Cactus Red's Build - 2009 Power Wagon

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by NovA ProspekT » Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:29 am

Cactus Red wrote:
Sun Mar 11, 2018 4:47 pm
Got 31000 miles out of the 315/70-17 Cooper ST Pros. All in all, they were an excellent tire. Very good traction, very tough sidewalls.

But, as part of now towing our new camper, I decided to go back to stock tires in a slightly less aggressive tread pattern. The truck is now wearing 285/70-17 Cooper ST Maxx's. Same carcass construction as the Pro's, I trust they will be as durable for us, and hopefully get a bit more power and MPG's over the larger tire.
Congrat's on the camper.

I've had 37" S/T Maxx's on my truck since last January, put about 18,000 miles on them so far on everything from dirt-roads to thick-mud and 2ft deep snow and they've been great! Fantastic "do-it-all" tire, you're gonna love them. :cheers:
2007 DODGE POWER WAGON: 5.7L Hemi V8/Auto, Quad Cab, Flame Red
- Spintech Super Pro Street 9000 Muffler, Electronic Exhaust Cutout, Transgo Shift-Kit
- COOPER S/T MAXX(37x12.5R17), Carli High Clearance Control Arms, Carli HD Ball-joints
- Aluminess Front Bumper, Back Rack w/ Side-rails, Truxedo LoPro QT Tonneau Cover
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Grote 30" LED Off-road Light Bar, Bosch Compact 100 Fog Lights
2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND: 4.7L High Output PowerTech V8, Quadra-Drive, Inferno Red
- OME HD 1.5" Lift Coil Springs, Bilstein 5100 Shocks, JKS HD Trackbar, Core4x4 Tier4 Control Arms
- Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV(245/70R17) Winter Tires, 3" Exhaust w/ Magnaflow Cats/Y-Pipe & Muffler
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Hella 350 LED Wide Beam Light Bar
1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 5.9 LIMITED: 5.9L Magnum R/T V8, Quadra-Trac, Deep Slate Black
- H&R Sport Progressive Springs w/spacers(Stock height), Bilstein 4600 Shocks, OEM Euro Headlamps
- Doug Thorley Tri-Y Long-tube headers, MOPAR M1 Intake, BBK Power Plus twin 52mm Throttle Body
[My Flickr] - [Power Wagon Build Thread]
“The death-knell of the republic had rung as soon as the active power became lodged in the hands of those who sought, not to do justice to all citizens, rich and poor alike, but to stand for one special class and for its interests as opposed to the interests of others.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by gun45boat » Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:21 pm

Holy shit.... 6.1mpg? OUCH!!!!!! The smaller tires and less aggressive tread pattern will help,,,but not by much. Hemi's where never known for their fuel economy, no matter what you do... I found the key to acceptance of shitty MPG, is just to NEVER LOOK ;)

Nice trailer.. Just be many years of great times in that unit..

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:25 pm

Well, we had a terrible first trip on the Cooper ST Maxx's while towing the trailer. I checked the hitch, played with air pressure front and rear, and still had severe sway in wind and steep downhill grades at freeway speeds. I had to slow to 45 MPH and continue to hit the trailer brakes down Copper Canyon on I-17 to Camp Verde. Even on flat ground, it felt like we were on jello. Winds were steady at 20+, gusts to 35 MPH, but that's not uncommon here, and we'd towed in similar conditions with the old worn STT Pro's with no problems. I suspect the small, tall, and soft lugs had a lot to do with it.

So, the guys at Discount have replaced them with a set of Toyo AT2's 285/70-17's. I'll get a photo up when they arrive.

On the good side, I saw the expected improvement in MPG. We were able to hold third gear at 3K for much longer on grades vs running 4K in second. MPG averaged 8.0 even for the 160 miles we traveled - that's a huge improvement.
I'm just along for the ride...

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by gun45boat » Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:46 pm

agreed... 8mpg is certainly better I have been very pleased with My toyo's (35's) this will be my 4th CC trip on them in the cummins, and they are still more than half tread. Been the best towing tires I've ever owned. They will treat you well.. I hope you see better than 8mpg though, that gets old when you have a 35 gallon tank.

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by ghaugo » Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:26 pm

I have been looking at those Outdoor RV trailers. How do you like it so far? Do you feel like it is too much for the PW? I live in CO, and I would like to get a camper similar in size to yours, so I wanted to know if you felt like it was a good combo?
2012 Power Wagon
Frame-welded Aluminess Rock Sliders, Kenda Klever RT (35/12.50R17), ARE Z-Series Topper, DeeZee Tailgate Assist, Husky X-act Contour Mats, Purple Cranium Diff Covers Front and Rear, Dodge Offroad Steering Brace, Thuren Track Bar, Thuren Short Arms, Thuren Fox 2.0 Remote Reservoir Shocks, Airlifter Ultimate 5000 airbags, Daystar Cradles, High Country Customs Bumper, Dynatrac ball joints, WWSP HD Towing Valve Body, PML Transmission pan, Thuren XD Swaybar Links, Thuren XS front coils, Abel Components Full Swaybar Bypass, All AMSOIL fluids from Code4Synthetics.com

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by OffroadTreks » Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:43 pm

What kinda anti-sway hitch ya got on that thing?
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:52 am

The ODRV trailer is perfect for the west. Solidly built, well insulated, huge water capacity, 235/80-16 tires and excellent suspension, what's not to like?

It's heavy, but the truck does fine. Figure 45 to 50 MPH at 4k rpm on steep grades with stock tires. Regular roads are no big deal.

We are using a Camco/EazLift Elite 10K rated hitch, with a single sway control unit. It levels the truck easily with the bars set at 12 degs down when loose, parallel when attached. Air bags only need 20 PSI to give the truck a very slight rake before hitching up.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by NovA ProspekT » Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:10 pm

Cactus Red wrote:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:25 pm
Well, we had a terrible first trip on the Cooper ST Maxx's while towing the trailer.
...
Look's like I spoke too soon. :lol:

Were they the same load range & size as the STT's? The only difference between the S/T MAXX and the STT's is the tread pattern, so...that's really odd.
2007 DODGE POWER WAGON: 5.7L Hemi V8/Auto, Quad Cab, Flame Red
- Spintech Super Pro Street 9000 Muffler, Electronic Exhaust Cutout, Transgo Shift-Kit
- COOPER S/T MAXX(37x12.5R17), Carli High Clearance Control Arms, Carli HD Ball-joints
- Aluminess Front Bumper, Back Rack w/ Side-rails, Truxedo LoPro QT Tonneau Cover
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Grote 30" LED Off-road Light Bar, Bosch Compact 100 Fog Lights
2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND: 4.7L High Output PowerTech V8, Quadra-Drive, Inferno Red
- OME HD 1.5" Lift Coil Springs, Bilstein 5100 Shocks, JKS HD Trackbar, Core4x4 Tier4 Control Arms
- Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV(245/70R17) Winter Tires, 3" Exhaust w/ Magnaflow Cats/Y-Pipe & Muffler
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Hella 350 LED Wide Beam Light Bar
1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 5.9 LIMITED: 5.9L Magnum R/T V8, Quadra-Trac, Deep Slate Black
- H&R Sport Progressive Springs w/spacers(Stock height), Bilstein 4600 Shocks, OEM Euro Headlamps
- Doug Thorley Tri-Y Long-tube headers, MOPAR M1 Intake, BBK Power Plus twin 52mm Throttle Body
[My Flickr] - [Power Wagon Build Thread]
“The death-knell of the republic had rung as soon as the active power became lodged in the hands of those who sought, not to do justice to all citizens, rich and poor alike, but to stand for one special class and for its interests as opposed to the interests of others.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Fri Mar 30, 2018 8:10 pm

The STT Pros were 315/70-17's at 30K, so they were well worn. Both were E rated, but lower pressure on the 315's for max weight capacity.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by TwinStick » Fri Mar 30, 2018 11:20 pm

Did both have 3 ply sidewalls ? If so, maybe rubber was a softer compound ? Sometimes, a load range "D" tire has the same weight rating (3195 lbs) as load range "E" tire & requires lower air pressure as a result. Tires sure are funny, the way they are rated & constructed, from mfg. to mfg. .

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by NovA ProspekT » Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:51 am

TwinStick wrote:
Fri Mar 30, 2018 11:20 pm
Did both have 3 ply sidewalls ? If so, maybe rubber was a softer compound ? Sometimes, a load range "D" tire has the same weight rating (3195 lbs) as load range "E" tire & requires lower air pressure as a result. Tires sure are funny, the way they are rated & constructed, from mfg. to mfg. .
They STT PRO and S/T MAXX both have the "Armor Tek3" 3-ply sidewall. I'm pretty sure they're the same tread compound as well.
2007 DODGE POWER WAGON: 5.7L Hemi V8/Auto, Quad Cab, Flame Red
- Spintech Super Pro Street 9000 Muffler, Electronic Exhaust Cutout, Transgo Shift-Kit
- COOPER S/T MAXX(37x12.5R17), Carli High Clearance Control Arms, Carli HD Ball-joints
- Aluminess Front Bumper, Back Rack w/ Side-rails, Truxedo LoPro QT Tonneau Cover
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Grote 30" LED Off-road Light Bar, Bosch Compact 100 Fog Lights
2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE OVERLAND: 4.7L High Output PowerTech V8, Quadra-Drive, Inferno Red
- OME HD 1.5" Lift Coil Springs, Bilstein 5100 Shocks, JKS HD Trackbar, Core4x4 Tier4 Control Arms
- Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV(245/70R17) Winter Tires, 3" Exhaust w/ Magnaflow Cats/Y-Pipe & Muffler
- JW Speaker TS4000 Driving Lights, Hella 350 LED Wide Beam Light Bar
1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 5.9 LIMITED: 5.9L Magnum R/T V8, Quadra-Trac, Deep Slate Black
- H&R Sport Progressive Springs w/spacers(Stock height), Bilstein 4600 Shocks, OEM Euro Headlamps
- Doug Thorley Tri-Y Long-tube headers, MOPAR M1 Intake, BBK Power Plus twin 52mm Throttle Body
[My Flickr] - [Power Wagon Build Thread]
“The death-knell of the republic had rung as soon as the active power became lodged in the hands of those who sought, not to do justice to all citizens, rich and poor alike, but to stand for one special class and for its interests as opposed to the interests of others.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:37 pm

The carcass construction was why I went with the Copper - the Pro was an excellent tire. I suspect the Maxx is as well if not towing heavy. I wonder if it's the tall small lugs causing tread squirm.

In any case, they are gone, and the Toyo AT2's are on. We'll give them a test soon. They already feel more stable.
I'm just along for the ride...

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by gun45boat » Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:56 pm

Cant go wrong with the Toyo At2's Haven't done me wrong in 80K of stupid heavy towing, and abuses in Baja..

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by coder » Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:12 pm

Cactus Red wrote:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:25 pm
So, the guys at Discount have replaced them with a set of Toyo AT2's 285/70-17's. I'll get a photo up when they arrive.
Back to stock size no 35's?
Vehicle: 2007 Power Wagon Quad Cab - Factory Options (Inferno Red, Premium Cloth Bench Seat, Light Group, Automatic Transmission, Leather Steering Wheel)
Suspension: Carli 3" Hemi Coils, Carli Control Arms, Carli King 2.5 Pin-Tops, Carli Stainless Steering Stabilizer, Carli Trackbar | Synergy 1" Rear Shackle
Performance: Magnaflow Muffler | Magnaflow Y-Pipe
Wheels/Tires: Yokohama X-A/T 35x12.5x17
Steering/Drivetrain/Axles: Carli Front Diff Guard | Dynatrac Ball Joints | Mopar HD Steering Gear
Miscellaneous: Line-X Bedliner | Locker Bypass Switch | Mopar Rock Rails | Odyssey Extreme 65-PC1750T | Performance Friction Brake Pads | Weathertech Digital Fit Mats | Winch Thermal Protection Bypass

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:42 am

Yeah, we're towing heavy - we'll have better gear ratios/MPG with stockers. The truck is changing it's duties to some extent - we have a JKUR to take the hard trail miles. The truck will still get it's work in tho, but I'll have to be a bit more careful of the diffs.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:18 am

Measured trailer tongue weight - it came in at roughly 1400 lbs with tanks empty. So the EazLift Elite 1000 hitch will be for sale shortly, and it's being replaced by a Blue Ox SwayPro 1500. I'll also be trying to move a couple items out of the front storage compartment to lighten it some. Most of the front weight is in the two US Battery 2200 6V batteries and two 30 Lb propane tanks. It's unlikely we'll carry all 90 gallons of water, or have all the black and grey water tanks (120 gallons) full, so I need to figure out a typical loaded tongue weight. Should get an answer to that this weekend.

The Toyo's worked great last weekend. MPG went up from 6.1 to 7.8 on a trip that gains 2700' of elevation in roughly 60 miles, most of it in a 15 mil climb from Ashfork to Williams, AZ. I expect to see 8.5 or better on flat ground.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by EasyDoesIt » Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:56 pm

Cactus Red wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:18 am
The Toyo's worked great last weekend. MPG went up from 6.1 to 7.8 on a trip that gains 2700' of elevation in roughly 60 miles, most of it in a 15 mil climb from Ashfork to Williams, AZ. I expect to see 8.5 or better on flat ground.
Your trailer looks nice. How does it hold up on washboard roads?

Here I thought my 6-7 MPG when towing my 7k (roughly) toy hauler was because my 37" tires and 4.10 gears. Sounds like thats about right for the 6.4 Hemi.

I need to get to the scales to get my hitch setup correctly and confirm the 7k.
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:25 pm

The trailer does excellent on washboard roads. My wife left a plastic hair clip on the bathroom sink, and after 5 miles of severe washboard and 60 miles of highway, it was still there. The upgraded suspension package (MORryde CRE 3000) and shocks on the BackCounty model is phenomenal.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by EasyDoesIt » Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:37 pm

Cactus Red wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:25 pm
The upgraded suspension package (MORryde CRE 3000) and shocks on the BackCounty model is phenomenal.
Nice, I'll look into the MORryde CRE 3000 system. I've not had much luck finding RV Shocks besides the Lippert stuff. I do mostly offgrid camping and most roads are dirt and pretty rough.
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:04 pm

Outdoors RV uses Monroe Gas shocks.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by TwinStick » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:35 am

MOST stated hitch weights are on the laughable list. And they are empty, I mean bone empty, nothing, zero, nada- in or on the camper. No propane, batteries, camping gear, water, wood, supplies, food, nothing. Our 2005 Keystone Tail Gator had a 1150lb dry hitch weight, add camping gear, tools, propane, 2 big batteries, water @ 8.3 lbs per gallon x 100 gallons & the tank was in front of axles, all adds up quickly. I suspected ours was 2000-2500 lbs when loaded up. Even with the 1 ton helper springs I had to lower the weight onto the ball, lock it down, then use the jack again to jack up the truck and trailer, just to be able to get the weight distribution/anti sway bars in place. if I didn't do that, there was no way to get them in, truck was squatted too much, even with longer, curved leverage bar. I was walking the tightrope with my truck & that trailer. Glad it is gone.

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by olyelr » Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:40 am

TwinStick wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:35 am
... Even with the 1 ton helper springs I had to lower the weight onto the ball, lock it down, then use the jack again to jack up the truck and trailer, just to be able to get the weight distribution/anti sway bars in place. if I didn't do that, there was no way to get them in, truck was squatted too much, even with longer, curved leverage bar. I was walking the tightrope with my truck & that trailer. Glad it is gone.
I thought that was pretty much the only way to install the wd bars. That is how I have always done it, anyway. If they just slipped into place then they would not serve much of a purpose.
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by olyelr » Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:42 am

Cactus Red, if you liked the STT pros so well, how come you didnt get them in a 285?
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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by EasyDoesIt » Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:51 pm

Cactus Red wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:25 pm
The trailer does excellent on washboard roads. My wife left a plastic hair clip on the bathroom sink, and after 5 miles of severe washboard and 60 miles of highway, it was still there. The upgraded suspension package (MORryde CRE 3000) and shocks on the BackCounty model is phenomenal.
I'm one step closer to a keeping my trailer in one piece on back roads...intslled the CRE3000s today. Shocks are in my future.

Thanks for the heads up on the kit.
Live: Las Vegas NV, Drive: 2018 PW & 2014 LR4

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Re: The Cactus Red mod thread.

Post by Cactus Red » Mon Apr 30, 2018 1:05 am

Decided MPG's were more important than traction. The AT2"s are much more efficient than the knobby's.

Let us know how you like the CRE system and shocks! Did you go with the wet bolt setup as well?
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