swhunter
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Re: Brain probe for 19.5 x 7.5 rims and 16" F450 Front Brakes
I have a 2000 F350 Crewcab 7.3 liter powerstroke 4x4 longbed single rear wheel. I carried a Lance camper that has a 11’3” floor. I switched to Vision 19.5” wheels, on the wheels I have Toyo M920, 245/ 70R – 19.5” tires. The wheels are rated 4500 lb’s & the tires are rated 4540 lb’s. I now have a lot more safety margin compared to the stock 16” wheel and tire combo. The stiff side walls of the tire made a difference in reducing the sway with the camper on board. It is nice to not have the tires squat when loaded. I don’t have a need to air down so that is a non issue for me. I don’t know when I can upgrade to a dually. So I did research the 19.5” tire subject for several years before making the change. It is a expensive up grade. I am happy with the results I have gotten since going with the 19.5” setup.580Views0likes0CommentsRe: Who’s still using a 7.3 diesel truck
I have a 2000 F350, 7.3 liter diesel, Crew Cab, SRW, Auto trans, 4x4 Long bed. I bought it in 2002 with 26,000 miles from the original owner. The pickup now has 156,000 miles. I already had a 1992 Lance camper that I carried on a 1993 Dodge 250 club cab 4x4 with the 5.9 liter Cummings. The camper has a 11’3'' floor with a generator. I had installed Reese class 5 hitch and the airbags on the Dodge. I took the hitch and the air bags off the Dodge and put them on the 2000 F350. The air bags helped the rear end to not squat so much. But the front end was too soft with the camper on. When a semi truck would pass me I would have to get off the throttle and ride it out. There was a lot of sway on uneven ground when the camper was on also. I had the Rancho 2.5” level kit installed, Rancho 5000 shocks and double shocked the front end. That modification really made a big improvement to how the pickup handles when loaded with the camper. Since then I have added an Edge Products programmer, K&N cold air intake, bigger trans oil cooler & temp gauge, 4” exhaust with straight through muffler. Almost two years ago I went to 19.5” wheels & tires. I am happy with tires they don’t bulge out under load and they really helped reduce the sway. I also took the F350 to a spring shop and they added a thick-heavy spring to the main spring pack on the rear end. They also replaced the one overload spring with two thicker-heavier springs. Now the pickup rides level and handles well even without using the air bags. Last year we bought a really well taken care of in great shape, 2010 Lance model 950-S has a 9’10” floor one slide out and a generator. Hope to sell the 1992 Lance this spring. Things were pretty weird last year, because of multiple reasons we only got to go on one short camping trip with our new to us camper. Hope we can do more before long. With everything I have done to my 2000 F350 it carries the camper very well, handles well and is nice to drive loaded. I haven’t had many engine problems. Replaced the ball joints at 100,000, water pump at 120,000 and alternator at 140,000 miles. It would be nice to have a newer F350 with the 6.7 that has more power and is quieter. I don’t now and won’t have the means to get another pickup for a good while. I hope nothing drastic and bad happens to my F350, 7.3 because I would like to keep it for a long time.534Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which 19.5" tire to choose
I went with the Toyo, M920- 245/70R-19.5” tires Load range G rated at 4540 lb’s. I have had them on now for a year and half. I bought the tires from a local tire shop that does a lot of semi truck & heavy equipment tire business. The guy that did the tire install has been doing big truck and heavy equipment tires for over 25 years. He showed me when he was balancing them that they were real uniform as far as being round. He said some tires it really shows how out of around they are when they are spinning on the balancer. I hope that made since what I was trying to explain. They took 3oz to balance. My F350 SWR has the 7.3 liter diesel with a 4” exhaust and straight through muffler. I don’t hear the tire noise much once I am at highway driving speed. When I let off the throttle like going on to an exit or descending downhill they do sing quit loud. I have been on several trips carrying the camper since putting the tires on. So far I am happy with my decision, the tires stiff side walls and the way they handle is a big improvement when loaded with the camper. Last January I had the camper on during a pheasant hunt and we got 8 to10 inches of snow on our last day. I drove in some pretty deep snow on dirt roads and the last third of the day the roads were quit muddy and I didn’t have any problem. And then on the night driving home I got caught in a snow storm on the highway. At times I had to adjust my speed because of visibility and icy road conditions. I never felt like I had to slow down because of the tires, just because of the driving conditions. The tires handled fine with the big 11,1/2 foot Lance camper on. Not sure but I think they probably handle better in those kind of conditions with the weight of the camper on than they would if the pickup is empty. Thanks, swhunter744Views0likes0CommentsRe: Northern Lite 10-2000 stolen in Seattle
Glad to here you recovered both units. Hope you will still be able to use them. Does the insurance help in this case? How does the insurance handle the camper issue? Around here the F series Fords are popular with the thieves. So far I have been lucky. I also had Ravelco installed on my F350. I have heard of few cases where they break in the truck but can't drive it away. You always have the expense of repairing the damage the thieves cause but you still have the truck.618Views0likes0CommentsRe: Rear View Camera
I am glad you asked this question. I am interested in what info others share. Don't mean to hijack your thread. I have a 2000 F350 which came out before pickups came with cameras. My camper isn't wired for camera. I would like a camera that I can see the trailer behind me while I tow. I have been researching and I am trying to figure out if I can go wireless so I won't have to run wires through the camper. I apologize if I shouldn't post within your thread. If am in the wrong let me know and I will post separately Thanks, Swhunter411Views0likes0CommentsRe: Do you drink.......
We drink the water from our FW tank which is filled with good water from our well before we leave home. We usually carry a few 1. gallon jugs also filled with our well water, basically because I am in the habit of almost always carrying extra water with me all the time. I usually do a flushing routine of the FW tank once a year, which may include disinfecting it too. I do like to carry a in-line filter in case we have to get water at unfamiliar places. swhunter680Views0likes0CommentsRe: Over weight? Does it bother you?
Being over weight does concern me. I have a 1992 Lance with a 11’ 3” floor. Specta it seems to be very similar to the camper you have. I carry it on a 2000 Ford F350 7.3 diesel 4x4 CC Long bed SRW. I added air bags and upgrade to rear springs. The weight of the rig exceeded the stock 16” tires rating by more than 500 lb’s per tire on the rear axle. When loaded even with the tires at max 80 psi the sidewalls flexed a lot. I never felt that comfortable with the setup. As time went by I did become a little hesitant to drive the rig fully loaded. I recently added 19.5” wheels and tires. Now the new 19.5” tires are rated 615 lb’s more than the actual weight on them. The 19.5” tires side walls not flexing has made lot of difference in how the rig handles. And I feel a lot better about driving this rig now. I do have lot better piece of mind with this setup now. Thanks, swhunter874Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Mar 12, 202544,028 Posts
