AUBURN HILLS, Michigan - Truck dealers may be having problems getting potential customers in the tent these days. So Dodge is trying to remedy that with the Challenge Test Drive Tour, which features three drive courses for consumers, along with a vehicle sweepstakes.

Dodge on Monday also put up a test-drive video of the 2009 Ram, saying 'drive impressions are embargoed till the end of the month, so this video's a bit of a tease.'

Locations of the include Atlanta on September 13-14 and Los Angeles on September 27-28. The test-drive features a ride-and-handling course, an off-road track and a performance and braking event.

The Ram Challenge Test Drive also includes a sweepstakes giveaway of a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. To qualify, you must attend one of the events and complete an entry form there.

Dodge appears to be lavishing money on the Ram test-drive tour. Corporate blogger Ed Garsten notes that consumers can 'step into air-conditioned tents to feed on snacks and inside info' after they 'torture the hell out of

.'

The tour is of special interest, as consumers abandon big trucks and SUVs in favor of fuel misers such as the .

It comes at a critical juncture for domestic manufacturers, who seem to be struggling with just how to pitch trucks in an era of soaring gas prices. Ford, for example, delayed the launch of its redesigned pickup.

It is unclear what the marketplace reaction to the redesigned Ram will be. The Ram gets a massive power boost on its revised 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The top-of-the-line engine delivers 390 horsepower, a 13 percent increase from the outgoing model, and 407 pound-feet of torque, an 8 percent improvement.

The EPA has not yet posted official fuel economy numbers on the 2009 Dodge Ram.