Competition: Ram Power Wagon VS Ford Super Duty Tremor:
We Break Down The Differences Between These Two Largo Off-Roaders...
The off-road pickup market continues to grow as each brand keeps coming out with different packages, that they believe are the best for buyer’s off-road needs. Ram has had the legendary Ram 2500 Power Wagon off-roader for over a decade now and until recently, stood alone in the Heavy Duty off-road market. Now, a newly released package from Ford Motor Company might just give Ram some true competition. So let’s take a look at Ford’s new offering, compared to the new 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon lineup.
The new “Tremor” off-road package from Ford, gives the Super Duty lineup consisting of F-250 and F-350 pickups more capability off-road. The Tremor package can be equipped with a choice of engines, the all-new 7.3-liter overhead-valve V8 gas engine or the 6.7-liter PowerStroke Diesel. Both are mated with Ford’s 10-speed automatic. We still currently don’t know the power ratings for either engine as of yet, as Ford is keeping the information quiet at the current moment. Although, Ford is saying the all-new 7.3-liter V8 will have a best-in-class gas engine performance rating.
While the Tremor package might have a choice of engines available, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon lineup sticks with the legendary 6.4-liter HEMI V8. The HEMI develops 410 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft of torque. Ram has introduced the TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment for the 2019 model year. With a lot of buyers criticizing the power delivery of the 6.4-liter HEMI in previous years of the Ram Power Wagon, it was to blame on the transmission gear ratios of the old transmission. The new 8-speed automatic feels like a completely different truck. We had a chance to drive the new 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon at the media launch event, and the new setup is night and day difference.
While the HEMI is the standard choice, there is no current diesel offering in the Power Wagon lineup. While this upsets a lot of Power Wagon fans, there is a variety of reasons why we haven’t seen the 6.7-liter Cummins under the hood of the Ram Power Wagon. The first being that Ram engineers can’t fit the big 6.7-liter Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel while retaining the winch, which has been a staple of the Power Wagon since its reintroduction in 2005. Another reason is that the truck would require a stiffer suspension, which in return would inhibit articulation capability. While the Tremor package does offer a diesel, it simply does not have the factory Warn winch nor the articulation that the Power Wagon does.
Both the Tremor package and Power Wagon come as Crew Cab 4×4 short bed configuration only. Ford is offering its new off-road package on XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum models for 2020. Ram offers its Power Wagon package on two trim-levels, Tradesman Power Wagon which is more bare-bones and the luxurious Power Wagon trim-level.
The 2020 Ford Super Duty Tremor off-road kit includes:
- Tremor specific 18-Inch wheels wrapped in 35-Inch Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires
- 2-Inch Front Suspension Lift
- Larger Tremor Specific Shocks
- Shorter Tremor Specific Front Air Dam
- A New Rock Crawling Drive Mode and Ford’s Trail Control System
- Skid plates from the FX4
- Unique Running Boards that sit tight against the body to help with ground clearance
The 2019 Ram Power Wagons off-road kit includes:
- Articulink Suspension
- Front/Rear Bilstein Shocks (Power Wagon Tuned)
- Hill Descent Control
- Tru-Lok Front & Rear Axles
- 4.10 Axle Ratio
- Tow Hooks
- Fuel Tank Skid Plate
- Transfer Case Skid Plate
- Warn Zeon 12,000-lb. Winch with a Synthetic Winch Cable
- Front Disconnecting Stabilizer Bar
- 17-Inch x 8-Inch Cast Aluminum Power Wagon Wheel
- LT285/70R17D OWL Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac All-Terrain Tires
While the Tremor package is appealing, it is obviously not as comprehensive as the Ram 2500 Power Wagon. One area that I personally feel that the Tremor has the upper hand over the Power Wagon is in the tire department. It was a smart move by Ford engineers, equipping the Tremor with a 35-inch tire setup, something our sister site’s HDRams.com forum members also agree with.
When you compare approach angles for both trucks, the Ford which has 31.65-degrees, best the Power Wagon’s 29.4-degrees of approach. However, on departure, the Power Wagon has a much better angle of attack with 26-degrees compared to the Tremor’s 24.5-degrees.
Ford boasted that the Tremor will tow and haul more than the Ram 2500 Power Wagon. They also claim that payload and towing numbers will come in just slightly below a standard Ford Super Duty, but still haven’t released the details yet. The 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon, on the other hand, has a max payload of 1,660 lbs. and a max tow rating of 10,620 lbs.
While Ford has yet to drop details about the pricing of the new Tremor package, a 2019 Ram 2500 Tradesman Power Wagon starts at $50,085 USD after destination, while the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon trim starts at $55,045 USD after destination.
What do you think of Ford’s new Power Wagon competitor? Do you think it has what it takes to take the off-road crown away from the Ram 2500 Power Wagon? Leave your comments below.
