Torq's Build - 2017 RAM Power Wagon (Nickname Undecided)

[Torq]

RTT is on:

And spare tire is safely caged in by the bed rack and cargo divider:

I had to flip the Frontrunner bed rack upside down so that the iKamper mounting brackets could get all the way around the slats. With the Frontrunner lip, the RTT was sitting a little to high to be able to "grab" the rack slats.

[DamageWagon]

Sounds steep for brackets rated for 250lbs, might keep an eye on the rivers holding those rails in. It’s probably feasible if needed to remove the ramboxes and drill the rivers and add a reinforcement inside if it’s needed down the road.

Thanks for the rating - wasn't sure what it was. Is that 250 lbs per side, or 250 lbs total?

Not sure! I couldn’t find the data sheet again.

[Torq]

Got the White Knuckle Rock Sliders installed a couple weeks ago. Notes on the install:

-Had to grind down the shim on the driver side due to an errant ground clip that was in the way. Ground clip probably could've been moved, but the grinder was handy and I prefer to leave as much stock as possible.
-Move of the frame rail wiring that had to be liberated from the frame has mounts close enough to the slider mount points that no re-securing was needed
-On the passenger side, one of the brackets is making contact with the body, causing a OCD-triggering episode. Probably due to an installation error, but it should be resolvable by loosening the one mount and shimming it away from the body with some plastic shims
-The extra ~300lbs. slightly affects stopping power. After the tent, rack, and bigger tires, I'll probably upgrade the brake pads with Power Stops or EBC Yellow Stuffs

[Torq]

I haven't posted any pictures with this big ass tent deployed. It's awesome, but I'll have to leave it open for a week to get rid of the new tent smell.

[olyelr]

I had the same passenger side ocd squeak as well. Ended up being a washer rubbing on the body. Took the bolt out, ground down a flat spot on the washer, and reinstalled so the flat spot was now pointing toward the body. Noise be gone.

[1pieceatatime]

Really would like to know what you think of that iKamper. We have a nice Baroud setup now, but we’re reaching the limits of its size as my little 7YO guy keeps growing. iKamper would offer us more room, with a few drawbacks in setup and stow time - but if the quality is good and we are more comfortable in it, may go that way next summer.

[Torq]

I had the same passenger side ocd squeak as well. Ended up being a washer rubbing on the body. Took the bolt out, ground down a flat spot on the washer, and reinstalled so the flat spot was now pointing toward the body. Noise be gone.

Awesome. I'll try that and report back on how it works. It's bugging the shit out of me.

[Torq]

Really would like to know what you think of that iKamper. We have a nice Baroud setup now, but we’re reaching the limits of its size as my little 7YO guy keeps growing. iKamper would offer us more room, with a few drawbacks in setup and stow time - but if the quality is good and we are more comfortable in it, may go that way next summer.

Set up is quick. Probably a little longer than the JB because of the poles for the window awnings. They added a well thought out strap that circumnavigates the tent. You pull on it while you pull the hard shell down and it pull the canvas sides of the tent into the shell. It's not perfect, but it only leaves you with a minute of tucking before you can clamp the hard shell down into place.

[Torq]

I have my biennial expedition is coming up at the end of August and I'm trying to wrap a couple things up. Base on the routes we're looking at, I think the top three things to finish on my priority list are:

-Bedslide apparatus for easy access to camping gear (hard to get to with bed rack in the way)
-Auxiliary lighting for roof rack
-Front and rear diff guards

The bedslide will probably be a decent piece of 3/4" sanded plywood sitting on 1/2" boards in the grooves of the bed, separated by some low friction material. I'll probably try to come up with some legs that hinge down to the ground when extended to have a table to work on. Just need to work on ways to secure it when it is stowed and extended.

For the lighting, I'm putting a battery in the RAMBOX with the National Luna battery controller and a switch bank to control the camp lighting I'm putting on the bed rack.

I'm still hunting for diff guards and welcome suggestions. I've seen recommendations for Carli and Purple Cranium, but not sure which is best for front and back. Looking for designs that consider drain plug placement and lack of modification to stock components.

[olyelr]

Cant go wrong with either of those for diff protection. However carli is only the front, so if you want to keep it “uniform” then go purple cranium and be done with it.

Cant wait to see how your added battery setup in the rambox turns out. Ive been thinking about doing something like that for a while now.

[olyelr]

I had the same passenger side ocd squeak as well. Ended up being a washer rubbing on the body. Took the bolt out, ground down a flat spot on the washer, and reinstalled so the flat spot was now pointing toward the body. Noise be gone.

Awesome. I'll try that and report back on how it works. It's bugging the shit out of me.

Yea, the first thing to do really is closely inspect all of the mounting bolts to determine which one is actually rubbing on the body.

[Torq]

Cant go wrong with either of those for diff protection. However carli is only the front, so if you want to keep it “uniform” then go purple cranium and be done with it.

Cant wait to see how your added battery setup in the rambox turns out. Ive been thinking about doing something like that for a while now.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the Purple Cranium rear diff guard (since it's the only option). Is the link below the correct diff guard for a 2017 PW (just want to be sure, I only have a month to get this finished so not much time for corrections in erroneous orders)?

https://purplecranium.com/i-9740253-dod ... gory:53685

[olyelr]

Cant go wrong with either of those for diff protection. However carli is only the front, so if you want to keep it “uniform” then go purple cranium and be done with it.

Cant wait to see how your added battery setup in the rambox turns out. Ive been thinking about doing something like that for a while now.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the Purple Cranium rear diff guard (since it's the only option). Is the link below the correct diff guard for a 2017 PW (just want to be sure, I only have a month to get this finished so not much time for corrections in erroneous orders)?

https://purplecranium.com/i-9740253-dod ... gory:53685

Hm. The wording on the website is a little difficult to understand. At one point it states it fits a 10.5” rear, and then another it says its for the 11.5”...

I would call them.

[Torq]

Cant go wrong with either of those for diff protection. However carli is only the front, so if you want to keep it “uniform” then go purple cranium and be done with it.

Cant wait to see how your added battery setup in the rambox turns out. Ive been thinking about doing something like that for a while now.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on the Purple Cranium rear diff guard (since it's the only option). Is the link below the correct diff guard for a 2017 PW (just want to be sure, I only have a month to get this finished so not much time for corrections in erroneous orders)?

https://purplecranium.com/i-9740253-dod ... gory:53685

Hm. The wording on the website is a little difficult to understand. At one point it states it fits a 10.5” rear, and then another it says its for the 11.5”...

I would call them.

Ordered. They were very helpful on the phone. Snapped a quick picture and they confirmed that it was 11.5"

[Torq]

Just picked up my Wilco Hitchgate. I'll be installing it tomorrow and post pictures. Hopefully get the rack lights and Carli Diff guard installed too.

[Colibri]

Really like your build, keep it going sir! Just a word of warning on the hitchgate, it’s a solid product but if you get going too fast down rough roads with a heavy spare on there, you’re going to damage your bedsides where it attaches

[Torq]

Well, I only have half of the hitchgate, so that will have to wait till next weekend. In the meantime, I'm working on the homemade bedslide and the rack lights.

I love the bedslide from...Bedslide, but I'm taking a shot at avoiding drilling holes in my relatively new bed. Also trying to avoid anymore big expenses before my September expedition. The materials for the homemade version looks like it's going to run me about $150.

Got a good start today. The back board (close to the cab) took a little creative jigsaw abuse to mount flush with the bed over the ridges. The 1x2 furring strips are going to get some UHMW plastic laminated on them to lower the friction to make the slide out easy. On the tailgate side, I just laid down a piece of aluminum stock to keep the furring boards in the crevices of the bed. I'm using 3/4" sanded plywood for the platform and putting a lip around the edge with some 2x3 boards. I'm planning to paint the plywood with some plasti-dip to make a high friction surface. I'll also install some tie down rings.

This whole thing has been a bit of "design-on-the-fly," so stand by for the latching mechanism. I have some ideas.

[Torq]

Really like your build, keep it going sir! Just a word of warning on the hitchgate, it’s a solid product but if you get going too fast down rough roads with a heavy spare on there, you’re going to damage your bedsides where it attaches

Thanks much. I have the same concerns about the hitchgate as well. I needed something quick to get the spare mounted. Hopefully, my budget for next year will allow for something more robust. In other news, look for a hitchgate in the classifieds next year (unless it far exceeds my expectations).

[Torq]

Spraying the top with plastic dip and putting a retraining lip on with 2x3 boards

Sent from my G3123 using Tapatalk

[Torq]

I had the same passenger side ocd squeak as well. Ended up being a washer rubbing on the body. Took the bolt out, ground down a flat spot on the washer, and reinstalled so the flat spot was now pointing toward the body. Noise be gone.

Awesome. I'll try that and report back on how it works. It's bugging the shit out of me.

Finally got around to fixing the squeak. The washer was exactly the issue. No more squeak.

[Torq]

In parallel with the bedslide project, I'm working on the wiring for the lighting and mounting of the relays, switches, bus bars and smart solenoid. The plan is to only drill holes in the RAMbox dividers, not in the plastic of the RAMbox itself. Doing a mock up, I realized that the RAMbox hits the dividers so I had to cut a groove into the dividers closest to the latch.

[Torq]

I have a quite a few updates, just didn't have time to get them before the trip west.

Here are a few of the no-drill bedslide project. I was able to create some rail mounts using the tie-downs.

It slides pretty well over the 1x2s that are laminated with low friction plastic.

I painted the platform with spray rubber to weather proof and prevent sliding. I used the Husky tie downs for ratchet points.

Just finished 5000 miles with some really rough roads at high speeds and it held up really well.

I used a couple of wedged 2x4s to support the bed slide when I pulled it out fully loaded so future improvements include some fold down legs.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/z7tFnMaeqJpzNQ5SA

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[Torq]

Way behind on updates.

I put a Wilco Hitchgate on as a quick solution for the spare tire for my 2019 Mecca to Utah/Arizona/Colorado/New Mexico. I was satisfied with the ease of assembly and time to install. It held up for many hundreds of miles of washboard and rough off roading, but ultimately, it started to have a bit too much play in the hinge. It also required an anti-rattle bracket to keep the whole thing from rocking back and forth, which isn't a shortfall of the Hitchgate so much as the tolerances in receivers.

You can see in the second picture that I used a 1x4 to brace the Hitchgate when open - it noticeably torqued to the side without the support.

[Torq]

Also added some lights to the bed rack before the trip. I put them on an auxiliary battery that I kept int he RAM Box which I powered off of a 4 AWG cable I ran up to the primary battery and a National Luna split charge system. I mounted the switches and isolator solenoid to the RAM Box dividers, used the drain holes to run the wires. Didn't have to drill any new holes.

[Torq]

This Carli Diff Guard is badass. I'd have bought one for the rear if it was offered.