Hauling Side-by-Sides and Dirt Bikes to the Dunes With a Ram or Gladiator

The drive to the dunes is part of the trip, and it is rarely short. Glamis and the rest of the Imperial Sand Dunes sit in the southeastern California desert, a long haul from the coast. Little Sahara in central Utah means hours on I-15 and US-6 before the sand even starts. Northwest riders have their own versions: the Oregon Dunes near Florence, reached over coastal highways, and the St. Anthony Sand Dunes in eastern Idaho, a long drive from Boise. The truck you pick has to cover those miles loaded, often in heat, and then cope with soft ground at the staging area.

This guide compares three pickups people use for that job: the Ram 1500, the Ram 2500 and the Jeep Gladiator. Specs are the manufacturers' 2027 figures.

Bed loading or trailer: decide first

Dirt bikes are the one toy that realistically rides in a bed. The Ram 1500 comes with a 5 ft 7 in or 6 ft 4 in bed. The Gladiator's bed is 60.3 inches long with the tailgate closed and 81.3 inches with it open, with 44.8 inches between the wheelhouses. The Ram 2500 adds an 8-foot bed on Regular Cab and Crew Cab versions. One bike fits in any of them with a ramp, though the Gladiator is the tightest.

Side-by-sides and sand cars are a different story. They are wider and longer than any of these beds, so they ride on a trailer. Look up the machine's curb weight and the trailer's empty weight, add gear and fuel, and compare the total against the truck's rating. Do not assume the headline tow number applies to the truck you are actually buying.

A toy-hauler trailer, with a ramp door and living space, raises the stakes. It is heavy before anything is loaded, and that weight pushes you toward the heavy-duty class quickly.

The numbers side by side

Maximums come from different engine and package combinations, so read the table as a ceiling, not the spec of one truck.

Truck	Setup	Max tow	Max payload	Starting MSRP
Ram 1500	3.6L V6 eTorque	8,100 lbs	2,340 lbs	$42,575
Ram 1500	3.0L Hurricane Standard Output	11,530 lbs	1,880 lbs	$42,575 (Tradesman, optional engine)
Ram 1500 RHO	3.0L Hurricane High Output	8,370 lbs	1,530 lbs	$74,995
Ram 2500	6.4L HEMI V8	17,740 lbs	4,580 lbs (with $835 package)	$48,040
Ram 2500	Cummins diesel	20,000 lbs	3,990 lbs	$48,040 (Tradesman, optional engine)
Jeep Gladiator	3.6L V6, Max Tow	7,700 lbs	1,720 lbs	$43,895

Prices are starting MSRP before destination ($2,795 on Ram, $1,995 on the Gladiator), and they change. Ram lists the 2500 ratings as preliminary.

Ram 1500: the flexible middle

Most dune trips involve a trailer plus a loaded cab, so payload matters as much as tow rating. The 1500 splits oddly here. The V6 carries the most at 2,340 pounds but tows 8,100. The standard-output Hurricane six tows 11,530 but carries 1,880. The 5.7-liter HEMI eTorque lands at 11,370 and 1,680. Passengers, coolers, fuel cans and a second bike all come out of payload, and so does the trailer's tongue weight.

Ram's Towing Technology Group ($595 on most trims) adds a 12-way trailer connector, trailer hitch line-up assist and trailer reverse guidance. Trailer Tow Group II ($1,095) adds a brake controller and trailer tire pressure monitoring. For a loaded desert run, confirm the brake controller before you sign.

Fuel is a practical detail. The Hurricane engines want premium, and the High Output requires it. Stations near the dunes can be few and pricey, so a bigger tank helps: the 1500 offers 26 gallons standard or 33 gallons optional.

RHO and Rebel: built for the sand itself

The RHO makes 540 hp, rides 2 inches higher and uses a Bilstein Black Hawk e shock system. It starts at $74,995 and comes only with the 5 ft 7 in bed. The trade-off shows in the numbers: 8,370 pounds of towing and 1,530 pounds of payload, both below a standard-output Hurricane 1500.

The 1500's air-suspension heights run from 6.7 inches of ground clearance in Entry/Exit to 10.7 inches in Off Road 2. Use the high settings on soft ground and keep speeds down. The RHO suits someone who drives to a dune camp, unhooks and plays in the truck. If towing is the main job, a Rebel gives more rated capacity for less money. It starts at $65,845 with the Off-Road Group standard and the Hurricane Standard Output engine.

Ram 2500: when the trailer is the main event

A toy hauler with two machines and gear can outrun a half-ton quickly. The HEMI 2500 tows up to 17,740 pounds, and the Payload Upgrade Package ($835) raises GVWR to 11,040 pounds and payload to 4,580. The Cummins diesel tows up to 20,000 pounds with 3,990 pounds of payload.

The Power Wagon, at $74,435, is the sand-capable version: locking front and rear differentials, a disconnecting front sway bar and 34-inch tires. With the diesel, ground clearance is 13.2 inches and the 31-gallon tank gives about 600 miles of range, per Ram. These heavy-duty trucks carry no EPA fuel economy label, so budget fuel conservatively.

Backing into a crowded staging area is easier with the right gear. A tow-mode digital mirror package costs $1,135 on most trims, and Tow Technology Plus ($1,490 on Big Horn, Laramie, Rebel and Power Wagon) adds trailer reverse steering control and side cameras.

Jeep Gladiator: lighter loads, more fun on arrival

The Gladiator tows up to 7,700 pounds in Max Tow trim on a Sport S. Rubicon is rated at 7,000, and Mojave, Willys and Rewind at 6,000. That suits a modest trailer with one or two light machines, not a heavy toy hauler. Payload peaks at 1,720 pounds.

Its best dune credential is the Mojave, at $56,200, with FOX bypass shocks, 11.6 inches of ground clearance and Desert Rated hardware. The Trailer Tow and Auxiliary Switch Group ($995 on Sport S and Sahara) adds a Class IV receiver hitch and heavy-duty engine cooling. Jeep's Cargo Group ($2,095 on most trims) adds a roll-up tonneau cover, a 115V bed outlet and Trail Rails.

One caution: the only engine is rated 17 city and 22 highway mpg, with a 22-gallon tank. As a rough estimate, tank times highway mpg gives about 484 miles unloaded. Towing will cut that sharply, so plan fuel stops.

Heat on the drive in

Desert towing is hard on cooling systems, tires and brakes. A truck that is rated for the load on paper still has to hold it on a long grade at 110 degrees. Leave margin under the rating instead of living at it, check tire pressures cold, and keep fluids serviced.

Winter and spring are the main dune seasons for this reason. If you tow in warmer months, choose the larger truck, add the cooling and brake-controller items that are offered, and start early in the day. Rules for trailers, safety flags and registration differ by state and riding area, so check California, Utah and land-management guidance before you go.

For one bike and camping gear, a Gladiator or a 1500 is plenty. For a trailer with two machines, start with the Ram 2500.