Thank you for documenting your experience. Definitely a warning sign. Browsing the landscape, it seems that the RigdSupply Swing could be the only game in town.
The Rigd swing is def a durable unit from everything I've read. Biggest downside being the additional length hurting departure angle, that may or may not be a concern depending on the types of trails you like to hit. It's probably a non-issue for the vast majority of overlanders.
My main apprehension is not the coin, but the expertise. Sadly I've lived my life immersed in computers and finance and neglected mechanical knowledge that could have come handy in this project. So it's always a steep learning curve to learn enough to trust an aftermarket vendor. For better or for worse, this is one of the reasons I decided to go with AEV.
For a trans swap, if you're not mechanically inclined, I'd def recommend a shop. As far as AEV goes, they make some excellent products, for sure, but their suspension is not what I'd consider an ideal solution. I know that
@ramblinChet and I have a bit of a playful banter back and forth on this, as he is a strong supporter of AEVs products.
End of the day, I don't think there is anything "wrong" with the AEV suspension, but I'd also state that if you're planning to run 37s and nothing more, there is really no need to go with the AEV suspension. It lifts the truck, but you don't actually need a lift to clear 37s, and it gives you very little additional clearance in brake-over angle.
For what it's worth, the
vast majority of guys that off-road their ram HD platform trucks are running Carli or Thuren suspensions. AEV rigs are mostly mall crawlers (outside Chet and a small handful of others).
There is a pretty long thread
here, that has some good discussion about the pros/cons of the AEV suspension. It's worth a read prior to you pulling the trigger, either to make you feel more confident in the direction of giving you additional items to consider.
Even though I'm set on sticking to payload numbers as non sensical as it might sound to some people. I would love to hear a knowledgeable contrarian perspective.
You're gonna get
a lot of perspectives on payload vs GAWRs. The TLDR from my POV, and a lot of others, is that trucks must stay within a GVWR range in order to be considered a 1/2, 3/4, and 1 ton truck. 10k is the limit for 3/4 trucks (purely from a registration POV). You'll notice that Ford and GM has since enabled additional payload options over the past few years that put a 250/2500 above the 10k limit, but again it's a reg issue.
No issue in going with a 3500, and if you're only hitting fire roads and the like, then a 3500 is going to be more than capable. I would strongly advise considering a lighter weight sway bar (Carli or Thuren have excellent options) as that is going to make the 3500 ride much nicer, especially off road.
Again, it really depends on your end goals. A 3500 will absolutely handle the weight better stock to stock, and if you're willing to upgrade to softer leafs for the 3500 you can get a lot of that softer ride back, same as you can add bags to help account for the weight in the 2500.
If you were going with a heavy hardsided camper I'd say 3500 for sure, but since you're going with a topper camper, a 2500 is also a valid option.
The esteemed
@ramblinChet seems to be cruising the backroads fine in his 3500. But it would be nice to have a thread going comparing both experiences, specifically for heavy offroad with the load of campers. But yes, logic tells us the 2500 will be ahead in the rear articulation department.
Articulation on the 2500 will be better than the 3500 off-road for sure, but again it depends on what your needs are. If you had a lot of top heavy weight then I'd say go with the 3500, but less top heavy weight means you can easily enjoy the benefits of the 2500. If you're willing to trade off slightly worse articulation, and a firmer ride then the 3500 is the way to go. If you want something that will ride nicer and offer better off-road articulation, then a 2500 is the way to go, but you will be bumping up or slightly exceeding the legal payload of a well equipped 2500. You will be well within the GAWRs of both though, and I'd recommend you always stay within those ratings.
No matter what, more weight means more wear and tear. A 2500 and 3500 suspension are damn near identical SO to SO, with the singular exception of coil vs leaf.