Considering a 2020 Power wagon

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BowerPower

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pw and nonpw 2500 arent the same front. the passenger side of the pumpkin and passenger side short tube are different and thus the lower 4750lb fawr, versus the 5600, 5750 and 6000 of a regular 2500 . these differences are very easily seen if you drive your pw to any dealer and park next to a regular 2500 and look underneath.
i do believe but cant say for 100%, the internals of all 2500 and 3500 9.25 fronts are the same ( gears, bearings, shafts, steering ujoints , etc)
maybe they are different because you have an older power wagon and in 2019 when they updated the body, supposedly they did some updates to the axles. A simple search on the internet will reveal the fact the 2500 and 3500 have the same axles with the exception of the cummins HO having a bigger rear differential. The springs are different which will change the axle weight rating. From a manufacturer perspective there is no reason to make multiple different housings if the ring gear is the same.

When it comes to towing, the tongue weight is on the rear axle. Any heavy stuff in the bed, the weight is on the rear axle. Both of those scenarios make the front axle rating almost completely irrelevant. I would not exceed what the chassis itself is rated for 10,000 gvwr but if i were getting close to that on a regular basis id want to a dually.

A power wagon with E rated tires, and air bags towing 10,000 to 12,000 pounds is gonna feel so much better than a 1500 truck that is actually rated at 12,000 pounds towing
 

Grand Mesa

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Sorry, my reading comprehension sucks, especially on forum posts on Monday’s , haha.
Can you clarify? Are you saying it’s awesome, or it sucks. (I’m guessing awesome)

I think I’ve seen a post of yours in the power wagon towing campers thread. I got go back and reread all that since it’s been a couple days and I’ve researched a bit more.

Do you tow anything? And what?
It's awesome.

I tow a 2016 AR-1 15RB Starcraft Extreme travel trailer and a 1978 18 foot Tri hull V8 ski boat a lot. My travel trailer is just 3,000 pounds loaded, short, and has a 5" lift. We tow it into the remote Colorado Plateau regions in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah. The bentonite clay roads turned wet with rain last week. The mud went onto the tire tread like 3" thick peanut butter and then dries like concrete. I wouldn't have traveled out there without the Power Wagon's off-road features. Utilized them all.
 

crazy jerry

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maybe they are different because you have an older power wagon and in 2019 when they updated the body, supposedly they did some updates to the axles. A simple search on the internet will reveal the fact the 2500 and 3500 have the same axles with the exception of the cummins HO having a bigger rear differential. The springs are different which will change the axle weight rating. From a manufacturer perspective there is no reason to make multiple different housings if the ring gear is the same.

When it comes to towing, the tongue weight is on the rear axle. Any heavy stuff in the bed, the weight is on the rear axle. Both of those scenarios make the front axle rating almost completely irrelevant. I would not exceed what the chassis itself is rated for 10,000 gvwr but if i were getting close to that on a regular basis id want to a dually.

A power wagon with E rated tires, and air bags towing 10,000 to 12,000 pounds is gonna feel so much better than a 1500 truck that is actually rated at 12,000 pounds towing

all pw from 2014 to this very day use a 3.5" OD short tube out the passenger side of the pumkin. nonpw 2500 and 3500 are 3.8" OD of that same tube. this is significant in terms of the housing rating. drive your 19+ pw to any dealer and compare it to any nonpw or 3500 and you will see.
some times its easy to take internet literature as correct but many times its wrong.
 

SeppW

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NOW, If you payed attention to what I said, the axles are the same among all 2500 rams, which means the only differentiating factor is the softer spring that give a lower gvwr and tow ratings. If you put air bags (air springs) on a power wagon the did the j2807 test, it would suddenly qualify for a higher gvwr. Same thing goes for tires, if you go from 8-ply to a 10 or 12-ply it would do even better that the j2807 tests.
Did you observe the notes on that chart? Not sure which iteration you are looking at, but in the notes somewhere is, "GAWRs, GVWRs and GCWRs should never be exceeded." Adding airbags, stiffer springs, heavier sway bar, or Load Range E tires does not increase any of the aforementioned ratings. The most it will do is lighten the pocket book and add stability when hauling or towing heavy and ride like a log wagon when empty. Likewise, there isn't an air bag mfgr that I'm familiar with that doesn't warn to not exceed the vehicle's GVWR, but people do it.
 
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matemike

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trying to compare todays prices to last year and year before. How much were PW's new in 2020? Or a used 2019 in 2020.

How much was a new PW in 2019?
 

retired

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I bought my 2020 PW new the end of Aug 2020 and it had an MSRP of $57,235 and $50,000 OTD, of course the higher level models would be more money.

FB4DCEF6-23DF-46FA-A077-E480F943D19F.jpeg
 

TPW19

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pw and nonpw 2500 arent the same front. the passenger side of the pumpkin and passenger side short tube are different and thus the lower 4750lb fawr, versus the 5600, 5750 and 6000 of a regular 2500 . these differences are very easily seen if you drive your pw to any dealer and park next to a regular 2500 and look underneath.
i do believe but cant say for 100%, the internals of all 2500 and 3500 9.25 fronts are the same ( gears, bearings, shafts, steering ujoints , etc)
Hmm, my 2019 PW has a 6000 lb front ….
 

Grand Mesa

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Didn't the Power Wagon get the larger 11.5 rear axle beginning in 2014 through today? My 2016 Ram 2500 Tradesman with the Power Wagon option in Colorado looks awfully a lot like the same rear axle assembly of our 2014 Ram 2500 Laramie Cummins 4x4 in Wyoming. Got to verify those short tube diameters the next time that we get both trucks in the same location.
 
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erik53

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I am shopping for a regular 2500 gas with the 4.10:1. My dealer didn't have one, but offered me a test drive in a low miles PW. The PW experience was dominated by an extremely loud exhaust sound. The salesman implied that this is a feature of the PW, for those who like it. I don't. Before you get the PW, make sure your whole family likes the "loud biker" sound. Or was my tester actually modified to make it loud?
 

retired

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I am shopping for a regular 2500 gas with the 4.10:1. My dealer didn't have one, but offered me a test drive in a low miles PW. The PW experience was dominated by an extremely loud exhaust sound. The salesman implied that this is a feature of the PW, for those who like it. I don't. Before you get the PW, make sure your whole family likes the "loud biker" sound. Or was my tester actually modified to make it loud?
had to be modified as they have the same exhaust as any other 2500/3500 with 6.4L. mine is very quiet almost too quiet...
 

crazy jerry

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red arrows shows the area where its different

20211014_141850.jpg
 

AlexC2350

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I am shopping for a regular 2500 gas with the 4.10:1. My dealer didn't have one, but offered me a test drive in a low miles PW. The PW experience was dominated by an extremely loud exhaust sound. The salesman implied that this is a feature of the PW, for those who like it. I don't. Before you get the PW, make sure your whole family likes the "loud biker" sound. Or was my tester actually modified to make it loud?
Stock 6.4 is not loud. I Have had 2, the first one got very loud with after market exhaust and the new one will not see a louder exhaust.

To OP, I had a 2018 tradesman 2500 with 6.4 it was just a basic level tradesman. I wasn’t totally into getting an hd truck for the reason of ride quality, I like how half tons ride. I test drove both Ford and chevy gasser 2500 before going with the ram. It was much much smoother ride than the other two. Still stiff unloaded, but with my 9k loaded camper and truck was an absolute dream and made camping even better. This spring I picked up a 2020 tradesman level 2 with off-road package with 4.10 rear end. Let me tell you it’s night and day better than the 18, So smooth, and snappy power on command with the 8 speed and 4.10s. I love it. I use my truck all over job sites, fishing, hunting, road trips, towing, hauling, and plowing it can do all damn good. With 3146 payload I have no worries.

My 2 cents are Power wagons are awesome but super geared towards off road and if you plan on more camper you’ll end up needing more truck or having to put a bunch of money into it to tow better but still never change the payload and tow cap. I also have a 2010 Tacoma 2wd that I rip around in to save gas I do a ton of miles and don’t always need an hd truck. So you could always pick up a cheap “work truck” for daily commutes, my understanding is the hemi doesn’t like short rips and neither do diesels.
 

BowerPower

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red arrows shows the area where its different
I bet you wouldn't admit defeat if I went to the dealer and measure it myself. Build sheet says 6000# axle because all 2500 and 3500 have the same front axle as indicated by chrysler themselves.

I will try to go by the dealer before work tonight to measure that for you with pictures of course.

Didn't the Power Wagon get the larger 11.5 rear axle beginning in 2014 through today? My 2016 Ram 2500 Tradesman with the Power Wagon option in Colorado looks awfully a lot like the same rear axle assembly of our 2014 Ram 2500 Laramie Cummins 4x4 in Wyoming. Got to verify those short tube diameters the next time that we get both trucks in the same location.
Build sheet claims 11.5 rear axle. All non HO Cummins trucks have same rear. Supposedly the power wagons have tuffer axle shafts.
 

crazy jerry

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I bet you wouldn't admit defeat if I went to the dealer and measure it myself. Build sheet says 6000# axle because all 2500 and 3500 have the same front axle as indicated by chrysler themselves.

I will try to go by the dealer before work tonight to measure that for you with pictures of course.

well ive already measured them. but yes please do go get some photos so you can see for yourself
 

BowerPower

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Power wagonScreenshot_20211015-121310_Gallery.jpg3500 gasserScreenshot_20211015-121244_Gallery.jpg2500 diesel Screenshot_20211015-121203_Gallery.jpg
OH MY... is that the same axle on 3 completely different trucks.
 
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