2012 Expo Dodge 2500

[matt t]

I have spent the last year trying to decided which vehicle to buy for future expedition use. It came down to three choices: Dodge 2500 diesel, Ford F250 Diesel, or FX4 F150 ecoboost. Looking at the title I am sure you can guess which one I picked. I went with the ST package because it had everything I needed and none of the goofy overpriced features that I did not care about.

I have already added a few mods: tinted windows, exhaust and other performance mods, Bushwacker fender flares, 325/65-18 BFG all terrains on Ultra wheels, 2.5" coil spacer, and Husky floormats

Future Mods: Stage 2 or 3 Thuren suspension http://thurenfabrication.com/kingshocks.html , Custom front bumper with winch, Multiple Baja Design Lights, Samsung Series 7 Slate, CB and Ham radio, custom console, Quad beam headlights with HIR bulbs, and who knows what else.

I plan to have these mods completed before the Overland Expo along with a XpoTrail hooked behind it. I will post pics along the way.

 

[DoMiNiC1]

Very nice truck! Do you live in a place where you can remove all the emissions junk? If so, get a tuner and say hello to 6-8 more MPGs. :ylsmoke:

 

[PW_SD]

Did you see this guy's Ram?

05 Ram 2500 owner myself.... Love the truck.

Have you seen this guy's build? http://carlisuspension.blogspot.com/2011/12/dominator-30-global-expedition.html

 

[Heimz]

Awesome truck! You're lucky, the third gen ST's were manual for just about everything. My old 2006 ST was manual windows and locks and it got old when I had a family. The new 4th Gen ST's have power windows, remote keyless, and sirius radio. Ive seen more and more in that configuration.


Youll love the new suspension, the truck will just eat up the dirt in ways you never thought was possible in an HD truck. I have a Carli 6" on mine and you'll freak over what these trucks can do in the dirt. Even for how big they are, they are surprisingly agile and nimble.

I ran a remote face HAM radio in my 2012 to keep it sleek, but you might have good luck getting it inside the dash cubby. Look at the Kenwood 271 and its replacement, and Yaesu makes some small units too that are very easy to use. I ran a Yaesu 7900R and mounted the face on my center console, the main unit is behind the seat under my megacab floor. Quite a few buddies run their antennas in their stake pockets, but I wanted to cut a hole in my roof for a hardmount.

Stay away from BFG's on these trucks, no matter what anyone says, the truck will not like it. Run a Toyo, Nitto, General, or Goodyear tire.

You can also run a nice light bar that integrates into the tow hooks, and run up to 4 lights depending on the model. Ive had great luck with Hella 4000's, and currently run a Rigid 30" LED bar. The Kragen/Checker 7" HID's are extremely bright and worth every penny for a great, sturdy offroad light.

Run a Carli diff guard to protect that axle, get an aftermarket sway bar from Carli or Thuren to liven up the front axle and get the most articulation (while improving ride quality), and keep an eye on the ball joints. Mine had play after 2 trips to the dirt, and I was taking it easy to boot.

Get an H&S tuner or EFIlive and let the motor/trans work for you.

 

[xdbx]

They're great trucks... you're going to LOVE it!

I second the recommendation on the lights. I just pulled my light bar for a winch bumper. PM me if you're interested in something like this:

 

[matt t]

Pics of wheels, tires, and flares installed. Suspension should be here in a few weeks.

 

[Inline6]

Great looking truck. I looked at the Thuren stuff as well, good stuff. Looking forward to your results.

 

[biohzrd]

Nice looking Ram. Building up my 2011 1500 right now. Wanted a 2500 but just got to good of a deal on the 1/2 ton to pass it up. Big Horn edition with 3.92 gears loaded for 24k new. Going to be using the KORE Long Travel Suspension when they release it this summer. Looking forward to your build. mine has the full center console. Love it, but is posing a problem mounting my cb. I'll figure it out.

 

[Revco]

Nice truck!

 

[Saiyan66]

Nice truck matt t, I really like the stance with the leveling kit and 35's. Also you might not want to drop too much coin on the quad beam headlight upgrade. I have them on my 2012 and they arent any better than my dad's 2012 ST. Biggest improvement would be to change the bulbs to silverstars or something of that quality.

 

[matt t]

I want to change the clear housings to the smoke color. You should look into the HIR bulbs http://store.candlepower.com/hirlighting.html They are a big improvement.