Increasing Power Wagon payload

[mightymike]

Hi everyone,

I really like the Ram 2500 Power Wagon for many reasons but we have a truck camper (2k dry) so the low payload makes this truck a non-starter. Would it be as easy as putting stock (non Power Wagon) 2500 springs and shocks on a Power Wagon to increase payload? What would this do to ride height?

 

[Grump E-Vet]

If your primary use for a 3/4 ton is going to be hauling your truck camper, you would probably be better off capability and money wise going with one of non-power Wagon 2500s. You could even do the self-leveling air bag suspension on the rear. Otherwise you could just sell the in bed camper and buy a trailer.

 

[driller]

throw stock 2500 springs with 1" spacer in and go.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

What year PW? Makes a big difference. If it is a PW with leaf springs, Carli will happily sell you a tuned diesel spring pack for the rear. Won't crawl like a PW when empty, but will handle the weight of the camper. Everything else on the PW is good to go with the springs and camper, as long as you have Load Range E tires. My PW is a 3G that is always heavily loaded for trips, so I added a Carli Hemi spring pack in the rear, plus a set of Firestone airbags and Daystar cups. I left the stock front springs but added Thuren's Boogie Bumps, and Thuren-tuned Fox 2.0 remote shocks on all four corners. This topic has come up before, so a search should find more info. You could also go to the Power Wagon Registry and talk to the guys who have been running campers on their PWs for years with good results.

http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/viewforum.php?f=2

DodgeTalk also has PW forums, but most of the hard core users are on PW Registry.

 

[MedicWill]

This is not an uncommon question from power wagon owners.

The short answer is your power wagon can handle that load and still keep the stock suspension so when you offroad you will not loose flex.
Cradles and airbags are the key. I wont name brands but you want the airbags with internal stops.
Changing the suspension will cripple the offroad capability, then you need to ask yourself why you would buy the most capable offroad vehicle just to handicap it, when there are options that do no limit anything.

I would suggest for the long answer check out the power wagon registry and dodge ram forums also. There are quite a few threads on this.

I have a 2016 PowerWagon

 

[LimaMikeMike]

It’s not possible to do legally. You can swap springs and bag and bump stop till the cows come home, it’ll still have that 8500 GVWR sticker on the door. Plus there will still be the super soft front springs that will still dive and wallow with all that weight up high (like a camper).

Swap springs if you like, you’ll be losing part of what makes it a PW.

I tried, I ended up with a 3500 again.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

You may find these links interesting.

https://outdoorx4.com/stories/ram-p...utm_campaign=RAM+Power+Wagon&utm_medium=email
Note the Hellwig bag info.

http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6099
One of many discussions on the PW Registry.

 

[LimaMikeMike]

You may find these links interesting.

https://outdoorx4.com/stories/ram-p...utm_campaign=RAM+Power+Wagon&utm_medium=email
Note the Hellwig bag info.

http://forum.powerwagonregistry.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6099
One of many discussions on the PW Registry.

The top article is discussed in the lower PWR forum thread, mostly on how not to do things lol. Pay particular attention to PWR member Damagewagon’s post in that thread.

The OP wants to put a 2K dry camper on his PW, this won’t be a light weight FWC. I’d respectfully suggest that the OP re-evaluate whether or not lockers are needed because at that weight you won’t be rock crawling.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Sticker from a 2014 PW. Note 3100 pound max load. And that's with LR-D tires and stock springs. OP should talk with Thuren and Carli.

 

[LimaMikeMike]

Sticker from a 2014 PW. Note 3100 pound max load. And that's with LR-D tires and stock springs. OP should talk with Thuren and Carli.

How many of you are overweight? - Page 3 - Power Wagon Registry

C’mon Ducky, that’s a pic from a thread I started on PWR, Bill2014 even admits in that thread that his GVWR is non standard. I have no Idea how he got a 10k GVWR on a PW but he is the only one so far to show this anomaly, all of the other PW have been proven to have GVWR of 8510.

A bog standard 14+ PW has about 1200-1400lbs payload depending on options, I’m not trying to bust your balls but we need to be honest with the OP with what he wants to do with it. He’s probably going to spend a pile of cash and will need to reflect on what exactly he wants out of it.

Don Thuren is damn near a miracle worker but he will be honest with his customers even if it costs him some sales. I would bet you Mr Ducky a case of your favourite American beer that Don would talk him out of doing a heavy camper with a PW and push him towards a standard 3/4 ton or even better a 1 ton.

 

[hemifoot]

i can't wait to see where this goes.powerwagon/camper= 1500/ camper. just, no.get a regular 2500.the power wagon is like the raptor,a gimmick to sell trucks to millenials. they're niche vehicles and not meant to do heavy lifting.flame me all you want but it won't change the fact that it's true.i'm not **************** on the power wagon,but it has limitations,and payload is one of them.

 

[utherjorge]

the power wagon is like the raptor,a gimmick to sell trucks to millenials. they're niche vehicles and not meant to do heavy lifting.

A gimmick? Do tell

 

[marshal]

i can't wait to see where this goes.powerwagon/camper= 1500/ camper. just, no.get a regular 2500.the power wagon is like the raptor,a gimmick to sell trucks to millenials. they're niche vehicles and not meant to do heavy lifting.flame me all you want but it won't change the fact that it's true.i'm not **************** on the power wagon,but it has limitations,and payload is one of them.

you're misguided if you think this is true. The power wagon and raptor are built for specific tasks, both of which are offroading in their specific segment. no where in Chrysler or Ford's marketing plan do they ever emphasize either truck as anything more than as performance first and utility second.

 

[hemifoot]

like i said,niche vehicles.it think i explained my thoughts quite clearly.don't agree?that's on you.my 2500 can carry way more than a powerwagon and still off road.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

The point is not that a 3500 is a better camper platform than a PW, but that the PW is capable of handling a camper with a few mods that retain the PW's inherent advantages. Sticker aside, the PW is a softly sprung 2500, and springs can be easily changed.