Project Cummins Build

[Spencinator]

Well, I finally feel like I have enough so far to start a build thread. The most time I usually get off is a weekend or a week so this will be built on a budget for those kind of trips. Traveling with me are my wonderful girlfriend and our 4 year old Boxer Molly. Ill start off with version number one which I put together in a month to prepare for a trip. It worked well but found out quickly what needed to be changed.

This was a cheap canopy that I got for $40 with no rear window. I had plastic cut for the rear and luckily it didn't rain that much because it didn't seal well at all. This was temporary so it worked out fine. After a few months the canopy developed cracks and I got rid of it. Since camping season was pretty much over... (Oregon), I ran without a canopy for the winter. After the past two months of searching I finally found almost exactly what I was looking for!!

Now the build is really going to start. I've only had the canopy for a day so next will be cleaning it since it was sitting for 6 months, removing the tool storage on both side, replacing all seals, and insulating the interior. This all should hopefully happen within the next couple weeks so I hope to have updates regularly. I will also be adding a over the canopy lumber style rack which I will modify to form to the truck better which will carry tools, spare tire, and campsite lighting. A ladder with also be built to access the roof rack since my wheel/tire weigh around 120lbs each:Wow1:

Truck Specs-

98.5 Dodge 2500 24v Cummins, Auto, Edge EZ chip, Airdog 100 fuel system.

I bought the truck in 2007 and didn't do much to the truck except repairs and services that were neglected. In the recent past couple years I started forming the truck into what I wanted. Ill start with the interior. I added a heated seat kit to the drivers side, had the headliner redone because of sagging and removed unneeded stereo wiring from previous owner. I also made a mount for my laptop and installed a GPS antenna on the dash.

That's pretty much everything I did to the interior. Onto the outer stuff. I bought the truck with a 5in skyjacker lift. It rode like crap, and I didnt care for the huge lift. So I ordered a Kore 3in starter kit and love it! Here is a picture of the front progressive springs and recently installed top gunz control arms.

Theres no real timeline to all this but this is what I can think of right at this moment. Current plans before the first trip are to get the canopy where I want it, rebuild my dirt bike carrier into a swing away, and rebuild my bed platform to the current canopy. This whole build is revolved around using the space as efficiently as possible, if you couldn't tell already:sombrero: I will leave you with this Iphone picture of some riding in Madras, Oregon.

 

[1leglance]

I really like your shell choice and I think with some mods it will be great.
A fan for ventilation, some insulation and storage is about all you need.

Looking forward to some trip reports to go along with the build

 

[Rot Box]

Cool! Looking forward to more. Is that a WR400 or 426? I have a WR426 and LOVE it :bike_rider: awesome bikes thats for sure.

 

[Spencinator]

Thanks for the comments! I will be looking to add some sort of fan in the future. I have a WR426. I love it. More then enough power and been great so far!! It's nice to have a backup vehicle in case something happens in the back country.

 

[berg]

MY sons and I ride WR426's ...love the bikes

great build

subscribed

 

[redthies]

Since camping season was pretty much over... (Oregon)

Camping season never ends in Oregon... It just becomes "Discovery Season", and they charge less at state parks...:elkgrin: We are headed to Rockaway Beach in two weeks. Going to spend a disgusting amount of time at the Taco truck in Tillamook! The Dodge looks great, love the new canopy, and white Cummins trucks!

 

[Spencinator]

Redthies- Good point! We usually travel with others and I'm all for going out no matter the weather but my friends not so much. We aren't equipped to go out by ourselves yet but that will change soon.

I got updates!!! So I was able to put some time into the canopy this afternoon and made good progress!!

First off, got my tools ready. This is mostly what I keep in my truck so I used that. All of my professional tools are packed away. Oh, cant forget some Dutch Bros coffee!! Drill is already in the back of the truck.

So here are the tool cabinets that will be coming out. The storage is nice, but it cuts into the sleeping area too much. We will have storage underneath the bed and on the roof rack so Im not worried about it.

So after some cutting.... One side out!!

And some more cutting... Other side is out.

Much more room now. After getting out each side the canopy lost probably 120lbs total. The plan is to make a screen that will have zippers on each side to cover the windows. It will have the option to be down(probably most of the time) or unzipped and rolled up to access from the sides.

This is with the doors closed. There will be indoor lighting installed along with insulation and some sort of material to cover all the panels. I looked at Home Depot for the insulation that has one sticky side but couldn't find any. If anyone has any input on where I could find that and what rating I should use that would be great!! :smiley_drive:

I also managed to get the canopy moved forward into the correct spot. I will have to do some fab work to the rear doors to get everything sealed to the bed but that's no big deal. I felt a lot better after getting the tool boxes out. There was no structural loss in the removal and it makes it into a whole new canopy! :wings:

Next will be resealing the door weatherstripping, some more cleaning and making sure all seams are sealed up. I will also start modifying my old bed platform into my new design. While I was cutting away on my new canopy, my other half was recovering our mattress for the bed. It now folds to pack easier which will take up less space when everything is packed in. I have tons of ideas and plans but can never remember them all for my posts! So with that, Ill leave you with a picture of Molly enjoying one of our previous campfires!

 

[lstzephyr]

Awesome! I really like the truck, lift, tires and canopy choice! The dirtbike is quite nice as well. I'll be watching this one.

 

[Spencinator]

Thanks lstzephyr! Im happy with the way its coming out so far.

Well, I didnt get much done today. I decided to stop by a RV shop and talk to the owner about insulation. I got some really good tips from him and he thought my plans were pretty cool for the truck. He gave me tips on what materials to use to make it look really nice. I was excited to find out materials are cheap and easy to work with. I also stopped by the store and picked up an indoor/outdoor thermometer. I wanted to do a little experiment and see the difference in temperature with no insulation and then with insulation installed. After that, it will be installed on the truck just to know differences in temperature from inside the canopy and outside.

One of my plans that I think will really be useful is campsite lighting. I will install this once I get the roof rack on. Ive had this planned for a while but never saw many pictures of it actually being put to use until now. I borrowed this from twolost's thread, hopefully its alright :sombrero:, and it looks totally awesome!!

Im hoping to get started on the bed platform if I get time tomorrow. More pics to come.

 

[ExpoMike]

Looking great. Glad to see another 2nd gen Cummins build.

 

[chilliwak]

I really like the job you did on the canopy Spenc, :Wow1:and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out in the end. You say that you are doing some work on the seals. Do the side or rear doors on the canopy leak? A quick fix could be to mount some galvanized or aluminum drip flashing above the doors to let the water run away from the doors. If you go that route just remember to caulk the sheit out of it before installation. That helps to make the whole thing more waterproof.

 

[Spencinator]

Chilliwak- Thanks for the compliments! Its not that the canopy leaks but the seals are worn and they are easy enough to replace so I might as well do it now. I also do live in Oregon

I forgot to post pictures of my new track bar. As many of us dodge owners know, the steering systems aren't too great after adding bigger tires. The 3rd gen track bars are a much better design so I had one fabbed up for my truck. Its much stronger and transfers the stress to a bushing rather then a balljoint. Just this alone got rid of 90% of my steering slop. Ill probably get a steering brace later on, but for now Im very happy. Onto pics.

On one of my last trips I had to pull off during a dirt bike ride to take a picture of the Tillamook forest. Enjoy.

 

[chilliwak]

I have heard lots of Dodge owners complain about the front end problems. My brother replaced his steering box on his 1st gen every 50k. Can you give me some specifics about the 2nd gen steering problems, and the ways to fix them? I might consider buying a Cummins 2nd gen at some point and would be interested to know more about fixes for these trucks....:ylsmoke:

 

[redthies]

Nice track bar Spence! Chilli, 2nd gen Dodges have a great front suspension in my opinion. They ride nice, and turn really well in comparison with leaf sprung trucks. You can run 35" tires with no lift, and best of all, you can get a Cummins!

The main issues are the track bar, and " unit" wheel bearings. Both can be dealt with easily for a few $$$. Solid Steel sells a 3rd gen style track bar bracket that eliminates the tie rod end style connection that fails. It is approx $200 for the new bracket and you can get a 3rd gen track bar for $50 or so. Don Thuren (Thuren Fabrication in Bend Or), also makes a replacement track bar that lasts forever. He is a good source for a $50 stock 3rd gen bar.

The wheel bearings are of the non-repackable unit type. You can buy a kit to convert them to a standard bearing and hub assembly, but it isn't cheap. But, neither are the unit bearings.

Both issues are ones that Dodge should have dealt with in the engineering stages of the 2nd gen. My thoughts are this: The cost of track bar kit is almost equal to the cost of a good quality oem style track bar, and the cost of bearing conversion kit is also similar to the cost of a pair of unit bearings. So, keep in mind that when the oem style stuff fails, and it will, replace it with the conversion items, and you won't have any front end issues anymore. Aside from NORMAL wear and tear.

 

[chilliwak]

Thanks for the info Redthies. Now I just have to find out what a decent 2nd gen extra cab(or what ever dodge calls it) will cost me in western Canada with a Cummins. Or hey Redthies, is it worthwhile importing them from the USA and what is the vehicle transfer/inspection nightmare like?:Wow1: