2018 vs 2019 First impressions

[efiguy]

Ok y’all...
So I’ve owned both an 18 and now a new 19.

To be honest when I got the 18 I was disappointed on the first day I got it because I had traded up from a ‘16 Rebel and the lack of pep from extra weight and having a 6-speed trans was hard to swallow. The Rebel always felt like a race car and the PW felt like well...a big truck!

The new 2019 is a huge step up in that department. The truck is so much more pleasurable to drive!

Another real standout feature that isn’t hard to notice is the new engine mounts and active noise cancelling! It is quiet as a tomb in this thing! Several “outsiders” have commented on the ride quality and noise levels without any prompting from me!

Did a short, easy off-road venture after work last night with it and the wife and kids agreed that it was almost “eerie” to be wheeling with the windows up, A/C and satellite radio going and literally not hear anything outside!

For sure the transmission knob takes some getting used to and I’ve caught myself reaching for the gear lever several times, but it’s a little easier for me since the Rebel had the same system for the couple years I had it.

Haven’t actually used the new Zeon winch yet, but it is a much smoother feel when free wheeling the synthetic line out and the retraction speed is impressive compared to the older steel wire version.

About the only complaints at all are the ridiculously undersized 33” tires that will be the subject of the first upgrade, and the silliness of how much time is wasted waiting for the lockers and sway bars to engage or disengage...

I can also see replacing the factory plastic side steps with some actual sliders.

Time will tell if the new version PW is superior to the previous one but for now, I’m happy to report all smiles and a truly upgraded feel for the ‘19

[EasyDoesIt]

Great review and insight.

The 2019 is no doubt a step up in several departments.

I'm only a little envious!

[Buck316]

Have you tried the rear locker in 2wd? I heard it has that feature now

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

[Bill2014]

Hopefully - White Knuckle will have a rock slider solution that will work on your new truck with the noise cancelling setup in place...

I would like to get a new model PW before they eliminate the steering wheel too

[pdavey]

Agree with your assessment of the 2019. I got mine in addition to my 2005.

2005 - rugged truck where you can't take a conference call inside the cab and can hear everything

2019 - a refined gentleman of a rugged truck that can do everything the 2005 can but very quietly and smoothly.

On the WK sliders I am not sure what they have planned but I put a set on that were "supposed to fit" but the Active Tuned Mass Modules (ATMMs) are in the way.

The ATMMs do not affect the Active Noise Canceling.

I moved them but have disabled them for the moment as I want to move them further down the frame.

The ATMMs from what I understand are mainly to counteract the MDS and disabled don't seem to make a difference.

Based on the WK design I don't think they will have a better solution without having to weld.

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[Bill2014]

...

The ATMMs do not affect the Active Noise Canceling.

...

The ATMMs from what I understand are mainly to counteract the MDS and disabled don't seem to make a difference.

...

Call it MDS Vibration or Noise - that's what these modules with the solenoid-activated weights are supposed to reduce.
On my "old" truck, I don't feel much MDS associated vibration, but I can tell when I'm in 4-cyl based on the elevated noise. And I seem to be in MDS more then half the time when I'm not towing.

[StefanB]

Thanks for the insight, real owners judgement is worth so much more then the press associated influencing!

Now it could be down to a 20+ PW or a TRX for me on the next one...

[FordyceCreekTrail]

Was your 2018 totaled or something?

[efiguy]

No the 18’ wasn’t totaled...I just didn’t like it
Power was sadly disappointing compared to my previous 2016 Rebel so I got rid of it...
Only thing that got totaled was my bank account when I took it in the shorts for trade-ins!

In a VERY short time I went from a Rebel to a PW to an F-250 Platinum to a Chevy 2500 and eventually back into the 2019 PW.

Luckily I love everything so far, except the small tires, horrible mileage and the long switch times to get lockers and sway bars to work...

[OffroadTreks]

How about that 8-Speed? I own another vehicle now with the 8-speed and it's amazing. I think some of you might be impressed when you put 37's on your PW compared to the previous generations with that 8-speed. At least I think it's doing most of the work for my 37's now.

[SeppW]

Has the drag link been redesigned? I saw a YouTube video where a guy went to a dealer and looked under a '19 2500 and sure enough the drag link was different. I can't find any '19 mechanical parts available online, but was planning to buy one to see if the drag link out of a '19 PW would fit a '16 and fix the recall half-ass fix. The '19 drag link in the YouTube looked a lot like the link sold by Synergy, which could be an alternative to consider. I do like the idea of an 8 speed trans, but I'm done buying trucks. This one has to last until I'm dead, can no longer drive, or win the lottery.

[pdavey]

So far really happy with how well the 8 speed moves my travel trailer on 35s. The truck could really "use" 37s but think an upgrade from the 4.10 would be in order. That said I am a novice on gearing. Likely more could be done with the power of the 6.4 and the timing of the 8 speed to make up for it but at what cost from a gas consumption perspective.

Having a Challenger SRT 8,. 2005 Power Wagon and a 2019 Power Wagon I know there is a lot of untapped potential from these engines but at least the first two come at a cost.

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[waldo]

Have you tried the rear locker in 2wd? I heard it has that feature now

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

The rear locker does indeed lock in 2Hi and 4Hi. Just tested mine.

[Jack187]

Have you tried the rear locker in 2wd? I heard it has that feature now

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

The rear locker does indeed lock in 2Hi and 4Hi. Just tested mine.

A step in the right direction.

[waldo]

Tried out the Zeon winch the other day. (my zero turn got stuck again).

It does seem faster and the synthetic rope is a nice upgrade.

OTOH, they just can't seem to come up with a decent free spool lever/location. The lever on mine is stiff and requires a lot of force to move. Still stuck in a cubby hole that is difficult to get at and get any sort of grip on. If it's hard to move in the summer, It will suck in the winter when it's packed full of frozen slush.

[Easttnrhino]

Does the 2019 power wagon still have the electric fan and mechanical fan for the cooling system? Thanks

[waldo]

Does the 2019 power wagon still have the electric fan and mechanical fan for the cooling system? Thanks

Beats me. It's almost impossible to see the front of the radiator through the grill and active shutters on the 19.

I can't see an electric fan, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

[sig7707]

Ok y’all...
So I’ve owned both an 18 and now a new 19.

To be honest when I got the 18 I was disappointed on the first day I got it because I had traded up from a ‘16 Rebel and the lack of pep from extra weight and having a 6-speed trans was hard to swallow. The Rebel always felt like a race car and the PW felt like well...a big truck!

The new 2019 is a huge step up in that department. The truck is so much more pleasurable to drive!

Another real standout feature that isn’t hard to notice is the new engine mounts and active noise cancelling! It is quiet as a tomb in this thing! Several “outsiders” have commented on the ride quality and noise levels without any prompting from me!

Did a short, easy off-road venture after work last night with it and the wife and kids agreed that it was almost “eerie” to be wheeling with the windows up, A/C and satellite radio going and literally not hear anything outside!

For sure the transmission knob takes some getting used to and I’ve caught myself reaching for the gear lever several times, but it’s a little easier for me since the Rebel had the same system for the couple years I had it.

Haven’t actually used the new Zeon winch yet, but it is a much smoother feel when free wheeling the synthetic line out and the retraction speed is impressive compared to the older steel wire version.

About the only complaints at all are the ridiculously undersized 33” tires that will be the subject of the first upgrade, and the silliness of how much time is wasted waiting for the lockers and sway bars to engage or disengage...

I can also see replacing the factory plastic side steps with some actual sliders.

Time will tell if the new version PW is superior to the previous one but for now, I’m happy to report all smiles and a truly upgraded feel for the ‘19

Hello all. New guy here. Please entertain me with a few answers to questions. Not much info on the new 2019 PW on internet and I have got several different numbers for answers looking at dealers and youtube. OK. I currently have a 2014 Ram 1500 SLT Crew Cab 4x4, 5.7ltr, 8speed. It has an 6 inch lift on it and I run 33 inch tires. The gearing is the 3.21 and I currently tow a 6,000lb travel trailer with a 725lb hitch weight. The payload on my current truck is 1500lbs and towing is supposed to be like 10k.
Problem is it will tow that camper but it doesn't like it. I am blaming it on the 3.21 rear. Feels like I am towing a 30k trailer instead of a 6k.

So with all that I want to get the 2019 Power Wagon. Will that truck do everything that I am looking for with that trailer and stuff? With the different gearing and bigger engine? I usually take my family of 4 with some stuff in the back of the truck for camping and the hitch weight may vary on the camper by a 100lbs or so depending on what we take with us. I also like the added off road stuff that comes with this truck as towing the camper is only a seasonal thing for us.

Thanks for the help.

Ken

[TankerZak]

Ok y’all...
So I’ve owned both an 18 and now a new 19.

To be honest when I got the 18 I was disappointed on the first day I got it because I had traded up from a ‘16 Rebel and the lack of pep from extra weight and having a 6-speed trans was hard to swallow. The Rebel always felt like a race car and the PW felt like well...a big truck!

The new 2019 is a huge step up in that department. The truck is so much more pleasurable to drive!

Another real standout feature that isn’t hard to notice is the new engine mounts and active noise cancelling! It is quiet as a tomb in this thing! Several “outsiders” have commented on the ride quality and noise levels without any prompting from me!

Did a short, easy off-road venture after work last night with it and the wife and kids agreed that it was almost “eerie” to be wheeling with the windows up, A/C and satellite radio going and literally not hear anything outside!

For sure the transmission knob takes some getting used to and I’ve caught myself reaching for the gear lever several times, but it’s a little easier for me since the Rebel had the same system for the couple years I had it.

Haven’t actually used the new Zeon winch yet, but it is a much smoother feel when free wheeling the synthetic line out and the retraction speed is impressive compared to the older steel wire version.

About the only complaints at all are the ridiculously undersized 33” tires that will be the subject of the first upgrade, and the silliness of how much time is wasted waiting for the lockers and sway bars to engage or disengage...

I can also see replacing the factory plastic side steps with some actual sliders.

Time will tell if the new version PW is superior to the previous one but for now, I’m happy to report all smiles and a truly upgraded feel for the ‘19

Hello all. New guy here. Please entertain me with a few answers to questions. Not much info on the new 2019 PW on internet and I have got several different numbers for answers looking at dealers and youtube. OK. I currently have a 2014 Ram 1500 SLT 4x4, 5.7ltr, 8speed. It has an 6 inch lift on it and I run 33 inch tires. The gearing is the 3.21 and I currently tow a 6,000lb travel trailer with a 725lb hitch weight. The payload on my current truck is 1500lbs and towing is supposed to be like 10k.
Problem is it will tow that camper but it doesn't like it. I am blaming it on the 3.21 rear. Feels like I am towing a 30k trailer instead of a 6k.

So with all that I want to get the 2019 Power Wagon. Will that truck do everything that I am looking for with that trailer and stuff? With the different gearing and bigger engine? I usually take my family of 4 with some stuff in the back of the truck for camping and the hitch weight may vary on the camper by a 100lbs or so depending on what we take with us. I also like the added off road stuff that comes with this truck as towing the camper is only a seasonal thing for us.

Thanks for the help.

Ken

Towing feel is very subjective. But a PW will tow the same weight with the same ratings as a 1500 but better and easier. Is it a diesel? Nope, but it'll do what your asking.

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[sig7707]

So just got back from the dealer and bought me a new power wagon. Any recommendations on nerf bars or side steps? Which look the best on these trucks?

[KevinABQ]

If you want functional go with white knuckle. If you want show i can’t help you.

But make sure you tell them its a 2019.

[Retired BLM Rig]

So just got back from the dealer and bought me a new power wagon. Any recommendations on nerf bars or side steps? Which look the best on these trucks?

If I didn't already have Bestop PowerBoards on my truck, I would go with White Knuckle sliders.
The PowerBoards are much better for the wife and kids on a daily basis and I'm not that hardcore off road to justify switching to sliders. Once the PowerBoards retract, they are invisible and out of harms way. Amp Research also has a nice power step.

Just my 2¢