I have seen a few nice builds posted on here and wanted to post mine. It hasn’t been a lot but it might evolve as time goes on. Sorry it’s a story book just thought someone might like a little story from time to time. As I do with some of the other builds on this and a few other forums I visit.
Starting at the beginning. I have always loved Jeeps, dodge rams, and cool cars. When I was young we traveled from Oregon to Iowa. It was during tornado season in red dodge, just like the one on twister the movie. We watched the movie just before we made the trip. Well it made for a fun trip. Mom would freak out at anything that looked like a storm chasing vehicle. “No mom that’s a septic service truck.”
Then we owned a black 97 jeep wrangler growing up. I then found out about the rubicon jeep and how it had lockers and such in 2003. It was then my dream jeep. Couldn’t afford it as I just graduated high school. But then I learned about the new Ram Power Wagon in 2005, I was hooked. It could tow, drive long distances comfortably. Best of all it could get you where ever you wanted to go,(if not by true wheel drive, then by its good friend warn). As the years passed I had helped a few people find their dream power wagons. But it wasn’t my turn yet. I had to make do with Jeep Cherokees/ Comanche, and the wife’s 07 Grand Cherokee SRT8. If we needed to tow big things I would have to borrow/swap the wifes SRT with either the fathers 07 white mega cab 2500 hemi 4x4 or the father in laws blue Chevy Silverado 1500.
The green Cherokee was mine at the time a 1992 Laredo. My dad owned the yellow 1990 Laredo. I built my wife the blue 1969 IH Scout 800 with 304. Eventually we sold the Scout and green Cherokee and I bought the yellow jeep. 
Then we moved and sold our house. It was time to buy a truck. My wife is a very good driver and she did a bunch of towing with my fathers ram. She was skeptical about the stiffer riding compared to her fathers Chevy. So when I told her what I was looking for she wasn’t sure. She liked the idea that we could recover our play toys on the sand or snow and not have as much worry as with standard non lockable 4x4 trucks.
Once she was convinced I went on the hunt. I new I wanted the 8speed so that limits the number of available. With the used prices with in 1k of new (on there builder and quoted) a few months before the physical search began. There were 5 trucks in a 500 mile radius of our house. 2 of those were on those sign up they drop off at your house, I wasn’t in to that. So that left three. We seen a nice used silver one in Vancouver Washington, a red New one near Portland and a plain white one in Hillsboro. As we lived near Salem we decided drive to the silver one. Then work our way home and see if she even likes the style of truck. I know it’s my truck but we make our big decisions together, (happy wife happy life). Also I wanted to see what options we like and don’t before we order ours.
It was pouring rain out side and per the business covid rules, one driver only so I took the truck out to see how it did. The limited slip, four link and traction control did good, keeping it pointed the right way. I pushed it on the few mile test loop. With the pot holes and standing water on the on ramp for the highway it did good. When I got back to the dealer I knew this truck wasn’t for me. It looked like some one bought it and road it hard then put it away wet. They just sawzalled the resonator off. The engine bay looked like some one parked it nose first into a pond. The axle tubes looked like they were drug a crossed a rock garden.
We both wanted vinyl flooring and at least heated seats. I did like the amp steps. So we moved on and got lunch. Then drove to the Portland one. It was on the show room floor so no test driving. But we got to have a good look at the truck in the dry. It was loaded like a level 3. 12” screen, center console (5seats). 360 cameras, leather, heated only, seats. The lady came with the fob so we could see the cameras and hear the HK stereo. But apparently due to chip shortages neither worked. Then we sat down with one of there managers and talked about ordering a truck. Apparently in two months the out the door sales price had jumped almost 10k for the same build as the one I saved on my phone 5 days earlier. Also I would have to wait for it to be built and wait for the chip and bring it back and wait for them to swap that in. But for the right truck it would be ok. I told myself as we had other daily drivers. The other dealer ship with the silver one said the same thing but we didn’t price it, it was just talk.
We left and the wife said she didn’t want the 12” screen, or a full console having seats for six was better. She didn’t like the push button 4x4. She wanted a shifter so she knows it shifts, I agreed. She did like the leather seats better than the treaded seats. She didn’t like the carpeted floor mats. She said “we would need to get good rubber mats for the truck. Why do they need the big power wagon sticker on the bed.” Lol. We also talked about the price of a new truck.
We drove to the third lot and pulled in. A salesperson came out in the pouring rain and met us at our jeep. He introduced himself and asked what he could help us with. I told him I was here to see the Power Wagons they had. He said they didn’t have any on the lot to his knowledge. I pointed at the white truck with a canopy and said I believe that one is listed as one.
So he ran to the truck got the numbers and ran in for the key. A minute later he opened the door and on the seat it read Power Wagon. They didn’t have any photos other than the out side on the search engine I used. We looked around it and it was a level 2 truck. It had leather heated and cooled seats, manual 4x4 shifter, vinyl flooring, ram floor mats that were coverd in armor all (they were slick as snot). This lot let us all go on the ride so I told the wife you drive. So she did. She loved it. She said it felt like a tank but it was stable smooth over bumps, not too stiff, and had good get up and go.
A massive storm started to come in so we went back, got the info and drove home. That night we talked and other then three things that we could live with out ,360 cameras, HK stereo, and the hydro blue color it had everything we wanted. It looked well taken care of. It was used with 30k miles on it but they had almost new 315/70r17 falken wild peak at3w tires, a color matched canopy and found out it had adaptive cruise control, no lane keep, Thank goodness. So we talked and the price was lower then we had planned on spending for the new truck by 8k so with a complete service records at this dealer, the same one that sold it new.
On November 10th 2021 We pulled the trigger on a 2019 Ram Power Wagon in bright white.
Starting at the beginning. I have always loved Jeeps, dodge rams, and cool cars. When I was young we traveled from Oregon to Iowa. It was during tornado season in red dodge, just like the one on twister the movie. We watched the movie just before we made the trip. Well it made for a fun trip. Mom would freak out at anything that looked like a storm chasing vehicle. “No mom that’s a septic service truck.”
Then we owned a black 97 jeep wrangler growing up. I then found out about the rubicon jeep and how it had lockers and such in 2003. It was then my dream jeep. Couldn’t afford it as I just graduated high school. But then I learned about the new Ram Power Wagon in 2005, I was hooked. It could tow, drive long distances comfortably. Best of all it could get you where ever you wanted to go,(if not by true wheel drive, then by its good friend warn). As the years passed I had helped a few people find their dream power wagons. But it wasn’t my turn yet. I had to make do with Jeep Cherokees/ Comanche, and the wife’s 07 Grand Cherokee SRT8. If we needed to tow big things I would have to borrow/swap the wifes SRT with either the fathers 07 white mega cab 2500 hemi 4x4 or the father in laws blue Chevy Silverado 1500.
The green Cherokee was mine at the time a 1992 Laredo. My dad owned the yellow 1990 Laredo. I built my wife the blue 1969 IH Scout 800 with 304. Eventually we sold the Scout and green Cherokee and I bought the yellow jeep. Then we moved and sold our house. It was time to buy a truck. My wife is a very good driver and she did a bunch of towing with my fathers ram. She was skeptical about the stiffer riding compared to her fathers Chevy. So when I told her what I was looking for she wasn’t sure. She liked the idea that we could recover our play toys on the sand or snow and not have as much worry as with standard non lockable 4x4 trucks.Once she was convinced I went on the hunt. I new I wanted the 8speed so that limits the number of available. With the used prices with in 1k of new (on there builder and quoted) a few months before the physical search began. There were 5 trucks in a 500 mile radius of our house. 2 of those were on those sign up they drop off at your house, I wasn’t in to that. So that left three. We seen a nice used silver one in Vancouver Washington, a red New one near Portland and a plain white one in Hillsboro. As we lived near Salem we decided drive to the silver one. Then work our way home and see if she even likes the style of truck. I know it’s my truck but we make our big decisions together, (happy wife happy life). Also I wanted to see what options we like and don’t before we order ours.
It was pouring rain out side and per the business covid rules, one driver only so I took the truck out to see how it did. The limited slip, four link and traction control did good, keeping it pointed the right way. I pushed it on the few mile test loop. With the pot holes and standing water on the on ramp for the highway it did good. When I got back to the dealer I knew this truck wasn’t for me. It looked like some one bought it and road it hard then put it away wet. They just sawzalled the resonator off. The engine bay looked like some one parked it nose first into a pond. The axle tubes looked like they were drug a crossed a rock garden.
We both wanted vinyl flooring and at least heated seats. I did like the amp steps. So we moved on and got lunch. Then drove to the Portland one. It was on the show room floor so no test driving. But we got to have a good look at the truck in the dry. It was loaded like a level 3. 12” screen, center console (5seats). 360 cameras, leather, heated only, seats. The lady came with the fob so we could see the cameras and hear the HK stereo. But apparently due to chip shortages neither worked. Then we sat down with one of there managers and talked about ordering a truck. Apparently in two months the out the door sales price had jumped almost 10k for the same build as the one I saved on my phone 5 days earlier. Also I would have to wait for it to be built and wait for the chip and bring it back and wait for them to swap that in. But for the right truck it would be ok. I told myself as we had other daily drivers. The other dealer ship with the silver one said the same thing but we didn’t price it, it was just talk.
We left and the wife said she didn’t want the 12” screen, or a full console having seats for six was better. She didn’t like the push button 4x4. She wanted a shifter so she knows it shifts, I agreed. She did like the leather seats better than the treaded seats. She didn’t like the carpeted floor mats. She said “we would need to get good rubber mats for the truck. Why do they need the big power wagon sticker on the bed.” Lol. We also talked about the price of a new truck.
We drove to the third lot and pulled in. A salesperson came out in the pouring rain and met us at our jeep. He introduced himself and asked what he could help us with. I told him I was here to see the Power Wagons they had. He said they didn’t have any on the lot to his knowledge. I pointed at the white truck with a canopy and said I believe that one is listed as one.
So he ran to the truck got the numbers and ran in for the key. A minute later he opened the door and on the seat it read Power Wagon. They didn’t have any photos other than the out side on the search engine I used. We looked around it and it was a level 2 truck. It had leather heated and cooled seats, manual 4x4 shifter, vinyl flooring, ram floor mats that were coverd in armor all (they were slick as snot). This lot let us all go on the ride so I told the wife you drive. So she did. She loved it. She said it felt like a tank but it was stable smooth over bumps, not too stiff, and had good get up and go.A massive storm started to come in so we went back, got the info and drove home. That night we talked and other then three things that we could live with out ,360 cameras, HK stereo, and the hydro blue color it had everything we wanted. It looked well taken care of. It was used with 30k miles on it but they had almost new 315/70r17 falken wild peak at3w tires, a color matched canopy and found out it had adaptive cruise control, no lane keep, Thank goodness. So we talked and the price was lower then we had planned on spending for the new truck by 8k so with a complete service records at this dealer, the same one that sold it new.
On November 10th 2021 We pulled the trigger on a 2019 Ram Power Wagon in bright white.
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