I don't believe that at all. My friend has an '05 Ram 2500, manual trans, 5.7 hemi. I used to have an '04 F-150, 5.4 triton. We pulled our campers together into the mountains a few times, and everytime we pulled a mountain pass I left him waaaaaay behind. There's no way the 5.7 could match up to a V10.

The 5.7 is actually rated at higher hp than my V10 is, the torque is where the big difference is. I'm hoping that the deeper 4.56 gears in the Power Wagon would keep the rpms up into that horsepower "sweet spot" so that I wouldn't feel like its lacking.

Again, I don't expect it to tow as well as my v-10 does, but I am willing to sacrifice a little bit of torque for the off-road capability.

Thank you for the rest of your post, very informative. 1/2 tons are out of the question for me, regardless of make.

 

The manual also has 4.56 gears. I am positive because that was the determining factor for my purchase of the truck. Anyone tells you different then its bull. I would not have bought the manual if gear ratio was lower.A tech from dodge trucks r&d assured me they all have 4.56. I am shifting into 6th gear at 45 mph. At 55 the rpm is 2100-at 70 it is 2700rpm. Our auto w/4.10 was 1600 @ 55. I beleive it is geared perfect for towing. IMO it is WAY cheaper to pay the 6380$ difference then to do it all yourself- plus it is under warrenty-lifetime on powertrain (it includes u-joints-yeah!!! ) There is no way you could do ALL of those things yourself for less.12000lb warn winch- F&R lockers-Elec disconnecting swaybar-long travel,high articulating suspention-Bilstein long travel shocks-more , but thinner rear leaf springs for softer,more flexible ride w/out sacrificing load carring ability(50 lbs less)-sits 2" higher- the axel shafts are larger(out of the one ton (they use less axel fluid because of the 1.5" diameter) The differential housing is reinforced with much more steel(I think the axel tubes are slightly larger also)-Full skidplating underneath-Onepiece forged Alcoa aluminum rims with a internal rib(beadlock) to prevent the tire from rolling off the rim at extreme side loads/angles x5-Throttle has reduced sensitivity in low range to prevent the truck from surging while in rough&bumpy terrain when you accidently stomp it to the floor(did'nt think i'd like that but it works really well) And that does not include all the regular truck options that are standard with the powerwagon. It is by FAR- the best value in any 3/4 ton truck-Period. I looked at a brandnew 07' silverado badlander-3/4ton deisel crewcab w/6"pro-comp lift & 35" tires on 22"rims-no spare-just an unuseable stock tire on steel rim-FOR 63,398$ A ford 3/4ton deisel crew that did not even have the off-road package FOR 50,190$. Neither of these could hold a candle to the PowerWagon offroad. Or onroad in the snow. Ours was $44,000 & change-With the rock rails-leather-eng blk heater-t tow mirrors.

 

Thanks again Tractor. Very informative post!

 

I still put my reg cab 2500 Ramagainst a ford v/10 with a = l load as for the 5.4 3v I had way too manny problems in my 04 F-150 with timming chains, cam phasers and injecters, THe older 260 Hp versions of the 5.4 worked well for me, I never had any spark plug issues, but the older 5.4 2v are in a lot lighter truck than the 04.

The newer v/10 is a 3v version, just like the 5.4 3v, not sure what the h/p ratting is, But all the issues of the 5.4 triton are going to follow the V/10, any how, no more Ford for me, ever again, I hate the brand bad, prior to 2002 I had great luck with Ford, .

If you jump to dodge, it will take a while to adjust, only due to the Ford proffing you have have been exposed to, But Dodge is a great truck, tide is turning...

 

interior durability? well u got to take care of it. my first pickup a 79 dodge bought new,drove 21 years myself,on it's 3rd owner now.2nd & 3rd owners friends of mine.seat recovered once since 79. what do u want?

 

What I've heard about is the interior "fit and finish" is kind of lacking in the newer models... in the 70's I don't think there was a whole lot of difference between makes, there wasn't near as much plastic in use. Can't say I've personally seen it, just something I will be looking for when I go shopping.

Thanks again for all the input!

 

tractor,

Sorry to tell you, but, the 08 Power Wagon Quad Cab is not available with both the 6 speed manual and the 4.56 gears, only the Power Wagon Regular Cab has the option of a 6 speed manual with either 3.42 or 4.56 gears. The 08 Power Wagon Quad Cab is available in either a 5 speed auto with 4.56 gears OR a 6 speed manual with 3.42 gears. Go onto Dodge.com and build a Power Wagon, you will see the notations in the section where you select the gears. I have confirmed the accuracy with two dealers. Of course, both the Dodge website and the two dealers could be wrong, it has happened before.

Air Mail,

The Quad Cab may be too small for 5, the center rear is a very abbreviated seat, real short. If it is for a young child, then you will be OK for about 8 years. I went from a Ford 250 PSD 4X4 CC long bed, for some of the same reasons you have mentioned. I wanted something that I could tow my 7000# TT and still have fun with when I got to where we camp. The QC Power Wagon is real fun to drive, even on the streets. As for towing, the Hemi gets the job done, the 4.56s help, but the motor does have to rev up to get the torque for hills, stll well within the reasonable RPM range. My F250 was a more stable tower, but that is because the PW is lighter and has a much softer suspension. I am looking at either air bags or Super Springs to get a bit more stability while towing, but unless you came from a bigger truck, most would not bother.

Bottom line, the Power Wagon works for me, it tows well and drives solo great, lots of power when wheeling and it is rock solid. Based on your description of your needs and style, the PW fits, just be aware you may need to beef up the rear end a bit for towing and the MPG will be about 8 to 10 city, 8 to 12 towing (mostly hiway) and about 13 to 15 hiway solo. Mileage in terms of todays and tomorrow gas prices is the only downside of the Power Wagon, but that is true for most trucks, except for some of the diesels.

 

That is where my info came from... the Dodge site...maybe the '09s will have something different for gearing anyway? We'll see.

Thanks for the great comparo, just the kind of info I have been looking for. I really didn't expect the seating would be that tight, I'll definitely keep it in mind. Primarily I will be hauling my 3 kids in the back, occasionally a hunting/fishing buddy or two. But the truck is likely to get many more solo miles in it, as we have a minivan for the non-backcountry trips. One thing I couldn't stand was having to slide my seat forward when the kids were in the back of my old extended cab. I'm 6'0", long-legged and it wasn't very comfortable. I hope to stay away from too much of that. MaybeI need to pay closer attention, but it just seems like the kids don't need all the room that I have in the back of my current crew cab.

As far as the towing RPMs, I'm used to that... the Triton motors are the same way, they like to rev to make power. The V10 especially sounds like it's going to fly apart compared to an old big block, but its sweet spot is 2500-3500 rpms. The fuel mileage sounds really close to what I'm getting with the V10... no concern. The '08 Power Wagon is actually 500 lbs heavier than my current SD, so I didn't figure stability would be that big a deal, athough the added height would probably negate the weight difference. I suspected the rear springs might be a little softer...if need be I plan to add air bags. My buddy has a Dodge 3500 with them on and they are really sweet.