Eating crow....2018 Ram Power Wagon build
- Thread starter Tex68w
- Start date
Explorerinil
Observer
Ok nice set up! Now for my question, is that a yakama Dr. Tray? If so I have one and and adaptor for the 2.5 inch hitch on my truck, it shakes bad and I lost a bike on a rustic highway in Wisconsin. What are you using for an adapter?
How long did it take to get the aluminess products?
How long did it take to get the aluminess products?
brad21
New member
The Dr. Tray was a stop-gap measure. Aluminess is in the process of designing a better mount for a bumper with swing-out arm extensions, we'll hopefully have one by the end of the summer so we can mount the bikes above the box. We were going to get a front receiver too, but in the end they couldn't put in on the bumper for the Power Wagon.
Aluminess has about a 6-8 week turnaround. Luckily for us they sped it up so we could get to Overland Expo with our new rig. We went right to the factory in Santee to have them installed.
Explorerinil
Observer
What did you do with the suspension? Looks like you are running black 20 inch factory wheels, planning on running anything different later?
Truck looks awesome btw.
Truck looks awesome btw.
brad21
New member
Thanks!
Installed Hellwig Big Wig airbags and swaybar. Probably more suspension mods to come in the future but for now it works.
Running the OEM 17" special edition wheels with General 35's, no plan to run anything different at this point.
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Explorerinil
Observer
Is that a yakama skybox 21? It looks like a really big one. I’m getting ready to buy a skybox 21 for a long trip into northern Canada. How do you like your yakama box?
dogman1911
Active member
Soon...
brad21
New member
Yes it's the 21. Have barely used it so far, but I do like having it. Going to have to load it with lighter stuff d/t it really makes the roof hard to lift. Bigger lifters coming soon.
dogman1911
Active member
The saga continues...
I work outside the US, so even though I bought the truck from Jeremy, I didn't see it until my wife picked me up from the airport at the end of May. She drove it back from Texas to Idaho in February. I pretty much drove the truck every opportunity I got when I was home from grocery-getting to a multi-day camping trip.
While I was home, I did a few upgrades to the truck, continuing Jeremy's tasteful and useful tradition. More on that in the near future. I've been travelling back to Afghanistan the last couple days and I am smoked.
I work outside the US, so even though I bought the truck from Jeremy, I didn't see it until my wife picked me up from the airport at the end of May. She drove it back from Texas to Idaho in February. I pretty much drove the truck every opportunity I got when I was home from grocery-getting to a multi-day camping trip.
While I was home, I did a few upgrades to the truck, continuing Jeremy's tasteful and useful tradition. More on that in the near future. I've been travelling back to Afghanistan the last couple days and I am smoked.
1pieceatatime
Observer
Stay safe.
dogman1911
Active member
Western rim of Hell's Canyon. We camped nearby and had the overlook and campsite completely to ourselves. We watched sunset and sunrise and felt like we owned the world.
dogman1911
Active member
More Oregon exploring...
dogman1911
Active member
Last year I began the process of researching a new (or new-ish) truck that met the following criteria: capable, durable, powerful, comfortable, cool and fun. A heavy tow capacity was low on the requirement list as we don't have a camper or large boat. Gas mileage was also a concern, but not a deal breaker (which is obvious with the Power Wagon). In addition, my wife and I do things on our own rather than in groups, so a truck with robust recovery capabilities played a factor as well. It had to be a do-it-all truck.
Although I live in the PNW, I spend the majority of my time outside the US, so when I am home on leave, I wanted the new truck to be ready to rock or easily modded to get it where I wanted. My current (now previous/just sold before I came back to AFG) truck is a 1979 Ford F250 Supercab 4x4. It is super cool, built like a mule, but like any 40 year old vehicle, requires constant tinkering and is not really comfortable for long trips. I just don't have the time to dedicate to the upkeep required for an older truck.
I spent quite a bit of time researching on various forums, watching YT vids and living vicariously through other's adventures and builds online, including @Tex68w and @marshal builds.
I've owned both full-size and mid-size trucks in the past and I'm really a full-size truck guy although the mid-size trucks certainly afford the opportunity for more trails and tight fits. In the end it came down to the Ram Power Wagon or Toyota Tundra. They don't really compare head-to-head, but they both tick all the boxes for a capable adventure truck with each having +/- and each having a strong aftermarket.
Once I narrowed it down to Ram or Toyota, it was a daily back and forth of which one I was going to get - first world problems in full effect. I had my aftermarket build spreadsheet, constantly looking at what was reliable and working for other people. Chad de Alva's Project Tundra series on American Adventurist was a strong influence and that coupled with Toyota reliability (we have a 2007 Sequoia that has been super-reliable) and lower initial purchase price and no frills technology pretty much tipped me toward buying a Tundra...until Jeremy put his truck up for sale...
Although I live in the PNW, I spend the majority of my time outside the US, so when I am home on leave, I wanted the new truck to be ready to rock or easily modded to get it where I wanted. My current (now previous/just sold before I came back to AFG) truck is a 1979 Ford F250 Supercab 4x4. It is super cool, built like a mule, but like any 40 year old vehicle, requires constant tinkering and is not really comfortable for long trips. I just don't have the time to dedicate to the upkeep required for an older truck.
I spent quite a bit of time researching on various forums, watching YT vids and living vicariously through other's adventures and builds online, including @Tex68w and @marshal builds.
I've owned both full-size and mid-size trucks in the past and I'm really a full-size truck guy although the mid-size trucks certainly afford the opportunity for more trails and tight fits. In the end it came down to the Ram Power Wagon or Toyota Tundra. They don't really compare head-to-head, but they both tick all the boxes for a capable adventure truck with each having +/- and each having a strong aftermarket.
Once I narrowed it down to Ram or Toyota, it was a daily back and forth of which one I was going to get - first world problems in full effect. I had my aftermarket build spreadsheet, constantly looking at what was reliable and working for other people. Chad de Alva's Project Tundra series on American Adventurist was a strong influence and that coupled with Toyota reliability (we have a 2007 Sequoia that has been super-reliable) and lower initial purchase price and no frills technology pretty much tipped me toward buying a Tundra...until Jeremy put his truck up for sale...
dogman1911
Active member
I had been following Jeremy's build from the beginning and he was upgrading his truck almost part-for-part with items I would have installed if I had bought a stock Power Wagon. It is also rare that you can see the full provenance first-hand, so when he put it up for sale, it was go time. We did the appropriate male bonding and butt sniffing from 14K miles apart which got us through the slow roll his bank was doing on releasing payoff (it took them a month). The truck's adventure started off with a bang as the first night after my wife flew down to pick the truck up and drive it back to Idaho, someone busted the passenger window out at the hotel looking for tools and guns. 10 vehicles were hit at two hotels the same night. Fortunately, the only damage was the window and glass everywhere. Even after it went to a detailer, I was still finding glass when I was home in June. She was able to get the glass replaced the next day and finished the trip uneventfully, except for raids on Ikea (we don't have one close) in Denver and SLC on the way back.
Now here I am sitting in the land of suck, having to wait 4 months to get home to finger bang my new truck
In the meantime, I had been ordering a few things to make it more suited to my needs. With functionality and usability in mind, here is my continuation of Jeremy's build:
Lock'er Down EXxtreme Armrest Safe. There are a few "no carry" places in the area and the console safe is a good peace of mind secure storage choice. I went with the upgraded electronic lock because I didn't want to deal with fumbling with a key or trying to read the small numbers on the tumbler lock, especially in the dark. The electronic lock has big numbers and with practice, can be opened without looking. Also, in stress situation, the big number pad is going to be easier to manipulate. It was an easy install. The only negative is the lever on the electronic lock sticks up and presses into to the armrest pad. You have to close the pad pretty hard to get the latch to engage. You also have to remove or cut the rubber pad for the safe to sit all the way down in the armrest. I cut it so there is still a strip in the gap. There is plenty of room to stuff charging cables in the gap and the armrest version of the safe is large enough for two pistols in holster and additional mag pouches (in our particular instance a G17 and G30S).
Bayou Goat Mounts Triple Goat Mount and Mob Armor Tabnetic mount. I wanted something flexible for multiple device mounting choices and the Triple Goat Mount from Bayou Goat Mounts seemed the best solution. It screws into the existing holes on the console cubby. During our Hells Canyon trip, I had my iPad Pro mounted to a MobArmor Tabnetic mount (awesome piece of kit) and a Garmin GPS for mph since the larger tires had the speedo way off (fixed later). The Mob Armor Tabnetic mount is fantastic and held the iPad in place on the roughest roads with no issue. I had ordered a Ram Mount X-mount with suction base for my phone, but the base is too big. I am debating getting the screw-in ball base or just going with Mob Armor across the board (yes!). I had initially considered ordering the Ram Mount no-drill arm but the Mob Armor turned out to be a much better option.
AEV ProCal. I ordered the AEV Procal to fix the TPMS and speedometer issues with the larger tires. It is a simple install and works great. My speedo is within 1 mph of the GPS at any speed (it was 8-9 mph off at 65-70 mph). I made an appointment with the Ram dealer for a couple of recalls and had them complete the TPMS adjustment with the WiTech tool. no more TPMS light.
CargoGlide XL1500. Hands-down, the handiest mod I completed on the truck. It is so frickin' convenient. I went with the XL1500 which allows 100% pull out of the tray, which works very well with the taller truck. My wife loves it as well. You obviously lose some bed capacity but the convenience is well worth it and it proved its worth on our initial camping trip. I also mounted a Wilco Offroad Bed Mount Tire Carrier to the CargoGlide to secure the spare. The install was pretty straight forward. I mostly did it myself with my wife helping when I put the middle frame section and top surface section in. A few notes for anyone interested...do not get the low profile version of the XL. The slide out frame may still clear your tail gate, but the red lever used to release the bed slide will not. I almost ordered the LP version but after install, am glad I didn't. Also, I can't speak for other manufacturer beds, but the mounting points for the revnuts in the center of the bed barely align with the raised ridges in the bed. Instead of the ridges running the full length of the bed, they taper off in the center then pick up again. I had to push the frame as far forward to the cab as I possibly could go to ensure the revnuts in the center were flush.
Added a shot of the Wilco mount before the bed slide went in.
White Knuckle Offroad Rock Sliders. Awesome build quality and install is pretty straight-forward but still a **********, especially the drivers side. I did them myself so extra ********** points. I used two jack stands to keep them stable and a floor jack to lift as needed. I did not get the opportunity to install these until my last week home so I haven't been anywhere to test them out but there are enough vids and pics on the web to show their utility. I have about a finger-thick gap between the top of the rails and the rocker panels. I had read they do not stick out far enough to be useful steps but after the install, both my wife and myself find them more than adequate as a step and she appreciates not have to jump 6 feet into the cab now. I am going to have the top of the rails Line-X'd for better step traction during the winter.
Bushwacker Extend-A-Fender. With the wider tires, I wanted a subtle solution to protect against mud and debris slinging. The Extend-A-Fenders are about 1-1/4" wider than the stock flares, but look balanced and stock once installed. The old flares come off pretty easy. The most time spent on that was getting the adhesive off the truck. The only hard part on the new flares is getting the rubber seal with the adhesive strip onto the flares themselves. You continually have to untwist it while fighting to keep it seated on the lip of the new flares. Once installed though, it stays in place. No additional pics as you can see them clearly in the above pics.
That concluded the mods I accomplished when I was home. I look forward to testing out the sliders some time in the future - maybe at Power Wagons in Moab.
Now here I am sitting in the land of suck, having to wait 4 months to get home to finger bang my new truck
In the meantime, I had been ordering a few things to make it more suited to my needs. With functionality and usability in mind, here is my continuation of Jeremy's build:
Lock'er Down EXxtreme Armrest Safe. There are a few "no carry" places in the area and the console safe is a good peace of mind secure storage choice. I went with the upgraded electronic lock because I didn't want to deal with fumbling with a key or trying to read the small numbers on the tumbler lock, especially in the dark. The electronic lock has big numbers and with practice, can be opened without looking. Also, in stress situation, the big number pad is going to be easier to manipulate. It was an easy install. The only negative is the lever on the electronic lock sticks up and presses into to the armrest pad. You have to close the pad pretty hard to get the latch to engage. You also have to remove or cut the rubber pad for the safe to sit all the way down in the armrest. I cut it so there is still a strip in the gap. There is plenty of room to stuff charging cables in the gap and the armrest version of the safe is large enough for two pistols in holster and additional mag pouches (in our particular instance a G17 and G30S).
Bayou Goat Mounts Triple Goat Mount and Mob Armor Tabnetic mount. I wanted something flexible for multiple device mounting choices and the Triple Goat Mount from Bayou Goat Mounts seemed the best solution. It screws into the existing holes on the console cubby. During our Hells Canyon trip, I had my iPad Pro mounted to a MobArmor Tabnetic mount (awesome piece of kit) and a Garmin GPS for mph since the larger tires had the speedo way off (fixed later). The Mob Armor Tabnetic mount is fantastic and held the iPad in place on the roughest roads with no issue. I had ordered a Ram Mount X-mount with suction base for my phone, but the base is too big. I am debating getting the screw-in ball base or just going with Mob Armor across the board (yes!). I had initially considered ordering the Ram Mount no-drill arm but the Mob Armor turned out to be a much better option.
AEV ProCal. I ordered the AEV Procal to fix the TPMS and speedometer issues with the larger tires. It is a simple install and works great. My speedo is within 1 mph of the GPS at any speed (it was 8-9 mph off at 65-70 mph). I made an appointment with the Ram dealer for a couple of recalls and had them complete the TPMS adjustment with the WiTech tool. no more TPMS light.
CargoGlide XL1500. Hands-down, the handiest mod I completed on the truck. It is so frickin' convenient. I went with the XL1500 which allows 100% pull out of the tray, which works very well with the taller truck. My wife loves it as well. You obviously lose some bed capacity but the convenience is well worth it and it proved its worth on our initial camping trip. I also mounted a Wilco Offroad Bed Mount Tire Carrier to the CargoGlide to secure the spare. The install was pretty straight forward. I mostly did it myself with my wife helping when I put the middle frame section and top surface section in. A few notes for anyone interested...do not get the low profile version of the XL. The slide out frame may still clear your tail gate, but the red lever used to release the bed slide will not. I almost ordered the LP version but after install, am glad I didn't. Also, I can't speak for other manufacturer beds, but the mounting points for the revnuts in the center of the bed barely align with the raised ridges in the bed. Instead of the ridges running the full length of the bed, they taper off in the center then pick up again. I had to push the frame as far forward to the cab as I possibly could go to ensure the revnuts in the center were flush.
Added a shot of the Wilco mount before the bed slide went in.
White Knuckle Offroad Rock Sliders. Awesome build quality and install is pretty straight-forward but still a **********, especially the drivers side. I did them myself so extra ********** points. I used two jack stands to keep them stable and a floor jack to lift as needed. I did not get the opportunity to install these until my last week home so I haven't been anywhere to test them out but there are enough vids and pics on the web to show their utility. I have about a finger-thick gap between the top of the rails and the rocker panels. I had read they do not stick out far enough to be useful steps but after the install, both my wife and myself find them more than adequate as a step and she appreciates not have to jump 6 feet into the cab now. I am going to have the top of the rails Line-X'd for better step traction during the winter.
Bushwacker Extend-A-Fender. With the wider tires, I wanted a subtle solution to protect against mud and debris slinging. The Extend-A-Fenders are about 1-1/4" wider than the stock flares, but look balanced and stock once installed. The old flares come off pretty easy. The most time spent on that was getting the adhesive off the truck. The only hard part on the new flares is getting the rubber seal with the adhesive strip onto the flares themselves. You continually have to untwist it while fighting to keep it seated on the lip of the new flares. Once installed though, it stays in place. No additional pics as you can see them clearly in the above pics.
That concluded the mods I accomplished when I was home. I look forward to testing out the sliders some time in the future - maybe at Power Wagons in Moab.
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Tex68w
Beach Bum
It looks great man, you've done well continuing the build where I left off. I think I would have done the same mods you've chosen had I kept it. I am not going to lie, seeing these pics makes me miss it, it really is a great truck. I am looking forward to seeing where the build goes from here and the trips you take her on in the future. It was a pleasure meeting your wife, she was a blast to chat with at dinner and one heck of a fire cracker to tackle that trip solo in the middle of winter. I hope one day we can rendezvous somewhere and finally meet.