2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon - A Closer Look

It will surprise exactly no one that the off-road-focused Power Wagon has been a favorite variant of the Ram Heavy Duty pickup for ages. This week in Detroit, Ram unleashed its new HD pickups on the world, including a fresh Power Wagon.

Ram likes to bill their Power Wagon as “the most capable production off-road truck in the industry,” a claim that’s tough to verify given the myriad of different measures one could use to arrive at that title. The F-150 Raptor might be able to speed over dunes more quickly, while the Power Wagon may scale that rock face that the Raptor cannot.

We’ll leave that argument for another time. Today, we’re looking at what additions the Ram team have bestowed upon the Power Wagon for 2019.

Under the hood is the familiar 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 making 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. Cylinder deactivation and variable cam timing keep fuel economy from getting too out of hand. The big news is the addition of a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic, a move that should clean up the Power Wagon’s shift behavior and increase highway fuel economy by a couple of mpg.

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The presence of that eight-speed means a rotary e-shift dial now sprouts from the left side of the instrument panel’s center stack. Those who think this shifter is too dainty should note that Power Wagon trucks still have their 4×4 selector sprouting from the floor like an overgrown larch, one which requires a manly yank to plunk the manual part-time transfer case in four-wheel drive.

As in prior years, Power Wagon features a suspension that uniquely tuned compared to other HD Rams, plus a factory suspension lift and Bilstein-branded shocks. Locking front and rear diffs, a disconnecting front sway bar for maximum attack, and that front-mounted winch are still on board. The Warn Zeon-12 winch is all-new, rated for 12,000 lbs, and features a unique fairlead and fairlead retainer with new synthetic line that cannot kink, does not fray, and is more maneuverable. Sounds like a challenge to us. The new line also cuts weight by 28 lbs.

New for this year is a 360-degree camera, a feature your author thought would have been helpful the last time he wheeled a Power Wagon in the deserts outside of Vegas. Good to know the boffins at Ram are listening. Forward-view camera gridlines will help navigate obstacles.

Power Wagon gear continues to be available on the Tradesman trim for 2019. This includes all the off-road equipment but keeps the Tradesman design elements, allowing introverts who don’t want the look-at-me Power Wagon design cues to enjoy its capability as well.

In terms of the greasy bits, axles are a AAM 9.25-In. Beam Front Axle with Center Disconnect up front and AAM 11.5-in. Beam Rear Axle out back (with locking diffs and standard 4.10 rear gears on the Powerrrr Wagon, of course). The front’s a three-link setup, with a five-link out back and coil springs all around. Air suspension is not available. Towing, never the truck’s strong suit thanks to all its off-road gear, is up a bit to 10,620 lbs.

The 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon remains one belter of a truck. We can’t wait to drive it.

From Off-Road.com