Overlanding Power Wagon Update After 24K Miles: Wicked Wednesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
Owner answers all the questions about how his overlanding Power Wagon has performed after covering 24K miles over the last 8 months.
We all love the Dodge Power Wagon for the versatility that it offers. It can do the mundane day to day tasks. Or it can be equipped to take you off the grid for extended periods of time. The vehicle we are looking at here has been equipped as an overlanding Power Wagon. It has only been on the road and trail for 8 months, but it has already covered 24,000 miles. No sense in building a rig like this and letting it sit in the driveway. This is not a show truck, it is used to take the owner and his wife out into the wilderness.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” presented by Nitto takes a closer look at this overlanding Power Wagon. How has it held up? What kind of gas mileage is it getting? What has been changed since it was first built? Owner Brad Kowitz answers all these questions and more in a recent video posted on his Trail Recon YouTube channel.
Number One Question
Kowitz is a Jeep guy, there is no denying that. But he has built a fantastic Power Wagon. So, the most common question he hears is does he love the Power Wagon even more than his Jeep? No. He says he loves his Jeep more because of the extreme off-road ability. But then again, the Power Wagon is not really built for that. It is for travelling long distances in great comfort, finding great camping locations and just having a good time. Kowitz loves his Power Wagon, but he says he loves the Jeep a bit more. It seems to be similar to when you ask a parent which child, they love the most. Tough to really answer that one.
Diesel or Hemi?
Another big question revolves around the powertrain. The Power Wagon that Kowitz has uses the 6.4L Hemi engine, but would the diesel 2500 better suit his needs? This is another very tough question and one that Kowitz still is not sure how to answer. On the con side for the diesel is that the diesel 2500 is 500 pounds heavier than the Hemi-powered Power Wagon. And then you have to add things like the winch that add more weight and expense to the diesel option. But the diesel offers a better payload and towing capacity. Another consideration is fuel economy. The Power Wagon is riding on 37-inch tires and has a camper in the bed. Kowitz sees about 11 mpg. The diesel would probably boost that by 4 or 5 mpg easily. Also, with the diesel you can get auxiliary fuel tanks that are not available with the Hemi.
Updates
Like many overlanding vehicles this Power Wagon evolves as time moves on. Kowitz walks us through some of the recent changes he made on his rig. The first is a set of KC A-pillar auxiliary lights. A couple of RotopaX fuel containers have also been mounted to the camper. Remember there are no auxiliary fuel tanks available with the Hemi so you better pack your own. Another recent upgrade is a Dometic refrigerator to keep drinks and snacks cold. Out back is a new tailgate swing that holds the full-size spare tire. It also houses a foldout table for preparing meals and such. The final update is a set of stairs at the rear. These aluminum stairs attach quickly and provide safe and secure access to the camper.
Summary
This Power Wagon makes a wonderful overlanding rig and has held up well during these first few months. For sure, there will be more tweaks and upgrades as the months pass. However, it is tough to ask for more out of this Power Wagon. It might not be the fastest or best at off-roading but this is a wicked Dodge for sure.
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