Ram 1500 detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the 1500

Paint and exterior

The hood is long and flat, the bedsides are tall, and both are easy to swirl with a quick dry wipe. Chrome grilles and bumpers on Big Horn and Limited trucks spot badly from hard water; Sport and Night Edition trucks swap that for gloss black that scratches instead.

Interior

Fifth-generation cabs are some of the nicest in the segment: soft leather, wood on upper trims and a big portrait screen. The rear floor storage bins, the console and the seat tracks of a Crew Cab collect the most dirt.

Living in Houston

A 1500 that tows to Lake Conroe or Lake Houston comes home with lake water drying on the tailgate and bugs across the grille. Leave either for a week in August and they etch into the clear.

• Pickup bed: tell us what the bed carries; spray-in liners clean up well, drop-in liners come out for the rinse.
• Tows and hauls: hitch, rear bumper and the lower panels collect road tar and brake dust, so they get iron remover and tar remover.
• Lots of chrome: Houston hard water etches it, so it is dried fully, polished where needed and sealed.
• Large wheels and tall tires: wheel faces, barrels and wells take real time on this one, and it shows when they are done right.
• Black and dark colors are common: they show swirls, water spots and pollen film first, and benefit most from a coating.