2012 Dodge 5500 - Expedition Camper - The build has started
- Thread starter dtruzinski
- Start date
dtruzinski
4 Season Traveller
@bj70_guy - Your LC was very cool. Diesel, 2 dr, and right hand drive - that must be an awesome off road rig. If you figure out how to build my rig for 50% of what I am in to it...call me ASAP 
. The truck/camper combo worked really well and my next post will be to describe the pros/cons etc.
. The truck/camper combo worked really well and my next post will be to describe the pros/cons etc.dtruzinski
4 Season Traveller
Maiden Voyage
Ok we finally got to put the beast into action. I took off for two weeks with my wife and two dogs and we headed to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier. We wanted to shake out the bugs in the systems and plan our next set of changes.
Highlights: On the plus side the Dodge 5500 Laramie is AWESOME. Did I mention that the chassis cab was AWESOME. The Aisin 6 speed auto never hunted for gears and the exhaust break worked better than any I have used. I drove the Chief Joseph Highway out of Cody WY with a couple inches of snow on it and never touched the brakes! The Cummins just chugged along at under 2k rpm. Recall I have upgrade to 38" tall tires so my 4:88 are giving an effective ration of 4:44. I tend to drive between 65-68 mph. While on the Teton/Yellowstone/Cody/Chief Joseph/Livingston MT segment, we saw 12 mpg average if you believe the on board computer and adjust for the tire swap. It makes sense, as the mpg dropped to 10.5 on the Livingston to Many Glacier segment. This segment is all highway and I was pushing the throttle a little harder. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the heated leather seats are incredible. For the first time in my life, I have a heated steering wheel...big deal huh. Well I do a lot of photography and getting back into the rig (after shooting in sub 15 degree weather) and grabbing a warm steering wheel is a big deal and I highly recommend this option. The running boards were perfect (thank you mobile welding and repair in Livingston MT) and did not collect too much snow or ice (take a look at earlier posts to see pics). The only complaint I have with the truck is unavoidable...the DEF system. I nearly ran out of DEF and now carry an extra 2.5 gals as a safety.
The American Hero camper from North Star performed superbly. Prior to this trip I was planning a replace the fresh water and grey water tanks with larger versions that would be mounted under the bed. Now that we have lived in the rig for two weeks, we fully understand and appreciate the simple and effective design. I was worried that a 33 gal fresh water system was too small. In fact we ended up needing more fresh water and I satisfied the need by carrying an additional 12 gals in plastic containers (see next post with pics of battery, fresh water containers). I could spend another $300-500 and add a larger fresh water tank, but carrying 45 fresh and 5 for the toilet is plenty (total cost of the mod is under $20). I ended up removing the Happi Jacks, but only after smacking a tree while backing up in the forest. The cassette toilet is a dream...if you have ever dumped a 5th wheel or trailer, you will truly appreciate the cassette toilet. The gray water tank was easy to dump and seemed large enough to support a couple of days and a couple of showers...carry a 5 gal bucket and dump in an outhouse.
Another mod I was planning prior to the trip was an upgrade to a horizontal mounted LP tank. I wasn't quite sure that the bottle system Rex designed would be sufficient. Wow...wrong again...the system is great. The only change I am making is that I will add a bottle to a tool box as a spare. We were in Fall weather in the Rockies. The evenings were marked by 15-30 degree weather and the afternoons saw highs in the 50's. We left the heater on low while driving during the day and burned about a bottle of propane every 7 days. The insulation and heater delivered beyond our expectations. The camper is so air tight that the LP/C02 dectector went off nearly every night...need to keep vents open. We were never cold; in fact we were often too hot and typically saw condensation.
A couple of subtle but important features of the camper are the LED lighting, outside lighting, and solar system. The LED lighting is bright and the amp draw is very low. We never worried about power or Amp Hrs remaining. The 2 glass mat batteries and solar system ensured plenty of power. If you are not planning to use the microwave or a/c, there is no need for a generator. We actually relocated the batteries to the generator space to even out the load ( see next post for pics). There is a switch in the camper that activates the outside LEDs. These completely illuminate the perimeter of the camper and are very useful when getting up in the middle of the night to let the dogs out in Bear Country!
As with any new system, there are a few bugs to work out, but Rex at North Star has been very responsive and stands behind all of his work. In the end the only mods I have made were to relo the batteries and remove the A/C. The latter was a $50 fix that gave me more light, ventilation (installed another vent), less weight, and less wind resistance.
Almost forgot to mention how the truck handled off road. While in the Tetons, we decided to camp in the national forest and found a spot alongside Pacific Creek that was perfect. No one camped in miles of us. The first time in we used 4 wd, but learned that those massive tires, huge torque and weight allowed us to traverse the trail in 2wd without slipping a wheel. There is no substitute for 38" MPT and low gearing...we walked though areas that most 4wd vehicles would have high centered or just got stuck. Yep, I was smiling all the way. Another thought on the tires...someone asked me about how quiet the diesel was and my comment was that the diesel was not the issue, the tires howl. It's ok, because they perform exceptionally well off road.
Both my wife and I are exceptionally pleased with the performance of the rig. We were pleasantly surprised at the easy of handling and stability. We have both driven truck/trailers/5th wheels that tended to feel the wind from an oncoming big rig. We never swayed or bobbed in the Dodge 5500/North Star setup...it was a pleasure to drive.
Already planning our next trip.
Ok we finally got to put the beast into action. I took off for two weeks with my wife and two dogs and we headed to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier. We wanted to shake out the bugs in the systems and plan our next set of changes.
Highlights: On the plus side the Dodge 5500 Laramie is AWESOME. Did I mention that the chassis cab was AWESOME. The Aisin 6 speed auto never hunted for gears and the exhaust break worked better than any I have used. I drove the Chief Joseph Highway out of Cody WY with a couple inches of snow on it and never touched the brakes! The Cummins just chugged along at under 2k rpm. Recall I have upgrade to 38" tall tires so my 4:88 are giving an effective ration of 4:44. I tend to drive between 65-68 mph. While on the Teton/Yellowstone/Cody/Chief Joseph/Livingston MT segment, we saw 12 mpg average if you believe the on board computer and adjust for the tire swap. It makes sense, as the mpg dropped to 10.5 on the Livingston to Many Glacier segment. This segment is all highway and I was pushing the throttle a little harder. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the heated leather seats are incredible. For the first time in my life, I have a heated steering wheel...big deal huh. Well I do a lot of photography and getting back into the rig (after shooting in sub 15 degree weather) and grabbing a warm steering wheel is a big deal and I highly recommend this option. The running boards were perfect (thank you mobile welding and repair in Livingston MT) and did not collect too much snow or ice (take a look at earlier posts to see pics). The only complaint I have with the truck is unavoidable...the DEF system. I nearly ran out of DEF and now carry an extra 2.5 gals as a safety.
The American Hero camper from North Star performed superbly. Prior to this trip I was planning a replace the fresh water and grey water tanks with larger versions that would be mounted under the bed. Now that we have lived in the rig for two weeks, we fully understand and appreciate the simple and effective design. I was worried that a 33 gal fresh water system was too small. In fact we ended up needing more fresh water and I satisfied the need by carrying an additional 12 gals in plastic containers (see next post with pics of battery, fresh water containers). I could spend another $300-500 and add a larger fresh water tank, but carrying 45 fresh and 5 for the toilet is plenty (total cost of the mod is under $20). I ended up removing the Happi Jacks, but only after smacking a tree while backing up in the forest. The cassette toilet is a dream...if you have ever dumped a 5th wheel or trailer, you will truly appreciate the cassette toilet. The gray water tank was easy to dump and seemed large enough to support a couple of days and a couple of showers...carry a 5 gal bucket and dump in an outhouse.
Another mod I was planning prior to the trip was an upgrade to a horizontal mounted LP tank. I wasn't quite sure that the bottle system Rex designed would be sufficient. Wow...wrong again...the system is great. The only change I am making is that I will add a bottle to a tool box as a spare. We were in Fall weather in the Rockies. The evenings were marked by 15-30 degree weather and the afternoons saw highs in the 50's. We left the heater on low while driving during the day and burned about a bottle of propane every 7 days. The insulation and heater delivered beyond our expectations. The camper is so air tight that the LP/C02 dectector went off nearly every night...need to keep vents open. We were never cold; in fact we were often too hot and typically saw condensation.
A couple of subtle but important features of the camper are the LED lighting, outside lighting, and solar system. The LED lighting is bright and the amp draw is very low. We never worried about power or Amp Hrs remaining. The 2 glass mat batteries and solar system ensured plenty of power. If you are not planning to use the microwave or a/c, there is no need for a generator. We actually relocated the batteries to the generator space to even out the load ( see next post for pics). There is a switch in the camper that activates the outside LEDs. These completely illuminate the perimeter of the camper and are very useful when getting up in the middle of the night to let the dogs out in Bear Country!
As with any new system, there are a few bugs to work out, but Rex at North Star has been very responsive and stands behind all of his work. In the end the only mods I have made were to relo the batteries and remove the A/C. The latter was a $50 fix that gave me more light, ventilation (installed another vent), less weight, and less wind resistance.
Almost forgot to mention how the truck handled off road. While in the Tetons, we decided to camp in the national forest and found a spot alongside Pacific Creek that was perfect. No one camped in miles of us. The first time in we used 4 wd, but learned that those massive tires, huge torque and weight allowed us to traverse the trail in 2wd without slipping a wheel. There is no substitute for 38" MPT and low gearing...we walked though areas that most 4wd vehicles would have high centered or just got stuck. Yep, I was smiling all the way. Another thought on the tires...someone asked me about how quiet the diesel was and my comment was that the diesel was not the issue, the tires howl. It's ok, because they perform exceptionally well off road.
Both my wife and I are exceptionally pleased with the performance of the rig. We were pleasantly surprised at the easy of handling and stability. We have both driven truck/trailers/5th wheels that tended to feel the wind from an oncoming big rig. We never swayed or bobbed in the Dodge 5500/North Star setup...it was a pleasure to drive.
Already planning our next trip.
dtruzinski
4 Season Traveller
Time for pics
First I should share something I learned about Dodge and Ram Trucks. There are Dodge cars and Ram Trucks, but no Dodge trucks. Ok, now that the technicality is out of the way, here are the pics:
Preparation airbags (helps level out the truck)
Relocated the batteries into the generator compartment. I don't need a generator, I have a solar system. Also makes room for extra water.
Viair tank located between the bed and the crossmember (out of the way), so I had to add a remote drain plug that was accessible from the outside
Pics from the journey...so it did happen
Camping spot deep in the Teton national park...closet campsters were nearly 5 miles away.
Traversing dirt roads in Teton National Park
Beartooth Highway
Ended up in Many Glacier (9 miles South of Canada)
First I should share something I learned about Dodge and Ram Trucks. There are Dodge cars and Ram Trucks, but no Dodge trucks. Ok, now that the technicality is out of the way, here are the pics:
Preparation airbags (helps level out the truck)
Relocated the batteries into the generator compartment. I don't need a generator, I have a solar system. Also makes room for extra water.
Viair tank located between the bed and the crossmember (out of the way), so I had to add a remote drain plug that was accessible from the outside
Pics from the journey...so it did happen
Camping spot deep in the Teton national park...closet campsters were nearly 5 miles away.
Traversing dirt roads in Teton National Park
Beartooth Highway
Ended up in Many Glacier (9 miles South of Canada)
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
That shot with the Teton's is Cover Material
dtruzinski
4 Season Traveller
@Every Miles A Memory - Hey Pat thanks for the comment. I just checked out your Low Key Hideaway site. That place is awesome and your photos are incredible. Maybe we can do a vacation swap...we own River's Edge Rentals in Paradise Valley, MT, right on the Yellowstone River.
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Love the thread! I've been dreaming lately of doing the same on a kodiak 4500 or 5500. Until then ill live vicariously through you :elkgrin:
Also Love to see those Wyoming pics, Originally from Cody have not been back for 10+yrs
Also Love to see those Wyoming pics, Originally from Cody have not been back for 10+yrs
dtruzinski
Not to steal your thread, but I wanted to ask you. Why did you choose Rickson. I spent some time talking with them, spent about 4 seconds on a call with Hutchinson, atalkd again to great length with Stazworks. Their prices ran range, Hutchinson quoted me 11K, for two piece wheels and make me use adapters. Rickson waas 8K and they were going to be one peiece and I enjoyed speaking with them and they were knowledgable and weren't overbearing like Hutchinson. But all in all, my local guy here at Stazworks gaveme the best conversation, my choice of wheel appearence, complete control over the manufactirung process and a two piece wheel and were inredalby well priced, werne not going to gouge me at all. Why did you choose your wheels from rickson?
Just curious, I finally ordered mine yesterday and was just wanting to hear what you had to say.
Tbared
Not to steal your thread, but I wanted to ask you. Why did you choose Rickson. I spent some time talking with them, spent about 4 seconds on a call with Hutchinson, atalkd again to great length with Stazworks. Their prices ran range, Hutchinson quoted me 11K, for two piece wheels and make me use adapters. Rickson waas 8K and they were going to be one peiece and I enjoyed speaking with them and they were knowledgable and weren't overbearing like Hutchinson. But all in all, my local guy here at Stazworks gaveme the best conversation, my choice of wheel appearence, complete control over the manufactirung process and a two piece wheel and were inredalby well priced, werne not going to gouge me at all. Why did you choose your wheels from rickson?
Just curious, I finally ordered mine yesterday and was just wanting to hear what you had to say.
Tbared