Dodge Country -- The 2005 off road season is in full swing as the new year begins. With the holidays over and the family headed back to Wisconsin we are in full WAM mode outfitting the new 2005 Dodge Ram CTD 4WD. Everything from toolboxes, off-road lights, XM Satellite radio, KORE Performance Race Suspension, bedliners and more. We are well on the way to spending everything we had in the 2005 WAM account before the month of January is over!

First on our list for the new Dodge was to increase fuel capacity as well as provide storage for miscellaneous tools while trekking across the United States all year long. We visited our friends at Aero Tank in Corona, California. As you may recall, we had Aero Tank retrofit one of their tanks in our Dodge Ram truck known as the "Desert Tank." The aftermarket tank market does not offer a huge variety of options, however there are several different manufacturers. Aero Tank has always been there to answer our insane questions about everything to do with aftermarket fuel tanks and they are located geographically close to our home base in Southern California.

For this project we opted for the Diamond Plate toolbox/fuel tank combination fabricated from shiny diamond plate aluminum with 6061 aluminum reinforcing. The tank is located beneath the toolbox and holds 65 gallons of precious diesel fuel for those long cross-country trips and adventures deep into Baja, Mexico.

Fitted inside the front wall are access latches in order to open the top of the tank from either side. And the locking mechanism is located on the driver's side and easily accessible while standing next to the truck. The box is made from nice aluminum diamond plate.

We had Aero Tank perform the install for a nominal fee and they had it completed in an afternoon. Aero Tank plumbed the tank to the truck installing a separate fuel gauge in the interior as well as the manual switch. We opted for the manual switch instead of the electric switch because of the remote locations we often find ourselves in. However, the electric switch is available by Aero Tanks.

The WAM account took a beating on this aftermarket upgrade as we paid a bit over $1500 dollars for everything installed and fitted the right way. But its really way worth it in the long run. Secure tools for our long road trips and we'll be rolling down the highway with almost 100 gallons of diesel fuel! Sweeeeet!

AERO Fuel Tanks toolbox/fuel tank combo is ready to roll!

AERO Tanks performed a clean installation including all hardware, fuel lines plumbed and gauge wired.

The toolbox/fuel tank combo is the only way to go. Maintaining the stock tank and adding this was the perfect combination for our highway adventures across America.

AERO Tanks diamond plate fuel box is clean, simple and functional.

Wolf Liners debuts online in the Desert Limo

The places that we travel and the gear we toss in the back of our new Desert Limo required us to get out and search out the latest in spray-in bedliners. With some help from our friends at Frahm Dodge - Ryan Oates, we discovered this place in Riverside named Wolf Liners. And they do have liners as tough as a wolf...no doubt!

We arrived by 9am and the Dodge Ram CTD rolled out of the bay only a couple hours later complete with the new spray on liner. We order black over the top of the bedrail and these guys at Wolf Liners are nothing less than perfectionist. In our photographs published here you notice that the inclement weather has besieged us and we took these shots in between the rain storms. In the 3000 miles we've had the truck we have already hauled a couple motors, transmissions and numerous parts from here to there and the WolfLiner is the only way to go. WolfLiners is easy on the WAM account and the texture and thickness of the spray in liner is the best price we found in the Southern California area.