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Luxury Laramie Edition

90K views 745 replies 57 participants last post by  Arth 
#1 ·
Hello all! Welcome to my build page (well, building page). LOL

My goal with my new rig is to chrome it out to be the best damn looking Laramie in the Basin (live just south of SLC).

This is her window sticker:
Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4
Mineral Gray Metallic
Dark Slate Gray
Leather Trimmed Bucket Seats
Floor-Mounted Shift Lever
Heated Second Row Seats

5.7L V8 HEMI (Love this part!!)
6 Speed Automatic

Standard Equipment
Power Adjustable Pedals w/Memory
Security Alarm
Trailer Tow Wiring w/4 pin Connector
7-Pin Harness
HD Engine Cooling
Advanced Multistage Front Airbags
Supplemental Side-Curtain Front & Rear Airbags
TPMS Display
Remote Entry
Electric Shift on Demand Transfer Case
Parkview Back up Camera

Interior
Second-Row In-Floor Storage
AC w/Dual Zone Control
730N SAT/CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV
Alpine Surround w/9 Speakers & Subwoof
Heated Front Seats
10-way Pwr Driver w/Memory & 6-Way Pwr Pass
Front Center Seat Cushion Storage
Memory for Radio, Driver's Seat, Mirrors & Pedals
Heated Steering Wheel (very nice feature! no more gloves!)
Wood Grain Instrument Panel Accent
Deluxe Door Trim Panel
SiriusXM Travel Link/1Yr Sub
SiriusXM Sat Radio/1Yr Sub
Uconnect Voice Command w/Bluetooth
40GB Hard Drive with 20GB Available
Steering Wheel-Mounted Audio Controls (a must have)
Rear 60/40 Split Folding Seat (This is NOT true.. they only flip up.. they DO NOT fold down! :4-angermax:)
Power Lumbar Adjust
115V Aux Power Outlet
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
Sun Visors w/Illuminated Mirrors
Rear Power Sliding Window

Exterior
20inx9in Aluminum Chrome-Clad Wheels
Dual Rear Exhaust
Lower Two Tone Paint
Bright Grille
Body Color/Chrome Door Handles
Accent Fender Flares
Halogen Quad Headlamps
Fog Lamps
Chrome Exterior Mirrors
Power Multi-Function Mirrors w/Manual Fold-Away
Exterior Mirrors w/Heating Element
Auto-Dimming Exterior Mirrors
P275/60R20 BSW All Season Tires

Optional Equipment (the fun starts here!)
Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats
Floor-Mounted Auto Shift Lever
Heated Second-Row Seats
Ventilated Front Seats (woo baby.. up the neder regions! :SHOCKED:)
Customer Preferred Package 25H
Protection Group
Tow Hooks
Transfer Case Skid Plate Shield
Front Suspension Skid Plate
Monotone Paint (had to have this.. trade in was two tone..not a fan anymore)
Body-Color Fender Flares
Front and Rear Rubber/Slush Floor Mats
3.92 Rear Axle Ratio
Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle
Power Chrome Trailer Tow Mirrors w/Manual Fold-Away
Power Sunroof
Chrome Tubular Side Steps by Mopar
P275/60R20 OWL All Season Tires
Remote Start System (omg.. the best!)
Class IV Receiver Hitch
Trailer Brake Control

More pictures to come!
 

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#416 ·
In Transit: On Time

  • Business Day(s) Left 3
  • Scheduled Delivery: Thursday, 10/31/2013
Approximate Delivery Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Last Location: Departed - Odessa, TX, United States, Monday, 10/28/2013

MWAAAHAAAHAAAAAAA!!
 
#419 ·
I am in for a busy weekend.. seems package one will arrive on Thursday and package two will arrive tomorrow!

I am feeling nostalgic.. it was only last Halloween when my husband and I were out in the car port installing my tonneau cover.. had the bowl of candy on a work bench.. the trick-or-treaters laughing at my husband's grunts sounding from beneath the cover.. oh, those were the days. :)
 
#420 · (Edited)
Ohh the anticipation!! I'm smoking waay too much tonight.. just.. can't.. sleep.. gotta love insomnia
:3-smoke: :wow::ura1::spinning::au: :doh: :4-dontknow:

 
#421 ·
Okay.. it has finally left SLC.. I suppose I may be able to pry myself away and go up to bed now.. getting to sleep will be the next task.. :i_rolleyes:

 
#425 ·
Just a quick shot before snow flies..
Also realized I didn't have any good pics of the truck overall after my recent mods.. this is the most up to date picture :)

 
#427 ·
Also, ordered up some samples of the 3M di-noc carbon fiber vinyl.. going to see if my idea will play true to reality in the cab.. if it looks like I think it will, you guys will see something transform in my cab soon ;)

AND I have to sell my husband on the idea.. I mentioned this the other day to him after I read through topsub's build thread and he said maybe we should just take it to the dealer and trade it off. Good grief. I learned to accept his stubbornness on debadging.. but really? I can't cover up the chrome that BLINDS me every day? Gawd.
 
#428 · (Edited)
Amp Research BedStep 2 Installed



This is a pretty straight forward install and it does indeed fit my truck with the factory fender flares. This install was true to the instructions, mostly, so I will be elaborating on the parts that caused us issues and, well let's face it.. just plain sucked. :i_rolleyes:

I started off by assembling the main linkage bracket.



Be very careful and pay attention to the alignment you want (driver side or passenger side) AND the configuration required for your bed length. There are four illustrations on the instructions.. two (driver and passenger alignments) for 6.5' and 8' beds.. and two for 5.5' beds. I made the mistake of paying attention to one but not both and ended up having to disassemble and turn stuff around. So, you have been warned! :shy2:

Once I had the linkage assembled correctly, we gathered everything needed and got the template in place. My husband surprised me when he slid out after placing the template and handed me the center punch and mallet saying "It's all you." :D



Tap the holes through the template, then drill using a 1/4" bit, followed by a 3/8" bit. Remove the template. Place the threaded plate into the channel above your holes and line up the holes.

*Note.. please wear proper eye protection while drilling the holes. I have never drilled in this position before and it caught me off guard when I saw metal shavings falling onto my glasses and bouncing into my hoodie. This may be a no brainer for most others so just consider this a friendly reminder to were safety goggles or eye wear. ;)





Now comes the most annoying, excruciating, painful, and time consuming part. There is very little room to work with here and you will not be able to see the outer most bolt.. this one you will have to thread by feel only. I was lucky and got the inner bolt to thread almost immediately. The outer bolt took me, and my husband, nearly an hour to catch - we kept taking turns as this will seriously drain your fingertip, forearm and shoulder power and we needed to take breaks.

*Edit: I forgot to mention another contributing factor that added a whole degree of difficulty to this step of the install that some out there may want to know..
This step involves placing the threaded plate in a slot in the bed frame so that it sits flat directly above the holes you just drilled. This slot it is in is bigger than the plate thus giving it plenty of room to scoot and shift freely. When you bring the linkage assembly up and try to attach it to the bed frame via these holes.. it is unbelievably difficult to not only get the bolt threaded into the hole in the frame, but ALSO catch the hole in the threaded plate that seems to enjoy utilizing it's free will. LOL! Ugh. This was the cause of my (and hubby's) painful and drawn out hour.

I was able to get the first bolt (most inner and one you can actually see) threaded on my second attempt, so we tightened that bolt up in an attempt to restrict the floating movement of the threaded plate above. This worked. Then, using the center punch, I was able to align the hole in the threaded plate with the freshly drilled hole in the bed frame in order to allow the bolt to catch and thread. This all sounds very easy now that I am explaining it.. but when you take into consideration that the work space (at least on my truck) was equivalent to the width of two forearms held side by side, this was a trying task to undertake. I am only glad my husband was willing to tap me out every few minutes for a breather. (And a personal issue was in the mix as well.. I recently had surgery on the back of my left hand and am in therapy to release the tendons from the resulting scar tissue - so that was really no help either! At least I can miss therapy tomorrow and not feel guilty about it! LOL)



Cut to the ending.. once you have both bolts threaded, tightened and torqued to 16ft lbs, continue following the steps (as I said, unlike other installs I've done, these are true to form and are easy to follow).

I finished up by attaching the foot pad. I had two positions available.. one with the pad centered on the linkage when extended out, but looked off center with the lines of my truck when flipped closed.. the second option (the one I chose to go with) has the pad off center with the linkage, but perfectly centered between the end cap of my side step and the leading edge of the rear fender flare.

It may appear as though the pad will not clear the end cap of the side step, but it does! The way it lowers slightly when pulled out and down, it just curls right around the end cap. This position is also better than the other position because the rear edge of the foot pad does not cross the visual midline of the fender flare leading edge.. thus not cutting into the wheel well opening.

Initial review and bottom line:

  • The Amp Research BedStep 2 fits on the short bed 1500's with factory fender flares and side steps. I am unsure if it would fit if I had Bushwacker pocket flares, or any other thick flares. I am also unsure if it would fit with other side steps.

  • It does not strike or come in any contact with the fender flare when in the closed position.

  • It does not strike or come in any contact with the end cap of the Mopar chrome side steps.

  • It is difficult to install due to the restricted space available on my short bed 1500. This is not the fault of Amp or the product.. my truck simply doesn't have much room in the installation area.

  • There has been some questions recently expressing concern about this step dropping down while going over pot holes or bumps in the road. I haven't driven any distance yet, so I cannot say for sure.. but it takes more than a slight tap of the toe to move this, up or down. I feel confident that this step will not budge, even when the truck is in motion and traversing terrain.

Personal experience: I was able to do most of this mod myself. Due to my recent surgery, I had my husband double check/tighten bolts and play tag team with me for the issue we had with the second bolt into the threaded plate (see above). All in all.. this is a most excellent mod! Very practical and now I can access the front of my bed without the balancing act on the tire and step end cap! I also got it for a steal, so that certainly helped.

Superb product with very good build quality. All parts felt sturdy and sure in hand. Highly recommend to others! :smileup: (I'm now considering adding one to the passenger side too. lol!)

If I missed or skipped over something and you would like more details about a specific step or whatnot, please ask and I'll do my best to help you out. That's what I am here for, after all! ;)

Final installed pictures
I will get better shots in the sun tomorrow! But I know how pics make the post - so these are the best I could do tonight. If anyone wants a picture from a certain angle or zoomed in on something, please let me know and I'll get it for you.







 
#433 ·
Awesome! Glad they fit. See? All that worry for nothing. Loved the write-up! I LOVE that your husband placed the template and handed the drill to you! (Gabi laughed too!) As for not being able to see what you are doing, welcome to the world of mechanics! I affectionately (#@*!) refer to this as "using the force" LOL. Great job, my friend, these look very clean and will be a welcome addition to your rig, I am sure.
 
#435 ·
LOL @ Using the force. Having had this experience, I can TOTALLY relate! So funny that you mention that since I said the exact same thing to my husband during one of his turns under the truck! LOL! Star Wars is a very strong influence in my home... would still like to get custom badges made for my Ram.. she is most certainly the Millennium Falcon.. and especially after what she put us through last night! LOL! (Although I've never referred to her as a bucket of bolts!)
 
#434 ·
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQsstA9S10

Awesome, thanks for the reminder Roger. I kept trying to paste the link to embed, option found under share.. but got it and now can share it here, where it's meant to be :) Thanks again!
 
#437 ·
Hey just wondering how much u paid for the new tailghts
 
#439 ·
I've decided to try carbon fiber.. I thought the brown would look good and accent the wood grain panel well.. so I bought the sample sizes of matte black and brown.

Stock look..


Here's a pic of a strip of each color on either side of the radio..


Although the brown is unique and not done by many others.. it doesn't look as good as the black.

So black carbon fiber it is.

Now the problem is the wood grain panel stands out too much since I can't work with the look and appearance of it. So, I tried using PS CS3 to try to picture what it would look like if the wood panel is covered with carbon fiber.. let's just say I suck at this. LOL!

If anyone else knows how to use Photo Shop, I'd appreciate it if they'd try to take a stab at this?

My attempt..



The ultimate look I would like to achieve is to wrap/cover the 4 A/C vent chrome bezels, the gearshift chrome bezel and the wood grain center panel all with black carbon fiber.

Still unsure what I will do about the panels on the doors. :4-dontknow: I'm open to ideas!

Also need to know what you guys who have worked with carbon fiber think about how much and what size sheet of carbon fiber I am going to need to accomplish all of this.
 
#441 ·
How much would it cost to have my tires flipped or turned where the white lettering would then be mostly hidden on the underside of the truck?

Are there any issues that would keep someone from doing this? Like tire wear or something?
 
#442 ·
Currently waiting on my return home is the following:
#845 wax
Microfiber towel
Bosch EV6 Male connectors
Pflege rubber cleaner/sealant
Sprayway interior glass cleaner
Passenger front door cup holder
Mopar wiring harnesses
Glass Scruber for exterior glass
.. and probably some other stuffs.. I can only keep track of so many things.. lol!

So, over the next few weeks, I will have all necessary items to do a complete winter prep of my Ram, inside and out and I will now have every component to get my 2013 Laramie Tails wired up and installed.

This is going to be a good few weeks (as long as the weather takes pity on me and my open car port!). :)
 
#454 ·
Wow that's an impressive list of detailing products. Do you have somewhere indoors where you can do the detailing or are you limited by the weather? To apply the collinite I would recommend doing it somewhere at room temperature and warming up the bottle with Hot tap water to thin it out. Looking forward to seeing the results. :smileup:
 
#444 ·
Kai, I have just spent I don't know how long looking through your build form the beginning (don't know how I haven't seen it until now), and I have to say AWESOME!!!!

You have done so much, and I am super impressed!

Sooooo.........wanna trade for a bit and you can work on mine?? LOL.....

My two favs are the LED lights at the back, and the LED lights on the step rail.

For me the LED's on the back would be great to solve my crappy backup camera problem at night and not being able to see a foot behind me, and the step rail lights just downright look cool!

I may have a few mods in my near future, and a few questions for you!

I'd give you rep points for sure for your build, but I have to wait a bit as it won't let me!

Again, brilliant job!
 
#445 ·
Kai, I have just spent I don't know how long looking through your build form the beginning (don't know how I haven't seen it until now), and I have to say AWESOME!!!!

You have done so much, and I am super impressed!

Sooooo.........wanna trade for a bit and you can work on mine?? LOL.....

My two favs are the LED lights at the back, and the LED lights on the step rail.

For me the LED's on the back would be great to solve my crappy backup camera problem at night and not being able to see a foot behind me, and the step rail lights just downright look cool!

I may have a few mods in my near future, and a few questions for you!

I'd give you rep points for sure for your build, but I have to wait a bit as it won't let me!

Again, brilliant job!
Hey, ah, get in line son. :LOL:
 
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