Ram 1500 RHO Intake and Exhaust: What Its Hood Scoop Really Does

The Ram 1500 RHO’s hood scoop and exhaust are working parts of the truck, not just styling cues. During a 2025 RHO launch walkaround, Ram engineer Doug Killian explained how the scoop supplies engine intake air, how the ductwork manages water and debris, and how several details underneath the truck shape the inline-six’s exhaust note.

Those details matter to owners, too. The intake depends on a properly sealed filter housing, and the exhaust uses more than pipe diameter and tailpipe shape to control sound. Killian’s explanation offers a useful look at the systems behind features that are easy to judge from appearance alone.

The scoop supplies engine intake air

On the RHO, the hood opening feeds ductwork that carries outside air toward the engine. The grille has a different role: air passing through it serves cooling components, including the radiator, condenser and intercooler. The scoop and grille may sit close together at the front of the truck, but they serve distinct systems.

Killian traced the intake route toward the passenger side of the engine compartment. The elevated inlet helps supply cooler, denser air while keeping the intake path away from heat coming off the cooling hardware. Its position also has a part to play when the truck encounters water, though intake placement is only one factor in how the vehicle is designed to handle a crossing.

That distinction gives the scoop a practical purpose beyond its appearance. The engine needs a managed supply of intake air, while the cooling system needs airflow through the front of the truck. Ram’s layout directs air to both, through separate paths.

Ductwork helps route water and debris

Under the hood, the intake air passes through what Killian called the Ram airflow module. The module routes air toward the filter and includes features intended to separate and discharge water and debris before they can travel farther along the intake path.

Killian identified three outlets at the rear of the module. They give unwanted material a way out of the ductwork. That’s a useful reminder that an intake system has to manage more than the air the engine needs: its path also has to account for material that could enter along the way.

Water-crossing capability depends on the design of the vehicle as a whole. Intake height is relevant, but electrical components and other vehicle features matter as well. The RHO’s elevated inlet and drainage outlets are parts of that broader arrangement; neither detail alone establishes what conditions a particular crossing is suitable for.

Filter service includes checking the seal and clamp

On the passenger side, Killian showed how a seal around the filter housing meets the underside of the hood. That connection helps keep the engine drawing air through its intended route. If it isn’t secure, the system can pull air from elsewhere instead.

The housing uses a screw-operated worm clamp. Killian said the engineers wanted an attachment that could be tightened securely after someone accessed the filter. The clamp is a small component, but it serves a practical purpose: the intake’s design depends on the connection being put back together properly after service.

Killian also described how sandy development testing made access to the filter area important. For owners, the takeaway is straightforward: follow the truck’s service instructions and check that the filter housing, seal and clamp are seated and secured afterward. The intake path can only work as intended when its connections stay in place.

Exhaust routing shapes sound and flow

Underneath the truck, Killian described a true dual exhaust with equal-length pipes and an H-shaped crossover. Ram selected the routing and crossover position to help deliver the sound and performance it wanted from the RHO’s inline-six. The exhaust character is the result of the system’s layout, not simply the visible tailpipes.

The factory system also has passive flow-control valves near the center muffler. They open as exhaust pressure rises, allowing more sound through. Their operation responds mechanically to flow; Killian didn’t describe them as a driver-selected volume control.

Near the rear pipes are small patches that can look like incidental hardware. Killian said they’re part of a resonance-free pipe system. Their perforations and placement help cancel unwanted frequencies, doing a tuning job without adding conventional resonator cans.

Baja mode affects what the driver hears by keeping engine speed higher more often, Killian explained. He didn’t describe the mode as selecting a separate exhaust sound setting. That distinction helps explain why the exhaust note can change with how the truck is operating, even when no dedicated sound control has been selected.

The RHO’s intake and exhaust illustrate how much engineering can sit behind visible features and easily overlooked fittings. The scoop directs air, the drains help manage material in the ductwork, and a seal and clamp keep the intake connection secure. Underneath, pipe routing, valves and tuning patches shape the exhaust. For owners, those details make service and system layout part of the story alongside the sound.

Watch the full 2025 RHO airflow and exhaust interview using the featured video above. For another explanation from Killian, see how Ram 4WD Auto works. I also covered the later MagnaFlow exhaust options for the RHO; those are separate from the factory system discussed here.

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