Our project white truck, a ’10 Ram 3500, is quickly earning its stripes as the go-to tool for tow and go. Six months ago we took delivery of this basic brute loaded with the 6.7L Cummins diesel and the six-speed manual transmission, a combo unmatched by other OEMs (Mar. ’11). The truck is as basic as can bevinyl seats and floors, steel wheels, painted bumpersand because of that we like it even more. In the April issue we did a few upgrades such as rubber floor mats and canvas/denim seat covers from Mopar to protect that new car smell. We also added a leveling kit and taller BFGoodrich tires for off-road angles and traction. Last month a Caravan Camper was fitted on the back to make the truck the perfect camping, hunting, and exploring machine (plus we enjoy being confused for the forest service or a plumber). The 6.7L Diesel is a great engine, but not without costs. The price of diesel is pushing $3.85 a gallon around here, and when mileage ranges from 11 to 18 mpg, those dollars add up. The Cummins also requires approximately 3 gallons of engine oil every 7,500 miles. We like using Rotella 15W-40; we may need to get a barrelful.The 6.7L Diesel is a great engine, but not without costs. The price of diesel is pushing $ The White Truck is in no way finished, but after this update it will exit the stage for a few months since we’re actually quite happy with the current setup and want to get out and use it more. The Ram pulls trailers, explores backroads, and is comfortable enough to live out of for days on end, while still just a simple work truck. Want to go on our next White Truck Road Trip? Watch 4wheeloffroad.com for info. When you stop and look at stuff along the trip you’ll likely get to camp after dark, so good off-road lights are important. We started with a Randy Ellis Design Sleekster front light bar. It bolts on behind the tow hooks in less than 20 minutes. The light bar is a simple design and is offered for many 4x4s. It comes powdercoated and includes all the hardware needed to install it.When you stop and look at stuff along the trip you’ll likely get to camp after dark, so go Up front we installed four Warn off-road lights. The outer two are amber foglights for rainy nights when we want to keep an eye out for wildlife. The center pair are Warn W700 HID driving lights that offer deep night penetration for those desert backroads. The 7-inch lenses and integrated ballast make for a simple yet powerful light fixture.Up front we installed four Warn off-road lights. The outer two are amber foglights for rai The Warn lights have the benefit of a remote control switch. The lights are wired to a receiver under the hood, and then a battery-powered controller can be carried or Velcroed to the dash. We chose these so we didn’t need to drill or feed wires through the firewall of our new truck.The Warn lights have the benefit of a remote control switch. The lights are wired to a rec We also improved the headlight bulbs themselves by upgrading to a set of Sylvania Silver Star lamps. Removing the plastic lamps is a bit confusing, but once your find all the screws the new bulbs drop in and make a considerable difference over the stock lamps.We also improved the headlight bulbs themselves by upgrading to a set of Sylvania Silver S We don’t understand why the OEMs or aftermarket hasn’t developed an in-cab headlight adjuster such as required in Europe. When we hitch a trailer to any truck, the lights point to the sky. Why not give them a small electric motor that controls alignment from the driver seat?We don’t understand why the OEMs or aftermarket hasn’t developed an in-cab headlight adjus If your New Year’s resolutions for 2011 involve more than just four-wheeling more (say, losing pounds from your gut), then you may be in the market for a mountain bike. To get our bikes to the prime trails we added a Thule hitch-mounted bike rack to the back of the Ram.If your New Year’s resolutions for 2011 involve more than just four-wheeling more (say, lo The Thule 917XT T2 carrier can accommodate two bikes or be upgraded to haul as many as four. The wheels are securely attached and can be locked to the rack and to the truck. We chose this system since our truck is tall and the bed is often used for sleeping; muddy bikes can ride outside.The Thule 917XT T2 carrier can accommodate two bikes or be upgraded to haul as many as fou When the bikes are off, the rack folds up nicely, but it must be lowered to access the Caravan Camper. We will likely leave the rack off unless we’re actually headed to bike trails.When the bikes are off, the rack folds up nicely, but it must be lowered to access the Car One final accessory we sourced for the White Truck is a set of square-link tire chains from Quality Chain. Quality offers a full line of chains from basic snow-going cars and trucks up to serious off-road traction-aiding chains. Watch for a full feature on Quality’s chains in an upcoming issue.One final accessory we sourced for the White Truck is a set of square-link tire chains fro SOURCES Quality Chain Corp. 800-843-8824 www.qualitychaincorp.com Warn Industries 12900 S.E. Capps Road Clackamas OR 97015 800-910-1122 www.warn.com BFGoodrich Tires P.O. Box 19001 Greenville SC 29602 877-788-8899 www.bfgoodrichtires.com Randy Ellis Design 2855 W. Fairmount Avenue Phoenix AZ 85017 602-803-1122 www.randyellisdesign.com Caravan Campers 775-323-0270 www.caravancamper.com Ram Trucks P.O. Box 21-8007 Aubum Hills MI 48321 800-726-4636 www.ramtrucks.com Shell Lubricants 700 Milam Houston TX 77002 713-241-4544 www.shell.com Sylvania 800-729-3777 603-464-5533 http://www.sylvania.com Thule www.thule.com Mopar P.O. Box 21-8004 Auburn Hills MI 48321 800-992-1997 www.mopar.com By Fred Williams Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
