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Desert Dawg 2020 Ram Rebel Build
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Thanks for reading along and glad to hear that maybe helped in your decision! I am really enjoying the Rebel both as a daily driver and off-road excursion vehicle. Be curious to hear what you select!
Wife got me a new jack for the truck for Christmas so decided to try it out: it's a BushRanger X-Jack that you can inflate while on the trail using your exhaust or air compressor. Before use, you have to inflate/deflate a few times to get it stretched out and ensure no leakage. After doing that, I tested it under load and figured out I still need some extra lift under the jack as it almost lifted the rear but not quite high enough to clear the lift and larger tires. Luckily, I also received some recovery trax that I now store in the bed of truck and can use underneath the jack to give me another couple of inches to clear the tires.
BushRanger X-Jack inflatable jack system:
ORCISH Recovery Traction Boards secured along inside of bed; great for getting out of loose sand and/or using for providing a base for the inflatable jack:
BushRanger X-Jack inflatable jack system:
ORCISH Recovery Traction Boards secured along inside of bed; great for getting out of loose sand and/or using for providing a base for the inflatable jack:
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I still have my Hi-Lift and a block of wood. I like your new one though - looks a lot easier!
I actually wanted a H-Lift jack too but no way to safely use it with my power side-steps installed so this was a good solution for me.
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Do you have the factory installed power steps? Likes? Dislikes? I'm getting mine installed in a couple of weeks.
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Bought the 2021 Rebel. Flame Red with the Night Edition. Really liking this rig! Send pictures on a clear day.
No, I purchased the AMP Power Steps XL afterwards; my installation can be seen starting with this post: Desert Dawg 2020 Ram Rebel Build
This is the fourth vehicle that I have installed them on and just love them! My wife is only 5'4" so really helps her and some of my very young and older passengers to get in/out of the vehicle with relative ease along with the excellent grip that prevents anyone from slipping (so very family friendly). Also, I have the XL version which drops the steps an extra 3-inches to compensate for the lift. They retract fully up into the rocker panel area and never had an issue while off-roading (with lift and larger tires). They are also lighted for nighttime use. Finally, you can keep them extended when cleaning the vehicle or if placing loads on the roof.
Disadvantages; very few! I have read some folks stating that their step motors froze in extreme winter conditions (which I typically don't run into in the Southwest) but never had an issue while in the mountains during the winter, or after going through sloppy mud. Also, while the steps themselves don't detract from the vehicle's clearance, my XL version has a rub rail which does eat about an inch below the rocker panel but I like the mild protection and looks. But the only real disadvantage is during more extreme off-roading as they can get damaged if you exceed your breakover angle (I did recently on a desert run but took the hit very slowly and had no damage) and/or drop too far off a boulder (which is why I was actually considering rock rails but decided that I am not building an extreme four wheeler so really no need). I have taken the truck over some mild rock trails (typically boulders less than 18-inches in height) and never an issue. Out of the four sets I installed, I never had one fail.
Nice! My neighbor bought a silver one that looks excellent too! Of the colors, I really liked the red, granite, and silver colors. The new hydro blue is interesting. Definitely need to show that puppy off!
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Not sure if you can answer this. But with installing the shell, is there wiring for the 3rd brake light? My Rebel has the digital rear view mirror which means the camera is part of the 3rd brake light! O really like the digital mirror camera
Thanks for reading along and congrats on the new Rebel! Yeah, I am a real fan of the RSi SmartCap EVO too! Post some pics if you get!
Yes, they tapped the driver side rear brake light in order to power the topper's center brake light. I really wanted the digital rear view mirror too but wasn't available when I got mine. I am not sure how the camera is integrated into the factory's 3rd brake light; if part of the light housing, I don't think you can just swap the brake lights. If a separate unit, then maybe you can splice a longer cable under the truck and into the topper's brake light? That would be pretty slick considering you already have the digital rear view mirror.
I do have the factory rear view camera function as part of my Level 2 package with the camera located in the tailgate. It's nice as I get a full screen of whatever is behind me. A nice feature is I can turn it on with my 12-inch screen while in motion but the camera turns off after a few seconds since when not in reverse. So I was going to see if I can figure out how I might be able to have the rear view camera display stay on; if so, I could have a large split screen view while always in motion when desired.
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Here's a pic of my ride. 1st red vehicle I've ever owned in 40 years of driving!
Looks fantastic! Congrats and enjoy!
I purposely didn't want a drop bracket system that cuts factory components and really doesn't improve any off-road capabilities other than fitting larger tires. Having said that, I always liked BDS' 4-inch Coil-over suspension utilizing Fox adjustable front coil-overs but they don't offer that yet for the 5th Gen Rebels. Those systems are a nice compromise between obtaining additional ride height and maintaining drivability on both street and off-road excursions although you are still raising the vehicle's center of gravity even more (which is not good when doing some off-canter wheeling). But even if they did offer such a system, the cost would be north of $4K as their comparable systems (6" Ram coil-over system, 4" 150 coil-over systems, etc.) and so I was also not ready to commit to that kind of spend when other systems were/are still in the works (i.e, Carli and others). But in the end, I really wanted better control, ride comfort, and off-road performance (including durability) that any of the higher end coil-over systems provide over the typical drop bracket systems. That is why I wasn't ever considering a Rough Country, BDS or similar system as they look great and perform okay for street use but can also fail when beaten up out on a desert run or mountain trail (which would not be fun). You sure couldn't take a BDS or Rough Country drop bracket system on a high speed washboard run with any confidence of ride control, comfort, or not worry about failure...lol .
So for now, a good compromise was the Fabtech 3-inch system utilizing the Dirt Logic adjustable coil-overs (and fact that Dirt Logics have also been tested and proven in the Baja and other races). I say "compromise" in the context that comparable King, Fox, and Icon systems typically restrict the Rebel to 1.5-2 inches of front lift (although I know you can dial in a tab more on some). But the Fabtech system provides the means for getting 3-inches as the Dirt Logic longer springs and specifically angled UCAs keep the geometry within reason (but at the limit in my mind). The Dirt Logics ride great; obviously not buttery smooth like the factory Bilstein system but with faster rebound response as speed bumps and pot holes are nothing at higher speed, better control all the way around, and superbly better off-road performance. The ride is consistent with my other ICON, King, Fox stage-1 systems but not quite as dialed in with the non-adjustable UCAs and slightly less articulation (especially in the rear). So I may still look at upgrading down the road if/when better systems come to market. Or I might just incorporate upgraded components into my current system (UCAs, higher rated front springs, rear springs, etc) if/when those components also become available. In the meantime, the couple of grand I didn't spend will be going to a new front winch system. Then there is that whole "supercharger" issue tugging at me...lol...
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