I have lots of pics, but I can't get them to upload to this Forum. I'll keep trying, but contact me if you're interested and I can email you the pics directly.
Overview: Regretfully, it's time for me to sell my one of a kind rig that I've used to explore the country for the last eighteen months. This is a great set up and I've loved it, but my life circumstances are changing and it's no longer the ideal rig for me.
Truck: 2022 Ram Diesel (6.7l Cummins) Tradesmen optioned with large infotainment screen, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Improved Sound System. The current mileage is just over 49k miles. When I bought the truck, I bought an extended warranty that is transferable.
Suspension: Carli Pintop. I went with the XXHD as recommended by Carli. However, I found the rear axle to be too stiff so I had the #5 leaf spring removed. Later I had the King shocks revolved to allow for better small bump compliance. The modifications made the truck A LOT more comfortable to drive, and it still handles large bumps and undulating terrain like a champ.
Wheels: Method 18" Beadgrip Wheels
Tires: 35 X 12.5" Falken Wildpeak AT4W's. I've been really happy with these tires! These are my first Wildpeaks, and the experience has turned me into a Falken fan.
Bumper: Expedition One. They do a pretty good job of designing front bumpers to fit really neatly to a specific year/model of truck.
Winch: 16.5 ton Come Up with synthetic line and wireless remote control. This is a great winch (arguably better than Warn) that has only ever been used once, and that was not to extract the truck.
Lights: two Baja Designs installed within the Expedition One bumper, and wired directly to a factory AUX switch under the infotainment screen.
Cargo: I deleted the back seat of the vehicle and built a custom cargo management system out of 3/4 birch plywood. I sprayed it with Raptor liner which is holding up pretty well and relatively easy to clean. It's very sturdy and securely fastened to the truck.
Camper: 2020 Overland Explorer Vehicles Camp-X (the current equivalent is the "Backcountry"). There's a small sink, a two-burner Suburban propane stove, Truma propane heat, and a Truma propane tankless water heater. There are two, 100 aH Lithium Ion Batteries and two large solar panels run by a Red Arch manager. I started out with one battery and one panel, which worked well for overnight camping, but wasn't always enough for multiple nights. As it's equipped now it more or less self-sustains itself indefinitely as long as there's even a moderate amount of sunshine. There's no factory AC (alternate current) in the camper, but I have a small plug-in inverter that works for my needs. There's a very sturdy Molle panel on the backside. In the past I've used the panel to carry a high-lift jack and traction boards, but currently it holds cameras and a small stool.
What's not perfect:
- Last Spring I was camping at in Michigan and due to my own error, I allowed the Truma water heater to freeze. The mixing/pressure vessel cracked and it's currently unusable. I'm tying to get that fixed, it probably will be repaired by the time we get to the sale.
- The Camp X has LED lights on the driver, passenger, and back side walls. Due to some tight trails and unfriendly branches, the lights on each side are damaged. I'm looking for a more durable solution, but at the moment they're banged up.
- There is some modest trail pinstripping on the camper and probably on the truck too. I have no shame about this, just means it's been used as intended.
- Although there's no functional problem, there are the very early signs of some corrosion that are just starting to show. I've seen it at the bottom corner of the camper door, and near one of the latches that hold down the roof. This is not a big problem, but I mention it for full disclosure.
- There have been early signs of surface rust on the leaf springs and front differential that I've addressed with Fluid Film or a rattle can of black paint. Again, this is not a problem, we're talking about a tiny amount of surface rust.
- It has the factory diesel emissions system. It's been running just fine lately, but it has acted up in the past. This is pretty much standard for any modern diesel with factory emissions, but there are options to fix this problem forever.
- As much as I love the Wolfbox rear camera, it doesn't work as well when it gets wet. It's not a matter of water in the unit or the connections, but just the surface water on the exterior lens that blurs the image.
What I love about this rig:
- This rig is a beast! It's big and powerful and just fun to drive. Just hearing the engine fire up makes me feel good.
- If you wan't to explore, or just wander, this setup really works. It's not a rock crawler, but it can get to some pretty "off the beaten track" places. Multiple times I've had BLM land all to myself because nobody took take their trailers, vans, and less capable rigs over an obstacle. A number of times I've had the rig at 13 degrees camber and it's solid as a rock; I'm sure it could go even further. I had to take it slow, but I've navigated some pretty gnarly obstacles to get away from the crowds.
- It's a quality build, done right; there are no bargain parts on this truck. I believe in "buy once, cry once." It's worth the extra money to spend my time adventuring rather than fixing my rig. I'd encourage anyone interested to research OEV; they build really high-quality equipment and I've become a fan. Their designs are simple and extremely durable; they just don't break (except for the exterior led lights, haha). The camper itself is almost all composite and aluminum; the only wood is the countertop and dinette table and that's coated with a super tough coating.
- It's relatively easy to maintain. It's not a big space inside and it doesn't take long to clean. It doesn't leak, and things don't break. I get to spend my time how I want and not dealing with my equipment.
- It's a great balance between functionality and comfort. Everyone is different, but this has been a really good mix of capability and still being comfortable enough to enjoy myself. I can't get as far as a Wrangler with a RTT, but when it rains I have a comfortable shelter where I can stand upright and a real queen size bed, heater, hot water, sink, and two-burner stove. I could go on for a long time on this topic, but suffice to say, it's a good mix for a lot of people.
- I've never been the slow guy in the right lane struggling up a mountain, not even once. The diesel emissions system is sometimes frustrating, but the Cummins power feels endless. I try my best to avoid Interstates, but sometimes it's just inevitable. I drove up I-70 west out of Denver and drove along with traffic with power to spare.
- The technology works well, and makes traveling more enjoyable. The large display screen works perfectly with OnX and some other apps. The Adaptive Cruise Control has been surprisingly handy on the interstates especially when I'm running along with the truckers. Sirius XM radio works (although the camper comes close to blocking the attenna) and was great driving through west Texas where there are no FM stations. The Wolfbox rearview camera (also front/rear dash cams) is great for knowing what behind me. It's not good enough to back up to a trailer, but it's a necessary safety tool for backing up. Also it nicely augments the rear view mirrors while on the road.
- I built in a safe to the rig to store valuables while away from it. It's hidden so I won't say where it is on this ad, but it's something you can use. I've found it comforting to know that I can stash my most valuable belongings in a place that thieves would probably never even find, even if they did, they'd still have to break into the safe.
- The build is pretty much done. There have been a few headaches getting this thing put together and fine tuned. I love this setup, but getting it worked out has been quite a lot of work.
- This one I love, and sometimes hate. You will get attention from a lot of other travelers. Be prepared for the "thumbs up" signs on the road. Also be prepared for people who want to check out the rig at campgrounds, and even gas stations. It's a cool-guy setup and people will check you out. It's never been a bad experience, but I've sometimes taken five minutes to talk to strangers when I really just wanted to get trucking.
Price: I'm asking $125k for the truck and camper together. It's a truly a "turn key" rig that's ready to go. It's much less than what I've got into rig, and much, much less than what it would cost to put it together today.
I have more photographs, but I can't get them to load into this ad. I keep getting a message "The file uploaded was not an image as expected." If you're interested, contact me and I can email them to you.
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