2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[ramblinChet]

My research indicates that failure of the A-pillar Molding in RAM trucks is not uncommon. Mine began to progressively fail months ago and it became so loose and weak that I stopped using it since my greatest concern would be one day having it fail and leaving me flat on the ground with a potential injury. After removing the A-pillar molding that was only marginally useful I recognized the design failure and hoped this has been corrected. BTW - that white rolled up fabric on the left side is an airbag.


Once I began using the Google to poke around the interweb I discovered both the original Mopar part (#6NF75TX7AD) and a revision (#7KF73TX7AA), were available. Based upon the new part number I suspected a significant revision had taken place so I took a chance and ordered the possibly updated part. Below you can see the original part up top while the revised part is below. The inset picture within the original part displays a common failure point while the inset within the revised part shows the reinforcement in the same area. It will be interesting to see if this new variant permanently corrects the issue or not.


Here is my beautiful new A-pillar Molding installed. While preparing to place my order I checked pricing from a half-dozen parts suppliers and saved 25% with ten minutes of effort. Interestingly, the price for the actual part was less at all other sites except one, but shipping was 150-200% higher at all others.

• $50.14 + $09.84 = $59.98 (moparonlineparts)
• $45.20 + $15.99 = $61.19 (worldpartsdirect)
• $47.68 + $15.35 = $63.03 (moparpartsonsale)
• $47.88 + $18.92 = $66.80 (tascaparts)
• $48.90 + $19.55 = $68.45 (mymoparparts)
• $68.50 + $12.01 = $80.51 (mopar)

Shading my interior is a Cover Craft UVS100 Premier Series Custom Sunscreen that I have enjoyed for the past 1.5 years. After another year or so I will provide a full report although at this point I have used it enough times that I am happy I spent the money.


Now that I have the Baja Designs backup lights installed in the AEV rear bumper, it was time to wire everything up. I briefly considered ordering the pre-configured wiring harness directly from AEV but since I already had the supplies and the harness alone was $185, I decided to build my own. On the left you can see the Ancor 16 AWG marine grade tinned copper wire (red and black) that would be used. On the right you see the Mopar Aux Switch Upfitter Wiring Kit (#68398184AB) that came with my truck. If you have the auxiliary switches there is important information contained within this kit so attached to this post you will find JPGs of the information for reference purposes.

Down at the bottom you will see a roll of Tesa Triple A 51036 flag-resistant PET cloth tape which "provides excellent abrasion protection of automotive harnesses and withstands high temperatures and demanding environmental conditions." The tape is wrapped over top of black Electriduct 1/4" Flame Retardant Wire Loom Tubing Polypropylene Split Corrugated Conduit (5.5mm ID) that surrounds the Ancor wiring. "This polypropylene wire loom is used to protect and organize wire harnesses, harness assemblies, loose cable bundles, and is ideal for automotive and industrial applications." The roll of PP conduit was 100' so I did not include it in this picture.


Some of the Ancor products I used for building this wiring harness - on the left is an Ancor Heat Shrink Terminals & Connector Kit (#320101) and on the right is Ancor Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (#330101). Tool used include Ancor Single Crimp Ratchet Tool (#703010), Wire & Cable Cutter (#703005), Klein heavy-duty wire strippers (#K12035), Bosch 15-amp professional heat gun, and others. Of course, you can spend less money and maybe the items you receive are fine. For my purposes, by default I usually search for the best within reason. for electrical components this is especially true and ultimately I consider it the price you must pay for some additional safety. The last event I am interested in experiencing is a fire inside my camper while sleeping alone miles away from any help. It just isn't worth it to me so the few extra dollars and attention to detail are well worth it.


With the harness complete I was excited to see the lights finally come to life. Whomever at AEV came up with the idea of including integrated lights as part of the rear bumper deserves a firm handshake and pat on the back. The inset picture up top simply shows an Ancor heat shrink connector properly installed. Note the proper crimp ratchet tool did not damage any of the heat shrink and the adhesive inside the heat shrink was heated up to a temperature where the bonding agent began to weep from the ends signifying proper application. The inset on the bottom depicts the same wire from the Mopar Aux Switch Upfitter Wiring Kit attached to Ancor 16 AWG wire, encased in Electriduct, heatshrink applied, and waiting to be wrapped with Tesa cloth tape.

Note - the two wires off to the left are 40' extensions connecting my house battery to my solar panels sitting out in the sunlight in front.


Of course I ventured out at night to test the newly installed rear bumper lights and was happy with their performance. Unfortunately, I was unable to manually control the digital aperture, shutter speed, and ISO on the camera inside my phone so you must keep in mind the images you see are not as accurate as real life. In short, if the scene appears dark the phone exposes for a longer period to make it lighter, and vice-versa.

The top row is looking out the drivers window at the side mirror and seeing what is behind the truck. On the left is a picture taken with only the OEM black-up lights mounted in the LED tail lights. These do a good job but are nothing compared to the picture on the upper right which includes the AEV/Baja Designs rear bumper lights. The bottom row represents the same scenario when viewing my OEM back up camera through my dash mounted Uconnect 8.4". That unit attempts to do the same as the camera by increasing the exposure on dimly lit scenes while underexposing scenes that are well lit. I am happy with the performance and only wish I would have had these installed when my AEV Prospector was built years ago.


And finally, a tip of the hat to the fine folks at LockNLube for selling the proper brass coupling the connect their LockNFlate locking air chuck to my Milton 500 series inflator gauge. The white residue you see around the fittings is LOCTITE 565 which is a "general purpose thread sealant for an instant low-pressure seal." Once again, it only costs a few dollars more and takes a few extra minutes. I'm worth it and so are you...

...tryna make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you die...

 

[Pzary3233]

I LOVE your thread and enjoy seeing the updates! We almost crossed paths in the Ozarks we ended up running the OOAT and again in Mississippi.

I am looking at building one of these trucks in a slightly different configuration. I am having a hard time justifying the 6.4L which is the powertrain I want especially with the 8 speed. What are you seeing your fuel economy looking like these days? How about your "comfortable" range? Do you find that the range is limiting for your adventures or do you find that it is adequate for back country travel? We are going to spend a lot of time in the North Maine Woods and range is going to be a big limitation I feel.

 

[nckwltn]

I LOVE your thread and enjoy seeing the updates! We almost crossed paths in the Ozarks we ended up running the OOAT and again in Mississippi.

I am looking at building one of these trucks in a slightly different configuration. I am having a hard time justifying the 6.4L which is the powertrain I want especially with the 8 speed. What are you seeing your fuel economy looking like these days? How about your "comfortable" range? Do you find that the range is limiting for your adventures or do you find that it is adequate for back country travel? We are going to spend a lot of time in the North Maine Woods and range is going to be a big limitation I feel.

I have a very similar setup, albeit a 2015 Prospector (4 door) and Hawk. I live out west where you can travel back-country tracks that have no fuel stops for a couple hundred miles without some significant re-routing, and range anxiety is something that came up on my last trip out in the Mojave. On day 3 we changed up the route, which put the fuel station at the end of the last day. I did make it with my 5 extra gallons, but I was concerned (although, I don't think my low fuel light came on... so I had dozens of miles of range remaining).

If I'm spending a lot of time in 4-low on the trail, I'm going to be in the high single digits for MPG (7-9), but out west we do have a lot of elevation gains. Cruising down the freeway at 65-70 I'm getting just a hair over 12 MPG. Its only a few MPG difference between on/off road, but over ~31 gallons in the tank, it does add up.

In attempts to stick inside stated/rated payload capacities the Hemi was the way to go for me. It mostly came down to weight. I liked the off-road articulation that the 2500 suspension offered. The Cummins cuts 1k of payload because it's SO heavy. As a result, if you have a 2500 Cummins, your payload is something like ~1500-1700lbs (at least in the 4th gen Ram HDs). I didn't intend to be towing anything so didn't need that extra torque the diesel offered either. In addition the extra up-front cost of the Cummins was also a factor. I calculated it was going to take me 7+ years before the extra expense of the 6.7 would pay for itself in estimated fuel savings. If you're full time on the road, diesel might yield a fuel savings much sooner.

Now, what I didn't consider is that I'm pretty much stuck with the factory 31 gallon tank; there are California compliant aftermarket diesel tanks that will give you in the 50 gallon capacity. My buddy with a 3500 and his 50 gallon tank usually fills up at the start of a 5 day trip, and doesn't need to touch a fuel station again until he is on his way home. Whereas I'm filling up at the beginning. With an extra 5 gallons in a fuel bladder for emergency, and I still need to fill up half way through a 5 day trip (assuming we are moving camp every day). I'm sure his on-highway fuel economy is +2-4 mpg what I get and his trail economy might even be better than that.

I'm super happy with the setup. Wish I could mount the 37" tire in the factory location, and I wish I could swap larger fuel tank, but a couple of jerry cans/fuel bladders work for now.

IMHO, I'd rather have a smaller truck, with a more simple setup (GFC style), but the Hawk makes things easier for me and more comfortable for my wife and 2 young daughters when they come along.

 

[ramblinChet]

I LOVE your thread and enjoy seeing the updates! We almost crossed paths in the Ozarks we ended up running the OOAT and again in Mississippi.

I am looking at building one of these trucks in a slightly different configuration. I am having a hard time justifying the 6.4L which is the powertrain I want especially with the 8 speed. What are you seeing your fuel economy looking like these days? How about your "comfortable" range? Do you find that the range is limiting for your adventures or do you find that it is adequate for back country travel? We are going to spend a lot of time in the North Maine Woods and range is going to be a big limitation I feel.

My overall average fuel economy is 12.3 MPG over the past 90k miles and to support what @nckwltn shared, I sometimes see 15-16 mpg on the highway at 100 km/h while most time on the trail I see 8-10 mpg for slow trails and 10-12 mpg for average ones.

When I plan a trail I treat it much like a mission so calculating how much water, fuel, food, etc. is perfectly normal. One habit I have is to always begin the trail with a full bag of gas along with plans to refuel. My plans normally involve exploring small towns just off the trail within 20-30 miles of either side - I highlight these stations with a special symbol on my navigation software knowing that I will most likely stop at on or more. When I am on the trail and I burn down to one-half tank remaining I begin looking ahead and if there is a station just off the trail I jump off and gas up. If I burn down to only one-quarter of a tank remaining my mission immediately changes to locating fuel.

Keep in mind this is in addition to having two five-gallon Jerry cans available as emergency reserve. My plan seems to work well and there has not been a single time where I have been required to tap into my emergency reserve fuel. Decades ago I spent time flying in the military and fuel was an important calculation and consideration for every single mission - I treat it the same today. To me part of the enjoyment in overlanding centers around solving these logistical issues such as water, fuel, and food, on a regular basis - I consider it constant exercise.

I respect that your challenges in the forests of northern Maine may require additional considerations since there may not be small towns with fuel available. Make sure to document your adventures and share them with us so we can all learn from your experiences. Maybe in a year or two my plans are to return to that area of these United States. Happy trails!

 

[ramblinChet]

My Diode Dynamics SS3 SAE White Max LED Pods with Combo beam patterns, serving as A-pillar lights, required replacement since the exterior coating had faded and even began to separate in areas. This confused me since I had other Diode Dynamics installed at the same time and they all appeared to be fine despite being exposed to the same conditions. The inset picture on the lower-right is the MWR Auto-Hobby Shop at the Coast Guard Training Center here in Yorktown - I visit here sometimes when working on my vehicle. The shop has a full selection of Snap-On tools, three vehicle lifts, several open bays, a tire changing machine, etc.


For reference - here is the warranty claim submitted through Diode Dynamics. All it took was a simple phone call, a few minutes talking with a young professional at their headquarters in St. Louis, and him confirming that years ago they had a few bad batches of product produced that later showed signs of coating failure, and I was supplied with a warranty repair number. I mailed my lights in and days later new ones were mailed back to me. All the premium lighting manufacturers such as Baja Designs, Diode Dynamics, Rigid, have great products with a great warranty.


Here's another shot taken on another day of the Auto-Hobby Shop on base. This time I was going to begin swapping my AEV/Bilstein 5100 series shock absorbers for AEV/Bilstein XP8100 Remote Reservoir shocks. When I was discussing the original build configuration with AEV in 2021 they hinted that the 8100s were possibly going to be available in a year or so but I wanted to run the 5100s for a few years anyway and then swap over so I could measure the difference, if any, based upon my experience. This simple swap turned out to be a bit more challenging than expected although in the end, everything turned out just fine.


Here are shots of the rear shocks going in which I predicted were going to be more difficult when compared to the fronts due to the fact that the factory spare tire had been removed and replaced with a larger Titan 30-gallon Spare Tire Auxiliary Fuel System. After spending time laying under my truck and examining the relationship between the conventional 5100s and considering how the 8100s with a piggy-back reservoir would fit - I was concerned with the shock contacting the Titan tank while the axle articulated. Despite my concerns, there are no issues and everything fits well. Whew!

The inset picture up top shows the 5100 preparing to be removed - you can see the tank just off to the left and then bulging out down to the lower-left. Maybe I worry too much but my argument is, I would rather identify and resolve a potential problem on my own schedule instead of being forced to deal with it on the side of a trail, without any warning. Spending a few more minutes during installation can potentially save hours of grief down the road. The inset picture on the lower-right depicts the bottom of an 8100 about to be snugged down and then torqued to 110 pound-feet. Also, make sure to use Anti-Seize Lubricant during reassembly.


Harbor Freight was my solution for being in a pinch and requiring a 4-1/2" angle grinder and grinding wheel for five minutes worth of work. Thirty-five years ago I purchase a premium angle grinder and up until maybe five years ago, I still owned it and used it on occasion. But as I grow older I use certain tools less frequently and give them to my son or others who can make better use of them. In this case, the simplest and best solution was under $20 and only a few minutes away. My logic was that if it lasted for this job, that is all I needed. The tool worked perfectly fine and I feel it was the best solution available for my particular scenario.


I'm big on reading, and re-reading, and days later re-reading a few more times any sort of instruction that comes with a product. In this case the AEV instructions that came with the 8100s suggested that there may be excess welds on the front spring/shock towers that require grinding down prior to installing the brackets for the remote reservoirs. Thanks to AEV and their detailed instructions, none of this was a surprise when I test fitted the brackets so a few minutes of grinding and my problem was solved. Their instructions also mention to inspect the lower shock bracket where it is welded to the front axle to verify a full weld has been applied. Once again, this is great information to have available and represents a few additional minutes of work now compared to possibly experiencing an unexpected component failure in a random location.


The front shocks gave me more of a headache than expected since the nuts and threaded shafts up top on both sides were rusted. Honestly, the rust is my fault - what would have prevented it was immediate application of a lanolin-based brand of corrosion preventive and lubricant. Now you clearly can see when just a few weeks ago I purchased a six-pack of Blaster Surface Shield and am planning to finally spray the underside prior to departing for my next year worth of adventures.

The red-circle shows the offending nut and threaded shaft up top that rewarded me with hours of excitement. This one was on the drivers side adjacent to the anti-lock brake system and associated lines and although the picture suggests there is ample room to stick fingers or a wrench in there, it is really a poor design and there should have been additional access provided. On the passenger side there was a massive amount of room so I reached in with an air cut-off tool and zipped the rusted nut right off.

The inset picture on the bottom right shows how the drivers side was addressed. In summary, I did not want to risk damaging the ABS system so I decided to work from below and cut through the shock shaft where a metal collar sits atop a machined shoulder of the shaft. If you cut the shaft below this point everything up top is still fixed in place. If you cut at the collar, everything in the bushing pack comes apart as soon as you cut through.


I finished late into the evening just as the Auto-Hobby Shop was shutting down on base so here is a picture of those beautiful AEV/Bilstein XP8100 Remote Reservoir shocks installed. Over the years I have viewed other RAMs with King or Fox shocks (which are great shocks) installed and the mounting the remote reservoir has always appeared like an afterthought; I have seen them bolted to the plastic wheel well liner, a generic clamp, etc. Attention to detail and professional design in accordance with SAE engineering standards is where American Expedition Vehicles stands out head-and-shoulders above all others. AEV produces OEM quality components that are designed, tested, produced to SAE and FMVSS standards, and are currently being installed on OEM production lines. It's disappointing to say that AEV stands alone and I do hope to see other companies step up to the plate some day - competition is good for the consumer.


Some of my buddies are sending daily pictures of them on the trail and asking when I will be joining them. The beautiful blue Power Wagon is owned by Paul (IG: overland_the_horizons). Recently Paul swapped his Palomino camper for a loaded Four Wheel Camper and he could not be happier. Paul summed it up by saying the Palomino was great for weekend excursions but just was not able to hold up for full time use since everything was slowly breaking down.

I met Paul (inset picture far left) while camping three years ago in the Ocala National Forest in Florida and we have shared several trails since then. Matt (inset picture far right) and I met at Overland Expo East two years ago and we nearly crossed paths last fall in the Pacific North West. Since Matt was exploring Florida, I introduced him to Paul who was nearby and as I am complete with my upgrades and maintenance, we are planning to head west together. I think Paul and I both agree that it's strange what desire will make foolish people do...

(photo credits to Paul)