HeliNomad RAM PowerWagon Build

[HeliNomad]

Finally got the FTM mounted.

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[Pnwfullsize]

With the sliders check your brackets and washers so you avoid the squeak and vibration, I also suggest a delthoff trans skid, they are easy to install and fit and finish is the best. Marcus is a great guy to deal with also, wish he made rock sliders.

Is that a 2019+ issue with the sliders? Planning on installing mine on my 2018 this weekend.

 

[Explorerinil]

Is that a 2019+ issue with the sliders? Planning on installing mine on my 2018 this weekend.

It’s an issue with all of them it’s the tight clearance, I had that problem on my 16. If you look around various forums you’ll see allot of topics on it.

 

[Explorerinil]

Yes grind the tops down if they touch the body or are close. Also I would do one side, drive the truck see if you get any squeaks or vibrations then do the other side. That way you know where to focus to track down the annoying squeak or vibration that can happen. Also mount the sliders as low as you can.

removing the floor storage box makes the install easier.

 

[hbl21]

Titan spare tire fuel tank would be nice, I'm looking at that later this year. I have 2019 with carli pintop and 37s. S&B cold air intake to help out on MPG. Rigd swingarm for the spare.

I'm trying to setup the Titan spare tire buddy this weekend but not sure it will work with 37s.

 

[wfv56]

A little update. So the plan is starting to come together a little in the communication and lighting area.

(LINKED TEXT BELOW FOR THE PRODUCTS I USED)

COMMS:

After being a Kenwood guy forever, I decided it was time to try Yaesu. I went with the FTM-400XDR. It has excellent reviews and covers APRS (which I use a lot) extremely well with it's own built in GPS receiver. I mounted the radio unit under the driver seat and mounted the remote unit in the center top dash tray. Fishing that wire was interesting. I ended up having to use my favorite wire fishing tool, a borescope. I found that you need to come up the passenger side to avoid moving parts with the air conditioner. Again...nice to be able to see what you're doing before running cables.

In order to mount the head unit I went with ProClips Extra Strength dash mount. This plat mounts to existing screws and provides and AMPS connection that I used to attach a 1" ball. I then used HuddExpo's ball adapter for the FTM head unit to connect with a standard RAM arm. It took three vendors but it's a good solution. I forgot to snap a photo of this but I will and post.

As for the antenna I've heard great things about the COMPACTenna. It's a 7.5" dual/tri band antenna that is very powerful when mounted with the correct ground plane. It needs a steeply falling away surface...so the edge of a hood or roof is best. Very nice unit.

Initially I had my eye on the BulletProofDiesel center rear back up light NMO adapter. However it would make getting into most garages impossible. I also thought about asking Nuthouse to add a plate to my rack system for this but that isn't happening until November. I settled on a hood mount which I was initially down on until I saw the plate from this company. It's actually a really nice piece of hardware that has excellent fit. I used a little white electrical tape on the underside to protect the paint but it's very solid. The reception and SWR measurements were awesome in this position so I'm happy with it for now. Here is the NMO cable I used.

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Since now I have a substantial amount of cables traversing from the cab to the engine compartment I wanted to keep it clean. Someone on ram forums posted this cool firewall grommet. Using the clutch delete plate I created a pretty clean way to move dressed cables to my SPod and antenna.

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Now let's talk lights. First off...I have to thank @St8ton for the concept here. He really had the right idea. Thank you to everyone who offered other solutions in terms of lights bars but I just wanted to keep that stock front bumper look which is already very functional. So I took @St8ton concept and ran with it with only a few deviations.

First off instead of using BajaDesigns A pillar mount, I chose to go with SDHQs. Their system mounts to the hood bracket and brings the lights in a little farther which allows one cool option, compatibility with the AEV snorkel. Now for now, I'm thinking the snorkel is not required for this truck but it's nice to know I'll retain the option in the future.

As for the lights themselves, I copied @St8ton exactly with Squadron Pro's in white. The XL Pro's are massive and I think a little too much of a statement on the hood personally. The Squadrons are insanely bright anyway and will fill in nicely with the powerful S8 on the grill.

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I want to add that BD's split wring loom is perfect for the RAM. Initially I thought it wasn't long enough but it's actually perfect. The wiring ended up really clean for this.

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Alright now for the S8. I too went for the Amber S8 just like @St8ton did. His grill mount L bracket is cool and I copied his idea but wanted to add some additional support. Here's the bracket I fabricated out of stainless. I added some rubber behind the brackets to help keep it from damaging the grill and moving around. The black paint is drying overnight so I'll get install pics tomorrow. Here are some pics from todays work.

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That's all I have for today. More tomorrow. Thanks for the help everyone! I can't wait to take this thing out on it's first trip soon.

I don’t know about the rest of these yahoo’s but I want some more pictures of the car on the lift!

 

[HeliNomad]

Alright...finally got the White Knuckle Sliders installed today. They are like tank armor...

I was able to get them installed without any squeaks thanks to good advise on this forum and modifications I understand White Knuckle did to their washer kit. Either way they are silent and extremely well designed. I know they are pricey but the craftsmanship that goes into them is worth it.

I added some 2” grip tape to help with slipping.

Here are some photos.

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[Explorerinil]

Looks good, they are allot better looking than the factory steps, and functional. Did you grind and brackets or just mounted them as low as possible and you were ok?

 

[HeliNomad]

Looks good, they are allot better looking than the factory steps, and functional. Did you grind and brackets or just mounted them as low as possible and you were ok?

Everything was already pre-ground with the washers...they were squared off. I didn't have to modify anything....just followed their instructions. Mounted it pretty center really. Plenty of room.

 

[HeliNomad]

Grip tape...

Also picked up this little DeWalt 12” chainsaw that fits perfectly in the RAM box. Pretty handy since this truck is so tight on some trails.

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[HeliNomad]

Another little optimization...

I wanted a second RAM ball on the dash for my phone. So I modified this double ball mount I found to fit the orientation of the AMPS.

The arms also needed to be notched to make this work.

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[HeliNomad]

Nice 2 day trip out to a favorite spot in the Sierras. Truck did great. Can’t wait to get the rest of the gear on.

 

[Big Swede]

I'm playing catch-up with your awesome thread. Is the bracket you made bolted through the grill? Is it only mounted to the grill or does it go through to a structure behind the grill?

Thanks!

Finally got the bracket done for the S8. It came out perfect and is really strong. The wider tabs really help spread the load of the light. I added some compliant foam rubber to the backside to help “grip” the grill pattern and protect it. I love the look and it’s extremely functional.

As for the wiring...it’s tempting to run the wires through the lovers but don’t. Some don’t realize that those louvers are part of the AGS (Active Grille Shutters) which these trucks have. Essentially they close at high speed to improve aerodynamics. I apologize if you already know this...I didn’t. Anyway there is an excellent cable pass through provided at the bottom of the plastic tray just above the winch cable release.

From here, the provided wire length from Baja Design is just enough to make it to your SPod assuming you are mounted to the top of the fuse block.

This light set up is awesome. I can’t wait to get them on the trail with some wide open spaces.

As for the Yaseu radio mount...I still didn’t get the ball adapter but here is the bracket from ProClips that provides the AMPS mount. I’ll report back when that part is done.

 

[HeliNomad]

I'm playing catch-up with your awesome thread. Is the bracket you made bolted through the grill? Is it only mounted to the grill or does it go through to a structure behind the grill?

Thanks!

So the light is only attached to the grill. There really isn’t a good structure behind because of the automatic louver system that needs clearance to operate. I just recently completed a 2 day trip off road with all kinds of terrain and the light didn’t budge a millimeter. I think the compliant foam is the ticket so you don’t have to crank down so hard. Also I would use nyloc nuts. Good luck.


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[Big Swede]

So the light is only attached to the grill. There really isn’t a good structure behind because of the automatic louver system that needs clearance to operate. I just recently completed a 2 day trip off road with all kinds of terrain and the light didn’t budge a millimeter. I think the compliant foam is the ticket so you don’t have to crank down so hard. Also I would use nyloc nuts. Good luck.


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Thanks!