Anything you wish you knew?

[DataPak420]

Hey guys I'm looking at trading in my 2016 Ram 1500 Sport for a 2019 Power Wagon. I don't do much towing other than my aluminum boat and my camper and they are both within range and it's only about a 45min-1h drive, so I'm good there as I know it doesn't have typical 2500 towing/payload specs. I just love the look of the Power Wagon and the lift and lockers would be very useful out hunting and bringing my smaller boat into hard to reach lakes.

BUT....is there anything about the Power Wagon good or bad that you wish you knew before buying one?

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[Trailmaker]

Hey guys I'm looking at trading in my 2016 Ram 1500 Sport for a 2019 Power Wagon. I don't do much towing other than my aluminum boat and my camper and they are both within range and it's only about a 45min-1h drive, so I'm good there as I know it doesn't have typical 2500 towing/payload specs. I just love the look of the Power Wagon and the lift and lockers would be very useful out hunting and bringing my smaller boat into hard to reach lakes.

BUT....is there anything about the Power Wagon good or bad that you wish you knew before buying one?

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I wish I knew how a sunroof sucks up the rear head space. And the lack of the uplifter option being more bothersome then I thought. I wish I would have had the dealer change my tires to 35” or 37” before I left the lot.
About it for me. Not a deal breaker

 

[DataPak420]

I wish I knew how a sunroof sucks up the rear head space. And the lack of the uplifter option being more bothersome then I thought. I wish I would have had the dealer change my tires to 35” or 37” before I left the lot.
About it for me. Not a deal breaker

What do you mean uplifter? Do you mean having the aux switches as in a tradesman 2500? I could see those being quite useful as well as a winch control built into the cockpit area.

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[Trailmaker]

What do you mean uplifter? Do you mean having the aux switches as in a tradesman 2500? I could see those being quite useful as well as a winch control built into the cockpit area.

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Yes. I wrote a whole thread about it. My truck was not optioned unfortunately.
I wired my Jeep winch to the inside and it was a poor choice to have it as the only option. I should have made it where I could do it outside the Jeep as well. Thankfully warn has a wireless remote now and it is plug and play.

 

[Vicman]

I've got a tradesman version that didn't come with the trailer brake installed. It wasn't a terrible job to install after I decided the kit was too difficult with my fat meat grabbers. I just layered up some duct tape and used a pop rivet to hold the module in place (Mopar module). It's been in there for 3 years now and no rattle, so it must be fine.

I flippin love my truck!

 

[mikejr]

Compared to your RAM 1500 (stock) the power Wagon is:
- A good bit taller - your passengers will have a harder time getting in and out, the bed is higher to load
- Gets worse gas mileage (probably by a lot)
- Takes mid-grade fuel (see above)
- Is more awesome.

 

[Trailmaker]

Compared to your RAM 1500 (stock) the power Wagon is:
- A good bit taller - your passengers will have a harder time getting in and out, the bed is higher to load
- Gets worse gas mileage (probably by a lot)
- Takes mid-grade fuel (see above)
- Is more awesome.

Agreed with everything you said. I just want to be more clear on the last point that carries all the weight to why we own one, in your words:

- IT IS MORE AWESOME!!

 

[ALRedneck]

Had mine a year and put 22,000 miles on it. No surprises here. Only wish I knew about the PW package years ago and probably wouldn’t have kept trading between 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. I’ve had them all except a dually(Ford, Dodge and Chevy) I’ve had gas and diesel. All of them eventually broke somehow, someway. Having a gas 3/4 ton has cost me the least amount in the long run even at 12 mpg.

 

[DataPak420]

Compared to your RAM 1500 (stock) the power Wagon is:
- A good bit taller - your passengers will have a harder time getting in and out, the bed is higher to load
- Gets worse gas mileage (probably by a lot)
- Takes mid-grade fuel (see above)
- Is more awesome.

-my current truck is the only one I never lifted
-i don't buy trucks for gas mileage that's what the wife's Acadia is for
-is regular fuel okay? We don't have midgrade locally, only regular and premium
-it is definitely awesome

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[olyelr]

-my current truck is the only one I never lifted
-i don't buy trucks for gas mileage that's what the wife's Acadia is for
-is regular fuel okay? We don't have midgrade locally, only regular and premium
-it is definitely awesome

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I run regular gas in mine 90% of the time. Once in a while I will toss mid grade in when I am towing... but never noticed any benefit to it.

 

[Trailmaker]

Had mine a year and put 22,000 miles on it. No surprises here. Only wish I knew about the PW package years ago and probably wouldn’t have kept trading between 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. I’ve had them all except a dually(Ford, Dodge and Chevy) I’ve had gas and diesel. All of them eventually broke somehow, someway. Having a gas 3/4 ton has cost me the least amount in the long run even at 12 mpg.

me too! I wish I had known about the PW sooner as I would have not bought a f250 and just skipped from my Raptor to the Wagon.

 

[Trailmaker]

-my current truck is the only one I never lifted
-i don't buy trucks for gas mileage that's what the wife's Acadia is for
-is regular fuel okay? We don't have midgrade locally, only regular and premium
-it is definitely awesome

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Mid grade or at least 89 octane is because our timing is speed up. The high performance dodge 6.4 vehicles run on premium because they have even more sped up timing. You might hear a slight knock on 85-87 octane.
I know I will be challenge on this so bring facts to the thread if you do and I will bring mine.
I already have been looking at the difference in the R/T 6.4l and ours to get the extra horsepower they have.

 

[RisingSons]

I run regular gas in mine 90% of the time. Once in a while I will toss mid grade in when I am towing... but never noticed any benefit to it.

I use regular most of the time, but use premium one fill up per month. I’ve always been told mid-grade is largely pointless / a waste of money for a vehicle that is meant to run on regular grade gasoline. The premium option increases horsepower in some engines (see the Lexus LX570 which requires premium as compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser with the same engine that only requires regular). Anyway, other than mpg’s on the Power Wagon (expected and about the same as a Land Cruiser), I couldn’t be happier with the Power Wagon.

 

[JimmyC]

I had a 2007 PW and a 2014 PW and both had issues with the stabilizer bar disconnect unit. It’s like the brain for disconnecting the sway bar and locking the differentials. The units were not sealed properly so moisture got in and fried them. They can’t be serviced and the entire unit has to be replaced.
This is (was?) a known issue. If they haven’t changed that design I’d stay away from the PW.
When I bought my 2014 I mistakenly thought it was an updated design but it wasn’t. My trucks were used hard and those units were submerged on a few occasions.

 

[Trailmaker]

I use regular most of the time, but use premium one fill up per month. I’ve always been told mid-grade is largely pointless / a waste of money for a vehicle that is meant to run on regular grade gasoline. The premium option increases horsepower in some engines (see the Lexus LX570 which requires premium as compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser with the same engine that only requires regular). Anyway, other than mpg’s on the Power Wagon (expected and about the same as a Land Cruiser), I couldn’t be happier with the Power Wagon.

Mid grade is in your manual those of you who own a PW with a 6.4l
Octane is misunderstood all the time.
Higher elevations need less. That is why 91/89/85 in Colorado as where at closer to sea level we get 93/91/87

our PW will not benefit much for 93 as most of us have factory tunes and we all have a lower compression ratio.
the same high performance 6.4l in the track hawk or the r/t has to run on 93 but pumps out 475 hp with out a blower...
Get your truck tuned and speed up the timing and 93 will be necessary. our computer in our trucks can retard timing to compensate for the lower octane but you are not doing yourself any favors.
read your manual if you don’t believe me.

 

[Grand Mesa]

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[Trailmaker]

I fill up often in both Grand Junction area (4,500 feet elevation) and Frisco, Colorado (9,000 feet elevation) with mid-grade gasoline. On hot days with a hot engine after a long drive towing with my 6.4L it will pre-detonate at start up on the 87 octane mid-grade right after filling the tank. Only does it at the lower elevation gas stations of between 4,500 to 6,500 feet and only after a fill up. Did it pretty bad in Ely, Nevada (elevation 6,500 feet) after filling the tank to the brim this summer.

Due to the few services for nearly 800 miles across Highway 50 through Utah and Nevada the Power Wagon really needs a larger gas tank. Otherwise, I top off the tank and carry 10 extra gallons of gasoline. Drive from Lakeview, Oregon to Winnemucca, Oregon a couple of times per year, a distance of 211 miles and average around 9.5 MPG while towing. There's usually no gas station available between these towns. I use the whole tank of gas.

I have family in Reno, Nevada (elevation 4,500 feet) and their mid-grade is 89 octane. Make the round trip several times a year. Being the same elevation as Grand Junction, I fill it up with the 87 regular due to that's the mid-grade all the way until Reno area. Anything lower than a 4,000 feet elevation and it gets the 89 octane, but I seldom drive below that elevation.

Agreed. The tanks are too small. (31 gallons) And I fill up with 91 in CO if I’m heading home as I will be at 3000 feet before I run out of fuel and passing the 18 wheeler with 3 trailers I need everything I can get (without engine knock)

 

[Trailmaker]

Hey guys I'm looking at trading in my 2016 Ram 1500 Sport for a 2019 Power Wagon. I don't do much towing other than my aluminum boat and my camper and they are both within range and it's only about a 45min-1h drive, so I'm good there as I know it doesn't have typical 2500 towing/payload specs. I just love the look of the Power Wagon and the lift and lockers would be very useful out hunting and bringing my smaller boat into hard to reach lakes.

BUT....is there anything about the Power Wagon good or bad that you wish you knew before buying one?

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PW calls for Synthetic Oil. Not a problem for me. I like Royal purple. The manual calls pennzoil synthetic. Currently the dealer owes me 4 oil changes and that’s what I’m getting.

 

[ALRedneck]

I run 87 in mine exclusively now. I couldn’t tell the difference between it and 89 down here in the South. Even when towing mine runs awesome on 87. I even tow over weight with mine(12,500) down some rural roads and on my farm. But, Ram does clearly state that 89 is recommend in the manual. And, I would never tow that load on major roads or any long distances or would I advocate that it’s cool to do so.

 

[slim chance]

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