Dodge dually project....

[Seabass]

Ok...I have a second gen Dodge Cummins Quad Cab Dually 4x4. It's my daily driver and I love it. I bought it almost new and have done most of the work on the truck- so I know it inside out. It had a "53" block-so I put a new engine in it a couple years ago. Last year I put in a brand new loaded up Jasper NV4500 tranny in it. It's got a leveling kit on the front that I decided made it too level- so it got two add-a-leaves per side on the rear. So now I have a 2.5" lift on my truck (which I love!). The stance is just stout as can be! It's got some mild engine upgrades and a nice clutch. It's also wearing a brand new set of 265-75-16 courser m/T's on it. I farm for a living and know first hand that this truck is very capable off road and can carry lots of weight. Since I have a beater for on the farm I have kept the dodge nice. I want to add a camper shell of some sort and maybe a roof top tent set up. But- I need to leave it a dually as I use it to haul big loads with my gooseneck from time to time (like when my two-ton heavy hauler two wheel drive won't cut it). Is anyone else running a dually like this? How are they getting around? How bout camper set ups? Thanks!
Ok...so all I got is an iPhone and it has lots of pics of the truck on it. If someone can tell me how-I'll load up some pics.

 

[Seabass]

Still can't get pics up.....Grrrrrr! I think I could be more specific on my plans for the truck. I need a topper/pop up system that's fairly easy to take off the truck to return it to work duty. I'd like to be able to spend two to five days out at a time. I don't know about trails though...it's kinda wide as a dually. I know from experience on the farm it's pretty mobile for it's size. Id also wondered about a locker for the rear Dana 80 and some type of winch setup for the front. I'm super excited about trying this with this particular truck...Im still looking forward to some ideas and suggestions from some experienced overlanders. Thanks.

 

[Rot Box]

Not many dually's in the full-size forum good to have you. My brothers nickname is "Dually" because of all the dually pickups he had over the years lol. Gotta love the trucks with hips! :bike_rider:

Not sure on loading pics I use photo bucket but have never tried it with an I-phone. Hopefully someone can help you out.

 

[Saiyan66]

Im not going to be much help on the pic uploading either, but welcome to the forum. There are lockers available for the Dana 80 should you choose to go that route. You are in a rare crowd here with the dually, but as long as you aren't trying for narrow trails you should be just fine with that setup.

 

[Seabass]

Thanks for the hospitality. Hips can be replaced- but I agree that narrow trails may be best traveled on with my 4-wheeler . I'm really interested in a locker- ARB suits my tastes the best. With some of the loads I pull I'd like the thought of running an open diff when I want to. I'm still ticked over the whole loading up of the pics thing....

 

[bob91yj]

Are you the same Seabass that is on Pirate? If so, we crossed paths a couple of years ago at Coco's Corner, chasing the Mil.

 

[Seabass]

Are you the same Seabass that is on Pirate? If so, we crossed paths a couple of years ago at Coco's Corner, chasing the Mil.

I guess my wife is wrong- I'm not the biggest idiot on the planet- cause there's another Seabass! No, it wasn't me.

 

[LandRoverHyter]

Where are you located in Kentucky?

 

[Seabass]

I'm in the central part of the state - I like to say I'm in God's country! In all seriousness KY is a beautiful state- but I sure do love north Carolina and north west Wyoming....I think it's a mountain thing.

 

[LandRoverHyter]

No place like home. I live in Versailles. 10 miles west of Lexington.

 

[Seabass]

I located a high-end leer topper on craigs list. It's north of indi...not sure I want to travel that far for it. Might keep looking closer to home. The thing I'm not sure of is if a fiberglass top like that will support a roof top tent. Id guess the store bought set-ups with campers and any gear could hit 500 pounds plus quick. But the cab high full glass snug fit toppers sure look good....

 

[Seabass]

So, I've been reading the "Alaskan Camper build" and it's got me wondering....I got a lot of truck and it can pack a load. Would I be better off to try to find a slide in bed camper as opposed to setting up a topper? I know that's a question with a lot of room for opinion. But it's a thought....how much do those things weigh any way? I remember the turtle expedition F-350's from back in the 90's and thinking they were the coolest things ever! I bet I could find an older one for the money and fix it up to suit me. Thoughts?

 

[Carlyle]

So, I've been reading the "Alaskan Camper build" and it's got me wondering....I got a lot of truck and it can pack a load. Would I be better off to try to find a slide in bed camper as opposed to setting up a topper? I know that's a question with a lot of room for opinion. But it's a thought....how much do those things weigh any way? I remember the turtle expedition F-350's from back in the 90's and thinking they were the coolest things ever! I bet I could find an older one for the money and fix it up to suit me. Thoughts?

Well worth the weight. Keep checking CL and call Alaskan to find a good used one. Sometimes a little weight helps anyways.

Carl


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chilliwak]

Seebas, I would keep your Dodge and get a cool camper for it. In the long run you will like the extra room and the ability to have your home everywhere you go. Unless you are going to do some really serious 4by4ing then I think that is the route to go....

 

[Rot Box]

Slide in campers...

I don't mind "roughing it" and a lot of the time I just sleep in the cab of my truck when I go exploring. That said I do LOVE my FWC when I have my family with me. The fridge and heater alone are great to have along with just having a comfortable place to get in out of the weather. While they are nowhere near the weight of a topper most of the pop-up campers are very lightweight considering what you get. Mine doesn't put me on the overload springs on the 1ton...

A night like this will sell you on them for a lifetime. It was very cold outside yet very warm inside---weird :hehe: :bike_rider: