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the spyder posted:Hey now, I resemble that remark. Now just look the other way while I continue to dump $$$$ into a 22 year old truck that I'll drive once a month. I did this for years. Sometimes taking it off jackstands long enough to go do this one dumb truck thing then put it right back on them. Where's the problem? Do have a second somewhat reliable car around for old stupid truck things. For me it was a KTM sooo take my advice with what you will E: Run LED trailer lamps. Get whatever kit for the most part. Reseal as necessary. cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 21:00 on Sep 21, 2022 |
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Sep 21, 2022 18:27
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the spyder posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a inexpensive/decent set of trailer lights? I’m redoing our 5x8 and I’m realizing it’s just time for a new light kit “while I’m in here”. I have bought the Princess Auto submersable LED kit (im sure there is a harbor freight version) when it when on sale for $30. I have two, because they sit proud of the piece of angle iron I bolted them to, and they have been backed into things smashing the red clear plastic. Under the plastic, there are sealed LED modules, which are red. So I haven't bothered to change the broken ones out until I extend the guards. I would recommend these, I have been pleased with them. Had them on the trailer for 10 years now. https://www.princessauto.com/en/led-low-profile-submersible-trailer-light-kit/product/PA0008873788
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Sep 21, 2022 19:27
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Leperflesh posted:Like obviously I'd have to go look at it but is something like this likely to be a total piece of poo poo? For yard waste or runs to home depot or moving something bulky but not super heavy, that should be fine.
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Sep 22, 2022 01:27
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Thanks! I popped my towing cherry this weekend by driving a 30' RV pulling a u-haul "RV" trailer from Colorado Springs to my home in California in 2 days. This photo makes it look small but it was not small.  I think this is like 12 or 14 feet of actual cargo capacity, but a lot of long tow bar in front of it so closer to like 20 feet from the ball?  I also had to reverse out of various gas stations, back up in that above photo to get out when some jackass parked right behind the trailer overnight, and make a u-turn (really more like a 24-point turn) to get out of a dead end that Google Maps told me was the way into the RV dump station but was actually a locked gate at their exit-only end, etc. Loads of fun. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Sep 22, 2022 |
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Sep 22, 2022 04:23
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Slide ins drive ins and throwing payloads out of the escape hatch. I'm gonna blur the lines a little with this post with the sister RV thread over in TGO. I'll probably copy parts of this post for that very thread and bump it outta the depths. Having a slide in is a trade off between space, comfort level, the junk you want, and the junk you need. The kind of truck you have lets you pick how many of these things. You already own your own truck and know it well? Probably pick two. You already own your own camper and know it well? Probably pick three. Some of them let you pull fun toys behind the slide in. Others have such ginormous asses you need a SuperTruss(tm) to pull a secondary holding tank. Some have pop tops, others have three slides. They're usually all built better than their trailer compatriots but still built as an rv at the end of the day. Payloads and capabilities are highly dependent on what the truck's loadout is. A stripper gasser with crank windows is gonna have more hauling capacity than the same model with airconditioned forced air booty chillers and turbo diesels making an entire nation's worth of horsepower. But the diesel will always pull the load better. Pulling posts over from my truckcamper thread with regards to Half ton towables and a relatively comfortable travel style. This is a good question and I'd like for it to not get buried within my thread, so I'm gonna move the topic here. CarForumPoster posted:
The best place like this to get started with would be Campingworld or literally any RV dealer. Seriously. The second thing to do is to find the floorplan you like and then select the truck you want to go under it. None of this will be cheap if you want creature comforts. Cheap is light but not nice. Nice is not cheap and not heavy. Can't have it all. I'm gonna borrow your idea of hotel ratings for the purpose of this post. The Truck Forward I'll say that one should check with their manufacturers documentation of their truck to see if it even has a rating for a slide in. yes, they're dedicated and they are different. They load truck frames in ways trailers and your buddies' sofabed do not. Usually this rating is at or less than the truck's payload for structural integrity reasons. Some like a F150 lighting has specific warnings not to put a slide in on it. IMO a F150 isn't conducive with enough payload for what would be roughly a 3 star hotel. In this half ton towable category bathrooms aren't likely happening. The F150 with PowerBoost has something like a 1400lb payload. That's deep into just putting a topper on the bed or vacuforming a bare shell from fiberglass. Hardly luxurious. Any hard side on a Class 1 (tacoma or F150) sized truck is far over the payload if not tires and axle capacities too. Despite having 'half ton' capable campers in that segment. It's in an area of extreme compromise. This is like the one star hotel of TCing. You have a bed, but not much else. Pick one off the list early in the post. A 3/4 ton of any kind is pointless for a hard side. Fine if you want a pop top but I'd still highly suggest a 1-ton SRW. If you Must have the 3/4 ton, run the gasser. The diesel has significantly less payload. 1 ton SRW. Better option for a diesel. These are extremely common. Even I ran one. Though I needed to go up about four sizes. Luxury can range between 2-4 stars here depending on how overloaded you like to be. Pick two off the list early in the post. 1 ton DRW is kind of the gold standard for comfortable full timing in a truck camper. The gas version has a rude amount of payload. Diesel is still respectable. You can have one maybe two slides. A bit of power. Not much overhang. And a solid platform to tote it around with ease. Solid 3+ star range. I always hear complaints of the wide hips of the drw. It's overblown. You're not going through a drivethru with the TC loaded. And uh, probably don't unloaded anyway. A 2500 isn't doing it any better. Seriously. Pick two to three early in the post. 1.25 ton DRW is less common but more appropriate to the double and triple slide campers with enough overhead to tow a jeep or small trailer. They almost all turn better than their 3/4-1 ton counterparts with true medium duty truck parts within. The standard pickup types are usually on a 3500 frame with 4500 hardware bolted to it. The bed style is common as is the cab chassis type. This is where insurance/reg lines are blurred right at the 14k gvr point. It's not a problem to go bigger. Just know you can out drive your license beyond here. Note that also over 14k gvr the engines are detuned for durability. Companies and the drivers typically don't care other than the wheels need to turn and the engine's gotta burn. Downtime is revenue lost. 1.5 ton is not common but out there. with 8-14ish thousand pounds of payload you could almost have an Olympic swimming pool. Or two loaves of holiday fruitcake. Like the 1.25 ton but even more reinforcements. Most of these end up as specialized vehicles for utility companies and the like. The world is your oyster here. 2+ ton is almost unheard of but they're out there the savants. Something like a tall triple slide on one of these is going to get extremely close to the maximum height limits of road going vehicles of 14 feet. Truck Campers and their basic types: Popups Pop tops are basically three season campers that need regular maintenance and semi regular refreshes of the canvass material. They're part time rigs at best. Some do full time in them, yes. They're one of the more capable type of slide in the segment for those that worry about weight and center of mass. A hard side and especially a hard side with slides is tall and ungainly. They come with minimal creature comforts and their weights reflect it. These are the absolute best for traversing things like powerline roads. Two ish star amenities on this rating scale. Basic hard sides with no slide The shortish hard sides with no slides are great for weekenders and maybe week trips when towing at the truck's maximum towing capacity. Best for a 2500 gasser or a 3500 srw diesel. This segment is extremely wide with amenities ranging from 2-4 stars. Most are 2-3. Hard sides with 1+ slides These are taller since the new thing is to put the tanks below the main floor so that the slide is more floor level rather than having a large drop off. This happened in the mid 2000s. Each slide is good for about 500lb added to the camper. Your typical host mammoth with three slides and what's essentially two living areas can weigh eight thousand pounds ready to travel. This is heavy enough it can max out a class five truck's capabilities. Though with a mammoth you're definitely into 3 star hotel territory. A slightly lighter Lance 1172 with complete galley and would afford towing a hot tub and gym behind it with a F550 though facilitating a full five stars. I recently saw a 2022 platinum F350 drw(6500lb payload in XL trim) diesel hauling a host mammoth. With the camper and bed porpoising working the frame back and forth as it made its way through the intersection. It is soon to have the same fate as so many other truck campers hauling heavy. Amenities and weight Insulation, air conditioning, ovens, slides, dual pane glass, huge tanks, dry bathrooms, fire places, recliners, convection microwaves, in counter blenders, dish washers, washing machines, all add weight. A TC's dry weight is typically pretty optimistic. Especially if its more than a couple years old. Then there's about a thousand pounds for weekender/part time duties, and about 1500lb to 2000lb added for full time duties. Costs The cost of a good well matched nice to live in set up can easily approach the 200 grand mark by the time solar and lithium is involved on late model diesel hardware configured for the task. Thats within Winnebago Revel territory. 60-120 thou for the truck. (A suitable finished truck that'd give me the same capabilities and the ability to tow a trailer would run 125 large.) 40-80 thou for a 2-4 star quality slide in with the amenities you seek. 5-10 thou for lithium and solar if you want one-two big appliances at a time. 10-15 thou if you want two-three big appliances at a time. If you want hydronic, heated floors, auto leveling, that sorta stuff. cubic bucks. This can be pared down quite easily by trading off expectations of space, comfort, or reducing what one wants to bring along. Costs are extremely messed up since 2020 though they're looking like they're coming to a head. Full timed units get run hard and put away wet. Uncared for unmaintained units are just as bad. Anything built post 2020 is going to have absolute shoddy workmanship. In 2020 I renovated a junker 4 thousand dollar soggy 20 year old camper for about 20 grand. Right now the same parts if I could even get them would easily be double that. (read: I still can't get numerous parts for this thing, but two years later it's still truckin) Screw trucks I'll live in a van down by a dried up Colorado with satellite internet, eat canned peaches, and shitpost Quigleys/econolines especially in diesel cost a grip of money. gently caress a v10. 4.6mods are gutless. 5.4s are medicore. Get one new enough for a 6.2 or 7.3 gasser. tldr: don't buy a loving six liter diesel. the 7.3 diesel is old as christ now. none are intercooled. They're over 20 years old at the absolute newest examples. They're hovering near the 100 thou mark. That's a lotta dough for a project van. You'd be basically buying into old vehicle parts availability and old parts problems. I can't advise something like this for full time constant duties. Winnebagos/sprinters/T1Ns are kinda the gold standard for high top vans. Transits are generally good. The dodge pro-master tends to have transmission problems and they're fwd. Savanna/express/astro/etc. GM lego good. Limited floorplans. Limited luxuries. Do people want van effort posts? I'm down. cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Dec 30, 2022 |
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Dec 30, 2022 03:06
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I'd like to know your thoughts on vans. There's a GMC Savana 3500 camper outside I can take pictures of tomorrow.
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Dec 30, 2022 04:58
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I would love a van effortpost. I've been somewhat van-curious, but once you want to both have a shitter (it's full) and either 2 twins or 1 queen in a van chassis it starts becoming cubic dollars. Especially if you don't want to crawl over your bedmate, like the Revel.
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Dec 30, 2022 05:43
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The kind of van you need.
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Dec 30, 2022 07:28
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I've often thought a few times it would be neat to outfit an old cube van with bed, small cooking appliance, couch etc. One thing I'm not sure about though is how to deal with the big roll up door in the back. Do you cut a hole in the side for a door and close the roll up permanently?
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Dec 30, 2022 17:06
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wesleywillis posted:I've often thought a few times it would be neat to outfit an old cube van with bed, small cooking appliance, couch etc. One thing I'm not sure about though is how to deal with the big roll up door in the back. Do you cut a hole in the side for a door and close the roll up permanently? The roll up door is to vent your fire pit. You build a wall and double french doors a few feet inside the roll up.
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Dec 30, 2022 17:16
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Motronic posted:The roll up door is to vent your fire pit. You build a wall and double french doors a few feet inside the roll up.  you beat me to the RyTruk joke.
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Dec 30, 2022 18:44
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I'm sad that thread got shut down. Manic goon design best design.
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Dec 31, 2022 01:56
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He's still at it as far as I can tell, he does updates in a Discord channel I occasionally check. As a bonus he apparently inherited a house from his mother and wants to rent it out while continuing to build his deathtrap truck and murder shack. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Dec 31, 2022 |
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Dec 31, 2022 05:32
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cursedshitbox posted:Slide ins drive ins and throwing payloads out of the escape hatch. Van effort posts, please!
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Dec 31, 2022 16:57
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Vanning it down by some dried up tributaries and or trucking it smartly on a budget without needing truck nuts I'm gonna break this section into two major sections. The full size van and the mini van. Most all minivans are unitized, and a handful of full size are. The Mini Van Most of the minivans out there come with a 2-4 thousand pound towing capacity. Roughly that of your mini trucks. Payloads vary greatly, anywhere between half to one ton of cargo. Inside. Out of the elements. As the Van Deities intended. I only really know about the ones older than dirt itself. You literally can't go wrong with any modern Minivan from Honda or Toyota. Especially with AWD and a lift. Or just a lift. And BFGs. WIth around 150 cubic feet of cargo space, they're excellent for road trips, light soft roading, posting artisanal ig shots while trying to cook out of a jetboil, and hauling dirtbikes. The Chrysler Minivan. The one that started it all back in the early 80s. WIth a venerable 3.3L pushrod v6 and later punched out to 3.8. Then replaced with a nearly 300hp 3.6L Pentastar some many generations later. Dual automatic sliding doors, fold flat seating. Some with leather and really nice systems. But watch out for four speed automatics. They're made of glass. The mobility vans feature a pretty big lift... may be able to cobble that onto a normal one for shenanigans. GM Dustbusters-Montana, ETC Typical FWD GM parts bin v6es ranging from 3100s to 3.3s with a different wrapper. Objectively kind of awful vans but they'll keep going for more or less forever. I wouldn't tow with one and they're getting quite rare now. Then there's the Astro. A modified B body looks like it had a little too much hooch and loved its sibling the S10. The engine and transmission in these is actually slightly offset to provide more footwell space for the driver. Later ones had braking system improvements and awd available since the 90s. The Tcase is a single speed unit and can be upgraded to low range using S10 parts. They're unibody with a drop out front subframe. V8 power is easy to swap in. Towing capacity approaches 5000lb which makes it one of the more stout minivans out there. Some of these are basis for a micro B RV conversion. They're pretty spartan but tiny. Close to an American version of a Kei Camper. Ford Aerostar Do these even exist anymore? A counterpart to the Astro built with other people's stuff. Also unibody like the Astro. 4800lb towing and a cologne v6 that we all love to forget about. The windstar is basically a rebadged Nissan. Avoid those. Transit-connects are neat microvans sharing a buncha parts with Ford Focii and the like. However they're kind of fickle in the powertrain department with a pressed on drive gear for the cam set and a cam chain driven coolant pump that needs overhaul every 60 ish thousand miles. The full Size Van These things have been around for ever. Non zero chance you are here because of one. There's several players in the market today and thanks to our European brethren we get high-top vans now that someone can stand up in without crushing three discs in their neck. GM, Ford, Dodge, and Mercedes-Benz are major players in this segment. Nissan has brought the NV series here in recent years. Then there's upfitters. Like Quigley, Sportsmobile, RoadTek, etc. I'm gonna stick more to the chassis and less the upfit. Though I'll touch on a couple ideas on what to potentially look for. Ford The Econoline. Probably my favorite of all the full size vans. Rocking twin I beam suspension hot out of 1964 these things just won't die. Still around in 2023 with a 7.3 gasser and a 10 speed automatic as a cutaway chassis. It's come a long way since the 240-I6 and 3 speed manual. The main shell has been the same since 1992. Short wheel, Long well, Extended, High top, Bus, You name it, You can get it. They're body on frame though they don't share much with their pickup siblings. However clever companies like Quigley and Sportsmobile have found ways of sticking F-series 4x4 axles under these vans while retaining ride quality. At least with the coil spring conversions. I would recommend at minimum the E250 for anything to get the larger brakes. For a short while (like 4 years) The E550 existed which was basically the Econoline cab on a F series chassis. An absolute beast of a van. There's a dizzying array of powertrains for these vans. The AOD/E4OD is kind of old and awful. 6.8 V10s and 6L Powerstrokes should be avoided. Everything else is more or less fine. The 250/350 runs a Dana 60 out back. The 450 in some years runs a hybrid Dana 80. In my opinion they're a little cramped for a rv conversion or a moto hauler. They're fine tow pigs rated at 10 thousand pounds for the E350. The full size (4th gen) Transit comes in a couple configs with AWD available out of the box. A big departure from the Econoline with a factory high top and all wheels driven. These are built on a unibody chassis. Power is everything from an EcoBoost V6 to a 3.2L PSD. This chassis is fairly popular with the van life crowd for its high roof and longish body. Nearly as popular as the Sprinter. 280-300 cubic feet of interior space is available for nearly anything the end user could dream of. Towing capacities can be north of 7000lb and a gcvwr of 15 thousand. Payload is in the 3-4 thousand pound range. builds character posted:On the transits, I've read the ecoboost can have issues at 100k+ miles and the 3.7 runs forever but that's purely anecdotal. The 3.5 is more complicated, I suppose, with the turbo but if you're choosing not-turbo then you need to reexamine your life choices. Also really want the 3.5 over the 3.7 for towing in the mountains. The transit with ecoboost would definitely be my recommendation if you are looking for a new van to do vanlife things in because of the prevalence of dealerships leading to better, cheaper parts availability and someone to call if things are truly hosed and you can't fix it, reduced upfront cost and the gas engine which if you're not CSB is probably better for you and is almost certainly cheaper. The tallest transit can't go into a couple national parks because it is too tall so that's probably pretty nice for everything else but something to be wary of if you're thinking about doing a build and want the super super tall version and also want to take instagram pics of yourself at national parks out west. Changing the rear brakes is apparently a pain because you have to take the axle out to change the rotor so lots of folks on the internet turn off some of the stability stuff because it uses the rear brakes and eh... everything is a pain all cars are bad. I would still buy one but I might farm out that job, personally (after I hosed it up twice and bled a lot). GM G-series. Unibody featuring GM's garden variety of powerplants. Inluding cab chassis and cutaway models with dual rear wheels. There's a G30 HD which is built on a P30 chassis for ultra heavy applications featuring a true D80 rear at 11,000lb gawr capability. It's basically a motorhome chassis in van size. Much like other 80s vans these are getting long in tooth but they're ridiculously simple. Stick to the G20 to get slightly better braking, transmissions, and cooling than the G10. G30s are even better. Tow capacity here is in the 5 ish thousand pound range. Express. The express replaced the G series in the mid 90s. It's still out there today. Some with awd available. Some in rwd flavors. 14 bolts out back at the heavier end of the spectrum. More or less the Econoline from GM. Power is everything from a 4.3 to a LS to a Duramax and everything inbetween. Cargo space is in the 280 cubic feet range. Tow cap around the 7500 mark and payloads in the 2500-5000lb capacity. builds character posted:With the exception of one year in 2003 when it came in a 2500, the express only comes in AWD in the 1500 version. You can swap out the shocks though. I don't know if the brakes on the 3500 are larger or not, but this is worth thinking about if you want to go offroad. The 1500 AWD is fantastic in snow, but it's not full time 4x4 by any stretch. Quigley and Pathfinder are the two brands I'm familiar with if you want to go searching craigslist for 4x4 vans by keyword. Dodge The Ram Van lived from the 70s all the way into 2003. Like the Econoline, not much changed, right down to the small block v8. Though some could be had with a fuel drinking v10 that sometimes made power. Their 3 speeds are decent, Don't rely on a 4. Promaster. Fwd. Rebadged Fiat Ducato. High top. Pentastar and a six/nine speed here. The six speed transmissions in these are kind of weak. Sorta popular with the diy van life conversions. It features anywhere between 280 and 520 cubic feet of space for all things that one would want in a portable home. Up to 7000lb tow and 4700lb payload. builds character posted:The promaster is pretty popular as a motovan because 1. despite the swiss cheese transmission, it's cheaper, 2. the floor is much lower so you don't have to push your bike up the same steep hill to get it in the back that you do with the fords or mercs. This is particularly important when you are old. Sadly, it doesn't come in a passenger or crew version. It also supposedly rattles more than the ford and mercs, but if it were me I'd cover everything in sound deadener anyway. Mercedes-Benz The original author of the high top van. The most popular with RV conversions right now. Factory 4x4. Factory diesel power. Factory high top and several wheelbases to choose from. Even models with dual rear wheels. The T1N is especially popular in its simplicity. With a few known issues out there they'll trundle along for many hundreds of thousands of miles. Here in the states these are co-badged as Dodge. NCV3 is the replacement of the T1N to keep with increasingly strict safety and emissions regulations. They're extremely common in cargo liveries. 4wd is now optional. 5000-7500lb towing. 3-7000lb payload. 80-530 cubic feet of cargo room. builds character posted:The sprinters are up to VS30 as of 2019 and sadly they did away with real 4x4 for 2022 or 2023. Supposedly the VS30 is the nicest van currently available to drive, then the transit, then the NCV3, but I don't know from experience just internet heresay. Nissan NV While I'm not a big Nissan guy I think these deserve a mention here. Full size van on the Titan pickup chassis without all the pickup stuff it entails. VQ40 (4L) and VK56 (5.6L) Power. A Nissan's take on the Chevrolet Express but with a hightop. Up to 9400lb towing. Up to 4000lb payload. Cargo space is in the 2-320 cubic feet range. Applebees Appetizer posted:Not sure about the Nissan vans, don't those have the 5.6 v8? If so stay away from those, they have cat issues and when they fail the pieces go back up into the motor and grenades the motor. At the very least you'd have to keep a close eye on it. Living in a van and what it can entail. Back in the 80s/90s the van conversions are pretty spartan. Those built on econoline chassis usually put the toilet in the very back just in front of the rear doors without any kind of physical wall but a curtain to wall it off from the rest of the RV(legit Airstreams did this). Surrounding the toilet is carpet. Prooobably not. Most of the time a shower if any is external. These are pretty minimal and old enough I wouldn't pay a lot of money for one. Sportsmobiles of the 90s-00s are hugely popular, but also sort of spartan in their own way. They're best for a part-time or deep off grid exploration type vehicle. These things with diesel go for rude amounts of money. Better off with a RoadTek. RoadTek in the 90s started taking the class B and widening them with custom fiberglass fairings. Then blocking off one of the dual side entry doors and placing a self contained wet bathroom right there. These are about where I'd start with a used conversion. With anything modern, hightop, and long wheel base, it's hard to go wrong. The Revel is a nice piece of kit for a paltry two hundred grand. I prefer counter space and a walled off bathroom for keeping the bathroom in the bathroom. Not big on chemical or composting toilets but some love em. Counterspace is important for preparing anything more than a can of manifold chili. Most in this segment will have a basic cooktop and maybe a convection microwave. This is generally fine. Limited tank capacities will be the limiting factor here. Most anything modern has a legit proper power system with alternator charging and solar. Good for basic travels. This area is highly dependent on the end users needs so it's an entire range of options. I think digging into this specific section would be more inline with the RV thread perhaps? If anybody has blurbs they'd like added, I'll add them to this post cursedshitbox fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Jan 7, 2023 |
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Dec 31, 2022 18:34
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Been wondering lately about towing with CVTs. The hybrid Maverick is rated at 2k pounds, but it has a CVT. Subarus are rated pretty high too (3500 iirc for the outback) also CVT. Given the lovely rep of CVTs I don't see how they could possibly be good for towing. I'm thinking the 2.0 turbo/8 speed auto option on the Maverick is probably a much better choice in that regard.
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Dec 31, 2022 19:04
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How do 5th gen 4Runners handle towing ~4.5k pounds?
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Dec 31, 2022 19:22
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I had a 96 GMC Safari with AWD that I converted to into a camper for weekend snowboard trips. I just have to say that it worked like an absolute champ and the AWD blew me away how well it worked in the heavy Washington snow. Wasn’t even lifted but I could rally through like 6”-8” no problem. Hoping to one day get another van or a small rv that’s snow capable. Still trying to figure out what’s best for I need.
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Dec 31, 2022 21:24
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Been wondering lately about towing with CVTs. The maverick CVT is a planetary with electric motors to set the ratio, there’s no belt.
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Dec 31, 2022 22:29
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BlackMK4 posted:How do 5th gen 4Runners handle towing ~4.5k pounds? I've towed a 20ft long, 7.5ft wide double axle cargo trailer loaded up to around 6,000lbs quite a few times with a face-lifted 4x4 4.0L Limited. The boss's wife's truck, bought specifically to tow their boat (7,000 w/trailer) when the Tundra wasn't available. The rear end dips quite a bit, but I never scraped the rear end. The brakes could handle it easily on flat ground (Florida flat). That truck had more than enough power to hit the interstate at 65mph, and the transmission stayed in the right gear for the most part. If it was an everyday thing I'd beef up the rear suspension, but fine as-is for occasional use.
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Dec 31, 2022 22:57
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"Florida flat" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that review.
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Dec 31, 2022 23:04
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Motronic posted:"Florida flat" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that review. People ask questions and I answer them to the best of my ability. I don't know if poster lives in Florida, but that's the baseline of my experience.
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Dec 31, 2022 23:38
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Oh no worries, just saying.......that's an important bit to include and you did. Something like that would fall on it's face near me (Poconos) and would be laughable out west dealing with the Rockies.
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Dec 31, 2022 23:40
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Poster lives in Arizona, the majority of towing is in the Phoenix/Tucson and SoCal area. Short of it is I'm looking for something that can serve as a daily and also tow an open trailer ~4 days a month. I currently have a 5.7 Dodge Ram 1500 and the thing tows well, but I hate driving it around and I just sold my actual daily driver today. I have the option of buying a 2016 Cayenne Diesel for about $30k but I really, really don't think I want to deal with maintaining it when something eventually breaks. Was kind of considering a V8 4Runner or a GX in the ~$20k area. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Jan 1, 2023 |
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Jan 1, 2023 00:07
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Motronic posted:Oh no worries, just saying.......that's an important bit to include and you did. Cheers. It's never a lack of power that bothers me towing. It's brakes. I can always drive slower or find another route, can't always stop faster or straighter*. *again: brakes keep you straight when bumper towing. Make sure they are in good condition, make sure you hook up right everytime, use a brake controller.
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Jan 1, 2023 00:23
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LightRailTycoon posted:The maverick CVT is a planetary with electric motors to set the ratio, there’s no belt. That's really cool. Looks like it operates similar to a tractor CVT but electric instead of hydraulic.
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Jan 1, 2023 01:41
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LightRailTycoon posted:The maverick CVT is a planetary with electric motors to set the ratio, there’s no belt. Very interesting, so apparently it can handle the load then, but now I wonder why Ford only offers the 4k lb towing package on the Ecoboost 8 speed auto. I figured the CVT was the weak point that's why it wasn't offered on the hybrid so now I'm curious what actually makes up the 4k package and if it could possibly be added to a hybrid down the road from a wrecked ecoboost or something.
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Jan 1, 2023 04:06
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wesleywillis posted:I've often thought a few times it would be neat to outfit an old cube van with bed, small cooking appliance, couch etc. One thing I'm not sure about though is how to deal with the big roll up door in the back. Do you cut a hole in the side for a door and close the roll up permanently? I cheated and bought a van that already has doors. 
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Jan 1, 2023 05:31
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Very interesting, so apparently it can handle the load then, but now I wonder why Ford only offers the 4k lb towing package on the Ecoboost 8 speed auto. I’ve heard there are handling issues towing over 2k without awd on the maverick, which isn’t available on the hybrid. They did cancel all the people who ordered the 4K package without awd. It also could be gaming the options, because the hybrid was intended as the base model, and they want the upsell.
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Jan 1, 2023 14:30
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LightRailTycoon posted:I’ve heard there are handling issues towing over 2k without awd on the maverick, which isn’t available on the hybrid. They did cancel all the people who ordered the 4K package without awd. Yeah I just read that if you order a base hybrid or base ecoboost you will not see it this year because they are already over the amount of orders they should be for this year. However, if you order XLT or Lariat trim you will get that no problem! How convenient.
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Jan 2, 2023 02:36
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cursedshitbox posted:Vanning it down by some dried up tributaries and or trucking it smartly on a budget without needing truck nuts Great post. Here are a couple of my thoughts, worth what you paid for them. With the exception of one year in 2003 when it came in a 2500, the express only comes in AWD in the 1500 version. You can swap out the shocks though. I don't know if the brakes on the 3500 are larger or not, but this is worth thinking about if you want to go offroad. The 1500 AWD is fantastic in snow, but it's not full time 4x4 by any stretch. Quigley and Pathfinder are the two brands I'm familiar with if you want to go searching craigslist for 4x4 vans by keyword. The promaster is pretty popular as a motovan because 1. despite the swiss cheese transmission, it's cheaper, 2. the floor is much lower so you don't have to push your bike up the same steep hill to get it in the back that you do with the fords or mercs. This is particularly important when you are old. Sadly, it doesn't come in a passenger or crew version. It also supposedly rattles more than the ford and mercs, but if it were me I'd cover everything in sound deadener anyway. On the transits, I've read the ecoboost can have issues at 100k+ miles and the 3.7 runs forever but that's purely anecdotal. The 3.5 is more complicated, I suppose, with the turbo but if you're choosing not-turbo then you need to reexamine your life choices. Also really want the 3.5 over the 3.7 for towing in the mountains. The transit with ecoboost would definitely be my recommendation if you are looking for a new van to do vanlife things in because of the prevalence of dealerships leading to better, cheaper parts availability and someone to call if things are truly hosed and you can't fix it, reduced upfront cost and the gas engine which if you're not CSB is probably better for you and is almost certainly cheaper. The tallest transit can't go into a couple national parks because it is too tall so that's probably pretty nice for everything else but something to be wary of if you're thinking about doing a build and want the super super tall version and also want to take instagram pics of yourself at national parks out west. Changing the rear brakes is apparently a pain because you have to take the axle out to change the rotor so lots of folks on the internet turn off some of the stability stuff because it uses the rear brakes and eh... everything is a pain all cars are bad. I would still buy one but I might farm out that job, personally (after I hosed it up twice and bled a lot). The sprinters are up to VS30 as of 2019 and sadly they did away with real 4x4 for 2022 or 2023. Supposedly the VS30 is the nicest van currently available to drive, then the transit, then the NCV3, but I don't know from experience just internet heresay. T1N is obviously the best van though, thanks to having the indestructible 5 cylinder diesel MB motor and being simple enough that the new fangled diesel engines are exactly like when your uncle complained about cars not having carburetors and points anymore. My 3500 with dual rear wheels gets 25-26 mpg when I'm driving 50 (and 17-18 when I'm driving a reasonable speed), but sadly all the T1Ns are speed limited at 84mph unless you get a tune which is only available from canada now. The 2007-2010 NCV3s (maybe only 2009?) came without DEF so those are pretty popular as it lowers the maintenance and potential for badness down the road in exchange for pollution. At some point (I want to say with the VS30s), MB realized that if you were just idling then the van wouldn't go through its heat cycling to burn off the particulate filter and would get all gunked up and they fixed it so that it now does that if you're idling for too long too so that's good. Unless you have a prior model, then you need to figure it out because it is expensive to fix if you need to have it replaced. T1Ns are also all badged as either dodge or freightliner in the US. None were originally sold as mercedes-benz (I'm sure there's some small exception), but if you are super cool and good you can rebadge them as the mercedes they're all sold as in Europe. Nissans also have the truck hood instead of a van front - it's basically just a van body bolted on back instead of a truck bed so that is supposed to be nice for towing and getting into the engine bay but less good for turning radius and overall length vs. cargo capacity. The other big thing to think about, I think, is if it's worth going dual rear wheels for the extra carrying capacity and stability but with the added cost of the wheelwells taking up extra room inside the van and having to deal with six tires instead of just four. Really, the biggest issue I see when it comes to vans is figuring out what you want to pay. Once you figure out your price range and your use case your options get narrowed down significantly. For example, if you want to have three or four people in your van you can't get a nissan because they never come in a passenger or crew version, the promasters used to only come with a factory middle seat for three across if you want but no crew or passenger (although they have those now according to a quick google) whereas the transit and sprinters have come with crew and passenger versions for a while now. Not an issue for new but an issue if you're looking at used.
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Jan 3, 2023 22:52
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Not sure about the Nissan vans, don't those have the 5.6 v8? If so stay away from those, they have cat issues and when they fail the pieces go back up into the motor and grenades the motor. At the very least you'd have to keep a close eye on it.
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Jan 3, 2023 23:10
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Diesel is not worth it unless your regularly pulling double the weight of the truck. I also disagree with the OP’s comments about the 6.7 cummins needing dpf overhauls every 100k. That may apply to the 7-12 models, but 13+ with SCR and DPF is significantly longer lived. My 2018 only has 100k (and its about to be relegated to the back of a barn) but its been 100% reliable with absolutely nothing gone wrong. Never thrown a code or needed anything other than consumables. The 17+ cummins also does away with the regularly scheduled EGR cleanings. The 6.7s I would stay away from are the 7-12 and the 2020-21 with the CP4s. They went back to the CP3 if that says anything. When it comes to transmissions the 68RFE is fine in stock form, the aisin as69rc belongs in a bus, and the older aisin I would pass on. IMO regarding duramax’s the only one I would consider in 2023 is the L5P. GM made those really hard to modify and moved on from bosch fuel injection. Stay away from any of them with a CP4. Anything pre CP4 is too ragged at this point for reliability. Powerstroke I have little to say other than the “buy a 7.3” thing the internet says was accurate in 2007 but today is downright wrong. If you absolutely must have a ford the newest 6.7 you can buy is your best bet but I still wouldn’t pick one over ram simply because of the packaging under the hood and the CP4 thing. Also, best advice for buying a diesel truck - if its got big rims, tint, been deleted, tuned, lifted or modified in any way you don’t want it. The owner probably spent more on that than they did maintenance. Truck performance is pointless because of the base weight. Your better off with something thats been fleet maintained but beat on by a driver who didn’t care imho. Also if you do buy a modern diesel be prepared to live in fear of water in the fuel. Far less common today but it can easily do $7k+ in damage to any of them.  Last load mine is gonna haul for a long time. As far as trucks I have owned its been the best at being a truck. For the guy thinking of towing with a tundra, I had a ‘12 with the 5.7. It was comfortable, loved the crewmax cab, it was also reliable, but the payload rating was laughable and the rear springs were way too soft for anything serious. Its rated around 10k but that weak payload and springs made it unsafe with the proper amount of tongue weight for that amount of load. I did regularly use it to haul round bales, 7-8k is more reasonable with those trucks. It’s definitely a half ton. It was also a bitch to change the oil on with the skid plate and cartridge filter on the bottom.
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Jan 7, 2023 02:34
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I've added your wisdom of the ISB and L5P to the OP. First hand experience gonna trounce anything I scrape up on a 20 min search party. Thanks for correcting me and also providing more details as my first hand experience with the ISB is...limited. I've bought a gen1 6.7 psd and agree that 7.3s are old enough now that they belong in a museum. jeezlus there's a lot of poo poo under the hood.
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Jan 7, 2023 02:52
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Got a new boat and my tow rig is working a bit harder now The boat weighs about 1400 lbs, a good 500 more than my other boat. Surprisingly I noticed a very little difference how the car performs between the two other than the new boat's trailer is a torsion axle and the old boat has leaf springs. The new trailer is smoother overall but a bit more bouncy over bumps if that makes sense. Braking doesn't seem much different between the two boats but I plan on upgrading the brakes anyway. EBC rotors and Hawk pads are ordered, and higher temp synthetic fluid will replace the fluid from the factory. Braided lines are available and pretty cheap actually, but is that overkill? I'm assuming a bit better pedal feel is all? I am also concerned about running temps for the motor and transmission. I noticed when towing the new boat the fans kicked on much sooner and were running longer than normal. So I'm considering a trans cooler, as well as a bigger aluminum radiator and/or a cooler thermostat. Mishimoto offers a a thermostat that opens at 155f, stock opens at 180f. Next time I take the boat out for a longer run I want to keep track of engine and trans temps, I have an infrared temp gun, but I don't now what the ideal temps are and where I should be taking the temps at. Radiator and trans pan? What kind of ideal temps should I be looking for after a decent drive? Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Jan 11, 2023 |
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Jan 11, 2023 14:53
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Is there a transmission temperature sensor you can access via OBD2 with something like torque? I'd try and do a little logging with and without the trailer to try and see the difference.
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Jan 11, 2023 15:46
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Oooh great idea gonna try that thanks. From what I'm seeing on google, max trans temps should be around 160 - 200 when towing, and engine and oil temps no higher than 210. Guess I'll have to keep an eye on oil temps to just to be sure, I can get an oil cooler if needed. I live in Florida and do most of my towing during the summer so that's why I'm concerned.
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Jan 11, 2023 16:33
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Braided lines won't do anything for you. Good pads/rotors will. The torsion axle if new will bed in and settle after a while. Get a scangauge/elm327/etc and monitor coolant and transmission temps. Happy transmission is around 200F. Keep it below 250F. For those with rearends, also the same. 210 for engine oil is about right, that should stay under 260ish-F but lifespan is reduced much over 200. If it has no dedicated plate cooler install one. Use good hose. If you can spring for it get a hydraulic shop to make em for you.
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Jan 11, 2023 16:41
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What do you mean by "good hose"? Also just figured out that my OBDLink doesn't work with iPhones lol. Last time I used it was when I had an android, oh well guess I'll just order a scangauge then.
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Jan 11, 2023 17:20
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Don't use bullshit hose like throttle body heater hose. Most FI hose is also barely rated for the line pressure of an automatic transmission.
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Jan 11, 2023 17:32
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