If you were to start all over with a brand new truck, which would you choose?

legendaryandrew

Adventurer
Originally I was all on board with buying a 2017 Raptor 2 years down the road (wait until teething issues were solved), but I've been looking into the Power Wagon more and more because of the few builds there are here. I kind of like the idea of a truck with a full warranty that only needs a cap or rack and rtt. All the amenities and comfort, with OEM reliability. I haven't looked into any other manufacturers offerings, as I'm partial to US truck styles, but if you had to start over with a brand new truck, which would you go with and why?

Note: Sorry if this isn't a new idea, just thought it'd be kinda fun :)
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
Definitely a Raptor, I'll have one eventually...just not now.

Perhaps a PW minus the MPG.... I've heard mixed reviews about the PW.
 

04Ram2500Hemi

Observer
When I was looking to replace my 2004 HD Ram I drove everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. I drove 1/2 ton Ford, Chevy, and Dodge Trucks. Then I went and drove 3/4 Ford, Chevy, and Dodge Trucks. I then went and drove a Raptor and a Power Wagon back to back. After that I went back to the HD market and compared each diesel to the gas version. Like I said, I drove pretty much everything I could get my hands on. It all came down to what I wanted and needed out of a truck, and the Power Wagon checked off every box I had. In the end it came down to Raptor versus Power Wagon, and I truly loved a lot of what the Raptor had to offer. What decided it for me was the lack of towing/hauling with the Raptor, and I fear that would be worse now that they have eliminated the V-8 and gone strictly to the Eco Boost. Now that I'm on my second HD Hemi, I can truly say this setup has never let me down, nor has it ever given me pause to wish I had gone a different route. If my Power Wagon was totaled today, I'd be buying another Power Wagon to replace it with. My only regret is not waiting until the Ram Box was available for the HD market (they came out a couple months after I bought my 2012). I don't think a person can go wrong with the Raptor, but I just knew that it wasn't going to be able to tow the loads I needed it to.
 

aearles

Observer
I went with the Wagon, and have no regrets. Like you said, a cap/rack and you're pretty much done, no worries about lift problems, gearing, rubbing... You've got lockers, winch, lift, good articulation, and decent tires right out of the box, all under warranty and designed to work perfectly together. Plus you have a real truck with decent tow and payload ratings compared to the 1/2 ton alternative. If you go with the basic Tradesmen trim, they start at just a little over $40k, really not too bad.

Mine is a 2015 Laramie, only mods are onboard air and some storage, just ordered an ARE Z Series cap for it. We are using it to tow and live full-time in a 30' Airstream (~7,000lbs) in the Southwest US, and it takes us exploring whenever we're unhitched. It's getting 10mpg while towing, and about 15mpg on the highway. When I was commuting 30 miles to work everyday, overall average was 14mpg.
 

Pilat

Tossing ewoks on Titan
A 2016 Hilux, Australian spec.

Seriously, though, I don't have high demands. I can do with whatever I have the keys to.
 

OCD Overland

Explorer
I'm in the same boat and have pretty much decided on the new Raptor, depending of course on the specs, price, etc. We don't need a tremendous towing capacity, and if you do, I understand that a set of airbags or hydraulic bump stops will essentially give back the load and towing capacity they took away with the softer springs. And I'm not at all concerned about the ecoboost - the current 3.5 tows great from everything I've read, and the new one will be more powerful and a ton more efficient than the current V8. But the deciding factor for me is comfort. We spend a lot of time on the highway, and the comfort and drivability of the Raptor, combined with the new F150's posh interior, should be pretty sweet.

I also think it comes down to the type of off-roading you're going to do. For us, it will be miles of bumpy back roads and no Rubicon level stuff. That sort of driving is right in the Raptor's sweet spot.
 

tarditi

Explorer
H1 Alpha Wagon... My H1 was a great truck, but it was non-turbo and open top. Lessons learned.
 

schmugboy

Observer
For those with the Power Wagon did it give you any pause to having the gas engine and the rather poor MPG vs. an HD truck with a diesel modified to similar PW specs. As much as I crave a PW the gas mileage makes me wonder if you could build up a quality diesel version. I've not run the number to determine the return on investment or if you could even get some of the PW stuff on a diesel without starting from scratch. I'm intrigued to see how the Nissan does with their 1/2 ton diesel.
In the end I think the main decision point is what is mentioned above is what towing and payload capacity you need. If a 1/2 ton fits then that would be the most economical. If money is no limit, then my vote is the Power Wagon (with AEV package).
 

Mass_Mopar

Don't Litter
I know the question is which truck?, not truck vs. jeep, but I seriously considered a tradesman PW before I bought my rubicon. The primary problem for me is the sheer size of the PW. Up here in the Northeast, fitting down tight trails is a serious concern. The width, length, weight, and ability to turn around on a trail were all un-workable for me. That said, I still really want one. I need to find a company that buys them for work trucks and find out if they're hiring...
 

aearles

Observer
For those with the Power Wagon did it give you any pause to having the gas engine and the rather poor MPG vs. an HD truck with a diesel modified to similar PW specs. As much as I crave a PW the gas mileage makes me wonder if you could build up a quality diesel version. I've not run the number to determine the return on investment or if you could even get some of the PW stuff on a diesel without starting from scratch. I'm intrigued to see how the Nissan does with their 1/2 ton diesel.
In the end I think the main decision point is what is mentioned above is what towing and payload capacity you need. If a 1/2 ton fits then that would be the most economical. If money is no limit, then my vote is the Power Wagon (with AEV package).

Having never owned a diesel vehicle, I was put off by so many comments about the complexity of the modern diesel engines. The 6.4L Hemi fulfilled all of my requirements, and the fuel efficiency really isn't that bad, but that wasn't a huge factor for me. I'm certainly still jealous of the diesel trucks when I'm pulling my trailer uphill at altitude, but otherwise it does just fine.

I've read 100 times "If I towed more, the diesel would have been worth it." Well, I'm towing, literally, full-time... and I don't regret going gas, but then, gas is cheap right now and it's not like I've really done the math.
 
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legendaryandrew

Adventurer
So the Diesel vs gas debate is hot no matter where you go in the truck world. 15-16mpg in a full size truck unloaded isn't bad for gas. Not at all, and probably not worth the premium price and repair cost for an extra 5-7mpg diesel counterpart (talking Dodge 6.4 vs CTD here at least). My best friend has an '03 CTD, and gets 21-22mpg tuned with a built trans and exhaust/FASS, etc. Problem with modern diesels, they don't typically get good MPG until you do thousands of dollars in mods and void your warranty. You can buy A LOT of gas for the 3-5k it costs to fully delete and tune a diesel pickup. And then you have no warranty on your 60k truck. For the cost of a common rail injector set, I can buy a new 8.1 for my Sub from GM.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
H1 Alpha Wagon... My H1 was a great truck, but it was non-turbo and open top. Lessons learned.

There ya go. I'll take one also. Perhaps silver.


Edit, there is no way I'd tie up 150k in a used truck. I'll take a PW tradesman.
 
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Ducky's Dad

Explorer
I currently own a 2005 Power Wagon, a 1998 GMC Z71, and a 2008 Tundra TRD CrewMax. The GMC is going away as soon as it gives up the ghost, the Tundra will be its replacement as a daily driver, and the PW is my outdoors truck. If I could only keep one, it would definitely be the PW. If I were in the market for a replacement, it would be a PW. If someone put a new Raptor and a new PW in my driveway and told me I could keep one or the other, I'd keep the PW. The Raptor is a fun toy but the PW is a very functional tool. One of the guys working with me just replaced his F-150 with a Ram 1500 Hemi 4WD Crew Cab. He was a Ford guy until he looked at my PW and then went to drive the Ram. Choice will depend on how you use the truck, but the Raptor's payload issues and short bed would be a problem for me. A diesel is nice but overkill for most of us, and expensive to maintain. With the PW or the GMC (one-ton hydro-boost brakes), I can haul 4000 pounds in the bed when I really need to, but I would never even consider that in a Raptor or in my Tundra. Tundra gas mileage with the 5.7 is not that much better than the PW. The aluminum body on the Ford is pretty much a deal breaker for me, because of potential repair costs down the road. Eco-Boost is a definite deal-breaker for me because of complexity and repair costs down the line. I keep my trucks a long time, and I don't want to deal with twin turbo anything that's not an Italian sports car. Having said all that, the V8 Raptor is a hoot to drive but I wouldn't buy one.
 

XJSuperman

OhIOWAn
A brand new truck? Well 2 things for certain: No GM products, and no diesels. You will never pay off the upfront cost of a new diesel unless you are a hotshot rig running all over the country everyday, and then the higher cost of fuel means it doesn't really pay off, even with better mileage. And the maintenance on these new diesels is astounding. Electroonic injectors that fail, variable geometry turbos that fail much faster than an older mechanical engine. And on most of the new diesel trucks, for almost any type of work, you need to have the cab removed. Thats a lot of labor, more expensive parts, and a higher cost in general. The maintenance isn't like its only a one time thing either, its more often than your basic 12v cummins or a standard gas engine because of the new emissions systems.

With all that in mind, I'd buy a new Ram, or new Ford of whatever size fits my needs best. I had a Ram 1500 Laramie with the hemi and it was awesome. I put nearly 30000 miles on it this summer alone traveling the harvest run. But I am just as happy with the new Fords. The aluminum F150 leaves some questions, but everything Im seeing is it's no worse than a steel truck.

If you are going to buy a pickup, you might as well get a fullsize bed as well, no shortbeds here. And while the Ram Outdoorsman box bed would have been nice on my work truck, its not practical for a personal vehicle IMO. So 8' bed on either a Ford or Ram.

Thats my .02cents.
 

EMrider

Explorer
Starting from scratch, I'd get a new F150 4x4 with the 2.7l ecoboost.

Add a rear locker, better shocks and stiffer springs and be done with the mods.

R
 

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