Looking forward to your take on the kelderman when you get the camper on. I need to figure out a suspension option to improve the ride and increase axle travel. Mine rides like a tank right now. Granted, its not carrying anything, but I'm only showing 4-5 inches of axle travel with this set up.
@Adrifters - F550 Surf Camper Build - Adrift Motorhome
- Thread starter S2DM
- Start date
Looking forward to your take on the kelderman when you get the camper on. I need to figure out a suspension option to improve the ride and increase axle travel. Mine rides like a tank right now. Granted, its not carrying anything, but I'm only showing 4-5 inches of axle travel with this set up.
Who is the manufacturer of the wheels?
Are they hub-centric or will you have to use adaptors?
Noob question; perhaps relates to the question above regarding adaptors but:
Are they constructed with different offsets to have the same track (front and rear)?
A well-known F550 builder runs some huge adaptors and Hutchinson Wheels on their build. Is this SOP for F550's with 41's and Hutchinson's?
Can anyone offer 41" wheel/tire info on Dodge 5500's? Are adaptors needed?
Thanks,
Very interested in your build !
Are they hub-centric or will you have to use adaptors?
Noob question; perhaps relates to the question above regarding adaptors but:
Are they constructed with different offsets to have the same track (front and rear)?
A well-known F550 builder runs some huge adaptors and Hutchinson Wheels on their build. Is this SOP for F550's with 41's and Hutchinson's?
Can anyone offer 41" wheel/tire info on Dodge 5500's? Are adaptors needed?
Thanks,
Very interested in your build !
PM me and I'll put you in contact with the manufacturer. They don't do wheels for the ram trucks unfortunately.
The rims are hubcentric, and the only thing I could find that were specific to the 550, forged, and didn't use adapters. I don't think adapters are a problem per se, clearly earthroamer, GXV etc have many miles on hutchinsons with adapters. I just liked not having the extra row of bolts, which isn't a great reason to choose a wheel
Wheels flip dish in/dish out front to back to keep the same track width and be interchangeable.
Checkout Healeyjet's build, he has Hutchinsons and the same tires as me, Goodyear GSA275s, on a dodge 5500. Really nice looking combo.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/143852-Dodge-Ram-5500-motorhome
The rims are hubcentric, and the only thing I could find that were specific to the 550, forged, and didn't use adapters. I don't think adapters are a problem per se, clearly earthroamer, GXV etc have many miles on hutchinsons with adapters. I just liked not having the extra row of bolts, which isn't a great reason to choose a wheel
Wheels flip dish in/dish out front to back to keep the same track width and be interchangeable.
Checkout Healeyjet's build, he has Hutchinsons and the same tires as me, Goodyear GSA275s, on a dodge 5500. Really nice looking combo.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/143852-Dodge-Ram-5500-motorhome
Healeyjet
Explorer
Bajarat, I believe S2DM's said his wheels are forged. The only reversible wheels I could find for a Dodge 5500 are welded. The manufacturer said that to use them on the back of a 5500 as singles would be over their weight rating so I had to go with the Hutchinson's and adapters.
Ward
Ward
Wasn't all that happy with the quality on the fenders. One came pretty beat up, the fiberglass work was pretty light on both of them, and they used putty to join the seams instead of glassing them. Didnt look they used any woven mat or knytex at all, just chopped strand mat. Makes for a nice appearance and easy to work with, but not strong at all. Fortunately, the exterior finish was good, so I was able to use them as a partial mold and make my own. Mostly carbon now and substantially stronger.
Here's a shot between lams.
Here's a shot between lams.
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guidolyons
Addicted to Gear Oil
Agreed, wheels and tires look sharp.
I'm still torn. I'd like to keep the bling factor low, although I guess the wheels and tires kinda nixed that
Ive seen one kit that allows you to fit a warns 16.5ti winch in and reuse the factory bumper. Are you upgrading?
Healeyjet
Explorer
I agree on the "bling factor". Part of the reason we went with a truck box builder is that we wanted to be more nondescript and be able to park in areas overnight that a 40' diesel pusher RV can't. The switch front DRW to SRW though limited the options for tires and sent us in to the "monster truck-ish" wheels/tires we will be running. Yes, we will be switching over to the new AEV Ram bumper.
Annie and I do like to talk to people when we travel though so I am sure the tire and wheel combination will have people questioning what we are doing.
What finish are you putting on the fenders? Body colour, black, bedliner?
Ward
Annie and I do like to talk to people when we travel though so I am sure the tire and wheel combination will have people questioning what we are doing.
What finish are you putting on the fenders? Body colour, black, bedliner?
Ward
Agreed. In the short term, I'm just spacing the stock bumper out. It's amazing how little support the bumper has, 4 bolts and a little spacer T off the frame. Will probably paint the fenders the same as the truck. We are going to use DuPont industrial Imron for the truck and camper. Camper will be the same color as our haflinger and the truck something in the sand brown family, all matte. It's the same stuff they use to paint the oil rigs around here. Tough, easy to fix, won't oxidize, matte finish. Hoping our two tone looks like sand and vegetation when parked, but I think that's overly optimistic for a rig this size. Although our Mog could be hard to spot when we parked it in the trees. Nothing shiny really helped.
I changed my mind again, here is a pic of the "NEW" base vehicle. I've set it up to haul as a fifth wheel
Kidding, but it Is a good indicia of the color palette we are looking at.
Here is another shot of the haflinger by itself. 4wd, portal axles, locking diffs, this thing is super fun on the farm. Street legal as well, but it mostly gets used running compost and irrigation supplies around.
Kidding, but it Is a good indicia of the color palette we are looking at.
Here is another shot of the haflinger by itself. 4wd, portal axles, locking diffs, this thing is super fun on the farm. Street legal as well, but it mostly gets used running compost and irrigation supplies around.
