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RE: Good or Bad DIY? let me have it.
Me, I would have just bought some add-a-leafs or some real 3/4 ton truck springs... that's like half the total springs in my Dodge's pack....
On the subject of the shims, rot will never be an issue because when the pack compresses and flexes hard that bottom spring a couple times, those shims will start to crack in two and finally fall out.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/24/12 11:53am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Where to buy 2x2 steel tubing
Check your area for scrap steel or steel recyclers. I have bought 2x2 by the pound. They cut to length for me for a few bucks all up. That is if they have scraps long enough....you may be surprised at what they have as scrap by the pound.
Sidney
X2, best way to not get screwed on price is to buy it from a scrap yard.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/24/12 11:50am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Made it to Honeyman SP, Florence,OR. "PICTURES ADDED" Page 1
I see them now! Sure takes me back...
One question:
Has this cat been "stretched", or is that body "stock"? :B
https://xb6dcw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pbOYwBnfbQdPkuaHQAFiKEv5-R1Hqn4FnH_QK-7g__n9d54mhpxESrpXNBkTFHdCJuC_Q_LxZMJRMlGAKQu6_rN01MSnJs9zR/WP_000138.jpg?psid=1 width=300
Charlie must be a relative of Long Cat ;).
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JoeChiOhki
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05/23/12 10:35am |
Truck Campers
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RE: On the hunt for a free standing battery equalizing charger
I've got an older version of a VEC1093. One that actually has the "Vector" brand on it rather than B&D.
It's a great charger that can handle lead-acid, AGM, and Gel batteries. It has four charge rates, plus a 110 amp engine start assist. It also has an equalization mode and a desulfation mode as well. When they were available, they could be found for about $100. Not sure if they're the same since B&D bought Vector.
:):)
Looks good, it appears to have a battery recondition cycle, which is what I'm after :), now to find it for less than $200.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/22/12 02:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: LEAF PACK UPGRADE OR SUMMO SPRINGS
........... First, unloaded the ride is terrible. It feels like you are riding on the bump stops because you basically are. Second, one winter one of them split up the side. They replaced it. Following winter it happened again. They then wouldn't replace it but instead offered to sell me their "Winter" ones at a discount. Fine, bought those. Then in the summer the "winter" ones were too soft.........
Not a ringing endorsement. :) :)
I had never heard of them before this post.
Brad
There was a thread on here discussing them some time ago.... here it is :)
New Product "Sumo Springs" from the maker of Super Springs
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JoeChiOhki
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05/22/12 02:28pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: On the hunt for a free standing battery equalizing charger
What converter did you install?
I have a PowerMax Boondocker 45 amp unit, there's at least two threads on the subject from the past.
They're a good unit, the only thing they don't do is auto-equalize, which I frankly think most of the other smart charging units out there do too frequently.
Trojan, the brand of my batteries, has very specific warnings about equalization and the frequency it needs to be done, which is alot less frequent than what the auto-equalizing units tend to do.
I'd rather have a dedicated equalizing unit that I can hook to any battery regardless if it's on the camper or not for doing maintenance work.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/22/12 12:19pm |
Truck Campers
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On the hunt for a free standing battery equalizing charger
Well, not too long ago I did a converter upgrade and one of the things the new converter didn't have was an equalizing phase.
I wasn't upset about this fact, given that there's quite a lot of reading material out about how frequently batteries actually need equalization and a fairly lively debate on how often it truly needs to be done.
So, I still need to do it as part of regular maintenance and having it as a free standing unit would work best given that I had other batteries that are not always connected to the camper that would benefit from an equalizing charge.
So, that brings me to my question today, which is recommendations on free standing charger specifically for the purpose of performing an equalization cycle on my deep cycles.
I'm all ears on suggested brands, models, and places to get them for a great deal.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/22/12 11:52am |
Truck Campers
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RE: any advice on the coupeville area
If you want to stay in close to Coupeville and the wonderful Tony's Suds, then Fort Ebey and Fort Casey are your two main options.
If you like to have trees and a forest and privacy, then Fort Ebey is for you, Fort Casey's camping area is an open flat piece of ground with a little scrub grass and lots of gravel with no plants or trees right next to the Port Townsend Ferry terminal.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/22/12 11:09am |
Truck Campers
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RE: CHOOSING A CAMPER FOR A "HEAVY DUTY" FORD F 150
Dragon, I'm not so sure you'll be consoled if it fails, as you will get a lot of ITYS' (I-told-you-so) from folks :).
I'm going to be more curious what your end economy will really be if you do end up with a properly fitting full height hard-sider, because no matter how light you make it all, the wind resistance is what really kills the fuel economy and all truck camper's suffer from the same brick-wall effect (though some of the old super light pop ups like the palomino bronco not so much), my fear is that even after all the song and dance and pinch and scrapping, you're still going to wind up in the same 7-10 mpg fuel economy that most of us far bigger rigs get.
JOECHIOKI
I currently get the 21 mpg highway, with no camper, as advertised. It drops to 18-20 on rolling, winding back roads with small town slow downs.
I don't do a lot of real city driving but my brief city experiences, according to the on board computer reported 16-17 mpg.
I double check the computer on overall mileage the old fashioned way of gas in vs mileage out.
Fully loaded as a wind catching brick, I have heard some reports of 14-16 mpg on similar F 150s with an over the cab hardside camper. That is my hope.
But, I have already saved a lot because the real savings comes when the camper is off the truck, which will be 75% of the time or more, as my daily driver.
Over 100,000 miles of driving with just the truck and a cap, at 19-21 mpg, my gas savings over a similarly equipped half ton is over ten thousand dollars. That is a vehicle cost that few people stop to consider. Since I run my vehicles to at least 200,000 miles it is almost like getting a free camper with the truck.
I have been there with an E-450, V-10 and hesitated going somewhere because of the gas costs at 8-11 mpg. And, I don's miss the extra and more expensive maintenance and parts one bit, not to mention the purchase price.
AGAIN, a 3/4 ton would make things a whole lot easier. If you need one or you just want one, that is fine. But, for me and how I use the vehicle, this works and will even work if I do drop actually drop below the 14-16 mpg goal loaded.
Well, either way, I still will be looking forward to the real camper mileage numbers when you've got it all put together. :)
Your empty mileage is similar to my folks 2003 1-ton extended Chevy express van with the old 6.0L v8 Vortec engine, they consistently got around 18-19 mpg empty driving it freeway (@ 70 mph) and 9 mpg (@ 55 mph) pulling their Thor Tahoe Toyhauler behind them.
I can't remember if you mentioned why you're using the truck as a DD in your original truck thread vs using it as a load hauler and using a commuter vehicle that gets around 30mpg for your regular daily driving.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/20/12 04:00pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Crater Lake
Go to Diamond, they're fully open for fishing already and the snow is gone, great camping too and not a bad drive to Crater :)
http://www.diamondlake.net/fishingreport.html
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JoeChiOhki
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05/20/12 01:38pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bent my Happijack leg drat!
Time to junk the scrappie jacks, and get some good solid round tubes like Reicos or Atwoods. If it was a round tube, it would be possible to straighten it so long as it hadn't kinked, but with a square walled tube once those corners kink, the vertical structural integrity is gone.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/20/12 01:32pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: CHOOSING A CAMPER FOR A "HEAVY DUTY" FORD F 150
Dragon, I'm not so sure you'll be consoled if it fails, as you will get a lot of ITYS' (I-told-you-so) from folks :).
I'm going to be more curious what your end economy will really be if you do end up with a properly fitting full height hard-sider, because no matter how light you make it all, the wind resistance is what really kills the fuel economy and all truck camper's suffer from the same brick-wall effect (though some of the old super light pop ups like the palomino bronco not so much), my fear is that even after all the song and dance and pinch and scrapping, you're still going to wind up in the same 7-10 mpg fuel economy that most of us far bigger rigs get.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/20/12 01:28pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 10 years on the Truck Camper Forum
I often wonder what happened to some of the old-timmers; like jponder and kober.
Jponder decided to leave, I believe, after having problems with folks or causing them and then having problems, I honestly can't remember :p.
The last big thing that I remember happening to him was his rig got towed because some turds at a Race Facility told him the wrong spot to park and the tow operator did his job wrong and ended up ripping the rear jacks right off his camper.
I don't remember Kober, but I do remember SirLanceAlot, Beachbum and a few others.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/20/12 12:29pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: LEAF PACK UPGRADE OR SUMMO SPRINGS
Hopefully that 1k price tag was for entirely new leaf spring packs and the labor included for their installation.
I can buy a set of medium duty leaf spring packs from Stengle bros for around $700 (Springs cost closer to $500, the last $200 is for shipping).
The leaf springs will also outlast the Sumo springs in terms of durability, nothing will last better than an actual steel leaf spring.
Me, I will be adding the BDS add-a-leaf kits to my front and rear packs to compliment the Air Lift air springs currently on the truck.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/18/12 10:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: 1965 Tote Motel
Eyegor, what folder are the additional tote motel pictures under? I only see one photo under tote motel....
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JoeChiOhki
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05/18/12 11:09am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Does this classify as a TC?
Nope, that's an old Toyota Dolphin Mini-Class C that's had the truck cab removed and a chopper front attached, still a motorhome :).
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JoeChiOhki
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05/17/12 09:37pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: First rot
Minwax Wood hardener, available at any hardware store in the Stain section.
Need to dry the wood before applying, simply apply repeating coats until the wood dries glossy.
Used this effectively to repair damaged wood in my parent's Thor Tahoe Toyhauler and to protect the new wood that we installed to replace the material too far gone.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/17/12 09:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Anyone running a tankless water heater?
Just a reminder for those that are interested in the tankless units, here's the price points for the two main brands out there:
Atwood (available in 45,000 and 50,000 BTU units)
Price: $999-1100
Girard (available in max of 34,000 BTU single unit)
Price: $450-600
You need to google around......
Atwood 45K BTU - $740 w/ free shipping
Atwood 50K BTU - $780 w/ free shipping
Girard - $488 w/ free shipping and also says it come with a free Oxygenics shower head right now
I found those here: Tankless Water Heaters
The atwood's are on a pre-sale (usually like a Pre-order meaning they don't have any units to ship yet), and the Girard that is a winter-compatible unit is $564, not $488.
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JoeChiOhki
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05/17/12 09:28pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Tankless HWH retrofit???
KATYSDAD
Thanks, I assumed that they were like house on demand water heaters that were 120 volt. I didn't realize that you could do on demand with gas ... learn something everyday.
There has been electric and gas home on demand units for a number of years now, alot of the Oregon State Parks use the gas models in their bath houses (One whole home heater per 2 showers).
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JoeChiOhki
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05/17/12 09:25pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Anyone running a tankless water heater?
Just a reminder for those that are interested in the tankless units, here's the price points for the two main brands out there:
Atwood (available in 45,000 and 50,000 BTU units)
Price: $999-1100
Girard (available in max of 34,000 BTU single unit)
Price: $450-600
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JoeChiOhki
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05/17/12 11:38am |
Truck Campers
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