Road Trips
- Thread starter catbird7
- Start date
ComatoseLlama
Full Access Member
2 week, 4500 mile round trip from Michigan to Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone while camping in the back with my homemade drawers/sleeping platform. We made custom blackout curtains and had TV and power/outlets in the back. Sleeping in the cap is a huge upgrade from camping to me, set up is 10 minutes instead of an hour and you have a real mattress and can get some real sleep back there. Hiked around 75 miles over the whole trip, we were beat dead on the drive back.
Truck seriously impressed me. Not one issue. Driving 80+ mph across the wind river reservation in 90 degree heat for 6-7 hours straight was no joke. I need A/C.
Currently swapping engines after the engine locked up on me a month after this trip.
Truck seriously impressed me. Not one issue. Driving 80+ mph across the wind river reservation in 90 degree heat for 6-7 hours straight was no joke. I need A/C.
Currently swapping engines after the engine locked up on me a month after this trip.
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Yeah my RV has the 4.10 and it's pretty darn loud. I can't justify spending $1500-2000 to change to 3.55 though for the tiny amount of gain. Just like how I can't justify over $3,000 for GearVenders C6 overdrive. I'd get a slide in camper or a small (15-19ft) travel trailer before I'd spend $3k-5k to get 2-3mpg better on the RV. At least with a slide in or trailer, I don't lose my "house" if the truck totally breaks down. That's why I went with a truck to begin with, but I do tend to prefer a motorhome setup with the cab open to the house, so it's one of those weighing the differences things. Like right now, I wish I had a travel trailer or (even slide in) that I could leave here while I go to town for better mpg. But I can't. Other times though, I prefer to have everything with me and not have to go outside to go in the house. I can park somewhere, and I'm already inside. I could go to a different LTVA that's right in town (Quartzsite) but cell data speed is almost nothing here due to the crowds, and that matters to me more than the $15 in fuel round trip 50 miles to town and back every few weeks.
genscripter
Full Access Member
If you can find one, try to get a used axle and just swap out the whole axle. It's usually cheaper than having a trans shop swap out the gears. I had a shop quote me over $1000 to swap my 4.10 to a 3.55, but I lucked out in 2014 when I stumbled upon an old E350 with a 3.55 axle and just changed it out.
Also, back in the day, I sat on car-part.com for a few months and waited for a gearvendor to appear. I just checked and there might be a C6 OD unit at this yard:
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be sure to ask for the tailshaft housing off the yard's C6 (it's part of the overdrive). Also, try to get the electronics, but usually all these GV controllers are busted once they hit 20 years old. you can change out the circuit really easy with some NC relays.
I'm not a "speed demon", with the camper loaded typically not more than 60/65. My gears are 4:11 however the tires are 35" tall therefore speedo is off approximately 10% meaning calculating mpg requires a little math and truthfully not an exact process. I set the trip odometer when I left home and recorded the reading when arriving on return trip + adding 10% to the mileage. Gallons of fuel were recorded on each receipt so that's fairly accurate. I arrived at the "10% off" estimate by comparing speedo reading while driving with mph reading on GPS.
One of the big concerns I had on this trip was starting issues due to extreme cold. No cell phone service this far back in the bush and I was completely alone. I bought a Garmin inreach for satellite communication and while I didn't use a generator while camping, I did have a small 1000 watt 2cycle gen to power a magnetic heating element designed to stick on the bottom of the oil pan in case of emergency. The old truck fired right up so never had a reason to use it. Also carry a set of harbor freight magnetic base towing lights just in case there would be a wiring issue where the camper tail lights stopped working.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Those things can really save your bacon.
Thanks for the suggestion, but that site is garbage, it seems. That 1984 listing? It's been there for at least 6 years. Unless they have had it that long, the listing it just outdated and wrong. Here a post you made in 2014 on another forum mentioning that same exact listing:
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I found that because I googled "ford 400-1666B" to see what that code meant.
A 2000 watt or greater generator and a working factory block heater is the better option, in my opinion. No messing with a magnetic heater and the factory one will do a more thorough job internally of heating. Having a generator with a built in 12v battery charger is nice too, unless you carry a battery charger to plug into the generator's high voltage output. I carry both actually now. The little 500W gen has a 10A dumb charger built in and I have a HFT smart charger as well.
No trip odometers on 80s vans, so I just write down the odomter reading on the fuel receipt. I have the stock tire size (LT215/85R16). My speedometer is a bit off compared to GPS (but what old vehicle's isn't?) but the odometer seems pretty accurate. I judged about $375 in fuel to get here from my mom's house and I was almost exactly right basically. I spent $434.30 on fuel last month but that incudes the rear tank being full but then the transfer pump starting to blow fuses (i think it was a gelling problem, it's working again now). I also filled up after I got nearby, so if I don't count the rear tank and the last fill up, that comes out close to $375.
I already had the little 1000watt gen so it made more sense to simply buy the magnetic heater. I agree factory block heater far superior.
Fredrickson
Full Access Member
@Cubey Did you say you're in Quartzsite?
I was just reading about that place.. Sounds really interesting. Part desolate relaxation, part crazy block party.
One of the hottest places in the country in the summer.. but an inexpensive and relaxing spot to RV most other months.
Except for January / February when the 'Gem Show' followed by the 'RV Show' happens.
Town of less than 4,000 has 750,000 to a million people visit the 'Big Tent' Rv Show!
https://www.quartzsitervshow.com/
You'll have to give us an update when that happens..
I was just reading about that place.. Sounds really interesting. Part desolate relaxation, part crazy block party.
One of the hottest places in the country in the summer.. but an inexpensive and relaxing spot to RV most other months.
Except for January / February when the 'Gem Show' followed by the 'RV Show' happens.
Town of less than 4,000 has 750,000 to a million people visit the 'Big Tent' Rv Show!
https://www.quartzsitervshow.com/
You'll have to give us an update when that happens..
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
With that info, I think I'd be finding another place to park.
Nope I'm down near Yuma. I might go to Quartzsite in March since it's on my way north anyway, and my LTVA pass is good there too. I have been in QS during that show time in the past a couple times and it's crazy busy. But less so at all LTVAs this year, since Canadians can't be down here.
IDIBRONCO
IDIBRONCO
Yuma? I've heard that called the "A**hole of Arizona". That was just from one guy and I have no idea if there's anything to it.
