What did you do to your truck today?

[ddm502001]

Can only sit and stare at mine out the window, Wife has not found 5ver she likes yet where not in a HUGE Big hurry but spring IS Coming.

Dave

[mike5511]

Ordered stainless steel grill surround and fender guards! Now to get the stainless steel bumper polished out.

Edit: Forgot, and a stainless steel grill.

Edited December 14, 2022 by mike5511

[Av8r3400]

I brought it home on Saturday.  I did check on it this morning and it's still there, I didn't dream the trip...

[jenandjon]

Got my receiver hitch welded on and painted yesterday. Found some taillights laying around the shop so I got them mocked up too. Paint should be dry this morning so I should have it all back together today. It's a curt 20,000 Lb 2 1/2-inch receiver. The side brackets are 18 inches long and the tube is 62 inches wide. 

I tried using the mag drill but there wasn't enough room. I burned up a Ryobi drill. No big loss they are cheap. The Milwaukee drill kept going into protection mode. Then I remembered buried in the bottom drawer of the toolbox is a Makita 1/2-inch corded drill that hasen't seen the light of day in many years. The last 3 holes took 3 minutes. The first 5 took over an hour. 

 

 

[rickeieio]

Sounds like you're where I was near the end of my bed build.  I gave up on the cordless tools and used the old tried and true corded units.  Old Stanley 1/2" drill with the pipe screwed in the socket for the second handle just keeps on going, and the Milwaukee Hole Shooter is a beast..

Cordless just isn't practical for heavy use.  Repeated charging kills the batteries eventually, and they're expensive.  That said, I have several in my toolbox in the truck.

Edited December 16, 2022 by rickeieio

[jenandjon]

Got the hitch and lights on. My Nephew is finishing up wiring the lights. 

Now on to some leaking fuel lines. 

It's not leaking out of the threads. It is leaking out of the swivel. This line looks like it goes forward toward the back of the head. Any other questionable lines will also be replaced. 

[jenandjon]

Got the line switched out. Took 20 minutes. You need long skinny arms to reach it. $67 it was one of the cheaper fixes I've had to do. 

 

[ddm502001]

Found out fuel sources are Adding BIO to stretch short diesel supplies, attacks many of the older fuel system components that were not rated for it.  Notably Cloud point will decay on Blended Bio mixes in cold weather so can actually see it.

[ddm502001]

Did get my State License Inspect done and a DOT inspect.  ONLY three faults on DOT did not affect license inspect.  Steering column u-joints had "Detectable" Play, the lamp for ABS Self check did not light, Bulb IS Bad and a Specialty size, and the MV-3 Dash Push Pull valve did not set at correct level of dumped pressure drop.   $350 for MV3 valve(New) bought six bulbs $1.12 ea and two column joints $22ea.  Will be here some time next week, then will await a tad warmer than 8F to work on this.  License will get bought end of Jan. as 48BL Missouri plates are $700 for a year, Truck titled as a Road Tractor, not RV as want multiple duty of it.  Did weigh it at local Quarry, 19340lb. at 1/4 tank fuel, so around 19,500 average weight plus Humans.

[Chad Heiser]

I removed my original Trailer Saver TSLB2H air ride 5th wheel hitch because it was slightly bent during my “incident” back in May.  I towed with it multiple times after the incident and had it inspected, but I just didn’t trust it anymore.  It needed to go.

I replaced it with a new (to me) TSLB2H hitch I was able to find via one of the Facebook HDT groups.  It was in good shape and I got a decent deal on it compared to buying a new one.  During the process, I also added a two inch box framed riser (on top of the four inch box framed riser I already had) to get my hitch head height up.  This will allow my new DRV to ride level (or at least within a half inch or so of level).

My truck has a 3/4” solid steel plate that is welded to the bottom flanges of the frame rails behind the axle.  The plate used to have a gooseneck ball mounted in the center of it to pull large horse trailers before I bought the truck.  When I bought it, the gooseneck ball came out and the air ride 5th wheel hitch went in.  With my first two 5ers, the four inch boxed steel riser was enough, in combination with dropping the pin boxes to their lowest settings, to get the trailers to ride level.  DRV changed their pin box design on the 2022 models and now on my new trailer I can’t drop the pin box far enough down to get it to ride level without adding the additional riser.  I thought about having a new single, six inch, boxed frame riser built, but with the price of steel right now it was a lot cheaper to just add the two inch riser on top of the existing four inch riser.  The 2 x 4 x 1/4”  wall boxed tubing was $35 a foot, so you can imagine what 6 x 4 tubing was.

Of course I did all the work and then realized I forgot to take pictures of the process, so that was a bummer.  Oh well, at least it is done.

I’m taking the truck into the dealer on Tuesday for its annual PM service.  Just trying to get everything ready before we head down to Quartzsite in January. 

Oh yeah and a couple months ago, I finally got around to adding a Voyager camera I’ve had laying around for a while to the back of the cab of my truck.  This way I can watch any loads I might have strapped to the bed.  This has been on my to do list for several years and I finally got around to it.  At the same time, I changed around the camera connection sockets at the back of my truck to mate up with the new camera connection layout on the new DRV.  

My last two trailers used a single Voyager camera umbilical cord going between 5 camera capable Voyager camera sockets.  The new DRV uses two Voyager camera umbilical cords going between two camera capable Voyager sockets.  The only real difference between the sockets (other than the number of cameras that can be hooked to them) is that the five camera sockets can’t pass sound through, whereas the two camera sockets can pass sound through in addition to the video.  Of course this only matters if you are using cameras that also have microphones in them, but the DRV came with two of the two camera sockets and two umbilical cords, so I made the truck match the trailer.  Before I made the change, could only see two of the three trailer cameras.  Now I can see all the available trailer cameras on the monitor in the truck.  I’ve got three cameras on the trailer going to a monitor in the dash of the truck and three cameras on the truck going to a separate monitor mounted under the overhead console, kind of like a rear view mirror.

[Sculptor]

On 12/19/2022 at 5:01 AM, jenandjon said:

Got the hitch and lights on. My Nephew is finishing up wiring the lights. 

 

This one has been on my list for awhile.

 

4 hours ago, Chad Heiser said:

Of course I did all the work and then realized I forgot to take pictures of the process, so that was a bummer.  Oh well, at least it is done.

You’ve been very busy Chad.  😁

[rickeieio]

Not quite as ambitious as Jon's hitch, but I'm building a bicycle rack to mount to the vertical support of the exhaust stack.  It'll place the front wheel high so that the handlebars clear the car, and the rear bike tire will rest in a mount near my Jackalopee.  Both wheels sit in baskets I made from scrap 1/2" round rod.  A simple brace running to the handlebar will make it so one cinch strap will secure the bike.  Pics later.

[ddm502001]

License is bought and on, DOT repairs completed and signed off, has a New Blue sticker below Right door for the Scale Boys.  Did have to replace Rt Rr ABS Modulator and make some ABS Wiring repairs to get replacement Indicator lamp for test cycle to cycle off.  Made first trip to OK just outside Tulsa, just under 9mpg, good test run.   STILL Looking for decent Toy Hauler 5vr.

[rickeieio]

8 hours ago, ddm502001 said:

STILL Looking for decent Toy Hauler 5vr.

When we were looking, the general consensus here was either a Newmar X-Aire, or a Carriage C-Force.  We found the Newmar and have been happy campers.  BUT, the newest you'll find of either is about 2010.  That may not fit your goals. 

We like ours, 'cuz it checked the right boxes.  Frame made in house, Dexter hydraulic disk brakes, good insulation with heated basement, Mor-Ryde suspension, 5500 watt genny, body paint........  Oh yeah, we can live in the unit without putting out any slides.  

[ddm502001]

Thanks, will note the name down as are looking more for Used than new.  Was looking at Heartland Torque series where it seems they may have been discontinued as well this last season, no one around here seems to have new of those on lots.  Models change up and names change.

Have a 900# Harley RGU, with a 110# N-Line bike trailer to carry, 9' minimum length Garage, at least wide enough to sit these side by side for tie down.

 

[ddm502001]

Surprisingly is a Newmar in FL that appears fit to bill.  2007 and under $20 ask price.

[rickeieio]

Our garage is 14'.  At the moment, we have wife's Spyder, my Moto Guzzi, a chest freezer, and LOTS of other stuff back there.  Of course, the trade off is less living space.

[Rotorhead]

On 12/19/2022 at 6:01 AM, jenandjon said:

Got the hitch and lights on. My Nephew is finishing up wiring the lights. 

Now on to some leaking fuel lines. 

It's not leaking out of the threads. It is leaking out of the swivel. This line looks like it goes forward toward the back of the head. Any other questionable lines will also be replaced. 

I like the drop hitch you installed. Is that something you designed and installed, or did you have someone else do that for you? I have been thinking about doing that but have been busy with other projects on my truck. If I can get my setup like yours, I will be able to move campers for lots of folks. 

 

[rickeieio]

17 hours ago, Rotorhead said:

I like the drop hitch you installed. Is that something you designed and installed, or did you have someone else do that for you? I have been thinking about doing that but have been busy with other projects on my truck. If I can get my setup like yours, I will be able to move campers for lots of folks. 

 

Go back up a couple posts above the one you quoted and the answer awaits you.😁

Edited January 24, 2023 by rickeieio

[jenandjon]

15 hours ago, Rotorhead said:

I like the drop hitch you installed. Is that something you designed and installed, or did you have someone else do that for you? I have been thinking about doing that but have been busy with other projects on my truck. If I can get my setup like yours, I will be able to move campers for lots of folks. 

 

It's a curt hitch rated for 20,000 lbs. I got it from eTrailer. 

[Steve from SoCal]

I need batteries for my truck, where do I get the deals I read about here I am 50 miles north of Wichita

[geodog1]

check the dealers in Wichita.

[Darryl&Rita]

50 minutes ago, geodog1 said:

check the dealers in Wichita.

Talk to your local Ag dealer, too. They run similar deals to the truck shops, and use batteries to get customers in the door.

[Sculptor]

2 hours ago, Steve from SoCal said:

I need batteries for my truck, where do I get the deals I read about here I am 50 miles north of Wichita

Adding my vote for a dealer, I called some dealers near me last week and 2 offered good prices.  A “private label” battery for $79, and a Volvo brand battery for $98. The parts guy got it down from there to $89, so I bought. 

[Steve from SoCal]

Doonan Peterbilt 129.00 each Rush Trucks 80.00