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Power Wagon or Ram 1500 Limited?

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Quick

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Alrighty - wanted to get the view from this crew on a decision I'm trying to make.

First, I must confess, I am a car guy in a huge way. I often buy cars because I want/desire them far more than I need them. That also happens to be true in the case of the power wagon. I need a truck for a few random activities, and the PW is one of the coolest trucks on the market today. So I bought one (an L3).

My main truck activity (besides hauling random stuff from Home Depot or storage facility, etc.) is to tow my track car. The car and trailer weigh about 6-7k in total, so the PW should be able to handle it without issue.

Problem is the PW is still an HD truck, and comes with HD truck character - ride quality, poor seating (I'm 6'1 and all torso, so head room is tight), poor fuel economy, 7+' tall, etc.. It's awesome off-road, but I also own a built Jeep Wrangler 392 that will likely see the bulk of the off-road work. I also live in the Northeast, so off-roading is exceptionally limited here anyway.

I've been considering downgrading to more of a "street truck" - something a bit more luxurious and easier to drive. Though this could all be perception and not reality. I've driven them back to back and obviously the air suspension in the limited rides better, but not sure if it's actually easier to drive overall. Apparently the dimensions show that the 1500 is actually wider than the PW? Certainly didn't feel that way when driving.

So - what do you guys think? Worth the downgrade? Keep going with the PW?

My PW is setup on 37s as the only mod currently. Trying to keep it simple.
 
First I would check the tire pressure on your PW. 45/37 is where you want to be. Mine rides awesome at those pressures.

If you are comparing a '22 PW with the 4.5 gen cab against a 1500 Gen 5 cab, they are not the same. The gen 5 has more room as it is bigger and also does not have the center drive shaft hump in it.
 
Currently running 40psi both front and rear. Still, the PW is substantially stiffer than the 1500. It's not terrible, but it just is.

Yeah, I'm aware of the cabin differences. I had a TRX for a while. I wish they'd put the new cab on the 2500s, but they haven't yet.
 
The new cab in the 1500s is larger (wider and longer) than the old cabs (still used on HDs). A 6ft bed crew cab 1500 also has a longer wheelbase now than the cc/6ft bed hd.

Since you have the wrangler…In your shoes I’d probably sell the power wagon and get the 1500 Limited . Or honestly if I was looking to get a truck that wasn’t as offroad capable I’d seriously consider an F150 Lightning
 
el_barto said:
The new cab in the 1500s is larger (wider and longer) than the old cabs (still used on HDs). A 6ft bed crew cab 1500 also has a longer wheelbase now than the cc/6ft bed hd.

Since you have the wrangler…In your shoes I’d probably sell the power wagon and get the 1500 Limited . Or honestly if I was looking to get a truck that wasn’t as offroad capable I’d seriously consider an F150 Lightning
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I thought about the lightning, but when I tow the track car it's usually for 9+ hour trips. Dealing with charging on such distances makes it a non-starter right not (not to mention they are unobtanium)
 
On paper the 1500 makes more sense for just about everything you need other than the cool factor of the PW. Id swap to the 1500 if I were you, better cab, more comfortable ride, better MPGs etc
 
Well, I have s 22 PW L3 and my brother in law has a 21 1500 limited. He kept telling me I should go with the 1500 limited, until he saw my PW, now he's looking at buying a PW. Like tchur1 said. Its all about the cool factor.
 
The cool factor is real. Every time I drive into my driveway, that truck makes me smile (and knowing its capabilities). That's my concern with the 1500. It's a nice truck, but not sure I'll lust after it.

Clearly the more practical choice. But I own 7 cars so I'm not known for making practical decisions.
 
Considering your current vehicle fleet includes a Jeep 392, track car, a new power wagon and 4 others, I'll take a educated guess that you're not hurting financially. If that is the case this decision is purely a question of practicality vs desire. I'd keep the power wagon for as long as it held your eye. There will always be something new out there, and considering the insanity of the market right now, you're likely going to struggle to get the vehicle you want since a lot of dealer lots are still pretty empty.
 
UglyViking said:
Considering your current vehicle fleet includes a Jeep 392, track car, a new power wagon and 4 others, I'll take a educated guess that you're not hurting financially. If that is the case this decision is purely a question of practicality vs desire. I'd keep the power wagon for as long as it held your eye. There will always be something new out there, and considering the insanity of the market right now, you're likely going to struggle to get the vehicle you want since a lot of dealer lots are still pretty empty.
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No, not a financially motivated choice.

Originally I opted for the PW as I thought to myself "well, if I need a truck, I might as well get a cool one". Now that I have it, the shortcomings of the PW rears its head for daily life. I took it to the grocery store yesterday, just to get out in it, and driving the 8k lb truck does get to be a bit tiresome.

I was lucky enough to find a dealer that has the truck I'm interested in (22 1500, Delmonico Red, 5.7 Hemi without e-torque, tow package, limited L1 package) and offered me a discount on it. They are working the deal on the PW now as I type this. We'll see if they can make it worthwhile.

I wish I lived out west where I could enjoy the toys more, but sigh, my job is in the northeast.
 
I also live in the northeast and can sympathize with the fact that truck is big. I've found myself questioning if I still want to keep it as I'm considering getting out of the travel trailer life. That said, I think the difference between a HD and LD truck isn't a ton. The turning radius and length are the two main things I notice. Obviously a short bed crew cab will be slightly less long, it's not by a ton. The turning radius on the two trucks is close to identical, and if you change out the wheels on the 1500 with wider or further outset wheels it will probably be the same.

The interior on the 1500 is def a bit nicer for sure, a bit more roomy, and I'm very jealous of that flat back seat area, but beyond that I don't see it as a dramatic change. That said, if it's what you want and you've got the cash why not.
 
Turning radius and overall size are definitely similar. I was shocked to learn when I first bought the PW that it's actually narrower than the current 1500. But there are other benefits as well:
- Lower overall height means it fits in parking garages. I currently can't drive my PW to work as it's only 6'7" garage. There are a lot of parking garages in my area (Stamford / Greenwich / NY)
- Lower weight means it drives "lighter" - better acceleration, braking, turning, etc.
- Independent front suspension beats solid front axle for ride quality and steering accuracy
- Air suspension means I don't have to deal with bags or other add-ons when towing my track trailer (700lbs on the tongue)
- Air suspension rides like my Mercedes GLS did. I was shocked at how well the truck drove
- Newer cab and seats allow me to sit lower. My head is 1" from the roof in the PW (without sunroof), and if I get out too quickly without ducking I hit my head on the window opening. I'm like 5" from the roof in the 1500
- 1500 I'm looking at has both higher payload and towing capacity (less meaningful to me, but I thought interesting none the less)

In the end, the above is actually meaningful to my use case if I'm practical about what I "need". The advantage the PW has (off-road cred, badass looks and presence) are things I pay a tax for but don't really use. Other aspect is the PW exceeds the capacity of some of our roads in CT (for example, technically illegal to drive on the Merrit Parkway) - and they tax me extra for it as it's a combo vehicle.
 
FWIW, I'm in the process of trading my 19 1500 Laramie (no airride) in for a PW. For your arguments, I live in the South, so some of them may not apply, but down here I don't fit in most parking garages with the 1500, either. And when I test drove the PW, I found the ride quality equal. Airride may be different, sure. Of course I like the flat rear seat floor, but my 2010 had the tunnel there, too, and with the flip-down system, it's not an issue for me.
I have a CrewCab 6'4" truck, so turning radius will be the same. The PW is a tad narrower than the 5th gen 1500's, but only by an inch or so. Nothing really relevant IMHO.

I, too, won't be needing the off-road capabilities very often, but as you said, with the bad-ass look the PW is a totally different animal.
 
DrTron said:
FWIW, I'm in the process of trading my 19 1500 Laramie (no airride) in for a PW. For your arguments, I live in the South, so some of them may not apply, but down here I don't fit in most parking garages with the 1500, either. And when I test drove the PW, I found the ride quality equal. Airride may be different, sure. Of course I like the flat rear seat floor, but my 2010 had the tunnel there, too, and with the flip-down system, it's not an issue for me.
I have a CrewCab 6'4" truck, so turning radius will be the same. The PW is a tad narrower than the 5th gen 1500's, but only by an inch or so. Nothing really relevant IMHO.

I, too, won't be needing the off-road capabilities very often, but as you said, with the bad-ass look the PW is a totally different animal.
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Are you just upgrading the PW because it's cool, or do you need the extra capability as well?

My problem even with the capability is that when it comes down to choosing between the PW and 392 Wrangler for off-road fun, the 392 will go where the PW cannot. So really the PW is relegated to "street truck".
 
Now that may sound a bit silly, but here it is: I wanted a new truck that had some bells and whistles my current one doesn't, like power mirrors (I always have to flip one manually to get into the garage), adaptive cruise control and such.
Since I have a CC with the 6'4"-bed (which I use frequently for long stuff), I wouldn't want to go with the shorter bed. As I was also tired of lugging stuff around in a box on the bed (straps, jumper cables, etc.), I wanted the Ramboxes.
Now RAM doesn't make a Gen5 1500 with the long bed and Ramboxes. So I looked into 2500's, where they do, and decided I didn't need the high towing/payload capacity of a 2500 and didn't want to deal with the harsh ride, so the PW checked all the boxes for me. Plus the bad-assery bit. On top of that, it's hard to find your (grey) truck on a parking lot around here because everybody drives one. So the taller PW might solve that problem, too.

Like I said, maybe a bit silly...but then again, none of my previous cars have been reasonable ones.
 
Quick said:
Are you just upgrading the PW because it's cool, or do you need the extra capability as well?

My problem even with the capability is that when it comes down to choosing between the PW and 392 Wrangler for off-road fun, the 392 will go where the PW cannot. So really the PW is relegated to "street truck".
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I live up in NH, and honestly I've not seen many trails I can't take my rig on if I'm ok with a few pinstripes. Trails in new england are very different than out west, so there is that but I honestly think that, stock to stock, the PW is more capable than the Jeep.
 
DrTron said:
Now that may sound a bit silly, but here it is: I wanted a new truck that had some bells and whistles my current one doesn't, like power mirrors (I always have to flip one manually to get into the garage), adaptive cruise control and such.
Since I have a CC with the 6'4"-bed (which I use frequently for long stuff), I wouldn't want to go with the shorter bed. As I was also tired of lugging stuff around in a box on the bed (straps, jumper cables, etc.), I wanted the Ramboxes.
Now RAM doesn't make a Gen5 1500 with the long bed and Ramboxes. So I looked into 2500's, where they do, and decided I didn't need the high towing/payload capacity of a 2500 and didn't want to deal with the harsh ride, so the PW checked all the boxes for me. Plus the bad-assery bit. On top of that, it's hard to find your (grey) truck on a parking lot around here because everybody drives one. So the taller PW might solve that problem, too.

Like I said, maybe a bit silly...but then again, none of my previous cars have been reasonable ones.
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Ha - I totally get it. Optimizing for your needs. Makes sense to me.
 
UglyViking said:
I live up in NH, and honestly I've not seen many trails I can't take my rig on if I'm ok with a few pinstripes. Trails in new england are very different than out west, so there is that but I honestly think that, stock to stock, the PW is more capable than the Jeep.
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Stock to stock, maybe. But my Jeep is far from stock and already committed as the "dirty" toy.

On the trails I have been on in the Catskills, for example, the overall length of the PW presents a problem for navigating through the trails. I'm talking trees barely wider than my Jeep, and sometimes requiring 3 point turns to make it. I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable with he PW on those trails.

To be fair - I didn't buy the PW for those trails either. I bought it more for "overlanding". I've come to the conclusion that might be more of a fantasy than a reality, unfortunately. Given time constraints and lack of public land here.
 
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