Where would you go from here?

[Down the Tubes]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the forum and Power Wagons.
My first truck was a 73 Dodge 2WD that I bought for $700 in 1986. I loved that truck and it went everywhere!
The next Dodge/Ram that I bought was 2 years ago.....not sure why I waited so long, but I bought a 2016 Ram 2500 long bed diesel 4x4. I really love this truck but I want something that's better for off road and just plain fun!


I'm in the process of buying a new 2018 lifted (by the dealer) Power Wagon.
I live in Hawaii for now, but will be moving to Idaho in about 2 years. The Power Wagon will be perfect for the mountains there!

Here is what the dealer has done so far:
4" BDS lift
Nitto Grappler 37's
XD custom wheels
Line-X bed liner
Custom front & rear adjustable track bars
Calibrated speedometer/computer
Custom exhaust


I'll probably take a few weeks/months to get used to the truck, but I've never been one to leave things alone......
Where would you guys go from here?
Pedal Commander, programmer, etc.?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[WY-Dave]

Def would consider a regear.

 

[Down the Tubes]

Thanks!
Would a re-gear void my warranty?
What would be the advantages of re-gearing?

I apologize if these are naive questions. I'm new, again, to the 4x4/offroad world.
I kind of gave it up when we moved to Hawaii. There are places to go, but it's a LONG story.

 

[22hemi13]

The long bed is capable with just a lift and 37’s! Now never gonna talk you out of a PW but if ya already have a truck. Depends on what you really are going to do. I wheel my cclb HARD and it goes everywhere I’ve needed it to with relative ease.

 

[22hemi13]

I’d get rid of the bds if you plan on wheeling it. My buddy has a bds lift on his Chevy and I swear every time we go out together he breaks a bolt on that damn kit. Again depends really on what you plan on doing. One mans “off-roading” could be another guys normal dirt road

 

[Down the Tubes]

Definitely not getting rid of the long bed, it will become the wife's truck.
We basically need another truck for our company, so I thought PW would be perfect.
We have jobs that the long bed just won't get to. Too many rocks and obstacles that will rip the bumpers right off of a long bed. I keep borrowing a Polaris to get there.
The idea of a lifted PW is perfect for these jobs, and our future plans of living WAY out in the middle of the forest.
We'll have the long bed to go to town in for supplies, but the PW will be our go anywhere vehicle, until the EMP kills all of the electronics......

As for the BDS, I'll have to keep it till it bothers me.
I can't see myself getting too crazy with a $60k truck until I've had it for a while. Gotta pay it off before I break it......
If I have problems though, I'll definitely have to reconsider.


So,
Is a re-gear necessary?
Are there things I can do to get slightly better mileage? I realize that I didn't buy this truck for the mileage, but I gotta ask.

 

[3TV]

I'm running 37s with my 2018, with stock gearing. You absolutely do not need to re-gear this truck to run 37s. I've run 37s on several different vehicles, and some of them definitely needed re-geared. The lowest re-gear I did was 5.38:1 on a Jeep JK. Larger tires will always negatively impact on road performance, but the 37s on this Power Wagon have had less of an impact than on any other vehicle platform I have ran 37s on. In many aspects the truck drives better with 37s than it does with the stock tires. At least drive it with the stock 4.10 gears in it first, and see what you think. I think you'll be impressed at how good it drives.

As for what else is needed for your new truck ...

Recovery gear
GPS of choice (I like Lowrance)
Gas in the tank.

The best thing you can do to feel better about your gas mileage is to quit checking it. You just don't want to know.

These truck come well set up from the factory. Go enjoy it.

 

[Trailmaker]

If you are wheelin’ already then a Hi-lift jack, some recovery straps. lights/ flashlight ( you could get caught in the dark and the phone flashlight won’t cut it)
CB radio or 2 way radio
Shackles/D-rings
Just to name a few things I have. Congratulations on the wagon!

check out the recovery thread.

 

[3TV]

Something else to consider if you are going to be 4-wheeling in Idaho, ... a chainsaw. I live in Utah, right next door to Idaho, and ATVs/UTVs have pretty much taken over for off road use. And because of this, the trails keep getting more and more narrow, and it can be tough to get a full size truck through some trails. I carry a Dewalt lithium ion battery powered chainsaw with me, it stays in the Ram box all the time. It has saved the paint on my Power Wagon more times than I can count.

 

[michael harpe]

The pedal commander will void your warranty. Dealers can tell when the ecu has been messed with.

I run 37's and didnt regear. I concur. It's not needed. You may lose some acceleration so what. This truck isnt made to go fast. You want to go fast but a crotch rocket or a hellcat/scat pack/demon etc.

Here is my build if your interested
https://www.ramforum.com/threads/my-power-wagon-build-thread.150253/page-7

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[rule18]

The pedal commander will void your warranty. Dealers can tell when the ecu has been messed with.

I run 37's and didnt regear. I concur. It's not needed. You may lose some acceleration so what. This truck isnt made to go fast. You want to go fast but a crotch rocket or a hellcat/scat pack/demon etc.

Here is my build if your interested
https://www.ramforum.com/threads/my-power-wagon-build-thread.150253/page-7

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

Wait, gotta call BS on the Pedal Commander voiding warranty. I've had my truck in to the dealer numerous times for warranty work and they never said a word about it. It's not a programmer, so there's no tune. BTW, awesome job on your PW, been following that thread.

 

[McBroom]

The pedal commander will void your warranty. Dealers can tell when the ecu has been messed with.

I run 37's and didnt regear. I concur. It's not needed. You may lose some acceleration so what. This truck isnt made to go fast. You want to go fast but a crotch rocket or a hellcat/scat pack/demon etc.

Here is my build if your interested
https://www.ramforum.com/threads/my-power-wagon-build-thread.150253/page-7

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

A Pedal Commander WILL NOT void the warranty!!
It does not have anything to do with the ECU,BCM or any other part of this truck. All It does is speed up the signal between the throttle and the computer.
It takes the lag time in the signal out that’s all.
I’m a true believer in the Pedal Commander. I’ve had mine on my truck for over a year and a half now. The truck has been in the shop on different occasions for engine repair and has not voided any part of the warranty.

The Blue Mule

 

[michael harpe]

I apologize for my misinformation. I was regurgitating what my ex who works in parts at a dodge dealer told me. Kill her, not the messenger. I
[emoji13]

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[McBroom]

I apologize for my misinformation. I was regurgitating what my ex who works in parts at a dodge dealer told me. Kill her, not the messenger. I
[emoji13]

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

No harm no foul. She just needs reprogramming to tighten her lag


The Blue Mule

 

[m25443]

I see no reason to get a 4"BDS lift, unless you are just wanting it to ride higher. It will wheel better with 37" tires and NO lift. Spend the money on the lift on a new set of wheels with offset better matched to to 37's.

 

[Down the Tubes]

Thanks guys!
I've got the flashlights, tow straps, and other emergency supplies in every truck that we have, including a huge first aid kit.

Hadn't thought of clevises, and the chainsaw!

As for the lift, the dealer already installed it.
I could have waited for them to bring one in that is stock, but I need the heavy truck for taxes before the end of the year, and since it's a 2018, the incentives are really good.

It sounds like I would definitely like the Pedal Commander too.
I need one for our diesel long bed too!



It says a lot when someone asks, "What else does my truck need," and the replies are common sense items to carry in the truck and not tons of actual mods to the truck!

 

[Marley]

I do quite a bit of wheeling in my lifted Rubicon and airing down those 37's would make that PW unstoppable, also run Nitto Terra grapplers.
So naturally I'd recommend a portable air compressor.....Viair makes good ones and what I've been using for years.

Not really much to do to an already very capable offroad truck.

Oh been to Hawaii many times and Idaho once.....lucky man.

 

[Grand Mesa]

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[Down the Tubes]

Always carry for emergency situations 6 packs of beer in the compartments underneath the rear floormats.

Changed your mind on the champagne?
I was going to say, had it not been a 14 hour work day yesterday....., "Good lord that's a lotta money!"

When you guys lower your tire pressure, how low to you go?

 

[Grand Mesa]

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