Here's an update on the truck. I haven't done much mod-wise except for the camper shell. I was building a micro camper/square drop recently and unfortunately it was in an accident and basically destroyed.
after licking my wounds, i went back to the table and was kicking around the idea of doing an active cargo system and roof top tent, but i live in a touristy area and wanted a little more stealth. i didn't want to worry about my things being messed with.
i ended up looking around for a decent camper shell, and found a HELL of a deal on a 3rd gen topper. I wasn't totally sure if a 3rd gen topper would fit, but after some supportive comments from a few ram groups on facebook, i pulled the trigger.
the fit is phenomenal. i had to tweak a little on the trim for the rear glass, but i have mostly just been cleaning this thing up.
I needed to address the rear glass trim to allow it to both fully shut and seal against the tailgate. This isn't the most elegant solution, but it does work! i also added some additional seal around the glass to be sure that water couldn't creep in. so far it holds up well against water, but it will need a little TLC in some spots. I had plenty of this rubber adhesive gasket so i decided to use it liberally.
this is actually a seal for the bottom of a garage door. i affixed it to the back of the lower trim that would usually just go OVER the tailgate of a 3rd gen. they do make a molded piece for the rear glass that i will try to track down in the meantime.
made a pit stop at REI to check out some rack options for the top. too rich for my blood...probably ordering online. I have a setup planned to do a rack + awning + solar panel for a house battery.
rough placement of my smittybilt 6.5' awning. i bought it for the micro camper and never got to install it. been waiting on a new project to use it for.
i'm going to digitize my rough sketch for the rear cargo area and post it here in a bit for feedback. please feel free to share your ideas with me! thanks for looking.