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Camper_Jeff___K's avatar
Camper_Jeff___K
Navigator
Aug 25, 2025

More F-550 and TC Projects, Triumphs And Delays

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/AEQQ43449QoVIDEO:

As many of you may know, I've been busily working on, and preparing the F550 for quite a while now planning on extended travel. I'm currently installing a VIPER 5706 alarm with remote start. I've finished the rear seat platform storage and cat area. We're getting closer to finishing all the truck and camper upgrades. Waiting for the new large 3 core radiator to arrive. SUMMIT just emailed me a notice asking if I wanted to continue waiting for the new radiator. I'll call them today to find out what the problem causing the delay to the delay to the delay is and see if I need to go with another brand like Mishimoto so I can at least get a big new radiator. Then I'll install the Radiator, Bulletproof Aluminum water pump, and the severe duty fan Clutch in one sitting. These items all occupy the same space so one tear down reassembly would be nice. After that, the truck will be in top condition and ready to go up against any challenge such as Furnace Creek, Death Valley in August 120 degrees.

PICTURES:

Fuel Pressure Sending Unit in non interfering position dodging all the pipes and hoses.Archie, left, and Poppie, right, approve of their new smaller carriers that fit the Cab locationPlatform in place, showing the cat carriers locations, the foam tunnel between the Cab and TC, Litter box location, and all the storage space beneath with center lift-out panel for easy access.New Lighting for those dark spaces out in the dessert and forest. The small lights will be on the 4 jacks. Two forward ditch lights, two rear reverse lights. All lights can be used as camp lighting at night and emergency lighting if the surrounding area needs to be highly illuminated at night for some reason.Installing the VIPER 5706 alarm with remote start.Mounting method, flattening and drilling one end to attach to bracket.Ditch Light. With jack swung out, the light is an area light. Jack swung in for travel, light is a ditch light. Pipe is 1" EMT.Existing brace helped a lot but I'm still not comfortable with front jack instability from the dually brackets. Proposed new brace below. I saw this on someone else's TC and thought it was a good idea. I may instead, attach the pipe to the TC where the shore power cord is. That's about as far back as I can go without interference from the dually fender.

 

7 Replies

  • StirCrazy's avatar
    StirCrazy
    Moderator
    Aug 27, 2025

    the radiator is a new one to me, we used to use the 6L rads as a upgrade for the 7.3.  

    I read your reply to grit, do you actually have an issue with the rad?  personally I would flush/clean it add a antifreeze filter and call it a day unless you are having an issue.  another thing to look at if you need a rad, is there not a shop around that makes/modifies rads?  there used to be one in every city/town up here but now its a little harder to find them but they are still around.   

    if you looking for things that fail on the 6.0, the liquid to liquid oil  cooler is the biggest failure rate on them and when they fail they lead to over heating and can take out the egr cooler, but I have never heard about the rad one.  

  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator II
    Aug 26, 2025

    Radiator failure or just worried about it?Dang that is one of the actual non issues of a 6.0. 
    Good call on the alarm. Assume it’s an immobilizer too?  Considering your home location this is smart. That way you don’t have to drive down to Occidental to find your rig parked with the motorhomelss. As among other unfavorable issues with that gen or super duty, your truck has no OEM security, chipped key etc. we used to have them stolen regularly back in the day.  Broken window and screwdriver to the ignition cylinder and you’re driving off in a 1st gen SD.  Still inexplicable why Fomoco decided to forego any security system in a truck made in this century. 

    • Camper_Jeff___K's avatar
      Camper_Jeff___K
      Navigator
      Aug 26, 2025

      I do like the simplicity of this truck. On the radiator, I've read that the radiator can suffer the same clogging affliction as the oil cooler. It all starts with the EGR cooler super heating the antifreeze and changing its molecular structure into sticky little particles that like to attach to surfaces. It's what clogs up the oil cooler and causes the cooler to collect other particulates leading to higher oil temperatures. I've read that the radiator is a place these particles like to attach in the cooling process. over time, they create enough restriction to cause over heating. reduced radiator flow could also explain how at higher rpm, coolant pressure builds due to blockage and out the degas bottle cap it goes. This truck had a pin hitch in the bed and rumor has it it used to pull horses and equipment in the Oregon Mountains. The 185 degree thermostat has made a difference and so has rerouting the coolant return from the coolant filter into the radiator for cooling, rather back into the heater core return hose and into the water pump without cooling.  The folks at AFE told me the new radiator may not ship till November. The Scummit people tell me it's in a production run and should be here September 7th. I'm expecting an email, text, or call from Scummit with a definitive answer and then I will decide if I need to go with a Mishimoto instead. Whatever happens, I need to do something to resolve this heat issue once and for all.

      • Grit_dog's avatar
        Grit_dog
        Navigator II
        Aug 27, 2025

        Still confused. Is there an issue you’re trying to correct with a new radiator or just too much reading and hand wringing over real or supposed problems?

        I get it, the 6.0 is maligned with plenty of real issues, some major, some just finicky. Probably hard to discern between the two given these trucks have garnished far more than their fair share of attention over the last 20 years, and not in a good way. 
        But to that point, the efficiency of the radiator is not one of those things. And in general a truck with that low of miles shouldn’t “need” many of the things that it does or that you’re doing to it. 
        To put it another way, in your words, you think this hauled a GN horse trailer through the mountains. Far rougher duty on a cooling system and drivetrain than basically driving around bobtail. A truck camper really isn’t much of a load for a class 5 truck, that should be 90% of the reason you bought a behemoth like that to haul a mid size ish TC. The overbuild of the vehicle for your planned use equaling a lower duty cycle.

        Pardon me if this all seems rather silly, but after hauling our truck campers all over North America, including towing sizable trailers at the same time for many of the trips, on a 3/4ton diesel that didn’t begin to even stress out the drivetrain, I’ll say you have less to worry about than you think. 
        Remember you’ve hauled this camper everywhere on a F250 with an anemic little gasser and less than stellar transmission (comparatively). 
        And as I recall, your only real issues were high mileage issues like worn suspension parts and the engine debacle (s). You did buy another high potential engine debacle but the rest of the truck is tough as nails and the nails are about 3x as big as the F250. 

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