I’m new to the 4x4 scene. I’m planning to buy a newer model diesel truck and slowly convert it into an overland camper. My knowledge of the 4x4 market is sorely lacking. Do you guys have a link to some good education sites? When buying a used truck, it’d be good to have a good idea of what to look for. Right now, I believe I need large tires with beadlocks.
4x4 Systems Education Sites?
- Thread starter Sailmike
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Influencer II
You don't need bead locks. That would be one of the last thing to go on. Tires and sliders would be at the top of the list though. Good luck with your new addiction!
Enthusiast III
Bead locks not necessary,, unless you are doing serious rock crawling. This site, youtube are great places to learn.
Doesn’t lowering tire pressure for various conditions increases the chance of the bead unseating? So, aren’t beadlocks good insurance? I never know what conditions I’m going to encounter on my trips. Isn’t it good to be ready for anything? Especially if I have a heavy camper in back?
Influencer II
Not sur you want to air down very low with a camper on the back. At least not a regular non 4x4 type camper. But this I have never done. Others will know better than me!
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Beadlocks are a nice to have. Honestly the money is better spent elsewhere. It can also be hard to find shops that will want to deal with them and many just will not balance them because they don't want you using them on the road. I'll run down to 15ish PSI on my stock XJ tires and don't sweat rolling the bead off.
What you need is to start off with what you have (or what you'll get) and go from there. Trying to throw the back account at it right off the bat is going to result in a lot of money expended and few miles traveled.
Contributor II
I can only speak for myself here, and while I'm not building a diesel truck I am in the middle of designing and building my Ram 1500 as my Primary Rig.
I learned a lot from Jason Lewis - Auto Edits on YouTube, Overland Bound, Expedition One, Last Line of Defense, Trail Recon, EFRT, (The list goes on) and from watching the guys and gals on Motor Trend and Power Nation. I must have spent close to a year mapping out my build, pricing out each option/mod, then reviewing the customer's product reviews. I would have thought after building my Jeep I would have been an expert on the subject - Not even close - I continue to learn as I go. I continue to make adjustments to my build sheet / renderings.
I started my Year 1 mods with the basics
Brakes - Power Stop Z36
Tires - Pro Comp A/Ts
Pro Comp Leveling Kit (Until I decide what I actually need)
Recovery Points and Storage Solutions.
I also focused on the actual Gear that would fit my needs.
Take the time to canvas the online market, the off-road venues, and YouTube channels and grab a note book - take notes and sketch out your build that fits your needs.
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You don’t want to lower your tire pressure with a camper, or full load below 80% recommended tire pressure, so beedlocks would be useless for you. I’ve been doing this for most of my life and I’ve never run a bead off the rim... that being said, I don’t run my tires lower than 20 psi... Now that I’m building a snow crawler I will be using bead locks because I will need to drop my pressure down to about 5-10 psi to float on the snow... but it’s a lot lighter rig, that will never see any weight in it while airs down.
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madcratebuilder
Rank V
Pathfinder I
Bead locks are not league on us roads, most of the wheels you see are fake bead locks and not required. What do want to do while overlanding? I know guys that love to drive hundreds of miles in a week, others go to a place and post up. Read this site for mods/builds, ask why they are doing a thing.
Enthusiast III
I reasearched this a lot and as far as I know beadlocks are not “illegal”. If someone can show me an actual statute I would be appreciative.
Most beadlocks (not all) are not DOT approved and thus cannot be used as OEM wheels. Lift kits are not DOT approved either. How many of you have had an issue with law enforcement for having a lift kit installed?
That said, they help with operating a low tire pressures to keep the bead from unseating or the wheel from spinning inside the tire. Most beadlocks only lock the outer bead so that still leaves the inner bead susceptible to unseating although this is less common than the outer bead.
If you are not airing down below 50% of the rated pressure for the tire, beadlocks are probably not necessary.
Most beadlocks (not all) are not DOT approved and thus cannot be used as OEM wheels. Lift kits are not DOT approved either. How many of you have had an issue with law enforcement for having a lift kit installed?
That said, they help with operating a low tire pressures to keep the bead from unseating or the wheel from spinning inside the tire. Most beadlocks only lock the outer bead so that still leaves the inner bead susceptible to unseating although this is less common than the outer bead.
If you are not airing down below 50% of the rated pressure for the tire, beadlocks are probably not necessary.
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For real beadlocks you will likely have to weld your own there aren't a whole lot of em for sale and used ones may be kind of sketchy, bad welds, not centered, etc. If you have steel wheels already you can buy the rings and weld em on, I've seen kits that come with wheels for around $170 each. I built my crawlers with rings i bought.
THIS!!
Get out there and wheel. You will learn far more that way.
If you are you trying to avoid spending any money until you know what you want then go out wheeling with someone else who has a rig similar to what you think you want to build. Learn from them. Find out what mistakes they have made in the process of getting where they are. Find out what they think would be better than what they already have.
I will also add that you are choosing a rough path if you want to go fullsize with a camper. Weight is your enemy off pavement and off camber. Smaller and lighter is much easier. I say this as an owner of both a Jeep Cherokee (XJ) and a Suburban (2500). I would much rather wheel the Jeep than the Suburban. Can it be done in the Suburban? Yes. But it is not nearly as much fun as in the Jeep. You know your reasons for what you think you need. Just know that it comes with a price.
Another thing to be considering is the aftermarket support for the platform. Before you buy a large rig make sure there is support for it. You don't want to be looking at custom fabrication for everything (unless you have money and time to burn--again, you know what your resources are). Look at companies like Carli and see what vehicles they offer parts for (Carli doesn't offer anything for GM, but supports up to a Ford F450). Pay attention to what axles come under the vehicle and see what options (if any) you have for lockers. Selectable lockers will probably serve you better than beadlocks. As you are looking at aftermarket support note that support for such things as suspension and lockers is more important than support for bumpers and armor. There are plenty of folks who can custom fabricate a bumper or a set of sliders for you. Not so many who can custom machine a locker or properly design a lift. The deeper into the vehicle you go the more important it is that there be support. Cosmetic details are just noise. Know your priorities.
I plan to live in my rig, so I'd like it to be as homey as I can get it. The places I stay in are always backcountry sites with difficult roads to get to them. Sometimes there are a lot of rocks, sometimes mud, sometimes there are deep ruts. I've yet to run across a site that a big truck with camper wouldn't be able to get to and I've stayed in a lot of places all over the western US and Canada. My longest trip was two months from Los Angeles to the Artic Circle in Canada and that was too short a trip. I just want to be sure I'm prepared for all conditions including river crossings. I also plan to take a class on four wheeling.
Alright, I guess I'll just have to search this forum and others for the information I need. Can you give me some keywords? I think one was selectable lockers? Limited slip differental? What about the parts that need to be beefier to handle the road conditions?
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Welcome to the Team Matt, love the Power Wagon. Such a great platform to build off.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
Do a Youtube search for "Filthy Motorsports Differential Locker Comparison". I have no affiliation with them, but that video does a good job of explaining the different types of lockers. I also see they have a video on Suspension Ride Quality. That might be worth your while too.
Selectable lockers are nice to have if you are using the vehicle on road as well as off road. With a selectable locker you are in control of when it engages and when it does not. This matters most when dealing with icy conditions. On ice you really do not want your locker to decide it is time to engage at the wrong time. You may find that your steering is not working the way you want it to under those conditions. An open diff is what you want when ice is a factor. However, an open diff may leave you stuck off road where a locker would keep you going. A selectable locker gets you the best of both worlds.
with a heavy camper you'd best not air down much. beadlocks are only beneficial if you air down below 10psi. with a diesel heavy pickup and a camper you;'ll never need to go there. IF you are travelling blindly across beaches and dunes where floaration is needed, you'd be best with a much lighter vehicle
Honestly one of the best buys for a 4x4 pickup is the Dodge PowerWagon. Gas engine is much lighter and cheaper. Lockers and winch are factory installed. The only disdavantage is payload capacity but the flexible suspension will get you places a diesel truck can only fantasize about.
Every choice is about compromise.
Do you need payload capacity for a live in camper with lots of stuff for comfortable living?
Or do you need off road capability to explore extreme locations with a backpacker mentality?
And what is yer budget?
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From the Earthroamer website:
Air ride suspension is standard on every LTS. Air bags at each corner provide the ability to raise and lower each wheel or axle independently with the touch of a button. This greatly improves ground clearance and approach/departure angles and allows easy in camp leveling. The suspension is outfitted with adjustable King remote reservoir shocks which are custom designed to work cohesively with the air ride suspension. Heavy duty sway bars are added front and rear to improve on road handling characteristics. This combination provides excellent handling both on and off road.
What do you guys know about all those components? Are they just a luxury? I know that the RV can be leveled in camp much more cheaply in other ways, but doing it with the touch of a button would be nice!
Air ride suspension is standard on every LTS. Air bags at each corner provide the ability to raise and lower each wheel or axle independently with the touch of a button. This greatly improves ground clearance and approach/departure angles and allows easy in camp leveling. The suspension is outfitted with adjustable King remote reservoir shocks which are custom designed to work cohesively with the air ride suspension. Heavy duty sway bars are added front and rear to improve on road handling characteristics. This combination provides excellent handling both on and off road.
What do you guys know about all those components? Are they just a luxury? I know that the RV can be leveled in camp much more cheaply in other ways, but doing it with the touch of a button would be nice!
Earthroamer are poseurs. Air springs fail often overlanding. Sumo Rebel springs are the ''new thing '' for Tacoma's and F250's. For bigger camper trucks like an F550, you'll need custom springs made, maybe.
Bead locks are bad news. Good for wheelers, terrible idea for a pickup that hauls and travels. Instead of worrying about unseated beads, just learn to reseat the bead. Big full time campers should have two spares anyways.
If you want to go hardcore: a Ford F550 or Ram 5500 with super single brush truck wheels and tires will do well. Look towards Bundutec for a flatbed camper tray box. For permanently mounted camper boxes, I never recommend a cabover bed like a slide in camper. The box, should just be a box. Even minor engine repairs require removal of the trucks cab. Auto engineers are aresholes.
If you're going down minor dirt roads, and planning tons of highway, then a box stock F550 crew cab 4x4 will work perfectly. My box stock DRW truck has gone everywhere my Overlanding F250 has on 35's. Even with smallish towing and hauling friendly tires, the DRW's do well off road. The pro's don't get lift kits and giant tires for their work trucks and make it down pole lines and gas lines just fine. Remember, the more off roady, the less capable on the highway. My box stock Ram 350 DRW will haul a camper box at 80mph all day long.
Pretty sure that Detroit lockers are available for the F550's, you have to research that on your own. Lockers front and rear will help more than huge tires, lifts, etc.
Look again at pickup diesel reliability. They're very junky right now. I strongly recommend, as a master technician, that you look at Fords gasoline big block 7.3l with 4.30 or better axle ratio. And the gas truck is 1000# lighter.
Also consider an an LMTV from Acela. They're slow, but overlanding is about avoiding the highways for most of us. Absurd reliability, but it's a military truck that comes with it's own issues. Slow, loud, no AC, not a luxury vehicle, $5000 tires.
Bead locks are bad news. Good for wheelers, terrible idea for a pickup that hauls and travels. Instead of worrying about unseated beads, just learn to reseat the bead. Big full time campers should have two spares anyways.
If you want to go hardcore: a Ford F550 or Ram 5500 with super single brush truck wheels and tires will do well. Look towards Bundutec for a flatbed camper tray box. For permanently mounted camper boxes, I never recommend a cabover bed like a slide in camper. The box, should just be a box. Even minor engine repairs require removal of the trucks cab. Auto engineers are aresholes.
If you're going down minor dirt roads, and planning tons of highway, then a box stock F550 crew cab 4x4 will work perfectly. My box stock DRW truck has gone everywhere my Overlanding F250 has on 35's. Even with smallish towing and hauling friendly tires, the DRW's do well off road. The pro's don't get lift kits and giant tires for their work trucks and make it down pole lines and gas lines just fine. Remember, the more off roady, the less capable on the highway. My box stock Ram 350 DRW will haul a camper box at 80mph all day long.
Pretty sure that Detroit lockers are available for the F550's, you have to research that on your own. Lockers front and rear will help more than huge tires, lifts, etc.
Look again at pickup diesel reliability. They're very junky right now. I strongly recommend, as a master technician, that you look at Fords gasoline big block 7.3l with 4.30 or better axle ratio. And the gas truck is 1000# lighter.
Also consider an an LMTV from Acela. They're slow, but overlanding is about avoiding the highways for most of us. Absurd reliability, but it's a military truck that comes with it's own issues. Slow, loud, no AC, not a luxury vehicle, $5000 tires.
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