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RE: We lost another memeber..
Jim - glad to see you chime in. As I was thinking about John today I actually remembered you and I standing around a fire somewhere chuckling about a thread where we both got a big kick out of his comments. "Load it up and roll, baby!"
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btggraphix
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04/16/13 06:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: We lost another memeber..
cr@p! I am sorry to hear that too. Never met him; would have enjoyed it I am sure. He definitely added some spice and laughter to the early days of rv.net. (or my early days here anyway.)
I hope he finally gets his Cat Heat and Mo Batteries; Rest In Peace buddy.
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btggraphix
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04/16/13 03:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Engine Block Heater/Grill Cover Needed?
Seems like this might be an appropriate place to mention a cold start issue I am just now finishing up dealing with. Basically, after starting my truck in relatively cold weather, the cold start "sequence" kicks off....the primary thing it does is to kick up the idle to a high level. About the same RPM as when I flip my high-idle switch. Pretty soon after that happened, the truck would start coughing, run like cr@p, and produce a giant Rorschach painting of black soot in the white snow.
In the end it turned out that the PacBrake exhaust brake I had installed was actually fooling the ECM somehow or another and the exhaust brake would end up getting kicked on (despite the dash switch being in the off position.) The solution we came up with is the add in another switch/relay to completely power off/disconnect the circuit the ECM uses to power on/talk to the exhaust brake.
PacBrake told the Chevy guys they hadn't ever seen this before....but the Chevy guys apparently have seen it with a stock exhaust brake left in the on position when the truck was shut down.
In any case adding another switch in to cut the connection between the ECM and the E-brake completely should take care of it.
I like to use the block heater if I know it'll be cold when I'm going to be starting it.....it makes the whole process easier on the engine and me.
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btggraphix
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04/16/13 11:29am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Our custom true flatbed truck camper build thread
jfet - if you are hitting the road, can I use your shop while you are gone ;)
Nice work - I like the horizontal tubes that avoid having the swingout for the jacks. Slick idea - and thanks for the update. Your answers regarding aluminum pretty much matched my guess (primarily that having a giant chassis makes weight ummm...less of a big deal. :) )
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btggraphix
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04/08/13 03:57pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: So what did you do to your Truck Camper today?
Winterized it again, for perhaps the last time of the year. Thought I'd get away with it thyis weekend but after a 60+ degree opening day at Coor's Field with the Rockies, we are supposed to get 6-14" of snow and a high of 20 something tomorrow. Timing might be perfect
though....one last chance for the dealer to catch my truck in the act of the cold start issue it has. I'm dropping it off tonight for something else but if it does its thing we can catch it before next winter.
I think I figured it out. Truck and a shot of the Dana 135
Will load the camper next weekend.
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s534/mikemck54/web_zps0e9b3455.jpg
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s534/mikemck54/20130407_133450_zps4299031d.jpg
Looks familier:
http://i46.tinypic.com/108ck9h.jpg
(except yours is blocked by that spare tire!)
and for scale:
http://i45.tinypic.com/20jfsq8.jpg
:)
Now that is a pumpkin! (Though not as good as the newer replacement from Dana, the S-130
It's from a good thread awhile back that ended up discussing the differences in some of the larger rear axles on 450's/550's and 4500/5500's here Might be useful reference for someone.
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btggraphix
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04/08/13 08:38am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frozen food storage
Good job hedgehopper - it sounds like you made the best choice. I have been seriously thinking about one also....to be used as extra drinks (i.e. beer) that I can't fit in the fridge, and would also give us freezer capabilities (inlcuding flash freezing for road kill finds....I mean caught fish) if we decided we needed more freezer space in the normal fridge.
The one difference is I am thinking of mounting it in the cab of the truck as the drinks (non-alcoholic of course) could be accessed from the cab while driving and for overflow storage would be OK to be in the truck.
Regardless, glad to hear you are happy so far; I've heard nothing but good things about that unit (except cost of course.)
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btggraphix
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04/01/13 12:48pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Aluminum Flatbed Tie Downs?
I have steel tabs mounted to the outter-most corners of the flatbed, with a small hole uin them for the hooks. However, as noted above, aluminum bed-makers don't want you tieing down that heavy an object to single points at the corners. You would need to do some reinforcing....probably following the makers suggestions. Some sort of outside steel corner, or perhaps a brace piece that goes along the outside from rear corner to rear corner to tie them together? The tabs work great, but how to tie in to your deck is the question....
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btggraphix
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04/01/13 12:39pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Our custom true flatbed truck camper build thread
Hey jfet, making any progress? It's funny, I just had a long conversation last night with a buddy who has set his mind on building a small TC for a Ram 3500 SRW using similar construction techniques so I told him he really needs to check out your thread. It's the only custom build I can remember seeing that was truly a TC and that's what he wants to build.
The content on this thread, especially with your pictures and diagrams will be very useful for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps.
One question: why did you choose to build out of steel instead of aluminum? I assume 1) cost and 2) weight not as big an issue for you with the big chassis. Or was it for other reasons?
I'm going to try to find my body-builder's guide for the Kodiak for grins but I think it was a digital copy that is buried in backups of my older PC. Since they build them anymore it may be harder to track down online now. Do you have a body builder's guide for the Isuzu?
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btggraphix
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03/28/13 08:29am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Removable truck bed?
I'll say this, the big downfall of the ones I've seen here (including a 5th wheel trailer mounted on rails from a garbage "roll off" that was on a big Kodiak chassis) is that without a trailer you still only have one of the modules at a time. If you could make some sort of deck out of panels that could stow maybe it would be usable in support for driving the toys somewhere. I still think a flatbed ends up being the most flexible and useful of all bed configurations. With stake pocket holes and some stowable sides (that dual purpose as something else like ramps for loading toys or sand ladders for beach driving....or even picnic tables) it becomes a bigger, wider, flatter bed that can't be beat. How many bikes can fit in an 8' x 8' sqaure?
The transformer idea is pretty cool though, especially the poor mans roll-off solution that other member came up with using stuff he had around his business. For operating from home and using one for a bunch of different uses (like a skidsteer with a bunch of attachments) a chassis setup like these WOULD be very useful.
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btggraphix
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03/25/13 11:49pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Almost gave up TCin.
Welcome to the 13,500 RAWR club. Your camper will be solidly carried, that is for sure.
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btggraphix
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03/25/13 12:23am |
Truck Campers
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RE: The Bros do the Mojave Road
What fun! Thanks for posting up for us to share. Now if I just added some super singles....
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btggraphix
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03/20/13 08:41am |
Truck Campers
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RE: So what did you do to your Truck Camper today?
Thanks Skipro. I had one of those but last year I let a buddy long-term borrow it because he's living in their 5th wheel. I had never gotten it filled or used it and then once he got the valcves replaced I realized how useful it would be to have at home. Now I have to buy another one to replace it! $50 is about right once you spend another $50 to get the valves changed out. Thanks for the lookup.
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btggraphix
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03/20/13 08:14am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mojave Road Teaser: a whole lot of sand goin' on.
Looks pretty promising and interesting....and HOT (even though it isn't July it sure LOOKS hot!
I can't wait to see how your TR makes that endless two-track look less boring. :-)
:B Too funny..... But I do have to say, the dirt biker in me drools over the thought of bombing across that in 1/10th (or less) than the time it would take me to drive across it.....
Looking forward to the nitty gritty details. And don't call me SURELY!
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btggraphix
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03/19/13 05:24pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: So what did you do to your Truck Camper today?
Blew off winterizing it again and let it burn more propane. Doh! Camped in it last weekend (and skied Cooper) and got home late. I'd like to get a BIG propane tank for home use to hook up when I fail to winterize it......or just need to run it for a while for some other reason.
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btggraphix
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03/19/13 05:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Short bed 4 seasons, 4 adults for a few days
On a dirt biking trip in my old old camper we did the 'one sleeping on the floor' option. Unless you find one with a rear tent bed it's about the only option for 4 big dudes unless one sleeps in the truck or in a tent. One nice thing with a slide is that the floor at least is very wide!
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btggraphix
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03/18/13 03:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Lance 1172 is at the Chicago RV Show
How funny - make it three - I couldn't get the recliner to close and finally left with it half blocking the door (at the Denver RV show.)
Storage is in the eye of the beholder. At least if the beholder has a flat bed and storage boxes. ;) It essentially removes the variable from consideration (beyond the basics.) I didn't even notice the lack of storage, but I'm spoiled.
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btggraphix
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03/18/13 03:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck camper meet-up at Overland Expo, Flagstaff, May
We'll almost certainly be there. We may not have done any multi-continent trips but our rig has :)
Cool!!! I'm looking forward to meeting you and seeing what is probably the biggest, baddest truck camper combo on this forum. :)
Thanks dude. Biggest, yeah probably. Baddest - I guess depending on your style. What we have works great for us but others would look at and shake their heads.
Looking forward to meeting you (and everyone else) as well.
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btggraphix
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03/18/13 11:18am |
Truck Campers
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RE: What mistakes have you made that might help others...?
Never weld to a truck frame with the batteries hooked up. (there may be more to it than just removing the battery leads.....my welder guy said he disconnected the batteries....but I had to replace a $2000 computer (parts/labor) to get it running right again.) I think it was the fuel injection control circuits and controlling computer.
Regardless, most people know this, but it might help someone.....
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btggraphix
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03/14/13 03:02pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Extended frame?
Thanks! Only cost 2K for the fried computer when welding :(
So those are Colorado Laws, not federal?
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btggraphix
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03/13/13 05:14pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Extended frame?
....They replaced a hitch extension, as much as protecting the rear of the TC. Most of us were pulling boats, or trailers for motorcycles, Dune Buggies or Sandrails.
That's pretty much why I did it. It protects the camper a bit, makes it legal, and eliminates the "hitch extension". It is removable (with a little work) but I carry the camper 95%+ of the time anyway. It does reduce my departure angle a bit if I am not towing.
I was under the impression the lights have to be within 12" of the rearmost point of the vehicle and within some distance from the original bumper height was a federal requirement (or effectively so if all states adopted it.) Temporary (i.e transported material/load etc.) is where the flags comes in and that probably varies a lot by state. I don't really know exactly, but the former state patrolman that told me that when looking at my setup worded it in a way that made it sound like a federal rule......
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btggraphix
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03/13/13 01:38pm |
Truck Campers
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