2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

[DevilDodge]

Assuming you were not in 4wd low...

If you hold in the traction control button until it dings...usually 5 to 10 seconds...it disables all stability and traction control like 4wd Low does.

If you were in 4wd Low...boy that sucks.

 

[UglyViking]

Assuming you were not in 4wd low...

If you hold in the traction control button until it dings...usually 5 to 10 seconds...it disables all stability and traction control like 4wd Low does.

If you were in 4wd Low...boy that sucks.

So there are two traction control "off" modes then? A lesser and "fully disabled" mode?

 

[DevilDodge]

Yes. 4wd low turns them all off.

When in 4wd high...when you just push the button it turns off traction control. When you hold the button in til it dings. That turns off stability control like 4wd Low does.

I believe someone with the 4th Gens was able to use a tuner to do this with 2wd.

Also our trucks have BLDS...Brake Locking Differential System.

When you stay in the throttle...traction control will "ACT" like lockers getting power slowed at the spinning wheel and transfered to the wheel with traction.

For us guys without the Powerwagon lockers...there is BLDS

So, found out about a neat standard system on our RAM trucks. BLDS...Brake lock differential system. I will let the professionals describe it (yes, I know the blog is for a Jeep but our RAMs have the same system) https://blog.fcanorthamerica.com/2008/02/11/jeep-brake-traction-control-explained/

hdrams.com

I have used both alot while cleaning up This mess...with bald tires since I was making dump runs
I believe someone here tried this on the 4.5 Gen and it still worked...but not sure anyone has with a 21 or 22...should still work.

 

[ramblinChet]

Here are some pictures from days three and four of our Thanksgiving adventure. Over four days we enjoyed around three hundred miles of trails in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

We camped at Fifteen Mile Creek Campground in Little Orleans, Maryland which is adjacent to Green Ridge State Forest. This is the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.


We continued along the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery route up into Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania and spent our final night at a primitive campsite in Dead Woman Hollow.


It was beautiful sleeping in the FWC Grandby one more night although I am looking forward to installing a heater within the next year for additional comfort.

 

[ramblinChet]

OK, I have been thinking for months about how to mount my four MAXTRAX in a secure location while still being able to retrieve them quickly. The roof was a consideration although most all of the area will be occupied by solar panels and even more weight on top of a pop-up is not a good thing. In the future there should be a rear swing-away tire carrier module for my AEV rear bumper but it may not provide for securely mounting MAXTRAX.

Here is the Trax-Clamp manufactured by Quick Pitch in South Africa:

This will bolt on to the side of my FWC and will accept all four MAXTRAX


Here is the lever which captures two or four MAXTRAX and can also be locked


Pop the lever open and seconds later MAXTRAX are available to use - no ratchet straps, bolts, etc.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

OK, I have been thinking for months about how to mount my four MAXTRAX in a secure location while still being able to retrieve them quickly. The roof was a consideration although most all of the area will be occupied by solar panels and even more weight on top of a pop-up is not a good thing. In the future there should be a rear swing-away tire carrier module for my AEV rear bumper but it may not provide for securely mounting MAXTRAX.

Here is the Trax-Clamp manufactured by Quick Pitch in South Africa:

This will bolt on to the side of my FWC and will accept all four MAXTRAX
View attachment 27019

Here is the lever which captures two or four MAXTRAX and can also be locked
View attachment 27020

Pop the lever open and seconds later MAXTRAX are available to use - no ratchet straps, bolts, etc.
View attachment 27021

View attachment 27022

If you’re stuck you ought not be in a hurry. But if you are, at least you can get your boards out quick. Lol

 

[ramblinChet]

If you’re stuck you ought not be in a hurry. But if you are, at least you can get your boards out quick. Lol

You bring up a great point although I had these in my Jeep and they were a PITA to pull out so I rarely used them to level the rig, bridging, etc. With this set up I suspect I will use them much more often for a variety of tasks. And with as much solo travel as I plan to do four quickly available MAXTRAX are always nice to have on hand.

 

[ramblinChet]

Here is a tool that will solve a few common issues for me at various times. It will be used to help me step in or out of my camper. It will also help me unlock and lock the clasps on my FWC - right now I stand on the door sill or the rear bumper. This will also serve as a nice seat inside the camper when the top is still closed. Of course, it can be used as an extra seat around the campfire also. My friend had an older Rubbermaid unit he let me borrow and it was great but unfortunately they stopped making those a decade or so ago.

 

[Jeff1759]

Nice find! Do you keep it in the cab or maybe just inside the door of your camper?

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

That’s pretty damn handy. My grandmother needs a stool to get into my truck and I always snag the one my daughter uses in the bathroom but I may pick up one of these.

 

[Lumpskie]

... In the future there should be a rear swing-away tire carrier module for my AEV rear bumper...

Hi Chet,

Can you share any more information about a possible tire carrier module? I also have an AEV rear and am considering long term tire solutions...

 

[TonyT]

Your truck, being my favorite Prospector, I had to share this rare find with you.
2018 Prospector XL Tray Bed. Only 10 made and this one still looks new.
Found this gem last night outside a 4x4 shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I tried to find the owner, but they said he had left it there for service.
I've been working in Saudi since 2016 and this is the first privately owned Truck I've seen that is a Diesel.

 

[ramblinChet]

This past weekend was spent exploring Green Ridge State Forest in western Maryland. If you have not visited, place this 49k acre beauty on your list. I will be back sometime in the future for sure.

Traveling through the backroads of southern Pennsylvania on my way to Green Ridge State Forest.


With help from the friendly rangers I selected camp site #100 since it was farthest from all others and required nearly one hour of travel through the forest.


Here is Paw Paw Tunnel which was a part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Note the towpath which was used by 1k pound mules to pull cargo boats.




Here is old film footage of the Paw Paw Tunnel:

 

[Lumpskie]

. In the future there should be a rear swing-away tire carrier module for my AEV rear bumper...

I got excited this morning and decided to call AEV to ask about the possibility of a swingout for the rear bumper. The person I talked to said he wasn't aware of anything in the works. I asked him why they made one for the Jeep and not for the Prospector. He said it was the tailgate related functionality. He said they didn't make one for the Gladiator either because, basically, it seemed like a pain to have to open a swingout and drop the tailgate. (I can understand that a bit with loosing the push button tailgate drop functionality) So, I told him they should make one and I would buy one if they did. Maybe we can get other owners to call in and say the same? I'd love to have an AEV swingout... it would be made so well.

 

[TonyT]

I got excited this morning and decided to call AEV to ask about the possibility of a swingout for the rear bumper. The person I talked to said he wasn't aware of anything in the works. I asked him why they made one for the Jeep and not for the Prospector. He said it was the tailgate related functionality. He said they didn't make one for the Gladiator either because, basically, it seemed like a pain to have to open a swingout and drop the tailgate. (I can understand that a bit with loosing the push button tailgate drop functionality) So, I told him they should make one and I would buy one if they did. Maybe we can get other owners to call in and say the same? I'd love to have an AEV swingout... it would be made so well.

I had the AEV swing out tire carrier on my Wrangler from 2010 through 2014. It was okay, but not without issues. For one, the frames of our vehicles flex and vibrate, so the mount to the tailgate required frequent adjustment. Secondly, be it a crash or trail damage, it can't take a hit. I have always been a fan of AEV, but I wouldn't put a tire carrier on the rear bumper of my RAM.

 

[ramblinChet]

This past weekend I drove my AEV Prospector on the highway for a bit while heading over to Main Line Overland. I prefer the backroads but on this day my schedule required a few miles on the highway. Overall, I was so impressed I nearly fell asleep.

Down on the shop floor


MLO gave me a free ARB chair - thanks guys!


One of the places I stopped was Ephrata Cloister near Lancaster, Pennsylvania


While there I purchased a "crumb brush and pan" to be used for cleaning the floor in my FWC

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

This past weekend I drove my AEV Prospector on the highway for a bit while heading over to Main Line Overland. I prefer the backroads but on this day my schedule required a few miles on the highway. Overall, I was so impressed I nearly fell asleep.

Down on the shop floor
View attachment 27859

MLO gave me a free ARB chair - thanks guys!
View attachment 27860

One of the places I stopped was Ephrata Cloister near Lancaster, Pennsylvania
View attachment 27861

While there I purchased a "crumb brush and pan" to be used for cleaning the floor in my FWC
View attachment 27862

View attachment 27863

Didn’t bargain shop for that broom and dustpan, you sprung for the handmade leather. dang. nice. Chair was a sweet score.

 

[ramblinChet]

Didn’t bargain shop for that broom and dustpan, you sprung for the handmade leather. dang. nice. Chair was a sweet score.

Yeah, I looked at the plastic ones for $10 but for only $20 this is a much nicer tool. Plus, I purchased it from a cool location with some very interesting history. I guess I am a geek for things like that.

Here's the truth - two MLO events, free raffle tickets for both, won nice prizes both times. The first was a full set of Purple Lizard maps which are awesome and now an ARB Air Locker chair which is like a fold-up Laz-Z-Boy. Funny thing is, I was talking to them just ten minutes earlier about having them mount my ARB air-locker in my front axle.

 

[Brewbud]

Yeah, I looked at the plastic ones for $10 but for only $20 this is a much nicer tool. Plus, I purchased it from a cool location with some very interesting history. I guess I am a geek for things like that.

Here's the truth - two MLO events, free raffle tickets for both, won nice prizes both times. The first was a full set of Purple Lizard maps which are awesome and now an ARB Air Locker chair which is like a fold-up Laz-Z-Boy. Funny thing is, I was talking to them just ten minutes earlier about having them mount my ARB air-locker in my front axle.

I have their ARB/OME director's chair. They make a good chair.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

I have their ARB/OME director's chair. They make a good chair.

View attachment 28052

Directors chair lol

“I’m director in charge of the fire and beer distribution”

They do make good chairs.