RAM conversion done right

With the popularity of full-size American pick-up trucks on the rise, we spent a morning with RAM trucks importer and local conversion specialist American Special Vehicles (ASV) to see exactly what goes on behind the scenes of its locally-owned right-hand drive conversion shop.

ASV – a joint-venture between Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) and ATECO Automotive – already operates in Australia under license from Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA). The firm’s 800 square-meter Clayton site is ISO9001:2008 accredited and converts RAM trucks for local consumption at a rate of three per day.

The conversion process takes 24 work-hours end to end, with a line capacity of up to 1000 vehicles per annum possible should demand increase. That increase may come from exports into south-east Asia or even South Africa, ASV says. Locally, RAM vehicles are sold through a 24-strong national dealership network, the company’s reach is set to soon expand to 27 franchises locally, with a further four outlets across the ditch in New Zealand. At this stage, however, with year-to-date sales of just 148, it would seem RAM’s local arm has a way to go…

However, those slow sales are not through a lack of thoroughness from ASV’s engineering and production team. We’ve all heard – and perhaps witnessed – the horrors of sub-standard conversions before, but with ASV throwing open its doors to local media, we experienced first-hand the fastidious reworking and remanufacturing of components necessary for finish as close to that of the factory truck – or in some instances even better.

Considering the demands of the RAM’s wide and varied customer base, the rigorous development of the model is reassuring to say the least. Stress testing of re-engineered steering and chassis components to the equivalent of 20 years hard use speaks volumes of the firm’s faith in its product.

The RAM variants are equipped with a newly-manufactured steering box fitted to the outboard side of the right-hand chassis rail, replacing a mirrored (yet otherwise identical) unit fitted to the inboard side of the left-hand rail. The relocation of the 37kg steering box allows the engine’s ancillaries to remain in situ, reducing the need for the re-engineering of parts that include the air-conditioning compressor and hydraulic pump. Only the intercooler and radiator pipes are altered. ASV believes that the more components it can keep in their original location, the better the finished product will be, especially to those charged with maintaining the vehicle in its later life.

It’s a theory ASV works hard to maintain throughout the converted vehicle. Wherever possible genuine components are utilised where one is not available for right-hand drive. The philosophy makes the ordering of parts in years to come much easier, factory part numbers meaning genuine parts (and their obvious benefits) are utilised, even if sourced from other vehicles. As an example, the right-hand drive wiper arm assembly comes from a Dodge Caravan.

Where parts are not readily accessible, as was the case for the steering box, ASV has bespoke parts manufactured. The demise of the Australian automotive manufacturing sector means highly skilled and tooled-up third-party parts manufacturers are keenly looking for work. This level of expertise allows the manufacture of parts that look and function identically to the factory part to be created locally, including the dashboard, some wiring harnesses, elements of the firewall and floor-pan, HVAC and seating components. In all, more than 400 parts are remanufactured and more than 70 per cent of the remanufactured parts fitted to the RAM are Australian made.

Included in the inventory are Spotswood-based Socobell OEM Pty Ltd, who replicated the dashboard, its frame and related componentry (at a cost of almost $1m!) and Korean firm KOPLA, who manufactured the demister and ventilation ducts. Australia’s Lumen Group manufactured bespoke electrical looms to changes made under the bonnet, in the doors, under the seats and behind dash.

While Adelaide-based company, Trident Plastics, made HVAC manifold components and dress panels including the glovebox lid and instrument panel surrounds, carefully matching the grain and colour of the factory parts. Integro-tech will soon make mudflaps to eliminate the tacked-on extensions (the distance between the road and the bottom of the mudflap is an ADR requirement).

Of course it’s not as ‘simple’ as making the parts look at fit correctly – they also need to function as the OEM intended, and meet the demands of a three-year / 100,000km warranty, and of course perform as the original component would in the event of accident. Ensuring the airbags would deploy as intended, ASV fired as many as 20 passenger airbags from its newly made dashboard at temperatures ranging from -10 to +50 degrees Celsius.

It also rig-crashed the cabin twice to ensure crash test dummies met with the airbags as the original (left-hand drive) model’s design intended, and even crashed a RAM 2500 into a wall at 48km/h (to ADR 69/00, full-frontal impact occupant protection) to validate its work on the final product – even though by law commercial vehicles are not required to meet the legislation.

ASV’s operation shows how well local conversions can be done, and with grey nomads and rural property owners growing the demand for heavier-duty pick-ups like the RAM 2500 and 3500, it’s a market we may well see continue to grow. There’s speculation from within ASV that it may look to converting Ford F-Series trucks as well as models from Chevrolet such as the Silverado in the near future, giving Australian buyers much the same level of choice – and quality – as is offered in the USA. We look forward to a test drive.

Related reading:
>> RAM 2500 Laramie v Ford F-250 Lariat 2016 Comparison