'08 Power Wagon

ljkup

Adventurer
After a long search for my next vehicle I finally found my unicorn. 2008 Power Wagon with 22k miles. This is going to be my daily driver, adventure wagon, and tow rig for my Kamparoo Weekender.
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First add was a bargain topper found on Craigslist that matched perfectly!
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Next up: custom built sliders, toyo at2s (from what I've read these seem to work best for the pw), nav/backup cam radio.


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TwinStick

Explorer
GREAT find !!! My Flame Red 2008 QC has 43k on her now. Ours is also our "Jack-of-all-Trades" vehicle. Tows, hauls, Go anywhere-anytime in the Buffalo winters vehicle. Does everything we want except pass a gas station ! LOL. We ordered ours with the G-56, 6-speed manual. Geared like a tractor. LOVE IT !!! Last summer we put a new, custom, A.R.E. MX series cap on it. Tool box on d-side, no windows-body colored win-doors, Yakima roof rack, led lights, etc. . I put 2 ARB fridge/freezers in the bed on my home made bed slide, when we go camping. 82 & 50qt. Works excellent to compliment the tiny camper fridge. If I pack everything full (using the 50qt as a dedicated freezer) we can stay gone for a long, long time. Our camper is a Starcreaft AR One Extreme 18 QB. Not an off-road camper but able to get well off the beaten path with it.
 

ljkup

Adventurer
Thanks everyone! I couldn't be happier with it. Ear to ear smile since Monday when I brought it home.

Twinstick. I definitely want to get an ARB fridge. May try to find a way to mount it in cab. I also can't wait to get the truck and kamparoo on some tricky trails.

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TwinStick

Explorer
I have had both the 82 qt & the 50 qt ARB's in the back seat on the fold flat floor---but NOT both at the same time. Not easy to get them in there but you can. 2 people is much better than 1, lol.
Once you get one, you'll wonder how the heck you ever got along without one !!! Seriously---NO ICE EVER, unless you want to make some. No soggy wet food etc...
 

Atl-atl

Adventurer
Awesome truck and trailer! Keep an eye out for me around Denver and let me know if you want to get together for some full size wheeling and/or camping.
 

ljkup

Adventurer
Awesome truck and trailer! Keep an eye out for me around Denver and let me know if you want to get together for some full size wheeling and/or camping.
Thanks Atl. Love your regular cab. Are you selling it?

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Atl-atl

Adventurer
Thanks Atl. Love your regular cab. Are you selling it?

It is listed for sale. I have one seriously interested guy but he wants to turn it into a plow truck, not sure how I feel about that. I love this truck and dont really want or need to sell it right now but that might change with my career change.
 

ljkup

Adventurer
Well it happened....

First case of death wobble happened today doing 75 mph. I knew it was bound to happen but thought I had some time. The pw only has 25k but hasn't had the ball joint recall completed. Also, it's running the original bfg ats.

I figured I would start with the recall and replace the tires with 285/75/17 at2s or falkens.

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TwinStick

Explorer
Don't panic. But you GOT to get it fixed ASAP. I would not drive it at all. Some have oblonged the bolt holes on some of the front end components by doing so.

Trouble is that most of the time, there is no 1 thing that you can point to & say "see that ?, there's your problem right there." It is a bunch of cheap a** factory parts. The list can be long of "could be's". Simple things first, or you can do what i did. I did not like it, but it is done. Hard to explain to the wife why were have to dump money into a brand new truck that was still under Warranty & still making $600 a month payments on & only had 18,500 miles on at that time.

So, here is your dilemma: replace with cheap *** factory parts & have this problem over & over & over, or bite the bullet and replace with high quality parts ? I love my PW & plan to keep it as long as possible, so I bit the bullet .

Could be's:

Tires &/or tire pressure
alignment
track bar/bushings
shocks
Tie rod ends
upper & lower ball joints
unit bearings
control arms &/or bushings
steering box, steering shaft, steering stabilizer
front axle u-joint

If it needs anything in the front end, now is the time to do it, as you dont want to pay for or do the labor 2 or 3 times.

NOTE: My truck (even though it is 2008 model year), was made in Nov of 2007. It had the "old style" y steering set up. I still have the y style. No issues but all 4 tie rod ends were replaced with MOOG HD greaseable ones.

What i replaced was:
MOOG HD tie rods/ends
Spicer/Dana triple lip seal front axle u-joints
Carli X-treme upper & lower ball joints
Carli Cro Mo offset control arms
Carli track bar
PSC steering shaft
Steering gearbox brace
good alignment after all this was done
 

ljkup

Adventurer
So I took it in for the recall at a local dealer....no issues found that triggered replacement. I also had a local 4x4 shop take a look at it while putting on the toyos. No issues to raise alarm.

I will say that the toyos are night and day to the bfgs and I haven't had the slightest sign of DW since installing them.

Fingers crossed this fixed it for a while. I'm still prepared to attack the front end when issues arise.

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ljkup

Adventurer
With the arrival of our daughter, my wife and I decided to sell the Kamparoo and pursue something more comfortable with a heater. This followed me home on Sunday.....
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The truck pulled great, with zero concerns or issues. Certainly this won't get to the places the Kamparoo could but will be a fantastic basecamp for day trips. A 3" lift has already been ordered and with larger lt tires, will help with drain clearance a bit.


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