1 year 33,000 mile review of 100% stock 2018 PW

[r56ranch]

I purchased my black PW in July 2018. Purchase price was about $4000 off MSRP. I paid about $3000 for Factory Unlimited Lifetime Warranty with $50 per visit deductible after factory warranty expires. It now has 33,000 miles and is 100% stock with exception of window tint.

I am a Rancher, Hunter, Fisherman. I don't use this truck much in town unless my wife needs her SUV or I have to haul or tow. I tow gooseneck trailers with another rig, so my PW tows a 16' BP horse trailer, a 21' Center Console Boat, and a 12' flat bed. I keep 300# of tools, chain, feed, and empty aluminum beer cans in the bed all the time.

PERFORMANCE: I probably get 9 mpg. The current lifetime average readout sits today at 14.7. I just returned from a 1100 mile trip from central TX to NE Arkansas. The last 3500 mile reading sits at 14.5. I have never hand calculated. I don't believe either total lifetime miles #1 or #2 that I zero at oil changes is useful information to me other than to know something significant is going on. My lifetime avg will stay around 10 when i am staying within 50 miles of the ranch. If I go on a 1500 mile road trip loaded with 500# it will jump to 15 for lifetime avg. NO WAY 1500 miles of maybe 15mpg on hwy will bump 35,000 mile avg from 10 to 14. so factory calculations are horse sheet.

I have towed a 16' horse trailer with 2 horses probable average once a week , 50 mile round trip, 21' boat average once a week average 100 miles RT, flatbed total 1500# probably once a month average 300 mile round trip hauling equipment.

I run gravel, dirt and cowtrails every day for ranch chores. I use it everyday doing something different than paved roads with no load. It sits idling at some point everyday for 2 to 3 minutes to sometimes 10 - 15 minutes.

Factory tires are shot. They started cupping on the outside in the front from the get go. Rotations every oil change. Dealer said its normal when I asked for alignment check. REALLY?

Question: What tires do you guys recommend for my use?

I love the ride way better than any other 3/4 ton i've ever had. It tows the boat and horse trailer very well. It runs trails way way better that any 3/4 ton I've ever owned. I have never modified a truck suspension so I'm comparing apples to apples.

The black paint chips easier than any paint I can recall. I've driven Chevy for 40 years until this RAM.

I fully intend to keep this truck to the end of my Earthly journey and take FULL advantage of the unlimited lifetime warranty I purchased.

I love this truck, I have never "loved" a truck before. My wife LOVES this truck, she has never "loved" a truck before. For us, it's all about the RIDE this truck gets you from a 3/4 ton factory lift, off road capable haul and tow machine.

If I didn't have a 1 ton beater for heavy lifting I would not own a PW. It is weak for what I would need out of a 3/4 ton. If I had to tow over 5000 # very often I'd still be in a 3/4 ton diesel.

My bottom line. It is the best most capable 1/2 ton money can buy. I say 1/2 ton because I don't put it in the same class as what everyone I know expects a 3/4 ton to do.

A factory axle disconnect is never to be gone without again. Never knew how much that helps getting around thru sheet. I use it a lot.

Hope you enjoyed.

 

[ram1500rsm]

You have a lot of options in your factory tire size with tough AT tires which if I’m reading right is 285/70/17.
Toyo AT2, BFG KO2, Nitto TG, Falken AT3W, etc or you can go straight to Toyo MT, Nitto MT, Cooper STT pro if you want tough mud terrains.

Have your alignment double check, if the tires are wearing down more on the outer edge your toe is probably in a little much.

 

[RamminMopar]

Aren't the duratracs load d?

 

[McBroom]

You have a lot of options in your factory tire size with tough AT tires which if I’m reading right is 285/70/17.
Toyo AT2, BFG KO2, Nitto TG, Falken AT3W, etc or you can go straight to Toyo MT, Nitto MT, Cooper STT pro if you want tough mud terrains.

Have your alignment double check, if the tires are wearing down more on the outer edge your toe is probably in a little much.

Tires: Nitto Ridge Grappler 35-12.5
Paint: Ceramic Coat with paint correction
And lastly
You need this harness so that you can go in to 2wd lo lock for getting through the sheet easily.
https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com...erential-kit-13-18-ram-hd-09-18-ram-1500.aspx


- The Blue Mule

 

[huntergreen]

Take a look at the Cooper at3 XLT. Thanks for the review.

 

[michael harpe]

I am waiting on milestar Patagonia m/t 37” for my wheels ( well really waiting on wheels). Here is a review on the tires that sold me. They are also 1/2 the price damn near of the popular name brands.



Sent from an undisclosed location in Iraq

 

[r56ranch]

I purchased my black PW in July 2018. Purchase price was about $4000 off MSRP. I paid about $3000 for Factory Unlimited Lifetime Warranty with $50 per visit deductible after factory warranty expires. It now has 33,000 miles and is 100% stock with exception of window tint.

I am a Rancher, Hunter, Fisherman. I don't use this truck much in town unless my wife needs her SUV or I have to haul or tow. I tow gooseneck trailers with another rig, so my PW tows a 16' BP horse trailer, a 21' Center Console Boat, and a 12' flat bed. I keep 300# of tools, chain, feed, and empty aluminum beer cans in the bed all the time.

PERFORMANCE: I probably get 9 mpg. The current lifetime average readout sits today at 14.7. I just returned from a 1100 mile trip from central TX to NE Arkansas. The last 3500 mile reading sits at 14.5. I have never hand calculated. I don't believe either total lifetime miles #1 or #2 that I zero at oil changes is useful information to me other than to know something significant is going on. My lifetime avg will stay around 10 when i am staying within 50 miles of the ranch. If I go on a 1500 mile road trip loaded with 500# it will jump to 15 for lifetime avg. NO WAY 1500 miles of maybe 15mpg on hwy will bump 35,000 mile avg from 10 to 14. so factory calculations are horse sheet.

I have towed a 16' horse trailer with 2 horses probable average once a week , 50 mile round trip, 21' boat average once a week average 100 miles RT, flatbed total 1500# probably once a month average 300 mile round trip hauling equipment.

I run gravel, dirt and cowtrails every day for ranch chores. I use it everyday doing something different than paved roads with no load. It sits idling at some point everyday for 2 to 3 minutes to sometimes 10 - 15 minutes.

Factory tires are shot. They started cupping on the outside in the front from the get go. Rotations every oil change. Dealer said its normal when I asked for alignment check. REALLY?

Question: What tires do you guys recommend for my use?

I love the ride way better than any other 3/4 ton i've ever had. It tows the boat and horse trailer very well. It runs trails way way better that any 3/4 ton I've ever owned. I have never modified a truck suspension so I'm comparing apples to apples.

The black paint chips easier than any paint I can recall. I've driven Chevy for 40 years until this RAM.

I fully intend to keep this truck to the end of my Earthly journey and take FULL advantage of the unlimited lifetime warranty I purchased.

I love this truck, I have never "loved" a truck before. My wife LOVES this truck, she has never "loved" a truck before. For us, it's all about the RIDE this truck gets you from a 3/4 ton factory lift, off road capable haul and tow machine.

If I didn't have a 1 ton beater for heavy lifting I would not own a PW. It is weak for what I would need out of a 3/4 ton. If I had to tow over 5000 # very often I'd still be in a 3/4 ton diesel.

My bottom line. It is the best most capable 1/2 ton money can buy. I say 1/2 ton because I don't put it in the same class as what everyone I know expects a 3/4 ton to do.

A factory axle disconnect is never to be gone without again. Never knew how much that helps getting around thru sheet. I use it a lot.

Hope you enjoyed.

 

[PowerWagon18]

Great write-up! I've had mine since November of last year and have 13k miles on it so far. I hunt, fish, and act as a volunteer firefighter out of it and it serves ALL my purposes. I daily drive it 30 miles to/from work every weekday. I also use it as a family hauler as it is nicer than my wife's vehicle (I sprung for the Leather/Luxury group for the creature comforts and my kids use the built-in wifi for their devices). It serves a family of 4 extremely well. Fuel economy is abysmal, but I don't care as that is not what I bought it for; it is a power tool, and it needs quite a bit of power, but I am good with that. I am averaging 13.5mpg right now. I love the Goodyear tires; went through 2 sets on my last truck, and sure they are only good for 60k miles, but I have not found a better off-road truck tire for ice/snow in the Michigan winters. Mud is this truck's Achilles heel; it is just too heavy to hang with compact trucks or Wranglers. God bless the winch! Oh, and the paint! I have not had a worse paint job than what Mopar puts on these vehicles. Got a rock chip in the hood about 2 months ago and it was already starting to rust. Picked up the Mopar touch-up pen to clean/fill the chip and it does a decent job, but my previous truck had NO paint issues after 7 years. Mopar. Paint. Sucks. The underlying sheetmetal isn't much better.

Overall, love the truck, but there are areas of improvement. If it wasn't for the resale value of my last truck, and the discounts of the '18 models, I would not be so forgiving, but the PW is what a truck is meant to be.

 

[22hemi13]

I am waiting on milestar Patagonia m/t 37” for my wheels ( well really waiting on wheels). Here is a review on the tires that sold me. They are also 1/2 the price damn near of the popular name brands.



Sent from an undisclosed location in Iraq

A lot of the Jeep guys here run these. I’m considering them I’m about due for tires “mine were new in January”.

 

[michael harpe]

A lot of the Jeep guys here run these. I’m considering them I’m about due for tires “mine were new in January”.

After watching that rubicon go up am almost 3/4 vertical without one tire slip and the plowing it did in ****** snow I was like SOLD!!! For 37x12.5x20 milestar’s and fueloffroad d632 zephyr 20x9 wheels with tpms sensors and new lugnuts it cost me just under $3,000 from discount tire direct. Includes road hazard warranty


Sent from an undisclosed location in Iraq

 

[ALRedneck]

I purchased my black PW in July 2018. Purchase price was about $4000 off MSRP. I paid about $3000 for Factory Unlimited Lifetime Warranty with $50 per visit deductible after factory warranty expires. It now has 33,000 miles and is 100% stock with exception of window tint.

I am a Rancher, Hunter, Fisherman. I don't use this truck much in town unless my wife needs her SUV or I have to haul or tow. I tow gooseneck trailers with another rig, so my PW tows a 16' BP horse trailer, a 21' Center Console Boat, and a 12' flat bed. I keep 300# of tools, chain, feed, and empty aluminum beer cans in the bed all the time.

PERFORMANCE: I probably get 9 mpg. The current lifetime average readout sits today at 14.7. I just returned from a 1100 mile trip from central TX to NE Arkansas. The last 3500 mile reading sits at 14.5. I have never hand calculated. I don't believe either total lifetime miles #1 or #2 that I zero at oil changes is useful information to me other than to know something significant is going on. My lifetime avg will stay around 10 when i am staying within 50 miles of the ranch. If I go on a 1500 mile road trip loaded with 500# it will jump to 15 for lifetime avg. NO WAY 1500 miles of maybe 15mpg on hwy will bump 35,000 mile avg from 10 to 14. so factory calculations are horse sheet.

I have towed a 16' horse trailer with 2 horses probable average once a week , 50 mile round trip, 21' boat average once a week average 100 miles RT, flatbed total 1500# probably once a month average 300 mile round trip hauling equipment.

I run gravel, dirt and cowtrails every day for ranch chores. I use it everyday doing something different than paved roads with no load. It sits idling at some point everyday for 2 to 3 minutes to sometimes 10 - 15 minutes.

Factory tires are shot. They started cupping on the outside in the front from the get go. Rotations every oil change. Dealer said its normal when I asked for alignment check. REALLY?

Question: What tires do you guys recommend for my use?

I love the ride way better than any other 3/4 ton i've ever had. It tows the boat and horse trailer very well. It runs trails way way better that any 3/4 ton I've ever owned. I have never modified a truck suspension so I'm comparing apples to apples.

The black paint chips easier than any paint I can recall. I've driven Chevy for 40 years until this RAM.

I fully intend to keep this truck to the end of my Earthly journey and take FULL advantage of the unlimited lifetime warranty I purchased.

I love this truck, I have never "loved" a truck before. My wife LOVES this truck, she has never "loved" a truck before. For us, it's all about the RIDE this truck gets you from a 3/4 ton factory lift, off road capable haul and tow machine.

If I didn't have a 1 ton beater for heavy lifting I would not own a PW. It is weak for what I would need out of a 3/4 ton. If I had to tow over 5000 # very often I'd still be in a 3/4 ton diesel.

My bottom line. It is the best most capable 1/2 ton money can buy. I say 1/2 ton because I don't put it in the same class as what everyone I know expects a 3/4 ton to do.

A factory axle disconnect is never to be gone without again. Never knew how much that helps getting around thru sheet. I use it a lot.

Hope you enjoyed.

I think of mine like a 1/2 ton HD. I know chevy had 1500 HD at one time but I think it would have worked better had they designed it on a 2500 frame. That’s what the PW gives you. I traded a 3/4 diesel for my PW when I down sized my farm.

 

[olyelr]

I purchased my black PW in July 2018. Purchase price was about $4000 off MSRP. I paid about $3000 for Factory Unlimited Lifetime Warranty with $50 per visit deductible after factory warranty expires. It now has 33,000 miles and is 100% stock with exception of window tint.

I am a Rancher, Hunter, Fisherman. I don't use this truck much in town unless my wife needs her SUV or I have to haul or tow. I tow gooseneck trailers with another rig, so my PW tows a 16' BP horse trailer, a 21' Center Console Boat, and a 12' flat bed. I keep 300# of tools, chain, feed, and empty aluminum beer cans in the bed all the time.

PERFORMANCE: I probably get 9 mpg. The current lifetime average readout sits today at 14.7. I just returned from a 1100 mile trip from central TX to NE Arkansas. The last 3500 mile reading sits at 14.5. I have never hand calculated. I don't believe either total lifetime miles #1 or #2 that I zero at oil changes is useful information to me other than to know something significant is going on. My lifetime avg will stay around 10 when i am staying within 50 miles of the ranch. If I go on a 1500 mile road trip loaded with 500# it will jump to 15 for lifetime avg. NO WAY 1500 miles of maybe 15mpg on hwy will bump 35,000 mile avg from 10 to 14. so factory calculations are horse sheet.

I have towed a 16' horse trailer with 2 horses probable average once a week , 50 mile round trip, 21' boat average once a week average 100 miles RT, flatbed total 1500# probably once a month average 300 mile round trip hauling equipment.

I run gravel, dirt and cowtrails every day for ranch chores. I use it everyday doing something different than paved roads with no load. It sits idling at some point everyday for 2 to 3 minutes to sometimes 10 - 15 minutes.

Factory tires are shot. They started cupping on the outside in the front from the get go. Rotations every oil change. Dealer said its normal when I asked for alignment check. REALLY?

Question: What tires do you guys recommend for my use?

I love the ride way better than any other 3/4 ton i've ever had. It tows the boat and horse trailer very well. It runs trails way way better that any 3/4 ton I've ever owned. I have never modified a truck suspension so I'm comparing apples to apples.

The black paint chips easier than any paint I can recall. I've driven Chevy for 40 years until this RAM.

I fully intend to keep this truck to the end of my Earthly journey and take FULL advantage of the unlimited lifetime warranty I purchased.

I love this truck, I have never "loved" a truck before. My wife LOVES this truck, she has never "loved" a truck before. For us, it's all about the RIDE this truck gets you from a 3/4 ton factory lift, off road capable haul and tow machine.

If I didn't have a 1 ton beater for heavy lifting I would not own a PW. It is weak for what I would need out of a 3/4 ton. If I had to tow over 5000 # very often I'd still be in a 3/4 ton diesel.

My bottom line. It is the best most capable 1/2 ton money can buy. I say 1/2 ton because I don't put it in the same class as what everyone I know expects a 3/4 ton to do.

A factory axle disconnect is never to be gone without again. Never knew how much that helps getting around thru sheet. I use it a lot.

Hope you enjoyed.

When you say “factory axle disconnect”, what are you referring to? The sway bar disconnect? The CAD?

 

[r56ranch]

I meant sway bar

 

[Wayne E]

I love my Goodyear Duratrac's. Had them installed before I drove truck off the lot. I'm currently at 28,000 kms and they still look brand new. I do a lot of ice fishing in winter and have yet to get stuck, even in the deep snow and slush. Mud has been the same. I will say on the highway in the rain, they feel a bit slippery, but for what I think you need, these will be perfect. Hope this helps

 

[Grand Mesa]

I love my Goodyear Duratrac's. Had them installed before I drove truck off the lot. I'm currently at 28,000 kms and they still look brand new. I do a lot of ice fishing in winter and have yet to get stuck, even in the deep snow and slush. Mud has been the same. I will say on the highway in the rain, they feel a bit slippery, but for what I think you need, these will be perfect. Hope this helps

Perfect for a 1/2 ton.

 

[Marley]

First off, tire wear on the outside usually points to aggressive tow in, to much.

I have lifted Rubicon on 33's and lifted Ram 2500 on 35's and have had good performance from Nitto Terra grapplers.....an E rated AT tire.

 

[2003F350]

I'm at about the same mileage on my '17, and roughly in the same boat as far as expectations on the PW.

That said, what you've noticed about the 'lifetime' fuel economy stats? It isn't really 'lifetime.' I forget how far back it calculates, but it only calculates over so many miles...I want to say it's the previous 500-1000 miles but I really don't remember. So yes, a 1500 mile road trip WILL take your mileage from 10mpg to 14mpg - because it 'forgot' all the driving that took you down to 10 mpg.

Otherwise, nice writeup!