sushidog
Explorer
Joined 18 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Body Roll - What Have You Done?
10forty2 wrote: If you haven't already, replace your sway bar bushings. On my 1999 when I first got it a few years ago, I had pretty bad body roll, or sway. I checked on the bushings and they were deteriorated to the point of basically being gone! Replaced them with poly bushings front and rear, and the majority of sway was gone. Its an hour or so driveway job....not hard at all! I had the exact same problem with my 1999 Tropical. I was almost blown off the road when trucks would pass. I just replaced the rear sway bar bushings with polys (fronts were fine) and did the CHF front and rear and was good to go! I've heard good reports about rear trac bars for F53's to correct this problem. Here's the least expensive one I've found: https://www.ultrarvproducts.com/UltraTrac-Trac-Bars/UTF53V10R-Rear-Ultratrac-Trac-Bar-Ford-F53-20-22k-GVW-Chassis It's $150 cheaper than the Blue OX trac bar and does the same thing. Chip446Views0likes0CommentsRe: Upgrade to Gas or Diesel Class A?
Just for cost comparisons, I had the 6.4l diesel engine on my 08 Ford go out on me at 147k miles. A rebuilt motor from Ford I around $15k + installation (and that doesn't include the $2k worth of turbos). They quoted me 47 hrs labor for the job, as the cab needs to be pulled. My truck isn't worth $20 grand so I'll be junking it. I could get a rebuilt long block and have it installed for about half of this, but there's no guarantee it won't fail prematurely too. And yes, I did the all the proper maintenance at the recommended intervals. Sometimes things just break. Diesels produce much more power, more efficiently, but if their high maintenance costs are factored in they are not any cheaper to operate than gas. For comparison, a good, used low-mileage Ford V-10 gas motor, like many Class A's use, can be had for around $3k. I'm not saying it's better, but it's quite a bit cheaper when it does eventually break. My next RV will be a 32-35 ft. Class A gasser, but if I were going with a heavy 40 footer, pulling a fair sized toad, the logical choice would be to go with a DP. Size matters. The suspension, handling and brakes on a late model mid-grade gasser is quite a bit better than it was 10-15 yrs ago, but hasn't practically everything improved quite a bit since then? A test drive of the model you are considering will tell you what you need to know. Chip500Views0likes0CommentsRe: Has anyone ever mounted solar panels to a tow vehicle?
Buuta4, you bring up a good point. Since they are mounted very high, I think they might be too high to be damaged from flying rocks, but bugs are another matter. While they are hail rated to take quite an impact, especially if the angle if incidence to the impact is only 10 degrees, (unlike a windshield mounted at about 70 degrees) I'm not worried about them breaking or even chipping from rocks, but I will need to watch for low hanging limbs (though this is no different than if they were roof mounted,) They will need cleaning more often than panels mounted at zero degrees, but cleaning them will be much easier than roof mounted panels, especially with the angle which will allow water to run off more easily than a flat panel. Alternately, I could mount them absolutely flat, flush with the cab of the truck during travel. However this would necessitate building a lower topper which would prevent me from being able to ride my 2 motorbikes into the bed. I could cover them with a canvas or nylon cover during transport. Though they would stay cleaner, the flapping and chafing of the canvas might cause scuffing of the glass and be worse in the long run than simply cleaning them a little more often. Plus the canvas would prevent collecting sunlight during the time the truck is in use. I think many people envision the panels at a 30 degree angle, however I will be dealing with a 13.6 ft. length of panels making the angle to the wind very small. I'm just using 10 degrees as a max estimate, however I think the angle of attack will actually be more like 8-9 degrees once the precise measurements are taken. For instance, a 2 ft rise over the cab in the rear would equal an 8.5 degree angle. I would have to go 2' 5" over the cab to make a 10 degree angle, which is more than I think will be needed. Chip752Views0likes0CommentsRe: Has anyone ever mounted solar panels to a tow vehicle?
Thanks for the feedback Wes. My slide on camper will really be just a camper shell that rests on the sides of the truck bed. My idea of mounting them centrally is so they act like a ballast to prevent tipping in high winds, centralizing the weight more or less evenly on the topper's legs when off the truck. If I slid them more forward, then the cabling would be longer and most of the weight would be to the front of power pod. The solar panels will overhang the top of the supercab, extending about 5 ft forward of the topper. The purpose of mounting the inverter and controller to the rear (other than to reduce the wire run is to offset some of this forward weight. Plus when the solar panels are angled higher, say in the winter at higher latitudes this will shift even more weight forward as the panels will hinge at the front of the topper. I am trying to design the power pod structure as lightweight as possible while still retaining its strength to hold the 200lbs of panels on the roof. think I will design the front jacks so they can be removed for traveling. I would like to find jacks with the longest possible travel, so I can lower the pod close to the ground when off the truck, to make it more stable and easier to clean and adjust the angle of the panels. I would also like to mount large locking swivel jack wheels (like on a trailer tongue jack, but lockable like casters on a tool box) to the legs to make it easier to position when off the truck. Say something like this but with a lock: http://www.greenlee.com/products/CASTER%2540cSWIVEL-ALL-TERRAIN-10%2540andquot%253b.html or this: http://www.durablecasters.com/pdf/series-67-68-pneumatic.pdf Chip752Views0likes0CommentsRe: Horrible Gas mileage
Well you have to compare apples to apples. Don't compare the price of a new diesel when you can get a used one for a fraction of the cost. A year ago I purchased a F-250 LB supercab with 109k miles for only $11k. It still has more miles left on the engine than a brand new gasser. (International publishes a B50 life estimate for this engine at 500,000 miles.) Then take into account what the OP could get for his used truck if he sold it outright and purchased one such as I have. Maintenance costs would still be an issue, but he wouldn't be as badly upside down on the initial purchase as many suggest. However as I said before, it would be a waste of time for fuel economy alone. One upgrades to a diesel for towing power and durability, economy is only a side benefit. I'm afraid that under the load of a large trailer, the RAM 3.0, 1/2 ton diesel would be within 2-3 mpg of the bigger diesels. And since they are now so new, you will be hard pressed to find a used one for a reasonable price - maybe in a few years. By going with the light duty diesel you lose the huge torque numbers, thus the power reserve of the larger, heavy duty diesel engines, putting you back in gas engine territory as far as towing power goes. Chip387Views0likes0CommentsRe: Horrible Gas mileage
My 08 6.4l F-250 diesel gets close to 800 miles on tank of fuel when not towing and over 650 miles when towing. Of course I have a 38 gallon tank and this is what I tow with it. It routinely returns 23-24 mpg unladen on the highway, but when the regen cycle kicks in the MPG drops like a stone. The around town mileage is pretty bad too, depending on traffic. I bought it to tow a 30ft TT when I retire to a full-time mobile lifestyle in a few years. I expect to get around 12 mpg towing my FT TT, but I tend to drive very conservatively. The 2 little 125cc motorbikes in the bed get around 100 mpg. Of course their tow rating is pretty low. ;) Chip248Views0likes0CommentsRe: Horrible Gas mileage
I wouldn't switch to a diesel for pulling your trailer. The biggest reason for going to a diesel is more power not better economy. Not only will the diesel cost you more initially, but they cost twice as much to maintain as a gasser. However, if properly maintained, they will last twice as long as a gasser, so while not necessarily cheaper, you'll spend your money on things other than fuel. Now if you had a bigger trailer and needed twice the torque to tow her, then a diesel would be a no brainer. The best way to save fuel: slow down and enjoy the scenery. Also avoid starting and stopping more than is necessary by anticipating traffic patterns as far in advance as possible. Take it easy on hills - let speed drop naturally going uphill and increase on the down hill as much as is practical while keeping safe, using your momentum to help you up the next. I like to travel at lower traffic times, (so you can do tricks like that) especially in the cool of evening - though you might miss some sightseeing if not traveling on a well known road. I don't recommend slipstreaming 18 wheelers though. That's one hypermiling technique that can get you (and some other innocent driver) killed. Gas prices are falling, but the price of funerals keeps going up! Chip208Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Feb 16, 202519,006 Posts Full Time RVers
Thinking about becoming a full-time RVer? Ask the experts.Dec 28, 20241,587 Posts Motorhome Group
Join in here to discuss all things motorhomes.Feb 13, 202538,707 Posts Pet Owners
Notes from the road with the best travel companions around.Dec 29, 20242,081 Posts RV Families
Activities, advice, and destinations for those traveling with kids!Oct 09, 2024501 Posts
