I owned and built a 4th Gen 2018 Power Wagon on 37's and used it with a Snugtop shell, AT Habitat, and a FWC. Overall it was a great truck and I miss it at times.
@dogman1911 purchased it and he uses it extensively off-road in Northern Idaho proving it's capability every time he's out. His thread (my former) found here:
Pretty fun step down which went immediately into a hard switchback. Approaching the pass (12,140) from the east side. I was so busy driving I didn’t get a chance to get pics of how rocky (and steep) the approach was. The view from the top of the pass. More exploring. Have you...
expeditionportal.com
The pros of the Power Wagon:
- Electronic lockers and disconnecting sway bar
- Soft coil sprung ride
- Warn winch standard
- Reliable 6.4L Hemi that makes plenty of power
- Articu-link suspension
- Out of the box ready to hit the trail without any modifications needed
My gripes with the PW:
- Lighter payload (1/2-ton territory) due to rear coils and softer suspension with this trim package
- Lockers and disconnecting sway bars don't always engage when they should
- Thirsty gasser Hemi engine that ticks
- Comes on rinky-dink DuraCrap 33's
- Crap headlights (halogens on the 4th Gen, the 2019+ 5th Gen LED's are much improved)
- Cheaper feeling interior appointments and build quality when compared to Ford
- Not a fan of how the rear seat platform works in comparison to the Ford system
- 7+ recalls and TSB's in the first year
I am currently looking at buying a new truck next year and these two are at the top of my list. I am currently leaning towards the Tremor simply because I am favoring the diesel option, but I am a tad biased as I've owned four diesel Super Duty's in the past and I intend to tow more often with this truck. I like how the rear seat under storage box folds flat into the floor on the Ford (great space for our three large dogs while traveling) and I think that they have a slight edge in terms of build quality, interior appointments and fit/finish. The RAM currently has the more advanced interior with better tech and I find it more aesthetically pleasing, but the Ford is set for an update/next generation redesign in the next two years so I suspect it'll come out swinging in that department.
I am torn on whether or not I will even select the Tremor package at all, I might buy a Lariat Sport to get the color matched and black out options or a Platinum and build the truck the way I want post purchase (like I've always done in the past). I fear I will be paying for the Tremor options ultimately to only keep the front locker, that's not worth the $4K package sticker at that point and it still doesn't include the optional winch. I know I'll end up on 37's and aftermarket wheels so why should I pay for the 35" DuraCraps (that I obviously hate) and the black wheels which will get replaced?! While I plan to take this truck off-road to some degree, it's true purpose will be over the road towing and daily driving use, I have another vehicle built out for proper off-road/camping use now. If I didn't have the other vehicle and wanted a purpose built off-road truck I'd lean heavily towards the Power Wagon as it's extremely well equipped for the task out of the box.
Ford commands a premium over the RAM, that gap has narrowed in recent years, but the Ford is still the more expensive truck. Overall I think that the Ford is the better truck for long term ownership, reliability, durability, but I would put the RAM as a close second. At the end of the day I think that the Power Wagon is still the best stock off-road truck on the market, because when you get down to it the PW is a 3/4-ton Rubicon Gladiator truck. The PW has the better ride but that comes at the cost of the payload and squatty rear end when towing heavy. Ford front ends hold up better and I've never had an issue with any of their transmissions where that's almost a certainty on a RAM if kept long enough.
While the Tremor is the closest competitor to the Power Wagon, I still think that the PW is the better option for those looking to off-road a full size HD truck, so long as you don't need the power, torque, or payload of a diesel. The gasser Tremor is an option as well and on paper it looks to be a better engine and transmission than those found in the PW, but it's too new to know how it'll hold up over time. The advantage of the Gas Tremor is the improved payload and tow rating when compared to the PW, but it'll come at the cost of ride quality. It's hard to go wrong either way here and IMHO both are much better options than the GM trucks which don't even come close in comparison.
A few pics of my former 2018 Power Wagon and 2017 F-250 King Ranch, both on 37's.
