Eating crow....2018 Ram Power Wagon build

[dogman1911]

I'm just glad I snatched it out of your grubbies before you had a chance to change your mind?

Besides, it was meant to be. My very first truck was a 1978 Dodge Power Wagon. I drove it like a tank on the tank trails of Ft. Hood when I was a teenager.

 

[Tex68w]

It was meant to be, you were committed and even more so after that bank tested our patience, what a ******** show.

 

[Regcabguy]

She drives my Super Duty a few days a week, it sits on 37's, the last Super Duty we had also sat on 37's, she's grown accustom to the height/look. She survived a deadly wreck in which she lost her older sister and has since been very uneasy about smaller vehicles, it's a mental thing, but I don't push it, I just stay supportive. Her first comment after looking at it last weekend was that she thought the stock tires looked small and mentioned we should change them and in all honesty every one here thinks the same thing because its true. She'd likely be happy with a slightly bigger tire i.e. 35's, but I am taking this opportunity to slap some 37's on and she said as long as its similar to my truck she's fine with it. So hate on a mans build thread all you want, but that's kind of pathetic if you ask me.

I too was in an accident with a smaller vehicle in 2000. My neck has never recovered. Luckily no passengers that time. I'll take the larger vehicle to a degree anytime (aside from parking).
Good luck with the PW. I'd love one.

 

[dogman1911]

Well, it's been awhile since I have been able to enjoy the truck, but I am back stateside, had a 2 week turn-around to come back from Afghanistan then pack and move to Colorado.

No serious mods - I just didn't have the time and now I am in a place where I can't work on the truck. On the plus side, I did a speaker upgrade to the factory system and got some serious bang-for-the-buck with the speakers. I put Kenwood Excelon KFC-XP6093C's up front, which include the 3.5" midrage speakers for the dash, and Excelon KFC-X694's for the rear. I pulled the inner door panels off and Dynamatted the door skins front at rear. I also added Dynapad to the front door skins. Install was pretty straight-forward. I put 4 ohm resistors inline with the dash speakers since the factories are 8 ohms and nearly all after-market speakers are 4 ohm. Without the resistors, the dash speakers would be noticeably louder than the door speakers.

The overall improvement in soundstage, bass, and clarity is awesome, especially for simple replacement speakers. The Dynamat made a noticeable difference in external sound mitigation (wife was the final judge on that) and the doors have a solid think when you knock on the panels.

I'm just starting to explore the local area and hope to do more once everything settles down. This past weekend I visited the Comanche National Grasslands. That road back there is about 10 miles of haul-ass goodness.

 

[huntsonora]

Well, it's been awhile since I have been able to enjoy the truck, but I am back stateside, had a 2 week turn-around to come back from Afghanistan then pack and move to Colorado.

where are you moving to in Colorado?

 

[dogman1911]

I'm in Colorado Springs, now.

 

[dogman1911]

Coming down the west side of Hancock Pass...this truck is so amazingly capable. The only other vehicles were dirt bikes, UTVs and a couple of mildy modded Jeeps.

 

[Regcabguy]

Texas.

Dodge has said more than once, putting the diesel in the PW, wrecks what makes the PW so cool. I agree. Weight ain't fun in mud.

Agreed. I love my 5.9 but it is heavier than hell like the other brands. I'd love a PW but with a graphics delete.

 

[Oilbrnr]

Thinking about those Kenwoods too, even though I've never been overly inspired by their speaker line. But it is a simple drop-in help for our trucks.

Curious about your deadening on the doors though. In reading your description you matted the inner (outer) metal door skin, but did you put it anywhere else, like frame structure or the actual plastic door card? I notice bass buzz on the perimeter of plastic rear panels where they contact the metal.

 

[dogman1911]

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.

 

[Explorerinil]

Agreed. I love my 5.9 but it is heavier than hell like the other brands. I'd love a PW but with a graphics delete.

I can’t stand the new decals, I removed them from my 19, they look better removed.

 

[dogman1911]

Curious about your deadening on the doors though. In reading your description you matted the inner (outer) metal door skin, but did you put it anywhere else, like frame structure or the actual plastic door card? I notice bass buzz on the perimeter of plastic rear panels where they contact the metal.

@Oilbrnr

I just did the inner door metal, not the cards at all. I did cut strips as a gasket to seal the speakers to the speaker openings. I felt it was a better seal than the foam rings that come with speakers and it gave a bit more gap between the thicker speaker magnets of the Kenwoods and the power door mechanism. I have not experienced any buzzing.

 

[Todd780]

Agreed. I love my 5.9 but it is heavier than hell like the other brands. I'd love a PW but with a graphics delete.

I can’t stand the new decals, I removed them from my 19, they look better removed.

What's funny is I normally can't stand decals. I even want to remove the FX4 badge on my truck. But, something about a red power wagon with the decals just looks oh so right to me.

Reminds me of this truck:

 

[ChinaLakePW]

What's funny is I normally can't stand decals. I even want to remove the FX4 badge on my truck. But, something about a red power wagon with the decals just looks oh so right to me.

Reminds me of this truck:
View attachment 603710

I normally go for low key as well. When I finally decided on a Power Wagon, I was sure it would be a Laramie That said, I am and always will be a child of the 70s and 80s. My grandparents' neighbor had a Macho Mango Power Wagon when Simon and Simon came out...my 2018 has the bed decals.

 

[dogman1911]

If I had ordered a PW new, I would have deleted the decals, but it’s really about the journey for me, not the gear?