99 dodge ram 1500

[Honeybadger762]

Starting to build my rig with a 99 dodge ram 1500 as base. Long way to go but it's a start. Today I mounted an RCI bed rack and Smittybilt Overlander Gen 2 RTT. Before and after pictures follow

 

[DevilDodge]

That is a great looking rig. RAM is a great base for a buildup.

I may be partial to your truck of choice though

Hope the truck serves you well and you get out to enjoy your setup many times this year.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

That is a great looking rig. RAM is a great base for a buildup.

I may be partial to your truck of choice thoughView attachment 191862

Hope the truck serves you well and you get out to enjoy your setup many times this year.

Do you still have this and is it still in this condition? I LOVE that truck. Old stuff is way better than the new cars with a pan that are being sold now.

 

[DevilDodge]

@Autism Family Travels I still own it. 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Sport. 8.0l V10 Magnum NV4500 5 speed 4x4 3.55 gears.

It currently is getting ready for some new sheet metal and a clutch.


Some more recent pics. You can see the Pennsylvania cancer is covered by red Duct tape...which bleaches yellow in the sunlight lol

Sorry for derailing the thread.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Ha ha, My bad. I love the dodges.

 

[DevilDodge]

@Honeybadger762 did you have a sleep platform under the bed cap?

Just curious Why you went the RTT route.

I love the idea of the roof top tent...but that ladder just screams bad idea to me for middle of the night emergencies.

Not gonna lie...i have thought about one but the camper shell sleep and eat platform has me more intrigued.

Of course, right now we are using this "small" ground tent
And the camper in my other post.

 

[DevilDodge]

Ha ha, My bad. I love the dodges.

Sorry to derail again...but it isnt often someone other than me gets excited about old dodge trucks.

I love them so much i just can not get rid of them

Of course I have the 2nd Gen already shown here.

And we have a 3rd Gen
And a 4th Gen

I sold these 2 about 6 years ago. This is why I won't sell the 3 i got.

I kick my self everyday. I bought them for 650 bucks each in 2010. I sold them for 650 bucks each. Now I could not get one for less than 3k in running driving condition. Will not make that mistake again.

 

[Honeybadger762]

@Honeybadger762 did you have a sleep platform under the bed cap?

Just curious Why you went the RTT route.

I love the idea of the roof top tent...but that ladder just screams bad idea to me for middle of the night emergencies.

Not gonna lie...i have thought about one but the camper shell sleep and eat platform has me more intrigued.

Of course, right now we are using this "small" ground tentView attachment 191916
And the camper in my other post.

I had originally wanted to keep the bed cap and use an RTT on top of the cap, but the cap is just as old as the truck and wasn't in great shape, it had some cracks and would leak quite a bit. I like the RTT rather than an under cap sleep space because it's out of the way and leaves plenty if space for gear and other modifications, I also plan to use the tailgate area as a workstation/road kitchen, im in the process of fabricating a fold out work station that would turn the tailgate into an "L" shaped 90° platform when extended. It just seemed like it would be a hassle to have to rearrange gear and other items when it came time to sleep if I were to also utilize the bed as a sleep space. Though this is my first go at an overland rig and I'm learning what works and what doesn't, so after a while I may decide I want to change it up completely.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Awesome. My favorite truck I have ever owned was my 98 dakota sport extended cab. had the 318 in it. I had it lifted with a torsion crank, a small block in the rear and was running on 33s. I loved the size the feel and everything I had done with it. Was the perfect truck. I sold it for a brand new acura integra when I went to college and wanted a smaller car. If I had my time back I would have kept the truck.

 

[tjZ06]

I think those 2nd Gen 1500s are one of the most underrated and overlooked platforms for an Overland build. Obviously the 2nd Gen 2500/3500s are less overlooked because of the Cummins and heavy duty running gear, but it seems hardly anybody considers the 1500. As I'm sure you know those 2nd Gen 1500s were the last domestic 1500 with a solid front axle. And they were decently strong axles, and compared to modern 1500s the 2nd Gens are still a bit lighter/compact. The challenge is I haven't seen a nice long arm for them, but I think something could be made to get them to flex great, ride great, and still have the capability and utility of a full size pickup.

-TJ

 

[Autism Family Travels]

My former mechanic installed 2500 springs on his 1500 and it all just went right in. Gave a nice lift, and carrying capacity.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I had originally wanted to keep the bed cap and use an RTT on top of the cap, but the cap is just as old as the truck and wasn't in great shape, it had some cracks and would leak quite a bit. I like the RTT rather than an under cap sleep space because it's out of the way and leaves plenty if space for gear and other modifications, I also plan to use the tailgate area as a workstation/road kitchen, im in the process of fabricating a fold out work station that would turn the tailgate into an "L" shaped 90° platform when extended. It just seemed like it would be a hassle to have to rearrange gear and other items when it came time to sleep if I were to also utilize the bed as a sleep space. Though this is my first go at an overland rig and I'm learning what works and what doesn't, so after a while I may decide I want to change it up completely.

You could build a rack around the cap for the RTT. I had that done on one of my Fords. Made the mounts go under the cap, put the metal to follow the lines of the cap to keep it flowing nicely. Worked great.