Power Wagon for four wheel camper

[coguzzi]

I currently own a 02 Tundra access cab with a 13 FWC Hawk in it, fairly loaded camper (hot water, awning etc), so i would guess 1300lbs give or take. Tundra i did add-a-leaf, bilsteen 5100's, and air bags with day star cradles. Tundra handles the camper OK, not awesome, but workable and i have taken it lots of places, even some i should not have been. pretty much just a camper rig, not a daily driver and camper is in 90% of the time.

I've been toying with the idea of upgrading trucks and the Ram Power Wagon is on my short list. I test drove a '12 last week at the Dodge lot and liked it (even though the particular truck was neglected and not on my rador) they are telling me to come back next week and try the new '15 power wagon with the 6.4L coil sprung, claim it gets even better milage and rides nicer.

Reason i like power wagons is that right out of the box from the factory they have what i want, factory winch, sway bar disconnect, lockers, skid plates etc. Rubicon of the truck world (i own a rubicon as well--love the sway bar disconnect). the older i get the more i like stuff that just works from the factory.

my problem is cargo capacity, the '12 (leaf spring) is rated 1884lbs and the '15 (coil spring) is rated 1440lbs. compare this to a normal Ram 2500, '12 (leaf spring) rated 2500lbs and '15 (coil spring) rated 3510lbs. weird the '15 coil spring truck is more--and can carry alot.

Im kind of worried if the power wagon is actually a good fit for a four wheel camper--without tons of mods alah 1/2 ton trucks. i think air bags would be required at a minimum and i think day star cradles are mandatory for any air bag install. or should i just suck it up and get a 2500 for the capacity and plan to add a winch (that would probably require a bumper and more $) and live with out sway bar disconnect and lockers. power wagons cost $6 more than a normal 2500, so winch and bumper is right about there.

looking for thought, hopefully from people who have also had this dilemma

 

[jha6av8r]

The Power Wagon, as attractive as it is because it's set up for offroad, is still a half ton truck. The payload is decreased because of the offroad add ons. Personally, I wouldn't consider it because you're paying for suspension mods that you'll need to augment to carry the camper. I can add a winch and bumper to my set up for about $3,000.

A 3/4 ton or above with an offroad package would by my choice and was. Completely happy with it.

 

[PJorgen]

Just a comment on weights - most people, myself included tend to underestimate the weight of camper and gear. I've got a pretty standard 2014 Hawk and it's empty weight is 1225. Once I fill up the water and propane it's about 1460 before I even add any camping gear. Probably 1600 to 1700 lbs when I head out.

I have a GMC 2500HD and I weighed it once when leaving town for a week-long trip, it was just short of 8700 lbs gross.

Based on that, I'd go with a 3/4 ton truck.

 

[coguzzi]

the power wagon TECHNICALLY is a 3/4 ton truck, built on the 2500 chassis with the same axles etc (lower gearing though). it has a softer suspension for articulation purposes which it seems drastically effects the cargo capacity. its listed in the 2500 section of dodges website, everything shared except for suspension and the extra off road goodies. 100% agree most people underestimate the camper weight, i really should weigh mine. i regularly haul a small honda CT110 trail bike on a hitch mount as well (130lb bike plus hitch rack).

 

[Bad Habit]

I wonder if it would be possible to just change out the springs with a standard 2500? As was mentioned, the Power Wagon springs a probably lighter to deal with the articulation and it's attempt at being an oversized Jeep. I guess it also depends on axles and brakes, but if it is truly built on the same running gear, then a spring change should be relatively easy and cheap.

 

[JaSAn]

If the PW has 3/4T frame and running gear except suspension, changing springs would be a good way to go. I have a '12 Ram 2500 carrying my Grandby and am very happy with my choice. The truck hardly knows the camper is there; the ride feels better with the camper on. Handles very well in cross-winds. Feels stable off-camber.

 

[snuffy]

i have a 2015 power wagon, and a hawk. it works great as is. if you change the springs it wont be a power wagon. i am very happy with the truck i did replace the 8ply tires with 10ply nitto trail grappler mt. this thing is a beast!

 

[MANXMAN]

the power wagon TECHNICALLY is a 3/4 ton truck, built on the 2500 chassis with the same axles etc (lower gearing though). it has a softer suspension for articulation purposes which it seems drastically effects the cargo capacity. its listed in the 2500 section of dodges website, everything shared except for suspension and the extra off road goodies. 100% agree most people underestimate the camper weight, i really should weigh mine. i regularly haul a small honda CT110 trail bike on a hitch mount as well (130lb bike plus hitch rack).

If the Power Wagon's selling point is it's softer sprung off road suspension, I have to wonder how the weight of a loaded Hawk will affect its abilities. It has a payload capacity of just 1900 lbs.
When you factor in the weight of a well equipped Hawk, all it's contents for a trip including water and two people, you will be over the payload of this truck.

Once you max out the Power Wagon's suspension with more weight than Dodge designed it to carry, it's hard to believe this truck is a better choice than a true 3/4 ton truck for hauling a camper.

 

[snuffy]

it all depends on what your needs are. i never said it was a better choice than any other truck I use mine for hunting trips My backyard is the Sequoia national forest. i have had many trucks and campers or the years , it works for me..

 

[coguzzi]

snuffy, how loaded is your Hawk on the 15 power wagon and what mods have you done to the truck? just a shell, or fairly loaded camper? im a side dinette, compressor fridge, hot water, awning, solar etc. fairly loaded. excited you responded since its probably the combination im looking at the most--order exactly what i want or not much $ more than a used. the dealer claimed they could get me into a new truck for about $3k more than the 12 i drove with the incentives etc

it is true a power wagon is build on the 2500 truck, but its also lifted 2" over a stock 2500, so i wonder if a spring swap is even feasable. leaf spring trucks (10-13) would be easy enough im sure, block could go in as a last resort to get the 2" back (not really a block fan), but the coil spring trucks in bet a 2500 coil is just to short. dont seem to be much aftermarket yet for heavier coils either

 

[MANXMAN]

i never said it was a better choice than any other truck I use mine for hunting trips My backyard is the Sequoia national forest. i have had many trucks and campers or the years , it works for me..

Sounds good. Your real life experience with the truck is more important than just what it says on a spec sheet.
Thanks.

 

[iowahiker]

Thanks coguzzi for posting this thread since we have the same thoughts and great to hear someone has a Power Wagon and Hawk. For those unfamiliar with the Power Wagon, factory stock rough country driving equipment includes: rigid front and rear axles, locking front and rear differentials, thicker skid plates, manual transfer case engagement (not electronic), winch, 33 inch tires, etc. Test fuel economy is below 15 mpg without a camper for this rough country beast. Only weakness is the low payload capacity and if we ever drive rough country we would need to switch to a Hawk shell (front dinette, propane furnace/stove tower, one battery and nothing else) to go with this off-road machine. I am also curious snuffy if your Hawk is a shell or loaded?

 

[Durango1]

I too could be seriously tempted to ditch my Ram 2500 in favor of a new 2015 Power Wagon with the 6.4 engine. I have a "fairly loaded" Hawk. Unfortunately, my 2012 Ram only has 12,000 miles on it!

And hey, I almost sold my current Hawk to mount an aluminum flatbed on the Ram with the new FWC Flatbed model on it. I wonder how that would work on a Power Wagon? (Gears turning in the head...)

 

[snuffy]

the hawk is a standard build with 3way refer side dinette one battery fan heat etc. no hot water heater i have had CTD in the past and found that it was just overkill for my needs. i like the fact that it still has the heavy duty parts but it does have soft longer springs.. to the OP, you might want to add air bags with daystar cradles as your camper is loaded. this truck is not a Raptor, it is meant for slower offroad use but it will go just about anywhere it will fit..lol

 

[coguzzi]

snuffy, are you running with zero suspension mods? if so that is very enlightening. how much did the truck squat when you put the camper in, just enough to level out the factory rake? they are usually 2" or more higher in the rear anyway. doesnt sounds like you are that far off form me as far as loaded goes, im MAYBE 100lbs more with only one group 31 battery, so its water heater and awning difference.

definitely a different truck than the raptor, and much more my speed actually, speed breaks stuff--ha. power wagon is a better match for a FWC IMHO, plus you would have to go to a Raven model for the 5.5ft bed.

it does appear there are a couple air bag options out there for the 14-15 coil sprung trucks, and i feel daystars are mandatory

 

[snuffy]

all stock, like i said before i went to 18in. wheel and e rated tires. i wanted 3ply sidewall tires and at the time the new bfg k2 were not out in 17in plus i wanted some black wheels. with the camper on the truck it sits level but i think the airbags would be a good option.

 

[coguzzi]

im seeing conflicting payload capacities on RAM's own website, i see it listed as 1440lbs for the middle model PW in one spot and 3510 for the 2500 big horn. when i go to the compare models section, middle model PW is listed as 1880lbs and the big horn 2500 as 2230lbs. whats really weird, when you go the PW laramie (top of the line truck with EVERYTHING) its listed as 2400lbs. and the PW tradesman, base model truck is 2510lbs.

something is fishy here, but i like seeing higher numbers--ha

 

[Bigfoot]

The Power Wagon is a nice full-size truck for rough travel. I seriously considered it but Ram forbids installing a camper because of the high COG, soft suspension and limited payload (see Ram Camper Guide). One camper manufacturer I talked to would not even consider it. I could have installed a slide-in camper anyway but did not want to void the warranty and worry about load. I also prefer diesel which is not available on the Power Wagon.

 

[snuffy]

that is funny because the 2013 ram ctd i had before the power wagon had a paper in the glove box that said slide in camper not recommended also and that trucks gvwr was 10000 this pw is 8510 and it drives fine. i do find it odd that a camper manufacturer would not consider it for a pw when there are all kinds of lighter duty trucks out there with pop up campers..oh well..to each his own i guess

 

[Vic]

I can't really help on the PW/ camper discussion, but I test drove several 2014 2500's with the new 6.4 Hemi - same displacement as the 392 SRT Challenger I believe - and was very impressed with the engine. I ended up going with the diesel for other reasons but that package was a strong contender.

I'd suggest going and looking at one or two in the lot and seeing what the payload sheet in the glove box actually says. I'm sure it says no campers but should give you accurate weight ratings. The COG issue with an FWC or ATC shouldn't be much worse than say a fully loaded utility bed.