"Dodge" 2010 Ram 3500 Build

[Kingsize24]

Well, we did it. We got a trailer, an early 2021 HQ21. Now, the problems get more interesting. The truck sits level now, but the bed is empty and I'm nearly on the thick lower leaf. The trailer tongue needs to come up 2-3 inches by my measurements, but pics look like more and that doesn't count another 400-500lbs on the tongue when fully loaded. I'm guessing I could have another 500lbs (likely more) back there when traveling. Now I'm thinking that I should look for a deal on Carli progressive leafs for the rear. Heh. I can see the rabbit hole from here.

I think once you get that trailer leveled out you may have less tongue weight than you do now, and thus less squat. I'd get that fixed first and see how you like it. It's definitely not looking overly squatted, and getting the tongue weight distribution right will help that even more. Great combo BTW!

 

[FEF]

That's kinda what I was thinking. Clearly, I don't have a lot of spare cash floating about after this purchase, but it won't cost much to get a 3" rise (can't find a 2" rise) hitch with a mount for dual sway control. That said, I may get the Carli add-a-pack. That alone should give me more travel when articulation is needed. But you're right. Step 1 - get trailer level.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

This is bound to ruffle a few feathers...

The GM style mirrors came in. And again, while this does serve a purpose while towing, it's going to look like a purely cosmetic change. I started with the right mirror because I can turn my head and see the blind spot. I can shake the bugs out of the drivers side before I go to the left side, which is more important to me.

Here's what they look like installed. Personally, I'm not sure I like the looks of them from a form-over-function perspective. However, I knew I made the right choice the second I got into the driver seat.

The first thing I did when I pulled them out of the box was try to find a place for a camera. After pulling all the removable panels off and thinking about it for a while, I found that the lower outside corner would be best.

The video cable was resized and pulled through

I found that two of the bolts were longer then the other, and longer then the OEM mirror so I took the time to cut them off.

The mirrors came with an 'extra' harness for the backup lights and the running light. I could have wired the running light to the turn signal but decided not too. Truth is, someday if I get bored I'll look into having a few of the LEDs running lights and the others turn signal. I'll have to put in a relay for the backup lights so I can run them off the reverse trigger I'm using for the plate back-up camera. Of course, they were not bound in any way so I chucked them up and twisted them with a drill.

I spliced the turn signal trigger for the rear view monitor into the turn signal wire and ran the wires through the boot and through the white plastic piece that holds the connectors. The hole for the video cable was made bigger to include the harness. As it turns out, I'm not practically perfect in every way and spliced the wrong wire for the turn trigger. I was able to test the camera placement after I fixed that hick-up.

The camera points down too far so I had to pull the panel off the mirror and think of some fix. After some head scratching I decided to heat it with a heat gun and reform it. This isn't the way it ended up but it gives an idea of the process.

I got the switches for the Power Step and the monitors. I'll be working to those next. Up till now, all the things I've done are reversible. Drilling holes into a perfectly good dash has always been unsettling to me. It's got to be done, though.

Not personally a buyer of Dodge/Ram /Stellantis products but one thing that impressed me the last few years was the was a Ram 1500 side view mirrors can just pivot upward on the outer axis and "stand up" to become tow mirrors.

That, and tail light sockets themselves being removable at the socket, so one does not have to either change and entire sub-harness or pig-tail a cobb job replacement socket in.

 

[lyz440]

Well, we did it. We got a trailer, an early 2021 HQ21. Now, the problems get more interesting. The truck sits level now, but the bed is empty and I'm nearly on the thick lower leaf. The trailer tongue needs to come up 2-3 inches by my measurements, but pics look like more and that doesn't count another 400-500lbs on the tongue when fully loaded. I'm guessing I could have another 500lbs (likely more) back there when traveling. Now I'm thinking that I should look for a deal on Carli progressive leafs for the rear. Heh. I can see the rabbit hole from here.

i dont have the carli leafs but i do have the thuren progressive leaf packs with 37s on my 3500 and they are SOFT. i have a no boundaries 20.3 which is very similar in size/weight and height and i get 4-5inches of sag when i hook up the trailer. i have a sled deck i use in the winter and with it and 2 snowmobiles in the bed the truck is on the bumpstops. i had to add the carli long travel airbags and a hellwig sway bar in the rear to make it stable, then i disconnect one side of the sway bar when im not hauling the snowmobiles to get the comfort back.

 

[FEF]

Wow. Fantastic information. Thanks for that. A side note: the No-Bo 20.3 with the Curt suspension was our #2 choice if the Black Series deal didn't happen.

I suspect that the Carli and Thuren spring-rates are very similar. Carli does make a spring pack "Designed for those with 1,500lbs. in bed at all times". Since I'm building this truck for this trailer (and adventuring), maybe I should consider that. The Add-A-Pack $500-600, and the long travel bags are $1100. That's about $1700 for something that would work, but might want to replace one day. Thinking outside the box, maybe remove the overloads, add Caltracs traction bars and air bags for $1500-1600, OR maybe the Add-A-Pack with Kinderman's 2-stage rear suspesion for ~$2500. The new springs are $2100-2200... Or maybe just get bags until I do the 4-link rear end, maybe Kindermen. BUT, I've been wondering, for a long time, how the Kinderman 2-stage rear with the Carli or Thuren springs would perform. If I had the money to play around with, I'd do it. That rear would have the height adjustment and articulation and might do very well on washboards.

For right now, I'm probably going the add-a-pack route and a sway bar would be good too. If I find I need bags, and since I don't plan to do tough trails, I'd seriously look into the 2-stage rear. I don't think it hangs too much lower that the trailer hitch. If it does, maybe I could make a bumper that hangs down there for the earth to bang on. There's so many ways to go.

https://www.carlisuspension.com/product/dodge/dodge-ram-2500-3500/ram-components/10-13-components/dodge-3-pintop-2-5-2013-3500-diesel-shock-package/

CalTracs Truck (5510) – Calvert Racing, Inc.

calvertracing.com

https://kelderman.com/product/2010-2013-ram-2500-3500-2-stage-rear-air-suspension/

https://kelderman.com/product/2010-2013-ram-2500-3500-4-link-rear-air-suspension/

 

[Fly fisherman]

Well, we did it. We got a trailer, an early 2021 HQ21. Now, the problems get more interesting. The truck sits level now, but the bed is empty and I'm nearly on the thick lower leaf. The trailer tongue needs to come up 2-3 inches by my measurements, but pics look like more and that doesn't count another 400-500lbs on the tongue when fully loaded. I'm guessing I could have another 500lbs (likely more) back there when traveling. Now I'm thinking that I should look for a deal on Carli progressive leafs for the rear. Heh. I can see the rabbit hole from here.

Flip your ball mount over. See what it looks like.

 

[lyz440]

Wow. Fantastic information. Thanks for that. A side note: the No-Bo 20.3 with the Curt suspension was our #2 choice if the Black Series deal didn't happen.

I suspect that the Carli and Thuren spring-rates are very similar. Carli does make a spring pack "Designed for those with 1,500lbs. in bed at all times". Since I'm building this truck for this trailer (and adventuring), maybe I should consider that. The Add-A-Pack $500-600, and the long travel bags are $1100. That's about $1700 for something that would work, but might want to replace one day. Thinking outside the box, maybe remove the overloads, add Caltracs traction bars and air bags for $1500-1600, OR maybe the Add-A-Pack with Kinderman's 2-stage rear suspesion for ~$2500. The new springs are $2100-2200... Or maybe just get bags until I do the 4-link rear end, maybe Kindermen. BUT, I've been wondering, for a long time, how the Kinderman 2-stage rear with the Carli or Thuren springs would perform. If I had the money to play around with, I'd do it. That rear would have the height adjustment and articulation and might do very well on washboards.

For right now, I'm probably going the add-a-pack route and a sway bar would be good too. If I find I need bags, and since I don't plan to do tough trails, I'd seriously look into the 2-stage rear. I don't think it hangs too much lower that the trailer hitch. If it does, maybe I could make a bumper that hangs down there for the earth to bang on. There's so many ways to go.

https://www.carlisuspension.com/product/dodge/dodge-ram-2500-3500/ram-components/10-13-components/dodge-3-pintop-2-5-2013-3500-diesel-shock-package/

CalTracs Truck (5510) – Calvert Racing, Inc.

calvertracing.com

https://kelderman.com/product/2010-2013-ram-2500-3500-2-stage-rear-air-suspension/

https://kelderman.com/product/2010-2013-ram-2500-3500-4-link-rear-air-suspension/

ive had 3 thuren equipped trucks and my 3500 has pretty much everything thuren makes on it and carli for the stuff thuren doesnt make and i have spent quite a bit of time talking to thuren fab/ don thuren on the phone about suspension setup. thuren spring rates are generally softer than carli but his shock valving it set up higher to compensate for the soft springs, carli runs a heavier spring rate with a softer valving, but not much heavier. if you dont plan on having heavy weight above the bed rails i wouldnt waste the money on a rear sway bar, i have the thuren soft rate front sway bar and i only hook up the rear bar when i have the snowmobiles above the bed in the winter. i love the ride of the full leaf packs but bags are mandatory towing, but i wouldnt change back now. i regularly haul a 14000lb excavator with my truck and i put 50psi in the bags and hit the road. our speed limits here are 70 and i cross 3 mountain passes going to our cabin and i dont feel uncomfortable hauling that weight with the soft suspension with bags.

 

[FEF]

Flip your ball mount over. See what it looks like.

Can’t. It came with the Curt Rebellion XD. They are a pretty cool cushion design that can’t be flipped. I’ve bought a 14K lb Curt round bar WD hitch that has tabs for two anti-sway bars with a shank that can be flipped. I don’t plan to use the bars, but it’s an option. I see the add-a-pack in my near future. However, every now and again you can find screaming deals on eBay for springs. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

I’ve found that the white electrical connectors are not going to work. I’ve had things quit working because the pins pull out of the sockets. So in another few days I’ll be posting about how I’ve had to rewire things and take more pictures.

And it’s a fair point about the rear sway bar. I may end up with a canopy on the back and I might end up with a spare tire on top of that, on a rack, but that’s nothing like snowmobiles so the truck may be fine. We’ll have to see.

This is fun