2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[ramblinChet]

This fallen tree blocked half of the trail and although I considered squeezing around it I decided not to try since it had rained so much, the soil was soft, and the fall was steep. What made this interesting was the fact that the tree was sliding down the bank and while I was cutting I could tell these limbs were under a heavy load. I took my time and cut slowly making sure I was not going to catch the unexpected transformation of all the potential energy into kinetic.


I carry two different size Silky saws - this is the larger one. It is made in Japan and is a fine tool.


Looking out over West Branch Susquehanna River.


In the mountains it is common to find railroad lines running adjacent to rivers. In some areas there just is not enough room to also squeeze a road in also so here is an interesting way to reinforce the grade for the tracks while permitting a road to squeeze by. I would have loved to watch a train pass.


OK, one more shot of this beautiful river. The rain and the mist mixed with the slow moving water and air was wonderful. I enjoyed dozens of scenes like this as I traveled parallel to the river for miles.


This is a statue in honor of the Civilian Conservation Corps from the 1930s. It is located at the top of Hyner Mountain which also has a hang glider launch point.


If you look closely in the center and slightly off to the left you will see a litter of three black bear cubs playing on the rocks. As I approached they scurried off into the forest. I parked and waited hoping they might come back out but they never did. Earlier the same day I saw two rafter of turkey and many deer.


When driving through the mountains in Pennsylvania you will spend much of your time on scenic shelf roads like this one.


This is just one of dozens of waterfalls feeding into Trout Run just south of Wolf Run Wilderness Area. There were so many waterfalls in the area it was nearly deafening but in a very good way.


Did I mention that it rained for days?

 

[DevilDodge]

We sure have got the rain. And the edge of the forest roads get soft for sure.

Love the area you are in. Hoping to head up soon, have not been up this year yet.

 

[ramblinChet]

Placed an order today for four additional ZARGES K470 premium aluminum cases to be used in my AEV Prospector. Here are three that I purchased years ago and still use with my Jeep:


Here is an older photograph showing my National Luna 80L refrigerator / freezer and three ZARGES K470 in the rear of my TJ. I still have the older K470s which are beat to hell but still work as advertised.


Technical information:

All my cases are IGBC Certified Bear-Resistant:

 

[Brutal_HO]

Placed an order today for four additional Zarges K470 premium aluminum cases to be used in my truck. Here are three that I purchased years ago and still use with my Jeep:
View attachment 44268

Technical information:

All my cases are IGBC Certified Bear-Resistant:

Are they warrantied like Pelican?

"Warrantied against bear and shark attack, does not apply to 5 year olds."

 

[ramblinChet]

Great question. I have dozens of Pelicans dating back thirty years and all are doing great. I am sitting right now next to several Pelican Air cases - I love them. But Pelican are heavy, make poor use of room, and don't stack. I still love them and use them for many other applications where they are the best choice.

Zarges are warrantied for a decade and manufactured to ISO 9001 standards. A friend of mine who is a senior engineer from Germany claims he used them while serving in the Bundeswehr. I can find fault with most products - these are near perfect.

 

[ramblinChet]

Ordered two 2" x 8' straps and tie down D-rings from US Cargo Control. I initially considered ratchet straps but decided to use cam buckle ones so I can feel the tension and reduce the risk of damaging cargo due to over-tightening. After spending a few days researching different straps from various manufacturers I can conclude there are many good options out there and most of them would be perfectly fine for my application.

There are many different end fittings such as flat hook, wire hook, snap hook, E-track, etc. but I wanted to keep it simple. My goal with this build is to use a few pieces as possible and use commonly available options.

 

[ramblinChet]

As a temporary or possibly permanent solution to carrying spare fuel I purchase two 20 liter Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister manufactured by Wavian in Latvia. I researched other options by Valpro, Gelg, etc. and found there are only minor differences between these three top companies. I also purchased two of their heavy duty front-loading Jerry can holders.

Although I am always very conservative regarding fuel use while exploring, sometimes things happen. Carrying ten additional gallons of fuel is very cheap insurance. And if I come upon another adventurer who needs fuel I will be able to assist immediately.

 

[Fishnerd]

Wavian’s are excellent cans! Just a tip id invest in a new spout, the ones that come with them are garbage. This is the style i use:

 

[ramblinChet]

Wavian’s are excellent cans! Just a tip id invest in a new spout, the ones that come with them are garbage. This is the style i use:
View attachment 44337

I was going to order one but was unable to find one on Wavian's site. Any recommendations on the best and where to purchase?

 

[Fishnerd]

I was going to order one but was unable to find one on Wavian's site. Any recommendations on the best and where to purchase?

The ones on amazon are pretty good, they are the same quality as the ones i picked up from my local offroad store (supposedly true wavian) I have a handful of each scattered around i cant distinguish one from the other.

 

[Fishnerd]

Here is the part number for the real spout:

 

[ramblinChet]

Here are the accessory brackets manufactured by Das Mule that will permit me to mount my Jerry cans on the rear of my Four Wheel Camper:

 

[ramblinChet]

Here are my ZARGES K470 premium aluminum cases in place in my FWC. I have the 2" straps and d-rings from U.S. Cargo Control to tie everything down - I just need to pick up the correct carriage bolts, washers and nuts.

A wonderful option I have with these cases is I can empty my camper and maximize interior space in just a few minutes. All the cases are weatherproof and stack so I can store them outside or use them as a table, bench, etc. Since the refrigerator has base mounting plate with a quick disconnect I can remove it even quicker.

You can see the cases make use of unoccupied space on the sides and are close to being flush with the National Luna 80 L refrigerator/freezer.


Here is a shot of the cases on the drivers side.


Here is a shot of the cases on the passenger side.


And yes, I sized these so my bed can be pulled out with them in place. There is approximately 12 mm of clearance.


As mentioned in an earlier post, all of my cases are certified bear resistant. Many of the places I plan to visit such as Yosemite, Grand Teton, Denali, etc. require bear resistant canisters.

 

[UglyViking]

Gotta say, you spent quite a premium on those cases, but they look tailor made almost.

Just out of curiosity, do you plan to do a custom flatbed or such in the future? Curious how you store recovery and camp tools?

 

[jsalbre]

That's a pretty near perfect fit. I lust after those cases but I've just never been able to justify the cost.

 

[ramblinChet]

I strongly considered a flatbed and tried to justify it but the numbers didn't work. The base 8' shell sells for $18k now while the base 8' flat bed starts at $38k. Of course, the flat bed already has a heater, stove, sink, etc. in it but I did not want any of the factory gear nor did I want the factory layout. On top of that, I would have spent another $10-12k on an aluminum bed. In my mind, an additional $30-32k for a bit more interior room and junk that I was going to tear out anyway, was not worth it. I opted for the long bed shell and even though I have gear in it, most of it can be removed in a matter of minutes in case I need the additional space.

Sure, the cases came at a premium price but guess what...I deserve them.

My AEV Premium Recovery Bag is full of their gear and weights a ton, and tucks nicely in the passenger foot well. My splitting axe, hatchet, and saws all tuck nicely in small compartments inside the FWC. So do two seats and other small frequently used items. It is a work in progress and I am always discovering the best place to store this or that.

 

[UglyViking]

I hear you on the cost. Honestly, I am really digging the slide in camper with "service body" style off road beds. Like Bowen Customs and the like. I would really dig a FWC but for the number of days I spend camping per year that are not with the wife, 2 year old, and 2 dogs I'd be hard pressed to justify the cost. Pretty impressive that you're able to get it all in that bag. I have a small cheapo HD tote that I'm using currently and it's absolutely stuffed with recovery and tie down equipment. Then add in the maxxtracks, full size spare, and tire inflation kit in the rear and I'm having to store other stuff in the rear of the cab. I'm really thinking about a decked system and eventually an AT topper.

If I got out more frequently I think I'd spring for the Bowen Customs topper bed because it seems like the best all around option for my personal use case, but the cost is substantial.

 

[Xflight29]

This fallen tree blocked half of the trail and although I considered squeezing around it I decided not to try since it had rained so much, the soil was soft, and the fall was steep. What made this interesting was the fact that the tree was sliding down the bank and while I was cutting I could tell these limbs were under a heavy load. I took my time and cut slowly making sure I was not going to catch the unexpected transformation of all the potential energy into kinetic.
View attachment 43966

I carry two different size Silky saws - this is the larger one. It is made in Japan and is a fine tool.
View attachment 43965

Looking out over West Branch Susquehanna River.
View attachment 43964

In the mountains it is common to find railroad lines running adjacent to rivers. In some areas there just is not enough room to also squeeze a road in also so here is an interesting way to reinforce the grade for the tracks while permitting a road to squeeze by. I would have loved to watch a train pass.
View attachment 43963

OK, one more shot of this beautiful river. The rain and the mist mixed with the slow moving water and air was wonderful. I enjoyed dozens of scenes like this as I traveled parallel to the river for miles.
View attachment 43962

This is a statue in honor of the Civilian Conservation Corps from the 1930s. It is located at the top of Hyner Mountain which also has a hang glider launch point.
View attachment 43961

If you look closely in the center and slightly off to the left you will see a litter of three black bear cubs playing on the rocks. As I approached they scurried off into the forest. I parked and waited hoping they might come back out but they never did. Earlier the same day I saw two rafter of turkey and many deer.
View attachment 43960

When driving through the mountains in Pennsylvania you will spend much of your time on scenic shelf roads like this one.
View attachment 43959

This is just one of dozens of waterfalls feeding into Trout Run just south of Wolf Run Wilderness Area. There were so many waterfalls in the area it was nearly deafening but in a very good way.
View attachment 43958

Did I mention that it rained for days?
View attachment 43957

Could you show side shot of your rig. Looks absolutely beautiful?

 

[ramblinChet]

Here are a few older photos that are shot from an oblique angle but nothing perpendicular. Next time I take some shots I will try to remember a broadside shot for you.




Of course, the AEV money shot.

 

[ramblinChet]

Mule Expedition Outfitters accessory brackets do not fit Four Wheel Camper

Hmmm...to say I am somewhat disappointed is an understatement. I am preparing for a trip which departs next week and wanted to take along some additional fuel so I ordered the Mule Expedition Outfitters Four Wheel Camper accessory brackets. One drivers side ($130), one passenger side ($130), plus shipping ($35) so am in $295 for two brackets. Maybe a bit high but they looked good in pictures and I am in a crunch for time.

Unfortunately, neither one fits.

What is really disappointing is that Mule are Four Wheel Camper dealers. Ordering from a company who manufactures accessories is one thing and you may expect some issues but when they deal in the product line that the accessory is designed to attach to? No excuses.

Here are pics and details:

Here is the drivers site bracket with a picture taken from below. The bracket is snug on the left side but sticks out over an inch on the right side. Very crooked and unusable.


For reference, here is the passenger side. This fits perfect and is snug on the right side, and as I would later realize, too snug on the left side.


Here are two pictures side-by-side for comparison. On the left is the drivers side and you can clearly see the massive gap - this is way off. On the right is the passenger side and although the gap is very tight, it appears to be too tight. How will I fit the head of a bolt in there without grinding it against my camper?


If you look closely in the dark area in the center of the picture you can see the factory installed solar plug connection on the rear wall. It looks like the bracket on the drivers side is in conflict with this and that is what is forcing the bracket to be crooked. I am confused since these are not a recent addition - I checked and these have been installed on all FWC beginning in January 2015. So, nearly eight years and no accommodation?


In closing, the brackets appear to be well designed and look great but once you bolt them on the story changes quickly. Neither side fit correctly. On the drivers side the bracket is crooked. On the passenger side the bracket is so tight there is not enough room to place a bolt behind it. I am big on following instructions but none were offered. They do have a note on their website stating "Camper configurations will differ, some modifications may be needed depending on camper options." but my camper is about as standard as they come - a shell with nothing.

I am going to reach out to Das Mule and ask them if I am doing something wrong, have unusually high expectations for the price I paid, or maybe they have a solution. These are the only accessories I have purchased in the past few years that have been so wrong.