Perry Mack
The obligatory water splash shot.
Words by Perry Mack
Trees and bushes closed in, scraping and scratching both sides of our brand-new Power Wagon, pinstriping the $77,000 CAD truck as we navigated up the coast mountain trail. Thankfully, we could give it back.
Most of our off-road tests are conducted on a purpose-built closed course. It’s safe, controlled, and manufacturers can build one anywhere they don’t have exciting terrain. This is important because Mother Nature doesn’t always play nice. However, most of us don’t play on a closed course. Mother Nature delivers our playground and today we’re crawling up the coast mountains of the Callaghan Valley.
We’ll start with a complaint (let’s just get it out of the way). There is no diesel option for the Power Wagon, but Ram had reasons for this, and you’ll get to decide if they are worth it.
The 2019/2020 Power Wagon keeps some key features from 2018, including a two-inch lift, electronically disconnecting front swaybar, Bilstein shocks, front and rear locking differentials and integrated bumper mounted winch. The winch is the new 5,443 kg (12,000 lb) Warn Zeon 12 with a new synthetic line reputed to be 12 kg (26 lb) lighter and is kink- and fray-resistant.
Perry Mack
The only truck to come standard with a winch
The winch is one reason there’s no diesel engine option as it sits where the diesels’ intercooler would go. Ram touts the Power Wagon as the ‘ultimate off-road pickup’ and says the diesel engine would add too much weight, which is a fair statement since the Power Wagon is already 3,200 kg (7,055 lb) at the curb in a crew cab. In addition, the sheer size of the Cummins engine would limit wheel articulation (currently 26 in) – a key component to off-road traction.
What makes the Power Wagon unique in the pick-up world is that it is a ¾-ton truck that sacrifices towing and payload numbers for off-road capabilities. The softer suspension is mostly to blame for these lower numbers. The 1/2–ton Rebel has similar towing and payload capacity, but the advantage in the Power Wagon is you have a 3/4-ton frame that has been designed to handle up to 9,072 kg (20,000 lbs.) towing and payloads of 1,814 kg (4,000 lbs.) – a much more sturdy and rigid frame than any ½ ton.
My expectations taking the ¾-ton truck up a trail designed for summer ATV use and winter snowmobile use were low. I previously wheeled my 1/2-ton 2002 Ram 1500 with a two-inch lift along a trail including a rock garden, following Editor Irons in his highly-modified Jeep. Two broken lift blocks, a bent running board, a dented rocker panel, some underbody ‘polishing’, and a spectacular front air dam removable were among the casualties of a mostly slow, tortuous trail ride.
Our caravan consisted of six trucks, three 2019 Rebels and three Power Wagons, led by a Jeep Wrangler. The trail began benignly enough but became more exciting the higher we went, navigating tight switch backs through old growth forest. Surprisingly I had no trouble keeping up with the Ram Rebels through the tight turns – the Power Wagon has a turning diameter of 14.7 m (48.2 ft), and Ram Rebel 14.1 m (46.2 ft).
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Richard Warrington
Wet dirt, rocks and roots couldn't stop us.
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Perry Mack
Compare front and rear wheels and see the range of articulation.
The hood is tall; preventing any chance of a view climbing and cresting hill-tops, leaving us completely blind. Fortunately, the images from the front facing camera on the 30 cm (12 in) in-dash screen made it simple. This is part of the new-to-Power Wagon 360-degree camera system where cameras generate a top down view of the obstacles around your truck.
The 6.4L V-8 is standard but is now enhanced with the engineering technology we first saw in the light-duty Ram to make it quieter in the cabin – new engine mounts, new exhaust brackets, vibration cancelling frame tech, and active-noise cancellation through the stereo. This also helps the cylinder deactivation system perform across a wider rpm range without vibrating your back molars.
Since it is a ¾ ton truck, no EPA fuel economy numbers are required, and unofficial test results range from 10 to 23 mph on the highway. All you can count on is that it will drink more than a half-ton while unloaded but be comparable while towing or with a significant payload.
Compared to 2018, the max towing has increased to 10,620 lbs. and the payload to 1,660 lbs. Although it has improved, it’s nowhere near the competition in HD trucks. Depending on the options you choose, this can drop to 4,695 kg (10,350 lbs.) tow and 685 kg (1,510 lbs.) payload. If big payload and towing are a necessity for you, look to the Ram 2500 or 3500, and preferably the diesel where the max tow almost reaches 9,072 (20,000 lbs.)
If you think that the exterior and interior look like a 1500, you’re right. The styling now resembles the Ram 1500, notably the Ram Rebel. The interior doors are still Power Wagon, but the dash and steering wheel take their cues from the Rebel. On the exterior, all but the Tradesman trim (the most affordable trim) get the suitably dubbed ‘mustache grill’ we’ve come to know on the Rebel.
Richard Warrington
The Power Wagon navigated switchbacks even tighter than this one.
While the interior looks similar to the Rebel, that’s where the similarity ends. It’s still the old cab, with less room in the cab (especially the rear seat). You also don’t get running boards, which would interfere with off-road clearance, nor can you get a telescoping steering wheel.
It’s a shame Ram didn’t make any horsepower or torque improvements to the engine, but it certainly suggests that an improved engine is coming.
The 8-speed transmission we saw in the 1500 gets beefed up to handle the 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. It shifts smoothly and always has the right gear to deliver the power you need – a huge improvement over 2018’s 6-speed. The first gear is also much shorter improving the low range crawl ratio. Just point the Power Wagon at the obstacle you need to conquer and put a light touch on the skinny pedal.
Speaking of off-road, you still have solid front and rear axles with 4:10 gearing, and approach, breakover, departure angles, and greater articulation (RTI 538) than in 2018. Incidentally, these numbers are better than its little half-ton brother, the Ram Rebel. All of this made it easy to crawl up the forested, mountainous, steep slopes of damp rocks, dirt, and tree roots, where a drop of 300 m (984 ft) to oblivion was a half-a-tire width away.
The Power Wagon is completely unique in the ¾ ton segment as no other manufacturers’ off-road trim package offers the same level of off-road prowess. Before this off-road test, I wouldn’t have considered the Power Wagon as a serious truck option for very many people.
If you don’t need the big payload and towing numbers of other ¾ ton trucks, but you do need top notch off-road capabilities for work and weekends, this is your best choice. The Power Wagon is a great platform for a tough overland vehicle. Or go deep to set-up a base camp for hunting, fishing, ATV or dirt bike adventures. For many of us, the new Power Wagon is the perfect solution right off the showroom floor.
Perry Mack
Gas sucking but powerful and reliable 6.4L Hemi is standard.
Military Heritage
When it comes to 4x4 military vehicles, virtually everyone mentions Jeep in their mental list, but not everyone thinks Power Wagon. It was originally developed as Dodge’s medium duty ¾-ton truck in WWII (engineering code T137), built from 1942 -1945, and was the first mass produced ¾-ton 4WD truck. After the war, Dodge redesigned the civilian version based on this platform. In its early years the Power Wagon was pressed into service for ambulances, firetrucks, wreckers, farm vehicles and military personnel carriers. Check out the radical Hauk Designs 1946 Power Wagon at the 2018 SEMA Show.
1946 Dodge Power Wagon 'The WRECKER'
In 1981, the Power Wagon brand was dropped and was instead used to describe the 4WD models under the Dodge Ram brand. For a short time, diesel engine enthusiasts appreciated the optional 6-cylinder Cummins turbo-diesel offered from 1989 to 1993.
Thousands of upgrades have led to the 2019/2020 Power Wagon that we have today, resulting in more awards and more people choosing the Power Wagon than ever before.
