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RE: A few questions on Dualies
If you camp like the above then the TT may be the right choice. The 3 strong points for a TC are ...
1) in California the TC is not registered so there is a money savings, No tires either.
2) the TC in the truck bed can get into spots that the TT would never even think of going.
3) if you pull a boat or dirt bike trailer or a cargo trailer the TC can do it.
DRW trucks are ALWAYS more stable than an SRW truck with a large TC in the bed. Since the truck and TC combo is more explorer friendly the 4x4 option starts to make sense. It affords you that extra ability to get into even more isolated areas that other RVers must pass by.
With the added costs of the new diesels, and the turn over rate folks have with their trucks, I would look at the big gassers now IF I were in the market for a truck. I paid a $4000 premium for our diesel, now it is at least 50% more. That is just crazy. Plus the new diesels get worse MPG's then our diesel does. Diesel is also about the same cost as unleaded. So the gasser is much better in today's market conditions IMO.
Lastly the Gasser weighs a bit less so you increase your trucks in bed load a bit thus the gasser can carry more in bed then the same truck with the heavier diesel engine.
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AllenF
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11/16/09 09:46am |
Truck Campers
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RE: New Battery Technology.
I see these announcements in a different light. We are in a mind boggling moment in battery technology. As was pointed out there are a lot of start up companies and wan-a-be's who have some new take on different battery chemistry's. All are promising the Moon and they all have one need in common, money. But this is how new stuff is brought to market. Most will have nothing to do with it and this is why many things get lost to time or take decades to develop. Great ideas can eventually rise to the surface, when more folks look at them and bring their own ideas to massage them to even better potential.
I have no doubt that there is a HUGE need/market for better battery technology. I am excited that so many are involved in the quest in finding that technology. Once this final hurdle is crossed we will be on the road to energy independence. Foreign oil will be, in large part, a thing of the past.
I for one cannot wait. Once these better batteries come to market they will bring with them the added benefit of other already existing wind, and solar, type of energy making technologies. These are where we need to be focusing our limited funds in making these our #1 priority, IMO.
Sadly there is not just the struggle to bring new technologies to market and getting them to work and getting them funded. There is also the assault from existing companies that want to keep the status-quo. They use FUD (fear, uncertainty and deception) to prevent, or at the least, hinder the progress and acceptance of these new and competing technologies. They also lobby politicians to keep them down which can kill an idea. By the way, to lobby means to bribe. Congress is most truly for sale. More so now then ever before.
I wonder how well Thomas Alva Edison would have done in today's business and political climate?
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AllenF
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11/16/09 09:16am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 2011 Ford SuperDuty Video
This is a good example of why I say sarcasm doesn't work well on Internet forums. People read a sarcastic post and think you really mean it.
Brad you, of all people, should know when you are pushing it. ;)
I meant EVERY word I said and am sure Ford is not one to want to go from one bad situation to another. IH has along with Ford worked the kinks out of the 6.0L and had even less to work out with the 6.4L.
This engine is very stable and while there is room for improvement had the past not have been so volatile between IH and Ford I bet their relationship would have continued.
Alas Ford was pushed to the point of going it alone. Alan Mulally(sp?)
is/has pulled Ford from the edge that GM and Chrysler have fallen over. I have owned 3 new Ford products in the past 5 years. All are the best I have EVER had. I ALWAYS do my homework before I spend a dime. Ford has focused on quality and feature set to go head to head with ANYONE. They are beating their competition where they are competing with them. I have ZERO doubt that this engine will be be good. I also recognize that the first year will have some hiccups. Like ALL new engines do. I also think these will be, mostly if not all, minor hiccups.
Ford has learned the hard way what it truly costs to offer an amazing in house truck with a questionable out sourced engine. They have struggled to get that outsourced engine to meet their high standards. When it came down to blows Ford said why are we pounding our head against the wall? Can we do it better with absolute control? There is a reason why Toyota accepted diesel technology from Ford to offset any patent issues that might arise with Fords independent design of hybrid technology. Toyota would not have accepted if Ford was a joke.
Today's auto climate in the USA is much different than back when GM offered their lame, warmed over, gas engine that ran on diesel. Ford knows how important this engine needs to be right and strong. It is more than selling diesels it is tied to the whole Ford truck line's reputation.
But I have to admit that the design of the looks of this truck is a total puzzlement to me. One thing is certain it will most likely not be copied and it will certainly stand out in a crowd. :h
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AllenF
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11/05/09 09:04am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 2011 Ford SuperDuty Video
Ford has had a lot of IH hands on experience. They have BETA tested their engines and know where strong and weak points are. One of the biggest issues with the 6.0 and 6.4 is repair ease. These engines are not mechanic friendly. You have to disassemble a lot of it just to get to the offending parts. This adds a huge cost to the repair which ticks off customers no end as you can imagine. I bet the FORD 6.7L will be far more reliable and easier to work on as well. This will keep warranty costs in check and also restore truck customers confidence.
Ford has been on a crusade to improve their overall quality and it is paying off in spades. They posted nearly a Billion dollar 3rd quarter profit. I am glad to see that they are moving in the best direction. I love their products, just not the looks of this truck. IMO Ford has made the best overall truck package and they seem to be determined to make it even better.
IMO the last thing Ford needs to do is jump ship on IH and land in the same type of situation with CAT or Detroit Diesel. They made the right choice. If you can do it better in house then by all means do it. GM learned that they could not after many failed attempts. Even with their new Isuzu partner there were issues.
I bet Ford will have far less issues and this will be a good if not great engine. I still would never buy the first year out unless Ford ponies up with an extended warranty like GM had to do with their Duramax issues.
I know the trans should be fine and the bodies are the best. If Ford does knock this engine out of the park they will be grabbing market share back by the fists full. They are still numero uno in truck sales. With a killer engine they will return to owning 2/3rds of the truck market again.
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AllenF
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11/03/09 09:22am |
Truck Campers
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RE: there's a Bigfoot in Davenport Iowa
And this has what to do with a used TC?
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AllenF
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11/02/09 10:39am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Ford Diesel Problem
Over time there have come to be known a few things that we need to follow so as to get the most out of the 6.0L engine.
1) NEVER chip this engine or if you must do it lightly.
2) Add a coolant filter. It helps keep the EGR cooler clean so it will not get plugged up and thus get too hot and the brazing cracks and then it fails/leaks.
3) Add a good fuel conditioner every tankful. I use Stanadyne. Great stuff.
4) Change your oil every 5000 miles unless you use FULL synthetic oil and an bypass oil filter. Then test your used oil to determine your oil change intervals.
I do the latter.
5) Baby it at start-up until it is fully warmed up and then jump on it on freeway on ramps or long open sections of road. This blows out the carbon and exercises the turbo vanes. Pulsating the throttle from flooring it for a few seconds to full let off and then rolling back to the floor will work the vanes well and help to keep them free.
6) NEVER idle this engine for long periods of time or let it sit un-fired for weeks on end. This will allow the turbo vanes to rust up and become sticky or stuck.
7) Run the truck as it was intended to be run, that is as a Super Duty work truck. They love to work and reward you for it.
8) Follow the maintenance for this engine including the filters.
9) When you do need to have something fixed find out where there is a good 6.0L mechanic. IMO the single biggest issue with the early 6.0L's was the fact that most of the diesel mechanics were not up to speed or just plain awful. When you find a good mechanic at the dealer, support that dealer. Let them know you are supporting them in part due to their having this great diesel mechanic. This will let them know that he is important to you. They will hopefully treat him well so he will stay. Some guys take some beer to the guys at the end of the day to thank them for their hard work.
Doing all of the above has given me a great Ford truck experience.
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AllenF
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11/02/09 09:40am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 2011 Ford SuperDuty Video
CAT are now IH made under the CAT name. Cat is just a rebadged IH.
As for issues with the new engine, I doubt it will have many as the 6.4 was tested hard and is very nice. This 6.7 is tested harder and so it will show as good as or better than the 6.4 did.
The real issue is the cost of this engine and new trans. Equally important is the overall look of the truck. In 2008 when I saw that new model, I said man that is one move in the ugly direction. In 2011 Ford is now running even faster in the ugly direction. the grill and the dually fenders? NASTY as in plumbers crack sweaty and hairy BUTT UGLY!!!
In 2008 the fuel economy was a good deal worse than our 2005. Ford may be back to where our truck is now in the 2011 model. Time will tell.
Long story short, Our 2005 has more power than I need, I don't need to be concerned with ultra low sulfur fuel requirements and the fuel economy is very good. Yes it is a bit noisy but it is quieter than a Cummins of the same year.
Now as for the looks dept. IMO it, our 2005, is the best interior and exterior Ford ever offered and IMO of the big 3 as well. So I guess I will keep my money in my pocket and enjoy what I think is the best all around truck EVER made. I bought it to do a job and it it does it about as good as I could hope for. 53,000 plus miles and going strong. Hauls our 5000lb TC in all temps from -9*f to +120*f and never plugged in. Very roomy and comfortable. What more could one ask for?
Should it turn into a pain, like everything else I own that might, it will be kicked to the curb and replaced with what makes sense for me and mine at the time. Until then I worry mostly about the economy. The truck is nearly flawless and more than I ever hoped for.
How's that for being satisfied?
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AllenF
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11/02/09 09:11am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Arctic Fox
IMO and not to start a flame war, Arctic Fox should be steered clear of as they have been shown to not have a clue how to manufacture TC's well. That they slapped on eternabond and it still delaminated speaks volumes as to their ability to find and fix, for good, a problem.
We all understand that water intrusion is the single biggest reason for all kinds of failures in RV's. Knowing this, all of us should have a sealtech leak test performed to locate areas that are or will be issues for us in the future. Fix the identified areas and you should be very well along to many trouble free years of leak free TC enjoyment. If you own an Arctic Fox this should very much be at the top of your to do list. IMO.
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AllenF
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10/29/09 09:43am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Death? Part II
Fat Fox my comments were not directed at you but were on a general note and tone. I have read your posts through and I think you have one of the poorest built TC's out there. Sorry for your headache.
I have looked into custom design and build costs and they are not pennies more. There are real costs involved to improve TC's as the desire to completely eliminate wood in every place including the fru fru paneling will require much higher costing materials. It will however yield a far superior product that would laugh at water. I also feel that the TC should work without freezing in
-20*F weather. Something almost impossible without major modifications to the current stuff on the market.
Rather than hope that water will not get in within the warranty period and then forcing the buyer to pony up with big $$$$ to fix it when it does leak and there is delamination and wood rot, I think building with water proof materials removes the damage potential so if it were to leak then it is no big deal. I also see water leaks as the #! problem so redesigning for much better water diversion is step #1. RV's today do little in either area.
I have seen a lot of bad stuff with the AF product. Sure glad mine came from the factory next door to AF. Seems like Eagle Cap are much better, but far from perfect.
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AllenF
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10/27/09 09:22am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Death? Part II
Folks who have major issues are sometimes the cause of these issues themselves. Other times it is the manufacturer. In a forum setting I bet few would admit to being the one who caused these issues though I do see many here owning up to their failings.
I have often posted that the RV industry as a whole is living off of selling us pretty but poorly chosen design and cheap materials. I would like to know if we would be willing to buy from a factory directly and still have our TC cost about 5-10% more? If the answer is yes then we could have a viable alternative to the, same ol same ol, that we are stuck with today. Oh one more thing that buy direct TC would be semi custom to a fully custom unit which could help offset some of the added cost. How so? You will not just be buying a TC and then have to modify it to fit your needs with additional items at an additional cost. These could be ordered at the time of the TC being ordered for build.
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AllenF
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10/25/09 11:32am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Host Everest TC
Mooney not to be mean but yours is far to new to know anything as to longevity.
What you can speak to is the condition at time of delivery and how well Host listened to your wants and made them happen for you.
Mooney if you want to be bold let us know how much it cost as I am sure folks here would like to know.
I will start with what ours cost about $23,250 which even in 2005 was a great price. This included the 9.5 Cu.Ft. reefer, AC with dual control thermostat, and the microwave, swingout brackets, glass dual pane windows, and the gas oven. Any other comparable brand would have been about $10K more.
I understand that TC's have since gone through the roof cost wise. I know I would be out of the market today due to cost and whether it would be worth sinking that much money in the typical RV constructed stuff out there. Knowing what I know now I would rather build my own. At least if it broke or leaked I would know how it went together and could design a fix. That and I could blame no one but myself. :)
Still I think our TC is great especially when you factor in it's cost. I have tweaked the feature set a bit and it is almost what I want so for now it is great.
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AllenF
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10/05/09 03:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Furnace problem
Perhaps what you wiggled/moved in the cleaning, one time fixed your issue. Look at what you moved and trial and error one at a time to isolate the problem.
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AllenF
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10/05/09 03:38pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Oh man, it got me too!!
Other leak prone areas are the large cab-over window in the front and the running lights. IMO the front window should never be there and I ordered our Tc without one. "L" is now offering their TC's without one. The running lights can be resealed and addressing the roof seam with Eternabond should fix most if not all of the common leak areas. Around vents too with Eternabond is a good idea.
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AllenF
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10/05/09 03:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Oh man, it got me too!!
Sorry for your bad news. It is truly heartbreaking to see your baby in this condition. It is also a lot of work or money to get it back to where it was new. Sadly that is not where it needs to be. It needs to address the leaking better than new, as new leaks. Redesigning is hard and fraught with trial and error. If it was easy then "L" would be doing it at the factory. Eternabond can solve some of the leaking issues.
These wood framed TC's are a handful when they get wet for a while. Folks think the L's are the best but I think they are like all the rest. Average at best.
As for seals and water leaks. They may look fine but often there is a razor thin crack or spot where the seal is not touching the one side and that is where the water works it's way in. When you look at your seals, if you see a darker line in the caulking it is most likely a crack. The fine dust has mixed with the water and found it's way into the crack. If you wipe this area clean with a damp cloth the seal will clean up leaving the thin black line behind. This is a crack and should be re-sealed ASAP. Where the roof and the end-caps meet is a real problem area. Use Eternabond 4" wide tape here on a dry and thoroughly cleaned seam. It will last 15 years.
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AllenF
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10/05/09 03:28pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: OUCH! Ford/GM/Dodge sales
Just looked at the Ford stock prices.....$6.84 per share. Not sure where you got the $1.71 price?
I came from a GM type of guy thing and bought our 2005 F-350 in my sig. It has been the BEST truck I have EVER owned. Since I have had such good results with it I bought a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid . Loved it. After it was totalled by a drunk driver, we were not hurt, I replaced it with the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. I wanted more MPG's. I got them. :) In the hybrid cases I think Ford has the best in their class hybrids in the American market. Toyota may have the sales but if those folks looked at both they would see that Fords Hybrids are better in MPG's in their class, and refinement and Fords hybrid drivetrain is Taxi tested tough. Unlike Toyota's. Ford Escape Hybrids are up to 300,000+ miles now in taxi service, with no major failures just the usual maintenence.
I can get about 52MPG on the freeway with the AC off at 65 mph. It is rated by the Feds at 36mpg. This Ford Fusion Hybrid is in the Prius mpg's area and is way more comfortable and quiet. We love it. While made in Mexico it still supports more USA jobs and this is EXTREMLY important to me. If we have no jobs, who will buy from me my products and services? We need to see the big picture. Chinese stuff is not cheaper since it costs us jobs and ruins our economy. They don't need to invade they are ruining our economy and will beat us into the ground with our own hands. And we will continue to line up for more.
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AllenF
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10/02/09 02:52pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Pics\Plans of Self Made camper ??
Put a curving tube on either end and it would look like the Oscar Mayer Wiener-mobile. :)
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AllenF
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09/28/09 12:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: In a pickle
In a TC there are several things one needs to consider when camping in cold and even sub-freezing temps.
The first is the insulation of the TC. As others have said it is far easier and cheaper to work on the insulation envelope than to ignore it and add devices to overcome the heat losses through the floors, walls, ceiling and vents/skylights.
I posted a couple of years ago while in -9*F temps in Idaho I found the TC to be cold and drafty and uncomfortable. The water lines froze to the rear dry bath and the insulation was non existing in several areas. In -9*F you can find the cold areas in a heart beat as the cold air drops and can be felt with your hand/arm very easily.
To recap here are some areas to look at. The TC vents need the foam pads stuffed into them in all that will not be used. Yes it will be darker but it will be far warmer and this is needed more than light. Use the bubble reflective insulation on the windows and vents that you may want to open or in the case of the Wave use you will be opening a vent and air will flow between the gaps in the insulation and the vent frame it is attached too. Don't open the vent more than a 1/4-1/2 inch as the opening will be too large and cause the TC to cool too much.
In nearly all TC's the wing area, that is the part that extends over the pickup bed side and goes horizontally out to form with the wall outside of the PU bed, is made of 3/4" plywood and has ZERO insulation. If you have a slide or cabinets here you should be able to reach inside the cabinets or under the slide and add some insulation here. If you have openings for the power cord and the outside shower the inside of these boxes need to be insulated too. I found that the small box that holds my power cord, about 10"x10"x4", allowed so much cold to come through, but no real leaks, that in -9*F it felt like a large open window. Wrap this box, if you can, on the inside and it will go a long way to reducing heat loss.
Every area must be addressed as the smallest area ignored will leak heat and since the interior volume of a TC is so small it will cool the TC down quickly.
Bathroom skylights or other skylights are huge heat robbers. You will need to have a custom foam block made to insulate these. Once foam plugs are wedged into these skylights there will be a huge warm gain noticed.
Look at your refer cut out and the side walls which are just some paneling on the inside with no insulation. Insulate here also. The refer cabinet floor too if you can. Don't forget your propane bottle cabinet and the battery box. In the case of the battery box try to insulate the outside door as it would help them to be warmed from the inside warmth. Here is where AGM batteries, not needing to be vented, come into play. Look for any gaps where pipes or wires route through walls or floors as these also add up and could easily be as large as an open vent in volume.
I think you get the idea.
TC's are build like so much junk by folks who may be well meaning or not. Since we see how shoddy the work they did was, it falls to us to fix it. Cold weather insulating and repair is vital to attain comfortable cold weather camping. It will be hard to do well as some areas are not easily reached and may not be reachable at all. All one can do is the best one can and hope it is enough. Once ALL the reachable areas are insulated and it is still too cold then the next step is to add a heat source to over power the heat loss of the TC.
Sadly you are now entering uncharted territory. Each TC brand and model is different. How well you did in insulating will require less heat to be added to reach a comfortable level and this is also unique to each users needs. One mans comfort is another woman's cold. :)
I would think that a WAVE 3 on high should be fine for a tightly insulated TC down to about 20*F but as yet I have not tested this. If your TC is large like mine and has a slide this may not be large enough. I have the Wave 3 and will find out if I made a wrong choice. If it is really cold and you have a slide-out try leaving the slide-out in over night. It should be warmer for two reasons.
1) there is less surface area exposed to the weather and the seals will be better sealed and doubled up.
2) there is less interior volume to heat and to radiate heat to the outside.
If you cannot function inside the TC with the slide in you could hang a thick blanket up as a wall cutting off the slide out area and thus reduce the interior volume a bit and reduce potential drafts.
I know this is a lot of work. In a perfect world the builder would have done this for us. But since this is not the case look at it as a challenge and remember it is only something you have to do once. It will also make your TC a bit quieter and cooler in the summer as well.
Having the TC well insulated may also be far cheaper than buying more batteries to run the furnace more and getting a bigger AC unit too. Using less energy is good for the environment and your wallet. But the biggest return is it will allow you to boondock longer without having to break camp for more propane or gas for the genny.
Better insulation is passive it requires you to do nothing but enjoy it's warming or cooling effects. :)
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AllenF
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09/28/09 12:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper Death? Part II
Well If you think AF needs to learn a few things about RV building you would be right. They had a big issue a few years back with their VERY iffy hold down brackets. But here is the mother of all issues. Fat Fox has shown us all the short cuts and well there is no way these guys should even be in business.
Usually you think heavy is strong, but not at AF. They have devised an new way to build that is both heavy and weak.
Sorry for your heart ache and your headache. Wood can hold up to water IF it is properly treated to deal with the water. RV's are not treated in any way.
So all they can do is rot. What surprises me is how FatFox could not smell the mold and mildew. It had to be pretty funky in that TC with all that rot going on.
One area that we should look at first is the cabover cabinet floors in the front two corners or if you don't have any cabinets then the lower front two corners where the mattress meets the nose at the floor of the cabover. Water tends to leak out/puddle here and the water stains are easily found on the carpet or mattress or sheets.
I am not sure the Filon will be salvageable. If not you could look into using aluminum. When I was costing materials for my custom TC I found it to be much less $$$ and far easier to work with and ship. It bends real easy too. Just a thought.
Keep us informed and keep taking pictures. I am quite certain that other AF owners will be following in your footsteps soon. :(
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AllenF
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09/24/09 03:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: New Super Duty Diesel on the Horizon
Not sure what this has to to with the thread topic. :(
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AllenF
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09/13/09 04:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: New Super Duty Diesel on the Horizon
Wow a lot of wind found blowing here. :)
I would not go with ANY of the big 3 diesels due to the up front costs. This new Ford diesel is almost $10,000 more over a gasser. That my friends is a lot of unleaded. Add in the untested aspect and the resale will drop like a lead balloon. I am sooo happy I have what I have now. IMO it is the last best Ford or for that matter anyone's body style and the MPG's are better than the 6.4L. The 6.8L will be even worse after you add in the urea costs.
But the same goes for new TC's as well. Man a year after we bought ours the costs just jumped by thousands. Even in this awful economy new TC's are crazy pricey. The new trucks are just as bad.
I will watch this engine as I do with most things and GM and Dodge will need to change some things too. I feel for folks who are now looking at a fresh start. It is a lot bleaker than it was in 2005 when we bought our truck and TC combo. I could not be happier about our costs versus today's.
Oh and that $10,000 buy in for the diesel will go a long way on campin costs too. Ford's V10 is a screaming deal next to the 6.4L or the new 6.8L diesel.
It never hurts to look at all of your options.
Sure it sucks to get less mpgs and having to stop more often but man these diesels are priced out of this world. My guess is they don't want you to buy one hence the high price to play.
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AllenF
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09/03/09 06:21pm |
Truck Campers
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