You don’t need me to tell you that pickups are bigger than they used to be. That trend likely won’t stop anytime soon as automakers keep evolving their rigs to reflect what American buyers want from a truck, and that can be summed up in one word: everything. That includes more seating, which is what Ram addresses with its new patent application for third-row jump seats.
CarBuzz first spotted the documents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and they show a design similar to what Ram debuted on the 1500 Revolution Concept last year. People seemed sure they would make it to the production Ram 1500 REV, and speaking truthfully, I was skeptical. I still am—patents and everything that comes with them don’t signal intent to manufacture, but Ram has taken it a step further than before, at the very least.
The jump seats are essentially drop-down cushions that fold out from the back wall of the cab. They’d fit behind the second-row chairs and simply stow away when not in use. The illustrations show cargo hooks on the bottom that’d work great for backpacks or, yeah, grocery bags.
Jump seats in pickups are nothing new, but these are different from what you may be familiar with. Whereas older trucks like the Chevrolet S-10 used them to make the most out of small spaces, facing each other, Ram’s design shows them forward-facing. That requires more room in the cab, so it’s possible that Ram could carry its Mega Cab configuration from its HD models over to the half-ton 1500 pickups. Right now, that space is used for behind-seat storage with fold-flat lids.
Interestingly, both the patent application drawings and the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept show these jump seats installed behind second-row captain’s chairs. That would provide easier access to the jump seats, but importantly, it would kneecap what seems to be the whole point of this exercise, and that’s seating capacity. With a big center console up front, captain’s chairs in the middle, and jump seats in the back, that would provide seating for six at most. I doubt any adult would fit comfortably in the jump seat, either, so it seems to me like a long walk for a short drink of water.
There are other cool features from the Ram 1500 Revolution Concept that would be great to see reach production. What comes to my mind is the pass-through frunk, midgate, and bed extender that would allow drivers to carry objects up to 18 feet long without a trailer. Imagine how much easier those home improvement store trips would be if they put that in a real truck! I wonder if they could curve the gear tunnel somehow to fit that lumber from Home Depot…
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