Power Wagon Registry

My truck has seen better days. Pretty much since I bought it I have had problems. Starting problems, electrical problems, winch and locker problems and of course the notorious death wobble. Only a few months ago I had dodge do the tie rod recall and since then my truck has rode worse than ever and had serious death wobble once again. It's time for a new truck.
SO..... I really want a new 2014 wagon however because of all the problems I had with my current rig, my wife is sceptical about how the new will be any better than the old. My brother in law just bought a new 1 ton ford and loves it. I am on the farm and need to tow often so maybe that's a good idea but I hate them.

I want my wagon but can't pull the trigger unless I'm sure I won't have as many awful problems as I did with this tuck.
Please help keep me on the path of the righteous man and tell me that the front end is better and the axle hop is gone and the 6.4 will tow a Sherman tank and all the things I need to hear.
Thanks guys

Honestly any company can make a bad product and you apparently got one from Ram/Dodge. I traded a flawless 2004 HD Hemi for my 2012 Power Wagon and I couldn't be happier. Other than regular services and the tie-rod recall this has been my favorite vehicle I've ever owned. My dad has a 2007 Ram 1500 that has never given him any kind of issue, there have been two Dodge Stratus's in the family that have been awesome, and two Mini Van's, all those vehicles have been flawless. I've got a couple of buddies that have new Ram 2500's that tow big snowmobile trailers and campers and they love them (one was a die hard Ford guy too).

I'll put it this way. If for some reason my 2012 got totaled I'd be putting a 2014 Power Wagon in the garage to replace it. Granted, I don't work on a farm like you do, but if my truck can't tow it then I don't want to hook up to it. Good luck!

Sorry to hear about your issues w/ your previous PW. No one wants a new lemon, especially 2 in a row, so I understand your concern. I, nor anyone else, can promise you a new PW won't give you any issues, that's impossible & I think you know that. The questions really are:
1. Does Ram build reputable, reliable, capable trucks that can fulfill your needs?
2. If 1= yes, then does the PW model specifically address your needs, or at least your KPP's (key performance parameters)

1. I can tell you I had a 2006 F250 King Ranch w/ the powerstroke diesel with a 5" straight back no muffler exhaust, k&n cold air intake, tuner, manual transfer case & manual hubs, 3.73 w/ limited slip diff, & it gave me a lot of start-up issues, blew the EGT cooler & had to do the $3000 header stud bullet proof rebuild, then 6months later had a $3000 aux oil pump fuel pressure repair that took 4 wks. So as the major repair bills mounted, I traded it for a f150 lariat eco-joke & well it lasted 18 months before I ordered the PW. So far, I'm much happier & satisfied 3+'month in. It suits all my needs, but it is a bit light in the payload arena, but I can live with that. I can attest to the front end being way better in my opinion to previous year releases, and I will swear by the new rear end design has no axle hop.

2. If thr primary use of your truck is farm work, hauling, towing then maybe a 2500 straight 6.4L Tradesman is your better fit, or if you're hauling 20K+ lbs regularly, then the diesel is probably a better choice. But if camping, hunting, recreational off reading etc is the primary purpose & hauling is limited to RV, boats, 4-wheelers, the the PW is ideal.

Regardless best of luck....

Listen to the doctor, very well said. If you did need a diesel, Dodge or Chevy/GMC would be my choice. Ford has had nothing but problems over the last 6 years.

bigblackdodge wrote:My truck has seen better days. Pretty much since I bought it I have had problems. Starting problems, electrical problems, winch and locker problems and of course the notorious death wobble. Only a few months ago I had dodge do the tie rod recall and since then my truck has rode worse than ever and had serious death wobble once again. It's time for a new truck.
SO..... I really want a new 2014 wagon however because of all the problems I had with my current rig, my wife is sceptical about how the new will be any better than the old. My brother in law just bought a new 1 ton ford and loves it. I am on the farm and need to tow often so maybe that's a good idea but I hate them.

I want my wagon but can't pull the trigger unless I'm sure I won't have as many awful problems as I did with this tuck.
Please help keep me on the path of the righteous man and tell me that the front end is better and the axle hop is gone and the 6.4 will tow a Sherman tank and all the things I need to hear.
Thanks guys

What year is your current PW? I would get a 2015 not a 2014 that way you get any and all fixes and updates.

I have a 2010. It has served me well and I have used it in places that the others could not go ie: calving and checking cows in 3+ feet of snow, hauling water etc. whatever I got would need lockers and a winch one way or another. I'm not a huge fan if a diesel, I have access to the brother in laws if I need to tow a giant trailer anywhere far. I guess I just need. Little reassurance.


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If that's the case, get a 2015 PW and build it with the options you'd like. Back in '05 there weren't too many ways you could build a PW, but mine came fully loaded with the color I wanted.

I had a 2011 PW and traded it in for a 2014 PW. The new suspension is way better and I have never had any sign of death wobble on the 2014. I never had any problems on my 2011 except for the smart bar and lockers. But based on what I learned from that truck I hope I did all the right things with the 2014 to negate those problems showing up again (I.e. using Fluid Film and dielectric grease on all the connectors, installing my Myoung locker bypass from my 2011 on my 2014). I have kept a pretty good list of my thoughts on the 2014 vs the 2011 on my thread "Traded in my 2011 for a 2014" including thoughts on handling and towing.

I have the bypass from myoung on my truck and it's by far the best mod I've done. I'll be moving that to my new truck. I would like to get it factory line-x coated on the rockers and bumpers and grill. I'm all about making it tough. I don't really care about looks so much as function. I'm considering the ram boxes too.... Thoughts?


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I also need to call londonberry dodge in Edmonton about adding 315/70/17s and retaining factory warranty. I like the idea of driving a new rig off the lot with everything I want done to it (apart from the bypass which will be our little secret)

fyi, the axle hope issue is still there. i don't think any manufacturer of pickups has solved this yet.

mike

I was under the assumption you could run airbags with 10lbs of air in and that would help with the hop? I would for sure be running the bags with the daystar cradles in the new truck.

MSCH2112 wrote:fyi, the axle hope issue is still there. i don't think any manufacturer of pickups has solved this yet.

mike

The 2014+ PW rear suspension does a nice job at reducing the hop. With traction control on, it is difficult to make the rear end hop around even in deep snow or loose sand. These latest generation PWs are all over 7000 lbs empty - making them less prone to hop (IMO). Of course you can still turn the traction control off, and drive it like an ass, and it will jump all over the place.

bigblackdodge wrote:My truck has seen better days. Pretty much since I bought it I have had problems. Starting problems, electrical problems, winch and locker problems and of course the notorious death wobble. Only a few months ago I had dodge do the tie rod recall and since then my truck has rode worse than ever and had serious death wobble once again. It's time for a new truck.
SO..... I really want a new 2014 wagon however because of all the problems I had with my current rig, my wife is sceptical about how the new will be any better than the old. My brother in law just bought a new 1 ton ford and loves it. I am on the farm and need to tow often so maybe that's a good idea but I hate them.

I want my wagon but can't pull the trigger unless I'm sure I won't have as many awful problems as I did with this tuck.
Please help keep me on the path of the righteous man and tell me that the front end is better and the axle hop is gone and the 6.4 will tow a Sherman tank and all the things I need to hear.
Thanks guys

As already stated, one truck off the line can be perfect where the next one can have issues. It doesn't matter which manufacture you choose. I've had this in the past on GM trucks/ SUV's.

The "notorious" death wobble can happen on any solid axle truck. Lack of maint., damage from wheeling, or accident is the cause of it. Ball joints, trackbar, and tierod ends all have the domino effect. Once one component goes bad, the rest will eventually follow.

Depending on what kind of weight you're pulling/ hauling and how much mud/ ruts you drive in, you may need a 1 ton rig. Honestly, I would go drive a Ford, Chevy, and Ram with a Cummins and 6.4L.

I get to drive quite a few different trucks every month with my job. This is my first purchased 2500 pickup. I wanted the locking diffs, swaybar disco and somewhat of a lift in stock form. Since my truck will see some trail use for hunting, camping, etc this truck fit my needs better than a non-power wagon 2500 and lifting it. I don't pull a ton of weight around at the moment, but know that this motor/ trans will have me set up perfectly for a toy hauler next year.

The Pros:
I wanted a lux truck that can handle offroad situations. It does!
It's comfortable to drive hours at a time.
I was able to get every option I wanted by getting the Laramie. I didn't have to do anything to the interior.
When I bought mine, I was able to get roughly $11K off sticker before my trade. When I drove the Denali 2500 HD, I was only $4K off sticker. The F250 I was $8400 off sticker.


The Cons:
Mine was smoking on cold starts within the first 3,000 miles. That did not inspire confidence in my $50K purchase. It did this until the first oil change. After that (knock on wood) I have not seen it happen once.
Paint isn't great on this truck. I have owned quite a few different rigs. The black paint on this truck needs some work and will get dealt with after winter. Swirl mark city. It looks like it was washer sandpaper from the dealership and the paint felt dirty. After claybar, it was smooth, but still showed all the marks. I'l end up polishing the entire truck this Spring.


Good luck on your search. Post up where city you're in. Maybe one of the members here can offer up a test ride or where they purchased their rig(s) from.

I'm near Saskatoon in sask canada. I have seen the odd truck around but nothing new other than on the lot. My biggest thing about a different truck is that I'll always envy a wagon and not having that capability wether I need it or not. At the moment, I need it. If I bought a different rig it would have to get better tires, a winch, and would at least have a factory rear locker like the fords do. That kinda narrows it down unfortunately. I guess if ford and Chev built a comparable truck this would be a harder decision. I will probably bite the bullet and get one in the early spring. A Laramie would be pretty sweet.

Can you get the aux switches and the heated seats etc? I heard the seats are controlled on screen?


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The seats are controlled in the screen and also by their own buttons in the dash panel. I'm in Edmonton and if you ever made your way out here I would be more than happy to take you out on an extended test drive.

The little sister n laws boyfriend is a cop in vegerville so I may be down some time in the new year. I'll pm you if I ever have the chance. As for the aux switches, my truck has them and I couldn't do without. Can the truck be ordered with them or could I put them in after the fact and only use the buttons for the seats (etc) on the screen?

bigblackdodge wrote:The little sister n laws boyfriend is a cop in vegerville so I may be down some time in the new year. I'll pm you if I ever have the chance. As for the aux switches, my truck has them and I couldn't do without. Can the truck be ordered with them or could I put them in after the fact and only use the buttons for the seats (etc) on the screen?

It could be built that way on the ram site a few months ago I know, but I just went and did another build and it took away that option...

bigblackdodge wrote:The little sister n laws boyfriend is a cop in vegerville so I may be down some time in the new year. I'll pm you if I ever have the chance. As for the aux switches, my truck has them and I couldn't do without. Can the truck be ordered with them or could I put them in after the fact and only use the buttons for the seats (etc) on the screen?

Sounds good. I can't answer on the aux switches, not sure as I never looked into them.

I think someone on here said you can build it that way at the dealer. The website doesn't cover little stuff like that anymore.

I'm in Red Deer, so here's another offer to take one for a rip. I love the 6.4, just did a run to the coast and back, and had gobs of power, loaded to the nuts with my boys, Christmas stuff, my old bumper, etc. Mine isn't smoking, and has that bottom end pull that I've missed for so long! And I've thrown 315/70/17's on mine, right from the start, no dealership issues. I am out on my speedo, and may need to look into a tuner to correct, but for the 5-10% I'm out, I'm not worried! And I'm on the list for the myyoung's bypass too. All in all, this is exactly what I'd hoped for, and honestly, better than what I expected!


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if you are not hauling heavy a lot then you should be ok. I just got rid of a diesel to get a 21014 pw. I have hauled a 12,000 pound 5th wheel to Oklahoma and back as well as normal farm hauling. This truck is a lot easier to get around in, especially the mud.

So I just got off the night shift (I'm an electrician at a mine for a day job, farming supplements the income) and the rig was plugged in all night and today wouldn't even attempt to turn over. The wife is currently driving to get me. I'm not too impressed. The battery is toast. It just flashed a bunch of lights and made some weird noises when I turned the key. That 1 ton ford is lookin better and better hahaha.

I think I can get the pw I want for around $55k with my company discount so that will be looked at very soon


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bigblackdodge wrote:So I just got off the night shift (I'm an electrician at a mine for a day job, farming supplements the income) and the rig was plugged in all night and today wouldn't even attempt to turn over. The wife is currently driving to get me. I'm not too impressed. The battery is toast. It just flashed a bunch of lights and made some weird noises when I turned the key. That 1 ton ford is lookin better and better hahaha.

I think I can get the pw I want for around $55k with my company discount so that will be looked at very soon


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I'm not sure what the life expectancy of the stock battery is, but if you're in super cold conditions a lot, I'm not surprised the stock battery died within four years. That's not unheard of, but if it's an excuse you can use with the wife for a new truck, I'm all for it!

unless you are farming big and towing heavy a lot you should be ok. I just gave up my diesel to get a 2014 pw and love it so far. First mod was a gooseneck hitch and tow mirrors. Have hauled a 12,000 pound 5th wheel to Oklahoma and back and also haul on the farm. No issues yet plus the lighter front end gets around better in the mud and rough stuff.