What are these holes for?

[rMetzger]

the two square and notched circle have me curious. What optional piece of equipment goes there?

 

[Diesel85]

IIRC, that is for in-bed lighting.

 

[rMetzger]

IIRC, that is for in-bed lighting.

Yup. After your reply I found exactly that on YouTube. . Ain’t gonna do it, but at least now I know what I’m not doing.

 

[AH64ID]

The bed led lighting is worth the upgrade.

 

[brucejohnson]

The bed led lighting is worth the upgrade.

Totally agree. Very much worth the cost and effort, especially to counter all the darkness in the bed that a tonneau cover provides.

 

[bcbender]

I wish I could add the in bed A/C plug, but alas I believe my 2020 does not have the wires... Still considering getting the plug and running it up to the rear seat A/C outlet.

 

[rMetzger]

Totally agree. Very much worth the cost and effort, especially to counter all the darkness in the bed that a tonneau cover provides.

I don’t have a tonneau, so for my purposes, the overhead bed light is plenty good.
I did install an in-bed 7-pin, though, to tidy up the cable run when I’ve got the camper on.

 

[rMetzger]

 

[AH64ID]

If that never comes out then sure I could see not needing them, but if you ever used the truck without the camper it's worth it.

I hope there is more to those camper tie-downs than what it shown.

 

[rMetzger]

If that never comes out then sure I could see not needing them, but if you ever used the truck without the camper it's worth it.

I hope there is more to those camper tie-downs than what it shown.

There is…. To some degree.
They clamp to the upper lip of the bed rail. The ugly part in this pic is just for angle correction.
I guess 4 of those all tear thru their zones of sheet metal, I’ve got worse issues to address at that moment.

 

[rMetzger]

As happens so often, one project leads to an observation and a “hmmmm,” moment.

while I was under the truck, I noticed that I can swing the spare tire around a little bit, so I just figured to tighten up the windlass accordingly. Simple enough, right?
I seem to have lost that little hex-drive end fitting from the jack kit. Anybody know the size of that little bolt-head? I’m gonna make a dedicated one with a long square-drive extension.

 

[Turbo Terry]

My tie downs go down to the frame. Tork Lift expensive but worth it I think

 

[AH64ID]

My tie downs go down to the frame. Tork Lift expensive but worth it I think

Yes, those are top notch.

IMO bed sheetmetal is not strong enough, or designed for, supporting a high CG load like a slide-in.

 

[rMetzger]

As happens so often, one project leads to an observation and a “hmmmm,” moment.

while I was under the truck, I noticed that I can swing the spare tire around a little bit, so I just figured to tighten up the windlass accordingly. Simple enough, right?
I seem to have lost that little hex-drive end fitting from the jack kit. Anybody know the size of that little bolt-head? I’m gonna make a dedicated one with a long square-drive extension.

Welllllll…… damn.

I looked at some crappy-quality photos and diagrams and.. gasp… consulted my owners manual in case I’d forgotten something..

there’s no hex-drive adapter. Just the square that’s supposed to mate up with one of the jack handle segments. But, it’s not in there at the bottom of that white plastic funnel. I suspect it got sheared off.
Now, what? I don’t even know if I can get the spare down to replace or modify the windlass.

 

[rMetzger]

My tie downs go down to the frame. Tork Lift expensive but worth it I think

I think they were not available for such a short bed-box. Got a pair for the 2500, but never used it for camper-carrying before my son took it with him to Virginia.
Will look up and see, though, in case something has changed.

 

[bcbender]

MO bed sheetmetal is not strong enough, or designed for, supporting a high CG load like a slide-in.

I'm afraid to pull on it with a ratchet strap on my 3500.. you can watch it flex....

 

[AH64ID]

I'm afraid to pull on it with a ratchet strap on my 3500.. you can watch it flex....

I've seen the bedsides wrinkle from too much weight on the bed caps. They are way too flimsy for a HD truck.

Welllllll…… damn.

I looked at some crappy-quality photos and diagrams and.. gasp… consulted my owners manual in case I’d forgotten something..

there’s no hex-drive adapter. Just the square that’s supposed to mate up with one of the jack handle segments. But, it’s not in there at the bottom of that white plastic funnel. I suspect it got sheared off.
Now, what? I don’t even know if I can get the spare down to replace or modify the windlass.

All the Dodge/Ram spare tire winches I've owned use the square end to drive them.

I think they were not available for such a short bed-box. Got a pair for the 2500, but never used it for camper-carrying before my son took it with him to Virginia.
Will look up and see, though, in case something has changed.

I found them for the CCSB (5.5').

D2134 and D3107

 

[rMetzger]

All the Dodge/Ram spare tire winches I've owned use the square end to drive them.



———yup. I think my ‘98 had a very thin-sheet metal hex drive that deformed and would no longer take tire-lifting torque, so I pulled it off, found a 1/2” square-drive extension that reached all the way back to the bumper-hole, pounded it into the tubing and welded it in place. Then I reinstalled it and never had another problem in 20-odd years.
I think I got the memories tangled. This one is just square-to-square, but I think it sheared.
And my welder is 1700 miles away.


Saw those—- the front units are for short bed/short boards. I’ve got the running boards that go clear to the wheel wells, so that’s a “no fit”. The rear unit is for a receiver that has an exposed open square-tubing crosspiece. Mine’s an OEM made of concealed round tubing. Another no-fit.
to go torklift on a truck that spends only about 1% of its time carrying the camper would be a lot of swap-outs and the corresponding $$$
Next-best down the hierarchy might be the HappiJack system. More like an add-on and not a pull this off situation.

 

[NIsaacs]

This one is just square-to-square, but I think it sheared.

If the square is still on the winch drive, you can use a long 1/4" drive extension. It will fit inside the square or a 1/2" long extension, using the female end, will fit the square on the outside.

 

[rMetzger]

AHA!!! I half remembered what I wasn’t remembering! And I found it!