My Jeep is getting up in age (it’s a ’97 model) and has nearly 100,000 miles on the odometer.  Having faithfully served as my daily driver for over five years, I think it has earned the right to become a trailer queen!  So in the Fall of 2003, I purchased a very slightly used 2003 Dodge 3500 Quad Cab one-ton, dual rear wheel truck, with a High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel and 48RE automatic transmission.  (It had already been titled and had accumulated a whopping 1,900 miles, so I got a screamin' deal!)  This model engine produces approximately 305 h.p. and 555 ft-lbs of torque.  I haven't done anything to "soup" it up yet, but will likely install a more free-flowing air intake and muffler some time in the future.  May even go with a performance tuner as well.  But for now, I'm happy with the amount of power it produces.  Anyway, the primary purpose of the big white truck was to haul around the new camper; but I also didn't want to flat-tow the Jeep anymore.  It was wearing out my expensive tires too quickly, especially that time I bent the tie rod really bad and doubled the amount of toe-in!  So in addition to the truck, I purchased a 16-foot tandem axle car hauler from a buddy.  Sure, I can still drive the Jeep on the highway whenever I want to; but for the long trips, it gets to ride in style behind one awesome tow vehicle!  Oh, and check out the truck's license plate; pretty original, huh?  ;o)

BTW, this truck is now my daily driver.  My commute back and forth to work is ¾ highway and the rest city driving.  My “empty” mileage averages around 15 mpg (no worse that what I get in the Jeep).  With the camper loaded and the Jeep in tow, it drops to around 11 or 12 mpg (better than what I was getting in my Class C motorhome)!  As for driving around town in a dually . . . the biggest problem is, of course, parking.  A close second is the large turning radius; I have to remember to turn wide!  Otherwise I drag the rear wheels over the curbs.  But I haven't torn off either of the rear fenders yet (knock on wood)!  And finally, I have to be careful not to veer too much within my lane, since I take up the whole lane to begin with!  On the flip side, I feel mighty safe in nearly 4 tons of steel; and I sit up nice and high, so I can easily see several cars in front of me.

Upgrades & Modifications:  The GVWR of our old Class C was 14,050 lbs.  Our actual weight, however, was more like 15,000.  There was also quite a bit of body roll (leaning) when going around turns.  The new camper is also very heavy; around 4,500 lbs "wet" and loaded; it sits pretty high, too.  So I initially experienced many of the same poor handling characteristics with the truck/camper combo as I did with the Class C.

As a result, I made a few modifications/upgrades to the truck.  First was to install a set of gauges so as to monitor the engine vitals.  The “A” pillar on the 2003 Dodge has a nice handle to help you up into the truck, which I didn’t want to lose.  So I decided on the X-Monitor by BD Power, which mounts on the pillar below the handle.  It monitors tranny temp, EGT, and turbo boost, all in a single compact LED display.

Next, to help carry the heavy load (as well as tame the body roll—or so I had hoped), I installed a set of Firestone Air Bags on the rear (with the Dual Air Command System in the cab), a set of Rancho 9000's, and an IDP rear sway bar.  I plumbed the air bags such that they are isolated from each other (i.e., air can flow from one bag to the other), which should have also helped mitigate the body roll.  Using the Firestone Air Command II, I can adjust each of the two air bags separately.  I mounted the Air Command controls in a center console that I built for the truck.  The compressor is mounted underneath the truck, next to the passenger side frame rail, protected within a marine battery box.

Unfortunately, these modifications did little to improve the truck’s handling.  I experimented with numerous air bag pressures and shock settings, still experienced excessive body roll.  In fact, the more air I put into the bags, the worse the problem became.  The steering also now seemed to be super sensitive.  Upon further investigation, I realized that (even with the heavy camper loaded) the factory overload springs on the truck were not engaging.  So I removed the four overload spring bump-stops and installed 1.5” spacers.  Problem solved!  The overloads now compress approximately 1 inch all around and the truck feels as solid as a sports car in the turns!  Well, not quite, but close.  Also, I remember reading somewhere that adding a rear sway bar might make the steering more sensitive.  So I removed the sway bar and am much more satisfied with the handling.  Still no body roll, but significant improvement in steering control.  The final configuration includes the Ranchos all set at “9”, approximately 30 psi in each of the two air bags, 80 psi in the four rear tires, and 70 psi in the two front tires.

Lastly, I need a way to extend my receiver hitch by about 3½ feet in order to tow my Jeep trailer.  This would also require me to install a Class V hitch.  On the 2003 Ram, the factory receiver is part of the frame.  The only way to remove it is to cut it out.  The Reese Class V Titan hitch is made to mount underneath the factory hitch.  And although you are not supposed to drill into the truck's frame, this hitch requires two additional holds be drilled.  Reese also sells a 4-foot extension.  But at that length, the capacity and tongue weight are significantly decreased.  Therefore, I built my own extension, which utilizes both receivers.  I have no idea what its capacity is, but it is certainly stronger than the Reese extension.

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