Dodge: 4th Gen Topper on 3rd Gen truck (Help wanted)

S

SixLug

Explorer
Hey everyone, been a while since I have posted up but I now have a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Megacab.

I'll get right to the point. I want the Snugtop Outback, but they don't make them for 3rd gen Dodges, and they are real @ssholes about it when asking for some help. Link to the shell below on AEV's forum:
https://forum.aev-conversions.com/f...s-product-discussion/9969-mega-cab-2500-build

Based on Dodge's "Body Builder Guides" for 3rd and 4th gen trucks, I feel like it will work, but want your opinions to see if I am missing anything.

Comparisons below laid out as follows: Description / 3rd gen dimension / 4th gen dimension

- Width between front pockets / 68.4 / 68.4
- Width between rear pockets / 65.1 / 65.1
- Front of bed to rear pockets / 74.0 / 73.8
- Bed length at the floor / 76.3 / 76.3
- Height of bed from floor to the rails / 20.2 / 20.1
- Tailgate opening width / 60.6 / 60.4
- Bed rail to top of cab / 23.8 / 23.9

Seems to me that the pertinent dimensions would line up pretty close to perfect. Missing anything? There are a ton more dimensions, but this seems to be what I need to know to make this work.

Thanks in advance!!
 
Tex68w

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Looks like it's worth taking a stab at it. I've always wanted to see one of those on a 2500 crew cab short bed. The only pics floating around the internet are of a Megacab and a long bed. I'll admit that the lifted Megacab looks great.
 
Mighty Dodge Ram

Mighty Dodge Ram

Explorer
As long as your truck dimensions are slightly larger I would think you’d be fine. Easy enough to fill a small gap. Not easy trying to squeeze into a tighter spot, especially with bed flex.
 
Scoutman

Scoutman

Explorer
Having an 06 myself, it seems like we're always the odd man out when it comes to aftermarket stuff. Everyone got such a hard on for the newer trucks that the availability of parts for the 06-09 trucks sucks. Even worse if you have a long bed.

I like the look of the snugtop outbacks but naturally it's not an option for me and would like to see windoors on the sides. Curious to see if you make this work based on a 4th gen option.
http://www.snugtop.com/availability/ram
 
D

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
availability of parts for the 06-09 trucks sucks.

Even worse for the '05s. Unfortunate, since the '05 PWs are the best of breed. Parts especially tough for the front end (bumpers, light bars, etc.) because of the grill configuration. Also tough for electronics because the '05 was the last year before the CAN bus.


I want the Snugtop Outback, but they don't make them for 3rd gen Dodges, and they are real @ssholes about it when asking for some help.

That is typical SnugTop. They make a nice product but their corporate policy is to treat the customers like dirt and refer everything to their dealers. Call the dealers and the typical response is, "We don't know, we'll have to get back to you." You could call a few dealers just to see what they know.
 
Tex68w

Tex68w

Beach Bum
I called Snugtop directly on a few different inquiries and they were always courteous and prompt in their replies. I hate that you can't retrofit the key fob matched lock mechanism for a reasonable price, seems silly and they frown upon it.

How many of you run a roof mounted rack on your Snugtop without the Sportsmans package that increases the load limit of the roof? I was told that the standard roof is only good for 200-ish pounds, add a flat rack up there and half of that is already gone lol.
 
D

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
How many of you run a roof mounted rack on your Snugtop without the Sportsmans package that increases the load limit of the roof?

I have three unreinforced SnugTops and two of them have had racks on them for a long time, 20 years on the GMC and 13 years on the PW. The GMC still has the long Yakima tracks on it, with standard towers and now upgraded to the HD crossbars. The heaviest load I have had on that shell/rack combo (supplemented by a Yak Dry Dock in the hitch receiver to give a third crossbar) has been calculated at 1100 pounds of lumber. Have done that kind of load several times with no damage to the shell, but bent the old Yak bars. Carried those loads at highway speeds for 50-60 miles. The PW started with a similar Yak rack configuration, same tracks, towers and bars. Added an old school Con-Ferr steel basket to it to carry MaxTrax, decoy carts and bags, and an 18 gallon PVC water tank, total load probably around 400 pounds. Shell is fine but the standard rack bars failed from the water tank bouncing around off road at some fairly high speeds. No damage to the shell. Recently switched the rack on the PW to a 6.5 foot SmittyBilt Defender with eight mounting pads. It seems that the key to hauling heavy loads on the standard SnugTop shells is a solid installation that distributes the load over as wide an area as possible, with backing plates or big fender washers inside the shell. With the Yak racks, their tracks serve to distribute the load. With the Defender rack, my size has eight fairly large mounting plates. Seems to work.

One of the locals has a seven foot ARB steel rack on his Ram with a SnugTop shell, and he had a fab shop put together full-length tracks that look like channel iron bent to the curvature of the shell. Tracks are bolted through the shell and then the ARB rack is bolted to those tracks. Also seems to work.

Add: I think one reason these racks are working well on the fiberglass shells is because the mounting points on all three trucks are installed about as far outboard of the center line as possible, toward the outside curve of the shell. The fiberglass is probably thicker there and being near the sides of the shells transmits the loads down through the sides of the shells and onto the bed rails.
 
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Tex68w

Tex68w

Beach Bum
Ducky's Dad said:
How many of you run a roof mounted rack on your Snugtop without the Sportsmans package that increases the load limit of the roof?

I have three unreinforced SnugTops and two of them have had racks on them for a long time, 20 years on the GMC and 13 years on the PW. The GMC still has the long Yakima tracks on it, with standard towers and now upgraded to the HD crossbars. The heaviest load I have had on that shell/rack combo (supplemented by a Yak Dry Dock in the hitch receiver to give a third crossbar) has been calculated at 1100 pounds of lumber. Have done that kind of load several times with no damage to the shell, but bent the old Yak bars. Carried those loads at highway speeds for 50-60 miles. The PW started with a similar Yak rack configuration, same tracks, towers and bars. Added an old school Con-Ferr steel basket to it to carry MaxTrax, decoy carts and bags, and an 18 gallon PVC water tank, total load probably around 400 pounds. Shell is fine but the standard rack bars failed from the water tank bouncing around off road at some fairly high speeds. No damage to the shell. Recently switched the rack on the PW to a 6.5 foot SmittyBilt Defender with eight mounting pads. It seems that the key to hauling heavy loads on the standard SnugTop shells is a solid installation that distributes the load over as wide an area as possible, with backing plates or big fender washers inside the shell. With the Yak racks, their tracks serve to distribute the load. With the Defender rack, my size has eight fairly large mounting plates. Seems to work.

One of the locals has a seven foot ARB steel rack on his Ram with a SnugTop shell, and he had a fab shop put together full-length tracks that look like channel iron bent to the curvature of the shell. Tracks are bolted through the shell and then the ARB rack is bolted to those tracks. Also seems to work.

Add: I think one reason these racks are working well on the fiberglass shells is because the mounting points on all three trucks are installed about as far outboard of the center line as possible, toward the outside curve of the shell. The fiberglass is probably thicker there and being near the sides of the shells transmits the loads down through the sides of the shells and onto the bed rails.
Click to expand...


This is good to hear. I was planning on a doing a Rhino rack as big as possible up top. My only concern (other than the durability) is how the hell I would ever get anything loaded up there with as tall as the the truck is lol.
 
D

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
My only concern (other than the durability) is how the hell I would ever get anything loaded up there with as tall as the the truck is lol.

This could be your solution. It's the local 4G with the big ARB rack on it. Ladder was fitted by the fab shop, and attaches to the rack and the drop steps with small bolts and a padlock, so easily removable. Rhino also sold a similar ladder for their platform racks, with mounts that fit into the rack channels and hooks to hang the rack on the mounts. Base of rack rested on ground when in use so can't travel without storing rack, as I recall. I had those mounts bookmarked as a possibility to fit to my Defender rack, but that link came up as discontinued at that particular vendor. Should still be easy to find at Rhino dealers.

photo 1a.JPGphoto 3.JPGphoto 1.JPGphoto 2a.JPG
 
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