The 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Cummins answered the biggest question quickly: Yes, it can tow a roughly 7,000-pound camper with ease. The more interesting story is how composed it felt, how well the exhaust brake controlled speed on grades and what it returned after nearly 240 miles.
This is the first time Ram has offered its high-output Cummins diesel in the Power Wagon. That creates an unusual heavy-duty truck, serious off-road hardware paired with the torque people want for towing, but it also comes with compromises buyers should understand.
The towing test setup
For this test, I hooked the Power Wagon to a 30-foot Coleman travel trailer. The trailer has an unloaded weight of 5,290 pounds, but we traveled with a full water tank and our gear aboard, putting the real-world weight closer to 7,000 pounds.
The route covered 239.8 miles through Nebraska and Wyoming, including enough hills and descents to evaluate acceleration, stability, transmission behavior and the exhaust brake, not just fuel economy on flat highway.
Power Wagon and high-output Cummins, finally together
Under the hood is Ram’s high-output Cummins turbo-diesel, rated at 430 horsepower and 1,075 pound-feet of torque. It is paired with the TorqueFlite HD eight-speed automatic transmission.
The diesel dramatically expands what the Power Wagon can do as a towing and travel truck, but there is one notable tradeoff: The factory winch is not available with the Cummins. The diesel’s cooling and airflow requirements occupy the space and airflow path the winch setup needs.
Towing stability: easy, composed work
The truck never felt challenged by this trailer. Acceleration was easy, highway stability was good and the trailer did not push the truck around. Even with a 30-foot camper behind it, the Power Wagon felt planted and predictable.
That matters more than a headline tow rating. A truck can have enough power to move a trailer and still feel busy or unsettled. This one had plenty of reserve and remained calm at speed.
Grades, gear limiting and the exhaust brake
Uphill, the Cummins barely had to work. The transmission did not hunt for gears, and there was no sense that the engine was straining to maintain speed.
The downhill performance was even more useful. I used the transmission’s gear limiter with the exhaust brake, and the truck held speed without requiring constant brake-pedal input. Adding trailer-brake gain produced a controlled, confidence-inspiring descent.
For owners who regularly cross mountain passes, that combination may be the most compelling reason to choose the Cummins. The power gets the attention, but the downhill control is what reduces fatigue.
The headline result: 9.9 MPG over 239.8 miles
At the end of the trip, the truck indicated 9.9 MPG over 239.8 miles. That result came with a roughly 7,000-pound, 30-foot travel trailer on a real route with hills, not an empty trailer or a short, flat mileage loop.
Fuel economy will change with speed, wind, elevation and trailer profile, but this provides a useful baseline for shoppers considering the Power Wagon Cummins as both an off-road truck and a tow vehicle.
Towing hardware and technology
The tow mirrors worked, although I would like them to extend farther for a trailer this wide. The integrated trailer-brake controls were easy to use, and Ram also includes trailer reverse steering control to help guide a trailer while backing.
Tow/haul mode and the exhaust-brake controls are within easy reach. The truck also offers 2.4-kW onboard power, which adds practical utility at a campsite or job site.
The Uconnect issue and cabin tradeoffs
The biggest technology problem during the trip was a Uconnect freeze that required a hard reset. The built-in TomTom navigation also felt slow at times. Neither issue affected the truck’s ability to tow, but both were frustrating in a vehicle with a sticker price around $103,000.
The Cummins installation also affects passenger space. Turbo and exhaust packaging intrude into the front passenger footwell, making that side of the cab feel more cramped than expected.
The Power Wagon hardware still matters
This is still a Power Wagon, not simply a Ram 2500 with a diesel badge. It retains off-road equipment including electronically disconnecting sway bars, locking differentials, hill-descent control and dedicated four-wheel-drive controls.
That hardware is what makes the combination interesting. Buyers no longer have to choose between the Power Wagon’s factory off-road capability and the Cummins’ towing manners, although the missing winch remains a meaningful distinction.
Payload, price and the bottom line
This truck carried a payload rating of about 2,700 pounds, providing useful capacity for passengers, cargo and trailer tongue weight. As always, owners should confirm the payload sticker on the specific truck and calculate their loaded trailer weight before towing.
The 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Cummins is an impressively capable tool. It made a 7,000-pound camper feel easy, delivered strong downhill control and returned 9.9 MPG over nearly 240 miles. It is also expensive, gives up the Power Wagon’s winch and introduces a few packaging and technology frustrations.
For buyers who want genuine off-road hardware and frequently tow through hilly country, the Cummins makes the Power Wagon far more versatile. Whether that versatility is worth a roughly $103,000 sticker price will be the deciding question.
Editor’s note: The accompanying video contains a paid promotion from ScreenPro Tech.
