The Ram 5500 chassis cab is one of the most common platforms for crane truck builds in Texas oilfield and pipeline work, and RKI (Rawson-Koenig, manufactured in Houston, TX) builds crane-ready service bodies purpose-built to handle it. If you’re building a crane truck for utility, pipeline, or heavy construction work, an RKI crane body on a Ram 5500 is a proven combination.
Why RKI Crane Bodies Pair Well with the Ram 5500
The Ram 5500 offers a high GVWR and strong factory frame designed to handle chassis-mounted equipment, which is exactly what a crane truck needs. RKI’s crane bodies are built with a reinforced subframe and pre-mounted crane pad locations, so the body is ready to accept a truck-mounted crane — like a Tiger Crane — without additional structural modification in the field.
RKI Crane Body Features
- Reinforced steel subframe — engineered specifically for crane mounting loads, not a standard service body retrofitted for a crane
- Pre-mounted crane pad locations — compatible with Tiger Crane and most other truck-mounted crane brands in the 3–10 ton-meter range
- Full-height storage compartments — keep rigging, chains, slings, and tools organized and secure
- Houston, TX manufacturing — shorter lead times for South Texas and Gulf Coast fleets vs out-of-state crane body brands
- Correct CA fitment for Ram 5500 chassis cab
Pricing and Fitment
An RKI crane body for a Ram 5500 is typically priced separately from the crane itself — you’re pricing the body and compartment configuration, then adding a Tiger Crane (3, 5, or 7–10 ton-meter) on top depending on your lift capacity needs. See our crane bodies for sale page for full build pricing examples. We confirm your Ram 5500’s exact CA (cab-to-axle) measurement before ordering to make sure the body and crane pad location line up correctly.
Compare Crane Body Brands
We also carry STI crane bodies and CM crane bodies for different budget and capacity needs. See our RKI vs Knapheide comparison for more detail.
Talk to Our Crane Truck Team
Our team in Wharton, TX builds complete crane trucks — chassis, RKI crane body, and Tiger Crane — for oilfield, pipeline, and utility fleets across Texas and Louisiana. We’ll confirm your Ram 5500’s CA measurement, spec the right crane capacity, and get you a complete build price.
📞 Call us at (979) 532-1486 to discuss your crane truck build.