2020 Ram 5500 DIY Composite Panel Camper Build Thread
- Thread starter RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
- Start date
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Quick walk around (kind of) the new little project TOAD:
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Ill be covering the Samurai restoration/build on ih8mud
Mainly due to the fact of the mods here are out of control with their micromanaging and "rule" enforcement.
Mud still allows banter and humor and arent a bunch of sticks in the mud (see what i did there?)
forum.ih8mud.com
Mainly due to the fact of the mods here are out of control with their micromanaging and "rule" enforcement.
Mud still allows banter and humor and arent a bunch of sticks in the mud (see what i did there?)
1987 Samurai Restomod TOAD Build
Oh, one project is close to done? Might as well start another... Good friend was sick of looking at this, and gave it to me to "do something with" Been sitting on a ranch 5+ years, frame is mint, body is toast, but somehow it runs and drives decent.. Stock 1.3L with weber and ghetto fabbed...
forum.ih8mud.com
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
Speaking of "rule enforcement" the word that was filtered out was A. R. S. E. Which in some countries is short for FARCE.
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Exactly my point ?
No one is out of control micromanaging the rules here. YOU agreed to the rules when you agreed to the terms of use. If that is not something you prefer to honor, please let us know.Ill be covering the Samurai restoration/build on ih8mud
Mainly due to the fact of the mods here are out of control with their micromanaging and "rule" enforcement.
Mud still allows banter and humor and arent a bunch of sticks in the mud (see what i did there?)
1987 Samurai Restomod TOAD Build
Oh, one project is close to done? Might as well start another... Good friend was sick of looking at this, and gave it to me to "do something with" Been sitting on a ranch 5+ years, frame is mint, body is toast, but somehow it runs and drives decent.. Stock 1.3L with weber and ghetto fabbed...
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Hahahaha.. Facts
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Bummer. I'm not on mud so I'll miss out on the Sami build. But totally get why you aren't bothering to post it here.Ill be covering the Samurai restoration/build on ih8mud
Mainly due to the fact of the mods here are out of control with their micromanaging and "rule" enforcement.
Mud still allows banter and humor and arent a bunch of sticks in the mud (see what i did there?)
1987 Samurai Restomod TOAD Build
Oh, one project is close to done? Might as well start another... Good friend was sick of looking at this, and gave it to me to "do something with" Been sitting on a ranch 5+ years, frame is mint, body is toast, but somehow it runs and drives decent.. Stock 1.3L with weber and ghetto fabbed...
I prefer watching videos than going through 100+ pages and sometimes getting lost. Thanks for sharing!
RAM5500 CAMPERTHING
OG Portal Member #183
Sooooo
Just got back from trip living in the rig for 3 weeks with wifey, here is my two cents of what worked, and what didnt, and what needs adjusting:
First off, HUGE thanks to Transwest in Brighton Colorado. FINALLY, after 3 years, got a real 2 axle, 4 wheel alignment, and the difference is literally night and day.
No one in SoCal would touch this, or knew how to. It took about 2 hours, and $400 and worth every freaking cent!
I got it close with my tape measure redneckery, but they got it dialed in 100% perfectly, and it drives straight as an arrow, can take hands off on the freeway, and it drives perfectly straight!
That and Les Swab in Dacona Colorado for the full balance and rotate.
I removed the Centramatics at their suggestion, and between the full alignment, rotate and REAL balancing, its a different truck, now i actually enjoy driving it.
GUESSING my issue has been the tires were never balanced right from the get go, and with the alignment out, i had been chasing issues that couldnt be fixed without the proper 2 axle alignment. All good now, finally, 3 years later...
GOOD:
ESPAR D2L Furnace with Easy Start Pro Controller: Flawless for 3 years, tested multiple times this trip around 10k elevation, zero issues, i have never cleaned or disassembled it, very happy and impressed
ARB Zero 101 Dual Zone Chest Fridge/Freezer: Flawless for 3 years
Victron Power System: Flawless for 3 years
Houghton AC Unit: Flawless for 3 years, cycling at night a little annoying, but functionality wins here
SeaFlow variable speed water pump: Flawless for 3 years
Keurig Slim Coffee Maker: Flawless for 3 years, 100s of cups brewed (paper compostable pods only are used)
(2) Bullfinch Showerports: Work Flawlessly
REAR Kelderman 4 link and ADS shocks: Absolutely phenomenal
Indoor Hot Water Shower (thanks to @StenchRV design): worked amazing and wifey loves it
Airhead Composting Toilet: Flawless for 3 years and constantly impressed with how well this works, and ZERO stink! Pee bottle is small and emptied almost daily, but the functionality is 100% worth it
Green Drain One Way Valve: Only 1 trip of use, probably 10 showers, and its working as advertised and zero odors, will post longer used update at some point
NEEDS Adjusting:
Isotemp Electric Hot Water Heater/Tank: Has worked perfectly for 2.5 years, but popped the thermo safety circuit breaker at Pikes Peak (14.1k) and the way i installed the unit, it was an absolute ******** to get the cover off to reset the switch. Luckily this was towards end of trip. and only had to take ONE cold shower, HA! I eventually got the cover off, reset the switch, and all is well. Not sure exactly sure why it tripped, but folks sake they've had issues at high elevations, i will monitor this closer, and probably relocate the switch, or the entire tank at some point.
Front End: On the freeway, twisty mountain roads, and gravel roads, the front end is amazing, and handles beautifully! But on rutted washboards, on trails with some potholes the jarring is almost unbearable. I have disconnected the front swaybar for testing, and it completely transforms the truck offroad and it handles rutted washboards and potholes with comfort and ease. I will be looking at options with this and probably either redesigning the whole swaybar thing, or coming up with a set of quick disconnects. Work in progress.
MAXXAIR Vent Fan: Works very well, but motor got VERY loud and squeaky within 2 years, took apart, greased, didnt help. Replaced motor, easy job, dont need to remove assembly, but the $150 for just the motor part wasnt great.
Water Capacity and Tank: I went with a 45 gallon fresh water tank, which i THOUGHT would be more than enough. Now, with the indoor shower for wifey, and having her along more often, it was definitely too small. We shower every other day, and are very conservative with useage, but between drinking water, dishes, and shower, the water goes a lot faster than expected. That and i got a tank WITHOUT baffles, huge mistake, when its full, i can hear AND FEEL the water/weight moving around while i am driving. A custom bigger tank with baffles, is in my future for sure.
Electrical Panels: I mounted these low and right next to the door, so i can operate them from inside or outside the camper. We constantly hit them and knocked them on or off with our shoes, these will be relocated higher, and will use the space they were in for shoes.
The Bad:
SUBFRAME: I have spent a ton of time and money messing with different spring lengths and rates and such and the box still moves WAYY too much, and is much too loud offroad for my liking. This will be addressed soon, and i think at this point, its time to get the pros involved. Who are the pros? At this point, i have no idea, LOL. Stay tuned!
Tern Overland Windows: Although i love the functionality of them, and the ease of install, my overall opinion of them is pretty horrible. We camped in both freezing and scorching temps on this trip, and their insulation properties are horrible compared to the Outbounds. In the extreme heat, with the AC on, the aluminum screen frames get hot to the touch, and you can feel the heat through the reflective screen. In the freezing temps, with the furnace on, the condensation on the frames was noticable, with some water even pooling that needed to be wiped with a towel. These will be replaced with the Outbounds soon!
Tern Overland Euro Door: Also not impressed with the quality or insulation properties. Right before the trip, a spring broke inside, and the fix required taking the entire door apart, and required a specialized spring from Tern. Luckily they got it to me in 2 days, and replacement was easy once the door was apart, but after taking door apart and seeing how small and thin all the springs are, i am not confident in the longevity of the door. Also, in freezing temps with the furnace on, the frame had noticeable condensation. I am doing more research on fitment, but this will likely be replaced with an Outbound door. Although it will be quite an ordeal to replace it i believe it will be worth it in the long run.
Dinette / Seating: I admittedly didnt put all that much time and effort into this, as i very rarely spend time inside the camper when traveling unless i am sleeping. But with the wifey joining, and us hitting some bad weather, we spent a bunch of time inside. We both realized and agreed immediately that the dinette and seating needs a complete redo to be comfortable for any length of time. We will be taking notes from @StenchRV playbook on this remodel for sure. The cushions i got from RecPro are already basically disengrated to the point we were sitting on the wood. So full redesign and redo of seating area is coming soon with MUCH better cushions. Note: its hard to find comfy foam when youre 300lbs+
Table Pedestal: Although the nice pneumatic table pedestal is super stable and stout, it takes up way too much room and the fixed table position got old fast when spending a bunch of time inside. This will be redone, again using the @StenchRV (see a pattern here?) method.
Microwave / Convection Oven: This is way too big and takes up way too much space. We use the microwave often, but none of the other features. This unit will be removed and relocated for a much smaller unit.
Gray Tank Electric Dump Valve: Works great, but leaks slowly even when closed, will be replaced with better unit ASAP, and will add some sort of screen filter to prevent possible debris from getting into it
Continental MPT Tires: Still loud as hell after rebalance, still hate them
Overall, VERY VERY happy with how everything is working in the grand scheme of things, and wifey was too. The remodel and adjustments will be fun and i love doing it.
Onward and upward!
Just got back from trip living in the rig for 3 weeks with wifey, here is my two cents of what worked, and what didnt, and what needs adjusting:
First off, HUGE thanks to Transwest in Brighton Colorado. FINALLY, after 3 years, got a real 2 axle, 4 wheel alignment, and the difference is literally night and day.
No one in SoCal would touch this, or knew how to. It took about 2 hours, and $400 and worth every freaking cent!
I got it close with my tape measure redneckery, but they got it dialed in 100% perfectly, and it drives straight as an arrow, can take hands off on the freeway, and it drives perfectly straight!
That and Les Swab in Dacona Colorado for the full balance and rotate.
I removed the Centramatics at their suggestion, and between the full alignment, rotate and REAL balancing, its a different truck, now i actually enjoy driving it.
GUESSING my issue has been the tires were never balanced right from the get go, and with the alignment out, i had been chasing issues that couldnt be fixed without the proper 2 axle alignment. All good now, finally, 3 years later...
GOOD:
ESPAR D2L Furnace with Easy Start Pro Controller: Flawless for 3 years, tested multiple times this trip around 10k elevation, zero issues, i have never cleaned or disassembled it, very happy and impressed
ARB Zero 101 Dual Zone Chest Fridge/Freezer: Flawless for 3 years
Victron Power System: Flawless for 3 years
Houghton AC Unit: Flawless for 3 years, cycling at night a little annoying, but functionality wins here
SeaFlow variable speed water pump: Flawless for 3 years
Keurig Slim Coffee Maker: Flawless for 3 years, 100s of cups brewed (paper compostable pods only are used)
(2) Bullfinch Showerports: Work Flawlessly
REAR Kelderman 4 link and ADS shocks: Absolutely phenomenal
Indoor Hot Water Shower (thanks to @StenchRV design): worked amazing and wifey loves it
Airhead Composting Toilet: Flawless for 3 years and constantly impressed with how well this works, and ZERO stink! Pee bottle is small and emptied almost daily, but the functionality is 100% worth it
Green Drain One Way Valve: Only 1 trip of use, probably 10 showers, and its working as advertised and zero odors, will post longer used update at some point
NEEDS Adjusting:
Isotemp Electric Hot Water Heater/Tank: Has worked perfectly for 2.5 years, but popped the thermo safety circuit breaker at Pikes Peak (14.1k) and the way i installed the unit, it was an absolute ******** to get the cover off to reset the switch. Luckily this was towards end of trip. and only had to take ONE cold shower, HA! I eventually got the cover off, reset the switch, and all is well. Not sure exactly sure why it tripped, but folks sake they've had issues at high elevations, i will monitor this closer, and probably relocate the switch, or the entire tank at some point.
Front End: On the freeway, twisty mountain roads, and gravel roads, the front end is amazing, and handles beautifully! But on rutted washboards, on trails with some potholes the jarring is almost unbearable. I have disconnected the front swaybar for testing, and it completely transforms the truck offroad and it handles rutted washboards and potholes with comfort and ease. I will be looking at options with this and probably either redesigning the whole swaybar thing, or coming up with a set of quick disconnects. Work in progress.
MAXXAIR Vent Fan: Works very well, but motor got VERY loud and squeaky within 2 years, took apart, greased, didnt help. Replaced motor, easy job, dont need to remove assembly, but the $150 for just the motor part wasnt great.
Water Capacity and Tank: I went with a 45 gallon fresh water tank, which i THOUGHT would be more than enough. Now, with the indoor shower for wifey, and having her along more often, it was definitely too small. We shower every other day, and are very conservative with useage, but between drinking water, dishes, and shower, the water goes a lot faster than expected. That and i got a tank WITHOUT baffles, huge mistake, when its full, i can hear AND FEEL the water/weight moving around while i am driving. A custom bigger tank with baffles, is in my future for sure.
Electrical Panels: I mounted these low and right next to the door, so i can operate them from inside or outside the camper. We constantly hit them and knocked them on or off with our shoes, these will be relocated higher, and will use the space they were in for shoes.
The Bad:
SUBFRAME: I have spent a ton of time and money messing with different spring lengths and rates and such and the box still moves WAYY too much, and is much too loud offroad for my liking. This will be addressed soon, and i think at this point, its time to get the pros involved. Who are the pros? At this point, i have no idea, LOL. Stay tuned!
Tern Overland Windows: Although i love the functionality of them, and the ease of install, my overall opinion of them is pretty horrible. We camped in both freezing and scorching temps on this trip, and their insulation properties are horrible compared to the Outbounds. In the extreme heat, with the AC on, the aluminum screen frames get hot to the touch, and you can feel the heat through the reflective screen. In the freezing temps, with the furnace on, the condensation on the frames was noticable, with some water even pooling that needed to be wiped with a towel. These will be replaced with the Outbounds soon!
Tern Overland Euro Door: Also not impressed with the quality or insulation properties. Right before the trip, a spring broke inside, and the fix required taking the entire door apart, and required a specialized spring from Tern. Luckily they got it to me in 2 days, and replacement was easy once the door was apart, but after taking door apart and seeing how small and thin all the springs are, i am not confident in the longevity of the door. Also, in freezing temps with the furnace on, the frame had noticeable condensation. I am doing more research on fitment, but this will likely be replaced with an Outbound door. Although it will be quite an ordeal to replace it i believe it will be worth it in the long run.
Dinette / Seating: I admittedly didnt put all that much time and effort into this, as i very rarely spend time inside the camper when traveling unless i am sleeping. But with the wifey joining, and us hitting some bad weather, we spent a bunch of time inside. We both realized and agreed immediately that the dinette and seating needs a complete redo to be comfortable for any length of time. We will be taking notes from @StenchRV playbook on this remodel for sure. The cushions i got from RecPro are already basically disengrated to the point we were sitting on the wood. So full redesign and redo of seating area is coming soon with MUCH better cushions. Note: its hard to find comfy foam when youre 300lbs+
Table Pedestal: Although the nice pneumatic table pedestal is super stable and stout, it takes up way too much room and the fixed table position got old fast when spending a bunch of time inside. This will be redone, again using the @StenchRV (see a pattern here?) method.
Microwave / Convection Oven: This is way too big and takes up way too much space. We use the microwave often, but none of the other features. This unit will be removed and relocated for a much smaller unit.
Gray Tank Electric Dump Valve: Works great, but leaks slowly even when closed, will be replaced with better unit ASAP, and will add some sort of screen filter to prevent possible debris from getting into it
Continental MPT Tires: Still loud as hell after rebalance, still hate them
Overall, VERY VERY happy with how everything is working in the grand scheme of things, and wifey was too. The remodel and adjustments will be fun and i love doing it.
Onward and upward!
Last edited:
You are probably aware of this, but for anyone else who may not be, wash-board roads are caused by people driving too fast for the conditions, accelerating and braking hard and most importantly, having too much air pressure in their tires. The latter causes the tire to skip over the surface, instead of conforming to it. If 'everyone' travelled slowly with their tires aired down, the washboard would never form to begin with.
To get through these sections with minimal pain, the solution is to drop your pressures significantly. You could easily run 15-20 PSI on those Continentals at slow speed, without risk of over heating them. I regularly ran 8 - 10 PSI on 33" - 35" tires on a Toyota 4Runner, off road and it rode like a cloud of Charmin.
Once the ripple or wash board starts, it just gets worse and worse. The only other choice is to run, Robby Gordon-style, right over the top of them at 90 MPH in a trophy truck. ;-)
To get through these sections with minimal pain, the solution is to drop your pressures significantly. You could easily run 15-20 PSI on those Continentals at slow speed, without risk of over heating them. I regularly ran 8 - 10 PSI on 33" - 35" tires on a Toyota 4Runner, off road and it rode like a cloud of Charmin.
Once the ripple or wash board starts, it just gets worse and worse. The only other choice is to run, Robby Gordon-style, right over the top of them at 90 MPH in a trophy truck. ;-)
StenchRV
Well-known member
If you could just be a little bit more detailed in your trip reports it would help LOL LOL
I guess I need to get to work writing a trip report of sorts, it will be no where near that good!
GREAT write up! THIS is how you help the next guy.....honest write ups and information!
CHEERS!!
LOL LOLI guess I need to get to work writing a trip report of sorts, it will be no where near that good!
GREAT write up! THIS is how you help the next guy.....honest write ups and information!
CHEERS!!