Overland/Expedition Build - 2015 RAM 1500 Laramie

[Exdeus]

Greetings all. I've seen a few overland style builds recently, and the awesome part of it is the RAM 1500/2500 platform is starting to get a lot of acknowledgement and aftermarket support. I've been working on my truck now for about 8 months, and thought it may be fun to share what I've done so far, and what I am planning to do going forward. I'm interested in any insight that anyone has along the way as well. This vehicle is my daily driver as well which creates its own unique challenge.

Also, if I can answer any questions, please let me know as I'm happy to help!

Factory Specs:

• Year: 2015
• Model / Trim: Laramie Crew Cab, 5'7" bed
• Engine: 5.7L V8 Hemi
• Transmission: 8 speed 8HP70
• Gear Ratio: 3.21
• Fuel Tank: 32 gallon
• Purchase Mileage: ~54,000

Currently Added to Truck:

• Suspension / Wheels / Tires:
  • Icon Vehicle Dynamics Stage 2.0 Suspension System
  • Icon Vehicle Dynamics Uniball Upper Control Arms
  • Nitto Ridge Grappler Tires 295/70/17
  • Method Racing NV 17" 5x139 Wheels
• Lighting:
  • Rigid Adapt 50" Light Bar
• Storage:
  • Rhino Rack Backbone System
  • Rhino Rack Pioneer System
    • Recovery Track Storage Attachment
    • LED Spot Light Attachment System
  • Leitner Designs Rack System
    • 1 Universal Attachment
    • 1 Large Compartment
    • 1 Small Compartment
    • 1 Recovery Track Attachment
• Navigation / Communication:
  • Yaesu FTM-400DR HAM radio
  • iPad
  • Dual Electronics XGPS150A GPS bluetooth receiver
  • Garmin inReach Mini
• Camping Setup
  • 23Zero Byron Rooftop Tent
  • Rhino Rack 270 Batwing Awning
• Recovery Gear
  • Treaty Oak Offroad Load Equalizing Bridle
  • Treaty Oak Offroad 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope
  • Factor 55 Hitch Recovery System
  • Smittybilt bowshackles
  • Off brand MaxTraxx

To Do / Build Wishlist:

• Dual battery setup with isolator and solar charge setup.
• Dometic fridge installation.
• WeBoost cell phone boost system.
• Auxiliary scene lighting (yellow) for camp site at night (yellow attracts less bugs).
• AEV switch panel.
• sPod.
• Decked System or Bedslide system.
• AEV Snorkel System w/ pre-filter.
• Wilco Offroad 5th tire tail gate.
• On board compressor system.

Upcoming Trips / Wish List:

• Continental Divide (New Mexico through northern Colorado)
• Big Bend National Park (surrounding areas as well)
• Palo Duro Canyon State Park
• Moab, Utah
• Alaska (Arctic Circle) & Yukon Territories (Canada)
• Ozarks
• Death Valley

Build Purpose / Goals:
The point behind the build is to try and make the vehicle fit a self-reliant method of travel, allowing my wife and I to stay in the back country or navigating trails for up to a week at a time with minimal outside support or influence. Essentially, an offroad vehicle that we can utilize to camp and sustain while exploring what the country has to offer.

Starting Point:
Purchased the vehicle around July of 2018. It was purchased stock, with an accident on the Carfax report. Spoke with the previous owner and found out it was rear ended and needed the rear bumper replaced, nothing further. Got a hell of a deal on it in my personal opinion. Below is how it sat when purchased.

Phase 1 - Suspension, Tires & Wheels
Knowing that this would be used for offroading and trail travel, these were the first and most important upgrades to make. I spent a lot of time doing research on suspension systems and tires, paying careful attention to road noise, ride quality, and tread life. Ultimately, I landed on the Icon Vehicle Dynamics Stage 2.0 suspension system with the uniball upper control arms. Huge shout out to ( @Nick@GotExhaust ) Nick at Got Exhaust for his support here. I also decided on the Nitto Ridge Grapplers due to reviews praising the life of the tire and the on road behavior and noise. I couldn't be happier with the combination. The wheels were purely for aesthetic looks. I also removed and sold the factory nerf bars as they would not hold up to any beating at all. Below are a few shots of the install and how it stood right after.

Phase 2 - Basic Lighting Upgrade, Roof Rack
The next phase for me was all about adding a light bar. I got a hell of a deal on a Rigid Adapt 50" light bar on FB Marketplace that I simply couldn't pass up. I was not intending nor in the market for one, but I just had to. Once I got it in my hands, I had no way to mount it. Most light bar brackets will not support the weight of this bar as it comes in at a chunky 28 pounds. As I began to look around, I really liked the Rhino Rack Pioneer system and saw they had a recent addition with the backbone system. Ended up having all of them installed by a local installer here who did a great job. I have to say, having 13 holes drilled in my roof was very unsettling, but he did a great job and have had no leaks or issues.

I don't have any photos of this install, but here is the truck after installation at our local offroad park.

Phase 3 - Navigation & Comms
Next up was setting up the basics of the cabin for some of the trips I was taking. I started off with a CB radio, only to be disappointed with the reception and range. I ended up grabbing a Yaesu 400DR HAM radio and installing that to ensure I had maximum coverage and range in radio communications to support if needed to help. This is secured with a RAM mount.

I also use an iPad with Gaia Maps and a bluetooth GPS receiver to track my location real time against the plotted courses. (GPS receiver not pictured). I also am running a dashcam from Amazon.

Lastly, I have a Garmin inReach Mini satellite beacon in the event SHTF and I need emergency help beyond cell service.

More to come here eventually.

 

[Exdeus]

Phase 4 - Storage Solution & Mistake #1
I have a bad habit of impulse buying sometimes without considering all the next steps. This was one of them. I found a paint code matching shell for the bed on Craigslist and jumped at it. Guy sold it for a crazy low price, so I had to get it. Well, I did. Only to find out it was not going to yield me what I would want long term, so I sold it on Craigslist. Good news is, I sold it for what I paid for it. Pic of shell is below.

I then set out on a search knowing that I wanted an elevated sleeping arrangement, and the ability to carry and support accessories on the bed rack. I was really torn between the Dethloff Manufacturing rack, and the Leitner Designs rack. As luck would have it, a guy was selling his Leitner Design's rack in Houston that owned an overland company and has used it for a demo. Ended up saving a pretty penny on it, and drove over to pick it up. Ended up getting the rack, recovery track mounts, accessory mounts, a large pod and small pod installed on the rack. Am a huge fan of the rack, and have had nothing but good experiences so far with it.

Phase 5 - Camping Comfort
My next step was to finally put this build to use and get out there. I purchased a rooftop tent, the 23zero Byron tent which is the same size as a california king mattress. This holds me, my wife and our two boxers. The tent includes a 3" foam mattress, but we did add a 1.5" memory foam mattress on top for added comfort as we are both side sleepers. I also added a Rhino Rack 270 degree batwing awning for use for shade.

I also have purchased a Dometic CFX 95DZW fridge/freezer combination that I will look to install in the not too distant future.

Phase 6 - Recovery
Realizing I was about to take a trip but had no way to recover myself, I made some quick purchases to ensure I was set up to get out with the support of another vehicle. Winch is an eventual want, but not something in the cards at the moment. As a result, I added the following recovery tools.

• Shovel & Axe
• Treaty Oak Offroad Load Equalizing Bridle
• Treaty Oak Offroad 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope (28,000 pound tensile strength)
• Factor 55 Hitch Recovery System
• Smittybilt Bowshackles
• Off brand MaxTraxx

First Trip - Padre Island National Seashore
Last week, the wife and I packed up the rig and set our destination to Padre Island National Seashore. We had planned to stop at Hidden Falls State Park, but upon our arrival learned it was full. We found an alternative site for the night a short distance away at Lockhart State Park. The next day, we made our way to Padre and headed four South Beach. For anyone not familiar, South Beach is a primitive camping location on the beach that is about 60 miles long. After the 5th mile marker, it is 4WD high clearance vehicle recommended. There is zero cell reception. After checking tide, we drove out to about mile 30, before turning back and setting sites on a location around mile marker 20. Knowing the tide was going to be high, we wanted to ensure we had plenty of clearance. We carried about 21 gallons of water on board along with a Coleman cooler and a solar shower system. We set up camp and had a great time. All went really well for our first trial run.

We did, however, have one scare. When it came time to leave, the truck wouldn't start. All cab electronics turned on, but we had a dead battery. Thankfully, after an hour or so of checking sensors and looking for sand in places it shouldn't have been, a jeep drove by and was able to jump us. As a result, my focus for the next phase of the build has switched to purely electrical and battery redundancy to ensure that won't happen again. Below are a few pics of our setup and time on the beach.

I appreciate anyone taking the time to have read through this thread. I also appreciate any insight, tips and tricks for anyone that has gone before me on some of these upgrades and builds. I'll continue to update this as I do things and make changes to the truck.

Thanks for reading and remember, tread lightly and leave no trace - pack out more than you packed in!

 

[revitupmoto33]

Nice setup!

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Thank you for the shout out. Awesome build. love the pics. Let us know if we can help with the next phase of mods

 

[hodge-xj]

Why won't these pics work for me?!?! Dammit Sounds like a nice build and I wanna see it

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[kad]

Lookin' good!

If you figure out a place to mount a second battery that's not in the cab/bed and doesn't require removing the stock airbox, I'd really like to know about it.

-K

 

[JoshR104]

Awesome build and very nicely done. Get out there and enjoy it now!

 

[QwikKota]

Dude, fix the pics!

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[Exdeus]

Dude, fix the pics!

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What's wrong with the pics? They are all uploaded and linked from my media album on site?

EDIT: I figured it out. Fixing them now. Should be done in a few. Thanks!

 

[Exdeus]

Why won't these pics work for me?!?! Dammit Sounds like a nice build and I wanna see it

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I think because I linked them as galleries instead of directly to the image. They have been fixed now I believe. Let me know if better.

 

[Exdeus]

Lookin' good!

If you figure out a place to mount a second battery that's not in the cab/bed and doesn't require removing the stock airbox, I'd really like to know about it.

-K

Absolutely. I know of someone who claims to have done it, but will need to see. They are also running a third battery in the bed with an Ark Pak.

 

[QwikKota]

What's wrong with the pics? They are all uploaded and linked from my media album on site?

EDIT: I figured it out. Fixing them now. Should be done in a few. Thanks!

Thanks. Neat setup. We like N. Padre and used to also have 2 Boxers.

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[Exdeus]

Thanks. Neat setup. We like N. Padre and used to also have 2 Boxers.

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Thanks, and too funny! It was our first time down there and we decided on S. Padre. We had a great time, and really enjoyed the beach and area.

 

[hodge-xj]

Liking this build! Pics work for me on tapatalk now, thank you. Looking forward to progress and grabbing a few ideas

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[revitupmoto33]

I’ve had my eye on the aev raised intake/snorkel for a while now myself. I’m very cautious when it comes to standing water and try to go very slow through it, hydroseized the motor in my old tundra and lesson learned.
Regarding the on board compressor if it’s just for re-inflating the tires after air down have you considered of using a CO2 source kit instead? I ran a HF 12v compressor for a while then a 120v 2amp 2 gallon compressor. Both compressors worked just fine but man do they take a long time. Source kit still remains my go to, about 2 min a tire and get about 8 tires worth on a 5lb tank.

 

[Exdeus]

I’ve had my eye on the aev raised intake/snorkel for a while now myself. I’m very cautious when it comes to standing water and try to go very slow through it, hydroseized the motor in my old tundra and lesson learned.
Regarding the on board compressor if it’s just for re-inflating the tires after air down have you considered of using a CO2 source kit instead? I ran a HF 12v compressor for a while then a 120v 2amp 2 gallon compressor. Both compressors worked just fine but man do they take a long time. Source kit still remains my go to, about 2 min a tire and get about 8 tires worth on a 5lb tank.

I've heard quite a few folks mention CO2. Unsure of the amount of space it takes up. I've seen the ARB dual tank compressors and have heard they take a bit of time, but had not put much thought into the CO2 yet.

Also agreed on the raised air intake. So far, I've driven a lot of dirt roads and routes behind other vehicles which would be my main purpose for it, more so than anything to do with water. Also need to relocate my diff breathers in the not too distant future.

 

[Goose_1327]

Any luck with that dual battery setup? Looking to do something similar in my build.


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[modstang]

That looks like there will be some awesome adventures with that rig.

 

[AFMoulton]

He just sold it for a 2500 with a Cummins....hopefully he builds the new rig is the same!


2018 2500 6.4 4x4 4.10 Amsoil SS 0w-40, Softopper
Black Rhino Armory 18x9 +12mm
Cooper St MAXX LT295/70R18

2016 Durango 5.7 AWD 3.07 Amsoil SS 4 Qts 5W-30 and 3 Qts 0W-40
1996 Nissan Altima 2.4 Amsoil SS 5W-30

 

[Freedom-Ram]

great build! I just scored a 2016 Ram Laramie that i'll be trying to get set up for light overlanding.