2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon

2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon

2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon

2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon

2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon

INTRODUCTION:The 2010 Dodge Ram Power Wagon marks the second generation of the company's off-road-fettled heavy-duty pickup, and Dodge didn't muck with the plot. That's good news for serious truck users, as the Raptor is no substitute for the Power Wagon, and vice versa.

HIGHLIGHTS:Ram Power Wagon starts life as a heavy-duty Ram 2500 configured as a crew cab, short-bed 4x4. A $6,350 option package bearing the innocuous name "Customer Preferred Package 26P" transforms our Ram 2500 test truck into a Power Wagon. Don't be fooled, though, because this off-road package is altogether more comprehensively kitted out than that simple label lets on.

SPECIFICATIONS:The Power Wagon is endowed with a purposeful stance by way of a 2-inch lift in ride height, 32-inch off-road tires, skid plates, a winch and requisite stickers. At the same time, it's the stuff you can't see that gives this big truck true off-road grit: Bilstein dampers; electronically locking front and rear differentials with a shorter 4.56:1 final-drive ratio; a front stabilizer bar that can be deactivated at the touch of a button; plus a high-current alternator and a trailer hitch.

DESIGN:

• To get a flavor for the Power Wagon's off-road chops, we spent a day in Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) located in Gorman, California. A variety of terrain including desert washes, narrow rocky paths, hills and valleys allowed us to sample the Power Wagon's wares.
• Get those glutes ready. There's no step to aid access to the cabin since that would reduce ground clearance, so even drivers 6 feet tall have to grasp the grab handle mounted on the A-pillar and heave themselves up and into the driver seat.
• Once inside, the tall seating position on the bench seat gives a commanding view of the controls at your disposal and the world at large. There's a lever for the low-range transfer case by your right shin. A rotary selector knob on the center console allows you to lock the front, rear or both differentials when you're in 4WD Low, and beneath the knob are the buttons that couple and decouple the front stabilizer bar. To the left of the steering wheel is the integrated trailer brake controller for towing.