markowwes
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Re: F550 Upfitting cost estimates?
Hey HandyRandy, I set up a Ford F550 Super Duty in 2018. Purchased a Kelderman https://kelderman.com/ full air ride system and installed it myself, The air ride system was $10,000.00USD. Rides great empty, came with an extra heavy sway bar so there is no issues with camper sway. Also got the bags for the front. All self-leveling so there are no issues with ride height. All the equipment necessary to install the ride system was included, Air compressor, leveling arms, hoses and fittings, even installed a dump valve so the truck can be lowered and raised when loading and unloading the camper (very handy) In 2008 I had Alum Line custom build a service body to fit the camper, at that time I had it mounted on a 2008 super duty. $13,000.00USD. out of Helena Montana. Nice thing about custom building a deck or service body, they are transferable between all cab and chassis models and years as the frames are the same.1.3KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Camping off the truck
Quite often we leave our camper sitting at a site for long periods, I have made some pads made of 12” X 12” X ¾” plywood to put under and on top of a scissor jack. The system works perfect, good support under the floor and the jacks only have to stabilize the camper not support it. Happy Camping892Views0likes0CommentsRe: Aluminum vs Steel flatbed
Have had an aluminum service body on my F550 for 15 years now without any corrosion or paint problems. If the material, being steel or aluminum is prepared properly, you won’t have a problem either, my deck was washed down with acetone and powder coated properly, any steel deck should be sand blasted to shiny metal and primed and powder coated too. Don’t cheap out on the finish either way and you won’t have problems, steel over aluminum will make it considerably heavier even though you have a 550 it will still make a difference in the final GVW so look at all your options (trailer tongue weight, generator, extra equipment, camping gear, fuel) they all add up and the next thing you know is the 550 isn’t enough.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Might sell the F450 and go F550 with liquid springs
Grit dog wrote: SoonDockin wrote: The F450 is super capable. Maybe I should look for different tires to absorb a bit of the road feel. The 19.5s will always be a little stiff. My experience with them is limited to work vehicles though, probably aired to the max. Which poses the question, are you running them rock hard, max psi? Maybe more than needed for the load? 19.5s are recommended to run 70psi min (to keep the beads on the rims). You may get some more cushion at a lower pressure than you're running and still have adequate load capacity. Financially speaking, there's not a better time to sell a vehicle, although no advantage considering the inflated costs of purchasing another to replace it. You may want to watch what you do with your tire pressures, manufacturer says so much psi. to a certain weight but nothing about lighter loads. Lowering too much will cause heat and abnormal wear. You can try a different tire for your load and or contact the manufacturer and ask about what pressure for your load range. I run about 5 psi less than manufacturer suggested because the camper is not on all the time. I have approx. 32,000 mi. on factory tires with no sign of abnormal wear, which is not much but that is at an average 70 to 75 mph. any tire will wear faster at higher speeds. Stay away from the aggressive grip patterns unless you do a lot of off roading, they will be much quieter on the highways.604Views0likes0CommentsRe: Might sell the F450 and go F550 with liquid springs
We went with a F550 Super Duty with the heavy suspension pkg. to get the most GVW possible. Added the Kelderman 4 link air ride to the rear and Kelderman air bags in the front. The package came with Rancho Shocks and an extra heavy rear torsion bar. Each wheel has a ride height automatic adjuster so the truck never changes the ride height no matter how much load you carry. The empty ride is still a little rough but not as bad as with the springs and loaded it rides very well. Total weight with the boat we are at 28,500 lbs.231Views0likes0CommentsRe: DRW vs SRW safety, tire blowout
What is “Peace of Mind” worth to you? The last thing I want to be thinking about when on vacation and driving down the road loaded to the max, is whether or not my tires are going to “Blow out”. First …get yourself a good tire monitoring system, that way you don’t have to go around checking pressure every stop. They will tell you if you have one going low and even if they are heating up, (Usually from bearing issues). My system even has sensors on my trailer (6 wheels) plus the duals on the truck. Next … make a deal with a trucking company that will take you’re lightly used tires (for a good price) they will use them on trailers, I won’t let my tire tread wear get past 50 to 60%. Don’t carry a spare and knock on wood, never had tire issues. If you know you are going to be loaded most of the time or for long distances, get more side wall plies or a higher load rating. Never “Cheap out” on tires, it will bite you on the a$$ in the end.482Views0likes0CommentsRe: Random Questions
It all comes down to how much money do you want to spend. I went the “Service Body” route and would never look back. Had the body built to fit the camper so there are no big gaps anywhere. All kinds of storage for whatever you want to take with you and no problems with how to tie things down. The 550 is definitely a rough ride when the camper is not on, so I went to the full Kelderman 4 link air suspension with the kit for bags on the front axle. Maintains constant ride height all the time, they also include a monster torsion bar for the rear that works great. I went with an aluminum body with 3” cross beams on 12” centers to keep everything lower than usual. Your camper sits over top of the truck frame rails so you don’t need a heavy deck frame.642Views0likes0Comments
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