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2021 RAM 3500 Tradesman | AEV Prospector | FWC Grandby

This is good info, we need a chair to chair throwdown. I am sick of replacing the cheapo walmart options!
 
This weekend was spent exercising the truck back in the Green Ridge State Forest in western Maryland.

When I arrived at my camp site there was a couple already set up there with a fire, nice looking Gladiator / Alu-Cab combo, etc. They mentioned that the site they reserved just down the trail was too tight for their rig so instead of asking them to pack up and leave I decided to go take a look at it myself. There were a few trees to squeeze between but there was easily enough room for my vehicle so I claimed it as mine. I spent the night nestled between a mountain and Fifteen Mile Creek, reading a book and listening to the creek with some occasional wind and rain. So peaceful and relaxing.
2021-12-19_09.40.21.jpeg

Fifteen Mile Creek
2021-12-19_09.40.44.jpeg

Abandoned family cemeteries are occasionally found in the forest. I usually stop to pay my respects and try to imagine how their lives were back then, what the area looked like, how they lived, etc.
2021-12-19_10.51.54.jpeg

Here is Point Lookout in Maryland. Across the Potomac River is West Virginia. While at this location I met another man with a diesel Ford and Haulmark pop-up camper. We took a few minutes to compare trucks, campers, future plans, etc. It was a nice chance encounter.
2021-12-19_13.43.01.jpeg

Here I am at the bottom of a boat ramp at Bond's Landing near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Lock 60. The water was low enough that if I had an AEV snorkel I may have attempted to cross the Potomac. I backed straight up the boat ramp in 4LO just to exercise the transfer case linkage and gears.
2021-12-19_15.12.41.jpeg

Here is another beautiful campsite with an entrance that was a very steep climb. Since I travel in 2WD exclusively this was a good test of the factory limited slip differential, the BFG all-terrain tires and the traction control system. Since I ascended so very slowly there were a few times one tire would slip but within a few degrees of rotation it would reestablish traction once again. Quite impressive.
2021-12-19_19.24.58.jpeg

My main takeaway from this weekend's trip is that the ARB chair I have is just too large to carry for my needs. It is a wonderful chair but I don't need a collapsible lounge chair with armrests that can support 350 pounds. It's a great chair but not the best one for my requirements.
 

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ramblinChet said:
This weekend was spent exercising the truck back in the Green Ridge State Forest in western Maryland.

When I arrived at my camp site there was a couple already set up there with a fire, nice looking Gladiator / Alu-Cab combo, etc. They mentioned that the site they reserved just down the trail was too tight for their rig so instead of asking them to pack up and leave I decided to go take a look at it myself. There were a few trees to squeeze between but there was easily enough room for my vehicle so I claimed it as mine. I spent the night nestled between a mountain and Fifteen Mile Creek, reading a book and listening to the creek with some occasional wind and rain. So peaceful and relaxing.
View attachment 28328

Fifteen Mile Creek
View attachment 28329

Abandoned family cemeteries are occasionally found in the forest. I usually stop to pay my respects and try to imagine how their lives were back then, what the area looked like, how they lived, etc.
View attachment 28331

Here is Point Lookout in Maryland. Across the Potomac River is West Virginia. While at this location I met another man with a diesel Ford and Haulmark pop-up camper. We took a few minutes to compare trucks, campers, future plans, etc. It was a nice chance encounter.
View attachment 28332

Here I am at the bottom of a boat ramp at Bond's Landing near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Lock 60. The water was low enough that if I had an AEV snorkel I may have attempted to cross the Potomac. I backed straight up the boat ramp in 4LO just to exercise the transfer case linkage and gears.
View attachment 28333

Here is another beautiful campsite with an entrance that was a very steep climb. Since I travel in 2WD exclusively this was a good test of the factory limited slip differential, the BFG all-terrain tires and the traction control system. Since I ascended so very slowly there were a few times one tire would slip but within a few degrees of rotation it would reestablish traction once again. Quite impressive.
View attachment 28334

My main takeaway from this weekend's trip is that the ARB chair I have is just too large to carry for my needs. It is a wonderful chair but I don't need a collapsible lounge chair with armrests that can support 350 pounds. It's a great chair but not the best one for my requirements.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a perfect weekend.
Dibs on the chair.
 
ramblinChet said:
This weekend was spent exercising the truck back in the Green Ridge State Forest in western Maryland.

When I arrived at my camp site there was a couple already set up there with a fire, nice looking Gladiator / Alu-Cab combo, etc. They mentioned that the site they reserved just down the trail was too tight for their rig so instead of asking them to pack up and leave I decided to go take a look at it myself. There were a few trees to squeeze between but there was easily enough room for my vehicle so I claimed it as mine. I spent the night nestled between a mountain and Fifteen Mile Creek, reading a book and listening to the creek with some occasional wind and rain. So peaceful and relaxing.
View attachment 28328

Fifteen Mile Creek
View attachment 28329

Abandoned family cemeteries are occasionally found in the forest. I usually stop to pay my respects and try to imagine how their lives were back then, what the area looked like, how they lived, etc.
View attachment 28331

Here is Point Lookout in Maryland. Across the Potomac River is West Virginia. While at this location I met another man with a diesel Ford and Haulmark pop-up camper. We took a few minutes to compare trucks, campers, future plans, etc. It was a nice chance encounter.
View attachment 28332

Here I am at the bottom of a boat ramp at Bond's Landing near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Lock 60. The water was low enough that if I had an AEV snorkel I may have attempted to cross the Potomac. I backed straight up the boat ramp in 4LO just to exercise the transfer case linkage and gears.
View attachment 28333

Here is another beautiful campsite with an entrance that was a very steep climb. Since I travel in 2WD exclusively this was a good test of the factory limited slip differential, the BFG all-terrain tires and the traction control system. Since I ascended so very slowly there were a few times one tire would slip but within a few degrees of rotation it would reestablish traction once again. Quite impressive.
View attachment 28334

My main takeaway from this weekend's trip is that the ARB chair I have is just too large to carry for my needs. It is a wonderful chair but I don't need a collapsible lounge chair with armrests that can support 350 pounds. It's a great chair but not the best one for my requirements.
Click to expand...
Outstanding Chester!

Your captioned photos are always something to look forward to. Keep them coming!
 
ramblinChet said:
Here I am at the bottom of a boat ramp at Bond's Landing near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Lock 60. The water was low enough that if I had an AEV snorkel I may have attempted to cross the Potomac. I backed straight up the boat ramp in 4LO just to exercise the transfer case linkage and gears.
View attachment 28333

Here is another beautiful campsite with an entrance that was a very steep climb. Since I travel in 2WD exclusively this was a good test of the factory limited slip differential, the BFG all-terrain tires and the traction control system. Since I ascended so very slowly there were a few times one tire would slip but within a few degrees of rotation it would reestablish traction once again. Quite impressive.
Click to expand...

Man... beautiful pictures, as usual. You get out so much that it makes me jealous. I read your above post where you mentioned that you don't travel in 4wd. You mind sharing more thoughts on that?
 
Lumpskie said:
Man... beautiful pictures, as usual. You get out so much that it makes me jealous. I read your above post where you mentioned that you don't travel in 4wd. You mind sharing more thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind words. I am looking forward to seeing your pictures as you adventure more frequently.

With regards to how I travel compared to others, let me begin by saying that I respect others choices and if it works for them - awesome. For 99% of the trials I am on 2WD is entirely sufficient. I like to know how much traction is available in when traveling in 2WD you have a higher sensitivity. If I am spinning and not making any progress I can select 4WD and 99% of the time I am clear within a few feet. It will surprise you just how much you can conquer in 2WD alone - picking a good line and taking your time helps develop your skills.

Anyway, if I still am having problems and I am in 4WD now I can engage my front ARB air locker which will be installed as soon as gearing becomes available. I have run ARBs, Detroits, etc. in other vehicle and a locker up front with a limited slip in the rear is an awesome combination for most all general conditions. If I am still hung up in 4WD with the front locked I always have my Warn 16.5ti winch to fall back on.

Every time I venture off road I make sure to engage 4WD hi and low at least once and travel a few hundred feet just to exercise the linkage, shift collars, etc. But I have been on many a trail ride where we pull up to a flat dirt road and I hear everyone on the radio "locking in" and I wonder why...
 
ramblinChet said:
Thank you for your kind words. I am looking forward to seeing your pictures as you adventure more frequently.

With regards to how I travel compared to others, let me begin by saying that I respect others choices and if it works for them - awesome. For 99% of the trials I am on 2WD is entirely sufficient. I like to know how much traction is available in when traveling in 2WD you have a higher sensitivity. If I am spinning and not making any progress I can select 4WD and 99% of the time I am clear within a few feet. It will surprise you just how much you can conquer in 2WD alone - picking a good line and taking your time helps develop your skills.

Anyway, if I still am having problems and I am in 4WD now I can engage my front ARB air locker which will be installed as soon as gearing becomes available. I have run ARBs, Detroits, etc. in other vehicle and a locker up front with a limited slip in the rear is an awesome combination for most all general conditions. If I am still hung up in 4WD with the front locked I always have my Warn 16.5ti winch to fall back on.

Every time I venture off road I make sure to engage 4WD hi and low at least once and travel a few hundred feet just to exercise the linkage, shift collars, etc. But I have been on many a trail ride where we pull up to a flat dirt road and I hear everyone on the radio "locking in" and I wonder why...
Click to expand...
Totally agree on your approach. I have been rock crawling for years and always wonder why I hear lockers engage at a trailhead. That being said, I never want to be "that guy" on the trail that digs my rear tires into the mud when I could have walked through it in 4wd. My guess is you know what I'm talking about and we are in violent agreement. My plans are the same as yours. I'm going to get a front ARB and keep the stock LSD in the rear. I can't wait to see how you mount switches, compressors and associate HW. Maybe I'll be able to copy you when the time comes!
 
Thanks - I attended in 2019 and had a great time. I was unable to attend in 2020 due to a scheduling conflict - I was in a Sportsmobile on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. I am definitely planning to attend again - lots of wonderful people there and nice rigs. As soon as tickets become available I will grab mine for sure!
 
flan said:
I guess I can’t bring my TT :(
Click to expand...
If being serious.. There are many state parks near by with accommodations for travel trailer.

Greenwood Furnace is just down the road.

With the way things are going...it may be booked already though.

Camping is so popular right now.a
 
DevilDodge said:
If being serious.. There are many state parks near by with accommodations for travel trailer.

Greenwood Furnace is just down the road.

With the way things are going...it may be booked already though.

Camping is so popular right now.a
Click to expand...
It wouldn’t be a bad ride for me, seems like the heart of the event is truck camper based mostly. Seems like it will be a great time.
 
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