PW for a coast to coast to coast adventure rig?

[terrible]

The older I get the more I want to see the country. I live in WV and own an '03 TJ and a '14 1500 quad cab ram. I'm intersedted in possibly buying a PW to turn into something I can drive from WV to Nevada, then from Maine to Michigan and everywhere in between. My wife and I have taken a few trips to Arizona and Nevad and rented a 4 door JL from Barlows Jeeps and loved it. We only had it for a day but this year we are going to Moab and we booked a jeep for the whole week.

Now I'd love to have my own TJ out there but it's built for the back roads and trails in WV, not something I'm going to drive 3K+ miles. The thought of buying a trailer has passed my mind, and still isn't off the table. But my wife and I have a 25' hybrid camper we tow around for mountain bike trips and there are times I'd like to take it to places like Tennesse and hit some off-raod parks once we are there.

I think you can see where this is going. Would a PW be a good option for a reliable off road/ adventure/ tow rig? At times there wouldn't be a camper and just a topper with primative camping gear. And other times it could be parked in a hotel parking lot for a couple nights. I want something I can hit some trails on but still be composed enough to drive on the highway with the camper and the whole fam-damnly.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[392DevilDog]

Yes. The perfect tool for what you mention.

 

[BuzzAZ]

Highway manners are great, it’ll likely handle any trail you would take a rented jeep on, and if you get it optioned well then you have all the luxuries of any other vehicle. Even my snobby sister commented on how nice it rode on the highway during a road trip over the holidays.

The folding platform thing in the back is really nice for dogs and/or luggage/gear. I’d get it without the Harmon Kardon stereo system though - the underseat storage is limited and that subwoofer takes away all storage on the passenger side.

The only real downside is at the gas pump. I don’t tow with it but the best I’ve sustained on the highway is about 15mpg. You may do better - I have 35’s and drive in a part of the country where idiots regularly make wide open roads stop-and-go.

 

[4x4Podcast_Rich]

I've had numerous Jeeps, 1500 Rebel and currently a 2500. I got the 2500 because my camper plus gear exceeds the payload of the 1500 even though it meets the tow rating. I considered a PW, but I would have been in the same boat. Other than size it's the biggest drawback of the PW. Have you considered a Jeep Gladiator? 1700 lb payload and 7,650 lb towing compared to the PW's 1,400lb payload and 9,470 lb towing.

 

[mtnrider]

Can't beat it for offroading but my only comment would be about loading it for cross country treks, you can easily over load it so think about your payload carefully and it's not a towing machine so same goes for trailer weight etc.
I guess the bottom line is how much of your time is going to be off road? That and it is a gas hog so keep that in mind, it's hard to pass a gas station in a PW.

.

 

[Grand Mesa]

Jeep rentals are located in the high tourist trafficked areas, but then it sounds like you're into adventuring beyond those comfort zones.

There's a lot of vast empty country out here in the Mountain States between towns of which if you're lucky there may be only one pump available within a full tank towing range. Carry extra gasoline with the Power Wagon when both towing and not.

Read the customer reviews of Randy's Service station in Emery, Utah just for laughs about saving folks from being stranded out in the middle of nowhere with no gas.

 

[4xdad]

I love my pw except for the mileage mine gained weight topper rock sliders tire carrier it all adds up but I knew it was going to be like that I plan on adding a reserve tank where the spare tire was my rock sliders weight is about 400 lbs I have taken it on a few road trips and it’s very comfortable and you can sleep in the back if you aren’t to tall

 

[4xdad]

Can’t do that with a gladiator unless you are under 5ft tall

 

[MantaRay67]

I love mine! I added Timbren bumps stops for when I tow my 26' travel trailer. I have 37"s and it's well mannered powerful and will go anywhere. Except for the size - You have to remember that you can't go down the same trails as little Jeep before it's too late. The Beast is an amazing vehicle and I've used it to pull a few folks out of snow banks as well.
Gas is a thing... but I didn't buy it because of fuel economy - and I alway carry 15 gals of gas for my dual generator setup/ I can run A/C in the Summer off-grid for 3 days. I can always dump it into the truck if I needed to though I haven't yet (touch wood).

 

[GTyankee]

get the largest fuel tank that comes in whatever truck you order

don't enter California without filling your fuel tank before crossing the state line, our fuel tax alone is as much as a gallon of gas in Arizona
Honestly, Arizona is 50 cents cheaper a gallon than Cali

 

[Stuffpower]

Gladiators are louder on highway and cramped on long hauls. I had one. I’d much prefer to be in the pw but the only reality is gas mileage is not Great

 

[4xdad]

And under powered from what I hear and I can believe it because my wife’s 4 door is aslug

 

[Armyman247]

I’m getting the same gas mileage with my PW as I was getting with my gladiator but it feels like it has twice the power.. I’ll take the PW over the gladiator (nothing wrong with the glad it was fun but just my preference)

 

[Docwagon1776]

I've done some multi-week trips in my RAM. Not a PW, but the *only* time it's been a bother to have a full size truck is when I had to find a way to park in some areas, generally more an urban concern. Height concerns with parking garages, for example. A PW is going to compound that. Want to stay in downtown St. Louis for a few nights to see the sights? You're not going to fit very many places. The biggest problem was an airbnb with no on street parking and a garage that was about 6" too low for my truck. We very occasionally have to leave the truck home and drive a car because of those concerns.

So if you're only going to do outdoorsy stuff and avoid urban areas on your ramblings, it's awesome. If you want to hit some of the more urban locations you'll have to drive something else or deal with more complicated logistics of staying on the outskirts and uber'ing or whatever to the attractions.

 

[retired]

like was said easy to over load these. keep the speeds to ~70mph and you get good mpg. Parking has never been an issue but we like to walk so I can usually find a spot, just might not be at the front door...We prefer to take the PW vs my wife's CRV touring even tho it costs 2X as much in gas.
packed like this I was over GVWR altho it feels fine overloaded.

 

[Grand Mesa]

I travel I-80 quite a bit in southern Wyoming where nearly 70% of the moderate to quite heavy traffic consists of big trucks with up to triple trailers. It's the busiest coast to coast truck hauling route. Rarely do I see any cars and small pickup trucks between the small towns during the winter seasons. It's much more comfortable to drive my Power Wagon or Ram Cummins while towing around much larger trucks especially when they cut a bit too short into your lane due to you're not doing at least a few miles above the 80 MPH variable speed limit.

 

[Scybron]

Easily the most comfortable, quietest, most capable vehicle I've owned in a long long time. Has the power to negotiate traffic, and keep you semi safe. Only downside is the mileage, yesterday half a tank was $65 dollars and computer is showing 305 mile range on a full tank. If you can see past the gas mileage you'll have a comfortable trip, with the capability to handle obstacles.

 

[retired]

I travel I-80 quite a bit in southern Wyoming where nearly 70% of the moderate to quite heavy traffic consists of big trucks with up to triple trailers. It's the busiest coast to coast truck hauling route. Rarely do I see any cars and small pickup trucks between the small towns during the winter seasons. It's much more comfortable to drive my Power Wagon or Ram Cummins while towing around much larger trucks especially when they cut a bit too short into your lane due to you're not doing at least a few miles above the 80 MPH variable speed limit.

jump in behind them and draft...just don't let your mind wonder for a second in case they brake check you lol.

 

[Grand Mesa]

jump in behind them and draft...just don't let your mind wonder for a second in case they brake check you lol.

I'm thinking of Smashburger out there.

 

[nwhunter55]

My wife and I are retired, and she has a Jl unlimited, and I have a 2020 4x4 2500 club cab long box with the 6.7 cummings. A Jl wrangler is fun for short trips but I would far rather drive my pickup for longer trips. I plan to convince her to trade her wrangler for a grand cherokee which is a much more versatile rig in my opinion. I think a power wagon would be a great rig for what you want. It's too bad you can't get one with the 6.7, it extends your fuel range to 500-600 miles.