After starting our build out with a bang running the Carli Power Wagon Pintop system, we’ve been on a roll with even more updates! Let’s dive into the full build on this overland ready 2020 Power Wagon.
We started out with a completely stock 2020 Ram Power Wagon from Peterson Ram and Jeep in Idaho. The team there is well used to dealing with us, as they’re our top Carli Suspension installer in the area and actually specialize in building new trucks for customers. If you want to order a new, turn key truck with a Carli Suspension system on it, they’re the guys to make it happen! Of course, we figured it would be boring to have them do all the work, so we drove the truck home to Los Angeles to get started on it ourselves! Check out the video below where we walk through the new truck, and talk about what’s on these new Ram Power Wagons!
If you know us, you know we don’t keep things stock for long! We immediately tore into the truck to start making upgrades. The first thing to go was the stock suspension and tires. We’ll give the stock Power Wagon credit for having VERY impressive stock articulation and low speed capabilities, but the wheel hop and high speed off road capability are both well below the standards we’re used to!
To solve that, we installed a Carli Suspension Power Wagon Pintop system. This system only increases height 2″ front and 1″ rear, but increases wheel travel to 9.3″ front and 11″ rear which is a welcome improvement over stock. Of course that’s straight droop travel, so articulation numbers are even more impressive. Exactly what you’d want on a Power Wagon! It’s also got plenty of room for 37s so we stepped this truck up with some 17″ Trail Ready wheels and 37/13/5/17 Toyo RT tires.
This is possible because Carli goes a bit further than most brands with their systems.
Next, we took the truck to Go Fast Campers for another upgrade. This rig is our shop adventure setup, so the GFC made the perfect fit to keep it jumpable and liveable!
Dominator Upgrade
The next phase of the build involved stepping up the suspension. While the pintop system is capable, the Carli Suspension Power Wagon Dominator takes things to a new level. This system uses the exact same base parts as all the other Carli Power Wagon systems too, so it’s an easy upgrade. Included in the Dominator upgrade package (which can be added to any Ram 3.25″ Coil system) is completely custom spec King 3″ diameter shocks designed by Carli specifically for these trucks. They have custom lengths, bodies, pistons, and shim stack tuning for both Hemi and Gas 2014+ Ram 2500 trucks. In this case we went with the Power Wagon version of the system.
The front of the Dominator system includes weld on lower shock mounts that relocate the shock mount slightly outward from the axle to make room for the 3″ shocks. These weld on mounts also prevent the all too common failure of the factory lower shock mounts that tear off the axle frequently, even with stock shocks. The Dominator system also includes weld in coil isolators that prevent the coils from dropping out with hard off road usage. Nobody else on the market offers these items to support running these trucks to their potential.
At the rear of the truck, Carli provides the axle side brackets and weld on frame side mounts to install massive 3″ diameter custom spec King shocks outside of the frame. This eliminates the failure prone upper pintop mount as well, making for an all around stronger design capable of hard off road use.
We decided to get the truck out in the dirt a little to stretch its legs.
Lighting Upgrade
Next on the list was lighting. We started this build with our Baja Designs Fog Light Kit and XL Linkable bumper light setup. The fog light kit is exclusive to us, and can be ordered with a SAE street friendly light, sport model light that’s about as bright as you can use on the street, and pro model lights which are off road only. We opted for sports on our Power Wagon so we can use them full time.
Since the Power Wagon platform doesn’t allow for a 20″ bar in the bumper like the Cummins Rams do, the XL linkable kit is the best, low profile way to add additional light output up front. That offered a solid amount of light, but we’re firm believers that you can never have enough! That led to a trip to Wired by Greg, who got us set up with a line of LP9 lights on the Go Fast Camper, as well as a whole host of Baja Designs S2 lights on the bed and bumpers for scene lighting. Everything on the truck is controlled by our CJC 12 button Switch Pros mount.
Finally we installed a set of Alpha Rex Luxx Headlights and turned on the amber DRLs. These headlights offer better light output than the stock units, and also really give the truck a nice overall look. The Luxx model is Alpha Rex’s mid level offering, which hits a pretty attainable price point, while still improving output over stock. These lights feature the ability to switch between amber and white accent lights, as well as a cool start up sequence and sequential turn signal action.
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