Looking for feedback on Ram 2500 5.7 ltr

[truxpin]

I've finally "bit the bullet" so to speak. and purchased a new truck. A 2013 Ram Power Wagon 2500 5.7 ltr gas motor.
My previous TV was a '99 GMC Suburban 2500 4x4, while a great truck, it was on the verge of being retired as a dedicated tow vehicle due to high mileage and becoming a maintenance nightmare!




Being that it's winter and we're all settled in...I wont be hooking up and doing any towing for 4-5 months I'm looking for any feedback as to what I can expect as far as performance from my new Ram.
Anyone by chance towing with a late model Power Wagon? Or with a 5.7 ltr V8 6 speed tranny?
Just trying to get a "heads-up" on what to expect from my new ride....

[Lara Me]

Sweet truck. Why not the Cummins?

[truxpin]

Originally Posted by Lara Me

Why not the Cummins?

Yea, I have been getting that a lot! Not even an option on the Power Wagon, for one. Mostly because I just didn't want the higher costs associated with the diesel. We live in our '34 Limited, and while we may pick-up and go on vacation with it a few times a year (which the Ram is certainly capable of) we've reserved to purchasing a "smaller" Airstream for our travels. Something a little lighter and more maneuverable, and more suited to the gas burner Hemi V8.
I'm gonna save the big diesel purchase for the next phase(retirement) when we're afforded more time to wander.

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by truxpin

I've finally "bit the bullet" so to speak. and purchased a new truck. A 2013 Ram Power Wagon 2500 5.7 ltr gas motor.

Anyone by chance towing with a late model Power Wagon? Or with a 5.7 ltr V8 6 speed tranny?
Just trying to get a "heads-up" on what to expect from my new ride....

Although I don't have the Power Wagon, we do have a 2007 Durango (last year on the truck frame) with a 5.7 Hemi. We have had 70,000 trouble free miles, with 1/2 the miles being used for towing. First a 25 Safari, now a 27 Classic.

The Hemi tows without straining, except on really step grades. Not one problem with the drivetrain -- she runs cool, even with the 109F temperatures we had last summer on a 3,000 mile trip.

The only problem we had was a frozen caliper at about 50,000 miles. I am about to do the pads on the rear brakes for the first time this month.

Good luck -- nice ride!

[slowmover]

Just trying to get a "heads-up" on what to expect from my new ride....

Scale it, and compare HP/LB to 1/2-ton and other Hemi-powered vehilces (such as the Charger). Compare actual first gear ratios and total braking distances from 60-mph.

A gasser truck is penalized by un-needed weight (vehicle type + construction), and penalized again compared to a diesel by its lower compression ratio (a comparable diesel won't notice 1k in the bed, but mpg on a gasser really drops).

Bang for the buck comes down to cents-per-mile of ownership. EDMUNDS has a good comparative page on this.

Solo miles rule for the vacationer (versus the fulltimer). How far off it is from other TV's with the same engine will tell the story (as an A/S doesn't need a truck).

.

[truxpin]

Thanks for the "real world" review Tkowalyk. In todays 3/4 ton trucks I've noticed it's getting harder and harder to find any with gas motors. The little bit of on-line info I can gather about the Power Wagon is "sketchy" at best. No 2 sources have any identical info, which leads me to wonder how accurate ANY of the info I'm gathering really is! Even the Ram.com page has different stats than what is represented on the truck itself.
Thanks for the info, Todd.

[crispyboy]

Nice truck!
The only thing I think you might need are some running boards and mud flaps on the truck.
Just the other day I was curious about the 66RFE transmission in the gas 3/4 ton trucks and found it to be geared identical to the 68RFE used in the diesel trucks.
The 68RFE and 66RFE automatic transmissions for Ram trucks
If I recall the Power Wagon has really low axle ratio - you should have a 4:56 gear set.
With the transmission gearing and low axle ratio you shouldn't have an issues pulling. Fuel mileage will be your only concern.

[dkottum]

We tow with a 2012 Ram 1500 5.7, 6-spd. Sweet engine and very pleased with gas mpg. I would say you could expect a lot of down-shifting or running in 4th gear most of the time towing due to your heavier truck/trailer weight and higher wind resistance of the truck. But you may have the low differential gears which can make all the difference in power. The power seems to come on well above 2400 rpm, so towing above that will probably be needed.

That's a high center of gravity with some stability concerns. Leave plenty of room to avoid quick lane changes.

[JFScheck]

Wonder if they will put the new 6.4 in the 2500 Power Wagon!

[truxpin]

Originally Posted by JFScheck

Wonder if they will put the new 6.4 in the 2500 Power Wagon!

Yup, the '14 gets the 6.4 V8 w/MDS to kill 1/2 the cylinders under light load. Plus a bunch of other upgrades to suspension, frame, and luxuries on the inside.
It was tempting to wait and find a '14 instead of the '13, but price won me out in the end. $38,200+ttl, well below sticker and priced to move! So far I'm pretty happy with it. (of course! It's a new truck!) First tank of gas it averaged 11.3mpg( NOT a factor in my purchase criteria) I knew it wasn't gonna get good milage, but it IS an improvement over my GMC 2500 Suburban 4X4 (10mpg)
Rifle deer season starts today, so tomorrow I'll get a chance to see how it handles off road, along with some light towing.

[crispyboy]

Looks like the 6.4 is the only option on the 2014 models.
2014 Ram 2500 HD Power Wagon First Look - Truck Trend

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by crispyboy

Looks like the 6.4 is the only option on the 2014 models. 2014 Ram 2500 HD Power Wagon First Look - Truck Trend

Nice truck - good gasser option