Ski Bum Truck V2.0, F450 Rough Road RV

In reply to Petrolburner :

Just pulled the dipstick tube. There was no God damn Oring on it!!

I didn't have one that felt quite right, it wasn't quite as fat/thick as I would have wanted but I doubled up on the am it felt ok in the bore. 

I can't believe there was never one... I hope that's been the oil leak all along.

Spacer could be an option. But the internal bump stops are still in there. Lower bags, less uptravel. It's only about 4-4.5". I haven't given up on it yet.... Ping tanks may be the next step....

Spec from Kelderman is 8" bag height. Airing up just to that. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I will then! I have tons more. It's a pretty magical climbing spot! 

Gonna put this one down as a win (so far!) a couple hundred miles and a couple passes and it's leak free! Going hose down the Underside with degreaser, I really hope this was the oil leak all along!

Played with air pressures this weekend.

Tires at 58.

Air bags at 70 which is just under 8" tall, its a bit better, BUT it does bottom out at this pressure. 

At 60 its not any different feeling than 70 really. at 80 its harsher.

The Kelderman guys think I am feeling the rear end.... Maybe my expectations are just too much for this heavy of a truck?

Fun times

For a truck that could have some oil leaks that it's easier to pull the cab to get to them, an o ring on a dipstick tube is a major win there. 

In reply to crankwalk :

No kidding! It's always had a little leak, I wonder if this has been the problem the whole time. That would be a win. I need to degrease the bottom before I can really tell

Been wanting an outdoor temp gauge for awhile. Ford had one in the rear view in some pickup models, but it appeared from my google research that it was not a standard part included in the wire harness/build in the 450's. I also dont have a rear view any longer.

Found a good spot. Pulled the rear parking sensor off button. 

A little file action and it fits a 1 1/8" gauge.

Finally got the Blue Sea one wired up last night and its a nice little unit! Oled screen and daylight readable. The docs says it has a "snowflake" that appears under freezing too.

Tied to the light leads for the old switch. This way it turns on any time running or headlights are on (I always have running on....).

Sensor is in the drivers door jamb, should get good reading, be protected form wind and not get much engine heat there.

I need to get an outside temp gauge for my truck too.

Amazes me that one of my cars built in 1985 has it, and my truck build in '96 doesn't.

I don't have a slick spot like that to add one in either, but that install looks great!

In reply to Azryael :

Yeah I dont get it, its so hit or miss as to what gets them!

Thanks! It turned out well!

Fantastic weekend playing in the snow.

Headed up, just starting to snow

Getting better 

Parked! Right at the top of the ridge.

It started dumping!

Pretty spot.

A couple wheelers went by in the morning

Forecast was calling for up to another 12", we decided to bail out to a bit lower elevation. Glad we did, got another few inches, and it was about half the snow where we stopped as up above.

My temp sensor location failed..... Reads way warm!
 

Pictures like that make me want to move back out to CO just to experience snow like this again.

I think when funds permit, a small cabin with some land out there as a getaway will be most appropriate. Then I can build up a rig similar to yours and do this as well!

Keep the photos coming! Shame about the temp sensor location. On my Mercedes, it actually sits behind the license plate mounting area, and I've found the reading will be skewed when standing still by the heat radiating from the radiator.

In reply to Azryael :

I love the snow. MAkes me happy. Everything is pretty covered in snow :)

Yeah the temp was better when moving, but still about 10 degrees higher than what my phone was reporting for near by. Oh well. Just need to extend the wires and find a new spot.

So that brings up maybe a dumb question..... Wind chill, do sensors feel that or not?

java230 said:

So that brings up maybe a dumb question..... Wind chill, do sensors feel that or not?

 

I've often wondered this myself.

And I agree 100% on snow coverage, especially around this time of year. What really keeps me from it is the reality of having to battle rust again.

java230 said:

In reply to Azryael :

I love the snow. MAkes me happy. Everything is pretty covered in snow :)

 

Yeah the temp was better when moving, but still about 10 degrees higher than what my phone was reporting for near by. Oh well. Just need to extend the wires and find a new spot.

 

So that brings up maybe a dumb question..... Wind chill, do sensors feel that or not?

 

Temp sensors will only feel wind chill if they're wet. Wind chill is just a combination of better evaporative cooling, and the fact that your body is above ambient temp and the wind is sucking heat out of you faster than still air would. But you WANT the wind to suck heat out of your temp sensor, so putting it in the wind shouldn't hurt it.

In reply to the_machina :

Thanks, but won't driving at 60 artifically drop the temp? I am trying to emulate road temps really.

java230 said:

Sensor is in the drivers door jamb, should get good reading, be protected form wind and not get much engine heat there.

Maybe there's enough heat leaking out through the door seal to affect the reading.  My old BMW has the outside temperature sensor hidden behind the front valence, underneath the bumper. If the engine is running and the car is stationary it reads artificially high, but when moving (so heat from the engine is blown away from the sensor by moving air) it's dead nuts accurate.

No idea where the sensor is on my fiesta but on the boxster it's in the front grill seemingly purposely exposed to open air and about 6" in front of the radiator. And IIRC the owner's manual says it doesn't read when the car isn't moving to avoid heatsoak. Seems to read accurate, or at least believable.

IIRC the one on my 4runner is near the grill also. I guess I should relocate mine up there somewhere. 

Thanks guys.

On my Durango, the outside temp sensor (or what I believe to be it) sits just behind the grille, I've found the temps to be pretty accurate in most weather situations.

For a period of time, after I did my manual swap in the F350, my trans cooler temp sensor was just kind hanging below the truck, registering road and ambient temps under the truck around 130°F. Even moving the temp stayed consistent. That sensor has since found its way into the aforementioned Durango.

Wind chill is 100% not a factor here. As the_machina said, if it's wet, the evaporative effect can skew the temp a little, but it's insignificant. Wind chill doesn't actually drop the temperature - it can just make it *feel* colder than it is as your skin loses it's protective boundary layer. 

Every car with an external temp sensor that I've owned has it placed in the front bumper/airdam/valence. 

In reply to Mezzanine :

Thanks, so rain plus 60mph isn't going to make a big difference? If that's the case I'll probably stick it on the roof or behind the grill, but there is lots of hot stuff up there. 

I did get a little project that I have put off forever done. As with anything deadlines seem to get things done. Picking up the new bumper this weekend and need something to strap it on to. So the second tow point is on the list.

Exact repeat of the pass side. Take everything apart.

Hold it in place with two of the bolt bolts. This just lines everything up. I then reamed the holes an 1/8" larger. I wanted to do it in place so there was minimum slop in the bores.

Fun spot to drill through 1 1/2" of steel.... Add proper grade 8's and torque. I am debating adding another bolt..... The shear on those is about 14k each. With puts me right about 4x GVW. I think I want a little more. One 3/4" down the center might happen....

While I was there, I used one of the many Helwig coozies from the NWOR to wrap the heater fuel pump in. I dont know that it will do much, but I have wanted to try.

Buttoned back up. Should make strapping a front bumper to the back bumper much easier :D

Found you on instagram thanks to seeing the handle on the back there!

Tow hook, or loop, install looks great!

In reply to Azryael :

Thanks! Followed back

Its not ghetto if it works?

Powdercoat is gone, and it took a good whack at some point, buts its still pretty straight and the price was right. 9 hours of driving later (4.5 with the bumper) and it didn't fall off :D

Now do I drop it off and have it blasted or do it myself with a grinder?