Chris Woodyard

USA TODAY

For truck fanciers, there are few names more hallowed than the old Dodge Power Wagon.

Now Chrysler Group's truck division -- now branded just Ram -- has a new edition of the go-anywhere, do -anything hauler.

Power Wagon, a beefed-up versision of the Ram Heavy Duty crew-cab pickup, is designed to be as brawny as they come, according to Ram, with a new suspension and frame, four-wheel drive and a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 producing 410 horsepower.

"The 2014 Ram Power Wagon fills a need for those who travel into extreme terrain for rescue or recreation, while delivering on-road civility and the towing capability expected from a heavy-duty truck," says Reid Bigland, CEO of the Ram Truck Brand.

The new Power Wagon picks up where those that came before it left off. Like the Jeep, the Power Wagon's roots are in a World War II military vehicle -- the three-quarter-ton Weapons Carrier series of military trucks. Dodge Power Wagon was produced from 1945 to 1980. It was the first mass-produced 4x4 pickup for civilian use when it first rolled out.

For the most part, Power Wagons were highly utilitarian, four-wheel-drive trucks aimed at those who venture into the wilderness for work, from forestry crews to utility workers. The iconic truck then was reintroduced in 2005 and now exists as an independent model under Ram Truck Brand.

On the newest version, which is designated a 2014 model and comes in three trim levels. all the parts are heavy duty in keeping with tradition -- right down to the 12,000-pound winch. Towing capacity is up to 10,000 pounds. The truck has more than 14 inches of ground clearance, two inches more than the regular Ram Heavy Duty trucks.