RAM 2500 Power Wagon Payload Test (Maxed out) | Is a RAM 1500 Better??

[@UplandODST]

Finally a video that clears up so much confusion with the power wagon’s capacity numbers. Half ton #’s are over rated these days, if you tow close to 10k or haul heavy loads with one you’d see what I mean. At the end of the day physics rules and you’ll need a bigger truck. I believe the power wagon is rated so low just to differentiate it from the standard 2500s. If you need an off road truck that can still tow/haul power wagon is the best option.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I would agree with that the weight ratings of these new half tons are a little wild. The Power Wagon does have softer suspension then your standard 2500 and will sag more under load but will still pull great when you need it too, and as you mentioned is a great off road truck!

[@JustinKingOffroad]

these are incredibly capable trucks, i just pulled a 24 foot fully loaded cargo trailer to texas and back, exceeded the capacity of the andersen weight distribution hitch i was using, but it handled it just fine. was about 1.5 inches off the bump stops.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

The same driveline is rated for 17,000 lbs in other gas 2500's so ya I agree this truck will pull a lot more then it's rated for!

[@royj8549]

Another thing to point out is the frame and axles of the PW is nearly identical to a non-Asin dually rated at 14k GVW. Even if you put 3000 lbs in a PW, the 11.5 AAM full floating rear axle would barely feel it, whereas the 9.25 on the 1500 would be at dangerous levels. Other than the soft suspension, the PW is fully capable of loading to the tires' rated max load.

[@colbiecolbie6979]

I live in the same province,my 17 PW has never been winter driven , I cried when I saw yours with all that salt.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Haha ya it's a tough go with the salt. I get it krown oil sprayed twice a year so that helps.

[@Arexodius]

Canada seems like the perfect place to live for a Swede looking to get a hold of a proper RAM truck

[@kuhndog-1196]

So I hauled 1750 pounds in my 17 power wagon a couple weeks ago. A pallet of flooring. If I remember right my trucks payload is like 1200 pounds. My truck squatted 3 inches but was not on the bump stops and actually rode really good, except for some rear end wag on bumpy sections. I drove her at 70 the whole way, about 40 miles or so. I will upgrade to the thuren rear track bar at some point and do bags with cradles as well. But I'm very impressed with the truck.

[@colbiecolbie6979]

Thanks for taking the time to do this, great work!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I find this stuff fun!

[@precisionmarksmanshiphq773]

Most people don't buy a PW for payload...But good video for those that don't know.... I also have a 2022 PW and I installed Carli Suspension on it which increased the payload at least 500 pounds they claim...I will never have more than 1k in the bed of it, or more than 200 pounds tongue weight, so I am OK with it. As far as what I have done off road with this truck its amazing except that the size of it can sometimes hinder you off road...I have mine all pinstriped already and I love it and use it for what it was meant to do. Have a good day!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Love that you arent afraid to get your PW dirty while using it for what it was built for! as far as weight. I'll probably never have that much weight in the bed ever again (unless I'm doing another video). but I will probably have a good amount of tongue weight at some point!

[@billjamison2877]

I'm going to try this on my '22 Rebel. I'll let you know how it turns out...SPRING ARRIVES TOMORROW!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!! Bill from Linglestown Pennsylvania

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I would imagine the Rebel squats a fair amount!

[@mikeshuck2760]

You explained all the reasons my next truck is a Power Wagon, 2500 to pull my boat. Heavier frame, full floating axle, just built for daily heavy use that would kill a 1500. The 1500 loaded to its max, on the rubber snubbers, hit a big bump, bend the axle.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

The Power Wagon is stronger then the numbers lead on that's for sure!

[@jc7654]

i read your description and i agree with everything you have said about the 2500 being more able to handle the load but i do want to give you a word of advice on both vehicles i would not recommend that you run any of these at this amount of load . their is a weakness on the chassis on the 2500 that is just Infront of the 1st tub mount and the last cab mount where the chassis can crack and bend as it doesn't have any extra strength as the tub is separate from the cab it flexes at this point and with the vehicle loaded to the maximum load , have a look and it will surprise you at how small the chassis is at this point, i have seen the chassis cracked all the way through on one side to where it was broke and the other side partly cracked to the point where the Camper on the back broke the back window and the broken chassis rail was touching the ground. The only vehicles that i would recommend to use to carry large amounts of weight would be the commercial version with the flat chassis rails that don't have the hump over the diff.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

great info! thank you for the warning, I'll have to get under the truck and have a look into what you are saying.

[@jc7654]

@@TheGettyAdventures The vehicle that broke at this point was a 2017 2500hd Laramie 4x4 with 90,000km on it . if i had to i would put heavy loads in it via a fifth wheel or goose neck where it's only over the axle and as low as possible. or at least as close to the same point as the fifth wheel hitch point is

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

I love making fun of PW owners but you did a good video Alex. First thing is GVWR is not the same as GVW. So this means that the PW has room to increase it's payload legally through Transport Canada. The softer Springs are part of the issue which you can easily fix with air bags, but the SAE rates the truck low because it is tall and they have to account for handling if the sway bar disconnect failed. The GVWR of the Power Wagon is 8547 lbs and legally a 3/4 ton can have a GVWR between 8500 and 10,000 lbs. Since the tires and the axles are rated for well over 10,000 lbs there is very little needed to get a new sticker. An extra 1300 lbs of payload wouldn't seem unreasonable.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

sometimes I jumble my words, I'm lucky to get full sentences out at times lol but yes you are correct. very interesting! so when you say the PW has room for increased payload how would one go about that and get another sticker? also very interesting about the height of the vehicle that's does make sense as well as the sway bar disconnect. I'm gonna give deeper into this. thank you for the info!

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

@@TheGettyAdventures here in PEI we register our vehicles through "Access PEI" and they have a manager who is in charge of Vehicle and Highway Safety who is a leeasson for Transport Canada. I'm in the process of doing this with my F-150. They take a picture of of the door stickers, the tires, the wheels, and the suspension. At some point I will pay a fee and get a new sticker. My understanding is it is easier in Ontario, but you may need to add a heavy duty sway bar or something to change the value. I have a friend who is a retired OPP and he runs a PW with air bags and about 2000 lbs of camper and gear. It is maybe the nicest set up I've ever seen.

[@DanBCooper]

Getty I forgot how nice your truck looks when it's clean 😂 Cool and interesting video. Working in the Ag industry it always cracks me up how a lot of people take the GVWR as gospel, as if you go over 1 lb and the truck is unsafe. Take my service truck for example ( Chevy 5500 ) The exact same truck with the same suspension can be spec'd to many different GVWR's. Just use common sense, as it will be obvious, if the vehicle when loaded is safe to drive and, most importantly, brake safely. The advertised GVWR for the PW is a joke.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

100% true, despite my old ram 1500 technically not being overloaded I would never want to actually drive it with that much weight in it. whereas the PW, I would feel very confident driving that truck overloaded (to a point obviously). I have a couple farmer friends and I can tell you first hand that they aren't out there checking the door sticker for specs lmao. but hey folks in the ag industry tend to know what they are doing! it's the casual truck owner towing an overloaded trailer that usually ends up wrecking.

[@expat1416]

Alex thanks for doing this like you did with the batteries and heavy steel..really puts this in perspective with my new power wagon :-)

[@TheGettyAdventures]

she'll squat with some load in her but the truck feels great.

[@MrCN173]

Great information! Thanks for taking the time to make these vids

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I love doing this stuff, If I didn't have a KZbin channel I'd still probably do this just to see for myself what happens lol

[@MrCN173]

@@TheGettyAdventures Do what you love brother! If u need a new topic to research.. my 2020 PW has a occassional knock in front end when turning at slow speeds. mostly when cold and backing out of driveway. My research shows mine isnt the only one. dealership ignores me because it prob just nature of the beast. BUT WHATS KNOCKIN??

[@Pje3ski]

Hmm, I loaded 1500 lbs in my 1500, didn’t think to look at the bump stops. Will have to look at them the next time I get a heavy load in it.

[@johnthornton7763]

Great info Alex, thanks for the effort! I wonder how much air bags would increase the payload? Would that impact liability issues if you were stopped by the police for any reason and they weighed your truck and load and you were over the original spec numbers?

[@TheGettyAdventures]

that's a great question, I think the original spec numbers would always apply as your weight limitation. I think air bags would be great to keep the truck level while still not over loading. However if you did want to add payload air bags would increase it a lot and you could probably load up north of 2500 lbs if you wanted lol

[@cmoshpit9171]

@@TheGettyAdventures airbags level only. they will not increase our axle or tire ratings.

[@johnraygun9868]

thanks for the video, I typically only put the children's go-kart and dirt bikes in my PW and was always wondering what a larger load would do to it, I mainly have the PW since i live on the side of a mountain in the PNW and if i need to haul basic loads i am covered.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

great truck for hauling stuff in remote areas!

[@SPACEMIKEB]

Thanks Alex. Interesting video!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

thank you sir!

[@patriot5526]

Great video. Not having much payload on the Power Wagon can be a pain sometimes. When I need to carry more weight, I just use my utility trailer. 10,000 lbs only gives you 150 to 200 lbs tongue weight. Legal issues aside, I can tell you from experience that this truck can pull a lot more that the stated towing capacity of about 10,000 lbs. When not driving on the road, I’ve towed over 12,000 lbs with no problem. You can always add air bags to get more payload if you don’t have a trailer.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Oh ya this truck will pull way more then 10,000lbs. This exact driveline in any other ram 2500 is rated for 17,000lbs so it has the power absolutely. but as far as tongue weight, at 10,000lbs pounds you should be shooting for about 1,000lbs of tongue weight. usually 10% is the golden number.

[@joshbalch6663]

Hey Getty, I also have a 2022 Ram Power Wagon and love it. Really like your videos. Did you hear about the safety recall posted early march ESC malfunction that requires an ABS software update from the dealer?

[@davidmopar8446]

All years?

[@joshbalch6663]

@@davidmopar8446 No, the notice I got was for 2019-2022

[@davidmopar8446]

@@joshbalch6663 dang mine is a 2019 lol

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I did not! thank you Josh I'll have to check into that. free trip to the dealer to check out some trucks!

[@titogonzalez8012]

I actually saw a PW towing a goose neck trailer yesterday it was empty but looked soo rad I wish there was a way to upload pictures here

[@TheGettyAdventures]

That's actually awesome. When I towed my father in laws skid steer with this truck is looked so bad ass on the highway.

[@titogonzalez8012]

@@TheGettyAdventures I bet it was !! I’ve yet to tow anything with my 5.7 but eventually something will need to be hauled around..

[@Pjw350]

Now we need to add a set of the inside the coil spring air bags and try it again!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

You sir are absolutely correct! going to be ordering myself a pair of air bags to help the load and then I'll compare both situations!

[@stevemoore5053]

My '22 Tradesman has a flatbed with air ride - pay load a little over-3,400 . Thanks for the video.

[@Pjw350]

I have a black 1000hd air ride air bag set on my 17’ 1500 ram and I am able to load up 1 ton of wood pellets from the local store back home without issues. I put about 35 lbs of air in. I just checked my crew cab longbed and it says 1288 payload- ouch

[@jasonschell6036]

What a great video.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@peiguy1982]

Hard to believe they rate of Maverick at a similar level. Crazy that would be quite a sight, one of those with 1500 lol. I know all based on gross vehicle weight rating and curb weight.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I mean it would be interesting to see the maverick loaded up with the same weight. I almost guarantee the rear axle would be bottomed out. The only reason I could see the maverick or smaller trucks like the maverick being safely able to carry 1500 lbs is if there was 5 passengers at like 200 pounds each therefore putting more weight on the front axle and then having 500lbs in the bed. Maybe a weight distribution like that you could argue it's "safe"

[@peiguy1982]

@@TheGettyAdventures I loaded up the Ridgeline with some soil once and was looking up at the sky on the drive home. The Maverick with 1500 would be quite a sight. Oh yes bottomed out at 1000 or less I would say.

[@kenthutchison4138]

Is there ANY way to increase the payload on the Cummins 2500?? Specifically the 2022 longbed. I’m hovering over the capacity with my fifth wheel tongue wait and fam in the truck nothing added. Stronger coils? Add leaf springs? Hate to give this truck up! Thanks for your videos, they’re great.

[@Texas12valve]

In reality, no. But if you wanted to, you could get air bags to help lift the rear up. But no, there is no way to raise the payload rating.

[@tbup-north8718]

no spotter again your done !\!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just kidding buddy love the videos keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I only put company vehicles in the pit!

[@tbup-north8718]

@@TheGettyAdventures 🤣 and only on days that end in y

[@ridewithme3428]

A shame the payload went down so much. The early 4th gens and the 3rd gens had so much more. Ex: 2012 had a max of over 1800. 09 could be up to a little over 2000. Back in the early-mid 2000s you could even get a regular cab power wagon

[@TimmyG2011]

If I could thumbs up this twice I would. 👍

[@TheGettyAdventures]

thank you Tim!

[@stevenpeterson7234]

So you could put stiffer suspension and load g tires on and your payload would easily be 2,000+!!

[@BushcraftQuebec]

I put 3700 lbs in my ram 1500 . Not with stock shocks and suspension assist rubber

[@TheGettyAdventures]

she'll do it! just won't be happy about it

[@BushcraftQuebec]

@@TheGettyAdventures Bilstein 5100 icon 1.5 inch raise coil spring rear and timberen suspension assist Ram parts are crappy . And 1500 trucks can't go in the woods without a leveling kit THY SAG TOO MUCH . I just changed the brakes the parking brakes the brae fluid . The rear caliper lost a bolt 🔩 lol 😂 They fixed the transfer case output shaft seal but it leaked again the same month I got a new front axel a new throttle body a new rear control arm 2 new real link kit 2 new Bilstein 5100 replacement new windshield and towe hooks backrack towe itch that is now crooked Now I need fix the output seal again Change the transmission pan filters change oil . Change front completely lower upper control arm new springs for the 5100 or the 6112 new top mount And new WEEL hubs and CALIPERS AND BIG TIRES Radiator check ad flush . Battery swapp

[@medicchester]

All that weight going off-road. RAM would be liable for idiots, and overweight doing 90 MPH Baja with 2k of overland gear expecting to survive offroad at that speed. RAM knows as soon as 1500 owners change their street tires, they void their warranties, unless it was a rebel or TRX, possibly.

[@Oakshang]

Question, what other brands have you driven besides RAM, and what was your personal favorite brand of truck?

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I have always loved Chevy's. I used to drive a couple 90's Z71 trucks and absolutely loved them, built to last, the 350 small block chev is probably one of the best internal combustion engines made. The newer stuff does not really sit well with me. I like the LS engines but I think RAM makes a better 1500 to be honest. better bang for your buck anyways. and the Duramax really isn't the best choice for a diesel in my opinion. not really a ford guy. but the new 7.3 gas engines are interesting and I'd like to get my hands on one and see if it really is as good as people are saying.

[@medicchester]

Low and slow 🐌 flags and blinkers on.

[@TheRealThaenatos]

I wanted a Powerwagon...key word WANTED. My 1500 has the same payload and thats the sole reason Im looking into a 2500. Sad, but a big horn with options and nice e rated cooper ST MAXX tires will do just fine. Im going air since I tow the camper and haul a decent amount through the year.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I hear ya! they nurfed the shit out of the payload numbers. But I will say I've owned a ram 1500 and despite the power wagon being a lower payload number it 1000% handled it better. regardless, if you need the payload a power wagon is not the option!

[@Pitts1766]

My 2020 Tradesman Power Wagon is 1586 lbs of payload per this sticker.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I could see that. All depends on what options and stuff you have on your truck. They all weigh different amounts resulting in different payloads

[@gatordunn]

why is a 2500 have the same payload of a 1500? what makes it a 2500?

[@gatordunn]

thanks for breaking it down at the end

[@ajmedeiros77]

Need a Tremor baby

[@TheGettyAdventures]

lol nahh, the Power Wagon is everything I need

[@neil7340]

What are those mud flaps?

[@TheGettyAdventures]

those are the factory option mud flaps for this truck.

[@marvinristo1566]

Wash your truck bed after those batteries are out.

[@Yandelvillegas]

95800

[@astridaguayo6589]

Dude I had a 2004 Nissan Titan and I use to put a pallet of pavers that weight 3,350 pounds and that dude didn’t go down that much and hauled ass too

[@TheGettyAdventures]

I don't doubt it! those early Nissan were built strong!

[@GhettoMonkeyPimp]

Use a gas 2500 that's not a power wagon... has way more payload than a diesel.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

that it does! over 3,000 lbs if I'm not mistaken

[@ga-gz1bo]

Overpriced rich boy junk.

[@NorthernExposureATV]

Its to bad such a beautiful truck is so useless.

[@TheGettyAdventures]

define useless?

[@NorthernExposureATV]

@@TheGettyAdventures and overweight, oversized offroad halfton with tbe potential of a 3/4ton but with non of the capabilities to tow or haul. Its cool af and I want one but for the price and the useless nature of it I could never justify buying it. I want to load my quad, genset, a couple other small toys and my camper and do a 3000 mile road trip with it and still take it through the trails hunting...it would only be good for hunting and only one of those toys.

[@jc7435]

@@NorthernExposureATV I went with a f-250 7.3 for this reason. 3,064 payload, rear axle locker, solid axles front and rear (with leaf springs). I tow my TT with a quad in the bed, all of my family, 2 dogs, and extra gas and gear in the bed with lots of payload left over. To each their own according to their need and/or desires. The PW is awesome for its intended use tho.

[@NorthernExposureATV]

@@jc7435 i do that with my reg cab short box Chevy lol minus the family. She's squatted but its pulled it all 7000km across the country 3 times. I want to upgrade and retain the offroad ability for hunting and play and a regular 2500 class is just not going to cut it. Guess I will have to settle with a pavement princess.