Ram 5500 Fire Crew Carrier Overlanding Camper Build

[OverlandFT]

Update: after many great adventures, this truck has been sold and has a new home in Colorado!


Hi! New to the forum here. We purchased this retired Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Crew Carrier from Craigslist. The previous owner briefly used it as a work truck after picking it up from government auction. We were inspired to convert it into an epic overland camper. This is how it was built when we purchased it on June 24th, 2020 before any of our planned modifications:


2011 Dodge Ram 5500
6.7L Cummins, 6 Speed Manual, 4x4 (crawl ratio is 72:1)
Crawl through from Truck Cab to Crew Carrier
Dual AC Compressors (one for the truck cab, one for the crew carrier; both run independently)
Crew carrier insulated 62x82" layout with locking utility boxes surrounding the interior perimeter
Inset lighting on the interior, fully operational
Two large utility lockers/closets on the rear interior (see picture below)

Utility lockers on the exterior (three on each side).
Windows that open both vertically and horizontally on both sides
Heavy duty grill guard
Sirens were removed before purchase, but all the flashing lights and floodlights still fully operational!


We've got big plans for this beast and are super excited about this project. We have already started to shore up some routine maintenance on the vehicle as well as fortify/replace some of the mechanical issues the truck had at the time of purchase (steering linkage, tie rods, heavy duty wheel studs, ext).

Just wanted to introduce the rig to the world, get some feedback, and share our progress!

 

[McCarthy]

Super singles?

 

[danneskjold]

What’s the headroom?

 

[OverlandFT]

Yes, super singles are the plan. I'm debating between 1st attack or using MRAP wheels with adapters. For tires, I'm looking at 335/80R20 MPT81 or XZL. If money was no object, DBL wheels are really appealing. Some quick math on that setup would cost around $7K for tires/wheels.

 

[OverlandFT]

Headroom is tight. I'm 6'6" and have never fit into standard camper without slanting my head. My wife and daughter can stand in it without crouching, but I unfortunately can not (but that's usually the case in most spaces). We plan to add built in seating and sleeping options on the inside: two fold out chairs and a trifold futon type seat that turns into a full size sleeper. Also planning on building a fold out bunk above the crawl through for the kiddo. Most of our functional activities will be built on the outside since standing room is an issue. When the exterior lockers are open, the longest one is the perfect height/length for an outdoor kitchen, so we're looking to turn that into our cooking area. We are honestly still in the planning stages of all of that potential until we get the exterior up to shape and the interior completely cleaned and prepped for the build.

 

[Brad_UT]

This is going to be an interesting build. I ended up going with the Buckstop single piece steel wheels. Paid $689/ea which is full price. DBL's 3-piece forged aluminum beadlocks are $700/ea. DBL also had the best price on those tires too, but freight, tax and tire disposal fees have to be considered too. Hope that helps.

 

[OverlandFT]

Thanks for the info! I reached out to Buckstop first, but they quoted me $4335 for 5 wheels ($867/wheel). 1st Attack is at $435/wheel, but I haven't found any builds using their wheels...

 

[danneskjold]

This is going to be an interesting build. I ended up going with the Buckstop single piece steel wheels. Paid $689/ea which is full price. DBL's 3-piece forged aluminum beadlocks are $700/ea. DBL also had the best price on those tires too, but freight, tax and tire disposal fees have to be considered too. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the info! I reached out to Buckstop first, but they quoted me $4335 for 5 wheels ($867/wheel). 1st Attack is at $435/wheel, but I haven't found any builds using their wheels...

That’s funny - I talked to them the other day and they said $800 each for 8 lug Ford.

 

[Gateguy]

Hi! New to the forum here. We purchased this retired Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Crew Carrier from Craigslist. The previous owner briefly used it as a work truck after picking it up from government auction. We were inspired to convert it into an epic overland camper. This is how it was built when we purchased it on June 24th, 2020 before any of our planned modifications:

View attachment 599345
2011 Dodge Ram 5500
Desil Cummis
6 Speed Manual
4x4
Crawl through from Truck Cab to Crew Carrier
Dual AC Compressors (one for the truck cab, one for the crew carrier; both run independently)
Crew carrier insulated 62x82" layout with locking utility boxes surrounding the interior perimeter
Inset lighting on the interior, fully operational
Two large utility lockers/closets on the rear interior (see picture below)
View attachment 599351
Utility lockers on the exterior (three on each side).
Windows that open both vertically and horizontally on both sides
Heavy duty grill guard
Sirens were removed before purchase, but all the flashing lights and floodlights still fully operational!
View attachment 599352

We've got big plans for this beast and are super excited about this project. We have already started to shore up some routine maintenance on the vehicle as well as fortify/replace some of the mechanical issues the truck had at the time of purchase (steering linkage, tie rods, heavy duty wheel studs, ext).

Just wanted to introduce the rig to the world, get some feedback, and share our progress!

My 97 Dodge one ton was stolen in march, and i saw this rig on craigs list, I wanted to buy it...... but had to wait for the Ins. money to come through. nice truck. good luck, update when you can.

 

[Copperhead14]

You can find the 1st attack wheels on grass and wild land trucks. I have run a few on fire departments. They are a great setup.

 

[OverlandFT]

You can find the 1st attack wheels on grass and wild land trucks. I have run a few on fire departments. They are a great setup.

Thanks for the feedback on 1st attack wheels. I spoke to the owner of 1st attack and he was really straight forward about wheels & tires. My only concern is the steel construction and there's not an "official" weight rating that I've seen. DBL Designs cautions against steel wheels and claim they have replaced a lot of cracked super singles. They also have a weight rating on their wheels at 8000lbs. I go back and forth on which wheels I'll go with, but it will either be DBL or 1st attack.

 

[OverlandFT]

Before really getting into the build, I was desperate to change the emergency yellow to something less conspicuous. After getting some expensive quotes for paint, I decided bed liner would be just fine for a vehicle being built for the backcountry. I purchased 16L of tint-able raptor liner and went to the local auto paint shop for a custom basecoat. Overall, we're super happy with the new coating/color. The prep and spraying was miserable though because it was outdoor work with a high temp of 116 degrees. Had it been cooler outside, we would have removed more trim and done some more thorough taping. I still need to finish the door jams and touch ups, but overall it turned out exactly as planned.

Prep: Tape and 120grit sandpaper. I had filled a few dents a couple weeks prior. I removed the front a/c condenser, which will no longer be used and plan to build a cargo rack over the cab.


Woke up at 5AM the day after prep to finish tape and spray before it got too hot outside. Phoenix heat baked on the coating for us.


This is two coats of raptor liner, most of the truck ended up with three coats.



In the sun


In the Shade



I plan to finish the door jams, cargo doors, & touch ups in two weeks. We're going to take a break this weekend and SUP Horseshoe bend at Lake Powell.

 

[McCarthy]

Wait you're deleting the AC condensor and live in Phoenix? Brave!!

 

[OverlandFT]

Haha I know! After looking over the truck setup, I realized the air handler took up too much room in the back and required the engine to be running for either a/c or heat to work. It makes more sense to install standalone units. I'm planning to get a diesel heater installed first, because we have a PNW trip planned in the fall. A/C is on the list, ready by next summer.

I may try to utilize the 2nd A/C compressor for on board air. Get a oil drip system for the compressor with a catcher installed on the pressure side. It would be great for filling the 41" tires.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Awesome~