Advice needed. Adding bumpers, winch, and lights on a 2022 Ram 3500 Megacab

[Longship]

Hello! I'm new here and I'm hoping to get advice on modifications for a 2022 Ram 3500 Megacab. I intend to use the truck for longer range adventure travel rather than technical rock crawling, but I'm sure it will climb some rocks from time to time. I'm dividing the upgrades into a few stages; (1) Buy the truck, upgrade the suspension, wheels, and tires; (2) bumpers, winch, and lights; (3) bed organization; (4) capability improvements like lockers, larger fuel tank, snorkel if necessary (5) other.

For this post, I'd like to get some opinions on stage two - bumpers, winch, and lights. Off the top of my head, I have a few requirements that I think are important, but I could be wrong:

• I want the bumpers to be steel, not aluminum
• I want the parking sensors and cameras to work properly with the new bumpers
• I want the bumpers to easily accommodate the winch and easily integrate the lights

Bumper questions

• What do professionals consider when they upgrade bumpers
• Is there a clear answer or are these mods mostly personal preference
• Is full guard on the front bumper worth the weight. I think I want a full guard
• Is it important to have front and rear bumpers made by the same company
• What are the pros and cons of carrying a spare tire on the bumper like Expedition One

Light questions

• How much light do you need for driving. Work and area lighting will be done later
• Baja Designs focuses on lighting zones; Is this the best way to think about lighting
• Is there benefit to considering bumpers that use stock fog lights

Winch questions

• With respect to integrating the bumpers, winch, and lights, is there anything I need to know regarding fitment or ease of use

I'm looking for the best solutions and I'm willing to accept price and delayed delivery. Currently I'm considering Buckstop, Trail Ready, Expedition One, Baja Designs, and Warn (16.5, Synthetic), but there's a lot I don't know. What do you guys think i should do for bumpers, winch, and lights?

Stage 1: I installed a Carli Dominator suspension, 18x9 Method wheels, and 37x12.5 Falken Wildpeak AT3.
Stage 2: In progress
Stage 3: Maybe Nuthouse with an emphasis on modularity and minimalism
Stage 4: TBD
Stage 5: TBD

Is this the correct forum or should I have put in the "General Modifications" section?

Thanks to all for any advice!

 

[No Ma]

A few responses from a Jeep guy who just added a 2022 Ram 3500 crew cab with a Four Wheel Camper Hawk in-bed camper to the garage.

Bumper questions

• What do professionals consider when they upgrade bumpers
  • I'm just an owner and user of off-road vehicles and camping gear. For where I go, I know that the 3500s stock bumpers and air dams will not last through the first trip, so aftermarket bumpers were a requirement. Choice of bumpers was based on first: whether it supported needed equipment like a 16.5 winch and any needed lighting, second: availability, third: effect on entry and departure angles (they're already bad to begin with), fourth: looks. which is highly personal. All of the bumpers I considered were capable of meeting my needs and were from companies with experience and a track record in this market.
• Is there a clear answer or are these mods mostly personal preference
  • For me, it was clear that I didn't want to go without a winch and that stock bumpers (on a Big Horn model) would not survive. I also wanted some additional protection for the intercooler as we travel a lot of trails with embedded rocks of all sizes and ledges that require clearance for safe ascent/descent.
• Is full guard on the front bumper worth the weight. I think I want a full guard
  • Our travels have never required guards of any sort on our Jeeps and I'm willing to forgo one on the truck, again, based on the areas we frequent. I wanted to save some weight up front as it's already pretty heavy
• Is it important to have front and rear bumpers made by the same company
  • No. Never had matching front/rear bumpers on our Jeeps. Don't have them on the truck.
• What are the pros and cons of carrying a spare tire on the bumper like Expedition One
  • I couldn't consider those because of the camper. I have heard that some have better latching mechanisms than others.

Light Questions - Can't help much here. We have run forever with just LED headlights on the Jeep. We don't do much night running. We added a bit of Baja Design lights front and rear just in case. The camper provides our area lighting.

 

[Tex68w]

I had my single cab long bed 3500 on 37's with a Thuren level on some stuff out near DV with stock bumpers. Needless to say neither bumper escaped unscathed so a bumper upgrade will likely be in short order if you truly wheel the thing. While I don't think a full wrap bumper is necessary I have long been a fan of the look and the added protection isn't a bad thing. On a 2500/3500 I wouldn't sweat a little extra weight with full steel bumpers, they usually have payload to spare. That said, there aren't many full wrap options out there for these trucks so keep that in mind. Fingers crossed that Dissent decides to offer the full wrap they made for @roaminglost.

I have the AEV bumper sitting in my garage alongside of a Warn 16.5ti winch, the AEV is a great option but I'd be lying if I said I was "impressed" with their build quality, it's not a flawless bumper and I have a few buddies with PXL's with crooked bumpers. Buckstop and TrailReady are decent, Expo One has great designs but trash coating, opt to have it coated locally should you buy from them. Chassis Unlimited is another option probably on par with Buckstop and TR.

In terms of lights Baja Designs is great, Diode Dynamics is quality and so is Stedi out of Australia and they are a great price even with the international shipping. Unless you're doing a lot of high speed driving or night driving then a solid set of fogs and possibly a pair of auxiliary lights is all that most need. Warn or Come Up for the winch, Smittybilt is ok but every single one that I have owned had issues as did the Superwinch and Ramsey's I've had in the past.

 

[Longship]

A few responses from a Jeep guy who just added a 2022 Ram 3500 crew cab with a Four Wheel Camper Hawk in-bed camper to the garage.

Bumper questions

• What do professionals consider when they upgrade bumpers
  • I'm just an owner and user of off-road vehicles and camping gear. For where I go, I know that the 3500s stock bumpers and air dams will not last through the first trip, so aftermarket bumpers were a requirement. Choice of bumpers was based on first: whether it supported needed equipment like a 16.5 winch and any needed lighting, second: availability, third: effect on entry and departure angles (they're already bad to begin with), fourth: looks. which is highly personal. All of the bumpers I considered were capable of meeting my needs and were from companies with experience and a track record in this market.
• Is there a clear answer or are these mods mostly personal preference
  • For me, it was clear that I didn't want to go without a winch and that stock bumpers (on a Big Horn model) would not survive. I also wanted some additional protection for the intercooler as we travel a lot of trails with embedded rocks of all sizes and ledges that require clearance for safe ascent/descent.
• Is full guard on the front bumper worth the weight. I think I want a full guard
  • Our travels have never required guards of any sort on our Jeeps and I'm willing to forgo one on the truck, again, based on the areas we frequent. I wanted to save some weight up front as it's already pretty heavy
• Is it important to have front and rear bumpers made by the same company
  • No. Never had matching front/rear bumpers on our Jeeps. Don't have them on the truck.
• What are the pros and cons of carrying a spare tire on the bumper like Expedition One
  • I couldn't consider those because of the camper. I have heard that some have better latching mechanisms than others.

Light Questions - Can't help much here. We have run forever with just LED headlights on the Jeep. We don't do much night running. We added a bit of Baja Design lights front and rear just in case. The camper provides our area lighting.

No MA, Thanks for your reply; I appreciate the input. Interesting to hear that the bumpers wont survive a trip. I better prioritize that change!

 

[Longship]

I had my single cab long bed 3500 on 37's with a Thuren level on some stuff out near DV with stock bumpers. Needless to say neither bumper escaped unscathed so a bumper upgrade will likely be in short order if you truly wheel the thing. While I don't think a full wrap bumper is necessary I have long been a fan of the look and the added protection isn't a bad thing. On a 2500/3500 I wouldn't sweat a little extra weight with full steel bumpers, they usually have payload to spare. That said, there aren't many full wrap options out there for these trucks so keep that in mind. Fingers crossed that Dissent decides to offer the full wrap they made for @roaminglost.

I have the AEV bumper sitting in my garage alongside of a Warn 16.5ti winch, the AEV is a great option but I'd be lying if I said I was "impressed" with their build quality, it's not a flawless bumper and I have a few buddies with PXL's with crooked bumpers. Buckstop and TrailReady are decent, Expo One has great designs but trash coating, opt to have it coated locally should you buy from them. Chassis Unlimited is another option probably on par with Buckstop and TR.

In terms of lights Baja Designs is great, Diode Dynamics is quality and so is Stedi out of Australia and they are a great price even with the international shipping. Unless you're doing a lot of high speed driving or night driving then a solid set of fogs and possibly a pair of auxiliary lights is all that most need. Warn or Come Up for the winch, Smittybilt is ok but every single one that I have owned had issues as did the Superwinch and Ramsey's I've had in the past.

Tex68w - Thanks for your input. Another vote for an immediate bumper change. Are we saying the same thing with "full guard" and "full wrap?" I was talking about grill and light protection above the bumper; are you referring to bumpers that give a little side protection too? Thanks for the other names; I'll look into them.

And thanks for pointing out @roaminglost since i'm doing similar things.

 

[Tex68w]

Tex68w - Thanks for your input. Another vote for an immediate bumper change. Are we saying the same thing with "full guard" and "full wrap?" I was talking about grill and light protection above the bumper; are you referring to bumpers that give a little side protection too? Thanks for the other names; I'll look into them.

And thanks for pointing out @roaminglost since i'm doing similar things.

Yes, by full wrap I mean an upper guard or bar work that protects the head lights and grille.

 

[No Ma]

Just adding some specifics on what we bought for our 3500:

AEV front bumper. Expensive and a tough install. Some complain of final fitment issues, but ours looks good to my eye. I like the easy access to the winch, and it does take a 16.5 winch. We put a Warn 16.5 with synthetic rope in ours and it's very clean. Low winch hoop provided a good spot to install a 30" Baja Design light bar. Also added the AEV intercooler "skid plate". It's a set of tubes to keep large rocks and ledges off the intercooler. We added a 1/8" thick perforated plate behind the skid plate to keep rocks and other road debris from kicking up and damaging the intercooler. Looked at a Trailready, but at the time, delivery was even worse than it was for the AEV and I really didn't care for the looks. It also looked to hang lower than the AEV.

Chassis Unlimited Octane rear bumper. Compact, stout bumper that takes 2 2" LED lights. It also met our needs for clearance for a hitch mounted spare tire carrier. Looks good, has small step up cutouts.

 

[ramblinChet]

Here's a shot of my AEV for reference. Warn winches are my first choice and I have been running winches for 2.5 decades. Many good light available - in general, you get what you pay for. I purchased an assortment of Diode Dynamics after watching Behind the Scenes at Diode Dynamics! | Facility Tour.

 

[Longship]

Here's a shot of my AEV for reference. Warn winches are my first choice and I have been running winches for 2.5 decades. Many good light available - in general, you get what you pay for. I purchased an assortment of Diode Dynamics after watching Behind the Scenes at Diode Dynamics! | Facility Tour.

View attachment 720453

Nice looking truck @ramblinChet . Mine is the same color. Thanks for the advice; I should get inline for the Warn tomorrow.

 

[bas157]

For the bumpers, I'd say it comes down to personal preference that it meets your needs and your budget.
No reason to have same company bumpers on the front and back. I've got a TJM on the front and Buckstop on the rear.
I wanted the full guard on the front due to lots of deer in PA!
I ended up with an Aluminum TJM because if was the used first full replacement bumper I found for my truck....after 8 years of looking! I was hoping to find an ARB, Buckstop or TJM.

Pros of a tire on a bumper mounted carrier...could hold a much larger than stock tire and (probably) easier access to it. Cons....cost, needing to move it whenever you want to open the tailgate, reduced visibility, heavier than stock mount. If your tires/wheel is too heavy, might be a royal PITA to get a tire on and off of it.

If you're buying a bumper for a 1-ton truck, chances are if it is designed for a winch, it will fit the the large framed winches like the Warn 16.5, which is what I'd recommend.

Lighting really depends on where you live and will be driving. I've got a sent of KC HID lights that I don't think I'll ever mount since I doubt I'd really have a chance to use them due to usually having enough traffic on the road to really use them. If I was out west with big open areas, I'm sure I'd have them mounted and would be using them. I don't think using stock fog lights has any real benefit other than cost. Aftermarket should be better performing.

 

[Regcabguy]

On another tangent,what gears do you have? With the 37's your engine and trans are working much harder than with stock tires.
On the new ones I don't know what ratios are available. If 4.10's were available that would help. The idea is to replicate the powerband of stock tires with your 37's.

 

[Longship]

For the bumpers, I'd say it comes down to personal preference that it meets your needs and your budget.
No reason to have same company bumpers on the front and back. I've got a TJM on the front and Buckstop on the rear.
I wanted the full guard on the front due to lots of deer in PA!
I ended up with an Aluminum TJM because if was the used first full replacement bumper I found for my truck....after 8 years of looking! I was hoping to find an ARB, Buckstop or TJM.

Pros of a tire on a bumper mounted carrier...could hold a much larger than stock tire and (probably) easier access to it. Cons....cost, needing to move it whenever you want to open the tailgate, reduced visibility, heavier than stock mount. If your tires/wheel is too heavy, might be a royal PITA to get a tire on and off of it.

If you're buying a bumper for a 1-ton truck, chances are if it is designed for a winch, it will fit the the large framed winches like the Warn 16.5, which is what I'd recommend.

Lighting really depends on where you live and will be driving. I've got a sent of KC HID lights that I don't think I'll ever mount since I doubt I'd really have a chance to use them due to usually having enough traffic on the road to really use them. If I was out west with big open areas, I'm sure I'd have them mounted and would be using them. I don't think using stock fog lights has any real benefit other than cost. Aftermarket should be better performing.

I appreciate your answers. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Longship]

On another tangent,what gears do you have? With the 37's your engine and trans are working much harder than with stock tires.
On the new ones I don't know what ratios are available. If 4.10's were available that would help. The idea is to replicate the powerband of stock tires with your 37's.

Gears are 3.73. I don't know much about how the 37" effect this gear ratio. In order to get the 4.10, i would have had to choose DRW or maybe i could have gotten it with the Hemi, but I chose diesel and 3.73 by default. I never asked this question specifically, but this is the first time I'm hearing about this tradeoff. Thanks for the info. How do i compare the power band now versus what it was before? Would you say this is a priority to look into?

 

[billiebob]

For a winch mount the AEV bumpers are the bet but have you considered the mount RAM uses on the PowerWagon....
I have no idea if it will fit but often factory parts are the best. And the Power Wagon mount fits behind the factory bumper.

 

[Copperhead14]

Check out LOD Bumpers. They are well built and well thought out. Made in Indiana with high quality steel.