RE: Plastic 55 gallon drum strength
Camp, you either need new jacks, or someone to help. I can usually raise my camper up with two people from ground level in about 10-20 minutes.
I think you need new jacks. Mine from ground level to loading height of a 4x4 dually is about 1 minute with one person.
RE: Tag camper
To my eyes that looks like a 59 or 60 chevy wagon?
It looks like I can just make out a hint of 3 round shadows under the tail lights which I think makes it a 60. The 59 had long horizontal tear drops for tail lights.
RE: Plastic 55 gallon drum strength
This thing has been a fairly fascinating exercise in forces and how they work for me.
Here's my wager. I bet that the drums do what they are asked to do with no issues. Most of my research indicates they are very capable of being stacked 3 high with no issues inside semi-trailers and sometimes 4 high in static situations.
That's a load of almost 1000 lbs on the bottom barrel and I think that the weight of the liquid in the bottom barrel will reduce it's strength unless it's perfectly full and well sealed.
RE: Plastic 55 gallon drum strength
I don't think "everyone" is keeping the jacks one inch off the ground, just me. The only reason I said one inch is to have a visual if in fact the camper did sink toward the ground. Look, I don't store my TC that high (on drums), why do I need to have to climb up into it both on the road and at home? The whole thing revolves about my belief that 55 gallon drums will support the weight and I wanted to run the experiment. Let's not get too deep into all this, it isn't rocket science.
I'll post any results I find when I take the camper off and truck the drums off to recycling. I am thinking of drilling a bunch of 2 inch holes in them just to take the strenght aspect a bit further. Might even run some top to bottom saw cuts but I think that might weaken them enough to cause a failure.
Well? Did they die yet? ;)
RE: Plastic 55 gallon drum strength
So if he has a 2000 pound camper and figure that 2/3's of the weight is carried under the front jacks, that's about 1400 lbs or so. Or 700 per barrel.
If a cardboard drum in 55 gallon size can hold 1700 lbs empty, why can't a plastic one handle 700?
RE: beefing up F350 truck bed - pls take a "crack"....
http://i38.tinypic.com/53ttdt.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/2m42feu.jpg
Somehow due to concentrating on the back of the bed, I missed those dents in the front cross rail at the top of the bed above your tie downs?
They look like the front corners of the camper have been smacked into them from time to time??? Is that the case or just a loading error?
RE: Firestone 'Ride-Rite' 2071 for '97 F250
I do recommend he check his weights. Why else would you add airbags other than riding low? Wouldn't this indicate a possibly overloaded truck?
Not in the slightest. I have a 4x4 1 ton dually. With the camper loaded, it rides lower than I like in the back, yet the overload springs aren't engaged yet, so I know that it can carry more if I so desire. But, I don't like the ride height with the back of the truck being slightly below level. Slightly below level is not overloaded.
I don't feel like messing with the factory springs, they're doing what they are supposed to, just at a lower height than I prefer. It was much easier to toss on a set of air bags to bring the ride back up to where I like it.
I for one do not recommend after market, cosmetic cures.
I typically don't recommend that clueless folks offer advice that's so far off the mark it's ludicrous. Many don't listen though.
If in fact he is overloaded he needs to either lighten the load, redistribute the load, or get the proper truck for the job on hand. I feel his money would be much better spent in a savings account for the next truck if he is overloading the truck. The only way to know if his truck is overloaded is to weight it. I hope this helps to clarify my opinion.
If you think he's overloaded, why do you want him to add more weight?
Just out of curiosity, did you take any math in school? Would you really and truly suggest that someone solve a problem with a 25,000 dollar solution instead of a 250 dollar solution that will accomplish the same thing?
If his truck is overloaded how are airbags going to fix the problem?
Your statement, and I will quote "If you think he's overloaded, why do you want him to add more weight? " What did I say about him adding more weight?
Another of your statements "Just out of curiosity, did you take any math in school?" Yes I did , did you have any reading and comprehension?
You told him to "weight" it. Now how's your reading and comprehension? I even bolded it for you.
RE: Firestone 'Ride-Rite' 2071 for '97 F250
I do recommend he check his weights. Why else would you add airbags other than riding low? Wouldn't this indicate a possibly overloaded truck?
Not in the slightest. I have a 4x4 1 ton dually. With the camper loaded, it rides lower than I like in the back, yet the overload springs aren't engaged yet, so I know that it can carry more if I so desire. But, I don't like the ride height with the back of the truck being slightly below level. Slightly below level is not overloaded.
I don't feel like messing with the factory springs, they're doing what they are supposed to, just at a lower height than I prefer. It was much easier to toss on a set of air bags to bring the ride back up to where I like it.
I for one do not recommend after market, cosmetic cures.
I typically don't recommend that clueless folks offer advice that's so far off the mark it's ludicrous. Many don't listen though.
If in fact he is overloaded he needs to either lighten the load, redistribute the load, or get the proper truck for the job on hand. I feel his money would be much better spent in a savings account for the next truck if he is overloading the truck. The only way to know if his truck is overloaded is to weight it. I hope this helps to clarify my opinion.
If you think he's overloaded, why do you want him to add more weight?
Just out of curiosity, did you take any math in school? Would you really and truly suggest that someone solve a problem with a 25,000 dollar solution instead of a 250 dollar solution that will accomplish the same thing?
RE: Rancho shock problem
Thanks guys. I went out and took the knob assembly off and the retaining washer will not grab the shaft tight enough. I will call Rancho Monday morning and see if they will drop me a new one in the mail as I am leaving for a 3 week vacation starting Thursday night.
Thanks again for the help
Bill
If the new adjuster doesn't arrive in time, 10 cents worth of electrical tape wrapped all the way around the knob and bottom of the shock will save your vacation.
RE: Battery cut off switch install
The negative side is removed only when disconnecting a battery..
This is because a wrench applied to the hot side of a battery can inadvertently come in contact with ground (the frame of vehicle).
Sometimes a mechanic will be wearing a ring which is on a finger grasping the wrench. . when the ring bumps the metal frame a bad burn results.
Disconnecting the battery negative side prevents that from ever happening.
That said, you would install the battery cut off in the positive side of the battery.
That is because you want ALL downstream circuit dead.
The confusion is because many people are taught to disconnect the negative side of a battery first. . .and that is correct. But it is NOT correct when removing power from downstream circuits.
Is there really any power to the downstream circuits if the ground is disconnected? In other words, if I remove the negative cables from the negative posts of your batteries, what will have power?
RE: Using DC (the TC battery) on the Road
Well said Steve in 29! If the danger of operating the refer. on propane was that great wouldn't you suspect it would be prohibited. Yea in tunnels and onboard ferry's/ships and other confined areas where flammable fumes can collect it is. Makes sense!
Understanding the system and how it works will lead you to the best choice for the condition. As for what anyone decides to do, that's your business. Like Steve, I'll take my beer COLD!
Again, this opinion is worth what you paid for it!
Have fun............
This past Thanksgiving in JV, there was a Toy Hauler that looked to be about a 30 footer or so. Big enough to have a living quarters up front and 5 or 6 quads and a bunch of gear in the back.
What they suspect happened was one of the fuel tanks or jugs wasn't sealed or fell over and the gas fumes filled up the back and eventually made their way to either the pilot on the water heater or the fridge was running on propane.
The explosion blew the sides and roof off and the ensuing fire burned the entire mess to the ground in about 10 minutes. The owner had just enough time to unhook the tow rig to save the truck and nothing else.
Pure speculation of course, but the distance the mangled pieces of the sides and pieces of roof were laying from the burnt mess makes the explosion from gas fumes very plausible.
The melted fuel jugs also added some credence to the theory.
RE: Tire time: 235/80-17s
I'd say that the fronts are 90% worn and the rears maybe 60%. Kinda surprising as the front axle is 650 lbs under max rating and the rear 300 lbs over (oops).
On my previous truck I also used the Michelin XPS Tractions and loved them. But unless I'm wrong, they're not available in 235/80-17.
I couldn't find them in that size. Would have been my first choice if I had.
I would up with the Toyo M-55's. Seem fine so far. They are stiffer than the OEM tires and reduced the sway hauling the camper by a good 10-15%.
They are a bit louder though, but not annoyingly so.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
I like that 3-axle race car hauler... :)
Thanks, I built it out of a U-haul car hauler and carried all of our camping gear in the front part.
The 3 axles came about trying to get a realistic tongue weight both empty and loaded. With the cargo area in the front and having to push the jeep back so far, adding an axle behind the other two was the only way to spread the COG out far enough to make it work.
The two other benefits that came about because of that decision were the tracking, which was better than any 2 axle and the trailer actually followed in the tracks of the tow rig meaning you didn't have to swing wide corners. It was also cheaper to buy 3 3500 lb axles with 2 complete Marathon spares than to buy 2 5000 lb axles with 1 complete spare. There were also brakes on all three axles.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
MrBlane,
I have the same truck, airbags, carry a 4000 pound camper and have absolutely no issues with the bags. They do exactly what they are supposed to. The ride unloaded and loaded is just right. (I do have them mated with Energy Suspension Bumpers for earlier activation of the overloads.)
http://www.justaddrocks.com/images/images_stuff/DSC0099.jpg
This truck is an F-250 Super Duty with a leveling kit and my ride height control system on Firestone bags. If you look closely, you can see stuff piled up in the bed and the tongue weight was a measured 1260 lbs. The stuff in the bed was several cases of water, firewood, level to the top of the bed with camping gear and several Action Packer containers of food. Not near camper weight, but enough that without the bags it would squat several inches in the rear.
It always rode at that height empty or full and it was a most pleasant ride. The pics show it slightly low in the back, but it's just the angle for some reason, because it rode level which is my preference.
There is nothing about the Dodge ride that I would consider pleasant or "just right". I guess we have different expectations.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
So it sounds like you need height adjustable overload spring bumpers, lower for when loaded so the overloads contact before sagging the truck and higher for when unloaded so the overload doesn't slap over bumps. I have seen adjustable bump stops before but can't think of a website to point you to for them. The ones I saw were a universal-fit aftermarket type of deal where there were a few sets of holes to choose from to bolt them in place at different heights. They would not be easily adjusted though, as they would need to be unbolted and rebolted for each adjustment - a real PITA, in my opinion, that I would only want to do one time, at initial install and that's it.
I am envisioning an easily adjustable bump stop setup using a section of small hitch reciever tube (the 1-1/4" i.d. class I size) with tabs welded to each side, oriented vertically, bolted to the frame above the ends of the overload leafs, in place of the stock riveted overload bumpstops. Then a section of 1-1/4" o.d. hitch tube that slides up into the reciever tube, with 2 sets of 1/2" holes through the hitch tube and one set of matching holes through the reciever tube, and a 1/2" class I hitch pin that locates the tubes in 2 different vertical height positions. Then the curved shaped bumpstop welded to the bottom of the hitch tube so it can ride on the end of the overload leaf when in the down postion and truck loaded and it can be raised up to the upper set of holes so it's out of the way when unloaded. This would be easy and quick to adjust with no tools and very cheap to fabricate if you can do this yourself, which it sounds like you can.
Before I built a manually adjustable upper mount to catch the ends of the overloads, I'd take one of the Bennett Double Acting Hydraulic Power Units I have for raising and lowering hatches on boats and plumb in hydraulic cylinders inside the hitch tubing so I could adjust on the fly, but then again, why do with hydraulics what I can already do with air and bags? ;)
Besides, I'd just be replicating what the air bags do. Bringing overloads into play sooner and then backing them out when I don't need them. The issue with the bags is pretty easy to solve with a small amount of cutting and welding on the jounce bumper brackets.
I've come to the conclusion that there are too many quirks with the Dodge suspension to spend very much time covering it with band-aids.
As soon as I round up a few bucks for parts, I'll get started designing air ride for it.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
Not looking to get the truck back to empty ride height, and I don't know that anyone really would think that's a good idea. I just don't want or like it to be lower in the rear.Have you thought about heavier overload packs? Leaving the stock main packs maintains whatever ride you have now when unloaded or lightly loaded. Heavier overload packs come into play later when fully loaded to carry the extra weight with firmness and not as much sag.
Similar to lowering the overload bumpers, but with a stronger set of overload springs there to keep the truck up under the weight. This is probly about as close as you'll come to your desired solution without spending too much money.
If my main packs had been even remotely up to the task, I would have only added a leaf to the main packs and gone with a multi-leaf overload pack instead of replacing the main packs altogether. My stock main packs were just way too soft to do anything with though.
The overload springs are likely heavy enough right now. The problem with them is they are too low relative to the frame bumpers to do much good at anything above or at level ride height. So, if you extend the bumpers they ride against, to where they pick up some weight at level, then you've created a situation where if the rear axle hits a serious bump at freeway speed, they they come into play a bit too soon and bounce the back of the truck off the pavement, or at least contribute to that effect.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
Have you considered Timbrens?
I was going to suggest that. I was never a big fan of Timbrens on srw trucks. But we tried them on our new dually and they work pretty good. I have also read many reports from Dodge owners stating that the Timbrens worked well on their trucks hauling truck campers.
The two down sides of Timbrens is they will not maintane normal ride height with the camper in the bed and they will affect unloaded ride when you drive over sharp bumps...like speed bumps....the axle will come up and kinda smack the Timbren. But I like them.
Brad
I agree Brad. With the Timbrens and overload bump stop spacers, my truck settles about 2 3/4" from empty height with 5k on it. However, nothing but airbags will bring the truck back up to empty height if that is what people are looking for. Not Timbrens, Supersprings, or any other overload add on. I've found that having the truck settle into the springs a little is good for stability, and lets all the suspension components work together instead of having one thing support all the weight. A lot of airbag users only inflate up to the point of where the overloads are touching, not up to empty ride height.
Rich
Not looking to get the truck back to empty ride height, and I don't know that anyone really would think that's a good idea. I just don't want or like it to be lower in the rear.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
I have never needed air bags, regardless of the loaded or unloaded condition of the truck. The truck came with factory overload springs, which it still has on it. When I needed to carry more weight than the stock spring packs could handle (which wasn't much, as the stock springs were pathetic), I changed them to heavier packs made for more weight.
Are you missing the point on purpose?Trust me I have not missed any points here.
If you haven't missed any points, then why enter a discussion to take jabs at those trying to solve issues between laden and unladen weight changes with your comments?
I asked how you would solve the issue or any suggestions to help those with them after your comment about being glad you don't have bags and you posted up a most delightful and well executed solution for a fairly narrow range of laden weights.
That won't work for my problems, and I doubt it will work for most others with the same issues. You even admit you haven't taken the bed off, yet you think you won't be dissappointed when you do. Until you do, we're both speculating.
Given that I've successfully built and installed several ride height control systems, I didn't think I would be less than satisfied with the current one, but here I sit trying to make it better and striving for a way to make the truck handle decently with 5000 lb changes in the load.
If you have a solution or a suggestion for one that is less than several thousand for a bolt on air ride system, I'm all ears. Until then, I don't see how a custom spring pack is going to solve my problem or anyone else's unless we plan on running with a camper full time, which I don't.
I did spend a fair bit of time with the folks at Deaver, the owner of which happens to carry a TC on his Dodge and if he hasn't been able to build a spring pack for his own vehicle that works the same laden and unladen, I doubt I can throw enough money at him to get a set that does.
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
I have never needed air bags, regardless of the loaded or unloaded condition of the truck. The truck came with factory overload springs, which it still has on it. When I needed to carry more weight than the stock spring packs could handle (which wasn't much, as the stock springs were pathetic), I changed them to heavier packs made for more weight.
Are you missing the point on purpose?
RE: I hate my air bags and I KNEW better!!
After reading all this, I'm very happy all I have are leaf springs on my truck! :)
That's fine and dandy, but what would you suggest for a situation where the stock suspension isn't heavy enough to not sink below level when carrying the camper, and then even lower when the trailer for the Jeep is hooked up? I had exactly that problem when I put my 3500 lb utility body in the bed of the truck. It was so low to the ground, I didn't even try hooking the trailer up to it. The truck went straight to the spring shop for new leaf spring packs, and then it went to the tire shop for stronger tires and wheels.
Here are some pics...
With 3500 lbs, truck sits just above level. Wish I had pics of what it looked like before the new springs. It was a lowrider.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0306081114.jpg?t=1216445058
Heavy duty wheels and tires. Stockton steel wheels, 4000 lbs @ 100psi rating. BFG 285/75-16E AT's, 3750 lbs @ 80 psi.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0306081126a.jpg?t=1216445191
Dayton heavy duty leaf packs, ~4300 lbs rating per pack. The leafs are thicker and longer and there are 2 more leafs than the factory packs, which were rated about 2600 lbs each if I remember correctly. I wish I had pics of the stock leaf packs. There is so much more metal in the new packs than the stock ones, which looked like the belonged on a 1/2-ton not a one-ton.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0608081102.jpg?t=1216445395
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0608081058.jpg?t=1216445407
The overload spring is still the factory stock leaf. It stays in contact at static load. I plan to upgrade to a 2 or 3 leaf pack at some point in the future, but this is working fine for now. With the trailer on, the truck squats to level, depending on how the trailer is loaded (cargo trailer).
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0608081057.jpg?t=1216445449
Rancho shocks and Energy Suspension polyurethane sway bar bushings round out the rear suspension upgrades. Truck handles and corners solid and flat and rides firm when loaded.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0608081059a.jpg?t=1216445898
Suspension upgrades up front consist of Bilstein shocks and Energy poly sway bar bushings. Both upgrades are well worth the money spent. :)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn7/desertrider33/0608081107.jpg?t=1216446045
I already knew you were set up for basically the same load, what happens when you take the bed off?
