Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by DamageWagon » Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:27 am

You got it, can you shoot me an email at tech@dethloffmfg.com? Much easier for me to give info through email.

I think the power wagon is a sweet platform off the lot. Try to avoid riding in a truck with 2.5” or larger shocks or it’s going to get expensive!

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Bill2014 » Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:38 am

My $0.02 - Yes, get the factory spray in bedliner, it's tough as hell and a bargain for the price!
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by RustyPW » Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:56 am

Zlaayer wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:52 am
RustyPW wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:51 am
Get the factory bed liner. I have LineX sprayed in my bed and on the front bumper. It has held up well. All the Rhino dealers around here have gone out of business. So that should tell you something.

Bead locks. If you're not hard core. Then they are a luxury. If you really want them. Trail Ready. They have the proper offsets.

Tires. That's up to you. But 35's are a god choice.

Campers. The build quality on them is all over the place. Airstreams are nice and you are paying for it too. Remember that Airstream does not make a camper with a slide out. So if you want extra room. Look else where. Before you buy. Look really hard at the camper and how it is built and how everything operates. MAKE sure that everything operates too before you sign.

The Patriot Campers are made in Australia. The price I found for a 2017 X1GT was $39,450. Minimalist camper. THAT'S a lot of money for something like that. :shock: :cash: :cash: :cash: I would look else where if you want something like that. I could see you GF looking for a new BF.
Alright most people agree the factory bed liner is the way to go. So I’ll go with that. I’ve just seen a few reviews from people who say it isn’t stellar. But that may be a problem of the past.

Yeah I know that X1 camper is pricy but I’ve looked at a lot of their competitors and no other off road camper seems to match their quality. And if I’m trying to encourage my girl to rough it this seems like the best compromise. It comes with every amenity that you get in an air stream except the frickin leather couch. And even at that price it’s half of what an airstream costs and I’m not forced to stay in RV parks. If you can find an American made trailer that is less expensive and has their guild quality I’m all eyes and ears.

Damn Rusty, your mods list on your PW is extensive. You must have $10k in your suspension alone! 😳 What is the thought behind replacing the stock suspension? I see a lot of you guys run on Thuren and Carli. Isn’t the stock suspension already beast mode?
I've had the stock suspension for a long time. I really didn't start changing things out until after my 1st trip to Moab. After about 2 years. Added the !st Gen Carli track bar. Then added the 7100 shocks and air bags when I was towing the camper. Then added the RCV axles and Carli ball joints after that. Swapped out the 1st gen Carli trackbar for a 2nd gen trackbar. This year. I changed out the control arms because I bent both lower arms. Went with Carli. While I was at it. I installed the Thuren 3" spoftride springs and rear shackles. I was tired of being a low rider. For some reason. My PW sat lower then most other stock PW's. Right now. I'm wanting Thuren King shocks. :drool: I don't have 10 grand in my suspension. If you count the RCV anxles and Dynatrac freespin hubs, the yeah.

Oh, you should look into some recovery gear too. Shackles, tree saver, shovel, axe, straps,etc.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by TankerZak » Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:09 am

I have many similar use cases and issues you do. Including the city slicker fiancee who won't admit it.

There aren't that many mod choices for a PW. I mean there are but it's not as expansive as other platforms. In this case you have a group running Moab and breaking and testing shit for you. What that means, is if anyone ever wrote it up, there is nearly a mod recipe that works for these trucks. You don't really have to think or learn just kinda buy and install and understand what each part gets you.

My mod list below started as... i think I'll keep this truck mostly stock... ask DamageWagon he did most of my installs, lol.


Let me just correct a few misconceptions here:

My biggest regret was 35s. 37s are in every way better except for what to do with the spare tire... even MPG. I get better MPG on 37s on open highway than I did on 35s. I do get worse in town and in low speed take off scenarios and towing hills. I regularly get 17 on open highway with 37s.

Stock bedliner is great... I've had Rhino and Linex... stock is just great.

Airbags, i have yet to see a better system than Airlift 5000 ultimates with daystar cradles. There is a writeup, and you may not need them. BoldAdventure doesn't use them on his Airstream but I do for my significantly heavier travel trailer. But we can go through the decision points around that.

You guys beat the diesel vs gas to death. I came from a 2011 Duramax... I had some regrets initially but after figuring a few things out those went away. You get a little more engine whine on hills and a little worse MPG for gobs of offroad ability. Towing stability should be the exact same or you aren't setup correctly. It'll be harder to dial in but you'll get there. Remember a flexy offroad truck and a heavy hauler are opposites of each other, to do both well there are ways and airbags are a big part of that if your tounge weight gets heavy enough. Your choice is a suspension that can do neither well or can do both well with constant swapping (air or manual).

I tow a 30ft RV. With more creature comforts than I need... couch... double recliners... it's fine and I can pass people uphill doing 80... the mpg sucks but when i go offroad it's a monster. But I also got 9 on my Duramax where my PW gets 8... so...

Don't get so far ahead of yourself. I still don't have switches. At this point I have one switch for a grill light bar that is tucked waiting for bumpers to see if I need a panel or to drill the dash. I expect if I put lights in the rear bumper or hardwire the lockers is when it'll push me over for a switch panel (maybe onboard air?). HID and LED light replacements get you a loooong way.

I've seen exactly one diesel that could hang with a PW. And it was hand built using an older diesel with 3rd gen PW parts. But if your not going that far offroad then diesel is fine. But for towing an RV... throw a tent in the back for a few remote nights... or if it becomes worth it you can RTT and tow your RV also. BoldAdventure does that but still takes the tent off for Moab day runs due to COG.

I'll echo on wheelbase... sometimes its way better and you make the jeepers look stupid, sometimes its a minor pain. I've passed razors on obstacles only to get passed back when I'm doing a 2 point turn.

Onboard air is an option not a must, portable units are just fine. Depends how much you really use it and if the trouble of getting it out bugs you.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by EasyDoesIt » Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:32 am

Check out OutdoorsRV for some great trailers that have suspension and amenities to handle offgrid and off-road situations (dirt roads, washboards, sand, etc). A lot if options and prices waaay south of airstream.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by OffroadTreks » Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:29 am

Zlaayer wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:53 pm
2) Travel Trailer vs Adventure Trailer - My lipstick n' lashes city girl girlfriend wants me to get us an Airstream because it offers all the creature comforts. But I don't want to be restricted to camping in RV parks. I would much rather have an adventure trailer like the Patriot X1 Link: https://www.patriotcampers.com.au/patri ... r-trailer/. The adventure trailer can go anywhere and it's a hell of a lot lighter and smaller. It's also less expensive than a tricked out Airstream. But I have to convince the ball and chain that it won't kill her to take a bird bath instead of a luxurious shower. It's a small price to pay for the ability to get the hell away from people and go to unexplored places.
Umm... let's just clear some things up here. Ask Zak or Marcus, I spent two years living in an Airstream on the road with two kids and my wife. We NEVER STAYED IN AN RV PARK. You can drag them more places than you'd think. Your assessment is wrong. All we do is boondock with ours, off the pavement and down long rough forest and desert roads.

Image

Image

Free camping is hard to beat.

That being said, you're buying a truck, pulling a tiny offroad trailer just seems silly. Now you have a land anchor. Sure you can drop it, but why? If you had a smaller vehicle, I think these make sense. When you have a truck, and you plan on dropping it, just look at a regular travel trailer. No reason to deny yourself the benefits of having an actual shower and bath. If you want something nimble, keep it under 27ft. I find 23ft to be the ideal boondocking size. But with the room I need, we have a 27fter. But I have a good friend, just him and his wife with a 23ft trailer, got enough room for solar and it's a bit narrower. Still have a queen size bed, shower, and toilet. And let me tell ya, there is nothing more satisfying than shitting on your own toilet. :lol:


Zlaayer wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:53 pm
Nutzo Rambox Square Expedition Truck Bed Rack with Aluminum Coilover Tonneau Cover from Truck Covers USA. - It only weighs about 70 pounds and gives me the ability to secure long items like kayaks and lumber as well as a roof rack like the Rhino Back Bone and Pioneer rack. The top crossbars are removable giving me full access to the bed. Plus I can still access the Ramboxes. The tonneau cover allows me to conceal and secure items so no one steals valuable items. I only lose 8 inches of bed space for the drum at the front of the box. There's even an option for a removable shelf that lays on top of the tonneau cover that would allow me to carry an additional full size spare tire.
I know someone who attempted to deal with Nuthouse and they've been such a pain he actually canceled his order. (apparently they won't work with you to customize it) I think Dethloff Rack is a better option personally. Better designed, same weight about, stronger materials and removable cross bars that DON'T COST EXTRA. That Nuthouse rack is stupid silly expensive. Then factor in that it ships on a crate. You'll need a buddy to help install it.

It was my first option before I commissioned Marcus to build me a rack. Now everyone can enjoy a well-built rack.

And now there are dozens of folks running the Dethloff Rack and you're dealing with someone in the Ram community. Not some random company shoving shit out the door on Fords, Chevys and the like. Plus the Dethloff Rack ships UPS in a flat box.

But that's just my opinion. I guess you could say I'm baised. :mrgreen:

And I hear he'll customize them too.

>>> https://dethloffmfg.com/shop/contour-ra ... 2500-3500/
Zlaayer wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:10 am
Ground tent camping is out of the question with the girlfriend. Ever heard of the princess and the pea? Yeah well my girl is the princess. And I don’t want a rooftop tent because that has a pretty detrimental effect on off-road performance. The X1 solves lots of my problems aside from the price. I can drag it anywhere and drop it then go play in the truck. Come back to a refrigerator and a stove and a soft bed, heated water for bathing. Auxiliary power. Extra storage. It even self levels with air bags. Pretty posh for a “minimalist” camper.

What does the Thuren rear trackbar do for me? How much is a full kit of Carli/Thuren suspension?
A rooftop tent is not detrimental. And I think I'm qualified to speak on that setup and extreme offroad use in this community.

Image

Image

99% of what you're going to do in reality you'd never notice it. That's the truth. Everyone thinks they're going to be doing way more EXTREME stuff than what happens in reality. It's kind of like how people think the fullsize will be limited on most trails. The reality is, the trails it's limited on are more in the 2% range while it's fine on 98% of the rest of the trails out there. Admit it now, save money and enjoy more.

Pretty overpriced for a "minimalist" camper IMO. My Airstream is fully heated/cooled and enclosed and has retained it's resale value. :poke:

Stop looking at Carli. Hard pass there. Better ROI on Thuren.

:cheers:

I say these things, becuase I'm also the moderator on Fullsize Overland and see a lot of guys who go down the route of building the wrong setup only to realize it once they've dumped a lot of money into it. We don't want to steer anyone wrong here in this community.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Zlaayer » Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:18 pm

Wow lots of great input here from lots of people. I'll try to address each of you.
TankerZak wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:09 am
My biggest regret was 35s. 37s are in every way better except for what to do with the spare tire... even MPG. I get better MPG on 37s on open highway than I did on 35s. I do get worse in town and in low speed take off scenarios and towing hills. I regularly get 17 on open highway with 37s.
I read a few accounts from other people on this forum who said the gas mileage takes a sharp dive once you hit 37s. I would be driving this thing around San Francisco for work and if you've never been there you might not know what that entails. It's probably the worst city in California for driving a big truck. Tons of hills. Awful drivers and pedestrians and bikes pop up out of nowhere. Parking is really tight everywhere. The stock PW is already pretty long and wide and I think going any wider would not be an option.
TankerZak wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:09 am
Don't get so far ahead of yourself. I still don't have switches. At this point I have one switch for a grill light bar that is tucked waiting for bumpers to see if I need a panel or to drill the dash. I expect if I put lights in the rear bumper or hardwire the lockers is when it'll push me over for a switch panel (maybe onboard air?). HID and LED light replacements get you a loooong way.
The AEV switch panel is only $100 and I think it really enhances the look of the interior. it fits in the groove above the Nav. The switches are identical to the ones I have in my fire engine. So the cool factor is through the roof. I would use it for exterior utility lights attached to the rack on the sides and rear, a light bar in the front, and the onboard air compressor.
TankerZak wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:09 am
Airbags, i have yet to see a better system than Airlift 5000 ultimates with daystar cradles. There is a writeup, and you may not need them. BoldAdventure doesn't use them on his Airstream but I do for my significantly heavier travel trailer. But we can go through the decision points around that.
The camper I was looking at is the Airstream 27'. That's the length where you start getting a separate toilet and shower. The toilet/shower combo ain't gonna work for my woman. I told her about it and she had an allergic reaction. Why Airlift? Why not Carli or Firestone? Also, I have no idea what a daystar cradle is? Do you have an onboard air compressor for the air bags?
BoldAdventure wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:29 am
Zlaayer wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:53 pm
2) Travel Trailer vs Adventure Trailer - My lipstick n' lashes city girl girlfriend wants me to get us an Airstream because it offers all the creature comforts. But I don't want to be restricted to camping in RV parks. I would much rather have an adventure trailer like the Patriot X1 Link: https://www.patriotcampers.com.au/patri ... r-trailer/. The adventure trailer can go anywhere and it's a hell of a lot lighter and smaller. It's also less expensive than a tricked out Airstream. But I have to convince the ball and chain that it won't kill her to take a bird bath instead of a luxurious shower. It's a small price to pay for the ability to get the hell away from people and go to unexplored places.
Umm... let's just clear some things up here. Ask Zak or Marcus, I spent two years living in an Airstream on the road with two kids and my wife. We NEVER STAYED IN AN RV PARK. You can drag them more places than you'd think. Your assessment is wrong. All we do is boondock with ours, off the pavement and down long rough forest and desert roads.
Well that's encouraging. I would actually prefer the comfort of an Airstream over the X1. What exactly do you mean by "boondocking"? Forgive me, I didn't grow up doing this stuff. I'm a blank slate. Is boondocking when you just set up the trailer without a shore line and water/sewage hook up?

Did you beef up the suspension/axles/tires on your Airstream? What about brakes? If I could take it down a dirt road I would be happy. It doesn't have to be capable of running up Hell's Gate. I just want to get the hell away from people. RV parks suck. They're expensive. You have to make reservations far in advance. They're crowded. Lots of rules.

Another thing I'm concerned about is camping without a shoreline and water/sewage hookup. I looked at Airstreams last week and they have maximum water storage of 40 gallons. That's not gonna last long even with bird baths. Solar could pose a problem too. I know they're pretty well insulated but air conditioners eat up a lot of juice.
BoldAdventure wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:29 am
I know someone who attempted to deal with Nuthouse and they've been such a pain he actually canceled his order. (apparently they won't work with you to customize it) I think Dethloff Rack is a better option personally. Better designed, same weight about, stronger materials and removable cross bars that DON'T COST EXTRA. That Nuthouse rack is stupid silly expensive. Then factor in that it ships on a crate. You'll need a buddy to help install it.
It's funny you say that because when I started adding options on Nutzo's website the price started to skyrocket. Plus I think you're right about him being a pain in the ass. He was nice on the phone but then I sent him an email so I could nail down a price and iron out some options and he never even responded. Apparently he just got a big government contract and his four employees are swamped for months.

I checked out Dethloff Racks. They seem pretty legit and the price is much more reasonable. I prefer the look of Nutzo's square bars, but Dethloff Racks look pretty good too. I just want the ability to load long items like kayaks and lumber which obviously requires that the rack be cab height.Dethloff's rack seems to be below cab height but with the crossbars and accessories I bet it would clear the cab.
BoldAdventure wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:29 am
99% of what you're going to do in reality you'd never notice it. That's the truth. Everyone thinks they're going to be doing way more EXTREME stuff than what happens in reality. It's kind of like how people think the fullsize will be limited on most trails. The reality is, the trails it's limited on are more in the 2% range while it's fine on 98% of the rest of the trails out there. Admit it now, save money and enjoy more.

I say these things, becuase I'm also the moderator on Fullsize Overland and see a lot of guys who go down the route of building the wrong setup only to realize it once they've dumped a lot of money into it. We don't want to steer anyone wrong here in this community.
This is exactly why I'm on this forum. I would rather benefit from guys with experience instead of investing $150k in a truck/trailer combo only to find out it doesn't suit my needs.
BoldAdventure wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:29 am
Stop looking at Carli. Hard pass there. Better ROI on Thuren.
For air bags or is this a blanket statement for all of their products? What is this opinion based off of?
DamageWagon wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:27 am
You got it, can you shoot me an email at tech@dethloffmfg.com? Much easier for me to give info through email.

I think the power wagon is a sweet platform off the lot. Try to avoid riding in a truck with 2.5” or larger shocks or it’s going to get expensive!
I just put together that you are the guy who makes the rack that BoldAdventure recommends! Pretty cool to have all these resources in one spot. Love your rack.



Thanks for all the great input guys!

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by DamageWagon » Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:36 pm

Haha thanks for the kind words Mike!

The guys I’ve talked to with a Nuthouse rack sound happy with it, I don’t know that I’ve talked to someone who had a bad experience. There are perks to the square bar when it comes to ease of mounting as well.

I have a whole list of reasons I made my rack the way I did. Aerodynamics, aesthetics, weight, COG, annex height, works with a rolling tonneau, strength, modularity, works with Yakima/Thule/Rhino Rack Accessories so you don’t have to buy ‘my’ special accessories, ships Ground in a box. Crossbars can be moved/removed as needed. I wanted to make something really special and Mike gave a killer jumping-off point.

I make riser crossbars to get kayaks/SUP’s above the cab. I don’t have it ready now but I’m working on a unique answer for those that want to run both a rooftop tent, and Kayaks/SUP’s on the same setup. This is a frequent request but so far the only way to do it on any market setup is either very hokey or not really possible. I think I’ve got something good figured out to run both.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by PWJouster » Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:44 pm

you must read through some forums for alot of those answers.

its all in there.

one step at a time.
ive always believed considering the necessary items for performance before adding weight in protection and built in gear.

suspension- time and time again you will be lead to thuren, with carli right behind. go all out on the suspension if you so please as thats what i did.
in my Sig youll see my setup and its pretty much the top of the line full parts list Thuren build. and its perfect.

wheels and tires- 35s or 37s. plenty of options, i like these toyo rt in 35 on 17 inch rims. 37s will be next for me.

i say this but in reality, if money was no object, i would daily drive this patriot campers super ram with a full thuren suspension fit out.

everything considered, its a sick build, that i would still do my own spec if i had the cash, probably for less then 100K with engine and transmission enhancement.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by DamageWagon » Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:47 pm

I would not run 37’s every day in San Fran

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by TankerZak » Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:22 pm

DamageWagon wrote:I would not run 37’s every day in San Fran
I can't imagine driving a PW in SF. I've been often for conferences. That place is a nightmare... I'd get the truck and a beater car for in town, lol.

Everyone covered the rest. Airlift over Firestone because Airlift can be run at 0 PSI which negates the need for onboard air and their bracketry doesn't remove any articulation. Firstones also aren't supported with Daystar cradles and Airlift are. The cradles are what let you not tie your axle to your bumpstop so you can keep your articulation.

Any RV can go down a dirt road. I take mine all the time and I'm totally self sufficient. The shower is huge. I've lived in my trailer for 6 months before.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by TankerZak » Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:31 pm

Honestly your freshwater tank is rarely your limiter. You usually run put of grey water space or black water space first. A seperate grey water and galley tank is also nice. My water tank is 60 gallons with seperare grey, galley, and of course black. I rarely run put of space. But I've been RVing my entire life... and this is my third one. So you learn a few things. You can always refill your freshwater, there are even methoda to dump your grey and galley. Black water you gotta move the trailer and it can just be a shitty situation....

Solar is okay... but you gotta look into it. It has more to do with draw and useage and the size of your batteries compared to the wattage of your panels and day time conditions. #1 limiting factor to solar is can you fit enough panel so the batteries don't matter or can you fit enough batteries to make your panel size reasonable. I have solar... but it's basically just a trickle that lets my batteries drain slower so I don't have to run the generator. Generator is another topic. How 1 or 2... AC units... fuel type... fuel type of your rig... etc. Or multi fuel.. autostart... ugh.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by RustyPW » Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:33 pm

Your head is spinning by now. Another thing that no one has mentioned yet. Sliders. If you are planning to offroad with any type of zeal. You will need them. They bolt to the frame and stick out to protect the rocker panels. WhiteKnuckle sliders are your best and only bet.

Boondocking means that you are out in the middle of nowhere. No hook-ups.

Generators. This is a subject all by it's self. My 41 ft Class A motorhome has a 8500 watt 3 cylinder water cooled diesel generator. That is enough to run my RV and my house. :lol: For you. If you want to go this way. You would have to figure out what you would need to be powered. Fridge, coffee pot, hair dryer, A/C, microwave, etc. How many watts you will need. Most people with a small camper usually run a pair of Honda 1000 watt generators hooked together. If they are not using that much power. They run one generator. If they need more. They start the other one. Saves on fuel this way. If you are over 2,000 watts. Then most will get a 3500 watt generator. This starts to get big and bulky. The 3,500 watter will run everything you can thing of. Unless you get a camper with 2 A/C units. Then it's 5,000 watts plus.

Taking showers. You jump in and water down. Shut the water off. Soap up, wash yourself. Turn the water on.Then rinse off. You don't let the water run the whole time you're in there. Saves on your water, and you won't fill up your gray tank that fast.

Bottled water. Use it for drinking and cooking. Use you on board water for showers, cleaning dishes and toilet. You don't have a 100 gallon fresh water tank like I have.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Mule007 » Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:30 am

X2; we pull a 26’ Springdale +/- 7200 # loaded-long trips; short trips; 1- couchslideout; have canopy “room”; most often “dry camping”; carry a 3500 watt gas gen set; spend a ton of time off grid; love the 35 Toyo AT II ‘s on stock PW wheels; wife skeptical of no hookup camping @ first; minor adjustments & now LOVES the comfort of the truck, the trailer & the off grid camping; would modify IF after you see how you use! All input above good advise from members using their PW’s ! Have not run into water’ or waste tank capacity issues in our travels; Get 8 ply trailer tires; (we carry but have not needed 2 spares) & genset on TT bumper! ENJOY; you won’t be disappointed!!👍🌞🍀
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Additions: Frame mounted .188 DOM 3" steel rock rails, low profile steps;1.5” Skyjacker leveling kit; Bully Dog GT Platinum A-pillar mount programmable performance chip, monitor,& tuner; Linex Platinum OTR HD bed & rock panel coating; Red Ryder matching cab high fiberglass canopy; 2” Linex brush guard w/4-4” Halogen off road lights; Hopkins Trailer Mate brake controller; Bearcat Pro 68XL CB; Mopar black fender flares; PW winch accessory kit/remote control.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Zlaayer » Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:37 am

Mule007 wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:30 am
X2; we pull a 26’ Springdale +/- 7200 # loaded-long trips; short trips; 1- couchslideout; have canopy “room”; most often “dry camping”; carry a 3500 watt gas gen set; spend a ton of time off grid; love the 35 Toyo AT II ‘s on stock PW wheels; wife skeptical of no hookup camping @ first; minor adjustments & now LOVES the comfort of the truck, the trailer & the off grid camping; would modify IF after you see how you use! All input above good advise from members using their PW’s ! Have not run into water’ or waste tank capacity issues in our travels; Get 8 ply trailer tires; (we carry but have not needed 2 spares) & genset on TT bumper! ENJOY; you won’t be disappointed!!👍🌞🍀
This is loaded with abbreviations and jargon I don't understand haha. What is a "genset on a TT bumper"?

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Zlaayer » Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:46 am

RustyPW wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:33 pm
Your head is spinning by now. Another thing that no one has mentioned yet. Sliders. If you are planning to offroad with any type of zeal. You will need them. They bolt to the frame and stick out to protect the rocker panels. WhiteKnuckle sliders are your best and only bet.

Boondocking means that you are out in the middle of nowhere. No hook-ups.

Generators. This is a subject all by it's self. My 41 ft Class A motorhome has a 8500 watt 3 cylinder water cooled diesel generator. That is enough to run my RV and my house. :lol: For you. If you want to go this way. You would have to figure out what you would need to be powered. Fridge, coffee pot, hair dryer, A/C, microwave, etc. How many watts you will need. Most people with a small camper usually run a pair of Honda 1000 watt generators hooked together. If they are not using that much power. They run one generator. If they need more. They start the other one. Saves on fuel this way. If you are over 2,000 watts. Then most will get a 3500 watt generator. This starts to get big and bulky. The 3,500 watter will run everything you can thing of. Unless you get a camper with 2 A/C units. Then it's 5,000 watts plus.

Taking showers. You jump in and water down. Shut the water off. Soap up, wash yourself. Turn the water on.Then rinse off. You don't let the water run the whole time you're in there. Saves on your water, and you won't fill up your gray tank that fast.

Bottled water. Use it for drinking and cooking. Use you on board water for showers, cleaning dishes and toilet. You don't have a 100 gallon fresh water tank like I have.
Yep, I definitely feel like I'm drinking water from a firehose right now. But that's a good thing. Lots to learn. Your setup seems extreme. 8500 watts? That's insane! I started doing some research on boondocking. I'm familiar with a Navy shower (I actually did six years in the Navy). I would probably invest in solar, a few lithium batteries, and a backup generator for cloudy days or days when I need to blast the AC. Lifesaver Jerrycan can turn any water source into drinking water. Not much I can do about gray or black water. That seems like the big limiting factor. I feel like I hijacked my own thread and turned it into an RV FAQ. Lol.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Zlaayer » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:05 am

PWJouster wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:44 pm
you must read through some forums for alot of those answers.

its all in there.

one step at a time.
ive always believed considering the necessary items for performance before adding weight in protection and built in gear.

suspension- time and time again you will be lead to thuren, with carli right behind. go all out on the suspension if you so please as thats what i did.
in my Sig youll see my setup and its pretty much the top of the line full parts list Thuren build. and its perfect.

wheels and tires- 35s or 37s. plenty of options, i like these toyo rt in 35 on 17 inch rims. 37s will be next for me.

i say this but in reality, if money was no object, i would daily drive this patriot campers super ram with a full thuren suspension fit out.

everything considered, its a sick build, that i would still do my own spec if i had the cash, probably for less then 100K with engine and transmission enhancement.

read every page of this forum prior to purchase of my 18 PW less than a year ago. epic
Sound advice. I've already read a lot of the threads on this forum but it has been around for a while so there's a lot to go through.

I checked out the Thuren site. Man I really need to bone up on suspension components. I consider myself a pretty astute guy but my lack of mechanical knowledge is palpable. It seems like such a waste to buy a PW for its offroad capability then replace the suspension immediately. And what do you do with the stock parts? Seems like the kind of decision I would like to make prior to driving the truck. I'd rather sell stock wheels, tires, and suspension components unused rather than try to sell them after I've put a couple thousand miles on 'em.

The Thuren kit for 2014+ 2500 KING 2.0 IFP EXTREME seems to take some of the guess work out of selecting suspension components. But there are a few things that concern me. The notes say "These shocks are still smaller 2.0" diameter with no reservoir to help control heat, so fast higher speed, longer duration bigger bump driving like hot summer desert trips, can easily overheat these shocks. Cooked shock oil is easy to assess and will void warranty if overheated." Ok, how do I assess for overheated shocks?

Also, it says "The included rear coils springs are quite a bit softer than stock. The ride quality and suspension travel benefit also comes with the drawback of more sag when weight is in the bed, or vertical on the hitch. The rear suspension with our coils will sag with weight similar to a 1/2 ton truck." Could I rectify this with Air Lift airbags to eliminate the droop for towing a travel trailer?

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by OffroadTreks » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:35 am

Ugh, Fooook driving a Power Wagon in SF. We did that once when the wife had an on-site for her job at Salesforce and it sucked, and we were just driving a 1500 on 35's at the time. Not to mention, it took us an hour and a half to get out of the city during traffic and go something like 2 miles.

Thank god we're remote workers. You poor soul. :lol:

---

I don't have any mods on my Airstream beside 505 Watts of Solar, 400 Amp Hours of Lithiums and I replaced the 15 inch shitty tires for 16 inch LT Michelins E-Rated, none of that explody trailer tire shit with speed limits everyone exceeds and has blowouts.

We have one Honda 2500eu or something another geni. When I upgraded to lithiums I pretty much stopped using it all together. Lithiums are TITS.

---

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Zlaayer wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:05 am

Sound advice. I've already read a lot of the threads on this forum but it has been around for a while so there's a lot to go through.

I checked out the Thuren site. Man I really need to bone up on suspension components. I consider myself a pretty astute guy but my lack of mechanical knowledge is palpable. It seems like such a waste to buy a PW for its offroad capability then replace the suspension immediately. And what do you do with the stock parts? Seems like the kind of decision I would like to make prior to driving the truck. I'd rather sell stock wheels, tires, and suspension components unused rather than try to sell them after I've put a couple thousand miles on 'em.
Well, I keep telling Don he needs to rewrite that stuff. Scaring people off.

So you're sort of right. You're not really replacing EVERYTHING either. Not really. Go back through this thread, as stated, this year we put mostly stock Power Wagons up some of the hardest, most extreme red trails in Moab. And by mostly, the two guys on 33's just had sliders. We had some guys with no sliders, but bigger tires. These trucks are very very capable.

There are a few things, that stand out to me as sucking though. The front bump stops suck and might as well be cement blocks. When you hit them, you will think you bent your axle, and you'll probably have cracked at least one or two of your front teeth. Boogie bumps seem....mmmm... kind of expensive. But WOW, amazing improvement once installed. You'll never again know if you hit the front bumps. Ever. I can't tell anymore. I used to be able to tell all the time, and it'd freak me out. And it always hurt.

Lots of us are running the stock wheels, because they are strong and you can fit a 37 on them. But I know a lot of people run a bigger wheel with a different offset. That's a personal decision thing. For me, I know that I will go to beadlocks eventually. So I'm not going to buy a set of methods in the meantime or something. I'll run the stockers until I'm ready for the big leagues. lol

The rear of these trucks have an odd waggle when going down the highway and hitting those gaps in the road. It's hard to describe without actually experiencing it. It's kind of like a sway, but not a sway. I'm probably explaining it terribly.

But Thuren's rear track bar is another excellent upgrade, that really eliminates that and helps tighten things up overall.

Everything else is more of an UPGRADE and not so much as needed to do anything. Like I said, stock trucks are super capable. I have been testing various setups since we got this truck.

Most of the add-on's would be, sliders, transmission skid plate, diff covers, that sort of thing.

The UPGRADES would be shocks, coils, front track bar, boogie bumps, steering stablizer or maybe hydro assist. This is all in the category of "it will be better, but it's not necessary to do stuff, but it will make life a million times better" especially shocks.

Holy hell, the shocks suck. I mean, they're ok. But look at what they put on the Raptor and Colorado ZR2 and then we get mono-tube bilstiens. I really think Ram could do better in this area.
Zlaayer wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:05 am

The Thuren kit for 2014+ 2500 KING 2.0 IFP EXTREME seems to take some of the guess work out of selecting suspension components. But there are a few things that concern me. The notes say "These shocks are still smaller 2.0" diameter with no reservoir to help control heat, so fast higher speed, longer duration bigger bump driving like hot summer desert trips, can easily overheat these shocks. Cooked shock oil is easy to assess and will void warranty if overheated." Ok, how do I assess for overheated shocks?

Also, it says "The included rear coils springs are quite a bit softer than stock. The ride quality and suspension travel benefit also comes with the drawback of more sag when weight is in the bed, or vertical on the hitch. The rear suspension with our coils will sag with weight similar to a 1/2 ton truck." Could I rectify this with Air Lift airbags to eliminate the droop for towing a travel trailer?
So he has literally copy pasted his warning for the regular 2500 Ram's into the PW section on his site. I tested this and it's in my build thread (but I think some of my photos are broken) and Thuren's coil rate is better and offers a better ride overall, but in terms of squat, it's almost identical to the factory PW coils.

Now, if you owned a diesel, you'd see a pretty big difference as the coils on the diesel are a lot stiffer. Ours are soft, and our trucks tend to sag. But in comparison, PW coil to Thuren coil, I think the difference was like a quarter of an inch in squat. It was so close with various weights. You wouldn't be able to tell without a ruler.

The truth is, the PW already sort of handles weight like a half ton max payload truck.

So going back to upgrades, the shocks and coils have been one of the best investments to date on my truck. Like, life changingly great. But I've driven this truck for awhile without them.

You're not really replacing all the suspension. I know the older trucks, you had to swap out all the steering and stuff. On these trucks, there is no need to do IMMEDIATE upgrades.

Hell, you can take a stock PW and slap 37's on it without doing anything if you can live with some rubbing and a little trimming. Although it's easier to run 35's out of the gate, as most AT's won't rub at all and won't require trimming.

This is why most folks do armor and tires around here and as your needs/wants increase you step into the bigger upgrades.

Although there are a few newcomers who just put shit on their brand new trucks without ever knowing what their trucks were capable of beforehand. :poke: :run:

I'm definitely in the get to know the truck and yourself before you upgrade the truck camp.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by OffroadTreks » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:45 am

Oh, on the whole, overheating thing, that's like straight up boogie man. You gotta be out in Anza or someplace in Cali there hitting the whoops all day. He's warning that those are not for party mode at 80mph in the desert. ;) You def need reservoirs for that stuff.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by PWJouster » Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:57 am

its a waste to take a PW and not upgrade the true performance returning hardware that is plug and play. great from the factory, but fortify those parts and you have the pinnacle of full size offroad setups
.

shocks and coils first. best option if you will go offroad, 2.5 kings all around. this you notice daily. and wont need to worry about overheating.
fox 2.0 is perfect for on road, but offroad like moderate woops for 30 minutes and youll be very hot.

next is front trackbar as you must realign this for best practice. best to do this on any amount of lift over stock. (Necessary with initial shock and coil package)

next is rear trackbar for correcting rear end swag and axle articulation side to side movement.

next is boogies/bump stops. (Unless you drive really hard, and fly over rail crossings and drop off boulders. then you need to addess this after the initial lift.

best part about thuren is you dont need to think, just buy. pre measured, pre flexed setup.
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Zlaayer » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:03 am

DamageWagon wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:36 pm
Haha thanks for the kind words Mike!

The guys I’ve talked to with a Nuthouse rack sound happy with it, I don’t know that I’ve talked to someone who had a bad experience. There are perks to the square bar when it comes to ease of mounting as well.

I have a whole list of reasons I made my rack the way I did. Aerodynamics, aesthetics, weight, COG, annex height, works with a rolling tonneau, strength, modularity, works with Yakima/Thule/Rhino Rack Accessories so you don’t have to buy ‘my’ special accessories, ships Ground in a box. Crossbars can be moved/removed as needed. I wanted to make something really special and Mike gave a killer jumping-off point.

I make riser crossbars to get kayaks/SUP’s above the cab. I don’t have it ready now but I’m working on a unique answer for those that want to run both a rooftop tent, and Kayaks/SUP’s on the same setup. This is a frequent request but so far the only way to do it on any market setup is either very hokey or not really possible. I think I’ve got something good figured out to run both.
I don't think I want to run a rooftop tent on the rack. If I'm gonna RTT camp I think I'd rather have it attached to a trailer like the Patriot X1. That way I don't have to worry about where to store other camping stuff like a refrigerator, water tank, auxiliary power, etc. Leaves the truck free to play without the encumbrance. I'm sure the truck is still very capable with a RTT and if it was just myself I would be content with that. But gotta keep the woman happy and I don't think the RTT alone would be sufficient as far as creature comforts go. Plus it does increase the COG and clearance and it would probably reduce gas mileage and create some wind noise. Also, and this is probably the most important factor, the RTT doesn't allow me to mount kayaks.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by OffroadTreks » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:19 am

DamageWagon wrote:
Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:36 pm
Haha thanks for the kind words Mike!

The guys I’ve talked to with a Nuthouse rack sound happy with it, I don’t know that I’ve talked to someone who had a bad experience. There are perks to the square bar when it comes to ease of mounting as well.
It's the guy with the overpriced Cherokee for sale, you know who I'm talking about ;)
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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by OffroadTreks » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:40 am

Zlaayer wrote:
Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:03 am
I don't think I want to run a rooftop tent on the rack. If I'm gonna RTT camp I think I'd rather have it attached to a trailer like the Patriot X1. That way I don't have to worry about where to store other camping stuff like a refrigerator, water tank, auxiliary power, etc. Leaves the truck free to play without the encumbrance. I'm sure the truck is still very capable with a RTT and if it was just myself I would be content with that. But gotta keep the woman happy and I don't think the RTT alone would be sufficient as far as creature comforts go. Plus it does increase the COG and clearance and it would probably reduce gas mileage and create some wind noise. Also, and this is probably the most important factor, the RTT doesn't allow me to mount kayaks.
Should look at some offroad teardrops. We really considered doing this when we had the Trailblazer build before we moved onto fullsizes.

A lot of cool ones out there, like this: http://www.oregontrailer.net/terradrop.html

A super cool thing I've seen too, you can put a RTT on these for later down the road if you have yourself some kiddos. They get the tent, dad and mom get the trailer.

And since you're not in a tent, you don't have to worry about hail/rain/bad weather as much. I've seen some fancy ones with fans/AC/heaters, water tanks, etc.

And I've always liked the dedicated kitchen.

These guys BTW, make and rent them: https://www.rentoffthegrid.com/ they have an outlet in Cali, Laguna Hills, although that is like 7hrs away from ya, lol. Jesus Cali is big.

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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by Low_Sky » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:47 am

PWJouster wrote: ......next is front trackbar as you must realign this for best practice. best to do this on any amount of lift over stock. (Necessary with initial shock and coil package)

.......

best part about thuren is you dont need to think, just buy. pre measured, pre flexed setup.
Both of these points are wrong.

Don’s track bar is shipped at the same length as a PW bar. It’s a stronger, better bar, but if the stocker isn’t worn out it doesn’t need to be replaced to correct anything. They do wear out and need to be replaced eventually.

Ask my rear drive shaft how I know your last point is wrong.


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Re: Patriot Campers Off Road (PTOR) RT25 SUPERam

Post by DamageWagon » Thu Sep 27, 2018 11:58 am

There’s been a few weird quirks with the power wagons I’ve found doing installs. Anyone else here find that the rear trackbar OEM bolt snaps in half at 80ftlb out of its 130ftlb torque spec? I’m about 50/50 for them working perfect or yielding at about 80.

Gas tank skid plate and driveshaft. Crossmember and 12” stroke shocks and driveshaft... diff guards and rear swaybar...

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