Bed rack fabrication for RTT -- 06 Dodge Ram 3500

[Scoutman]

A few weeks ago I managed to get out for a solo trip to one of my favorite spots. The kids were at their grandparents for the summer and my wife had a weekend planned with friends. The creek was great for cooling off and it was nice to just chill, cook, drink, read, and relax.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[cj7ox]

Looking good! I thought I recognized that truck. LOL! I can't believe how big the kids have gotten!

Sean

 

[Espdp2]

Looks awesome. Tell us about that round griddle that keeps making appearances. ?

 

[Wilbah]

Great work and attention to detail!

 

[Scoutman]

Looks awesome. Tell us about that round griddle that keeps making appearances. ?

That's a Skottle from Tembo Tusk. It's basically a discada/disco/cowboy wok with a single burner propane stove attached to the bottom. Easy to set up, easy to cook on, easy to clean up, convenient to pack on trips. There's lots of info on here about them.

 

[Scoutman]

Dodge got some new shoes yesterday.
BFG AT KO2, 35x12.5x17. I wanted a slightly larger tire from the 305-70 Nittos I've ran for three sets now. I also wanted a slightly softer tire that would smooth out some of the bumps in the road.

First impressions are good although I'm a bit disappointed in the amount of weight it took to balance them. They are slightly louder than the Nittos but do seem to ride smoother.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Scoutman]

So after 3 trips to Discount Tires I am changing tires. Three of the initial 4 BFG's needed so much excessive weight that they ordered a new set. A week or so later I get the 4 new ones mounted up and after lots of work they got it down to only 1 excessive tire. Both sets were slinging weights and had vibes around 60-70 mph. At this point I'd had enough so it was back to the webs to figure out what was next. I really wanted them to work out but their ability to stay balanced in the long run was not something I wanted to constantly fight. They looked great, rode ok, sounded ok, but in the end I'm going back with a Japanese tire. Toyo Open Country AT2 xtreme in 35x12.5x17. Hopefully they live up to their reputation.

 

[warrpath4x4]

I have Toyo Open country tires on my Jeep and they still look new after about 10,000 miles, now I know my jeep doesn't weigh as much as your truck but I am happy with them.

 

[Explorerinil]

So after 3 trips to Discount Tires I am changing tires. Three of the initial 4 BFG's needed so much excessive weight that they ordered a new set. A week or so later I get the 4 new ones mounted up and after lots of work they got it down to only 1 excessive tire. Both sets were slinging weights and had vibes around 60-70 mph. At this point I'd had enough so it was back to the webs to figure out what was next. I really wanted them to work out but their ability to stay balanced in the long run was not something I wanted to constantly fight. They looked great, rode ok, sounded ok, but in the end I'm going back with a Japanese tire. Toyo Open Country AT2 xtreme in 35x12.5x17. Hopefully they live up to their reputation.

Research bfg at tires on ram trucks, you will see tons of issues, they don’t do well with a heavy cummins truck. You will love the Toyo AT tire!

 

[SixLug]

PM'd you Scoutman

 

[Halligan]

I run the AT2 and they're a great tire and don't take a lot of weight. May I recommend you road force balance them, I'm on my 3rd set of AT2's and the first 2 sets were silky smooth at all speeds. My current set was only high speed balanced not road force balanced and they shimmy around 65 mph. One of these days I will get them road force balanced.

 

[Scoutman]

Good to see some positive feedback on the Toyo's. So far so good after having them put on Tuesday. They road force balanced out pretty well. 2 of them took more weight than I would have liked but they did stick on weights this time so I shouldn't be slinging them anytime soon. They ride smoother and are just a touch louder than the Nitto TG's and the BFG AT2's (but not by much). 50k warranty, much more agressive tread, and the 35 seems to be a perfect size while still being practical.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Scoutman]

Decided to try hauling the kayaks under the rack this weekend. It worked out pretty well as long as they were the last items packed and first out. I may build some cross bars in the future.

On our way out of town I ran it fully loaded across the scales. 10440#
2 adults, 2 kids, 2 kayaks, 2 dogs, full fuel, water, food, drinks, gear for an extended weekend at the lake. I had always estimated it to be around 10k loaded so I was close (kayaks don't typically go)

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Scoutman]

Wow, I haven't posted any updates in almost a year. Let me fix that...

These are the other shots from our trip to the lake.

 

[Scoutman]

Rafting trip to the Hiawassee and Ocoee Rivers.