No, you are not crazy. 2008 was the last year for the G-56 with the Hemi. Trust me, even IF you can do ALL the work yourself, it is still cheaper to buy a Power Wagon . than try to make something that will never be one. 15k Warn winch almost 2k, mount for winch $400 but it will not work with CTD intercooler, front & rear lockers almost 2k EACH, 2" lift-???, full skid plating, Bilstein shocks $400, Alcoa one piece forged alum rims w/internal bead ribs $660 EACH, etc... etc... The reason they have not offered the Power Wagon with the CTD is 2 fold, first off, btween the engine & trans it is about 8-900lbs heavier & sinks in the mud much easier & second the torque is so high it would blow the drivetrain apart with a heavy foot on high traction surfaces....like MOAB rock.
I think mine officially has the worst MPG of any Power Wagon ever made at 8-10 mpg. Does not matter if i am empty driving like an old lady or towing, i get about the same. Worst was 2-3mpg pulling our 10,500lb toyhauler up a long steep hill (but i maintained 55mph-3rd gear @ 5500+ rpms).
I LOVE diesels, but everyone does not need one. The reason many buy them is (for the torque) to make up for the horrendous gear ratios in the transmissions, for true HD work. I see it every year we go camping---CTD's, DuraMax's & Powerstrokes, pulling campers that are 5000lbs, some even way less. I am in my 50's now but we had a Station Wagon that we pulled a 6000lb camper with when i was a kid. And had no problem doing it either.
I had an 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 4x4 w/Hemi, 545RFE auto trans, HD cooling & tow pkg w/4.10's & it absolutely sucked for pulling our toyhauler. It would be screaming in 2nd or lugging in 3rd & constantly shifting back & forth, just to maintain the speed limit on flat ground. I had to add a 24 row 1 ton trans oil cooler & a 30,000lb rated engine oil cooler to keep it from self destructing while towing. My Power Wagon has the same 345hp engine, yet pulled that 10,500 lb toyhauler like nothing. Same camper, same engine, wayyyy different gear ratio's. Made all the difference in the world.
545RFE: 1st) 3.00:1 2nd) 1.67:1 3rd) 1.00:1 4th) .75:1 5th) .67:1 REV 3.00:1
G-56: 1st) 6.3:1 2nd) 3.48:1 3rd) 2.10:1 4th) 1.38:1 5th) 1.00:1 6th) .79:1 REV 5.42:1
Welcome to the club. I absolutely LOVE my truck. I think they went to the bigger engine so they could use 4.10's (instead of the 4.56's) for slightly better mpg's, maybe, IDK ??? No lift & stock size tires on mine so far.
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