This 2020 RAM 2500 Mega Cab is the Ultimate Diesel Build

Andrew’s 5th Gen RAM is More Than Just Usable—It’s Perfect

For most of us, a diesel truck needs to fill more than the role it was originally intended for. We use them for daily driving, road trips, loading up the family, off-roading, and still need them to balance all that with their normal hauling and towing duties. It’s a lot to ask, and most stock trucks fall a little short on some of those orders. Enter Andrew’s 2020 RAM 2500 Mega Cab. Built to do literally anything he can throw at it and look good doing it, this truck is the perfect example of not wanting to accept “good enough.”

This Mega Cab started life as a custom order 2020 Olive Green Pearl Laramie trim Dodge RAM 2500 Cummins. From there, Andrew set out to improve its off-road performance, so a Carli Suspension 3.25-inch Dominator system was installed. That suspension system uses massive 3-inch diameter Carli-tuned King shocks along with a whole host of supporting parts from Carli, like a torsion sway bar, radius arms, coils, high and low stabilizers, and a Thuren rear track bar. It’s Carli’s most capable suspension setup for the 2014+ RAM platform, so despite being mostly bolt-on, it’s capable enough to quite literally jump the truck, smash through whoops, and handle serious abuse in the local California deserts.

To maintain towing capacity, the truck has a set of Full Travel rear air bags, which maintain full droop and compression travel via a removable quick-release air bag. On the steering front, the truck has an Apex drag link, Carli ball joints, and high/low mount steering stabilizers to support the front end. The final cherry on top is a fabricated Carli axle truss to support the front axle to prevent bending on harsh bottom outs.

All of that front-end support is much needed since the truck is sitting on a massive set of 38/13.5/18 Toyo M/T tires wrapped around 0 offset 18×9 Foundation 395 HD wheels in a satin bronze finish with drain hole rings and silver hardware. Fitting 38s with only 3.25 inches of front and 1 inch of rear lift is no easy task, but with the right specs and supporting parts, the truck doesn’t rub and has that stuffed off-road look. You’d expect the fitment to be dialed since Andrew co-owns Foundation wheels.

Because Andrew uses the truck for long-haul trips to snowboard and mountain bike, the truck also has an S&B 50-gallon long-range fuel tank giving it around 700-1,000 miles of cruising range per tank. To add a little extra power to make up for the larger tires, as well as improve throttle response, he installed an Edge EZX module and Edge Insight CTS3 to monitor temps. The EZX also offers useful features like exhaust brake memory recall and even allows you to run the fog lights with the high beams.

Lighting on the truck also got some major upgrades in the form of Baja Designs fog lights and an XL80 light cradle in the lower bumper, Baja Designs reverse lights, and a GJ third brake light loaded with Baja Designs S2 lights. All that lighting means hooking up trailers or driving long distances through the desert at night are a whole lot easier.

Finally, the truck got extensive cosmetic and paint upgrades to give it a truly unique look. First off, the front of the truck features a CJC Off Road intercooler guard to remove the factory plastic valance and improve the approach angle. After that, the truck got extensive bronze accent work with powdercoated tow hooks, custom-painted RAM emblems front and rear, custom 2500 and Cummins badges, and a custom set of headlights and tails. The headlights, done by RetroShop, are from a Limited trim truck. They were opened, had the boards for the daytime running lights swapped to amber, and then got painted a mix of olive green pearl and bronze to match the rest of the truck. At the rear, the tails got a similar treatment with dark tint, olive green paint, and bronze RAM logos. The accents are just enough to tie the bronze theme together and give this truck a totally custom look.

No matter where Andrew takes this truck, it gets looks from enthusiasts and regular people alike. In fact, Andrew says he’s never driven something that gets so many thumbs up, smiles, and pointed fingers. It’s for good reason though, as this truck perfectly captures the balance between form and function. While it looks like a show truck, it still gets used and is extremely capable for on- and off-road driving. If you’re building a 5th gen RAM 2500, it’s a perfect example of what’s possible!

2020 RAM 2500

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

• Edge EZX Module
• Banks DPF back exhaust
• Banks fuel/DEF caps

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Carli 3.25-inch Dominator suspension system
• Carli torsion sway bar, radius arms, ball joints, axle truss, high/low steering stabilizers
• Thuren rear track bar
• Apex steering linkage
• Full Travel rear air bags
• S&B 50-gallon long-range fuel tank
• PML rear diff cover

WHEELS & TIRES

• Foundation 18×9 395 HD wheels
• Centramatic wheel balancers
• 38-inch Toyo M/T tires

PAINT & BODY

• Custom RetroShop headlights and tails
• CJC skid plate and fog light kit
• Baja Designs XL80 grille lights and reverse lights
• Amp Research Power Steps
• Xpel ceramic window tint

Photos by Andrew Villablanca

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Andrew Villablanca

Growing up in Southern California, Andrew was introduced to a very different side of truck culture. Instead of muddy trail rigs and lifted beaters, he was surrounded by the fast-paced prerunner scene� ...