by Jared in the video. With a price tag of $2,295, it is packed full of content that is well worth the extra price. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, here is a big chunk of the package’s highlights:
- Carpet floor-covering
- Front floor mats
- Overhead console
- Tinted acoustic windshield glass
- Rear sliding window
- Automatic-dimming rearview mirror
- Power-adjustable heated trailer tow mirrors; featuring manual folding, telescoping
- Dual-zone automatic temperature control
- Trailer Tow, Off-Road Info Pages
- GPS navigation, antenna input
- Speed-sensitive power door locks
- Power windows; featuring one-touch-down front windows
- Black exterior mirrors; featuring supplemental signals, courtesy lamps
- Mirror running lights
- Black Mopar tubular side steps
- Global Telematic Box Module
- HD Radio
- Google Android Auto
- Apple CarPlay
- Alexa Built-In; requires Wi-Fi
- 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hot Spot
- Uconnect 5 Nav
- 12” display audio screen; big upgrade over last year’s 8.4” screen
- Emergency Vehicle Alert System
- RAM Connect
- SiriusXM 360L; featuring three-month subscription
- Cloth 40/20/40 bench seat
Max Tow Package
There are tons of different packages available, all depending on the configuration and trim level you choose. This Tradesman also includes the Max Tow Package, which has a price tag of $730 and includes the 5th-wheel / gooseneck towing preparation in the bed alongside the center stop lamp with integrated Cargo-View Camera.
TorqueFlite HD Eight-Speed Transmission
Now, the last thing we want to make sure we discuss is the all-new TorqueFlite HD eight-speed transmission that comes standard in the truck. This was the crux of Jared’s first drive and impressions, as he focused a lot on how fast and smooth the transitions between gears are compared to its predecessor. The truck is now able to recognize if it’s loaded or unloaded, and this new transmission will in turn enable second-gear starts when it isn’t heavily loaded. The transmission is joined by a new electronic column shifter as well, which enables a sort of manual mode where you can shift gears on your own whenever you want.
“This is RAM to RAM, it’s a huge improvement over last year. The eight-speed transmission is incredible. [...] This truck’s a lot smoother and [has] a lot of other standard content that was not available last year, but truck to truck they did a great job and the price point didn’t move that much. So, this truck is $73,570, they’ve already got some rebates on it, we have this truck priced well below $70,000. So, check them out! If you’ve been kind of on the fence, from my first impression, I’m impressed.”
- Jared Glover, Glover Customs & Offroad
There are plenty of other things to get excited about in the truck, like newly standard full-speed collision warning and adaptive cruise control. Plus, this particular truck features dual rear wheels – more commonly referred to as a dually – which is certainly one thing that bumps up its MSRP. If you’re interested in learning more about this specific truck, or the 2025 RAM 3500 in general, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at Glover Customs!