ASSURANCE, COMFORT IN THE BACKCOUNTRY
FIRST DRIVE: 2020 RAM 1500 REBEL, 2500 POWER WAGON
CALLAGHAN VALLEY, B.C. A large boulder normally sits on the upper trail leading to Sproatt Cabin, a tiny but breathtaking log abode near Whistler. It’s usually accessible only by snowmobile, ATV, skis or a serious hike, but with the boulder mechanically moved aside, we drove to the summit in trucks.
Not just any trucks, mind you. The 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel and 2500 Power Wagon — two of the most off-road-ready pickups you can get right off the showroom floor — became our steeds for this journey in an effort to prove these two pickups were not just about big grilles and badging, but that underneath those sculpted hoods were half tons and three quarter tons capable of conquering terrain better suited to a lifted Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
That much was evident by bush trails so narrow that the sides of these $60,000-plus pickups were constantly being scrubbed by branches that clawed at the paint more like brushes in an automatic car wash. It was clear, too, the muddy, greasy and water-laden path would be a challenge to even the knobbiest-tired ATV. Yet onward and upward the trucks went.
Introduced in the Second World War as a weapons carrier, the Power Wagon is known to many as the first mass-produced 4x4, replete with a 10,000-pound winch and two-speed transfer case. Many of those old rigs are still around and still working. About 95,000 trucks were built from 1945 to 1968, all in the original 1945 cab style. The model was revived in 2005.
Today, the big winch remains a trademark of the Power Wagon. Now upgraded to 12,000 pounds, the former steel winch cable is now a unique synthetic line with a much higher breaking strength. A manual transfer case also remains, but it shifts on the fly for those panic situations where momentum must absolutely be maintained. Identified by its factory two-inch lift, unique grille, roof lights, wheel flares, and glaring decals (that can be optionally deleted, thank goodness) there really is little else like Ram’s Power Wagon in the HD class. The closest rival, perhaps, is the GMC Sierra 2500 AT4, itself a formidable machine for the backcountry (and available with a heavier diesel engine).
The Power Wagon, available only as a Crew Cab with a six-foot-fourinch box, is limited to one engine choice as well — a 6.4-litre Hemi V-8 with 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, and mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. But it sounds great, feels remarkably smooth, and pulls with impressive grunt.
Riding on 33-inch Goodyear Duratrac AT tires on 17-inch wheels, the Power Wagon also wears enough under-armour to lead all of Scotland into battle. More importantly, it has electronic locking front and rear Tru-lok differentials, hill-descent control, tow hooks, and specially tuned Bilstein shocks in the front and rear. Like the Jeep Rubicons, it employs an electronically disconnecting front sway bar that allows for 26 inches of wheel travel to keep the truck from being tippy when going over large rocks. The sway bar can be disengaged in 4WD high or 4WD low below 29 km/h. A 4.10:1 rear-axle ratio is also standard.
All of this pretty much makes the Power Wagon an ideal partner for not only logging, fire, or tree-planting crews, but also heli-ski and ski operators, outdoor adventure camps or lodges, hydro-line and tree-planting crews, conservation officers, park wardens, trail builders, weekend off-roaders — anyone whose work or play takes them to some of the more extreme parts of our world. Starting at $64,245, the Power Wagon can also carry those who might never venture into the back forty — but want to know they have all the capability of doing so — in high luxury. A more basic Tradesman Power Wagon, without the decals and menacing grille, is available for industrial or fleet users.
For those who want it all, Ram’s brilliant, 12-inch Uconnect screen is an option that comes with leather seats and 17-speaker stereo in an interior that looks and feels plenty opulent and has excellent storage. A 360-degree camera and Ramboxes are also options on the HD and half-ton.
To be honest, while the Power Wagon does ride plenty stiff, and is a tall climb to get up into the saddle, it also returns a remarkably tolerant ride. The five-link rear coil suspension removes a lot of the truckness that normally comes with an HD truck with leaf springs. The rear suspension is also designed with joints that allow for plenty of travel, for greater axle articulation. Power is excellent, the steering is decently weighted, and the brakes with big 14.1-inch rotors react with good pedal feel. Towing is decent, at 10,620 pounds, but payload is a bit light, at 1,510 pounds.
On the lighter side, the 2020 Ram Rebel half-ton gets many of the same off-road features as the Power Wagon, but starts at just over $60,000 for the Quad Cab and $61,795 for the Crew Cab. It also gets a unique look, a one-inch factory lift, standard electronic locking rear differential, skid plates, Bilstein shocks and parttime, electronic transfer case. The Rebel can also be had with either a 5.7-L Hemi V-8 or 3.0-L Ecodiesel.