97 E350 Winne 4x4- Ski Bum Mobile

[ujoint]

Awesome, looking forward to some white stuff here!

 

[java]

More snow pics! got some funny looks from the Jeep guy we passed heading up.

Bad news is, I have a leak.... Water decided to dump on my head while driving home.....

 

[flightcancled]

Cab seal or rain gutter?

 

[java]

Cab seal or rain gutter?

No its coming from the inside.... Its coming in an old junction box hole where the antenna wires used to run in. But im not sure where the water is getting into the jbox from.

Its never obviously leaked before, but 6" of snow melting on the roof is about as bad as it gets for water finding any way in....

 

[java]

We have spent quite a few more nights in the RV this winter.

One more up at Baker. AWESOME day of skiing.

Then headed out with some NWOL folks for a bonfire and overnight in the woods. It got pretty deep....

Then we spent 5 more nights in it on our yearly my Bachelor trip. Again snow was AWESOME! They got 49" the week before we went, and more than 110" in december alone.

5 nights in the RV, three days of skiing. Really cold and clear mornings.

good times!

munchkin killing it!

now if you look closely you can see an odd wire here....

Always something goes wrong.... Started the generator up for lunch in Warm Springs. It ran for about a minute and then just died. After trying to start it for awhile, no dice. So we stop in Redmond and get to work. Bough a spark tester, has spark, ok, got some starter fluid, sputters on that, good. Must be fuel. Not this stupid thing has a fuel pump just to feed a carb. Really?! It pulls from the main tank so I guess it needs it.

So my test light is dead, go buy a new one. No power to the fuel pump it seems, or maybe its dead. So its getting late, I grab a gas can, a bunch of fuel line, and a roll of wire. Ill figure this out after we get there. I figure worst case is I can gravity feed from the gas can to the carb.

Well It seems to be wiring because hot wiring the the fuel pump to the battery works! ok problem workable. We can change batteries and have heat!

Oh and the all important espresso machine works

Another good day!

Had some neighbors, but no one came out to join the fire....

Made it back home. Beast needs a bath. And the generator has to get dropped out of the bottom since all the wiring is inaccessible... ARRG.

Last night we were they someone blew up the kodiak...

Their other one was either made by, or painted like a Ferrari.

In other news, I think I got the roof leak fixed. And i fixed the hydraulic levelers, which I forgot, makes it very easy to jack the front end of the truck up! push one button and done!
SO on the vague steering/wandering front, i have both side to side and top to bottom play in the front wheels both sides, ~3/8" play or so. Wheel bearings? TRE's? both??

 

[java]

Tore into the wheel bearings this weekend. bearings seemed good, but I think whoever rebuilt it last did not preload the bearings correctly...

Hydro jacks ******! Jack the whole front end up with the push of a button

Step 1, coat with PB sithey lugs wont budge.

Proceeded to beat oti wht 3lb sledge since the center bore is rusted on too.... move to other side and let it soak more....

apart

Hmmm.... Stupid last rebuilder. That's supposed to be a pin, that's what keeps the axle nut from backing off....

Parts ordered.

New bearings throughout both sides, new grease seals, new axle nut. Hopefully that fixes the wandering issues. I need to test drive today. Then fix the generator...

 

[Stitebunny]

Seems like it's always something! Glad to see you out still using it though! When were you at Baker? We missed you by a few days I guess. We were there last Sunday Monday and Tuesday nights.
Missed most of the fresh but still had a great time there!

 

[java]

Seems like it's always something! Glad to see you out still using it though! When were you at Baker? We missed you by a few days I guess. We were there last Sunday Monday and Tuesday nights.
Missed most of the fresh but still had a great time there!

It was Friday night and Saturday, three? weeks ago now. Dec 14/15. They got dumped Ok Saturday, runs were getting better and better!

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[cjken]

Did the bearings help your wander issue?
I did a new steering box and it took the play/wander out of mine.

I guess they did not line the pin up with the hole on the plate? Looks like they just pinched it all together with the outer nut

Are those jacks built in??

 

[java]

Did the bearings help your wander issue?
I did a new steering box and it took the play/wander out of mine.

I guess they did not line the pin up with the hole on the plate? Looks like they just pinched it all together with the outer nut

I took a quick drive yesterday, I don't think it's gone...... But I didn't get up to highway speeds. Too much traffic. It's really obvious at 60.

It's only got 33k on it. I really hope it's not the box. Isn't there an adjustment screw on it?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[gtbensley]

My 1995 E350 has a box with an adjustment on it. I recently tightened it just a little and it made a big difference! I did it with the front in the air to check for any binding. I also found my trac bar from the frame to the axle to have play so I replaced a bushing on that. Helped a ton. Took me a while to find it as sometimes it was tight and other times it would move. Just something to think about...not sure what 4x4 your van is.

 

[java]

My 1995 E350 has a box with an adjustment on it. I recently tightened it just a little and it made a big difference! I did it with the front in the air to check for any binding. I also found my trac bar from the frame to the axle to have play so I replaced a bushing on that. Helped a ton. Took me a while to find it as sometimes it was tight and other times it would move. Just something to think about...not sure what 4x4 your van is.

Cool, I may give it a try. Mine is a Salem Kroger conversion. I do have a bit of a dead spot in the center, I can turn the wheel a bit either way from center with no effect. I checked all the steering links for play and didn't find any, but didn't look at the trac (panhard?) bar.

 

[gtbensley]

With your nifty jack lifts have someone turn the wheel an inch or two back and forth quickly, see if the axle walks under the van. Thats how I found mine was moving. Took me a while to figure it out though but now that I fixed it it drives like a car while before it was like driving a massive boat with a small rudder (read: wanders all over)

 

[java]

Since we were unable to make my friends “Skifari” Trip, we did our own little powder highway trip through BC. The mountains were Schweitzer, Red mountain, Whitewater, Revelstoke, and Sun Peaks.

We started in Idaho at Schweitzer. Good coverage, but the new snow that had fallen was really heavy.

Schweitzer

Looking to be a good morning. But it was just too warm.

Off to Canada!

Red Mountain. Rained all night, hard. I was worried, but the snow ended up great!

Woke up to lots of bombing!

Great day of skiing, Huge mountain and good snow.

At Whitewater, awesome little mountain. Parking lot was at 5200’, just two double fixed grip lifts, but great snow and no lines.

Heading out of whitewater. Rest day, and off to Revelstoke!

Inland BC Ferries are awesome! Free, and the Canadians aren’t **************. 10% grade (literally off the road sign) down to the ferry ramp with no gates, no barriers, if you drive off its your own damn fault. Love it. Waiting for the boat.

Light turn green, drive down. Simple, no gates, no barriers.

The Revelstoke lot was a bit muddy….. I thought I was going to be stuck for a few seconds….

But the skiing was awesome! Again the rain at the bottom was pow on top!

The chute we were heading down got a little tight however….

Hooray for Pow!

Next up was sun peaks.

Nice morning

And dumping afternoon!

Last night out….

 

[gtbensley]

Looks like a good time. Did you ever get the wondering front end figured out?