Looking at a new Dodge, help me decide!!! (Power Wagon vs Cummins)

[jasonL_031]

well then lol nice looking power wagon i miss mine lol

 

[87GMCJimmy]

Thanks everybody for the kind words, input, and advice!!!

Congrats on the PW!

If you'd like to get plenty of info on your new purchase, come on over to the Winch Mob's home. http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/index.php

I missed this prior to your deciding to buy one. While I highly recommend the PW, they are indeed a pig on fuel. There were comments made about going larger on tire to improve MPG, it's not true. The wider, taller, and heavier tire E rated tire required for a PW most assuredly doesn't help on the economy. You can get by with a D rated if you don't tow or load up the truck with stuff like I have Cactus Red. At 8000 lbs and a 4500 lb trailer, the D rated BFG KM2 35/12.5-17 tires had too much squirm for my tastes. When aired down, they also were too soft in the side wall.

If you use the truck for it's intended purpose, and air down tires to the mid teens for traction in mud or snow, figure MPG around 6 to 8 MPG. General trail rides at 25 PSI net me about 8 to 9, the daily drive nets 11.5 MPG.

I am a member over on the registry, thanks for the heads up! (I am RAM4ROKS)

I am averaging 10.2mpg, according to the truck's readout, LOL!

Thanks for the heads up on the tires! I'm really undecided right now as to what to go with. (not KM2s now though!) I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by how well the stock BFG all terrains did in ice and mud last weekend! Went to a volunteer workday out at Uwharrie National forest and gave the truck a good test on 3 trails out there doing trash duty. (got about a bed full of trash off the trails!) With the long wheelbase, my skids got quite a workout out there! The truck really impressed me though, I was in 4wd hi for about 4 hours but never had to switch to low since I never needed my swaybar disconnect or my lockers! Gave the winch a little test pulling a fallen tree to use it to block an illegal ATV trail- the winch worked great!

I definitely want a lift kit, some bigger tires, and (first priority!) rock sliders before I hit too many trails just because that long wheelbase makes the breakover angle suffer! Overall though, I found the truck to be one impressive beast off road!!!

I am debating on lift kits (Both are a budget breaking $3300):
Carli 1" starter kit with control arms, track bar, and full rear leafs added (it's a 3" lift on non-Power Wagons)
OR
BDS 4" long arm with FOX shocks, extended brake lines, and full rear leaf packs added (it's a 6" lift on non-Power Wagons)
The way I look at it, the Carli has the advantage in build quality but the BDS has the advantage in long arms and a taller lift. If anybody has opinions on these or other suggestions, feel free to post up, I need all the help I can get!

Sliders:
Aluminess
or
local fabrication place here

Tires:
Heck if I know, lol!!! 37" tires in some mud terrain flavor!
Toyos- heavy but beefy! (but 13.50 width is a concern)
MTRKs- less beefy than^ but, way cheaper (and American made, right?)
Pitbulls- expensive, heavy BUT awesome! (and definitely American made)
Baja Claw TTCs- found a really good deal on these, I've always liked the look BUT loud and directional
Nitto Trail grapplers- a bit $$$ but seem good?
IROK radials- IDK why but, I've always wanted to run swampers on something, sometime!
Hankooks- cheap cheap but, seems like people that run them like them
Cooper STTs- fairly cheap and I liked them on my K5, but I've heard their sidewalls are weak?

Any input would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

Thanks again for all the kind words, info, and advice thus far y'all!!!!!

 

[crismateski]

Sway bar should disconnect in 4hi, and the "locker bypass" is a pretty easy mod and nice to have.

Tires are something I am looking at now for my wagon. I currently have Nitto Terragrapplers in 305/70/17 and have not been impressed with them at all. Everyone seems to be really happy with the Toyos on the wagons, so that is probably how I will go, but i am eying the Mickey Thompsons MTZ

 

[redthies]

Did you look into Thuren for your suspension? Don is a wizard with Dodges, and may be a better price than Carli while also being better quality than BDS. For tires, I fully support the Toyo MTs now. They are awesome!

 

[noco-k5]

Congrats that's a sweet looking truck I think you made the right choice. I work with a bunch of guys who drive cummins as commuter cars, which cracks me up. Just bought a Ram 1500 Outdoorsman myself. Definitely not a trail rig but a nice DD and Ice fishing vehicle. I've had great luck with Dodge trucks.

 

[87GMCJimmy]

chrismateski, Yeah, the Toyos are looking like they may be the way to go, I just worry about the width. I really want to do the locker mod too!!! Thanks for the heads up on the Terra Grapplers!

redthies, Thuren looks like good stuff, I just like how Carli has stuff organized into a kit, makes it easier than Thuren's a la carte menu, IMO! Prices look very competitive either way! Thanks!

noco-k5, I bet that your 1500 truck is a rocket with the Hemi, my Power Wagon handily gets out of its own way, I bet a 1000+lb lighter 1500 with the little bit of extra power Dodge sees fit to give the 1500's Hemi vs the 2500's Hemi, (390 vs 383, every little bit helps!) I bet your Outdoorsman scoots!!!

 

[leelikesbikes]

im running the 37" mtr's on my dodge with carli suspension, im pretty happy with the tires, they are quiet for a mud terrain and they work great offroad. ive got about 10k on mine and expect to get another 20-25k before they get replaced, this is on a standard cab hemi.

 

[87GMCJimmy]

im running the 37" mtr's on my dodge with carli suspension, im pretty happy with the tires, they are quiet for a mud terrain and they work great offroad. ive got about 10k on mine and expect to get another 20-25k before they get replaced, this is on a standard cab hemi.

Cool deal! I've got the MTRKs on my JK but have never taken it offroad. (it's up for sale actually) If you don't mind my asking, what year is your truck, and what Carli setup do you have? How have you liked it? Any issues? Thanks!

 

[87GMCJimmy]

Just ordered my rock sliders! Aluminess regular steel with step, can't wait for them to come in!!!

 

[crismateski]

Just ordered my rock sliders! Aluminess regular steel with step, can't wait for them to come in!!!

If you dont mind me asking, what was the price on the steal sliders

 

[leelikesbikes]

Cool deal! I've got the MTRKs on my JK but have never taken it offroad. (it's up for sale actually) If you don't mind my asking, what year is your truck, and what Carli setup do you have? How have you liked it? Any issues? Thanks!

my truck is an 03, ive got the carli starter system and stock wheels, i had to do a little trimming in the rear to get full stuff, but since my truck is a paid for trail and work rig cutting on the sheetmetal didnt hurt my feelings. the mtr's are a great tire if you wanna run a mud terrain, mine are a D i would never run an E tire unless i did a lot of heavy towing, you loose a lot of offroad ride quality with an E tire especially in a lighter gas truck. -just my opinion

 

[87GMCJimmy]

If you dont mind me asking, what was the price on the steal sliders

$900. They seem like they'll be worth it though, quite beefy! Also, there's a lot of steel needed to make sliders for a 149" wheelbase truck!

my truck is an 03, ive got the carli starter system and stock wheels, i had to do a little trimming in the rear to get full stuff, but since my truck is a paid for trail and work rig cutting on the sheetmetal didnt hurt my feelings. the mtr's are a great tire if you wanna run a mud terrain, mine are a D i would never run an E tire unless i did a lot of heavy towing, you loose a lot of offroad ride quality with an E tire especially in a lighter gas truck. -just my opinion

Cool! Thanks for the info bro! I'm looking quite seriously at the starter kit! I definitely want a mud terrain so, MTRK's may well be my future tires!

 

[Inline6]

Looking forward to seeing your new rocker guards. I'd like to figure something out to work with my amp steps. Might need to make something myself.

I've been running 37s on my 04 for many years with a couple inches of lift. 35s just looked to small on the truck after I put some 2" springs on. 35s worked stock.

Thinking the newer trucks still have the same backspacing issues as the 3rd gens. Make sure if you change wheels to get proper backspacing wheels, I'm still running h2 wheels, the cheap different wheel that works.

 

[87GMCJimmy]

Inline6- I'll post up pics when I get them! Thanks for the heads up on wheels! I don't know how many options I have on my 2012, they switched to metric lug nuts, IDK how that will effect wheels choices? H2's are a good way to go! For now, I plan on keeping the stock wheels, don't have the budget for anything custom!

 

[trailbound]

Congrats on the new truck, looks nice! I think you made the right choice. I wouldn't want a new diesel, too many emission controls.
Doug