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My mostly chrome deleted, mostly badge deleted, Limited

Techna

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I intentionally left the bit of chrome in the grill and the chrome Ram’s head on the tailgate as I think just a little bit looks nice on a limited. The grill surrounds and the window trim are vinyl wrap, and the door rub strip and hood badges are plastidip with glossifier. I was going to replace the hood badges with black and when I suggested that I was willing to remove the door rub strip but valued the door ding protection, the shop doing the wrap said they’d dip them for no charge to see how they hold up. They wanted to photograph the truck for their Instagram page in its final form anyway, so I said “sure, why not?”
I have to say that I’m very happy with the look.
 

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NorthernArea51

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Were your bumpers originally chrome or no?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Nanookian

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That looks great but we need a picture of the back. I like the little bit of chrome.
Did you level your truck?
 

Techna

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That looks great but we need a picture of the back. I like the little bit of chrome.
Did you level your truck?
Really don’t have a good picture of the back. This horrible one is from right after I put the bed cover on. It’s since been leveled via properly adjusted air links and pucks.
 

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Techna

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I haven’t updated in a while, but changes have been made. My wife and I had to make a 5k mile road trip in July and it looked like the Limited was going to be our ride. I needed a secure bed cover, but was undecided on what route to take. A hard tonneau cover or cap/topper were the two choices. My 4th gen has a BakFlip on it and I liked the tri-fold design ok, but I really wanted the option of installing racks over the bed as I’d seen the need for that functionality in the past. That meant that good retractable cover was the best option if I didn’t take the topper route. A cap was intriguing, but I’ve never had a truck equipped with one and I was nervous about spending so much money on the unknown. My further investigation revealed that there was no way to get either of the caps I wanted in time for the trip, but I COULD get the retractable cover I liked the best in time, so that’s what I did. I ordered a Pace Edwards Ultragroove Metal retractable and was beyond happy with the result. The cover installed easily, looks great, functions perfectly, is dry, is secure, and with no extra keys or external locks needed, locking up the bed is as simple as closing the tailgate and walking away. To access the bed you open the tailgate, turn the internal latch, and give it a gentle push. Now at almost $2K, it IS expensive, but really I have been 100% happy with the product itself. So the truck was outfitted for the trip and I’m sure it’d have been great...
But in the 11th hour, we bought an RV. Go figure.
 

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Techna

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To continue...
As much as I liked and appreciated the PE Ultragroove, I’ve always wondered what It be like if the time constraints of our summer trip would have allowed for a topper. Both with this truck and my Bak Flip equipped 4th gen, there have been a few occasions where we needed to carry things out of the wind and weather that wouldn’t fit under the cover. Also, I really like the way certain trucks, with certain toppers look. Desert Dawg’s Rebel for instance. With the coin I’d already dropped on the PE retractable and my happiness with it, there was just no way I could convince myself to even begin to entertain ordering the Leer or ARE topper I’d looked into before. But miracles happen and a used Leer XQ in the right color popped up on Facebook Marketplace just a few hours away. It was a good deal, but not an absolute steal, so I tried to put it out of my mind. That didn’t work and now I’m going to be giving myself a week to decide which one to keep. Right now I’m thinking though that a perfect condition Pace Edwards Ultragroove Metal retractable bed cover might be listed locally at respectable discount. ;)
 

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Desert Dawg

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To continue...
As much as I liked and appreciated the PE Ultragroove, I’ve always wondered what It be like if the time constraints of our summer trip would have allowed for a topper. Both with this truck and my Bak Flip equipped 4th gen, there have been a few occasions where we needed to carry things out of the wind and weather that wouldn’t fit under the cover. Also, I really like the way certain trucks, with certain toppers look. Desert Dawg’s Rebel for instance. With the coin I’d already dropped on the PE retractable and my happiness with it, there was just no way I could convince myself to even begin to entertain ordering the Leer or ARE topper I’d looked into before. But miracles happen and a used Leer XQ in the right color popped up on Facebook Marketplace just a few hours away. It was a good deal, but not an absolute steal, so I tried to put it out of my mind. That didn’t work and now I’m going to be giving myself a week to decide which one to keep. Right now I’m thinking though that a perfect condition Pace Edwards Ultragroove Metal retractable bed cover might be listed locally at respectable discount. ;)

Now we're talking! Looks great!

I love mine; had used almost all of the bed cover options on numerous builds but my favorite (and most useful for me) were always the stylish toppers.
 

Techna

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A few more changes relating to the topper. First I integrated the Leer rear glass and the tailgate so that I can either open both remotely, or by using only the tailgate latch. There is a way to do this with a modified electronic Leer lock, but I wanted a mechanical solution. As it sits now, I can tie the rear glass to the tailgate and open/unlock that way, can engage the Leer latches so that both they and the tailgate have to be unlocked and actuated for access, or deactivate my add on mechanical locks and use the Leer latch to unlock and raise the glass only. I like that I can close it up and have the glass essentially locked (and can unlock) without having to use the key.
The second thing I tackled was rear visibility. With the dark tint of the truck’s rear glass and the topper’s rear glass combined, my rear view mirror was almost useless. I’m comfortable with the truck’s backup camera for backing, and though I can bring it up with a push of a button, but that’s not an ideal solution for taking a quick glance to the rear while driving. Using the 2021 Ram’s digital rear view mirror for inspiration (though it’s CHMSL mounted camera is a bust for topper equipped trucks), I started looking at the aftermarket digital mirror options. Though I’ve always kinda wanted a dash cam, my priority was the rear view. Most digital rear view mirror/dash cams mount the forward facing camera on the back of the mirror and that’s not really an option for a vehicle with such a large glass mounted housing like my truck has. The Pormido D50 has a remote mounted front camera and also a cabin camera, so that’s the one I chose. It also has upgraded Sony image sensors in all three camera that offer better dynamic range for improved nighttime operation. So far, I’m happy enough with my choice. It’s got a few issues that could be easily corrected via firmware updates but I’m not holding my breath. I’d love a digital zoom feature so that I could more closely match the rear image to the side mirrors in size, but my main complaint is that the rear camera image can not be inverted, meaning that the rear camera must be mounted under a ledge. If flipping the image were an option, I could have flipped the rear camera and mounted it on top of the Leer for a much cleaner installation. As it is now, I’ve got it on top of the rear glass stuck to a plastic mount I fabricated. I originally had the camera inside and looking through the glass, but nighttime use was too negatively impacted by the tint. I’m strongly considering moving it inside the tailgate itself and having it look outward through a lens and a hole located between the Ram’s horns in the tailgate emblem. My truck has to go to the body shop for tailgate repair and I’ll run it by the guy doing the work. He’s a custom car guy and I imagine that the idea will appeal to him. Meanwhile, I’ll hammer Pormido‘s “customer care dept.” about firmware updates.
Short video of the rear glass/tailgate integration and some pictures of the digital mirror/camera setup with a nice comparison between the factory rear camera and the Pormido.
 

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Buz

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To the OP:
I gotta say that's a really, really nice looking Limited. One of my favorites I've ever seen. And I don't even like black vehicles. Really nicely done!
 

Techna

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To the OP:
I gotta say that's a really, really nice looking Limited. One of my favorites I've ever seen. And I don't even like black vehicles. Really nicely done!
I really appreciate it, Buz. It’s funny, but even though there are many, many nice trucks pictured on this site, only a few (Desert Dawgs Rebel, Roaming Lost’s Rebel, and a blue Rebel with bronze Fuel wheels come to mind) REALLY push my buttons. I’m pleased that your buttons were pushed by my Limited.
 

Buz

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I really appreciate it, Buz. It’s funny, but even though there are many, many nice trucks pictured on this site, only a few (Desert Dawgs Rebel, Roaming Lost’s Rebel, and a blue Rebel with bronze Fuel wheels come to mind) REALLY push my buttons. I’m pleased that your buttons were pushed by my Limited.
Would you mind sharing:
-tire size?
-lift/level information? (looks like a modest lift/level of only a couple inches)
-Did ride quality change much?
 

Techna

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Would you mind sharing:
-tire size?
-lift/level information? (looks like a modest lift/level of only a couple inches)
-Did ride quality change much?
Tires are 35x12.5-20 Ridge Grapplers and the truck is currently leveled with Daystar spacers and AirLink brand air links. Originally I leveled via the links only, but the ride had already taken a hit from the weight and stiffness of the tires, and my wife was beginning to question my sanity. I added the spacers to allow a drop in inflation pressure at the front “springs” and got some of the ride quality back. To be fair, she’d seen (and felt) the evolution of my Jeep, and even though the Jeep was flexy, loose and a handful on pavement rather than stiff, she feared the originally smooth and poised Limited was headed in that direction. It’s still stiffer than stock, but she appreciated the change that the spacers provided. I also dropped the tire pressure to 35psi for a bit and have slowly and clandestinely (SHHH!) bumped it back up as she got used to the ride. I’m contemplating a 4” lift now.
 

Techna

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Put the racks I had mounted over the Pace Edwards retractable tonneau on the topper for a trip down to the coast to visit my Dad. I thought I might strap some fishing rods up there, but ended up fitting them inside the bed under the Leer. I wanted to see how they did as far as noise goes anyway, so I left the racks up there. While on the trip, a buyer local to home decided he wanted the PE tonneau and he wanted the racks too. Now I’m on the hunt for new racks and have pretty much decided on Yakima this time. Probably will do the HD bars even though I’ll never load them to their potential. To me the my old Thule square bars looked too spindly on a truck, and the Yakima round bars do too. Yakima Core bars are nice, but they lack the top groove that the HD bars and JetStream bars have, and I want that bit of functionality. I’ve slept on it for a few nights and the HD bars have just slightly edged out the JetStream as looking more “right” to me. Pictures to come once they’ve been sourced and installed, though I doubt I’ll be able to get one from Dad’s deck showing that sweet downward view.
 

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mk2019ORP

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A few more changes relating to the topper. First I integrated the Leer rear glass and the tailgate so that I can either open both remotely, or by using only the tailgate latch. There is a way to do this with a modified electronic Leer lock, but I wanted a mechanical solution. As it sits now, I can tie the rear glass to the tailgate and open/unlock that way, can engage the Leer latches so that both they and the tailgate have to be unlocked and actuated for access, or deactivate my add on mechanical locks and use the Leer latch to unlock and raise the glass only. I like that I can close it up and have the glass essentially locked (and can unlock) without having to use the key.
The second thing I tackled was rear visibility. With the dark tint of the truck’s rear glass and the topper’s rear glass combined, my rear view mirror was almost useless. I’m comfortable with the truck’s backup camera for backing, and though I can bring it up with a push of a button, but that’s not an ideal solution for taking a quick glance to the rear while driving. Using the 2021 Ram’s digital rear view mirror for inspiration (though it’s CHMSL mounted camera is a bust for topper equipped trucks), I started looking at the aftermarket digital mirror options. Though I’ve always kinda wanted a dash cam, my priority was the rear view. Most digital rear view mirror/dash cams mount the forward facing camera on the back of the mirror and that’s not really an option for a vehicle with such a large glass mounted housing like my truck has. The Pormido D50 has a remote mounted front camera and also a cabin camera, so that’s the one I chose. It also has upgraded Sony image sensors in all three camera that offer better dynamic range for improved nighttime operation. So far, I’m happy enough with my choice. It’s got a few issues that could be easily corrected via firmware updates but I’m not holding my breath. I’d love a digital zoom feature so that I could more closely match the rear image to the side mirrors in size, but my main complaint is that the rear camera image can not be inverted, meaning that the rear camera must be mounted under a ledge. If flipping the image were an option, I could have flipped the rear camera and mounted it on top of the Leer for a much cleaner installation. As it is now, I’ve got it on top of the rear glass stuck to a plastic mount I fabricated. I originally had the camera inside and looking through the glass, but nighttime use was too negatively impacted by the tint. I’m strongly considering moving it inside the tailgate itself and having it look outward through a lens and a hole located between the Ram’s horns in the tailgate emblem. My truck has to go to the body shop for tailgate repair and I’ll run it by the guy doing the work. He’s a custom car guy and I imagine that the idea will appeal to him. Meanwhile, I’ll hammer Pormido‘s “customer care dept.” about firmware updates.
Short video of the rear glass/tailgate integration and some pictures of the digital mirror/camera setup with a nice comparison between the factory rear camera and the Pormido.
That doesn’t look bad at all 👍🏼
Can you turn the digital image off at will and use it as a regular rear view if you wanted?
 

Techna

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That doesn’t look bad at all 👍🏼
Can you turn the digital image off at will and use it as a regular rear view if you wanted?
You can, but the reflected view is dimmer than a regular mirror. Since my rear view mirror was already so greatly compromised by the layers of privacy glass, I wasn’t surprised to find it hard to use like that. I tried it with the Leer’s back glass flipped up and It’d be absolutely usable as a regular mirror without the topper. I do really like that the screen turns off immediately when you hit the button so that mirror mode instantly available. Great for a last second look at my face to make sure there is no unpleasantness hanging out of my nose before turning off the motor and exiting the truck. Stupid Covid-19 face masks or no, booger checks are a habit we should strive to maintain. It’s truly for the good of all mankind.
 

mk2019ORP

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You can, but the reflected view is dimmer than a regular mirror. Since my rear view mirror was already so greatly compromised by the layers of privacy glass, I wasn’t surprised to find it hard to use like that. I tried it with the Leer’s back glass flipped up and It’d be absolutely usable as a regular mirror without the topper. I do really like that the screen turns off immediately when you hit the button so that mirror mode instantly available. Great for a last second look at my face to make sure there is no unpleasantness hanging out of my nose before turning off the motor and exiting the truck. Stupid Covid-19 face masks or no, booger checks are a habit we should strive to maintain. It’s truly for the good of all mankind.
Perfect, thanks for the response. Unfortunately I too have a topper, which is exactly why I have been looking at something like this. I’d be interested to see some more info on how you mounted your rear camera. Totally agree with the booger check though. May have saved me the trauma that resulted in having to spend all my money on shrinks instead of being able to afford a truck that came with this standard 🤔
 

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