2022 Ram Power Wagon Level 3

[william_beaux]

Hello all - firstly, thanks for all the info archived on these threads - so much good knowledge on this site.

I moved up from a F150 FX2 2wd with rear locker - that truck served me well, but I wanted to move up to something bigger to carry more stuff on longer road trips and have more off-road capability (peace of mind) when we got there. I previously had a 2006 LJ and have been a long time fan of the Power Wagons and all things AEV - huge fan of the 75th Anniversary Power Wagons.

While browsing the interwebs, I came across a 2021 75th that had been up-fitted with the AEV suspension and some other AEV goodies. The truck was on the other side of the US, but it didn't sell immediately. I watched it for a few months to see how much the price would come down, but it ultimately sold for higher than I wanted to pay.

About a month later, I am browsing for pre-owned Power Wagons and saw a dealer photo of a Power Wagon that looked like it had some aftermarket upgrades. The dealer description was for a 2022 Level 3 with almost every package, but a discerning eye would also have seen AEV wheels and 37s, along with an AEV front and rear bumper. I called the dealership and the lady I spoke with was nice enough to walk outside and crawl under the truck for some photos. It also had the AEV R/T suspension installed.

The truck only had 900 miles on it as a certified pre-owned 2022. The truck was located in New Jersey, so I figured the AEV up-fitting had to have been done locally and not at Michigan (no door placard). A quick search showed one off-road shop in New Jersey that was AEV affiliated - OK4WD - and lo-and-behold, photos of the truck were on their website and Instagram. I contacted the company and they were super helpful in providing the build sheet for the work and parts installed on the truck through their shop.

AEV suspension, AEV front and rear bumpers, AEV Katla wheels with 37" BFGs, Rigid Pro rear LEDs, White Knuckle sliders with top step.

None of those extras were reflected in the dealer price of the truck. So, the truck is now in my driveway and has several thousand more miles. It's already knocked out parts of the Georgia Traverse and Florida Adventure Trail.

When researching the AEV suspension that's installed, I verified that the Power Wagon springs were removed during the up-fitting of the truck. AEV recommends putting the stock springs from a 2500 when using their suspension on a Power Wagon, which, adds more payload/towing capacity (while diminishing some off-road capability) back to the truck. I don't think I've seen it mentioned on this site when discussing the AEV suspension., but felt it worth noting.

Here's some pics as she sits. I think the best feature is the cupholder on the AEV rear bumper that is out of the way of the tailgate - genius.

 

[william_beaux]

I am looking to add a roof top tent to the bed, but I want to keep the profile below the height of the cab. The set up I am looking to run is a Diamondback HD with Front Runner rails and cross bars with an iKamper mini, but need to do some more research on whether I would still be able access the Ramboxes with it all mounted.

I am also leaning more towards adding a dual battery setup, possibly sacrificing one of the Ramboxes to do so, but not sure if I want to give up the storage space. I like the idea of the RedArc GoBlock and am thinking of DIY'ing something similar. This would allow us to move the battery setup to my wife's vehicle when needed and allow us to power a fridge and whatnot as well. The downside of a semi-permanent dual battery is the inability to power vehicle accessories off of the "house" battery.

In an effort to better leverage the Ramboxes, I 3d printed the dividers for the boxes - file was found on the interwebs.

Tried to include a video of a small water crossing, but video is too large for server.

 

[DWEL]

@william_beaux What tonneau cover is that?

 

[william_beaux]

@william_beaux What tonneau cover is that?

OEM trifold tonneau

 

[Enve46]

Great score! I also come from owning LJs and now a PW. Jealous of the bumpers! I scored some AEV salsas and 37s on fb marketplace and really want their flares and bumpers.

 

[P8trit]

I decided to go with a Bluetti power bank instead of installing a permanent set up so I don't carry more when not needed. It's not alot compared to what these trucks can handle but everything adds up and makes a difference.
Nice build, keep it coming..

 

[william_beaux]

"Ounces lead to pounds, and pounds lead to pain."

I have concerns about the weight of the truck. I know, I know - "how can I increase payload on my Power Wagon"... - my original note above about AEV recommending to swap out the softer Power Wagon springs to the stock HD springs helps to address this. While doing some more digging on the topic, I came across some posts on the AEV forum from AEV Dave (signed 'dh') who I surmise is Dave Harriton, who said as such, stating "the non-PW spring would add...more load capacity and not affect articulation".




This was an interesting note because of the current weight of my vehicle. Per the Stellantis propoganda, a stock 2022 Power Wagon with Rambox has a curb weight of 7045#, with a GVWR of 8565#. The truck, as it sits currently, has the AEV lift, AEV front bumper, AEV rear bumper, 17" AEV Katlas with 37"12.5xr17 BFG KOs, White Knuckle sliders with top step, a set of Rigid D-Series Pro lights, stock 285x70x17 Goodyear Wrangler spare tire, and the Warn Zeon-12s with synthetic with about 40# of recovery gear (tire repair kit, ropes, shackles. snatch blocks, bottle jack, etc), and about 50# of additional gear (e-tool, air compressor with cable, ratchet straps, etc). I took the truck up to a CAT scale and she weighed in at 8340# (4620# front / 3720# rear) with a full tank of gas. The GAWRs for a stock 2022 Power Wagon is 4750# front / 6200# rear. My current payload, when using the GVWR on the door placard, is 225#. Shameful, but I must say, the truck does not drive as if it is approaching the GVWR, most likely due to the changes of the AEV lift impacting steering geometries, but also, most likely due to the changing of the springs. In the AEV post from 'dh', he also notes that the reduced GVWR for the Power Wagon is also due to the stock tires, which were also changed out, so I still feel comfortable running adding a roof top tent over the bed, knowing that I have the payload to do so, but will legally be exceeding the GVWR.




And with the benefit of knowing the actual weight of the vehicle with all the extras, I am able to dial-in the tire pressures for the BFG KOs, which are a D-load tire rated at 124 R (106mph), which at a max of 50psi support 3525# per tire. So, based on math, I should run 28psi front (2340# per tire) with a rear pressure of 22psi (1940# per tire) based on the load inflation tables from BFG. With proper rotations, this would yield the proper wear pattern, but my OCD cannot handle the light on the dash from the TPMS. Even with the AEV ProCal Snap, which allows me to lower the TPMS threshold as low as 35 psi, it still illuminates a lower pressure warning. The TPMS should not trigger until the tire pressure is 75% of the threshold, so I should have as low as 27psi before the TPMS warning triggers.



An aside about the TPMS system - while messing with the tire pressures, once the TPMS is activated, the tire needs to be inflated to the TPMS threshold setting in order for the TPMS warning to go away. I was getting frustrated when the TPMS warning light would not go away after I had inflated the tire to within 75% of the threshold, until I realized that I need to inflate up to TPMS threshold first, let the truck power on and detect the tire pressures at the TPMS threshold, then deflate the tires down to the desired pressures.

I plan to run the tires as 33psi front / 28psi rear to avoid the TPMS headaches. Anyone else running their D-rated 37's this low psi? When airing down, what pressures are your running for trails if you are already aired down this low for daily driving? I would appreciate the sanity check.

 

[Enve46]

Not saying you're wrong but those are similar pressures I would daily my Jeep Wrangler on, not sure Id run that on my Power Wagon. Currently my fronts are 45, rear 40 and I get damn near full contact patch, good riding quality so I am content with that. Id also suggest looking into the reviews on the articulation from the HD springs on the PW, its well-documented they leave a bit to desire. If I were in your shoes, Id probaby go to Carli or Thuren for a spring package that will net you the articulation and load rating you're looking for. Ive even seen but on FB getting custom rear springs made for their 2500 and was able to legally get their trucks rating increased.

 

[william_beaux]

Pics for attention - these were with the sway bar still connected, so there's a bit more flex to unlock up front - I will go back and disconnect and get some photos for comparison.

 

[UglyViking]

Nice build. What made you want the AEV suspension, just a real AEV fan?

It strikes me as odd that AEV replaces the OEM PW springs with springs from the 2500, as their whole shtick is that there are dozens of combinations of springs depending on the model of truck and options, and on and on. Dave even talks about it on one of his videos depending the brackets and spacers for the springs of the kit.

It's pretty nice to see Dave talk about tire rating and spring as being the things that affect the load rating. So many guys seem to think that since nothing can legally change your GVWR/GAWR it's set in stone and that physical items (higher weight rated tires/wheels, airbags, etc.) don't actually affect what your truck can carry in the real world. It's refreshing, if also a little shocking, to see.

Got any major plans for your build, or mainly enjoying as is?

 

[william_beaux]

Nice build. What made you want the AEV suspension, just a real AEV fan?

It strikes me as odd that AEV replaces the OEM PW springs with springs from the 2500, as their whole shtick is that there are dozens of combinations of springs depending on the model of truck and options, and on and on. Dave even talks about it on one of his videos depending the brackets and spacers for the springs of the kit.

It's pretty nice to see Dave talk about tire rating and spring as being the things that affect the load rating. So many guys seem to think that since nothing can legally change your GVWR/GAWR it's set in stone and that physical items (higher weight rated tires/wheels, airbags, etc.) don't actually affect what your truck can carry in the real world. It's refreshing, if also a little shocking, to see.

Got any major plans for your build, or mainly enjoying as is?

I liked the AEV products from back when I owned my LJ, and I liked what their Ram HD lift addresses with regards to steering and roll center when I was considering how I would use the truck (the DualSport RT is installed on this truck). I mostly use her as a daily, with long weekend on-road/off-road trail trips (300-500 miles) every month and longer road trips every few months (750+ miles) to other trail destinations. With knowing how much this truck would be used on-road, it made sense for me to gain some of that handling and comfort back if adding an aftermarket suspension. This truck won't be used as a rock crawler or mud-bogger, and I don't plan to tear it up since it is my daily.

I am still researching potential dual-battery setups to integrate into the Ramboxes, which would further allow for an on-board air system. I like the idea of plumbing the air lines to the front/rear bumpers, so I may tackle that project as well after the battery install. I am not a fan of ditch lights because of the visual obstruction from inside the cab, but she does need some more lighting and ditch lights seem the easiest solution. Otherwise, I would like to run a light-bar off the front bumper above the winch under the loop - there's some pre-drilled holes in the AEV bumper so I need to so what can be mounted there.

No major mechanical or suspension related upgrades are planned currently.

 

[UglyViking]

Well it's a great looking truck. I hope it treats you well! One recommendation, if you've not done it already. The AEV lift includes a fair number of brackets, so if the installer didn't mark it with a paint pen, I strongly recommend you do so as it will allow you to quickly tell if any of those brackets come loose. With your use case, it's unlikely to be an issue, but it's pretty cheap and easy to do.

 

[william_beaux]

Well it's a great looking truck. I hope it treats you well! One recommendation, if you've not done it already. The AEV lift includes a fair number of brackets, so if the installer didn't mark it with a paint pen, I strongly recommend you do so as it will allow you to quickly tell if any of those brackets come loose. With your use case, it's unlikely to be an issue, but it's pretty cheap and easy to do.

When I bought the truck, that was one of the first things I noticed was that the fine folks of OK4WD had already marked everything post-install - they did an excellent job.

 

[Etoimos]

Welcome to the PW club. That was a nice find and a good looking truck.

 

[william_beaux]

I've had the opportunity to take the truck out to some spots around FL - sand, mud, and tight trails. I have acquired a few pinstripes and a nice rash on the tube bumper, but nothing a good wash/wax and some touch-up bumper paint from AEV can't fix, but it still hurts my soul.







Also added the OEM slush mats. I have a set of the nice Weather-tec mats for the wife's vehicle, and these OEM slush mats are every bit as nice as those, even better because they are branded Ram. I was able to find a set at a local dealer and avoided ridiculous shipping costs because of the size of the box.




And, I also 3D printed a cover for the floor cupholders that are exposed when the rear floor is deployed. I watched the doggo trip into it when he rode back there while seats were up and floor down, and this makes it completely flat - found the file free on the interwebs.

 

[william_beaux]

So, follow up on the trail rash on the tube bumpers. I guess I dropped more weight on it than I thought, it's now a custom install overtop of the sheet metal it protected

 

[Enve46]

Nice, its always fun getting the first trail damage haha... Can probably fix that yourself honestly. Hair dryer to heat up the paint, plumbing adjustable wrench with the rubber covers and bend it back.