I am new to Dodge and I am considering buying a 2008 Ram Power Wagon. I didn't want a diesel, but I want a truck that is not like everybody elses and can tow and still be fun to drive.I will be using the truck for around town light hauling, towing a 7000 lb travel trailer and just fun wheeling when I am boondocking. There are still some 2007 models around and the 2008s are just starting to show up at the dealers in Southern California. So far, it looks like the best deals are around invoice less the rebates of $4500. A few questions. First, is anybody towing with a Power Wagon and how is it working for you. What is a fair price, does being a limited production help or hurt resale? If you own one do you still like it? Any pros or cons would be helpful. And yes I know that with a 4.56 rear end the mileage is gonna suck.

thanks for any help.

 

Haha the mileage will suck suck... but not as bad as you would think because 4.56's work really well in our trucks... also they are a great gear for towing... it does cost more than a regular 2500 but it also is a more capable truck.. if you find an 07 im sure you could work a deal though

 

The gas mileage can be ok or abysmal. I consistently get 14.5MPG overall per tank. That's 90% city driving. I'm one of the lucky ones. A number of other owners I know are looking at 11MPG. I typically get around 460 miles per tank of gas. I'm also a very conservative driver on a day to day basis. I'm not going to lie to your though. You really need to consider fuel economy in your decision. I know of two folks selling their PWs due to gas prices, and another thinking about it.

I tow a 3,000 pound popup during the camping season. If I couldn't see it in the rear view mirror, I would forget about it because it doesn't seem like I'm towing anything. My MPG usually drops to 11MPG overall for the trip when I tow. You definitely do not want to put in a slide in camper. Aside from the manual saying not to do it because the suspension is set up for wheeling not hauling, there's been real world experience with one of the guys I know. He put in lift bags, Super Chips etc, and it still didn't help. The PW is for wheeling and some hauling, but it's definitely set up for the wheeler.

If you get your PW, stop in at my site, http://powerwagonregistry.org and register it so you can find and be found by other owners in your area to go wheeling with.

Forgot to talk about pricing. Many of the guys who bought new (mine was used) paid about $32 - $35K fully loaded. Some paid higher, one guy got one for $25K. You can wheel and deal on them. They're pricey trucks if you don't.

I will say that if you're a wheeler, you will not be disappointed. They are phenomenal off-road vehicles. See another of my sites, http://trucks.pcwize.com/wheeling/rio_puerco2.php and check out the Flex galleries on the right side under Galleries as well as the monster truckin galleries.

 

I have an 07 and like it. If your into towing check the limits as I recall it will not tow as much as a std 2500. I've had itsince March and still like it. Expect your gas mileage to range from 11mpg in town to 14/15 hwy. I get 13.5 mpg in general which is better than I thought I would and it is only 2mpg less than my landcruiser so no big deal. As for it being limited, I'm not sure on how this will afect your purchase. To me it should make it harder to buy as there may be a 2nd sticker price and no deals. However, the dealer I bought mine from said the opposite and did deal and he did not even have it on the lot, he had to tade two other trucks for it - so its anyones guess. $4500 below msrp is what I paid and I thought was fair - one guy reported he got 10K off msrp on an 06. Good luck.

PS I see you are in CA - also be prepaired to PAY Big to the DMV since it is a pickup and will require commercial plates. I have not got a renewal but it appears the cost will be an additional $300 in addition to the $30 plate fee, $8 smog, etc.

 

First of all as I tell everyone "We dont buy trucks for gas mileage!" If you want that get an old Honda Civic that will get you around 40+ MPG! Now with that out of the way...

I just purchased a Black 2006 Power Wagon from CARmax where I work for a little over $17K. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.I got it before it hit the lot as these are hard to come by and sell quick. I have been offered well over $25K for it in the few weeks I have owned it. I have seen very few around here but the ones I did see are pricey, heck the bank would loan up to 28K on mine. It should hold its resale value pretty well considering it is the cream of the crop for an off-road vehicle according to most off-roading publications. I have had Dodge Trucks and Land Rovers for years, even worked at Land Rover for a while as a technician and did dealer sponsered off-road events in my Ram with the Rovers loversand held my own to their surprise. Those vehicles are way over-rated..LOL. I love it!I wish I would had a PowerWagon back then with its factory lockers and 4:56 gears.I would have made 'em green with envy. My Power Wagonis something people love to stop and look at and ask questions about when I am fueling her up or getting a drink. You would not believe the people, , Dodge people, myself included, that do not know they even make these trucks. I know I had never seen one till it rolled on the lot at work, the rest is history.

I had a 96 Dodge 1500 5.94X4 for years and found it a bit dissapointing in the power area and it only got 10 MPG! Towing or fully loaded it was horrible. While my PowerWagon is averaging 11 to 12 right nowwith the Airaid Intaketube and Borla Muffler,I have seen a increase since I tuned it with my new SuperChips to the performance setting. I should know more in a couple of weeks once I run a few tanks through her to get a better average. I will try and stay out of the petal, hard to do when you have it reprogrammed and there are so many Fords and Chevys that want to show off when they see this thing.

I did some hauling in it a couple of weeks past and got freaked out thinking I had lost the heavy car trailer it pulls so good...LOL. Pulled a boat as well last week and could not even tell it was there. All in all it is a wonderful truck. I would not own anything but one of these!

 

i love the powerwagons (old and new).....i would buy it over any other truck on the market today.....
(yes even an srt-10)

 

where in so cal are you? theres a lot of dealers here and im more than sure you can find one here which will give you the best deal. a 2hr drive is worth it for the $$$ youd be saving. plus, the 08s look the same as the 07s.

 

I bought an '05 in Oct. '05 and am very happy with it. I have towed an enclosed trailer around 6000# once and had no problems. I regularly tow 2 quads on a 16 foot heavy duty flat bed, about 3000# fully loaded with gas and gear, and tow no problem at 70-80 mph.

Gas mileage, well I was getting 13 mpg this summer in mixed driving and now with the cold weather around twelve, but I don't drive to save gas either.

My "con" is that it's so tall that my antenna hits the weather stripping on my garage when I pull into the garage. So, I've planned to put 35" tires on it in the future and either I'll have to modify the garage or park outside. It's currently outside but I still like to get out of the wind (last weekend) to change the oil and such.

For me it is the perfect truck. In the last few months I started using it as a daily driver. For almost 2 years it was either used for off-road or trailering the ATV's only. Now that I drive it every day, there really is nothing else out right now that I want. It's more "pavement queen" now as a daily driver but I find I am more relaxed driving this than any vehicle I've had in the past. I'm not sure why exactly other than I simply enjoy it.

My last suggestion is you may want to wait a year as the 2009 Rams are going to be all new again and so far I have not heard any rumors of the PW being discontinued.

 

First question is type of trailer, power wagons have a higher than average ride hieght, unless you want your recieaver hitch draging on the ground, you might have to change the running gear on your trailer.

The hemi is more than enough engine for off road and towing, as for milage, if you can;t pay, don't go thier.

My I suggest a 2500 hemi SL or SLT 4x4 , booth models don't have the off road goodies, but are othiuer wise are excellant off road and will get better mileage with a 373 or 410 lt slip and are a lot cheaper.

I really like the power wagon, but A jeeap or a RPOS is my first choice for off road driving, I don't do a lot of off road stuff with my 06 2500 SLT but the last time I went off roading, made some cash pulling out a H-3 Hummer that high centerd, dam fool was in my way...

 

cyclone,

My trailer is an 7000# Airstream, I was pulling it with an diesel F250CC long bed 4X4 with 35s, so the hitch height has already been addressed and I will not have any problem. The hitch has infinite adjustment. One of the reasons for looking at the PW is the softer spring setting on the rear, Airstreams are very sensitive to a harsh ride, and the PW should help to decrease what a heavy tow monster does to a fine trailer over time. The diesel was overkill and although a long wheelbase is ideal for towing, the PW is more than enough. The Ram 2500 Cummins is just to boring for me, I only tow 25% of the time, so I want a fun truck. I boondock and want my puller to be able to have a dual purpose, thus wheeling is the plan, As I said in my opening post, I know the mileage is gonna suck, I am just asking how much, mostly because I am trying to get an idea of the potential range of the 34 gallon fuel tank

I ruled out the 1500 because I want a 3/4 ton for the frame, suspension and the brakes. In my area you can't find a 2500 SLT with 4.10s, they are all 3.73 and I can't wait to order a truck. The 4.56 seems perfect for my towing task. I really don't want another oil burner.

I would appreciate any advice on pricing for a new 2008, considering a PW with an MSRP just under $50,000, it has almost every option. Real world towing experience is also valuble info from anyone who tows a similar weight in various conditions.

thanks