If you’re like me and obsessed with the Paramount TV show “Yellowstone,” then you know last night was the premiere of Season 4. No spoiler alerts here, don’t worry. However, you might’ve noticed that John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, drives a Ram pickup truck all over Montana and across his Yellowstone ranch. His other ranch hands, including the very popular Rip, also drive Ram Heavy Duty trucks.
It appears that Dutton drives a 2013 Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab. But there’s also other newer Ram trucks including a 2014 Ram Heavy Duty 2500 and a 2017 2500 Heavy Duty. Product placement on a show as popular as “Yellowstone” is smart. And the modern-day Western about ranch life in Montana seems like the perfect spot for such product placement.
Heck, Ram even sponsored the Season 4 Premiere of “Yellowstone” with several commercials aimed specifically around the show. Beyond that, there was a scene where John Dutton talks about the King Ranch in Texas and the legacy of that ranch saying that they even got their logo emblazoned on a pickup truck.
Of course he’s referencing the Ford King Ranch, which debuted on the F-150 in the 2001 model year. King Ranch was added to the Ford Super Duty in 2003 and now is a popular (and pricey) package on 2021 Ford F-150, F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, Explorer and Expedition.
The throwaway reference about the King Ranch during the two-hour premiere plus the Ram sponsorship seems to be a not-so-subtle hint that a new special edition could be coming in the future. Even Ram Trucks official Twitter was obvious about it.
We already reported on Ram’s revealing of three new special editions coming to the 2022 model year. Ram 1500 TRX Ignition Edition, Ram 1500 Longhorn SouthFork and Ram 1500 (RED) Edition join the expansive Ram pickup truck lineup. In fact, Ram seems enamored with special edition trucks, dating back to 1976 when Dodge had the Little Red Express, which had two different iterations in the 1970s.
As Ford has made a lot of money with its King Ranch variants over the years, it stands to reason that Stellantis could do the same with a Yellowstone Ram truck. No official word from Stellantis about this prospect, and this is nothing more than me connecting some dots.
It may never happen, but then again Ram seems to love special editions, so it’s not a huge leap to assume a Yellowstone Ram could happen.
We can assume that if there were to be a Yellowstone Ram it would start on the Heavy Duty line. Also it might closely resemble the 2022 Ram 1500 Longhorn SouthFork which has multi-function tailgate, deployable bed step, spray-in bedliner, metal pedal kit and Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires.
Like Ford’s King Ranch, the unique Y shape Yellowstone ranch logo (that is branded into the chest of some of the main characters) would be engrained in the dash, the glove box and maybe even somewhere on the grille or tailgate.
A man’s man like John Dutton would demand a Hemi V-8 in his truck so you’d assume it would be appropriately powered too.
I envision the Yellowstone 2500 Heavy Duty to be a merged combination of the Tradesman, Laramie and Power Wagon. If that were the case, it could be a rival to the Ford King Ranch.
This is obviously nothing more than conjecture. A collaboration between Ram and the popular show would require some kind of licensing and financial agreement with the show’s creator and Paramount Network, which airs the show. That wouldn’t be neither impossible nor a hurdle.
Judging by the show’s immense popularity, it could be lucrative for Stellantis to create a special Yellowstone edition for the Ram. The show’s big sky backdrop of the Montana landscape and open pastures of ranch life is exactly the audience Ram wants for their trucks. So, it makes far too much sense for Ram to ignore. The signs are there, but will it happen? Stay tuned.
What do you think? Leave us your comment if you think this truck makes sense and what you would want to see on such a truck.
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Yep. My prediction after watching the season premier last night, too. Wish I could afford one!!
Yes it just seemed too staged almost. Especially with all the product placements and specific ads for the Premiere.
Sign me up!!! I want one NOW!!! Make it happen!
The minute John Dutton said that I thought here comes the Yellowstone Ram Special Edition…….
Yes. Seemed quite obvious to me.
I thought the same thing! I’d buy it!
i’d dump my hummer h3 and my chrysler 300s for that truck
Think about it wanna be truckers how would Ford “king ranch “ allow its name to be used to promote a real truck aka ram and FYI yahoo writer John Dutton wouldn’t demand a “hemi” he require a diesel cause if I know Home a man that don’t know the difference between work play or elegance he be ready to work any second of his life
Just bought a Laramie Longhorn and the whole dealership watches Yellowstone. We chatted about a “Yellowstone” edition and all agreed, if made it would sell the hotcakes. Would be cool to have a “John Dutton” signature inside the cab.
Licensing would be the only real hurdle. Licensing equals money obviously.
I’d buy it in a heartbeat. I already own a 2019 RAM 2500 Bighorn and I’d be trading it for a Yellowstone. That would be whether it had a Hemi or the Cummins, but I’d prefer to see it with a Cummins.
A Cummins makes sense for sure.
I’m sorry but a mans man wants a diesel not a gas guzzling hemi lol
So a mans man wouldn’t want a Hemi? That’s not manly enough? I’m confused.
A Hemi is not something you find on a ranch truck. You need a diesel with loads of torque to pull heavy trailers.
Real ranches and hualers drive a diesel.
Too bad Dodge makes the motors in Mexico!!
Gm is the last company to push a American made motor and Transmission.
CUMMINS is an American company, while the Duramax made by ISUZU is Japanese…
The Cummins Engine in the RAM truck is built in Columbus, Indiana. That’s pretty darn American!
A Man’s Man would want the Cummins Diesel, not a Hemi in a Heavy Duty work truck.
The writer of this article loses all credit when he assumes John Dutton would want a “Hemi v8”….. Gtfoh, he drives a d*** Cummins for crying out loud.
My husband connected the same dots, and for me my 2019 GMC would be a long goner. We would love to see a Yellowstone Ram truck, with tan saddle leather seats with Yellowstone on the seats, fender, grill and tailgate, or at least the Y and wood grain on the doors and dash
You’ll see a “6666 Ranch Edition” before a Yellowstone. Taylor Sheridan and pals bought the legendary Texas ranch recently.
That’s a much more “real world” competitor the King.