Dodge RAM 2500 reliability as expedition vehicle vs. others?

[Blade76]

if they would offer the Powerwagon as Diesel I would consider it, but only gas is no option for me for overlanding.

As said, I want to have an overland cabin on it, so will surely get to 4.5tons or even more! I DO like to go offroading in mud, sand and rocks, probably more than most overlanders do and I broke 7 rims (2x mickey thomson, 5 nissan patrol), 3 leafs, 2 shackle pins and other stuff on my HZJ75 Landcruiser on our 3.5 year trip that we just finished. No, it's not an indestructable car, I had LOTS of problems with this car and so do others too, no matter what they say. If they have no problems they usually just drive on pavement.

I read that the RAM has about 15meters turning radius, that's about the same as my Landcruiser, I can live with that.
The 35/37" with 4.5tons travel weight can perform as good as my 3.5ton landcruiser with 33" wheels when talking about sand/mud/offroad performance?

 

[McConnellHand]

Polar Ram.

I have an 06 now that we use as the family expedition truck, been all over the jeep trails in New Mexico and Colorado. Also have a Sequoia for wife and kids and everything else hauled around in the city and highways.
I love the Ram in the wild and it has plenty of power to tackle most terrain ( no lockers or winch so I try to keep it calm on some trails). It is a big heavy truck though. Steering these on old parts is like taking a boat down the trail, keep the front end in check and greased. I am only running 2'' around the truck and have it on 33's, I made skids for most of the underside and it is hard to get it stuck.
Great truck, would happily drive this truck for the rest of my life. Probably one vehicle that will make it pretty damn far in that adventure.

 

[TwinStick]

Just plan on totally rebuilding the front end. It is inevitable. Do it once, do it right, do it with quality parts. Carli, Thuren, Borgeson, DynaTrac, etc... .

I rebuilt the front end of our Power Wagon at 18k. We bought it/ordered it brand new. I am happy with the results. 40k now, no issues. My truck is the best truck i have ever owned.

 

[Blade76]

and who drove a loaded J7 or J8 landcruiser and can compare it to such a RAM truck?
As said, I was hitting 3.8tons on my Landcruiser and it's definatly not a car to get over 3tons (too weak engine, axles, transmission etc) although 95% of the overlanders with J7 and J8 are heavily overladed! That's also a reason why I want to change, to get a car that is not overloaded...

 

[Ducky's Dad]

I have an '05 Power Wagon and it is by far the best truck I have ever owned. Can't get a PW with a diesel, but you can build a diesel to near PW capability, but not cheap. The big problems with a diesel PW would be weight and overall length, because they couldn't hide the the winch where it is in the gassers. Weight is your enemy in mud and sand., but that may not be an issue for OP.

 

[Clutch]

Might be better off with a Ford for parts sourcing if you're going South of the Border...have somewhat of good dealer network down yonder over Ram.

https://corporate.ford.com/global-links.html#s3f1

 

[Darwin]

I doubt they carry parts for the "scorpion" ford diesel though, and there is no way a 6.0 liter will make it beyond the US/Mexican border!

Not sure what the international network is for Cummins, though I did stop at a Cummins service center in Guadalajara.

 

[Clutch]

I doubt they carry parts for the "scorpion" ford diesel though, and there is no way a 6.0 liter will make it beyond the US/Mexican border!

Not sure what the international network is for Cummins, though I did stop at a Cummins service center in Guadalajara.

Engine components you're prolly SOL...chassis, driveline, suspension...you're mostly likely a-ok. Opposite probably true for the Dadge, might get engine parts but up a river without a paddle for the rest. 6 of 1, half dozen of the other...

There are fixes for the 6.0 now, which might not be a bad way to go...no one wants the 6.Oh-Noes!!!...get one fairly cheap. I found a low mile RCLB 4WD for under $10K. So if you put it on its' roof...or the engine seizes...who cares, you're only out $10K.

 

[MT6bt]

thanks for the infos guys!

So who of you guys did offroad stuff like we did last months? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcI0bsemdpk
Will a 2500 RAM Diesel perform better since it has more power but also more weight?!
We love to go offroading, but the 4.2 Diesel on the Toyota is just too weak at 3.5tons or more car weight!
I realize that the RAM (looking at an Single Cab version, remove the bed and put a cabin on it) is also at 4 to 4.5tons, but we had 3.6-3.8tons with our Toyota too but only 130Horsepower!
We did also other stuff as seen on our video channel. Will a RAM make me happy?

Somehow not apples to oranges... both cars are big, the RAM little bit wider and heavier yes, but not really a lot than my slow Toyota with 5.6meter (18.3feet) and 3.6-3.8tons!

I have had quite an adventurous year so far....traveling across country, offroading across death valley and countless other areas... Nothing like what you've done - cross continent travel, long distance over sand, but I've driven many thousands of miles well off the beaten path, often in 4wd crossing rivers (never more than 15 -20"), snow wheeling, crawling over rocks while cringing and wondering why I haven't spent the money on sliders before, finding myself down 4x4 trails obviously not designed for a full size truck.....
I wouldn't hesitate to go on an adventure as epic as what I have seen in your video with a properly equipped ram.


Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[MT6bt]

You won't be disappointed with the increase in torque and power increase with this upgrade. Cummins are workhorses. Never in an offroading situation did the thought "I wish I had more torque" ever pop into my head, hah!
As for it performing better than your Toyota, we'll I don't know to be precise. Will it have more power? Yes. But with that you'd have to take into consideration how much more it'll weigh. displacing that weight onto soft surfaces will be the one of the most challenging, IMHO.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

 

[2025 deleted member]

With the upgrades done I would trust the 6.0 more than the newer diesels.

 

[Buliwyf]

So far our new 2015 Ford diesels are durable.

Mine is a 6.2L gasser though. I wouldn't overlook the 6.2L, it spanks the 6.8L V10 badly.

 

[Mountainhound]

I have an 11 f250 with the 6.7l and the motor is great, it's the rest of it I'm not to trilled with, have a lot of electrical issues.

 

[OverlandRockwell]

New to the forum but not to fixing Dodge Rams. Here are some Ram ramblings about their weak points-

The 47/48RE series of transmissions are great. They don't have the extra gears of the newer autos but they are cheaper & simpler to upgrade. Also, unlike the manuals, they can take a beating in O/D and "cushion" the rest of the driveline when not locked. The O/D section can be unbolted and rebuilt in the field (just need a large spring compressor). The RE's are computer controlled but can be made dumb with a toggle switch for O/D, another toggle for T/C, and a manual VB.

The 3rd gen+ Ram Cummins use 11.5 AAM axles in the back, equal to if not stronger than my Ram's old Dana 70. My Dana 70 exploded its R&P on pavement BTW. I upgraded to a Dana 80, and now a 2.5 ton rockwell. Check to see if the 11.5 AAM (Duramaxes use the same rear end) have any issues.

The 271 transfer case is also strong, but if you want bullet proof Suncoast offer as 47/48RE stubby kit that can be used to make a divorced SCS or Profab case work. Those cases are used by 2,000+ ft/lbs diesel pullers. They also have quick change gears that can be swapped in the field for more U/D or O/D. Do NOT use a 205 or ATLAS behind a Cummins, they do not live.

The front end, as far as suspension is OK....... I'm swapping out to leafsprings for simplicity and ruggedness.

The 3rd gen front brakes can stop a 335 MPT tire with ease.

 

[Regcabguy]

Just plan on totally rebuilding the front end. It is inevitable. Do it once, do it right, do it with quality parts. Carli, Thuren, Borgeson, DynaTrac, etc... .

I rebuilt the front end of our Power Wagon at 18k. We bought it/ordered it brand new. I am happy with the results. 40k now, no issues. My truck is the best truck i have ever owned.

My '08+ steering is still pretty tight but Synergy's is going on next.

http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/...ing-heavy-duty-steering-kit-03-13-ram-hd.aspx