1986 Dodge W150 Power Ram review from North America

Changed spark plugs @ 36K.

Changed spark plug wires @ 75K.

Fan clutch fuel & water pump @ 20 years of age.

Replaced alternator, ignition module, fan belts @ 90K.

This was by far the best buy on the market when I bought it in '86. You could only get a 305 with a 10 bolt rear in a Chevy short-bed 4X4 and it had the same 4-speed (made by New Process Div. of Chrysler) as the Dodge. You could get a 351 (Windsor) in a Ford, but it came with the tire-eating Twin Traction-Beam front end and the same 4-speed. The Ford and Chevy turned out to be rust buckets here on the Gulf Coast because COMBINED they did not feature the quantity of galvanizing used in the body panels of the Dodge. Hence, only the Dodge came with a 5-year, 50K warranty and it was also CHEAPER!

Factory-ordered with the 360 4-bbl, granny-gear four speed, and the lowest axle ratio available, this thing was rigged out to pull stumps (and virtually anything else) as well as one awesome short wheel-base trailer-towing vehicle. The biggest problem that I've encountered with this truck is getting adequate traction off-road. We've piled a ton of fresh-cut hardwood in the bed almost cab-high and still violently spun all four tires pulling tree trunks uphill. It successfully pulled each one that we cut down but there was a big cloud of dirt in the air!

A few years later purchased an '89 D-250 equipped with a Cummins Turbo Diesel and was able to compare towing performance. Both trucks had the same cubic inches and rear end ratios but were far from evenly matched. The Power Ram could run circles around the diesel and out-run it pulling any load until it encountered steep hills. With its 'biggest engine in its class' and gearing the Power Ram had the ability to pass just about anything on the road but a gas station. The diesel, on the other hand, would almost double the 4x4s mileage out of the same 30 gallon tank.

Eventually, I sold the D-250 when diesel fuel prices skyrocketed to the point that it was almost as economical to drive the Power Ram. As it is quipped with 4x4, a winch and gin-poles it is a lot handier to have on the farm than the nose-heavy, 2 wheel-drive highway truck. Besides,

I've had almost 2 tons of palletized mortar mix on the back of the Power Ram and then hooked it up to the lowboy with my tractor on it and went down the road at posted speeds. Who could ask for more in a truck than that?

I've had this one for 23 years, and while there are numerous dents and dings in the sheetmetal from working it beyond the point of shear abuse, there is not a speck of rust on it. The only way I'll ever part with this one is when they pry my cold, dead fingers off of the steering wheel.