Our single biggest peice of advise when people ask about building their own rig is to watch your weight! We see so many people at or over the GVWR, broken springs, overheating brakes fading on long mountain descents, overheating transmissions on long mountain climbs... We're in Guatamala now and there is an overweight sprinter abandoned in the campground because it hasn't got the power to get back up the mountain. Our Rig has a GVWR of 17,500 and we're at 13,500 now, and I wouldn't want to be much heavier for the kind of off-road stuff we do, the extra margin when pushing equipment to the limit is really nice peace of mind.
Thanks for the comment! We were actually pretty surprised by our weight, I expected to be at least 500# lighter. It sure adds up! The modern trucks have so much power that it feels like they could handle way more. In fact, we barely notice the camper in most driving conditions. I'm really glad we went for the 3500 Ram vs the 2500 and if we ever build a bigger camper I would definitely be considering an even larger truck. That's awesome that you have so much extra capacity on your truck. It's funny actually, I was watching the 3D printer video and thinking "Dang! Here we are carefully picking what we pack and leaving stuff behind and they're adding and entire 3D printer!" Looking forward to watching your Guatemala adventures!
@@AmbitionStrikes I don't remember where I read it, but it's usually the weight of the truck itself and its ability to stop that determines weight rating, not the engine power.
Seems that so many rigs seem to never consider weight, vans, RV, etc. Glad you guys brought the issue up. Very important for so many reasons. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks Bill! I think it is a topic people avoid because there really isn’t anything you can do if you end up overweight. The answer really is to plan from the get go and choose the proper vehicle!
Sway bar thickness always determines the amount of control on roll control. A plain Jane Fire Bird has a 5/8 thick rear sway bar and a 3/4 bar up front, a Trans Am has a mixture of 1” and 1 1/4” sway bars. On my overload rig I use sway bars on the road and disconnect them when off road. Depending on my load out and the trip I will run with one or two sway bars depends on the trail. I have a 1/2 ton (Toyota) rig but have upgraded suspension parts that will more than handle the GVW of the vehicle and more so, took in consideration of what the truck would be or might be hauling. I actually started there first with my build.
The addition of a rear sway bar made a big difference in handling both on and off-road with our truck. Hellwig offers two torsion rates for this truck, we chose the lighter one so that we wouldn't have to disconnect it when off-road. I think something that is commonly overlooked is shocks. A sway bar does not absorb energy so every time it acts, it will act just as hard in the opposite direction. Shocks are there to absorb that energy and turn it into heat. The new Bilstein shocks we added with the sway bar and helper springs made a tremendous difference.
GVWR is not thoroughly understood by many people. GVWR has theoretical, practical and legal aspects. From my research I have found that some single tired 3500 series have higher cargo capacity than a dually. By adding duallys you add the extra weight of the extra wheels and tires. The GVWR does not change so you lose cargo capacity by adding duallys. But the practical aspect of it is that a dually is clearly more stable and safe even if it lowers the cargo capacity. Most 2500s share the same frame as 3500s. I have only heard of police giving tickets when your total weight exceeds the license you pay for at the DMV. I love the channel.
My research has indicated that in many cases the GVWR is limited by the stock tires even! Some people suggest that upgrading the tires is enough to "practically" upgrade the GVWR. Unfortunately, as you know, there is no way to upgrade that door sticker! Our approach is to buy the right truck for the job, watch the weight, and upgrade the truck to handle the load safely! So far we are loving the SRW Ram 3500
We travel pulling a 18' nucamp t@b 400 bdl and know exactly what you mean. We are very conscious of what we pack inside the trailer as well as what we pack in our Tow Vehicle. I think because we aware of the weight capacity of our t@b and tow vehicle and pack accordingly, we are quick to notice a rig that might be overweight, weight not distributed equally (followed one over the truck camper last week for a few miles and noticed a significant sway when cornering and when going straight a significant lean to the right), or even a tow vehicle that probably isn't ideal for what it's pulling. Really enjoy your series. Stay safe.
We notice absolutely everything now that we are also aware! It can be stressful or amusing depending how you look at it. There are SO many vehicles driving around overweight out there, especially home built vans and truck campers.
Glad to see a DIY that looks professional i use to be the 2×4 guy nothing wrong if thats what you can afford to get out there but man if i can make mine look this clean i want to go for this instead
Yay! More truck mods! Nice additions. A stiffer suspension will definitely help both handling (especially in emergency situations) as well as diminish the soft motions that often cause motion sickness. Might want to throw a little loc-tite on those bolts (the blue and green, I believe, are the ones you can put on after you've tightened the bolts, as it will move down the threads), especially as the stiffer ride can translate more sharp jolts through the suspension. And I agree with Riley about instructions. 👍🤣 Unfortunately, now you're stuck with an opinion you can't ignore. In this situation, I find dumb looks and confusion work. 🤷♂️ Looking forward to the next videos (just catching up). Keep up the good work.
I've never heard of Loctite that can be applied after the fact. I'll have to check that out, thanks for the tip! On these particular upgrades, Hellwig included stover nuts for all the permanent fasteners and double nuts for the adjustable ones. Thanks for the marital advice, although I'm not sure that Courtney will accept a confused look as an excuse. Ha!
Beware, increasing the stiffness of your swaybar(s) will limit your axle articulation off-road, great for on-road, not off-road, especially as you have no diff locks I presume.
Hi thanks for the comment! Hellwig makes two different rate sway bars for this truck, we opted for the lighter rate. Due to the extra weight from the camper we have had no problems with articulation off road. Since this truck had a factory sway bar in the front and did not have one in the rear, the rear suspension used to do more of the articulation. Now the truck feel much more balanced. You are correct though, we do not have diff locks (yet).
Hi, in one of your videos you showed a silencer for the diesel heater pump. I ordered one and spend some time to guess what is the input and output of this thing. My guessing is the other was you mounted it and I was suprized to realize that this thing is working quite nice, I can not hear anymore the pump when the heater is operating inside my camper. Thank you for the hint, the "klicking" noise was really anoying. BR Frank
Interesting to hear how the vehicle weight works for in the US compared to the uk. Here in uk our Standard licenses only allow us to drive to up 3500kg. Many vehicles have there Max limited set at legal limit set a 3500kg, however at the same time mechanically they are often rated /axle weights are higher. In the UK you can go for your C1 which allows you to drive between 3500kg-7500kg. You can then do something called up plating / paper work where you have increased a 3500kg limit without modifications as long as it still below the mechanical / axle weights and you have the license to Drive it. I think many self builds in the UK are quite overweight.
@@AmbitionStrikes yeah it’s definitely not! However I think of us the majority of available models vehicle in UK and Europe are a lot smaller overall. Interestingly I am building a Ford transit MK8. If I look at the same model on the American market. Your variation has a lot higher payload than ours while still being the same base vehicle
That's not much of an issue here, because the driver's license limit is much higher (26,000 pounds or 11,794 kg) so few trucks are artificially limited to allow unqualified drivers. Recreational vehicles are generally exempted, so people drive motorhomes much heavier than that with ordinary drivers licences.
This is very well presented and very helpful. It is good to know about Helwig. You don't want to get pulled over by the weighmaster. They make you drive to a scale and they look at the GVWR on your truck. If you are over, you are dangerous and you get an expensive ticket.
Great Install and review of Hellwig, and thank you for all the GVRW information. I was surprised to hear yalls truck weight, things add up quick! But I am glad you did this episode because the vehicle I am building is from 1983, which has a Lower GVRW then a new truck. So this is something I will have to keep a close eye on. Thanks Again!
Thanks for watching! We were also a bit surprised by how quickly the weight added up, even with making every decision throughout the build with weight in mind. We had a 90s F250 and dreamt of doing something like this in college but it wasn't feasible given the trucks significantly lower GVWR, plus we were in college and had $12 to our name.... 😂
Looked like the Helwig products made the rig faster too! ... Back in the day in Alaska, I put Helwig helper springs on an old step side Dodge 1/2 ton pick-up. With those helper springs and high sideboards, I could haul a full cord of White spruce firewood. ... Looks like your rig is ready for Moab now. Stay safe.
Been following you guys for a few years and thinking about building my own rig. If you were to do it over again, would you build off a 4500 or 5500 to get a larger GVWR? Also, any chance a future project is to build overlander 2.0? I would love to watch an updated rig that shows what you learned off the first one.
Your in a 3500 Ram correct? I had a 2018 2500 Ram that i built out with a PCOR tray and a 4WC Flatbed camper. I'm pretty sure I was over the GVRW on that rig. Not sure how all those Toyotas are legal??? I ended up Rolling that rig in an accident and rebuilt on a 3500 Ram. The 2020 3500 is over 4K payload so im goooooooood. Built a similar rig and am semi full timing it now. Im on a full Carli 2.5 love it but need to keep the rear Carli long travel airbags at about 75 lbs to prevent roll and dive in corners. not running sway bars and I actually dont think there are any available for my truck yet. Ram reengineered a larger rear end in 2019 and no one even has re gearing for me yet! LOVE love love you guys!! hope to see you on the road!
Great as always . Question : How did you join the 2 sandwich panels top and bottom ( camper walls ,Video timelaps at 1:39 mn ) Can see the join on the left of Courtney and still wonder how did you join them as no alu profile on the horizontal line .Thank you !
When we made the panels we created a 2” overlap of aluminum on the upper one. Then we installed the upper one overlapping the bottom one like a roof shingle!
@@AmbitionStrikes Oh , Thank you ..did not see it on the video .Not sure if i really get it right as we do not see the overlap from outside .What about waterproof and torsion issues ? If you have any photo of this detail , would be awesome Thank you !!
I've watched all of your videos (love the work that y'all do) and was re-watching the video when you took the original bed off and started your build. It really dawned on me, do you ever regret not going with a LWB chassis instead of a SWB? I'm still about 5+ years away from starting my build, but believe I would lean toward the LWB. It would provide more living space but still be within "parking space limits". Take care, stay safe, and keep the vids coming.
Thank you! We have never had a moment of regret with going with a SWB truck. It is SO nice being able to squeeze into ski resort parking lots and turn around on tight trails (we are actually shorter than most large camper vans). We don't feel as if we need any more internal living space BUT if we had kids or another dog I think we would definitely go with a longer truck to allow for a larger dinette area/bed conversion.
The British have many strange words for car parts that are different than here in the US; however, the British call "Sway Bars," "Anti-Sway Bars," which makes more sense.
Hi Bill! In our opinion airbags are a great option for a truck that has varying weight loads (removable truck camper/towing heavy trailer/etc). For us there is a permanent defined load so we would rather use a fixed system that is dialed for our weight. Then we eliminate the possibility of airbags failing.
...and then there are the axle weights. My step van has. GVWR 14.1k. The front axle is rated at 5k lbs. but it tips the scales at 3.5k... Gotta be careful about where I put the heavy stuff cuz I’ve only got 1500 pounds of reserve up front.
Our front is rated for 6000# and the rear is 7000#. Tires are rated for 4080# each. One of the big problems we see is with after market wheels. Many of them are way under rated for the application. Stay tuned to see our wheels selection!
Method wheels makes a HD version. It’s also very light given the load rating. An 18” HD method wheel plus your tires would be a great combo. I believe they are 4500# rated each.
A lot of campers end up over weight. Here in the UK many of us can only drive vehicles up to 3500Kgs, 7700Lbs so it's really difficult to meet the weight restriction.
The rear axle weight Rating is just as important as the GVWR (and is posted on the same sticker) maybe even more important as most of the weight of the camper is on the rear axle. In my experience it nearly impossible to stay under this rating in a single axle short bed truck carrying a cab over camper. Although removing the bed was a smart way to start. I would be very curious to Know how much of the 11200LBS is actually on the rear axle.
Our truck has a RAWR of 7000#. I happen to know that before we added the camper the front axle weight was 5200# so it's reasonable to assume that our rear axle weight is under 6000#. It would be prudent of us to go to a scale that can get us separate front and rear weights.
Love the colors on your rig; is that a wrap or paint & who did it? Ok just found the answer - saw your time lapse video of the build - YOU TWO ARE AMAZING!! Very, very impressive. 👍👍
If you have a really good friend that works for DOT in your state they have portable scales that weighs each axle but also each wheel. You could be under weight on the axle but over weight on the tire if there’s more weight on that side.
@@AmbitionStrikes You really should get axle loads, in case one end (the rear) is overloaded despite the total being okay. I assume that you will provide tire details and compare tire capacity to axle load in a future video. You should also look for a scale that allows you to put one side of the rig on the scale at a time, to get individual wheel loads (and compare them to tire capacity). Campers are often heavier on one side.
@@AmbitionStrikes Our country is very beautiful, the sea is beautiful, the food is delicious, there is a lot of nature. You will definitely like it if you come to our country. You are always welcome
@@AmbitionStrikes From what I understand, enforcement of the GVWR only applies to commercial vehicles & CDL drivers. A lot of people with truck slide-in campers unknowingly exceed their GVWR. Nobody gets ticketed but there could be insurance issues if a claim is put in on a grossly overweight vehicle. The GVWR certification can be changed by a NHTSA certified alterer or modifier. After altering or modifying a vehicle they add an extra sticker which states the new weight rating. I suggest searching for a shop that is NHTSA certified and ask them what it would cost to have your GVWR updated. See: www.ntea.com/NTEA/Member_benefits/Technical_resources/NHTSA_certification___it_s_not_just_a_label2
That would be a slow 1,600 miles 😂. Unfortunately there’s not a ton of video footage from when I competed in a ‘69 Wagoneer but you can follow along when I was a media driver least year here! ruclips.net/p/PLMCvRxq4QdcdO0qlCkDldE-D6kFw85ud4
Excellent video and GVWR/Tire explanation. One thing i will add that is NEVER mentioned is the use of a vehicle real close to GVWR. If its a pavement queen, no big deal. If GVWR is 10k and youre 9500lb fully loaded and go off road, have a camper, and do trails and such, you are very much over GVWR. GVWR is measured statically, ie, on asphalt, or on paper. The additional forces all the suspension and steering components receive while traveling down a washboard, or a trail, are MUCH higher than if its traveling on asphalt. Simple physics. Legal? Yes! Safe? Maybe... Increasing wear and tear on steering and suspension? Most definitely. Camper raises center of gravity, higher center of gravity wears on steering/suspension, etc.. etc.. etc.. I learned this with my last setup. Although i was JUST under GVWR, i was going through control arm bushing, leaf spring bushings, and steering rack bushing around every 25k, it got pricey fast! I am shooting for a 20% safety buffer with my weight and GVWR. Time will tell if i hit it or not. Its all a guessing game at this point. :)
I was honestly surprised by our weight, pretty crazy how fast at the gear and stuff adds up. I'm happy with our choice of truck, the Ram seems like a reliable and heavy duty platform for this type of use. Totally agree that taking a heavy truck off-road comes with a whole new kind of abuse!
I have no doubt that your truck can easialy handle weight beyond the GVWR. The manufacturer added a good safety margin. But if you would ever be in an accident, and the insurance company or the other lawyer finds out that you were over the weight limit, they will refuse to pay or its a great base for a lawsuit! Too many RV's are overloaded, and people think it's no big deal. Wrong!
Exactly why it is so important to start with the right truck. We were surprised that even with building this camper very light, the weight of all of our stuff still added up to a significant amount. Fully loaded we are under our GVWR though so no legality concerns here.
@@AmbitionStrikes absolutely! I was thrilled when you weighed the closed shell and it was only 800lbs. But was totally surprised when you weighted it again complete and it was now 2800 lbs! Impressed that you guys care about your weight and that you’re still 600 lbs under the GVWR!! Congratulations! You guys are awesome
Hi Jake! The helper springs ended up only getting us about .5" of lift so we are still a tiny bit low in the rear. We are waiting to install the front bumper/winch before doing anything else because we are pretty sure that will level things out!
@@AmbitionStrikes Thanks! I was getting ready to order the Hellwigs based on all the good feedback I've read. Looks like they will be good for my application. Best wishes!
Don't you need to weigh just the back half (between the front and rear tires) to know if your tire and rims are good for your weight carrying capacity?
A rear weight is something we want to get, and just haven’t had time. But the tires are rated for 4,080lbs EACH so we are confident that we are well within their capacity on the rear axle. That was a major reason we put the water tank and batteries so far forward in the camper.
@@AmbitionStrikes I figured you had it under control, but since you were telling others kinda how to, Thought i would though out this other important info.
Always listen to the wife's opinion. They are cracking down with people not having enough truck to tow or haul big campers. It's a ticket you don't want.
I think all men are like that with instructions. Great work guys, I’m not sure what to call your build? It sure looks like a truck camper but then again a small class C could also fit. I’d like to know what I’d call it, “MINE” ❤️🇨🇦❤️ Cheers!!!
Not to burst your bubble. I am a man, I ALWAYS read the instructions. I read before doing anything else. Then I inventory parts. Then I re-read and then I install with the instructions at my side. As a man, I think it is foolish not to read the instructions. It has saved time for me. I have witnessed other people, generally a woman, not read and just begin and then have to redo and/or scrap projects. Most of the men I know, family and friends, read the instructions. We are also not afraid to ask for directions or change a diaper.
@@AS-ng5pi well I guess I’ve been told. Hahahahaha Are you a Mechanic? I have two daughters and I have changed many diapers when needed. My wife worked nights after our girls were born and I even bathed them oh and I was able to feed them and they both lived through that. I don’t ever remember asking for directions but that’s because I would read the map and plan my trips before I left. Oh and you are missing an S in your screen name. Cheers.
Is there anything Riley can't do? Hmm, I think Courtney did all the sewing in the build series, so perhaps that is the one, single thing Riley does not know how to make/build. Speaking of the build series, I see people referencing it now in other build series videos. WorkingonExploring is doing a build series of their own, and I heard them talking VERY positively about watching yours, to help them get inspiration while making their custom camper. Among others whose name I can't recall at the moment. I think, you know you've really hit on something amazing, when you make something so good (the camper AND the well edited, filmed and paced videos) that other people are using it to set the standard for their own work and film making. You've done that, and I think you will continue doing that as time goes on and more and more people see that build series you made, and use it to get ideas, motivation and inspiration for their own projects. Keep kicking ass, you two, because for people as talented as Riley and Courtney are, I don't think there is any other way you could do it.
We have learned Riley isn't too great with the Instant Pot... 😂 That makes our day to hear other people are enjoying our series and going after their own dream projects! My favorite quote is "there are others less qualified than you doing the things you want to do, simply because they chose to believe in themselves". The reality is we weren't even remotely qualified to build an RV, but we went for it anyways! Perfection really is the enemy of mostly acceptable and there is only one way to truly learn how to do something!
@@AmbitionStrikes OH yeah, I forgot about the instant pot cake that turned out to be pudding. I will revise my assertion, and say there are 2 things Riley can't do. That is a fine quote, and even then, I think with your individual skill sets, you were both more than qualified to build your own RV. With what you learned making this one, imagine how over-the-top badass the next one will be. Or, anything else you build for that matter. Just keep that instapot away from your husband, for your and his well being. And upholstery.
Our single biggest peice of advise when people ask about building their own rig is to watch your weight! We see so many people at or over the GVWR, broken springs, overheating brakes fading on long mountain descents, overheating transmissions on long mountain climbs... We're in Guatamala now and there is an overweight sprinter abandoned in the campground because it hasn't got the power to get back up the mountain. Our Rig has a GVWR of 17,500 and we're at 13,500 now, and I wouldn't want to be much heavier for the kind of off-road stuff we do, the extra margin when pushing equipment to the limit is really nice peace of mind.
Thanks for the comment! We were actually pretty surprised by our weight, I expected to be at least 500# lighter. It sure adds up! The modern trucks have so much power that it feels like they could handle way more. In fact, we barely notice the camper in most driving conditions. I'm really glad we went for the 3500 Ram vs the 2500 and if we ever build a bigger camper I would definitely be considering an even larger truck. That's awesome that you have so much extra capacity on your truck. It's funny actually, I was watching the 3D printer video and thinking "Dang! Here we are carefully picking what we pack and leaving stuff behind and they're adding and entire 3D printer!" Looking forward to watching your Guatemala adventures!
@@AmbitionStrikes I don't remember where I read it, but it's usually the weight of the truck itself and its ability to stop that determines weight rating, not the engine power.
From a fellow custom camper maker, love the informational videos, this was SUPER helpful, thanks!
Thanks Philip! That is great to hear we are making content that is helpful! 🙌🏻
Seems that so many rigs seem to never consider weight, vans, RV, etc. Glad you guys brought the issue up. Very important for so many reasons. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks Bill! I think it is a topic people avoid because there really isn’t anything you can do if you end up overweight. The answer really is to plan from the get go and choose the proper vehicle!
@@AmbitionStrikes I guess ignorance is bliss until ...
Sway bar thickness always determines the amount of control on roll control. A plain Jane Fire Bird has a 5/8 thick rear sway bar and a 3/4 bar up front, a Trans Am has a mixture of 1” and 1 1/4” sway bars. On my overload rig I use sway bars on the road and disconnect them when off road. Depending on my load out and the trip I will run with one or two sway bars depends on the trail. I have a 1/2 ton (Toyota) rig but have upgraded suspension parts that will more than handle the GVW of the vehicle and more so, took in consideration of what the truck would be or might be hauling. I actually started there first with my build.
The addition of a rear sway bar made a big difference in handling both on and off-road with our truck. Hellwig offers two torsion rates for this truck, we chose the lighter one so that we wouldn't have to disconnect it when off-road. I think something that is commonly overlooked is shocks. A sway bar does not absorb energy so every time it acts, it will act just as hard in the opposite direction. Shocks are there to absorb that energy and turn it into heat. The new Bilstein shocks we added with the sway bar and helper springs made a tremendous difference.
GVWR is not thoroughly understood by many people. GVWR has theoretical, practical and legal aspects. From my research I have found that some single tired 3500 series have higher cargo capacity than a dually. By adding duallys you add the extra weight of the extra wheels and tires. The GVWR does not change so you lose cargo capacity by adding duallys. But the practical aspect of it is that a dually is clearly more stable and safe even if it lowers the cargo capacity. Most 2500s share the same frame as 3500s. I have only heard of police giving tickets when your total weight exceeds the license you pay for at the DMV. I love the channel.
My research has indicated that in many cases the GVWR is limited by the stock tires even! Some people suggest that upgrading the tires is enough to "practically" upgrade the GVWR. Unfortunately, as you know, there is no way to upgrade that door sticker! Our approach is to buy the right truck for the job, watch the weight, and upgrade the truck to handle the load safely! So far we are loving the SRW Ram 3500
As always, love your videos, love your content, love your interactions with each other. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for supporting our channel! 🙌🏻
Cool mods. That should help with sway and bounce. Good job. Would like to know the cost estimate. Thanks for sharing
We travel pulling a 18' nucamp t@b 400 bdl and know exactly what you mean. We are very conscious of what we pack inside the trailer as well as what we pack in our Tow Vehicle. I think because we aware of the weight capacity of our t@b and tow vehicle and pack accordingly, we are quick to notice a rig that might be overweight, weight not distributed equally (followed one over the truck camper last week for a few miles and noticed a significant sway when cornering and when going straight a significant lean to the right), or even a tow vehicle that probably isn't ideal for what it's pulling. Really enjoy your series. Stay safe.
We notice absolutely everything now that we are also aware! It can be stressful or amusing depending how you look at it. There are SO many vehicles driving around overweight out there, especially home built vans and truck campers.
Glad to see a DIY that looks professional i use to be the 2×4 guy nothing wrong if thats what you can afford to get out there but man if i can make mine look this clean i want to go for this instead
Yay! More truck mods!
Nice additions.
A stiffer suspension will definitely help both handling (especially in emergency situations) as well as diminish the soft motions that often cause motion sickness.
Might want to throw a little loc-tite on those bolts (the blue and green, I believe, are the ones you can put on after you've tightened the bolts, as it will move down the threads), especially as the stiffer ride can translate more sharp jolts through the suspension.
And I agree with Riley about instructions. 👍🤣
Unfortunately, now you're stuck with an opinion you can't ignore. In this situation, I find dumb looks and confusion work. 🤷♂️
Looking forward to the next videos (just catching up). Keep up the good work.
I've never heard of Loctite that can be applied after the fact. I'll have to check that out, thanks for the tip! On these particular upgrades, Hellwig included stover nuts for all the permanent fasteners and double nuts for the adjustable ones.
Thanks for the marital advice, although I'm not sure that Courtney will accept a confused look as an excuse. Ha!
Impressive upgrade folks.
Great build, and beyond professional.
God Bless.
We are super stoked to finally be upgrading the truck. She was feeling a bit neglected 😂
Reading directions are confirmation that the manufacturer figured it out as well as you did.
😂
Beware, increasing the stiffness of your swaybar(s) will limit your axle articulation off-road, great for on-road, not off-road, especially as you have no diff locks I presume.
Hi thanks for the comment! Hellwig makes two different rate sway bars for this truck, we opted for the lighter rate. Due to the extra weight from the camper we have had no problems with articulation off road. Since this truck had a factory sway bar in the front and did not have one in the rear, the rear suspension used to do more of the articulation. Now the truck feel much more balanced. You are correct though, we do not have diff locks (yet).
Hi, in one of your videos you showed a silencer for the diesel heater pump. I ordered one and spend some time to guess what is the input and output of this thing. My guessing is the other was you mounted it and I was suprized to realize that this thing is working quite nice, I can not hear anymore the pump when the heater is operating inside my camper. Thank you for the hint, the "klicking" noise was really anoying. BR Frank
I am so glad to hear it helped with the noise! It certainly gets annoying after awhile 😂
Based on all the videos from the USA I assumed you had no such laws. Here in Oz most people are very much aware of load ratings. Cheers
Interesting to hear how the vehicle weight works for in the US compared to the uk. Here in uk our Standard licenses only allow us to drive to up 3500kg. Many vehicles have there Max limited set at legal limit set a 3500kg, however at the same time mechanically they are often rated /axle weights are higher. In the UK you can go for your C1 which allows you to drive between 3500kg-7500kg. You can then do something called up plating / paper work where you have increased a 3500kg limit without modifications as long as it still below the mechanical / axle weights and you have the license to Drive it.
I think many self builds in the UK are quite overweight.
Wow! That is certainly not very much weight for a standard license. A significant portion of self builds in the US are also overweight.
@@AmbitionStrikes yeah it’s definitely not! However I think of us the majority of available models vehicle in UK and Europe are a lot smaller overall. Interestingly I am building a Ford transit MK8. If I look at the same model on the American market. Your variation has a lot higher payload than ours while still being the same base vehicle
That's not much of an issue here, because the driver's license limit is much higher (26,000 pounds or 11,794 kg) so few trucks are artificially limited to allow unqualified drivers. Recreational vehicles are generally exempted, so people drive motorhomes much heavier than that with ordinary drivers licences.
We ended up changing to 19.5 wheels and tires that were much more stable with weight. Also lasted way longer.
That is great to hear! We chose to jump up to a 20” wheel for exactly that reason.
Please upload videos twice a week at least I just love watching you guys
Not enough hours in the day!
That's a really cool thingy for rolling under your truck!
This is very well presented and very helpful. It is good to know about Helwig. You don't want to get pulled over by the weighmaster. They make you drive to a scale and they look at the GVWR on your truck. If you are over, you are dangerous and you get an expensive ticket.
Thanks Kevin! It sure seems like a topic where ignorance does not lead to bliss!
Good Sunday morning 10/16/22 . Thank you for sharing your journey with us
Great Install and review of Hellwig, and thank you for all the GVRW information. I was surprised to hear yalls truck weight, things add up quick! But I am glad you did this episode because the vehicle I am building is from 1983, which has a Lower GVRW then a new truck. So this is something I will have to keep a close eye on. Thanks Again!
Thanks for watching! We were also a bit surprised by how quickly the weight added up, even with making every decision throughout the build with weight in mind. We had a 90s F250 and dreamt of doing something like this in college but it wasn't feasible given the trucks significantly lower GVWR, plus we were in college and had $12 to our name.... 😂
Great episodes... could you tell me about your choice of 37” tires? Specs. Merci :)
Thank you! We will talk about the tires and wheel choice in detail once they arrive and we can get them installed!
Looked like the Helwig products made the rig faster too! ... Back in the day in Alaska, I put Helwig helper springs on an old step side Dodge 1/2 ton pick-up. With those helper springs and high sideboards, I could haul a full cord of White spruce firewood. ... Looks like your rig is ready for Moab now. Stay safe.
Holy cow that would be a heavy load! Glad the helper springs helped you out with that... 😂
Been following you guys for a few years and thinking about building my own rig. If you were to do it over again, would you build off a 4500 or 5500 to get a larger GVWR? Also, any chance a future project is to build overlander 2.0? I would love to watch an updated rig that shows what you learned off the first one.
Helwig bars were the best things I did to my F350 once I put the Lance 815 in it.
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Your in a 3500 Ram correct? I had a 2018 2500 Ram that i built out with a PCOR tray and a 4WC Flatbed camper. I'm pretty sure I was over the GVRW on that rig. Not sure how all those Toyotas are legal??? I ended up Rolling that rig in an accident and rebuilt on a 3500 Ram. The 2020 3500 is over 4K payload so im goooooooood. Built a similar rig and am semi full timing it now. Im on a full Carli 2.5 love it but need to keep the rear Carli long travel airbags at about 75 lbs to prevent roll and dive in corners. not running sway bars and I actually dont think there are any available for my truck yet. Ram reengineered a larger rear end in 2019 and no one even has re gearing for me yet! LOVE love love you guys!! hope to see you on the road!
Rolling is not on our agenda. Glad you made it out okay. Sounds like the new setup is an awesome rig! Hopefully the aftermarket catches up soon!
So what kind of tow capacity do you have, too carry extra everything. Or does that Calc in gvwr?
Great as always . Question : How did you join the 2 sandwich panels top and bottom ( camper walls ,Video timelaps at 1:39 mn ) Can see the join on the left of Courtney and still wonder how did you join them as no alu profile on the horizontal line .Thank you !
When we made the panels we created a 2” overlap of aluminum on the upper one. Then we installed the upper one overlapping the bottom one like a roof shingle!
@@AmbitionStrikes Oh , Thank you ..did not see it on the video .Not sure if i really get it right as we do not see the overlap from outside .What about waterproof and torsion issues ? If you have any photo of this detail , would be awesome Thank you !!
I've watched all of your videos (love the work that y'all do) and was re-watching the video when you took the original bed off and started your build. It really dawned on me, do you ever regret not going with a LWB chassis instead of a SWB? I'm still about 5+ years away from starting my build, but believe I would lean toward the LWB. It would provide more living space but still be within "parking space limits". Take care, stay safe, and keep the vids coming.
Thank you! We have never had a moment of regret with going with a SWB truck. It is SO nice being able to squeeze into ski resort parking lots and turn around on tight trails (we are actually shorter than most large camper vans). We don't feel as if we need any more internal living space BUT if we had kids or another dog I think we would definitely go with a longer truck to allow for a larger dinette area/bed conversion.
Thanks be safe
Thanks Robert!
Great video guys...very inspirational
Thanks for watching! 🙌🏻
Adding a Big Wig sway bar was the most noticeable upgrade in drive quality we made to our setup.
That is so great to hear! Did you have a factory sway bar before?
The British have many strange words for car parts that are different than here in the US; however, the British call "Sway Bars," "Anti-Sway Bars," which makes more sense.
Another great video. Love Hellwig products. I’m curious in your decision to go with overload springs rather then air bags.
Hi Bill! In our opinion airbags are a great option for a truck that has varying weight loads (removable truck camper/towing heavy trailer/etc). For us there is a permanent defined load so we would rather use a fixed system that is dialed for our weight. Then we eliminate the possibility of airbags failing.
@@AmbitionStrikes oh You’re right! I forget you guys don’t remove your camper and use for daily driver. Thank you.
...and then there are the axle weights. My step van has. GVWR 14.1k. The front axle is rated at 5k lbs. but it tips the scales at 3.5k...
Gotta be careful about where I put the heavy stuff cuz I’ve only got 1500 pounds of reserve up front.
Our front is rated for 6000# and the rear is 7000#. Tires are rated for 4080# each. One of the big problems we see is with after market wheels. Many of them are way under rated for the application. Stay tuned to see our wheels selection!
Method wheels makes a HD version. It’s also very light given the load rating. An 18” HD method wheel plus your tires would be a great combo. I believe they are 4500# rated each.
The Method HD wheels are cool, but we went with a different option! Keep an eye out for our future video on the subject!
NO RILEY! youve already got courtney's opinion, and yours of course. you dont need that extra paper ;)
So many opinions! 😂
A lot of campers end up over weight. Here in the UK many of us can only drive vehicles up to 3500Kgs, 7700Lbs so it's really difficult to meet the weight restriction.
Dang that would be tough!
The rear axle weight Rating is just as important as the GVWR (and is posted on the same sticker) maybe even more important as most of the weight of the camper is on the rear axle. In my experience it nearly impossible to stay under this rating in a single axle short bed truck carrying a cab over camper. Although removing the bed was a smart way to start.
I would be very curious to Know how much of the 11200LBS is actually on the rear axle.
Our truck has a RAWR of 7000#. I happen to know that before we added the camper the front axle weight was 5200# so it's reasonable to assume that our rear axle weight is under 6000#. It would be prudent of us to go to a scale that can get us separate front and rear weights.
@@AmbitionStrikes that's GAWR-Rear (rather than RAWR) in standard terminology.
Oi Amigos, ótimo recurso para melhorar a segurança. Sucesso no Canal.😃🇧🇷
Thanks Marcel!
Great addition to the rig.
We are stoked with the improvements and excited to keep modifying the truck!
Great video as always. Gotta love HellWig. How much did you save by doing the install and mods yourself?
Hi Richard! Our shop rate when we did install work was $100/hour. I would say it took us about 6 hours to do the install!
Wow, there will be 40,000 subscribers soon, come on
We are blown away by how many people are following along on this journey with us!
@@AmbitionStrikes no wonder, because you make it very entertaining.
Love the colors on your rig; is that a wrap or paint & who did it? Ok just found the answer - saw your time lapse video of the build - YOU TWO ARE AMAZING!! Very, very impressive. 👍👍
A custom paint job would have been nice but it just wasn't in the budget or time frame!
Just curious if you used a cat scale and checked the weight focus on your rear end? Insane build..nicely done
At the moment we only have total weight but would like to get axles weight as well!
If you have a really good friend that works for DOT in your state they have portable scales that weighs each axle but also each wheel. You could be under weight on the axle but over weight on the tire if there’s more weight on that side.
@@AmbitionStrikes You really should get axle loads, in case one end (the rear) is overloaded despite the total being okay. I assume that you will provide tire details and compare tire capacity to axle load in a future video.
You should also look for a scale that allows you to put one side of the rig on the scale at a time, to get individual wheel loads (and compare them to tire capacity). Campers are often heavier on one side.
You both look pretty trim to me!
Admirer of your works from India
Thank you so much Abel!
I can see what you guys do, it is really good and will it be if you drive this car to Thailand?
I doubt we will ever bring the camper to Thailand but we would love to visit someday!
@@AmbitionStrikes Our country is very beautiful, the sea is beautiful, the food is delicious, there is a lot of nature. You will definitely like it if you come to our country. You are always welcome
You can go and change your GBWR just look for it and you will be able to do it and change to a 12500 ore 13k
To our knowledge it’s really only RV manufacturers that are able to change the GVWR?
@@AmbitionStrikes From what I understand, enforcement of the GVWR only applies to commercial vehicles & CDL drivers. A lot of people with truck slide-in campers unknowingly exceed their GVWR. Nobody gets ticketed but there could be insurance issues if a claim is put in on a grossly overweight vehicle. The GVWR certification can be changed by a NHTSA certified alterer or modifier. After altering or modifying a vehicle they add an extra sticker which states the new weight rating. I suggest searching for a shop that is NHTSA certified and ask them what it would cost to have your GVWR updated. See: www.ntea.com/NTEA/Member_benefits/Technical_resources/NHTSA_certification___it_s_not_just_a_label2
@@kst357 Or just purchase a vehicle that is overrated for your intended use and then you don’t have to monkey around with any of it!
Next series idea: Rebelle Rally with the camper. Anywhere for more videos about your previous Rebelle Rally run?
That would be a slow 1,600 miles 😂. Unfortunately there’s not a ton of video footage from when I competed in a ‘69 Wagoneer but you can follow along when I was a media driver least year here!
ruclips.net/p/PLMCvRxq4QdcdO0qlCkDldE-D6kFw85ud4
Riley : Before ALL else fails READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!
Courtney : Don't go skydiving.
nice video and nice camper good job
Thank you! 🙌🏻
Excellent video and GVWR/Tire explanation. One thing i will add that is NEVER mentioned is the use of a vehicle real close to GVWR. If its a pavement queen, no big deal. If GVWR is 10k and youre 9500lb fully loaded and go off road, have a camper, and do trails and such, you are very much over GVWR. GVWR is measured statically, ie, on asphalt, or on paper. The additional forces all the suspension and steering components receive while traveling down a washboard, or a trail, are MUCH higher than if its traveling on asphalt. Simple physics. Legal? Yes! Safe? Maybe... Increasing wear and tear on steering and suspension? Most definitely. Camper raises center of gravity, higher center of gravity wears on steering/suspension, etc.. etc.. etc.. I learned this with my last setup. Although i was JUST under GVWR, i was going through control arm bushing, leaf spring bushings, and steering rack bushing around every 25k, it got pricey fast! I am shooting for a 20% safety buffer with my weight and GVWR. Time will tell if i hit it or not. Its all a guessing game at this point. :)
I was honestly surprised by our weight, pretty crazy how fast at the gear and stuff adds up. I'm happy with our choice of truck, the Ram seems like a reliable and heavy duty platform for this type of use. Totally agree that taking a heavy truck off-road comes with a whole new kind of abuse!
@@AmbitionStrikes I'm not surprised - I'm impressed that you're not already over GVWR with a 3500.
I have no doubt that your truck can easialy handle weight beyond the GVWR. The manufacturer added a good safety margin. But if you would ever be in an accident, and the insurance company or the other lawyer finds out that you were over the weight limit, they will refuse to pay or its a great base for a lawsuit! Too many RV's are overloaded, and people think it's no big deal. Wrong!
Exactly why it is so important to start with the right truck. We were surprised that even with building this camper very light, the weight of all of our stuff still added up to a significant amount. Fully loaded we are under our GVWR though so no legality concerns here.
@@AmbitionStrikes absolutely! I was thrilled when you weighed the closed shell and it was only 800lbs. But was totally surprised when you weighted it again complete and it was now 2800 lbs!
Impressed that you guys care about your weight and that you’re still 600 lbs under the GVWR!! Congratulations! You guys are awesome
Did the helper springs fix the rear sag? If so, how many inches did you re-gain? Thanks for the great video!
Hi Jake! The helper springs ended up only getting us about .5" of lift so we are still a tiny bit low in the rear. We are waiting to install the front bumper/winch before doing anything else because we are pretty sure that will level things out!
@@AmbitionStrikes Thanks! I was getting ready to order the Hellwigs based on all the good feedback I've read. Looks like they will be good for my application. Best wishes!
Nope! You both look very healthy.
Gotta stay lean enough to fit through the pass through! 😉
After it was built and loaded, you could have gone to a public scale or truckstop...
Yes, weights - including individual axle weights - are very easy to get.
Don't you need to weigh just the back half (between the front and rear tires) to know if your tire and rims are good for your weight carrying capacity?
A rear weight is something we want to get, and just haven’t had time. But the tires are rated for 4,080lbs EACH so we are confident that we are well within their capacity on the rear axle. That was a major reason we put the water tank and batteries so far forward in the camper.
@@AmbitionStrikes I figured you had it under control, but since you were telling others kinda how to, Thought i would though out this other important info.
The GVWR is like instructions--another man's (questionable) opinion.
😂
Always listen to the wife's opinion. They are cracking down with people not having enough truck to tow or haul big campers. It's a ticket you don't want.
So true! (to both things 😉)
Whatever happened with the hellwig ranger from the rebelle rally? Was that a loaner just for the race?
I tried to convince them to let me keep it but it was just a loaner! 😂
@@AmbitionStrikes Bummer. That was a nice rig.
Plz send me the all drawings of this plz
Oh wow, I have a hellwig monster sway bar on the back of my pick up, works great, totally reduces all the boat sway feeling.
I can't believe our truck didn't have a sway bar from the factory, talk about a big difference!
Anti-sway bars are beyond critical. So glad you guys got that set an install
Such a great upgrade!
I’m ready for the wheel & tire video.
It’s gonna be a good one! 🙌🏻
Bonjour de Suisse ! J’adore vos vidéos !
Thank you so much!
I think all men are like that with instructions. Great work guys, I’m not sure what to call your build? It sure looks like a truck camper but then again a small class C could also fit. I’d like to know what I’d call it, “MINE” ❤️🇨🇦❤️ Cheers!!!
Not to burst your bubble. I am a man, I ALWAYS read the instructions. I read before doing anything else. Then I inventory parts. Then I re-read and then I install with the instructions at my side. As a man, I think it is foolish not to read the instructions. It has saved time for me. I have witnessed other people, generally a woman, not read and just begin and then have to redo and/or scrap projects. Most of the men I know, family and friends, read the instructions. We are also not afraid to ask for directions or change a diaper.
Riley calls it his expedition truck camper!
@@AS-ng5pi well I guess I’ve been told. Hahahahaha Are you a Mechanic? I have two daughters and I have changed many diapers when needed. My wife worked nights after our girls were born and I even bathed them oh and I was able to feed them and they both lived through that. I don’t ever remember asking for directions but that’s because I would read the map and plan my trips before I left. Oh and you are missing an S in your screen name. Cheers.
No, not all men are like that. Some (many, maybe most) of us are intelligent enough to take advantage of available information.
Holy cow you have a 5 Tonn truck xD what. Mine is 3 Tonn and already not so happy on offroad sections xD
The new shocks and sway bay made a huge difference! 🙌🏻
Somehow I missed this one while binge
Thank you so much!
omg you're a giant!
😂
Thank God Boone didn't break the GVWR!! Then we'd have to lose Riley
I like your priorities... 😉
Saluti da Roma !!
Thanks for watching!
We r very needy in Pakistan
New subciber from PHILIPPINE
Thank you so much!
I see a custom camper van buisness in your future .
You never know!
Read once think twice. Cheers 🤣🍻🍷
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How if make Podcast Content in Your's Car
That sounds fun!
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Thanks for watching Tom!
I love
Thank you!
Cortney got too much sunburn.
Riley had a pretty good sunburn on his forehead in this video but luckily I did not!
@@AmbitionStrikes you guys are giants in front of the Hellwig boss. Great video and skills.
Is there anything Riley can't do? Hmm, I think Courtney did all the sewing in the build series, so perhaps that is the one, single thing Riley does not know how to make/build.
Speaking of the build series, I see people referencing it now in other build series videos. WorkingonExploring is doing a build series of their own, and I heard them talking VERY positively about watching yours, to help them get inspiration while making their custom camper. Among others whose name I can't recall at the moment.
I think, you know you've really hit on something amazing, when you make something so good (the camper AND the well edited, filmed and paced videos) that other people are using it to set the standard for their own work and film making. You've done that, and I think you will continue doing that as time goes on and more and more people see that build series you made, and use it to get ideas, motivation and inspiration for their own projects. Keep kicking ass, you two, because for people as talented as Riley and Courtney are, I don't think there is any other way you could do it.
We have learned Riley isn't too great with the Instant Pot... 😂 That makes our day to hear other people are enjoying our series and going after their own dream projects! My favorite quote is "there are others less qualified than you doing the things you want to do, simply because they chose to believe in themselves". The reality is we weren't even remotely qualified to build an RV, but we went for it anyways! Perfection really is the enemy of mostly acceptable and there is only one way to truly learn how to do something!
@@AmbitionStrikes OH yeah, I forgot about the instant pot cake that turned out to be pudding. I will revise my assertion, and say there are 2 things Riley can't do.
That is a fine quote, and even then, I think with your individual skill sets, you were both more than qualified to build your own RV. With what you learned making this one, imagine how over-the-top badass the next one will be. Or, anything else you build for that matter.
Just keep that instapot away from your husband, for your and his well being. And upholstery.
Nice
Thanks for watching Ken!
Consider air bags, and a built in air pump, adjustable. That way you can have a air jack, tire inflation, and air ride systems.
We will certainly be adding on board air in the near future!
2:33
Too many people overload trucks, including towing much too much weight.
Yes! It is so important to purchase the right truck for your intended use!
You do not look overweight. Maybe losing ten pounds would not be a bad idea.
Most of the time the installation manuals suck. They have poor diagrams and are hard to understand. When all else fails read the instruction manual.
So true!
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