Is PW right for me?

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.

OP
OP
G

Gxgn

Junior Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Posts
12
Reaction score
2
Location
Iowa
@Jupp Mueller - gorgeous shots and rig - post a few more please:)
The type of trails you mentioned are exactly what I'm looking for. I don't need anything beyond that although Black Bear was quite an adventure.
Your tires are 37s right? What do you get for mpg with that rig on flatter roads @65-70 mph?

@jmc921 some of the trails Jupp mentioned are CO but the last couple ones are in Death Valley and other parts of CA and Utah (Moab). It's really worth the trip if can drive ~ 25 hrs to get to the area.
 
OP
OP
G

Gxgn

Junior Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Posts
12
Reaction score
2
Location
Iowa
Some old pictures from the places I would like to revisitimage013.jpgimage013.jpgimage008.jpgimage005.jpgDeath valley1-031.jpg
 

Dean2

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2021
Posts
2,718
Reaction score
3,941
Location
Near Edmonton
Ram Year
2021 2500
Engine
6.4
Very nice pictures, but those pictures are are not what we class as off-roading. I am not trying to start an argument or be an a****le but up here those would be classed as pretty well developed back roads. Those are what we take longbox 2500s up to get to where the off-roading starts.

This is an off road trail

19703015be958fae1c0d7cb73907f35b.jpg

Setting Bear Baits

ebcb79e2ea9003df4ad971214ab4725f.jpg

fc5c4b53ece89ccd3f1dc0df2138135d.jpg
 
Last edited:

Flintlock

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Posts
13
Reaction score
12
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Cummins
My wife and I have been overlanding for several years now. We started with a RTT and a RAM 1500, went to a Four Wheel Camper and 2500, and then back to a 1500 and are getting a small travel trailer to base camp with. While not specifically a power wagon, I did have a heavily modified 2017 RAM 2500 Diesel. It was on a 3" AEV lift and ran 37" tires with a Four Wheel Camper. The truck had no problem navigating Cinnamon Pass but the switchbacks at the end did require one or two where I had to 3 point it (picture from Cinammon Pass and Padre Island National Seashore). The road was narrow in a few places for such a big truck, but nothing I had an issue with. I never put it into four wheel drive or aired down for Cinnamon as it was very easy. I didn't do Engineers or Imogene as I was worried about height clearance through the tunnel on whichever one has it. With that said, I don't think anything about Imogene or Engineer's is technical and are primarily just flat twisty mountain roads. A 2500 is a big truck and two way traffic got a little dicey in a few parts with mine but nothing that was overly uncomfortable. I have taken mine through Cinnamon Pass and around a handful of areas in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. With that said, I sold both the truck and the camper last month and down-graded in size to a RAM 1500 Rebel. It has the rear locker and 3.92 gears and is just so much more comfortable to drive. The 2500 drove like a brick and the tire noise was there for sure. As a daily driver that off-roads a handful of times through the year, I just couldn't take it anymore and wanted a smoother daily driver. I am, so far, very happy with the change. I haven't off-roaded or overlanded the Rebel yet, but expect it to have no problems at all on any of these trails as I don't think any of them need a disconnecting sway bar. Now if you are doing the Rubicon or some of the more hard core rock crawling, the PW will be the better option.

Let me know if you have any questions - best of luck in whatever you decide! My prior trucks below.
View attachment 494268
View attachment 494272
How did the emission system on the diesel handle the slow off road stuff? Any issues?
 

scout2000

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2022
Posts
15
Reaction score
10
Location
DFW area, tx
Ram Year
1993
Engine
359 Cummins
Very nice pictures, but those pictures are are not what we class as off-roading. I am not trying to start an argument or be an a****le but up here those would be classed as pretty well developed back roads. Those are what we take longbox 2500s up to get to where the off-roading starts.

This is an off road trail


.............................................
Agree'd. I don't do mud myself, but a lot more vertical, loose rock, like climbing a cliff.

Not to take away from the earlier pics. Well developed trails are nice too, assuming a great mountain view!
 
OP
OP
G

Gxgn

Junior Member
Joined
May 23, 2022
Posts
12
Reaction score
2
Location
Iowa
Not that it matters but my nicer pictures were in the more relaxing areas - I was too stressed to take pictures on the harder trails. The Death Valley ones were after Mengel Pass and after Lippincott trail, the CO one was after Mineral Creek if I remember. They might be piece of cake trails for you depending on your skills and rig but they had a few areas that were more tricky for my skills.
IH8 mud so if I have a choice I wouldn't take my rig in a place I know I would need to clean for a month after.
 

Docwagon1776

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Posts
2,175
Reaction score
3,563
Location
Midwest
Ram Year
2012, 2021
Engine
5.7, 6.4
Not that it matters but my nicer pictures were in the more relaxing areas - I was too stressed to take pictures on the harder trails. The Death Valley ones were after Mengel Pass and after Lippincott trail, the CO one was after Mineral Creek if I remember. They might be piece of cake trails for you depending on your skills and rig but they had a few areas that were more tricky for my skills.
IH8 mud so if I have a choice I wouldn't take my rig in a place I know I would need to clean for a month after.

I did a lot of Death Valley in a rented Pathfinder. I didn't go out to the racetrack, though, figured that might be more than it was up for and Budget might not have liked it upon return.
 

Jupp Mueller

Junior Member
Joined
May 29, 2020
Posts
7
Reaction score
22
Location
Goleta, CA
Ram Year
2019
Engine
Hemi 6.4
@Jupp Mueller - gorgeous shots and rig - post a few more please:)
The type of trails you mentioned are exactly what I'm looking for. I don't need anything beyond that although Black Bear was quite an adventure.
Your tires are 37s right? What do you get for mpg with that rig on flatter roads @65-70 mph?

@jmc921 some of the trails Jupp mentioned are CO but the last couple ones are in Death Valley and other parts of CA and Utah (Moab). It's really worth the trip if can drive ~ 25 hrs to get to the area.

Hey, I have a bunch more pictures on my build thread that I haven't updated in a while: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2020-power-wagon-juxi-build-and-trip-thread.218341/
I'm on 37s which is great. I'm getting between 12 and 13 mpg on the highway, but I mostly drive 75mph. I live in SoCal so it's a long drive for me out to UT or CO, but Death Valley and various other desert areas are just 4h away. The only mud I've done was in Utah on the way to Alstrom Point where there was deep mud on every wash crossing and I almost got stuck multiple times. I ordered a pull pal on that day (we were alone and no trees or big rocks to winch off of anywhere).

1654188693850.png
1654188797416.png
1654193280491.png
 
Last edited:

Grand Mesa

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Posts
1,687
Reaction score
1,764
Location
.
Many of our Western Slope of Colorado trails consist entirely of rocks. The Power Wagon's OEM stock tires aren't sturdy enough against rock punctures and cuts.
 
Last edited:

Exdeus

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Posts
191
Reaction score
135
Ram Year
2017 RAM 2500
Engine
Cummins
How did the emission system on the diesel handle the slow off road stuff? Any issues?
Emission system had no issues at all. Nothing I put on the truck impacted it overall. I did make sure to recalibrate speedometer and tire pressure etc.
 

Flintlock

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2021
Posts
13
Reaction score
12
Location
Pa
Ram Year
2021
Engine
Cummins
That’s good to hear. I bought a 2500 with a Cummins and considering a similar build
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
194,902
Posts
2,863,861
Members
155,252
Latest member
radikio
Top