AT Overland Dodge with FWC Flatbed Camper

[cchoc]

This will be fun to look at, I assume it will be at ExPo West?

 

[elcoyote]

This will be fun to look at, I assume it will be at ExPo West?

Yes it will Charlie. Joining us for happy hour? :beer:

 

[cchoc]

I expect so. ;-)

 

[Herbie]

With the longer wheel base of the full size truck we feel that it is important to have some slider armor to compensate for the reduced break over angle. Also, with the 4.5" lift and 35" tires, it's going to need a step for climbing into the cab as well. We were inspired by an old friend of ours Steve Raynor who developed the original "Boulder Bars" to build sliders that attach to the frame with thread forming bolts and incorporate a clamp to the rocker panel pinch welds. We have seen vehicles survive the worst of conditions using this methodology and we thought it appropriate for this truck as well. Thank you Steve...we miss you.
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A lot of the Astro/Safari guys use the same method - particularly since we're semi-unibody and don't have a frame, so they use the pinch welds and the few available other hard points in the area. Lots of success there, nobody has had any failures that I know of.

 

[elcoyote]

We got the flatbed back from powder coating and we are pleased with the results. It had previously been painted a gloss black and had quite a bit of rust on it. Now with a good zinc based under-coat and textured black powder coating on top it is ready to provide years of service. With the new headache rack the truck has lost the "Farm truck" look and become more functional.

 

[elcoyote]

Time for suspension! We chose the 4.5" ICON Vehicle Dynamics Stage 3 lift kit. We know that this will easily clear the 35" tires we are starting off with and will work with the 37's we will use in the future. We opted for the 2.5 variable dampening shocks front and rear. Scott Spiva at ICON worked closely with us to dial in the valving after we clearly laid out the total planned weight on front and rear axles. The quality of the kit is very good and the shocks are the size of bazookas. The install instructions are clear but lack the pictorials that we normally see with others. Take your time and read the instructions thoroughly. If you can't visualize how the components go together, give ICON a shout, they are always helpful on the phone. More info on the kit here: http://http://iconvehicledynamics.com/shop/2003-2008-45-suspension-systems/470-2003-2008-dodge-ram-2500-3500-4wd-45-suspension-system-stage-3.html
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[goodtimes]

We were inspired by an old friend of ours Steve Raynor who developed the original "Boulder Bars" to build sliders that attach to the frame with thread forming bolts and incorporate a clamp to the rocker panel pinch welds. We have seen vehicles survive the worst of conditions using this methodology and we thought it appropriate for this truck as well. Thank you Steve...we miss you.

Interesting.

Any concerns with the frame and cab twisting at different rates causing any issues with tearing out at the pinch weld?

 

[elcoyote]

Interesting.

Any concerns with the frame and cab twisting at different rates causing any issues with tearing out at the pinch weld?

No, not in this application

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Dave Bennett]

:lurk:

 

[BJ'sFJ]

subbed. Can't wait to see whats next

 

[escadventure]

I'll be looking for you at Expo West!

 

[Denny@fwcjh]

Looks Good can't wait to see at Expo West!

 

[elcoyote]

Got the suspension all sorted and in place. The ICON 2.5 shocks are massive. They look like bazookas next the OEM shocks.In one of the attached images you can see the difference between the single rate front coil and the dual rate ICON coil.

 

[elcoyote]

Next to work on some storage boxes to go below the flatbed. Most people use aluminum or steel boxes but we decided to take a different tack on this and use the same fiberthane composite material that we make our storage drawers and cabinetry with. The reason we chose this path is that the cabinets would be light, durable and have a R-4 insulation value that should mitigate condensation that often builds up inside metal boxes. This methodology also allows us to use boat access hatches that has a double O-ring seal that should keep moisture out.

 

[elcoyote]

The underbed boxes fit nicely. They are attached to the underside of the bed with threaded rivet nut inserts so that they can be easily removed if more access is needed for maintenance. Unlike the AT JKU that had gear stored in multiple places, we are able to fit our complete recovery kit, complete tool kit, tire repair kit, jumper cables, safety triangles, electrical maintenance kit and adhesives repair kit all in just one of the forward under bed boxes. Extra bonus is that this heavy kit is a low as it can be contributing to a relatively low CG.