INTRODUCING THE DECKED "BUILD OF THE MONTH."
Ok. Ok. First off, we know you all have better, bigger, badder builds than us. But we are breaking the ice with our first “Build of the Month.” We aren’t necessarily experts, but we dived in and spent a bunch of hard-earned money on some of what we think are the most important accessories to get away from civilization.
Here’s a rundown of our build:
1. SUSPENSION
You gotta be mobbin’ full throttle when you have the chance. To keep the pedal to the metal in all conditions, we decided to upgrade our suspension. Camburg’s Elite Suspension Kit is a set of bolt-on components that make a standard suspension feel like riding in a covered wagon. Their top-of-the-line construction takes out all the roadside vibrations, and travel is increased to over 11″ in both front and rear. It looks sick but performs even better, which is important when the nearest paved road is over the horizon.
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Camburg Elite Suspension Kit
- Camburg KINETIK series uniball upper control arms
- FOX 2.5 DSC front coilover kit
- FOX 2.5 DSC rear shock kit
- Camburg rear bump stop kit w FOX 2.0 bump stops
- Deaver U748K medium duty rear leaf spring kit
- Camburg rear shackle kit
2. TIRES + wheels
Meet the best off-road and highway able tire we have ever experienced. The Falken Wildpeak A/T3W’s are the best of both worlds. Great off-road traction for all terrain (snow, ice, water, etc.), as well as a quiet highway ride and unbelievable wear life.
Funny as it sounds, wheels also matter. These Method Trail Series 703’s are made from solid A356 aluminum with T6 heat treated construction. We chose these because they feature a patented Bead Grip technology which increases bead grip at low tire air pressure (i.e. your tire doesn’t blow a bead when you are creepin’ at 18 psi). Oh, and they look bad-ass.
3. light package
If you have LED headlights you are in better shape than the average driver. Especially when you are navigating a heinous stretch of road looking for a place to crash for the night. We went all out on our build with a light package that not only helps you see while driving, but also helps you set up camp in the dark.
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Baja Designs
forward facing:
- LP9 Pro amber driving/combo
- LP9 Pro white spotlight
- S8 white combo/driving light bar
- Squadron Pro amber wide corner
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Baja Designs
rear facing:
- Squadron Pro amber scene lights
- S2 white driving backup lights
4. BED RACK
Bed Rack: Here is where things get interesting. You see all forms of back of truck storage and racks but we like the Leitner Designs rack a ton, especially since they are made in SoCal. Their thoughtful design really speaks to the Swiss Army knife in all of us. Because, you know, you need something well designed to hang all of your truck jewelry from. This is a great platform for more storage and organization as well as a perch for ye old rooftop tent.
- Leitner Designs ACS Classic rack (check out the new ACS Forged version as well, it’s even cooler)
- Leitner Designs Gear Pod and Gear Pod XL
- Leitner Designs Gear Pod
- Leitner Designs Universal Mounting Plate
- Rotopax FuelpaX
- Rotopax Water Pack
5. BUMPERS
We originally dropped in on some C4 Fabrication bumpers because they were just plain bad-ass looking (don’t hate on us for not having a winch, that’s in the works for a later date…). These things are so beefy you could hit a water buffalo at full speed with hardly a scratch. And after apologizing to said water buffalo, you could easily tow them out of the pit of sinking sand – no problem at all.
- C4 Fabrication Overland Series front bumper
- C4 Fabrication Overland Series rear bumper
6. rooftop tent
We have observed that the difference between “overlanding” and “camping” is that “overlanding” involves sleeping above your truck. Our quest for the best rooftop tent was based on 1) ease of use, 2) comfort, 3) space to roll around. iKamper is the ticket. It’s a really sleek tent that is super comfortable and super duper easy to set up. Not to mention easy to remove or reinstall and cuts a sleek profile through the wind.
7. bed storage
Ok, we had to get to this point. And yes, we love DECKED. But seriously, you have all of this gear that is expensive and critical to a good mission, that doesn’t generally like to roll around in the cab of your rig. We have D-Boxes, Crossboxes, and D-Bags that you can load with various items for your different adventures, but in the end it’s all about being prepared. With the Drawer System, you’ll get the convenient and secure organization for your rig that you have always been looking for.
