Overlanding Build - 4th Gen

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coloradoe9x

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Hello everyone! I'm seeking advice from all you off roaders out there. I will be (slowly) building a Single Cab Short Bed 1500 4x4 to overland in. I live near Moab and the Alpine Loop, and absolutely love going camping on these trails. Having always wanted a single cab ram, I figured why not confuse the Jeep, Tacoma, and 4 Runner people while I'm at it. That and I don't enjoy setting up a traditional tent as much as I used to. Lol

I have a good idea of what I'd like to do for gear, so the focus of this thread at the moment will revolve around handling. What is everyone doing?

Control arms, bushings, shocks/struts, springs, axles, wheel setups etc.

I've heard the Gladiator shares the same rear end which is a great start in aftermarket compatibility. What about the front end? Is it possible to single axle swap it?

Here she is as it sits. No I will not be using my offsets to trail on. Purely for daily use and occasional "off roading"
 

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crazykid1994

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The gladiator only shares certain rear characteristics. Rear control arms and track bar. Nothing else is shared unfortunately. The gladiator rear springs do fit our trucks as others have tested and are running them. What are your plans? Looking at installing a full lift kit or just a small lift/level? I have a small lift/level currently with plans on upgrading to custom fox shocks on my truck. I go off-roading with a jeep group here in Florida and have so far amazed them at what a truck can do.
 

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coloradoe9x

coloradoe9x

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@crazykid1994 ah good to know, I was looking at Clayton for those parts. Seem to be a reputable company. Today I'm leveling it out with Bilstein 5100s set at 2.1. Later I'll get the rears done most likely with spacers and helper bags set the front at 2.8. We'll see. Long term I would LOVE to have Thurens 2.5 setup with some Clayton JT springs.

I'll be building this similarly to Tacoma and Gladiator overlanding builds, with the bed racks, traction boards, rotopax, tent etc. Goal is to have fun on some of these tougher trailers and camp at the end. Pack in pack out fairly quickly for those shorter stays
 

crazykid1994

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Yea. I run the full Clayton control arm and track bar setup. I definitely like them. I have eibach rear springs which are 1” lift with a little extra load capacity over stock. May swap for synergy springs for the gladiator though. Look into the eibach front springs when you go up higher. They ride better. I’m set to 3” front and 1” rear
 
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coloradoe9x

coloradoe9x

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Nice. How would you compare them to stock? Trying to set my priorities and my budget lol. I'll definitely look into the spring setups. I'm sure it'll be a little different for me, springs for a crew would raise a single up a tad higher
 

crazykid1994

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Very true. They ride nice for my needs. The Clayton or synergy springs may be too much for you unless you plan on running loaded with weight all the time. They will definitely benefit when you plan on running a roof top tent or bed rack setup. I want to swap to synergy 1” lift springs but they haven’t released them yet. I want to build a bed rack or some way to install a canopy and/or an RTT on my truck. Im not set on the RTT as I may build a camp trailer instead
 
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coloradoe9x

coloradoe9x

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Yep going to have to compare weight and spring specs and see whatll work best. In the mean time itll be stock springs with helper bags. In the end id like to have a bed rack, iKamper, storage deck, all the accessories, onboard air, propane, maybe even a fridge lol. All of which will most likely stay on there for at least the majority of the summer once we get that far. I have a buddy that builds custom trailers for jeepin' for a living. Man are they capable.
 

4xdad

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We camp in grizzly country so tent for us plus we’re old I like our topper set up I would think camping in Utah you worry more about poisonous biters than grizzly bears
 
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coloradoe9x

coloradoe9x

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My preferred camping destinations contain black bears, moose, and bobcats, unfortunately haven't seen any snakes lol. I absolutely love camping. I have a dining room with no table or chairs filled with gear. I've gotten quite good at storing food in coolers but admittedly the melting ice is annoying. It'd be nice to go from an hour setting up basecamp to 15 minutes, having all my main things in or attached to the truck already. It will definitely be a process as I get more things of convenience, but I can totally get away with filling the bed with my current stuff till that happens. I have an extensive shopping list ready to go!
 

crazykid1994

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I’ve looked into doing the split rear bench seat in my truck and removing the single side and using it for a fridge mount in the cab. I’m planning on building a bed storage setup out of wood. 2 long drawers and some storage compartments so I can put a grill and other stuff. But if I do a trailer I can keep all that weight off the truck and do the propane and grill on the trailer and fridge on the trailer as well with an RTT and annex.
 

4xdad

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I have a big plywood box that opens up to a shelf it’s on conduit legs got it from my father in law a small propane bbq and camp stove 12 volt fridge is all we need the big thing for us is comfortable sleeping warm safe and dry there is only me and the missus and maybe one dog so we don’t need a bunch of stuff a trailer would be apita to turn around on the trail so I like to keep everything just on the truck
 

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crazykid1994

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I have a big plywood box that opens up to a shelf it’s on conduit legs got it from my father in law a small propane bbq and camp stove 12 volt fridge is all we need the big thing for us is comfortable sleeping warm safe and dry there is only me and the missus and maybe one dog so we don’t need a bunch of stuff a trailer would be apita to turn around on the trail so I like to keep everything just on the truck
That’s why I’ve also looked at removable soft bed canopy’s or truck bed tents over doing an RTT. I can build the drawer box just tall enough and use a mattress pad or a thin foam mattress on top of the box that it’ll still fit under my tonneau cover.
 

4xdad

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I have a sea to summit queen size air mattress very comfortable and the little diesel heater worked awesome
 

Travelin Ram

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Personally I prioritize reliability more than capability in my exploration rigs. It’s more important to me to get out and back without breaking something rather than have the ability to conquer a bigger obstacle vs the trade off of a more fragile vehicle. Just watch what happens on the trail and it’s seldom stock vehicles that break; it’s a rig with big tires and poorly engineered mods.

Which is not to say I don’t mod mine, just that I’m mindful of how much and whose engineering I trust. For suspension I would choose a respected vendor and buy a complete system rather than a pieced together DIY from multiple sources.

One of the biggest improvements in capability, especially for your terrain, would be selectable lockers. Not sure if that’s even an option for the IFS. There’s a world of difference between slipping tires on a ledge and waiting/hoping traction control can reduce the slippage compared to being locked up and all four tires rotating together.

Best of luck on your build, have fun with it!
 
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