Blog

Ram HD with Ram Power Wagon Package

Ram Heavy Duty Pickups Land First Punch in 2019/2020 Heavy Duty Pickup Battle  The Ram Heavy Duty pickups are new for the 2019 model year beating Ford and General Motors to the market in the latest round of the Heavy Duty Pickup war.  The Ram Heavy Duty will be on the market in the second quarter of 2019.  While the Ram HD lineup includes six price classes (starting at $33,395 plus $1,695 delivery) the Ram Power Wagon package can be added to any one of them.  Ram contends the Ram Power Wagon is the “Most Off-Road Capable Pickup” available.

While Ford (F-150 Raptor), Chevrolet (Silverado Trail Boss) and GMC (Sierra AT4) might disagree, those off-roaders are based on half ton pickups.  Ford’s Raptor is a go-fast off-roader and GMs are go-slow off-roaders (i.e. more for rugged trails than blasting across the desert).  Maybe the closest a Ford Super Duty could come to the Power Wagon is an F-250 FX-4.

The Ram Power Wagon is based on the Ram 2500 three-quarter ton chassis.  Most Ram Power Wagon units will be loaded with a boatload of nicely profitable additional features.  It’s pretty cool, however, to have a Ram Power Wagon available on its base Tradesman trim level.  The Tradesman Power Wagon would appeal to forest management, border patrol or folks just wanting a pure hard-core off-roader.

What makes the Ram Power Wagon special?  To manage hard-core off-road challenges, Power Wagon has a unique suspension and is lifted higher than the already-high Ram 2500.  Because it is an off-road specialist, the Ram Power Wagon examples available to drive did not include running boards.  A ladder is practically required to get up into one.  All of that gets the Ram Power Wagon higher off the ground.  Getting through the tough stuff requires mechanicals like locking front and rear differentials, a disconnecting sway bar and hill descent control.  There is a 12,000 pound WARN winch integrated in the front end.

During a short, but very difficult and technical off-road excursion, the Ram Power Wagon excelled.  Rock crawling is its forte, but the size of the truck means you have to be really careful about threading the vehicle between boulders waiting to scrape the bodywork.

Limited Model Max Lux Heavy Duty  The Limited trim level (to which a Power Wagon package can be added) includes a sumptuous interior and very functional 12-inch vertical screen in the center stack.  The center console is huge and very configurable.  The Ram HD Limited arguably has the best, most upscale, interior trim and fitments of any Heavy Duty pickups including the yet-to-come 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD and the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty.  Just for reference… the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty Limited we drove had an $89,500 sticker price!  Of course, it had the 1000 lb ft Cummins diesel that is an $11,000 option.