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RE: Drafting
Mythbusters did a segment on drafting. They found that it didn't make much difference until you were around 10 feet back. That's WAY to close to ever consider doing.
I'm sure that is true for a car that has a 24 sq. ft. frontal surface area and a drag coeffient of .28. However our TC's have a frontal area of 104 sq. ft. and a drag co efficient in the .75 range. That makes for well over 10 times the aerodynamic drag.
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bcbigfoot
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04/15/12 09:17am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Drafting
I tend to drive the same speed (with the flow) as most trucks 55 to 60mph so I get alot of tractor trailer units passing me, and I also have a scangauge (accurate for for checking instant MPG).
When a tractor (semi) with high cube van first pulls in after a pass I can see as much as a 2 mpg increase, as he pulls a away, that increase will drop to 1/2 mpg until approx 2 tractor trailer lengths or 150ft, then there will be a sharp drop of 1 mpg down so that I'm down 1/2 mpg below my average mpg. This will last for approx from 150 to 200 feet, then return to normal averages.
Edit: This what I see with calm wind conditions.
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bcbigfoot
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04/14/12 09:01am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Happijac lubrication
If you need a new trust needle bearings I found some replacements made by INA (made in USA) PN# TC1018. The races are also INA brand PN# TWA1018-HLA. These bearings worked for both my 4500 and 4150 model jacks.
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bcbigfoot
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04/11/12 09:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Suspension on F350
Your truck does not have to ride on the overload spring to carry any additional weight, only once it gets to a certain point of load will your truck sag enough for these to engage. Once you are riding on the overload spring your ride will suffer.
I also disagree with this statement if I'm reading it correctly. I have never put a full size camper onto a stock truck and not had the overloads come immediately into contact. AirLiftCompany seems to indicate that's not the norm. I think it is. Perhaps they were not thinking of Camper-load when they said it -- but this IS the camper forum.
Who out there are running a full-size cabover camper on a stock truck and have gaps under your overload springs? Maybe it's a marque thing.
My 2002 Dodge 3500 dually will not reach its overloads until it has 500lbs over the GVWR before overloads are touched. The ride does suffer when the overload springs are reached. Rule of thumb is more springs harsher the ride, of course always exceptions.
My truck has a net payload cap. of 3300lbs before reaching GVWR but requires 3800lbs in the box in order for he overloads to touch.
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bcbigfoot
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04/08/12 09:10am |
Truck Campers
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RE: What are your Fav mirrors on a 2nd Gen Dodge?
I have the factory dumbo mirrors like you have shown, they work well, perhaps a little bouncy on rough road. The integrated convex mirror is nice. Takes alot more adjusting than the Ford mirrors that slide in and out when you switch from the non towing position to the towing position, perhaps the power adjust feature might be nice.
I really like the Chevy power mirrors (likely other manufacturers have them now) that power striaght in and out, I think Camping World has mirrors like that for sale, there expensive and not really neccisary.
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h458/bcbigfoot/6OatmanArizona_0071.jpg
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bcbigfoot
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04/02/12 10:47am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Home made tiedowns
I think I do need some sort of spring mount on these rear ones. The front ones are OK because the length of the frame-mounted tie-down bars mean they flex so naturally giving that shock absorbing effect.
Because no-one supplies truck-camper related stuff over here I'll probably have to make my own. One option would be to pick up a couple of engine valve-springs and fabricate something with them.
Steve.
Full size car or truck door hinge springs are very stiff and about the right size, and are in the 300 lb range which the Torque lift Fastguns are reported to be. I think valve springs are a little weak, more in the 40 to 60lb range.
Hope you have a great time touring, and hope to see a trip report.
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bcbigfoot
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03/23/12 07:57am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Cab to tall - Best way to Raise Bed so TC will fit
So, if I may barge in here, how much clearance between cab and cabover is recommended? Is there a general guideline or is it one of those situation-specific numbers?
I have had no issue's with 1 3/4" in the past 25000 miles, I don't go off road with it.
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bcbigfoot
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03/15/12 09:34pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bad Water Boondock Relief?
I used bottled water for several years but on extended trips of 6 weeks to 3 month at a time it was getting old finding 3 gal of bottled water every 2 days, and then deal with the containers. Last year I switched to a after tank/under sink 3 stage filter system (Dupont QT39000 series), one step down from reverse osmosis. It's so handy now to just crack a valve and fill cups, coffee pots so on.
I don't like the idea that a pre camper water tank, charcoal filter may remove the chlorine from the water making the TC water tank a breeding ground. I figure I want to remove the chorine just before I need to drink it.
System I have http://www2.dupont.com/Water_Filtration/en_US/products/drinking_water_filters_prod_page.html
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bcbigfoot
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03/13/12 07:10am |
Truck Campers
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RE: 99 Ram w/ 97 Sun-Lite
Nice combination, and great start to the air dam.
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bcbigfoot
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03/12/12 11:15pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Darn Diesel again
Due to how lean the newer diesels are tuned I wouldn't buy one that came after the 90's. Sure the body of the vehicle might be shot to hell but that engine will last until the end of the world.
There is no way to tune Diesel to run "lean"!
They always get excess air for the combustion.
After Market tuners, larger turbos, etc. - Yes you can lean the fuel/air mixture in a diesel. Watch your EGT's when you do that!
arto-wa is correct, no such thing as leaning out a diesel. With a diesel you make heat/hp/rpm by adding fuel(to a small extent injection timing can effect EGT's as well) if you don't want hp/heat/rpm don't add as much fuel. Larger turbos are added to reduce EGT's, by adding excess cool combustion air. Remember diesel's don't have a throttle plate.
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bcbigfoot
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03/09/12 11:13pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Where Do You Put Your Honda Generator?
I just got my Honda box mounted yesterday, I puttered away off and on making it this winter. I still have miss. to do to it. I will not run the gen. with the gas in the box, just a place to carry it, I may build a rack on the ladder to hold a gas can for extended running. Thanks to Reddog and Luv2skyski for some great ideas and inspiration.
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h458/bcbigfoot/IMG_6145.jpg width=640
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h458/bcbigfoot/IMG_6149.jpg width=640
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h458/bcbigfoot/IMG_6148.jpg width=640
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bcbigfoot
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03/08/12 11:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Gas mileage
My first setup I had was a 93 Chev 2500 2wd with a 6.5 diesel and pulled a 34 ft Cardinal 5th wheel that weighed 9000 lbs., that combination got 11.5 mpg at 60 mph and the truck unloaded got 19 mpg.
My second setup was same 93 Chev. diesel truck and a 2500 series Bigfoot TC weighing in at a little over 4000lb's. With this setup it would average a little over 15 mpg at 60 mph.
My most recent setup a 02 Dodge diesel dually 2wd with the same Bigfoot TC has averaged 15 mpg over the last 20000 miles at 60 mph, and gets 19 mpg with no load at 60 mph.
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bcbigfoot
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02/05/12 09:23am |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
Some States are encourageing the use of super singles in the transport industry (easier on the highways) but no law requireing them at least not yet in the western States.
California is implementing a law where highway transport trucks will be required to use a low rolling resistant rated tire, and aerodynamic skirts between the truck tamdems (tires) and the trailer tamdems.
I have seen pictures of a factory prototype super single one ton dually from one of the big three, I will look around hopefully I can run aross it again and post it.
In Europe dual wheels are a thing of the past for highway transport trucks.
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bcbigfoot
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01/28/12 08:29am |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
The super singles on highway trucks have many advantages,
Lighter wieght, than comparable dual wheels = more hp because less rotating mass and greater net vehicle carrying cap.
Lower rolling resitance, 6% less.
Longer thread life.
Better aerodynamics.
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bcbigfoot
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01/27/12 05:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Gas can in wheel-well below TC?
Thanks for the link bobndot. I see they have a gas tank that replaces a 30lb propane tank, interesting. http://www.transferflow.com/generator_tank.html
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bcbigfoot
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01/24/12 11:41pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Changes for truck
I have read and talked to few guys that the early 6.0 litre engines respond well to chips, better mpg and some will help reduce the constant downshifting issues that the 6.0 has. I don't think you want to go to 3.73 gears. The 6.0 just doesn't make much torque down low just lots of hp up top.
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bcbigfoot
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01/18/12 08:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: broken a/c shroud
I got mine at Camping World last fall for around $130, different models start at $100 I beleive. My wife did the same as you did, she felt real bad about it but I was glad it happened in the driveway instead of bit and pieces flying off going down the highway in a rain or wind storm. I can't believe that in 6 years it could get so weak and crumbly.
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bcbigfoot
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01/17/12 04:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How often have you needed or wished you had 4WD
To OP Blanco1: It all boils down to what you want, in your other thread "Drawbacks of a truck camper" you said you were wanting a 30ft class A motorhome if it had the tow capacity to pull your bronco 4x4 with trailer. If a class A can get you off road enough then there would no issue with a TC and 2wd. Why do you need a 4x4 to carry a truck camper, your not going off roading pulling a trailer and Bronco with you, that's what's the Bronco is for. You just want your tow unit to get you to your base camp. No?
If money is a issue (usally is) I will use myself as a example I paid $12000 for my 2wd dually truck, a equal 4x4 was runing $19000. For me to get a $12000 4x4 it would have been a rough wornout POS, I wasn't interested in that. I used the $7000 to upgrade the trany to bullit proof, engine to 300+ hp to the rear wheels, new tires, Airdog lift pump, hoses belts and all reliabilty issues with the Dodge are taken care of. I feel I have a truck that will use 20 to 30% less fuel than a 07 and newer truck with better reliability. If your a typical working guy ask how long it will take to save $7000 after tax money, 6 months to 1 year? You could buy a good Tc for that $7000. Is the $7000 difference worth the .001% of the time you may get stuck if you don't use a little commonsence.
I don't take my 2wd truck onto rough non-maintained non-gravel back roads because I don't have to thats what the snowmobile and ATV's are for, sounds like you have a Bronco for that as well.
Just my point of view.
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bcbigfoot
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01/16/12 06:06pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How often have you needed or wished you had 4WD
If nothing else the dodge seems to make a shorter 4 door.
the back doors look narrower?
Maybe it just looks that way though I don't know?
The Cummins is suppose to be a great engine too.
The Dodge back seat is about 3 inches shorter. It looks like more of a difference because the front door is a bit bigger in the dodge, making the size difference more pronounced.
The truck is quite a bit shorter overall. Dodge made a firewall cutout for the engine and the last cylinder is tucked in under the dash. This shortens the hood by several inches compared to the Ford.
There are a couple of other nice items in that era Dodges. The rear axle is a Dana 80, a bit more stout that the Visteon 10.25" of the era. The transfer case is also an NP205, as stout as you can get.
Your making Dodge look very attractive... :)
Looks like your a Ford guy though?
Might you know if pre-'98 if I could get a 4x4 Diesel longbed extracab dually with a manual trans? ( I'll take the Auto trans though just as well )
How do the Dodge auto trans hold up compared to the E-4OD?
No matter what you buy they all have thier issues, the second gen dodges from 94 to 02 have many issue as well, all can be fixed with time and money and time spent on the forums to find out thier problems. The 2nd gen Dodge 4X4's have a issue called "Death Wobble" it is caused by premature steering wear, and the result is violent steering wheel shaking. Then theres the fifth gear nut issue which can cause the 5 speed manual trans to self destruct. The Cummins have thier issues like "Killer dowl pins" and the cracking "53 Blocks". The early 2nd gen dodges have very poor brakes as well.
The 47re auto trans. found in many of the 2nd gens can now be built to be bullet proof but cost approx $3500 to 4000 to do so.
Guess I'm one of the few that prefers or don't mind 2wd trucks, it helps develope my situational awarenes lol. I like 2wd trucks for a few reasons
1) less wear and tear issues, better reliabilty, specially on the age of trucks your looking at.
2) used 2wd's trucks are typically 1/3 less money to buy.
3) many are in great shape, little rust, low mileage, driven by older folks that take thier 5th wheel south for the winter or from warm, low salt climates.
4) 2wd's typically aren't taken to places they shouldn't be in the first place. Like off road.
5) little better fuel milage, approx 1-2 mpg.
6) older 2wd's have a much better ride and tend to steer a little better.
7) winter tires are so good nowadays, I just don't need 4wd.
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bcbigfoot
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01/14/12 10:24am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck camper miles traveled in how many years?
Since Jan 2006 my camper has traveled 45,000 miles on two different trucks, so that's 7500 miles a year average.
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bcbigfoot
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01/11/12 12:08am |
Truck Campers
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