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RE: Boondocking pet peeves, I really hate it when...
Some entertainment value here.
I don't have any woes about boondocking. We normally get far enough out that it requires 4WD, traction diffs and bit of banging rocks on the undercarriage just to get there.
It does pay to have a strategy when someone pulls up near you looking for a place to camp. In the past, I always took my trombone along to practice (had to keep my lip up, you know) and would pull it out when someone was approaching and greet them with a few choruses of the "Ride of the Walkure" from Die Gotterdammerung. At fortissimo, the bass trombone can be a leathal weapon. (just ask the viola players in the orchestra who sat in front of me) No one stayed to hear the 4th time through.
I remember a backpacking book recommended you take a musical instrument along for camp entertainment. My only recollection was a vision of me taking a sousaphone along and just putting it on the camp table. That would surely be an anti-personnel device.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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05/12/12 07:30pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Camper on lifted truck
N-Ford,
There is another, albeit with more effort and expense, way to get more altitude and make a TC more expedition-worthy. For many trucks with no lift, it requires body work to get the fender openings large enough to handle larger tires with NO rubbing and lots of extra fender well clearance for mud, snow or chains.
Many of the famous 'hardcore' off-road TC people (like the Turtle Expedition) use this approach. They use much larger tires, like 37, 39, or 42 inch tall tires on combat rims. You must change the RG&P to a higher numerical ratio like 4.56, 4.88 or 5.38 to keep the power in the right range for the highway. Why would you want to go through so much trouble? To keep your over all height and CG manageable (i.e.: lower) but still improve your approach angle, breakover angle, and departure angle for the gnarly, overgrown trails.
I think you made a wise decision with the Northern Lite if you indeed are going to get on some two track. The overall height and width are less than a full size camper. Still not as good as a soft-side TC, but everything is a tradeoff.
I use a 3" front spring lift and double over loads on the rear:
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1974.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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05/07/12 09:15pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Any TC Haulers with a Dodge Ram Truck????????????
I guess I'm living on borrowed time with my '01.5. 145K miles. Original steering and drive parts, no signs yet. I did add a steering box brace. I have been on thousands of miles of gravel, dirt, and Jeep roads. One contributing factor with these sealed unit bearing front ends is they cannot take aftermarket wheels for very long, especially ones with a shallow backspacing. Too much leveraged load out on the spindles. Bearings cannot handle it. I have stock front wheels with a 7" BS. keeping the load nearer center on the puny little bearings. Dyna trak front end is next for me with the heavier wide spread bearings and greasable parts, and, as Mark has outlined, interior locking hubs.
I have hauled 5000 lb. loads in the bed with no ill effect. I do have upgrade rear suspension parts and super singles to spread the load (and reduce the ground pressure) on bad roads.
My little Lance weighs about 2700 lbs. fully loaded which brings the Stable Loads and double overloads into play. Works for me.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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05/01/12 08:32pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Trip report: D-Day
Mark,
Thank you for submitting this report. I was moved by it. A vivid pictorial and comprehensive text. Normandy is on my bucket list of places to go before i die.
I know I was in North Africa in 1942 even though I was not born yet. Racing around Libya with the LRDG in a 1941 Willys Jeep, lobbing phosphorus grenades down the remote runways of Axis aerodromes. 70 years later and I'm still driving a sand colored jeep: a 1982 Jeep CJ8.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN0219.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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05/01/12 07:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Coldest winter in a Century coming? Store it or head south?
Because of Silver's weather 'gurus' grim forecast, and a long white winter last year, I sprung for a 35 HP Kioti tractor with a 5', rear pull snow blower. That did it. Winter up until about 2nd week of March was non existent, then we've had some good catch-up. Here it is co-habitating with my model trains. We had 2 feet of the white stuff a few days ago.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/Mears%20Madness%20and%20the%20Rio%20Grande%20Southern%20RR/DSCN2129.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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04/15/12 11:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: I know...but its too cool
I see the cement mixer type front wheels, but does it have a powered front axle?
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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04/15/12 11:03pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mojave National Preserve and Red Rock State Park trip report
DG,
Thanks for the travelog. I've only sniffed around the edges of those places, and a long time ago. It's time to go again for real. It's also time to replace your Onan gen. with a Honda. You've had nothing but trouble with it.
Now, about DG. I thought the Girl in the photos wrote the article, since "I and the DG"... was refering to The Girl and Dan Gerson, but I'm 'confutatis' (a movement in the Mozart Requiem that refers to thems what are confused). So, I looked up DG on the net and found 70 meanings for the acronym, none of which would work here. Jeanie suggested, "Dear Girl", and by the body language displayed in many of the pics, I would go with that one; one which did not appear in any of the acronym sites, even the 'hip' ones.
So, congratulations on many fronts, not the least of which is DG. Here are a few shots of November 18th, 2008 in Yosemite. (I know that date as it was our 41st anniversary)
Your rig plus assorted canines;
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1222.jpg
A welcome campfire and a few Sierra Nevada pale ales to fend off the cold: a lot of hot kneezles, and cold arzles.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1220.jpg
Phil and Debra's rig at the time:
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1223.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/06/12 01:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
Fritz,
That is one mean machine! I like the form-follows-function-ness of the beast....and huge fender clearance.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/03/12 10:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Snow on the roof
I don't know. How much do you think this snow weighed? The front 3" lift was almost to the snubbers. The Lance came out of it fine.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1838-1.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1843.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/03/12 10:12pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
fritz,
What is the diameter of that tire? It looks like a Mich. military tire, about 39 or 40" tall. I think they call it a 9.00x20. 4.88 is a good pig gear for that size tire/wheel. Nice no nonsense wheels. Hmm? I suspect not DOT approved. (That's good in my view). I have a buddie that had 4.56 gears custom made for his 2008 Dodge 1 ton (with AAM axles), and runs 39" tall tires. He has a lift but still had to cut sheet metal to get them to fit. Before you get all excited, it's a one off.
I had very similar wheels welded up for my old 1949 Jeep Utility wagon some 45 yrs. ago. Well, except 16x9" W. In the day, they were huge on the Jeep. No DOT required!
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/03/12 12:16am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Hauling a Truck Camper on a Kodiak/Monroe Conversion
Lu,
I like the way you think. You've worried your way through this project very well. Congratulations! I like that you've posted a lot of pics....worth a thousand words.
You and only a few others on here operate in a very thin TC atmosphere with larger than life TC's. Great stuff.
Oh, and a word about those tabs to hold down the front of the box. If they are tied only to your wood framing, fine. If they go through the bed of the truck you had better spring load them or you will eventually pull your camper apart from the twisting.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/02/12 03:04pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Big Wig Helper spring
moor,
It looks a lot like the old Helwig helper, except for the big bends in the spring. I would say anything bent that severely is bound to snap at the right angle bends. At least that would be the weak point, IMHO. Besides, it's only available for Fords.
The other thing is if you have secondaries above the regular springs this looks like a no-go.
I wonder if anyone has used these besides the owner of the fabricator shop on his rig in the pic.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/02/12 02:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
ticki,
I'm pretty sure they're the same now, at least in the 12" wide version. I got mine from Summit Racing; take a look. Their ad has not changed in 6 years on this.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MTT-361481/
The 10'" M.T.'s do not have as high a weight rating as the 12's. Therein lies the only reason I proceeded with the S.S. project in the first place. It was the ONLY wheel with a high load rating commercially available, off-the-shelf, available at the time.
I'm going to look into Weld wheels again. They may have something you or I could use.
Then there's always Alcoa. Hmmm?
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/02/12 01:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Pop-up vs. Hard-Side Dilemma
I've never had any issues, never felt uncomfortable in high wind conditions with my short, narrow little 8.5' Lance hard side. I know that some of those side winds were 80 mph!
The stability has more to do with a beefed up suspension, small or no susp. lift, thick anti-sway bar, aftermarket steering box brace, wide tread tires, keeping all the heavy stuff in the camper low, and nothing on the roof.
My bro's basement OUTFITTER! weighs more than my little Lance and is only 10" less tall when closed. Set up in high winds on dry lakes (like Means Dry Lake at the Hammers) his leaks alkalai powder dust like a sive. The Lance is sealed.
Yes, his CG is slightly lower. As long as you keep all the weight you can control down low, a hardside only has the vertical clearance of trees and other obstacles to worry about, IMHO.
At a county maintained campground near the beach in Oregon, 6/08:
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1752.jpg
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/02/12 12:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
Instead of adding another post, I revised and edited my post above.
regards, as always, jefe
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1868.jpg
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jefe 4x4
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02/02/12 10:51am |
Truck Campers
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RE: super singles
Finally a topic I know something about. If you go back into the archive, I've written extensively about this topic. I guess I've been on here too long, as the super single circuit keeps coming around again and again.
There seems to be a fuzziness about what a super single is. Michelin came up with the term when they substituted a 16-18 inch wide tire on a 16 inch wide rim to take the place of a pair of duals. There are a couple cool websites with in-depth discussions about this concept. Other terms are 'wide-mo's', and Duplex (i think that was Firestone's entry).
Any tire that wants to call itself a super single must have the footprint and weight rating to supplant a pair of duals. Combat tires, slightly wider knobby tires, wide mud and snow tires need not apply. Almost none of the tires I saw above are 'super singles', just wider tires.
I have some wide tires, wide enough to supplant a pair of skinny duals in footprint,
(these are unmounted. The left tire is a wider than stock 285/75R16 BFG AT. The right is the now extinct M. T. LT375-65R16's)
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1370.jpg
but DO NOT have the weight carrying capy that two 2600 lb.rated, paired has. They are Mickey Thompson 33-15.50-R16's on 12" wide Mickey Thompson wheels. They are 32.8" in diameter (same as a 285x75R-16) and carry a 3750 pound, "E" load rating. For my small camper, a 7500 pound rear axle load rating is enough. My whole rig is only 10,000 pounds. My first set of really wide tires were 33-14.50's seen below on the same 12" wide wheels. They worked great, if noisy. I got them because I go off-road a lot, but they seem to work well in sand, mud and snow, probably becuase of the aggressive tread. What you need to know is that the rr track width is about 6" narrower than a set of stock duals, outside to outside.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN0948.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/61b1a068.jpg
You notice they're on 16 inch wheels. Why? Because they have a lot of sidewall compared to a 19" or 20" truck tire and you can air them down on the dunes and they float, unlike a 19" or 20".
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1570.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1082.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN2007.jpg
Would I do it again? YUP. With a 6.5', short bed, almost all of the weight when loading the camper on goes directly over the rear axle. The next step is refashioning the fenders and installing four M.T. Baja MTZ Radials. #5268, LT375-65R16's. A 36X15.50R16 load range D, 3750 pound rating, rim size: 10-13", sect. width: 15", O.D. 35.4", the fronts on 10" wide, 6.5" back spaced rims, and the rears on the same 12" M.T.'s I've had so much success with. I'm not so worried about the 'D' rating, as the usual scenario is the wider the tire tread, the lower the letter rating: D, E. I'm putting my money on the pound count rating, which @ 3750 is good enough for me. The pigs will get 4.10's replacing the 3.55's. I worked out the math and they are very close in final drive gear ratios.
The front UNIT wheel bearings are a caution on these Dana 60 Dodge fronts, and as mentioned above on Chevy's, but I'm willing to change to the wide set bearings on the free wheeling hub swap.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN1870.jpg
The 12" wide Mickey Thompson wheels have a 3600 pound rating stamped on the inside. Still within my needs. For the front 10" wheels I will have to have some made with a 6.5" backspacing to keep the stress on the wheel bearings more centered. I have some alum. 10" wide wheels I tried on the front axle, but the clearance was bad even with only 33's. Because the wheel has a 4.5" backspacing, much of the wheel was outboard past the center of the stock narrow set wheel bearings, the tire swung out on a wide arc and hit the front and rear of the fender edge/lip. They had some more room to clear inside the fender well. Unintended consequences, I guess. You need to know that I've had no trouble with the rr axle bearings with those 12" W M.T. wheels, even with the 4.5" back spacing. The bearings, two sets, on a Dana 80, full-floating, are wide spaced and made to take it. Over the last 6 years with the wide-mo's, they have. It's the under built front axle that's not good with wheels hanging way out there. This is so evident with all the wide wheels with 4.5" B.S. you see on P.U.'s; the owners not knowing they are eating up the bearings as we speak.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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02/01/12 07:20pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: To Trailer or Not? Enclosed or Flattop?
JP,
I've seen many of my jeeping buddies face this dilemma over the years. They've tried every which way to haul their junk to the trailhead. One of the reasons to buy a TC is that you can tow. I've had personal experience with
1. Flat towing. My tires are so big and heavy they kind of have a mind of their own when flat towed.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN0827.jpg
I had more than a couple tragic experiences flat towing.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/eda97230.jpg
The Dana 60 hardened axle shaft bearing got hot and melted the hub right off and whole wheel assy went rolling down the freeway at 5AM. This another trailer I tried: under duress. It weighed 2500 pounds, empty. I used the winch, hi-lift, and a bottle jack to slowly work the 3 wheel jeep onto the trailer to get it home.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/aca1337f.jpg
2. 14', 1100 pound wood planked flat bed with brakes. 84 inches wide. My CJ8 is 14' long.
This is the most compact and light version I could find 10 years ago. I use a 20" extension on my Class V hitch. I still like it and have done an SOA conversion giving it better clearance when off road.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN0759.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z240/jefe4x4/DSCN0748.jpg
3. My brother's 20 foot Alumalite flat bed. Heavier than my 14'. Full legal width which I found a real drag on narrow curvy mountain roads. It just filled up the lane, or worse. Bad clearance.
4. My bro's enclosed Alumalite. It fills up very fast.
In the end, you might consider the tongue weight with a very large trailer. With your reasonably large TC the length and capy of your hitch extension may call the shots for you.
As always, form follows function here. Get what you really need, not what you want.
Just my experience.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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01/25/12 05:12pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: How often have you needed or wished you had 4WD
I've been off forum for a while and just read this whole thread.
It comes down to: how do you bias your opinion?
What a monumental waste of time.
I want my 20 minutes back! (sounding more like Sleepy every day)
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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01/24/12 08:10pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: In the desert
Gloat away. Looks like a fine time to me. Did you have lots of neighbors?
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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01/03/12 01:45am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Yosemite Valley, New Years Eve 2011
Buzz,
It has been eerily dry this fall on the west slope. I could have stayed in L.A. for this kind of weather. In the last 8 weeks we have only gotten 1/4" of snow and .16" of rain, total. I see that Silver's long range weather gurus are back pedaling on the "snowiest/coldest winter in a century" for the US.
Nonetheless, very nice photo essay on a venue we love. Cannot get there enough.
You were lucky this was not last year when there were feet of snow and single digits in the Valley by this time and only a few hearty souls making camp at Upper Pines.
Thanks for the ride. Timing is..... everything.
We had a nice New Year's eve with a bon fire/s'mores/electric Barbi jeep and ATV rides for the kids and all nine of our green director's chairs set up around the campfire. It was positively balmy.
regards, as always, jefe
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jefe 4x4
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01/03/12 01:31am |
Truck Campers
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