2012 Power Wagon Build

[PowerWagner]

A couple of notes on various changes to the escape vehicle.

First the addition of a Century "High C" topper.

Then a set of Aluminess sliders

Added a standard carpet kit

And built a slide out cargo box


Next up: additional battery, cargo rack for topper, additional light front, back, and side, awning, rear bumper with swing away additional storage, potential 35's but I really don't want to lift it. More to come

 

[Outback]

The Power Wagons are great vehicles. I had an 05. I will be picking two more up for Company vehicles.

 

[PowerWagner]

Agreed. Extremely capable. Only wish would be for the diesel but the hemi will motor on for a good long while.

 

[Black Dog]

Any more details on the Aluminess sliders? I didn't see them on their website, were they a custom fab? Real sliders and not just thin walled tube steps are hard to come by for 3rd and 4th generation Rams.

 

[crismateski]

Looking good

Aluminess does make "real" sliders for the power wagon's, I think they are a special order item, and quite nice. I wish I had a set for mine

 

[PowerWagner]

Any more details on the Aluminess sliders? I didn't see them on their website, were they a custom fab? Real sliders and not just thin walled tube steps are hard to come by for 3rd and 4th generation Rams.

Here's my take on the sliders:

They are custom made and are pretty beefy. I went down to the Aluminess shop in Santee, CA and took a look at what they are doing there. I'm no expert but I'd say the guys there are legit at turning out quality product.

Now the bad news - the left slider took a small bump and drag a week after install. If interested, check the video link which will show what I would call "minor severity". After taking that hit, the slider is loose and is now oscillating up and down when driving over bumps on the road. I've tightened it up but that did not solve the issue. It is possible that it may have been slightly bent at the point of connection to the undercarage. I'll say this, there would have been significant body damage had the sliders not been on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QG40P4zGJ8

And to be fair - I have called the guys at Aluminess and they have been interested in the resolution. I'll post feeback of the customer service as it progresses.

 

[FirerescuePW]

That is a nice looking truck. I have an '05. They are quite capable.
IIRC, the Aluminess sliders bolt to the inside of the rocker panel. You may have damaged the sheetmetal that the slider bolts through. This is the first real "test" I have seen. That wasn't a hard hit. I hope it is something as simple as retorquing bolts. It may take a little work to get to the fasteners to hold them still while tightening.

Finding good, sturdy, frame mounted sliders is tough since Mopar discontinued their version. Custom made is one way to go. A company called White Knuckle Offroad in California makes strong bolt-on sliders for Power Wagons, and they should fit 2500s as well.

 

[crawler#976]

In regards to the Aluminess Sliders, since they attach to the pinch weld, IMO, they aren't up to the task considering the weight of PW. The JKR and JKUR uses a similar system, and they work fine, but with the long wheel base and a starting weight near 7K, again, IMO, the pinch weld method isn't sufficient. On Cactus Red, an '09 3rd Gen, mine are a set of the old style factory sliders that bolt to the frame. Even at that, if I lean on'm hard, they deflect a fair amount. And they are made of 0.250 wall and 0.187 wall steel tubing...

 

[PowerWagner]

That is a nice looking truck. I have an '05. They are quite capable.
IIRC, the Aluminess sliders bolt to the inside of the rocker panel. You may have damaged the sheetmetal that the slider bolts through. This is the first real "test" I have seen. That wasn't a hard hit. I hope it is something as simple as retorquing bolts. It may take a little work to get to the fasteners to hold them still while tightening.

Agreed - maybe the sheet metal under is bent slightly. I can't tell by looking at it. It does seem like the connection point could use a shim or something now that it is loose.

Finding good, sturdy, frame mounted sliders is tough since Mopar discontinued their version. Custom made is one way to go. A company called White Knuckle Offroad in California makes strong bolt-on sliders for Power Wagons, and they should fit 2500s as well.

I called those guys but they mentioned they weren't doing any for G4's until some time in the future. I'm impatient and was hoping these would hold up. I'll say they did their job of protecting the "beauty" of the rocker panel but the jury is out on at what cost. Crawlers post above regarding the weight vs the slider may very well turn out to be true. Hopefully the Aluminess guys have seen this before and/or have a fix.

 

[Mark Harley]

I would put a teather or stop on the roll out drawer.
On an incline it may suprise you and roll out fast!

 

[Black Dog]

So this may be a stupid question but I'm going to ask it any way. Is there a difference (other than the winch and lockers and whatnot) between a 3rd gen Power Wagon and a 3rd gen non-Power Wagon 2500 Hemi? Because there are lots of things on the market for Power Wagons and Cummins equipped trucks but almost nothing for 2500s with the Hemi that don't carry the PW trim, like rockers and snorkels and the like. I can't tell a difference.

 

[PowerWagner]

I would put a teather or stop on the roll out drawer.
On an incline it may suprise you and roll out fast!

Thanks for the advice.

I have 2" casters on the bottom for rollers (couldn't find smaller). Because the casters are that size, they get stuck in the space between the end of the bed and the bottom of the tail gate and require a little lift to move. I don't think even a fully weighted drawer will slide out. Also, I built it so that if the drawer extends past the balance point, when the front drops the back is stopped by the sleeping platforms rails as it raises. I ahd purchased some slide locks but decided not to use them. All said, I need to test your incline thought so I don't hurt myself or my ego if it did come running out and hit the dirt!

 

[PowerWagner]

So this may be a stupid question but I'm going to ask it any way. Is there a difference (other than the winch and lockers and whatnot) between a 3rd gen Power Wagon and a 3rd gen non-Power Wagon 2500 Hemi? Because there are lots of things on the market for Power Wagons and Cummins equipped trucks but almost nothing for 2500s with the Hemi that don't carry the PW trim, like rockers and snorkels and the like. I can't tell a difference.

I wouldn't know but Cris and others on the Power Wagon Registry are pretty knowledgable about all things Power Wagon and Dodge. I defer...

 

[crismateski]

I wouldn't know but Cris and others on the Power Wagon Registry are pretty knowledgable about all things Power Wagon and Dodge. I defer...

I just sent a PM to not hijack this thread

I am hoping to do a weekend in Big Bear in 2 or 3 weeks if you want to try and get up there

 

[PowerWagner]

I just sent a PM to not hijack this thread

I am hoping to do a weekend in Big Bear in 2 or 3 weeks if you want to try and get up there

PM didn't come through. I'd be interested.