dodge Power Wagon Off Road Truck - interior View - Photo 9895126

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The dash and interior of the Power Wagon are very nice and ergonomically comfortable. All switches and controls are easy to reach and understand. Our fully optioned Power Wagon came with seat heaters - something we scoffed at until the temperatures were single-digit outside.

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The Power Wagon's AAM frontend features 4.56 gears and a differential that's open until electrically locked. You can see the motor that allows you to electronically disconnect the sway bar from the cab. Also note the small skidplate under the steering stabilizer. A Warn 12,000-pound winch is tucked in behind the bumper. Pretty nice considering it all comes from the factory and carries a full factory warranty.

The 5.7L Hemi Magnum V8 generates 345 hp at 5,400 rpm and 375 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. It also features electronic throttle control that changes the throttle program in Low range, making the throttle response much more manageable off-road. The Hemi has aluminum cylinder heads, hemispherical combustion chambers, a high compression ratio, and a design that utilizes two spark plugs per cylinder to burn fuel more efficiently.

The 10.5-inch rearend also sports 4.56 gears. The differential is a helical-gear limited-slip until it's electronically locked, making it a full locker. Specially tuned leaf packs and staggered Bilstein high-pressure gas shocks allow the Dodge to work well with a load or in the dirt. The 285 (33-inch) spare fits fine under the truck. A 35-inch tire will also fit there if a tire size change is in the offing.

The Power Wagon has no problem keeping its cool in intense heat when towing or crawling on the trail. Check out the massive radiator, transmission, and oil coolers under the hood.

The front suspension has specially tuned Power Wagon coils, upper and lower control arms, and Bilstein gas shocks. The Power Wagon sits about 1.5 inches higher than a stock Ram.

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The Power Wagon shares its complete and legible instrumentation with the rest of the Ram lineup. All Power Wagons come with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that we think is a really bad idea, even though it's mandated by federal law. You have to inflate the tires to 60 psi to keep the TPMS from flashing a warning light on the dash and sounding a chime. The Power Wagon has a light load switch that allows you to deflate the rear tires to 45 psi, but the fronts still have to be 60 psi. Not good.

The locker switch allows you to lock the rear only, or front and rear. This only operates in Low range. We think that the switch should operate front, rear, or both lockers in High and Low range. The sway-bar disconnect switch is at the bottom. The sway-bar disconnect works in High or Low range 4WD under 20 mph.

The dash and interior of the Power Wagon are very nice and ergonomically comfortable. All switches and controls are easy to reach and understand. Our fully optioned Power Wagon came with seat heaters - something we scoffed at until the temperatures were single-digit outside.

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The navigation screen uses an updatable North American navigation disc. We found the navigation easy to use. It will drop breadcrumbs when you're on the trail and want to backtrack and features a GPS coordinate screen, so you can see where you are.

The navigation system is also an AM/FM stereo, six-disc CD changer, MP3 player, and Sirius satellite radio. The large screen is easily read and supplies plenty of information.

Skidplates protect the transmission and transfer case.

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The rear seats fold up, and a fold-flat load floor folds out when needed. There's plenty of storage space for bags and other gear you don't want out in the elements.

Dodge's fold-down backrest/center console in the 40-20-40 seat has a 12-volt power outlet and plenty of storage room inside. There's additional storage under the center seat cushion.