🕑6 min read
I’ve now had the chance to review the Ram 1500 RHO three different times since it first came out, and every time I get behind the wheel, I seem to like it a little more.
In this articleâ–¾
Nearly 0,000 With Options
Don’t Touch The Suspension
Borrow From The Rumble Bee
Use The Standard-Output HURRICANE
It Wouldn’t Replace The Rebel
There’s just something about the RHO that makes it feel special. It’s quick, it rides incredibly well for a truck this big, and that wide-body look gets attention just about everywhere you take it. After spending enough time with one, it’s pretty easy to see why the people who own them are so happy with them.
The problem is that the RHO is still out of reach for a lot of people who would probably love to have one sitting in their driveway.
The fully loaded 2026 model I recently spent a week with carried a sticker price of $96,260 with destination. That is a lot of money for any pickup, and once you start creeping that close to six figures, plenty of buyers are going to check out before they ever get behind the wheel.
It got me thinking about what the RHO could be if Ram kept everything that makes the truck so much fun, but cut out some of the expensive extras that a lot of off-road buyers probably wouldn’t miss.
2026 Ram 1500 RHO in Molten Red. (MoparInsiders).
Nearly $100,000 With Options
The RHO starts at $74,995 before Ram’s $2,795 destination charge, but that number can climb pretty quickly once you start checking option boxes.
Ram sent over a full-loaded RHO equipped with the Level 1 Equipment Group. The package adds a 14.5-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen, a 10.25-inch passenger screen, a head-up display (HUD), a digital rearview mirror, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
It doesn’t stop there, neither. The package also adds a 360-degree camera system, massaging front seats, heated and ventilated leather-trimmed seating, real carbon-fiber accents, dual wireless charging pads, a power tailgate, and several advanced driver-assistance features.
So yes, with all those features, the RHO is a nice place to spend the week. But if I was to order one for myself, its wouldn’t be because of all the fancy features. What keeps impressing me about the RHO isn’t what is inside the truck, but underneath.
2026 Ram 1500 RHO in Molten Red. (MoparInsiders).
Don’t Touch The Suspension
If Ram were to build a cheaper RHO, the suspension would have to remain untouched.
One of the best parts of the RHO is its Bilstein BlackHawk e2 adaptive suspension. The shocks are constantly adjust how they react based on what the truck is doing, including speed, throttle input, braking, steering, and how much torque is being sent to the wheels.
For a truck this big and this capable, the RHO is surprisingly easy to live with every day. It stays controlled on the road, but once you get into rough terrain, the suspension can take hits and carry speed in a way a normal Ram 1500 simply can’t.
With the RHO, you get 13-inches of suspension travel in the front and 14-inches in the rear. It also has 11.8-inches of ground clearance and rides on a set of massive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires.
There is also a lot going on underneath the RHO. Ram gave it forged aluminum front control arms, a Dana 60 rear axle, and an electronic locking rear differential. Its track is 6-inches wider than a normal Ram 1500, while the body itself is 8-inches wider to cover the suspension and 35-inch tires.
This is the stuff that really makes the RHO what it is. I would gladly give up the massaging seats, passenger screen, HUD, and premium stereo to get that chassis at a lower price.
2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee 5.7 in Ceramic Gray. (MoparInsiders).
Borrow From The Rumble Bee
Ram already has a formula it could follow with the 2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee lineup.
The Rumble Bee 5.7 delivers the widebody appearance without forcing buyers to move up to the more expensive Rumble Bee 392 or Rumble Bee SRT. It also uses a much simpler interior with several features carried over from the Tradesman.
Cloth bucket seats with manual adjustments are the only seating choice. It has an 8.4-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a G/T console shifter, aluminum paddle shifters, and a flat-bottom performance steering wheel.
That is about all a more affordable RHO would need.
Keep the widebody kit, the 35-inch tires, Bilstein adaptive shocks, long-travel suspension, Dana 60 rear axle, locking differential, skid plates, tow hooks, and performance drive modes. Inside, use cloth seats, the smaller touchscreen, the digital cluster, a console shifter, and the flat-bottom steering wheel.
It would still have the appearance and capability people want from an RHO, only without the equipment that pushes the price toward $100,000.
Twin-Turbo 3.0-liter HURRICANE I6 Standard-Output (S/O) Engine. (MoparInsiders).
Use The Standard-Output HURRICANE
This is where some people may disagree with me. But instead of using the 5.7-liter HEMI V8, I would put the HURRICANE standard-output (S/O) under the hood.
The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter HURRICANE produces 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque. That gives it more power and torque than the 5.7-liter HEMI, which makes 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft. Both engines use the 8HP75 8-speed automatic transmission.
The S/O has already proven itself in other Ram 1500 models. It delivers strong low-end power and would still make a lighter, more basic RHO a seriously quick pickup.
It also creates enough distance from the regular RHO. Buyers who want all 540 horsepower from the H/O could still purchase the existing truck. A more budget-friendly model would be for people who care more about its suspension and appearance than having the most powerful engine available.
Another benefit is fuel. The S/O can use 87-octane gasoline in everyday driving, although Ram recommends 89-octane or higher for its best performance and efficiency. The H/O version recommends premium fuel, which adds to the expense of owning one.
2026 Ram 1500 RHO in Molten Red. (MoparInsiders).
It Wouldn’t Replace The Rebel
Would this truck steal sales from the Ram 1500 Rebel? Probably not.
The Rebel remains a better all-around pickup for many buyers. It offers solid off-road capability while retaining more of the towing and hauling ability people expect from a half-ton truck. The 2026 Rebel can tow up to 11,140 pounds and carry as much as 1,600 pounds of payload when properly equipped.
The RHO can tow up to 8,360 pounds and carry around 1,500 pounds, depending on configuration. Its wider body and long-travel suspension also make it more specialized.
Not everyone needs 14 inches of rear suspension travel. The buyers who do want it aren’t necessarily shopping for a Rebel.
Ram has offered lower-priced versions of popular off-road trucks before. The Warlock gave buyers a more affordable alternative to the Rebel, while the Tradesman Power Wagon delivered much of the Power Wagon’s important hardware without the expensive interior.
A standard-output Hurricane-powered RHO in the lower-$60,000 range could follow that same path. It would give more people access to the RHO’s best features while leaving plenty of room above it for the regular RHO and TRX SRT.
After reviewing the RHO three times, I have no question about how good the truck is. Ram has the chassis, suspension, engine, and interior parts needed to build a cheaper version. Now it needs to put them together and offer an RHO that more customers can realistically afford.
Robert S. Miller