4 hours ago, timelinex said:

 

I dont quite understand this point of view. Dont get me wrong, I understand the idea of a safety buffer from the max ratings. But ALL the pieces are similar max ratings. 

 

All the parts from truck, to hitch, to trailer are tested to the same type of standards (SAE). 

 

Why do you trust to max out the 20k GVWR rating that was arrived at by the same standards, but not the hitch? If you say that you would stay away from the 20k GVWR for safety as well, then that still doesn't make the point of view make sense, since you will be staying away from the 20k hitch rating by the same margin!

 

Maybe im missing something, so let me know.

 

The critical link in the entire truck/trailer setup is that tiny little pin that connects the two. I personally wouldn't take any unnecessary chances of that connection failing, so I would go as beefy as possible to reduce that risk. I know there are others who don't think it's a big deal. Star Dreamer has it right from my point of view. Jay

51 minutes ago, Rotorhead said:

A little history.

After buying the truck the clutch was intermittently hanging up. Took it in and the grease line was disconnected from the throw out bearing (previously posted). The shop took it off for me. There is another grease point on it but you have to reach in the inspection window. After it was removed I have greased it a couple times with a couple squirts as everyone stated. The clutch was getting pretty sticky again so I got to thinking. How long had the grease line been disconnected? Not know that and having seen how much grease was plopped in there I think it had been a LONG time and the bearing is probably dry. So I decided to pump in a bunch. I did 4 shots and worked the clutch. Then I did 5 more and worked the clutch. After that I was wiggling the parts below the TOB. There is a pivot type lever (probably clutch cable goes to to move the TOB right?). Where that pivot point is looked like the seal was out from where it should be. I took some lithium grease to spray in the crack just to see. It sounded like I was spraying into a can. So I am now assuming that the grease/bearings for that pivot point are non-existent.

GOOD NEWS THOUGH. It was a lot quieter when I drove it. So that is certainly some of the noise I am trying to eliminate.

The pivot I am talking about is in the picture in the lower left below the silver bolt head. Throw-out bearing is just above that.

Just wanted to share that information. Won't be too long before I take it in for the new clutch and transmission input bearing (and who know what else in there, haha) Just needing to save up a little more.

Happy and Safe Traveling to All.

Sounds like you have a good handle on things. Hope it all goes well. Jay

Looks like a nice little truck, but the M/B engine is problematic. I think you'll have some difficulty selling to anyone who is aware of the engine's historical problems. That is likely to dampen the interest in this truck and probably drive down the price significantly. Maybe $12,000?? Jay

1 hour ago, South African said:

We recently purchased a 2008 Keystone Everest. There is no bumper. Is it possible to install a receiver hitch?

Sure, but it's very important to verify that the frame is strong enough to withstand the forces needed to accomplish what you want it to do. You may need significant reinforcement. Jay

33 minutes ago, Rotorhead said:

Thanks Jay.

I have been saving up for a new clutch. I guess I will get it in this summer and get it taken care of. I am sure they will let me know what they find. I hope it hasn't been too worn out for too long and requires a new transmission. OUCH.

At least you'll only have to pay one labor charge if you work on the transmission while changing the clutch... With the expense of pulling out the transmission, it makes sense to do whatever work it needs while it's out, rather than just a bandaid repair. Likely, the rest of the transmission is not in much better shape than the offending part. It's not that big a deal to replace all the bearings. Jay

5 minutes ago, Rotorhead said:

As in the backside of the transmission where the driveshaft is? Or the transmission to engine side?

When the clutch is engaged while the transmission is out of gear, the input shaft is spinning at the same speed as the engine. When you disengage the clutch, that shaft stops spinning. The input shaft is the shaft going from the clutch into the front of the transmission. Jay

12 minutes ago, Rotorhead said:

Hello All,

I am trying to isolate my final noises. My new cab mounts eliminated most of the noise. After having read some posts about noises and clutches I tried a few things as I was driving. One, I tried lifting the clutch pedal with my foot, no change in noise. Two, I pressed to the bottom of the free play and no change. Three, I pressed the clutch until it disengaged and the noise went away. So to me it could be possible that the clutch, worn down to about 35-40% remaining, could be the culprit. Thoughts??

I still need to look at the dampener on the front of the engine. Other than obvious damage or cracks I don't know how to tell if that is bad.

Thanks,

Chuck

Based on your specific symptoms, the transmission input shaft bearing is the source of your noise. Jay

19 minutes ago, franco-bolli said:

Dare I ask when Love bug season starts? or does it never really end?? I imagine they can leave a stain on white fiberglass surfaces too.
I've been working on putting some screen material, like what is put over house gutters to keep leaves out, (1/8" Diamond shapes) on the inside of the grill of the truck to keep the radiators from loading up.  I did this on my 2004 truck with good success of keeping the big bugs out. The holes in the screen material didn't seem to affect the air flow and they didn't plug up with bugs. BUT bugs on the truck is a differnt topic altogether.

I bought some Lucas Slick Mist for my first attempt to make the bugs easier to remove. I also now have a bug sponge to help with the more tenacious globs.

It appears from the suggestions that applying a preventative of some sort before travel will help. Then using a soaking method of either just water in a towel or early morning dew is appropriate, then beatutifying the trailer (washing) to keep it up to the standards of the RV park, using very little park water. Then reapplying the preventative.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

Love bugs are only spring and fall, typically the months of May and September. Often, they seem to literally follow the calender month, so on June 1st. they're already disappearing. Jay

11 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

Just How Would You Stop a Charging Bear?

 

Take away his credit cards?? 

46 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:

Golf cart batteries are touted as having heaver, thicker lead plates thus the comment about weight.

This is true, but the corollary of that means that in the same space, there are fewer plates. Often, you can reasonably compare lead acid batteries just by comparing their weights. Deep cycle batteries are generally designed with thicker plates for longer deep cycle life, while starting batteries have much thinner plates for the higher starting currents needed. Jay

1 hour ago, lappir said:

I thought when Sears closed, it would be the end of a Craftsman product for the non professional. So far they still seem to be in business. 

The box I bought many years ago has served me well. The most often used drill did give out, but most likely from use in a dusty environment too often. 

I have a Snap on 3/8 drive flex ratchet I bought when I managed a Service Station in the 1970's and it was replaced with the newer model in the 2000's. It's still my go to for almost all wrenching. Not sure if I've ever tried the lifetime warranty on a Craftsman. 

Rod

I'm still using most of my original Craftsman tools, including the set my dad gave me. I also still use my original top of the line Craftsman sabre saw (now called a jigsaw) that is forty-some years old and still working perfectly. The original tools were great and rugged. Jay

8 minutes ago, DJohns said:

In the old day if you broke a 1/2 " socket you took it back to sears to get a replacement.  No sears stores around so not now.

Have you tried returning them to Lowe's? I know they have an extensive Craftsman line. Jay

I grew up on the farm using mostly Craftsman tools. They were a solid performer with a great warranty. Somewhere maybe in the 80's or 90's they went seriously downhill with the rest of Sears and I haven't used them since. They're just another cheap knockoff, in my opinion. I remember the last thing I bought from a Sears hardware store was a 3/8" breaker bar. When I looked it over and saw how poorly it was made, I returned it. Jay

1 hour ago, lappir said:

Not for wheels and tires on the HDT, but for my Jeep. 

I bought some replacement wheels and tires for the Jeep a few weeks ago and tried to find a "Craftsman" 1/2 inch impact at the local Ace Hardware to help me change them. I have a full set of drills, saws and such in a Craftsman box with the 19.2V Battery. The NEW Craftsman tools now have a 20V battery and the attachment is different. 

Just looked on Ebay and find several new and used impacts with the 19.2V battery,  will watch them for a while. Has anyone used them? 

 

Rod

For me, this sort of shenanigans is the number one reason to cancel a brand. When the voltages claimed are say, 18, 19, 20 volts, then they're using the same cells, but claiming different nominal voltages. Just change the method of attachment and instantly make the entire previous line obsolete. Porter Cable did that to me, so I'm done with them. Now, I research a company's battery history first before spending hard earned dollars. Okay, rant over. I apologize for hijacking your thread and not answering your question, but this is a sore spot for me. Jay

8 hours ago, Travis said:

The funny things and the small world story is that I met another service writer there sir name Duval who grew up in Croom, Md. and I grew up in Morningside , Md.  Then I found out another person was there getting his ford truck worked on from Selbyville , Delaware and I currently home base in Georgetown, De. so it was a very cool experience. Then at the end I found out my service written was a Christian and I also am a Christian. So for me it was a great day all the way around. 

Have any of you called a Ford dealer to have your Ford F 53 V 10 motorhome worked on? MOST DO NOT ACCOMMODATE SUCH LARGE VEHICLES.  I had one dealer who worked on it when I first got it in 2013 and they have since stopped working on them.  

Keep the Faith

Travis R Talbott SKP319

 

 

Definitely a very cool experience! Thanks for sharing. Jay

Wow, what a cool story! And kudos to that dealership for representing our hometown of Gainesville well! Jay

My guess is that the 50,000 hour rating is only based on the actual LED itself and doesn't include the necessary circuitry. I've had several fail, but I've been using them for quite a while. I haven't disassembled any of them to find out what failed, but my $$ are on ancillary circuitry. Jay

I'm sure you realize that, like most things in life, there are very many people who also like Daylight Saving Time. I'm one of them. I would be less than thrilled if we went to a single time frame all year, but it wouldn't wreck my life. Jay

8 hours ago, trostberg said:

My not so smart phone today will no longer work for calls but I am able to connect to my Mobley and get emails and facebook etc.   I assume if I cancel this phone and transfer my minutes to my other phone I will not be able to turn my phone on to connect to Mobley.  Is that correct?   This is a tracfone.

You should still be able to use the Wi-Fi connection on your phone without having a cellular connection. Jay

20 hours ago, lappir said:

My KTag works in Oklahoma, not sure about other states. They have new free stickers that work on almost any vehicle, but you cannot move them from vehicle to vehicle. I have one for my Truck, Jeep and Motorcycle. I also got one for my daughters car in Oklahoma. She doesn't travel much on the turnpikes, but at least she doesn't have to stop or remember to take cash. The only place I would drive around a toll road is in Colorado. The tolls are high and they have a booth every 10 miles or so it seemed. That was several years ago, but $20 disappeared very quickly on what seemed like a very short trip on the toll way. I got off at the next free exit when I got to that amount. 

 

Rod

K Tags work in KS, OK and TX. OK and TX systems are reciprocal in all three, as well. Jay

Just now, trostberg said:

This report is from the mobileinternetinfo group

At this point we have not seen any reports of the Mobley not working after the 3G shutdown date. Additionally, we discovered that AT&T lists the Mobley as a "certified" IoT device in a different database which does suggest that the Mobley will continue to work without 3G. We will continue to monitor for any reports of issues with the Mobley and provide updates as we receive them.

Thank you for that report. Jay

13 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

Unlikely, but possibly the blower is running backwards?  Wires switched?  I've heard of it happening......

Not sure that could happen, unless you cut off the connectors and hard wire it?? But then, we've all seen some butchered rat's nest of wiring, soooo.... Jay

Having completely rebuilt my virtually identical system, I think you're definitely on the right track with everything you've done so far. (I also have a 1999 VNL 610) The one thing you might be missing is the sealing of the individual duct sections. When I had mine all apart, I could see all the foam weather stripping was completely worn away. I ordered some pricey weather stripping and redid all the ductwork. It made a seriously dramatic difference. Seems like most of the cooled or heated air was leaking out long before it arrived at the various vents. You might check that out. It's definitely a chore to do, but well worth the effort. Good luck! Jay

55 minutes ago, bigjim said:

Not yet, on it now.

This is all good news! Jay

20 minutes ago, Chad Heiser said:

Both of mine are still up and running, although one of the SIM’s is in a different device.

Thanks, Chad. Good to know and appreciate the response. Hopefully, ours will be working when we get back to it. Jay