Jump Starters
The best jump starters for a Ram 1500
One truck, four engines, and a battery that often sits where you cannot easily reach it.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commission never decides a verdict or a ranking position — read our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.
How we assessed these: picks are selected from manufacturer specifications, current retailer listings and published owner feedback — not from hands-on testing of every unit. Where a manufacturer does not publish a figure, it is left out rather than estimated.
Short answer
For a Ram 1500, buy the NOCO Boost Plus GB50. Its 1,500 peak amps and published 7.0-liter gas rating cover the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and both versions of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six. Owners who tow, plow or park outside in winter should step up to the GB70.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Scoring criteria are published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  NOCO Boost Plus GB50 Best overall for a Ram 1500 | V6 and small V8 gas engines | 1,500 A and a 7.0 L gas rating clears every current engine | $149.95View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026 |
| 2 |  NOCO Boost HD GB70 Best if you tow, plow or park outside | Diesel pickups and big V8s | 2,000 A, 56 Wh, 12 V 15 A accessory output for an inflator | $194.99View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026 |
| 3 |  NOCO Boost X GBX155 Best when the truck is also the power supply | Doubling as a serious power bank | 99 Wh, 4,250 A, USB-C PD both directions, still airline-legal | $369.95View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026 |
| 4 |  DEWALT DXAEJ14 Power Station Best one-box jump and inflate | One box that jumps and inflates | 1,600 A plus a 120 PSI compressor in the same case | $169.00View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026 |
The Ram 1500 badge has covered a wide spread of engines in recent years. The current lineup runs a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, the 5.7-liter HEMI V8, and a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six in standard-output and high-output forms. Earlier trucks in this generation also offered a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, which is the one engine in the family that changes the sizing answer.
That matters because jump packs are rated in engine liters with a separate, lower figure for diesel. The badge on the tailgate tells you nothing a pack cares about; the displacement under the hood tells you everything.
Pack ratings against the Ram 1500's engines
| Pack | Peak amps | Gas rating | Diesel rating | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOCO GB40 | 1,000 A | Up to 6.0 L | Up to 3.0 L | The Pentastar V6 and the HEMI on paper, with no margin |
| NOCO GB50 | 1,500 A | Up to 7.0 L | Up to 4.5 L | Every current engine, including both Hurricanes, with margin |
| NOCO GB70 | 2,000 A | Up to 8.0 L | Up to 6.0 L | Everything, plus the 3.0 L EcoDiesel with room |
| NOCO GBX155 | 4,250 A | Up to 10 L | Up to 8.0 L | Everything, and it runs a laptop off the same pack |
Pack figures are NOCO's own published specifications. The engine lineup is the Ram 1500's published engine offering; the "covers" column is our reading of one against the other, not a Ram figure.
Read that table and the GB50 is where a Ram owner should land. It clears the HEMI with better than a liter of headroom and clears both Hurricanes by a wide margin, and at 2.71 lb it is light enough to live behind the rear seat permanently rather than in the garage.
Why the turbocharged inline-six does not need a bigger pack
There is an instinct that a 540-horsepower engine must be harder to start than a 395-horsepower one. It is not. Starting load tracks displacement and compression, not output: the high-output Hurricane is 3.0 liters and makes its power with boost, so the starter is turning over barely half the swept volume of the HEMI. Against NOCO's rating scale, a 3.0-liter gas six is a smaller job than a 5.7-liter V8.
The EcoDiesel is the opposite case. It is also 3.0 liters, and it is the hardest engine in the family to crank, because compression ignition means the starter fights compression rather than just inertia. If your truck is the diesel, read the diesel column, not the gas column — jump starters for diesel trucks is the full argument.
Two things specific to a half-ton that the spec sheets do not cover
- Reach. A full-size truck's battery is further from where you can stand than a sedan's, and some configurations put a second battery in the mix. Short clamp leads mean balancing a pack on a fender; it is worth checking lead length before you buy, and worth finding your battery and jump points once, in daylight, rather than at night in the rain.
- Tire pressure. The two things that actually strand a pickup are a flat battery and a soft tire, and a truck tire is a lot of air. The GB70's 12 V 15 A accessory output will run a socket-powered inflator straight off the pack, which is a genuinely useful feature on a truck. Tire inflators for trucks and SUVs covers the inflator half.
The combo box, honestly
The DEWALT DXAEJ14 puts 1,600 peak amps, a 120 PSI digital compressor with auto-stop and USB power in one case, and for a truck owner that package is genuinely attractive. The compromise is the chemistry: it is lead-acid, so it is heavy, it self-discharges faster than lithium, and it needs topping up on a schedule or it is flat the day you reach for it. Its licensee publishes no weight, cable gauge or compressor duty cycle, which is worth knowing before it becomes your only plan.
The alternative route is a lithium pack plus a dedicated inflator, which costs more shelf space and less compromise. Jump starters with an air compressor compares both approaches directly, and a jump starter versus a battery charger covers the other half of the question — whether the truck's problem is really the roadside at all.
If the Ram keeps going flat, the pack is not the fix
A half-ton that is jumped twice in a month does not have a jump starter problem. It has a battery, a parasitic drain or an alternator problem, and a pack in the back seat only hides it. Resting voltage read with a multimeter is the cheapest diagnostic there is — see how to tell if a car battery is bad and can you jump start a car with a bad alternator.
The picks in full
1. Best overall for a Ram 1500
NOCO Boost Plus GB50
NOCO · Best for v6 and small v8 gas engines
The middle rung: 1,500 peak amps and 35 watt-hours for a quarter-pound more than the GB40, which is the cheapest headroom in the range.
Published specifications
What works
- A full liter more gas headroom than the GB40 for 0.26 lb more weight
- 35 Wh still clears the 100 Wh carry-on limit with room to spare
- Doubles the flashlight output over the GB40 at 200 lumens
What does not
- Overlaps awkwardly with the GBX45, which is lighter and charges over USB-C
- Still short of the 6.0 L diesel rating a modern diesel pickup wants
Skip it if
Skip it if convenience matters more than amps — the GBX45 is lighter and takes USB-C Power Delivery, and the GB50's edge is raw current.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost Plus GB50.
2. Best if you tow, plow or park outside
NOCO Boost HD GB70
NOCO · Best for diesel pickups and big v8s
The one to buy if you drive a diesel: 2,000 peak amps, a 6.0-liter diesel rating and 56 watt-hours, which is the smallest pack with real margin on a cold diesel.
Published specifications
What works
- The 6.0 L diesel rating covers the common 3.0 L and 6.7 L light-truck diesels with margin
- 56 Wh is still comfortably under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, so it flies as hand luggage
- 12 V 15 A accessory output, and a 400-lumen light that is genuinely usable roadside
- 12 V / 3 A fast charge brings it back in about three hours
What does not
- 4.18 lb — noticeably heavier than the compact packs, and it wants a dedicated spot
- Overkill for a commuter four-cylinder; you are paying for headroom you will not use
Skip it if
Not the one to buy if you only ever start a four-cylinder commuter. Buy diesel headroom when you have a diesel.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost HD GB70.
3. Best when the truck is also the power supply
NOCO Boost X GBX155
NOCO · Best for doubling as a serious power bank
99 watt-hours with USB-C Power Delivery in and out — the largest pack in the range that still clears the 100 Wh carry-on limit, and the one that genuinely works as a power bank.
Published specifications
What works
- 99 Wh is deliberately just under the 100 Wh airline threshold — the most capacity you can carry on without asking anyone
- USB-C Power Delivery at up to 20 V / 3 A charges laptops, not just phones
- 4,250 peak amps with an 8.0 L diesel rating covers almost any light vehicle
- 500-lumen light, which is a genuinely usable work light
What does not
- 5.82 lb — heavier than most people expect from something sold partly as a power bank
- Priced as a premium jump starter, so it is an expensive way to buy 99 Wh of USB power alone
- A dedicated power bank of the same capacity is smaller, lighter and cheaper
Skip it if
Skip it if you mainly want to charge devices. A purpose-built power bank does that better for less, and this pack's premium is in the cranking hardware you would not be using.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost X GBX155.
4. Best one-box jump and inflate
DEWALT DXAEJ14 Power Station
DEWALT · Best for one box that jumps and inflates
A lead-acid jump station with a built-in 120 PSI digital compressor and USB-A plus USB-C power — the combo box for people who would rather carry one heavy thing than two light ones.
Published specifications
- Jump starting
- 1,600 peak amps, rated to start most 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines source
- Air compressor
- 120 PSI digital, with AUTOSTOP source
- USB output
- USB-A 15 W and USB-C 25 W source
- Battery types
- 12 V lead-acid: wet, gel and AGM source
- Diagnostics
- Alternator Check, plus reverse-polarity protection source
- In the box
- Clamps and cables, sports needle adapter source
What works
- Jump starter, 120 PSI compressor and USB-A/USB-C power in a single case
- 1,600 peak amps is rated for 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines
- Lead-acid chemistry is untroubled by living in a hot trunk
- Alternator Check tells you whether the jump was the problem or the symptom
What does not
- Heavy and bulky next to any lithium pack — the usual reason combo boxes end up in the garage
- Lead-acid self-discharges, so it needs topping up on a schedule or it is flat when you need it
- The built-in compressor is a convenience feature, not a match for a dedicated inflator's duty cycle
- DEWALT's licensee publishes no weight, cable gauge, battery capacity or compressor duty cycle for this unit
Skip it if
Not for anyone whose priority is packed size or carry-on travel. If the tool has to fit a door pocket or a suitcase, buy a lithium pack and a separate inflator.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 16, 2026
Key takeaways
- The GB50's 7.0-liter gas rating covers every current Ram 1500 engine with margin.
- The twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane is an easier start than the 5.7 HEMI — displacement, not horsepower.
- The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel reads off the diesel column and wants a GB70.
- A truck's battery is further away than a sedan's; check clamp-lead length before you buy.
- The GB70's 12 V accessory output will run a socket inflator, which matters on truck tires.
- A truck that needs jumping repeatedly has a battery or charging fault, not a pack problem.
How we sourced this
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or regulator does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
Common questions
- What size jump starter do I need for a Ram 1500?
- A pack rated for gas engines of 7.0 liters or more covers the whole current lineup. NOCO's 1,500-amp GB50 carries that rating; the 2,000-amp GB70 adds headroom and a 12 V accessory output, and is the pick if the truck tows, plows or parks outside in winter.
- Will a NOCO GB40 start a 5.7 HEMI?
- On paper yes — NOCO rates the GB40 for gas engines up to 6.0 liters, and the HEMI is 5.7. In practice that leaves no margin for cold weather, a deeply flat battery or a pack that has not been charged in months, which is why we recommend the GB50 instead.
- Does the Hurricane inline-six need a bigger jump starter than the HEMI?
- No, a smaller one. Starting load follows displacement and compression rather than horsepower, and the Hurricane is a 3.0-liter engine against the HEMI's 5.7 liters. Both sit comfortably inside the GB50's rating.
- What about the EcoDiesel Ram 1500?
- Read the diesel rating, not the gas rating. The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel is inside the GB50's 4.5-liter diesel figure, but a diesel holds peak current draw for longer and a cold start is harder still, so the GB70's 6.0-liter diesel rating is the safer buy.
More in Jump Starters
A jump pack is the one trunk tool that turns a tow truck into a five-minute inconvenience. This is how to size one, and which ones are worth the space.
Read next
Best for SUVs & Trucks
For SUVs & Trucks
For gas V6 and V8 SUVs and pickups: the packs that clear a 5.3 L or 6.2 L engine with margin, without buying diesel-grade weight.
Best for Diesel Trucks
For Diesel Trucks
Packs with a published diesel rating that actually covers a 3.0 L to 6.7 L light-truck engine, with margin for a cold morning.
Best for a V8 engine
Best for a V8
NOCO's published gas and diesel liter ratings read against the V8 displacements actually on the road, plus the sizing rule that keeps you from buying one rung short.
Best Jump-and-Inflate Combo
Best With an Air Compressor
Combo units that jump and inflate — plus a frank accounting of what the built-in compressor gives up against a dedicated inflator.
Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Tell us — corrections get read first. Our methodology explains how picks are made, and contact is one click away.