New Power Wagon Heading to the Smoky Mountains

Power Wagon suitable to take a family of 5 on Vacation in?


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    41
  • Poll closed .

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Trailmaker

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Hey fellow Ram owners, I’m taking a road trip with my Family and will be going across 10 states.
I hope to give day to day updates on MPG, some off roading pics, performance. I know the round trip will be about 2,000 miles but with some day trips I plan for 3,000 extra on the OD. Probably 8 tanks of gas. Unless I can manage to get 500 mi out of a tank on the sea level runs.

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TexasTJ

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Unrelated to your question, but if you get a chance, check out Nemo Tunnel #24 for a fun detour in Wartburg, TN. and Hurricane Creek Trail outside of Ashville, NC. We drove up from DFW last October.

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HC
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Trailmaker

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Wow. Ok I will see if I can map it into my route. I’m spending 3 days in Pigeon Forge and taking day trips out from there.
 

michael harpe

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@Trailmaker is that a diamondback topper? Looks like it how come you didnt go with ram boxes. I have the ram boxes and love them. However I don't love that decked doesn't make boxes for the truck with them and I don't love that Diamondback's topper rests on the rails and isn't water proof. But it will still support the full 1600lbs according to them when I called.

I get 13mpg hand calculated and 15 according to the truck. I'm mostly highway speeds and not city though.

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Trailmaker

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@Trailmaker is that a diamondback topper? Looks like it how come you didnt go with ram boxes. I have the ram boxes and love them. However I don't love that decked doesn't make boxes for the truck with them and I don't love that Diamondback's topper rests on the rails and isn't water proof. But it will still support the full 1600lbs according to them when I called.

I get 13mpg hand calculated and 15 according to the truck. I'm mostly highway speeds and not city though.

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Yes sir it is. Had one on my last truck to haul my ATV. I chose this truck because it had every option other then the ram boxes and duel alternator so I could use the Diamond Back cover and rack. My wife is driving now but I will post some pictures showing it off. It saves me from towing a trailer countless times. I had everything for 15 2x6x16s strapped on to 22 sheets of plywood and of course the 4 wheeler. I also have the built in tool boxes for all my gear. (In the main front one installed at the moment, but the top side boxes will go on when I get home next week) they (Diamond Back) should pay me every time I promote them.
If this cover did not exist, I would have gotten the Ram boxes for sure.

14.4 mpg so far on 175 mi of the first leg of this trip. (Hills and small towns)
 
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Trailmaker

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Took a pit stop. Some of y’all might recognize this place in LA. Hint: A Dynasty came out of it.

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Trailmaker

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Got gas and it wasn’t what I had expected. With cruise set maintaining less then 80 mph but averaged 70, I had hoped to see the 16+mpg I would see at home if not better but I was hanging around 14mpg

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Trailmaker

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Pos and cons so far for choosing to take the PW over my wife’s Durango:
Pro- rarely when the cruise was set did the PW ever down shift going up a hill
Pro-huge bed! I don’t think I could have gotten all our crap in her suv and still see out the rear window. (Most likely a hitch rack would be needed)
Pro- first time I did not feel the need to use my navigation on my phone, but relied and enjoyed the navigation on the PW

Pro- ATT service on the built in WiFi is staler. Always had a signal.

Con- I will not be passing many gas stations this week
Con-no rear entertainment
Con- truck did not like the Louisiana Road. (I was so happy to see the large white bridge that took me over the Mississippi River)
 
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Trailmaker

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Con- the truck pulls to the right.

I know all vehicles should pull slightly to the right and I knew mine seemed a little aggressive but 400 hundred miles behind the wheel today, it seems a little much and tiring.
 

smithwessn

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The smokey mountains are absolutely beautiful! I hit US 129, aka the tail of the dragon (318 curves in 11 miles) with a couple of friends on our motorcycles a few years back. We did a couple days of riding down there and I loved it.

Are you going to Dollywood while you're there? Lol

Oh, and I voted heck yeah for taking the PW. We did the trip pulling a trailer with 3 bikes in my buddies then new Toyota Tundra.
 
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Trailmaker

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The smokey mountains are absolutely beautiful! I hit US 129, aka the tail of the dragon (318 curves in 11 miles) with a couple of friends on our motorcycles a few years back. We did a couple days of riding down there and I loved it.

Are you going to Dollywood while you're there? Lol

Oh, and I voted heck yeah for taking the PW. We did the trip pulling a trailer with 3 bikes in my buddies then new Toyota Tundra.
Oh yeah! I will check out the US 129. Thanks
We are staying a few days at Wild Bear falls.
 
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Trailmaker

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@Trailmaker what didnt the truck like the roads?

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Seems to take the bumps better with 500+ in the bed and I’m only running 200 lbs of luggage. LA roads are choppy and full of pot hole repairs. Reminded me of CO in a winter/spring.

I have loaded the truck down with 500+ twice and 1000+ once since I have owned it, and all three times it made the ride much smoother like my SUV.
 
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IRSmart

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I’ve noticed these things get thirstier the faster you go. With as modded as mine is, at 60-65 I’ll get 17 mpg. At 75 mph I get 13. It’s a pretty substantial difference.

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michael harpe

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I’ve noticed these things get thirstier the father you go. With as modded as mine is, at 60-65 I’ll get 17 mpg. At 75 mph I get 13. It’s a pretty substantial difference.

View attachment 179384
How the hell do you get 17? And I love the mods.

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IRSmart

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How the hell do you get 17? And I love the mods.

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I had no idea. It happened once on my way back from a trail, I had to drive 2 hours with a blown track bar bushing, so I wasn’t trying to get over 60, 65 worst case. Best mileage I’ve ever gotten lol
 
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Trailmaker

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I’ve noticed these things get thirstier the faster you go. With as modded as mine is, at 60-65 I’ll get 17 mpg. At 75 mph I get 13. It’s a pretty substantial difference.

View attachment 179384
Avg temp was 98 today and I was making good time till the last 50 mi when I realized the hotel was 75 mins away and the next gas station was 55 and the light comes on at 50. So I got in the slow lane and maintained 63 so I would not have to walk...
Dumb truck as you saw in my pictures, I still had 1-1/2 gallons left. So I sweated out the last hr for no reason.
(In need a Jerry can for off road anyway )

Con- only a 31 gal tank.
 

IRSmart

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Avg temp was 98 today and I was making good time till the last 50 mi when I realized the hotel was 75 mins away and the next gas station was 55 and the light comes on at 50. So I got in the slow lane and maintained 63 so I would not have to walk...
Dumb truck as you saw in my pictures, I still had 1-1/2 gallons left. So I sweated out the last hr for no reason.
(In need a Jerry can for off road anyway )

Con- only a 31 gal tank.
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Todd6571

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Great thread, Trailmaker! Keep it coming. I'm hoping to buy a PW as a family vehicle soon...
 
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