Its Power Wagon Time

  • HTML tutorial

CHILL907

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,479
Peoria, AZ
Member #

7258

We've reached a point with our growing family were space was becoming an issue and we felt like it was time for an upgrade, so welcome the Power Wagon!

IMG_2597.JPG

Coming from a pretty modified FJ Cruiser it has been quite a change adjusting to this behemoth of a rig, mostly due to wheelbase issues, requiring me to take a new approach to line selection. With the FJ and how we had it set up, not a lot of thought went into line selection due to its size, capabilities, and our experience with the vehicle.

fullsizeoutput_6f.jpeg

We've taken a few day trips in the Power Wagon trying to get familiar with its capabilities, weaknesses, and size. First I'll address the most obvious weakness, its breakover angle! (my sister cringed and the sound of us testing out the skid plates)

IMG_2851.JPG

This trail is a local favorite, Backway to Crown King, and one we've run a few times in our FJ with little trouble. Here to you can clearly see I misjudged this obstacle and found myself resting on the skid plates. I am generally pretty light on the skinny peddle when playing in the dirt and in this picture I gently rested the Wagon on its belly. With both lockers engaged I was able to reverse, carefully selected a new line and clear the obstacle. Once on top I inspected the Wagon's underside for damage and found the skid plates worked as advertised with only light scratches visible and no gouges, dents, or otherwise notable damage.

The running boards have brought up some interesting conversations in our family. My wife says they are required and non-negotiable. I say, that either I'll remove them, or a rock will. We are currently researching some alternatives and we are strongly considering some rock sliders from White Knuckle Off Road. In the meantime, the current running boards sit just slightly above the frame and require some thought when choosing a line but otherwise have been pretty handy when loading the kiddos in the truck.

The width of the Wagon in comparison to the FJ has led to some early pin striping but that is a badge I generally wear with honor. Compared to all the perfectly shiny Raptors I see here in Phoenix its nice to show people that I'm not afraid to use my investment as it was intended. (sorry, felt like trolling a little, nothing personal Raptor crowd lol)

The next item is one people like to ask about in regards to a vehicle this big, and thats fuel economy. In the Wagon, it's not great. In fact, depending on your perspective it could be considered terrible. We've got about 3,000 miles on it so far and the best tank we've had was with 300 miles of mixed driving and we clocked about 13.5mpg. Off road, in 4lo the computer says we average between 6 and 7 mpg. Hand calculated, the worst tank was about 9mpg. Our FJ averaged about 15 mpg mixed driving so the overall cost isn't much more. The advantage over the FJ is fuel capacity. With a 31 gallon tank our range has almost doubled when compared to the FJ's 18 gallon tank, and with the added power from the 6.4 Hemi, our smiles per gallon have more than doubled.

So, I wanna address the things I like about the Power Wagon and the first item, power! The FJ was geared well and had enough go juice to get the job done. Hook up our army trailer (modified M101a2) and we weren't going anywhere fast, or passing up a gas station. Push the skinny peddle to floor in the Power Wagon and the truck comes to life. Haven't pulled anything with it yet but I can safely assume that it will pull our army trailer with little argument.

The Power Wagon package from Ram is really a great bang for the buck. Considering how much lockers, winches, and skid plates can cost, having it all packaged together along with a factory warranty made the Power Wagon very attractive. And keeping the poor breakover angle in mind, there are few obstacles this thing won't climb.

fullsizeoutput_5ab.jpeg

Factor in the electronic disconnect front sway bar and it'll flex too!

IMG_2837.JPG

Probably the thing I like the most compared to our FJ, is the interior space. Not feeling cramped and giving the kids windows they can roll down has, by far, made this switch worth the investment.

This is not intended to be a build thread, that will come later. We have big plans for the Wagon, but we want to continue to learn how to drive it as is, while we compile a list of what we need to upgrade vs what we want. As of now, I see rock sliders, off road lighting, and bigger tires being at the top of our list. Once we have a good game plan for the Wagon and put things in motion we'll begin a build thread, so stay tuned!
 

Jaydub514

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,003
Southern California
First Name
Jason
Last Name
Rangsipat
Member #

3050

Congrats on the upsize! The Power Wagon is on my short list of wishes if I ever go to a full size rig, absolutely love the capability. Appreciate the truck being used as it was intended by the designers as well, have fun out there and stay safe!
 

Old Griz

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,721
North Idaho
First Name
Bill
Last Name
Clisham
Member #

9810

It's nice to see a family upgrade to enhance the enjoyment of the overland lifestyle.
Congrats and enjoy!

Bill
 
  • Like
Reactions: CHILL907

Anak

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,741
Sandy Eggo
My take on fuel economy is that if I have made it into double digits I am doing well. My early vehicles involved an Olds 455 and a Chevy 454. 8 mpg was pretty much all they got, regardless of street/highway/towing/tailwind/idling in the driveway... 10 mpg is the start of good mileage. Get to 13 and you are solidly into good territory.

You just have to put things into perspective.
 

CHILL907

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,479
Peoria, AZ
Member #

7258

My take on fuel economy is that if I have made it into double digits I am doing well. My early vehicles involved an Olds 455 and a Chevy 454. 8 mpg was pretty much all they got, regardless of street/highway/towing/tailwind/idling in the driveway... 10 mpg is the start of good mileage. Get to 13 and you are solidly into good territory.

You just have to put things into perspective.
Awesome, fuel economy is overrated anyways hahaha! We were pretty aware of what we were getting into with the Power Wagon's MPG's when we bought it and we certainly aren't trying to make the rig something it isn't.
 

Trbanks

Rank V
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,721
Spring Hill, FL
First Name
Tom
Last Name
Banks
Member #

12513

Love your ride. Always been a fan of the Power Wagon. As for fuel economy, it’s not exactly a Toyota Prius, but then a Prius won’t go where the PW will. Full size overlanding is the way to go in my book. I’ve had jeeps and pick ups and found that I’d rather have the room to carry extra stuff. I’m not much of a rock crawler guy as much as a get out in the middle of no where and enjoy the peace and quiet guy.
 

Lindenwood

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,779
New Mexico
First Name
Jay
Last Name
M
Member #

2636

Nice! I'm coming from a built 4Runner to my F250, so I'm right behind you on the learning curve! The first thing I did, though, was disconnect the anti-sway bars :P . At least it rides slightly less like a sherman tank on the trails now, lol.
 

12 Sam 1

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Bay Area, CA, USA
Member #

16131

Very cool, and a very sharp looking Wagon!
LOL, I was thinking the same about your Blue Streak.

Did you get the color you wanted? When I started to get serious about buying one I found it was almost impossible to find one that wasn't black, charcoal or tan within a reasonable distance. I'm sure part of the problem is it's a PW and it is the end of a year model. I ended up driving about 80 miles round trip to finally find a color I could live with.
 

12 Sam 1

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Bay Area, CA, USA
Member #

16131

Nice! I'm coming from a built 4Runner to my F250, so I'm right behind you on the learning curve! The first thing I did, though, was disconnect the anti-sway bars :P . At least it rides slightly less like a sherman tank on the trails now, lol.
LOL, my Brother has a Chevy 2500HD diesel. After riding in that thing deer hunting I had to make an appointment with my dentist to check my fillings!

I am pleasantly surprised by how soft riding the PW is. Of course, it can't tow or haul as much as a true 3/4 ton but life is a compromise.
 

Lindenwood

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,779
New Mexico
First Name
Jay
Last Name
M
Member #

2636

LOL, my Brother has a Chevy 2500HD diesel. After riding in that thing deer hunting I had to make an appointment with my dentist to check my fillings!

I am pleasantly surprised by how soft riding the PW is. Of course, it can't tow or haul as much as a true 3/4 ton but life is a compromise.
One of my first big purchases will be a new suspension setup that will hopefully soften things up a bit. Somewhat related are the 37" tires on 17" rims to maximize small-bump compliance!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12 Sam 1

CHILL907

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,479
Peoria, AZ
Member #

7258

LOL, I was thinking the same about your Blue Streak.

Did you get the color you wanted? When I started to get serious about buying one I found it was almost impossible to find one that wasn't black, charcoal or tan within a reasonable distance. I'm sure part of the problem is it's a PW and it is the end of a year model. I ended up driving about 80 miles round trip to finally find a color I could live with.
I did, I got pretty lucky with it. I had been watching the local dealerships for a couple months for one spec'd out the way I wanted and found this one just as it came off the trailer. I have seen some beautiful Power Wagons on various forums but not a lot of built up blue ones. I love the color but after a couple trails I've noticed a flaw with the blue. My tan FJ did a pretty good job of hiding the Arizona pin striping, my Power Wagon not so much. All well, gets me thumbs up from other off-roaders!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12 Sam 1

Greensully

Rank 0

Contributor I

60
California
First Name
Jim
Last Name
Smith
Welcome to the PW family! I have a 2017 and have about 27,000 miles on it now... two summer road trips and 7 states with a family of five. The family loves it and I am sure you’ve gotten used to the size by now.