OK4WD Builds a 2021 Ram 3500 Overland Rig
We know you've seen our Ram and it's finally time we dive into it and give you all the details of what went into building our OK4WD Ram 3500 OEV - Hudson Bay Edition equipt Ram 3500.
Let's start from the beginning and look at the truck we started with back in April. We took delivery of our 2021 Ram 3500 Tradesman in late April, with plans to debut the finished build at Overland Expo Mtn West in Loveland, Colorado. Mtn West took place on August 26 through the 27th of this year, just four short months after receiving the truck, so we had our work cut out for us. Okay, specs on the truck, lets go:
We knew we wanted to stick with a Ram for the latest shop build because we all still love our last Ram build, known at the shop as Big Red. So we did want everyone does and went on Ram's site and started looking at the options available, and this is what we came up with:
2021 Ram 3500 Tradesman Crew Cab with a 6'4" Bed
6.7L Cummins HO Turbo Diesel
6-Speed Automatic Aisin Transmission
4.10 Gear Ratio
Manual Transfercase
Automatic Leveling Rear Air-Suspension
We picked the Tradesman, knowing bumpers and some other panels were going to be replaced as soon as we got our hands on it, so we opted out of the shiny chrome bits. Going with the Tradesmen also gave us rubber floors, which we're all about. Knowing what the truck is going to be used for was ideal. We also liked the minimal amenities in the tradesman, cloth seats, no backup sensors or lane assists, no adaptive cruise control, no frills. Knowing the bumpers and bed were coming off we didn't want to have any issues with sensors or wires that would no longer be in use.
After snapping a few photos of our very stock truck, we got straight to work blowing it apart for its overland overhaul.
To get the build underway, the first item to go was the bed. Six bolts, some wiring, and filler necks separated from the bed and incomes to the forklift.
With the bed removed, we were able to get an idea as to how our flatbed would fit. Let's get into what we put in place of the bed.
We've been working closely with Overland Explorer Vehicles, OEV for short, out of Canada for a little over a year. OEV offers amazingly designed lightweight, fully composite truck campers and expedition cabins specifically designed for adventure. We'll get more into the camper in a second but let's look at OEV's Aluma Tray first.
The 6.75 Aluma Tray bolts to the factory mounting locations of the bed using urethane isolators. With 4 storage trays and a rear drawer, the Aluma Tray comes in at 708 lbs. Here are the specs on the bed:
Designed for 6.75′ and 8' truck bed replacement
High-mounted DEF & fuel fillers
Deck surface polyurethane sprayed for maximum scratch resistance
Lower cabinets: 5052 aluminum with HD “D” cell seals and Southco adjustable locking latches, tapered for maximum departure angle
Rear lightboxes are equipped with 2 tail lights with integrated backup lights and 2 clearance lights.
Headache rack: 5052 aluminum, designed with internal storage for optional OEV steps
The deck is fully formed laser cut with .160” 5052 aluminum sheeting
With the Aluma Tray in place and the taillights wired, it was time to attach OEV's Hudson Bay Edition Camper. Our home away from home was starting to take shape.
The Hudson Bay Edition, HBE for short, is a true four-season camper packed with all your comforts from home.
HBE – Hudson Bay Edition 6.75 Pop-Up Camper 1550lbs
200W Solar Panel
Redarc Manager 30
164L Fridge
Truma C3 Aqua Go Hot Water Heater
Truma Vario C3 Heater
Dometic Sink and 2 Burner Stove
38 Gallons of water
Wrappon-Green Electric Toilet
20lb Propane Tank
Load bars & lightbar rack
Sleeps 4 adults
The HBE is attached to the Aluma tray, similar to most slide-in campers. But what the HBE has over your traditional slide-in camper is tons of interior space. By removing the bed, you effectively remove the wheel well extrusions found in the stock bed, which gives you more square feet than any slide-in camper. The Aluma Tray allows OEV to design a camper that provides the user with ample storage. We're talking a full pantry with adjustable shelves, storage for our electric Wrappon Toilet, a 38gallon water tank, a full kitchen, indoor shower, and a dinette that folds down to sleep 2 packed with under-seat storage, all of that and a queen-size bed. We're talking about truly livable space. And we didn't even get into the outside yet! On the exterior driver-side of the camper, you have a heated exterior shower and 20lb propane storage. On the passenger side, you'll find pass-through storage and a large cubby that gives you space for all of your gear.
With the HBE in place, we took the Ram for a quick road test down to our local vinyl wrap folks to get the body and camper taken care of before the upgrades continued. When we got the Ram back, we strapped Alu-Cab's 270Degree Shadow Awning and Shower cube to the camper, and then it was time to get the Ram in the shop.
With most of the body modifications done, it was time to address the suspension, recovery, and auxiliary lighting. Our plan is to take the Ram out to some remote, wide-open areas, so we started by adding 5 ARB Solis LED Spot and Floodlights, giving us over 45,000 lumens of light to turn night into day.
With the lights wired to the Ram's auxiliary switches in the cab, we turned our focus to the suspension, wheels, and tires. For the suspension, we went with AEV's 3" DualSport Suspension -RT. AEV has been around since 1997 and has become the world’s premier supplier of OE-quality, performance-driven aftermarket parts, and accessories for vehicles geared specifically to off-road driving and overland adventure travel. Big Red, our last Ram build, has been running the same suspension for years, along with installing countless AEV kits on our customer's vehicles over the years it was a no-brainer. If you have a Jeep or Ram, we highly suggest AEV's suspension and accessories.
The suspension was dialed, so we moved to the front and rear bumpers. AEV's bumpers found their forever home on the Ram, and a winch was added. We opted for Comeup's SEAL GEN2 9.5rs, 12V WINCH rated at 9,500lbs, factor55 fairlead, and shackle combo, plus AEV's integrated tow loops.
After suspension and recovery were installed, the home stretch was in sight. At this point, we were days away from needing to hit the road for Fort Collins, Colorado, for Mtn West. We had a few items to button up, including Baja Design fog lights, AEV's Katla Wheels wrapped in 37" BFG K02s, GP Factor's spare tire Maxtrax mounts, mounting ARB's Twin Air Compressor in one of the Aluma Tray's storage containers, and a custom Zarges Case for exterior storage to complete the build. All that was left was to jump in the truck for a 1,700-mile drive from our shop in New Jersey to Colorado.
The build was done, and our trip was in full swing. Our living quarters in the HBE were dialed, fridge packed, and Mtn West was in the books. From Mtn West, we traveled south to Sedona, Arizona, for OverlanExpo West and then put the peddle down for Virginia to hit Expo East. After a month of shows, wheeling, and camping, our first trip with our HBE Equipt Ram was done. We clocked nearly 7,000 miles of on and off-road travel over 16 days living out of the HBE, and we are hungry for more.
All systems worked flawlessly, the Ram conquered off-road trails in Ouray, Crested Butte, and Buena Vista Colorado, Valley of the Gods in Mexican Hat Utah AND 2 weeks of off-road travel with Chris Shontz of @Venture4wd all with the HBE strapped to the back.
To call the Ram a workhorse would be an understatement. You point the Ram at a trail and it eats it up. Clawing its way to the top of 12,000ft peaks for dream-like camp spots then the turbo brake to help manage the truck's weight on the way down. All while packed with water, food, fuel, and recovery gear. The Ram just GOES.
We are so proud of our entire team here at the shop for making the Ram build happen. Turning a crazy capable overland rig idea into a reality is no small feat and then you throw a tight deadline on top of that! Having a company full of dedicated, passionate people that want to take on such a challenge while working with companies like OEV and AEV that make such high-quality parts made this entire build possible.
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If you are interested in any of the products found in this article contact us today. Have a dream build in mind for your truck? Let's turn it into a reality!
