Vanilla Gorilla: 2017 Power Wagon build
- Thread starter marshal
- Start date
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
thanks!
no dual alternators. whenever i built one on ram's website i always spec'd it - but im okay with it not having it. I learned after i purchased mine when i was looking at retrofitting a second one on, that it uses a separate dedicated belt system outside of the serpentine system, which i wasn't really keen about. So if my power demands go in excess of the stock 160Amps, i'll order an OEM 220AMP or a 300amp form US Alternator
1pieceatatime
Observer
Looking good!
Next summer is new truck time for me - still pretty open on which way to go - leading contenders are Raptor, F250, Power Wagon. I tried to build a 2018 Power Wagon online this AM - no option for ramboxes in the configurator. Hopefully this is just a SNAFU and it is still an option on the 2018 PW...
Next summer is new truck time for me - still pretty open on which way to go - leading contenders are Raptor, F250, Power Wagon. I tried to build a 2018 Power Wagon online this AM - no option for ramboxes in the configurator. Hopefully this is just a SNAFU and it is still an option on the 2018 PW...
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
I was in the same selection process as you. Gas f250 is out of the question for me. The truck is just too big for a gas engine in my opinion without more transmission gears. Diesel was a 10k option.
I was totally gung-ho on a raptor, as I had found a dealer a thousand miles away willing to deal on them (everyone local is MSRP + $10,0000). the PW fell in my lap and I couldn’t say no. Really happy so far.
When Ford updates the f250 with a 10 speed auto, the gas will be an interesting option
I was totally gung-ho on a raptor, as I had found a dealer a thousand miles away willing to deal on them (everyone local is MSRP + $10,0000). the PW fell in my lap and I couldn’t say no. Really happy so far.
When Ford updates the f250 with a 10 speed auto, the gas will be an interesting option
Littlehouse
Adventurer
Not just gears. I hear Ford is working on a new 7.0 HD engine. Hopefully it's not just a replacement for the v-10 in the big guys.....
Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
I am a toyota guy, but the Power wagon has always been a huge dream of mine. I love the old old school ones from back in the 50's and 60's but finding one these days that is not destroyed and or does not cost an arm, leg, first born and then another hundred grand on top of that is hard.
I feel like the newer PW's are starting to look better. Cant argue with the tech that is in them. If you could have it with a cummins, I would most likely already own one. My tacoma does most things I need it to do most of the time. And, a full size truck is nice to have. I spend a lot of time in the back country, hunting, fishing, hauling firewood. The taco is great but this would be better on all but the tightest trails.
I look forward to seeing how this truck turns out at the end of the day.
What are you thinking about in terms of rubber? You have mentioned 37's. Any idea what yet? Are you going to have to do some trimming to make those fit?
Good luck.
I am a toyota guy, but the Power wagon has always been a huge dream of mine. I love the old old school ones from back in the 50's and 60's but finding one these days that is not destroyed and or does not cost an arm, leg, first born and then another hundred grand on top of that is hard.
I feel like the newer PW's are starting to look better. Cant argue with the tech that is in them. If you could have it with a cummins, I would most likely already own one. My tacoma does most things I need it to do most of the time. And, a full size truck is nice to have. I spend a lot of time in the back country, hunting, fishing, hauling firewood. The taco is great but this would be better on all but the tightest trails.
I look forward to seeing how this truck turns out at the end of the day.
What are you thinking about in terms of rubber? You have mentioned 37's. Any idea what yet? Are you going to have to do some trimming to make those fit?
Good luck.
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
i really doubt they would go that route when they've invested so much into the ecoboost line. Everything ive heard points to a 5.0L coyote based twin turbo engine to replace the 6.2L
I also came from a Toyota, I had a 2010 4Runner Trail on 35s. It just wasn't up to the tasks that I was giving it and the 4.0 is anemic and the 5-speed poorly mapped. I love toyota stuff but until they can figure their **** out how to make a class leading truck again im out.
Ultimately the goal is the Falken Wildpeak AT3 in 37", which isn't currently made. However its slated for a Q3 2018 release and I should be able to get my hands on a set before then. That said, Trailready beadlocks have jumped onboard so ultimately i may have to go with the Wildpeak MT until the AT's are ready.
Last edited:
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
The Ford F-250 gas is just as fast as the powerstroke. Not that speed is everything, but my point is the gas motor is up to the task. All directons are pointing to a 7.0 as listed above. I think the boosted coyote is just a rumor on fanboy forums.
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
so i've done some things
First off i replaced the OEM backup bulbs with Philips LED's. I like the light color they omit, but im not super keen with their output or the CANBUS error im getting. Im probably going to replace these.
IMG_4186 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_4384 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
Second I got a Leitner Designs Gen2 bed rack, which im really pleased with and can't say enough good things about. im going to get more photos of this soon.
IMG_3331 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_3925 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_0345 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
Third, i got these titties vinyls to put over the RAM letters on the grill. The Silver was a bit much IMO, but i didn't want to get rid of it entirely. this covers up everything but the chamfer with black
IMG_0394 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_8596 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
Lastly,
I wanted to do a headlight upgrade now that the fogs were done. I didn't want to use HID's because they're not that reliable, and their systems are complex. I could get good reliability by going with an OEM retrofit setup, but thats still into the thousands for the good stuff. I can't use LED's because the way the doghouse on the gen4 RAM's are, there is no space behind the housing (it rests against the support beam) for me to expand out of with the larger heatsinks on the LEDs.
IMG_7290 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_1997 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
So that leaves me only one option, the best incandescent bulbs money can buy. Now, the High and Low beams on the projector equipped RAM's use 9005 bulbs for both the high and low beams. While this is already a good 65 watt setup, we can do better.
I decided that I was going to use HIR bulbs, which are a special kind of incandescent bulb that was originally invented by General Electric in the 90s. an HIR bulb uses a special type of crystalline glass that reflects the infrared light back at the filament at the bulb, causing it to be superheated and lameness even more. Because its heat being reflected back, its even and it doesn't effect the lifespan of the filament despite it glowing ever brighter. In fact, it helps it last longer because of the efficiency. Because of these traits, HIR bulbs are 50-70% brighter than their normal brothers and have twice as long of lives, putting them on par with 35watt HIDs.
after GE decided that the investment in the tooling for making HIR bulbs wasn't worthwhile due to their expense and HIDs becoming popular, they sold the patents to Toshiba who made the bulbs for some years. Toshiba eventually shut the line down and HIR's were myth and legend for years. Recently, Philips purchased the rights to HIR's and started production again and Vosla is one of the actual manufactures in Germany. the two sizes HIRs come in is HIR1 and HIR2, which are based as 9011s and H11s respectively.
IMG_0144 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_1986 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
the cool thing with the RAM's using 9005s is that the 9011 base is the same with the exception of a slightly longer top tab, so with a file - a 9011 will fit just fine.
IMG_7900 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_2428 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
its a good thing i pulled these low beams out, because as you can see - a pretty segnificant hotspot was forming on both bulbs and were probably going to burn out soon
IMG_2347 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
looking side by side at the bulbs, they're not really all that different. if you account for the larger connection socket on the HIR, the bulbs will be in identical positions within the housings and the filament orientation is the same. So there is no cause for concern with hotspots or glare or anything
IMG_3778 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
here you can see how the tab needs to be modified, HIR on the right
IMG_1485 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
a cool thing about the RAM projector housings is that the low beams have a shutter on the inside of them, that retracts when you hit the high beams. This is awesome because no matter how bright a bulb you put in the housing you will always have a perfect cutoff for no glare, and then you need power you get the full brunt of both the high and low beam at the same time
IMG_5475 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
the modified HIR1 fitting into its new home
IMG_5787 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
so here are the results: i edited the lighting on these photos to accurately represent what i experienced. If the brightness on your screen is maxed out and you're in a sunny room - this is what i saw
Low Beam
IMG_3939 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
Low beam with fogs
IMG_7434 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
Low/high
IMG_2993 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
i couldn't be happier with the results - as you can see the low/high combo is super bright and im estimating that im putting down about 8800 lumens total. I picked the HIR1's up from candlepower.com if anyone is interested. they're $20 bucks a piece when you order two. i think they're out of stock right now though
First off i replaced the OEM backup bulbs with Philips LED's. I like the light color they omit, but im not super keen with their output or the CANBUS error im getting. Im probably going to replace these.
IMG_4186 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_4384 by Will Marshal, on FlickrSecond I got a Leitner Designs Gen2 bed rack, which im really pleased with and can't say enough good things about. im going to get more photos of this soon.
IMG_3331 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_3925 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_0345 by Will Marshal, on FlickrThird, i got these titties vinyls to put over the RAM letters on the grill. The Silver was a bit much IMO, but i didn't want to get rid of it entirely. this covers up everything but the chamfer with black
IMG_0394 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_8596 by Will Marshal, on FlickrLastly,
I wanted to do a headlight upgrade now that the fogs were done. I didn't want to use HID's because they're not that reliable, and their systems are complex. I could get good reliability by going with an OEM retrofit setup, but thats still into the thousands for the good stuff. I can't use LED's because the way the doghouse on the gen4 RAM's are, there is no space behind the housing (it rests against the support beam) for me to expand out of with the larger heatsinks on the LEDs.
IMG_7290 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_1997 by Will Marshal, on FlickrSo that leaves me only one option, the best incandescent bulbs money can buy. Now, the High and Low beams on the projector equipped RAM's use 9005 bulbs for both the high and low beams. While this is already a good 65 watt setup, we can do better.
I decided that I was going to use HIR bulbs, which are a special kind of incandescent bulb that was originally invented by General Electric in the 90s. an HIR bulb uses a special type of crystalline glass that reflects the infrared light back at the filament at the bulb, causing it to be superheated and lameness even more. Because its heat being reflected back, its even and it doesn't effect the lifespan of the filament despite it glowing ever brighter. In fact, it helps it last longer because of the efficiency. Because of these traits, HIR bulbs are 50-70% brighter than their normal brothers and have twice as long of lives, putting them on par with 35watt HIDs.
after GE decided that the investment in the tooling for making HIR bulbs wasn't worthwhile due to their expense and HIDs becoming popular, they sold the patents to Toshiba who made the bulbs for some years. Toshiba eventually shut the line down and HIR's were myth and legend for years. Recently, Philips purchased the rights to HIR's and started production again and Vosla is one of the actual manufactures in Germany. the two sizes HIRs come in is HIR1 and HIR2, which are based as 9011s and H11s respectively.
IMG_0144 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_1986 by Will Marshal, on Flickrthe cool thing with the RAM's using 9005s is that the 9011 base is the same with the exception of a slightly longer top tab, so with a file - a 9011 will fit just fine.
IMG_7900 by Will Marshal, on Flickr
IMG_2428 by Will Marshal, on Flickrits a good thing i pulled these low beams out, because as you can see - a pretty segnificant hotspot was forming on both bulbs and were probably going to burn out soon
IMG_2347 by Will Marshal, on Flickrlooking side by side at the bulbs, they're not really all that different. if you account for the larger connection socket on the HIR, the bulbs will be in identical positions within the housings and the filament orientation is the same. So there is no cause for concern with hotspots or glare or anything
IMG_3778 by Will Marshal, on Flickrhere you can see how the tab needs to be modified, HIR on the right
IMG_1485 by Will Marshal, on Flickra cool thing about the RAM projector housings is that the low beams have a shutter on the inside of them, that retracts when you hit the high beams. This is awesome because no matter how bright a bulb you put in the housing you will always have a perfect cutoff for no glare, and then you need power you get the full brunt of both the high and low beam at the same time
IMG_5475 by Will Marshal, on Flickrthe modified HIR1 fitting into its new home
IMG_5787 by Will Marshal, on Flickrso here are the results: i edited the lighting on these photos to accurately represent what i experienced. If the brightness on your screen is maxed out and you're in a sunny room - this is what i saw
Low Beam
IMG_3939 by Will Marshal, on FlickrLow beam with fogs
IMG_7434 by Will Marshal, on FlickrLow/high
IMG_2993 by Will Marshal, on Flickri couldn't be happier with the results - as you can see the low/high combo is super bright and im estimating that im putting down about 8800 lumens total. I picked the HIR1's up from candlepower.com if anyone is interested. they're $20 bucks a piece when you order two. i think they're out of stock right now though
Super nice truck. You guys are killing me, making me think about trading in my 08 PW w/G56. The G56 & 4.56 gears is what makes me NOT want to trade it in. Geared like a tractor. HUGE difference over the 545RFE & 4.10's i had in our 04' 2500 Dodge.
Did your truck have the dual alternator option ?
Did your truck have the dual alternator option ?
Tex68w
Beach Bum
The latest "leaked" spec sheet is showing a 7.3L gasser for 2020 along with a 1.5L, 2.0L, and 3.0L diesel's as well. I would have to assume that the smaller diesels will be available to the returning Ranger platform and possibly for the new Expedition and Explorer.
marshal
Burrito Enthusiast
No, and I don’t really mind that it doesn’t. The second alternator is mounted off to the side with its own dedicated belt which I don’t like at all. I’ll just grab the new 275amp alternator from the Hurricane JL wranglers and bolt it in place and be a happy camper
I personally like it haha
Don’t forget the Bronco too