With more than seven decades of history to draw on, the Ram Power Wagon is well established as a big, badass, burly mother trucker of an off-roader. Originally based on Dodge’s 3/4-ton military service vehicles from World War II, the modern Power Wagon is far more luxury-laden and tech-heavy than its predecessors, but it keeps the same endlessly capable undercurrent as before with a host of off-road ready gear.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon

Specifications
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  • Model: 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon
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2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Exterior Styling

- Draws from theRam 1500 for styling cues - Bigger grille - New fascia - Taller nose - 17-inch aluminum wheels - Reshaped LED taillights

Heading into the 2019 model year, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon gets a rather significant exterior update. The overarching aesthetic looks as though it pulls a good deal from the recently revealed 2019 Ram 1500, with a similar front fascia and lines. That said, the cab, box, and doors are more or less identical to the outgoing Power Wagon model.

The shape is reminiscent of the old model, and once again includes an upside-down “U” shape for the flat-black insert trim bits, but you’ll also notice the larger space added underneath the Ram logo. To the sides, the new grille comes flanked by fresh headlight housings, which get a familiar horizontal shape set with a duo of horizontal daytime running lights around their outer edges.

Below the new headlights, the 2500 Power Wagon comes rocking a new bumper design, plus the fog lights seen in the lower bumper corners are reshaped and now look slimmer and wider than the squarer fog lights of the outgoing model. Also of note are the dimensions, with the latest 2500 Power Wagon lifting the nose height by 7 mm (0.28 inches) compared to the outgoing model. And of course, there’s that new winch you see added to the lower bumper edge - more on that in the Drivetrain And Performance section.

All told, the front end on the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon looks quite a bit like the recently released Ram 1500 range. What’s more, the new shape improves overall aero performance as well, although we have yet to get exact numbers on this.

Moving around to the sides, the 2019 Ram power Wagon comes equipped with unique 17-inch off-roader wheels, which offer a cast aluminum construction for a combination of low weight and high strength. You’ll also notice the unique fender flares around the rear and front, which come complete with a top-center notch mark. And, per usual, there are large black graphics just behind the rear doors that declare the truck’s Power Wagon-ness.

Viewed from the rear, the 2019 Ram Power Wagon looks quite a bit more familiar. However, there are still a few updates to point out back here as well, including the reshaped taillight housings. These offer a C-shaped internal graphics and LED illumination, and do well to bookend the truck with the new headlight housings in the nose. And don’t forget the large type font for the Ram Power Wagon badging on the tail as well.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon exterior dimensions

Wheelbase

149.3 (3,792)

Track Width Front

68.7 (1,745)

Track Width Rear

68.1 (1,729)

Overall Length

238.8 (6,067)

Overall Width @ SgRp Front

83.4 (2,119)

Overall Height

80.9 (2054)

Suspension or Axle to Ground – Front

8.3 (210)

Suspension or Axle to Ground – Rear

8.3 (210)

Approach Angle (Degrees)

29.4

Ramp Breakover Angle (Degrees)

22

Departure Angle (Degrees)

26

Ground Clearance

14.2 (360)

Turning Diameter

14.7 (48.2)


2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Interior Design

- More luxurious cabin than before - Exclusive with crew cab - Cabin layout takes after 1500 series - Unique upholstery for Power Wagon models - Seats up to six passengers - Optional 12.0-inch infotainment screen, 17-speaker audio - Safety tech like adaptive cruise control, automatic braking - Top-down 360-degree camera system - Power-release tailgate

Without a doubt, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon looks the part of a burly, muscle-bound off-roading machine from the outside, but move into the cabin, and things are quite a bit more civilized. That’s especially the case with this latest 2019 model year, which places an even greater emphasis on comfort compared to the outgoing model.

Ingress and egress are once again supported by a quartet of doors, while step-up bars help you get up and over the truck’s tall ride height.

Situate yourself in one of the seats, and you’ll quickly notice that the overarching look and layout once again takes after the newly released Ram 1500 series, and looks quite good on the 2500 Power Wagon. The steering wheel design, dash, center console, HVAC vents, and various controls all feel fresh, and while it's not something I’d call elegant, it definitely looks more “high-end” overall.

There’s also a selection of unique interior trim bits offered exclusively on the Power Wagon model to help it stand out amongst its peers, including embossed seat patterns for the upholstery. Speaking of the sitters, the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon offers seating for up to six passengers thanks to a lifting center console in front that adds another spot to the bench (plus the three standard seats on the rear bench).

Once again, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon doesn’t come with a standard gear shift lever, but rather the incoming eight-speed transmission uses a rotary dial to help you select between Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive. In close proximity to the rotary dial are controls for the axles, the sway-bar disconnect feature, and the 4WD system. Meanwhile the transfer case lever is mechanical and is located in the same spot as before.

There’s also a slew of new luxury bits on the options list as well, which now includes a huge 12.0-inch infotainment screen for the center console, plus heated and cooled seats, and a banging 17-speaker audio system. The standard cabin ambient noise was reduced by 8 percent as well, which goes a long way to making it feel like a more refined driving experience.

But don’t think for a second the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon has lost its edge - this truck still has all the big features you’d expect when it comes to towing, such as a standard integrated trailer brake controller and an optional trailer tire pressure monitoring. At the same time, there’s a good deal of tech for safety and convenience as well, such as the option for a blind spot monitor, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and park assist.

Interestingly, this system doesn’t even make it onto the spec sheet for the Ram Rebel, another one of the brand’s off-roader specials. However, on the 2500 Power Wagon, the system provides a top-down view of everything in the immediate vicinity around the truck, making it much easier to navigate through tight spaces. What’s more, the system provides a forward view for better steering inputs in the rough stuff, and it includes guidelines to help identify exactly which way the wheels are pointed during rock-crawling maneuvers.

There’s also a cargo camera to check in on what’s going on in the bed, and there’s a viewpoint from the hitch, which is great for pulling up to a trailer, or if you have to back up while going off-road.

Finally, you’ll find the Ram Box storage compartments along the bed frame, which is an optional equipment bonus.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon interior dimensions

Seating

3/3 or 2/3

Headroom front/rear

40.9/39.8

Legroom front/rear

40.9/40.2

Shoulder Room front/rear

65.9/65.6

Hip Room front/rear

62.9/62.7

Interior volume front/rear

63.9/60.7


2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Drivetrain And Performance

- No diesel Cummins option - Standard 6.4-liter Hemi - 410 horsepower, 429 pound-feet of torque - Active comfort features keep vibration out of the cabin - More payload and towing (1,660 pounds and 10,620 pounds respectively) - New eight-speed automatic transmission - 51:1 low-range crawl - 4:10 axles - 538 RTI articulation - 2-inch suspension lift - New Bilstein dampers - 33-inch tires - Warn Zeon-12 winch up front

With the release of the new Ram 2500 HD, the brand quickly published headlines laden with truck’s impressive under-hood numbers, as well as a claim that the 2500 HD “outpowers, out-tows, and outhauls every other pickup available.”

Unfortunately, all that is with the upgraded Cummins diesel powerplant, which is sadly not part of the Power Wagon’s optional equipment list. For reference, the diesel powerplant in question here is the 2500 HD’s 6.7-liter High Output Turbo Diesel thumper tossing out 1,000 pound-feet of torque and offering a 35,100-pound towing capacity plus a 7,680-pound payload capacity. And while we would like to see what it’s like to load the Power Wagon with this massive lump to twist, it’s both too expensive and too heavy for the off-roader platform. What’s more, it gets in the way of the Power Wagon’s new winch, as we’ll examine more in-depth at the end of this section.

Total output for the ‘eight comes to 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, which is identical to the outgoing model, and it mirrors what you get with the half-ton truck as well. Standout features include new engine mounts, active noise cancellation in the cabin, and vibration-canceling frame shakers, all of which help it to drive more comfortably overall.

Properly configured, the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon offers a payload increase to 1,660 pounds with the base model, while towing increases to 10,620 pounds. For the sake of comparison, the outgoing model offers a 1,466-pound payload and 9,790-pound towing.

For reference, the Ford F-250 Super Duty offers 7,640 pounds for payload and 21,000 pounds for towing, while the Chevy Silverado 2500HD offers 2,968 pounds for payload and 15,400 pounds for towing. However, both of these models do not have the same off-roading focus that you get in the Power Wagon, and it shows in the rest of the spec list.

Specifically, the off-roader now comes equipped with the 8HP75R from ZF, a stronger eight-speed unit plucked straight from Ram’s 1500 range. This units is added as a replacement for the outgoing model’s six-speed, and helps to boost the truck’s specs in a number of different areas.

For starters, we expect the latest 6.4-liter to come with a significant fuel economy bump over the current model’s 13 mpg combined.

What’s more, the new eight-speed comes with a very short first gear, making for a far-improved low-range crawl, boosted from 35:1 to 51:1. That’s a massive jump, and you’ll definitely feel it when exploring the truck’s limits on some rugged terrain.

Further off-roading chops come courtesy of the locking front and rear differentials. The 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon sports solid axles front and back, both of which are still the same 4:10 gear ratio as the prior model. Hill descent control helps it navigate down big slopes.

Also, the truck’s RTI articulation (basically the measurement of a vehicle’s suspension flex with one wheel headed up a ramp) goes from 510 to 538 on the 2019 model year, all thanks to the taller nose.

And although Ram has yet to provide us with specifics, we expect similar numbers with regards to the ground clearance, approach angle, departure angle, and breakover angle compared to the previous model. For your reference, those figures look like 14.3 inches, 33.6 degrees, 26.2 degrees, and 23.5 degrees, respectively.

The Power Wagon is lighter this time around too, with the aluminum hood shaving off 27 pounds all by itself.

However, the really important stuff for this model is in regard to the truck’s custom suspension bits. Standout features include a unique “Articu-link” front set-up, plus an overall 2-inch lift. You’ll also find the corners stuffed with new Bilstein shocks, and there’s an electrically disconnecting anti-roll bar that helps with overall suspension articulation. Just hit the switch in the cabin and you’ll be sitting pretty.

Those meaty tires wrapping the new 17-inch wheels are once again Goodyear’s Wrangler Duratec, which are about 33 inches tall (32.7 inches to be exact).

Up front, the big news is the Power Wagon’s 12,000-pound winch from Warn. Specifically, this is the Warn Zeon-12 unit, which comes with upgrades like a new fairlead retainer and a synthetic line that won’t kink or fray. It’s also lightweight, with line cutting 28 pounds from the curb weight all by itself.

What’s more, the winch is mounted out of the way of the various parking sensors and cameras up front. Unfortunately, the winch also cuts the possibility of equipping the Power Wagon with the Cummins diesel powerplant, as it occupies the space where the diesel’s cooling bits would normally mount.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon drivetrain specifications

Engine

6.4-Liter HEMI V8

Type And Description

90-Degree V-Type, Liquid-Cooled, with Valve Timing (VVT)

Displacement

392 cu. in. (6,417 cu. cm)

Bore X Stroke

4.09 X 3.72 (103.9 X 94.6)

Valve System

Pushrod-Operated Overhead Valves, 16 Valves, Eight De-Activating and Eight Hydraulic Lifters, all with Roller Followers

Fuel Injection

Sequential, Multiport, Electronic, Returnless

Construction

Deep-Skirt Cast-Iron Block with Cross-Bolted Main Bearing Caps, 356 Aluminum Cylinder Heads with Hemispherical Combustion Chambers

Compression Ratio

10.0:1

Power

410 HP (306 Kw) @ 5,600 RPM

Torque

429 lb.-ft. (582 N•M) at 4,000 RPM

Maximum Engine Speed

5,800 RPM Limited

Fuel Requirement

Unleaded Regular, 87 Octane (R+M)/2

Oil Capacity

7.0 Quarts (6.6 Liters)

Coolant Capacity

16.6 Quarts (15.75 Liters)

Transmission

ZF 8HP75 — AUTOMATIC EIGHT-SPEED


2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Prices

The 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon was first revealed to the public at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Power Wagon equipment package is offered on any 4x4 2500 Ram configuration, which means you can even get it on the entry-level Tradesman, or the high-end Limited trim.

Sales are slated to kick off in the second quarter of this year.

We have yet to receive exact pricing information, but we expect it to be a bit higher than the current model’s MSRP of $54,540.

2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Competition

Ford Super Duty F-250

If you want your quarter ton with a Blue Oval on the nose, then you’ll want to get behind the wheel of the Ford Super Duty F-250. Built with a greater focus on work as opposed to off-roading, the F-250 comes with a standard 6.2-liter V-8 Flex Fuel engine, with a 6.7-liter diesel offered as an available option. As such, the F-250 bests the Power Wagon in terms of peak twist, doling out 935 pound-feet when equipped with the upgraded diesel. Stick with the standard 6.2-liter ‘eight, and you get 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Handling the cog swaps is a six-speed automatic transmission. As for the rough stuff gear, buyers can opt into the FX4 Off-Road package, which tosses in Hill Descent Control, specially tuned shock absorbers, skid plates to protect the transfer case and fuel tank, and the requisite FX4 graphics on the box. Pricing starts at $33,150 for the base-level XL, and ranges as high as $80,240 for the F-250 Limited.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford Super Duty.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD

The Bow Tie’s effort in this segment is the Silverado 2500HD, and it looks to go blow for blow with the Ram and Ford thanks to a Vortec 6.0-liter V-8 as standard, and a Duramax 6.6-liter diesel V-8 as an available option. If you’re looking for some extra off-roading chops with this one, you’ll need to grab the Z71 package, which is offered on the trim levels like the Work Truck, the Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country. Step it up to the Z71 and you’ll get a host of rough-and-ready equipment, such as 18-inch wheels wrapped in terrain-grabbing tires, Rancho-tuned shocks, a two-speed transfer case, and a locking rear diff. You also get skid plates to protect vulnerable bits underneath and a new heavy-duty air filter element. Electronic features like hill descent control, rear park assist, and lane change alert round it out. Pricing starts at $34,400.

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado.

Final Thoughts

The 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon is a unique proposition. While you can get your performance flavoring from any one of the various quarter-ton pickup competitors out there, two of which we’ve listed above, the Power Wagon’s overarching focus on tackling the great outdoors almost places it in a different segment altogether.

It certainly has the resumé to back it, with Ram issuing claims that the original WWII army truck-derived Power Wagon is basically the first-ever 4x4 pickup.

Overall, we can’t help but like this thing. We love the über-beefy components you get with the Power Wagon package, and are quite certain it has the goods to cream just about any off-roader course you can throw at it.

Of course, nothing is perfect. First up, this thing is huge, and it might make for a bit of a squeeze on narrower trails. Also, it’s very expensive, which is surely something to consider when bashing it over rough terrain. Finally, we can’t help but wonder what would be with the Cummins engine under the hood.

Nevertheless, the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon impresses all the same. This thing is a dirt-ready monster, and we love that.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12.