Though most of us are biased toward one auto manufacturer or another, it sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find out what that bias really is. Take Mark and Yolanda Camponile from Woodstock, Illinois for example. In their 25 years of off-roading, they've dabbled in several different trucks, from Chevys to Fords and finally to the Dodge you see here.
"The first truck I owned was a Chevy Suburban, which I worked on in my dad's garage. I tried the Ford Power Stroke next, but I didn't really like it. Then about two and a half years ago, I came across a Dodge Ram 3500 with the Cummins and I absolutely loved it," said Mark Camponile.
OFF-ROAD FOUNDATION
With keys in hand, Mark and Yolanda knew from the beginning that they wanted a truck that could handle anything, yet still be completely drivable on the street. With that in mind, the stock suspension simply wasn't going to cut it. Between work and the family, Mark decided to turn the truck over to the guys at Attitude Performance for the suspension tweaks. A custom-fabricated long-travel 9-inch lift suspension was built for the Dodge with 2 1/2-inch King coilover shocks.
A pair of custom-fabricated floating traction bars with aluminum shackles work in combination with Firestone rear air springs to keep the rear axle centered under the truck. Giving the truck a further lift, five Weld Racing EVO Renegade XT 17x10-inch wheels were wrapped in Goodyear MT/R 40x13.50R17 tires, allowing for that aggressive off-roading look while still remaining true to their daily-driver desires.