2018 Ram 2500
Heavy Duty Power Wagon
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD
ENGINE TYPE 90-deg V-8, iron block,
alum heads
VALVETRAIN OHV, 2 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT 391.6 cu in/6,417cc
COMPRESSION RATIO 10:01
POWER (SAE NET) 410 hp @ 5,600 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET) 429 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
REDLINE 5,500 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 17.8 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic
AXLE/FINAL DRIVE/LOW
RATIO 4.10:1/2.58:1/2.64:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT;
REAR
Live axle, coil springs, adj
anti-roll bar; live axle, coil
springs, adj anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 15.6:1
TURNS LOCK TO LOCK 3.2
BRAKES, F; R 14.2-in vented disc;
14.1-in vented disc
WHEELS 8.0 x 17-in cast
aluminum
TIRES 285/70R17 121/118Q D
(M+S) Bridgestone
Wrangler Duratrac
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 149.5 in
TRACK, F/R 68.3/68.2 in
L x WIDTH x HEIGHT 237.4 x 79.1 x 77.7 in
TURNING CIRCLE 43.9 ft
CURB WEIGHT 7,316 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R 58/42%
SEATING CAPACITY 6
HEADROOM, F/R 41.0/39.9 in
LEGROOM, F/R 41.0/40.3 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 66.0/65.7 in
PICKUP BOX L X W X H 76.3 x 66.4 x 20.1 in
CARGO VOLUME 57.5 cu ft
WIDTH BET WHEEL HOUSES 51.0 in
PAYLOAD CAPACITY 1,249 lb
TOWING CAPACITY 10,050 lb
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30 2.9 sec
0-40 4.4
0-50 6.4
0-60 8.6
0-70 11.2
0-80 14.6
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 4.3
QUARTER MILE 16.5 sec @ 85.4 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 139 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.70 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 29.8 sec @ 0.55 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,500 rpm
MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.8 sec @ 0.79 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,500 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE $53,690
PRICE AS TESTED $63,280
STABILITY/TRACTION
CONTROL Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side,
f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY 3 years/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 years/60,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY 31.0 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 11.6/15.3/13.0 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON Not rated
RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded regular
traffic and narrow streets than I’d ever
expected it to be.
And whereas many of our long-term
vehicles inevitably end up taking it easy
their last month in our garage as other
editorial projects take precedence, the
Power Wagon has instead gone out with
a bang. For example, it towed a 20-foot
flatbed trailer carrying a 1949 Cadillac 62
Sedanette for a story celebrating our 70th
anniversary. The Power Wagon hardly
noticed the extra weight of the classic
Cadillac; its ride remained composed, its
brakes strong, and engine and trans-
mission cool, even when towing up an
incredibly steep 4-mile-long hill. The
extra torque from a diesel engine option
would have been nice up that slope, but
the new eight-speed automatic on the
2019 Ram Power Wagon could achieve
similar results.
Not long after its day towing a Cadillac
around the valley outside of L.A., our
Power Wagon got to stretch its legs on one
of the Southwest’s best overland trails: the
Mojave Road. This 140-ish-mile off-road
trail stretches from Fort Mohave, Arizona,
to Barstow, California, and includes a huge
variety of terrain as it crosses the desert.
The Power Wagon was primarily there
to transport our four-person photo and
video team (plus all of their gear), but we
also picked it because of the extra peace of
mind it brings off-road. All that the Ram
brings to the table gave us no doubt that if
one of our star trucks got stuck, the Ram
would be able to free it.
The Ram tackled the abusive trail
without serious issue. It lost a tire at one
point—the trail’s poor condition and an
older tire are equal parts to blame—but
it was good as new once its full-size spare
was mounted. The Power Wagon also got
home with a misaligned driver-side rear
door; one of the video guys had hoppedout of the truck when the Power Wagon’s
axles were crossed up, and after that the
door would close with a cringe-inducing
metallic thunk.
The door and an outstanding recall
regarding the rear tailgate were easily
addressed within a couple hours at our
local Ram dealer once the Power Wagon
returned to civilization.
Maintaining our Ram has been dirt
cheap. Our three scheduled oil and filter
changes, tire rotations, and an air filter
change cost us just $272.52. Our last
three-quarter-ton long-term pickup, a
2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch
equipped with a Power Stroke diesel V-8
cost us $236.80 over an easier duty cycle
and a few thousand fewer miles. Before
that, our 2016 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X
equipped with a Cummins diesel V-8 cost
us $1,506 in routine maintenance over
31,000 miles.
Fueling our Ram, however, hasn’t been
cheap. Power Wagons are only available
with an 89-octane-drinking 6.4-liter V-8,
and our truck averaged 10.9 mpg over its
stay with us. (A more efficient Cummins
diesel I-6 is available on the rest of the
Ram Heavy Duty lineup but isn’t offered
on the Power Wagon because it doesn’t
leave enough room for the winch.) Using a
rough $3.00 national average for midgrade
gasoline (instead of the California figure,
which skews closer to $4.00), that means
you’d spend about $6,200 per year on fuel,
assuming similar mileage and duty cycles.
Certainly pricey, but I imagine most Power
Wagon buyers know what they’re in for
once they bring one of these home.
Ultimately, “home” is the word I most
associated with our Ram Power Wagon
during its stay with us. I always looked
forward to getting into it, whether it be
to simply commute to the office in the
morning or to head out into the California
wilderness with my wife and dogs in tow.
I started out this year wanting to learn
whether my fondness for the Power Wagon
was just a vacation fling or if it really was
true love. I’m happy to report that it’s
definitively the latter. My next long-termer
is going to have mighty big shoes to fill—
both literally and figuratively.QTHIS TREMENDOUSLY CAPABLE PICKUP IS
COMFORTABLE ON-ROAD AND UNSTOPPABLE OFF-ROAD.94 MOTORTREND.COM