1999 Dodge 2500 CTD Build AKA Han Solo

[Luckychase5]

So had a long day today, after having a somewhat nightmare about my hinge brackets I welded yesterday turned out to be true and they were in the wrong place.
So after cutting them off, fringing the metal nice and flat again and rewelding on the brackets, welding my carrier to the swing out arm, mounting my toggle clamp and drilling holes for my license plate led's, my rear bumper is finally done!
I'll post pics tomorrow as today I was so pissed off at first and then working in such a flurry I forgot to take pictures, granted the brackets look the same just about 4" more to the passenger side and now all is painted and ready to go.

Oh and as I got done and went fishing at a spot on the East Gallatin River in Bozeman MT I saw the Expedition Overland Tacoma roll by, I was quite surprised as this was not a main road. Pretty cool truck for sure though!

 

[Luckychase5]

After a few days in Bozeman I want to move here! But the Bumper is done! Could use another coat if paint, but it's done! The jerry cans are protected and I'm so glad I'm not lugging around all this steel anymore. But after these months planning , cutting, and welding it's done. Here is the proof!

 

[wildhorse1]

Great work on the back bumper. Nice design. How much weight does it add with the fuel?

BTW also a big fan of that part of Montana. That is our elk hunting area, out above the Ruby river. Beautiful country.

 

[Luckychase5]

It's actually not bad. I can easily lift it and mount it by myself. Maybe 40-50lbs with the swing arm, and then another 85lbs with the cans full of fuel. Not bad over all when that stock rear bumper weighed in at about 60-70 lbs.
And we loved Montana! Kind of hard to beat Bozeman in the summer

 

[Luckychase5]

Got some new toys in the mail today! New lenses and washers for my Stealth light bar, and a Goal Zero Boulder 30 solar panel. Just waiting to get the battery controller and my lights fixed on my trailer and then it's off to Red River Gorge Kentucky!


Looks like a really good panel, my harbor freight setup failed the second time I used it. Glad I kept my receipts!

 

[Luckychase5]

Got some new tires the other day, Cooper Discoverer AT3 in 265/75R16 E. First impressions are; a great look, very deep tread, good large voids between the lugs(much bigger than my BFG AT's) and lots of nice siping all over with rock ejectors in the tread voids.


So far they run very true and balanced very easily. On my first fun day with them I put about 30 miles of heavily rutted and wet dirt road travel on them and they did very well. Got me up some steep up and downhill grades with out spinning once, I was in 4wheel hi, but I don't even think I needed it. This is after the dirt roads that day getting us into and out of the climbing areas we were visiting in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky.
I guess I can't keep things shiny and new for long can I. I'll update once I get some more miles on them, but the win the Overland Journal tire test, so hopefully I won't be disappointed running them on a larger truck.

 

[DetroitDiesel]

Got some new tires the other day, Cooper Discoverer AT3 in 265/75R16 E. First impressions are; a great look, very deep tread, good large voids between the lugs(much bigger than my BFG AT's) and lots of nice siping all over with rock ejectors in the tread voids. View attachment 251905
View attachment 251906

So far they run very true and balanced very easily. On my first fun day with them I put about 30 miles of heavily rutted and wet dirt road travel on them and they did very well. Got me up some steep up and downhill grades with out spinning once, I was in 4wheel hi, but I don't even think I needed it. This is after the dirt roads that day getting us into and out of the climbing areas we were visiting in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky. View attachment 251907
I guess I can't keep things shiny and new for long can I. I'll update once I get some more miles on them, but the win the Overland Journal tire test, so hopefully I won't be disappointed running them on a larger truck.

Great read and great build. I was online looking at those same tires yesterday best I could get was $196 in 285/75r16. These are for my 96 f350 so I looked for some 255/85 and could only find bfg km2. What size tires are those replacing? We have the same size truck. I had 305/75r16 Toyo Open Country on there but wanted something skinnier. I think I should have got the ones you did but I went with Duratracs in 285/75 and I got them for 186 a piece mounted and balanced. Let me know how you like those on a full size truck. I was looking for bumper ideas and started clicking on full size truck build threads and I like your ideas. I had a similar idea but with a spare. Can we exchange some pms when you get some time? I want to know how you like it after you use it for a week and sees what it does in the conditions. Thank you and have lots of fun and be safe.

 

[Luckychase5]

So far I have about 600 miles on them, about 80% on highway towing our 18ft trailer which is about 4-4500lbs. The tires have behaved great and had great traction in most situations. My only complaints are they love to pick up marble sized gravel and keep them, and they don't do well in thick mud at low speeds, however with 4wd engaged I have not come close to being stuck. I know they are an AT tire, not an MT and usually I'm not in mud but in KY and TN getting to all these climbing areas after the rain this area have seen we've been in it a lot.
This size was the size that I had on my rig before, they seem to do well and help with MPG vs getting some bigger tires like a 285/75 or 305/75. I found a good deal and got them for $720 mounted and balanced after the $70 mail in rebate from Cooper. Best deal I'd found in the 3 states I'd checked. Oh and the 55,000 mile guarantee didn't hurt either.
And DetroitDiesel PM me any time, I'll be around computers for a while as my wife if doing an online class at the moment. Hope that helps! Thanks for reading!

 

[Luckychase5]

Sadly the truck is for sale. We bought a condo and Han does not fit

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/4923312972.html

 

[Luckychase5]

Member pricing available, because I will know it's taken care of.