Will power wagon parts fit on a 2500 laramie or big horn?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
So chances are I'll be looking at getting a 5th gen 2500 within a year or so. I absolutely love the looks fo the power wagon. But seeing how my 1500 has better payload and towing, and that's why I'm considering upgrading is to get more payload. I was wondering if it's possible to get the front and rear exterior parts along with the wheels/tires, to fit on a laramie or bighorn. So my goal is to have a truck that looks like a power wagon but performs like a normal 2500 truck in terms of payload and towing. I'm sure it should work but maybe there's something I'm unaware of that would have to happen to make it work. I've tried looking online but keep only finding things about 4th gen to 5th gen conversions or putting the power wagon suspension on a normal truck. Any insite is appriciated.
 

mtnrider

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Posts
3,185
Reaction score
3,441
Location
Georgia
Ram Year
2016
Engine
6.7 Cummins
A power wagon is just a 2500 with softer suspension (hence the lower payload), locking differentials, sway bar disconnect and a winch, other then that its the same truck.

.
 

Ostie82

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2023
Posts
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Alabama
Ram Year
2023
Engine
6.4
Have you looked into the 2500 Rebel? Looks similar to the PW but has the higher payload and towing your after.
 

CanRebel

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2021
Posts
775
Reaction score
748
Location
Toronto
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi
So chances are I'll be looking at getting a 5th gen 2500 within a year or so. I absolutely love the looks fo the power wagon. But seeing how my 1500 has better payload and towing, and that's why I'm considering upgrading is to get more payload. I was wondering if it's possible to get the front and rear exterior parts along with the wheels/tires, to fit on a laramie or bighorn. So my goal is to have a truck that looks like a power wagon but performs like a normal 2500 truck in terms of payload and towing. I'm sure it should work but maybe there's something I'm unaware of that would have to happen to make it work. I've tried looking online but keep only finding things about 4th gen to 5th gen conversions or putting the power wagon suspension on a normal truck. Any insite is appriciated.

Legally you can't just change payload by changing the parts. If you don't care about that part. Then you can.
 

Tulecreeper

Senior Member
Military
Joined
May 27, 2023
Posts
1,691
Reaction score
1,820
Location
Sthrn AZ
Ram Year
2023
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Legally you can't just change payload by changing the parts. If you don't care about that part. Then you can.
You beat me to it. After swapping parts, the entire rig would need to be recertified and I have no clue where a person would get that done. I have never heard of anyone doing that.
 

Docwagon1776

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Posts
2,211
Reaction score
3,652
Location
Midwest
Ram Year
2012, 2021
Engine
5.7, 6.4
I was wondering if it's possible to get the front and rear exterior parts along with the wheels/tires, to fit on a laramie or bighorn. So my goal is to have a truck that looks like a power wagon but performs like a normal 2500 truck in terms of payload and towing.

Like the winch bumper and fender flares? Sure, as others have mentioned the PW body is the exact same. The difference in appearance is primarily the decal/paint differences. There are some colors you can get the PW in that you can't get a non-PW in for that particular model year, for example.
 

CanRebel

Senior Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2021
Posts
775
Reaction score
748
Location
Toronto
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Hemi
You beat me to it. After swapping parts, the entire rig would need to be recertified and I have no clue where a person would get that done. I have never heard of anyone doing that.

Trucking company I work for use to do it. before we switched from Ram to Ford. We would change few 2500's to 3500's.
This is in Canada, but process is about the same in US. You either have Approved company do the work and cert. or you do the work and they just test/issue cert.
Don't remember the exact cost anymore, but wasn't much.

The OP wants to do reverse, if I reading correctly. He wants to take 2500 and turn it into PW. Depending on what he does, he would lower this payload. It wouldn't stay the same.
As he mentioned wheel/tires as an example, would decrease his payload.
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
Have you looked into the 2500 Rebel? Looks similar to the PW but has the higher payload and towing your after.
I did notice that. But then saw the 70k$ starting price lol I'm sure a used 2019+ laramie with getting the correct parts would be cheaper.
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
Legally you can't just change payload by changing the parts. If you don't care about that part. Then you can

I never said anything about changing payload. I said get a laramie that already has the better payload, but is it possible to change the exterior parts to make it look like a power wagon.
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
You beat me to it. After swapping parts, the entire rig would need to be recertified and I have no clue where a person would get that done. I have never heard of anyone doing that.
I never said I wanted to do what you guys are talking about. I'm aware changing bumpers doesn't change payload. My original post only mentioned exterior parts like bumpers, grills wheels/tires etc...
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
Trucking company I work for use to do it. before we switched from Ram to Ford. We would change few 2500's to 3500's.
This is in Canada, but process is about the same in US. You either have Approved company do the work and cert. or you do the work and they just test/issue cert.
Don't remember the exact cost anymore, but wasn't much.

The OP wants to do reverse, if I reading correctly. He wants to take 2500 and turn it into PW. Depending on what he does, he would lower this payload. It wouldn't stay the same.
As he mentioned wheel/tires as an example, would decrease his payload.
No. I dont want to TURN a laramie into a power wagon. I want to see if it possible to make a laramie LOOK like a power wagon. I know if, let's say the wheels and tires of a power wagon are like 20lbs more then that would lower payload 20lbs. But I'm not worried about a little bit. Most trucks I'm looking into have roughly 3000lb of payload.
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
I just want to reiterate what im asking. Several people have taken what I asked the complete wrong way. I'm not looking at changing anything that would severely change the payload rating. I know if the tires weight 20lbs more, bumper 10lbs more that those would decrease payload 30lb right there. But I can't imagine the parts to make a laramie LOOK like a power wagon would be a whole lot. Again. I'm just wondering if the EXTERIOR parts of a power wagon would be a direct fit to a laramie, or are there other things that would prevent them from being added?
 

Bike_Pilot

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2023
Posts
34
Reaction score
27
Location
Colorado
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.7 Cummins
Yes it would be easy to do. It's just a front bumper, winch, tires, wheels and fender flares. If you skip the winch it's cheap and can be done in a day easily.

You may want to look into a 3500. The leaf springs rear suspension handles weight a lot better than the 2500s coil springs.
 
OP
OP
jon0m0berry

jon0m0berry

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2015
Posts
133
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2010
Engine
hemi 5.7
Yes it would be easy to do. It's just a front bumper, winch, tires, wheels and fender flares. If you skip the winch it's cheap and can be done in a day easily.

You may want to look into a 3500. The leaf springs rear suspension handles weight a lot better than the 2500s coil springs.
That's what I was thinking that it should be a direct swap. A 2500 is more than capable of doing what I want to do, but if a 3500 pops up that's comparable in features and same price ide consider it.
 

mtnrider

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Posts
3,185
Reaction score
3,441
Location
Georgia
Ram Year
2016
Engine
6.7 Cummins
Slap a Power Wagon sticker on the side of it and be done with it, most people won't know the difference.

But to answer your question, all the parts of a PW are compatible with the truck you are looking at. The wheels, stickers, and black fender flares are going to be the biggest cosmetic items that will make it look like a PW.

.
 

Down the Tubes

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Posts
260
Reaction score
187
Location
I D Ho
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.7L Cummins
If you get a diesel, I think the AEV bumper will allow you to fit a winch
They also have a brush guard and intercooler skid plate

The brush guard only fits 2019+ trucks
Not sure about the skid plate
 

Travelin Ram

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2020
Posts
1,840
Reaction score
2,984
Location
Somewhere in NA. Probably. We travel a lot.
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.4
Since the OP is considering this course to maximize payload and towing, a diesel in a 2500 would be sub-optimal. The engine weight detracts from that.

If a diesel is desired, or maximums are important, a 3500 SRW would be the way to go.
 
Top