What a worthwhile project! You have thought through all the aspects that will make your proposed trip a success. I too have been an expedition vehicle tinkerer, only for 5 decades, always replacing and upgrading inferior parts and adding the latest gizmos. After 13 4WD remote travel mobiles of all sorts, traveling from Mexico to above the Arctic Circle, I have learned the same savvy lessons that sg1 has learned: namely don't get too far away from stock on a vehicle that will take you to far off lands. I had to learn this over and over again and am still trying to restrain myself. This upgrading stuff is a sickness. Yes, the RAM has certain deficiencies that should be addressed before going away, and there is a list of spare parts to take that will be neigh unto impossible to find in Latvia, but look at it this way: The most fun we ever had on extended expedition type trips were the ones that had us picking 'em up and laying 'em down to find a way to fix our broken down rig. It was the smell of ozone that was the essential challenge: that lovely edge. Just make it work. I can't tell you how many time I used my on board welder to fix......other people vehicles on the Rubicon and Hammers. Ah, there's no fix like a trail fix: welding frames, spring hangers, driveshafts, tie rods, shock mounts, cross members, steering braces, skid plates, axle shafts, receiver hitches, spare tire mounts, snapped off NV4500 shift lever in the middle of the night. 3 a.m. welding. What a thought.
I have but one admonition: Be sure you have a good, long and maybe intermittent trial period using the truck camper plugged in at organized campgrounds, disorganized campgrounds, boon docking, and finally, stealth camping, in weather wet and dry; cold and hot. This will teach you what you really need to know, what to take and how to operate, short of being on the actual road trip. It will surprise you how much of that stuff you will want to leave at home after not using it at all on the shakedown cruise. You don't have that much room anyway. There are some blogs out there with folks doing just what you are planning on doing. Here is our rig with newly installed Renogy 200 watts of solar.
Our 1998 Lance 165-s and built up 2001.5 Dodge 2500 24v CTD has served us well for 165K miles. I changed all the inherent problems with fuel delivery. It seems pretty anemic now compared to the newer RAMS, but has some redeeming features like, no smog device, DEF tank or pee canister. just a muffler. So it can use 3rd world diesel fuel with abandon (keeping the fuel filter changed). NV5600 6 speed manual transmission. It has been bullet proof. Most of the upgrades to our TC have been to the T part, not the C part.
I'll be watching your build.
jeff reynolds
