@Adrifters - F550 Surf Camper Build - Adrift Motorhome
- Thread starter S2DM
- Start date
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Building a custom vehicle is not for the weak. I built three different rear suspension designs before I got what I wanted; so I know how it feels. It's better you found the weaknesses while you could revise them easily. Having a failure in the boonies really sucks.
Hi. I am extremely interested in your experience with four LA36 units from Linak. I am looking at building a custom pop-up camping trailer and would like your views please, especially on how reliable they have been and the appropriate model. the LA36 may well be huge overkill for my requirements
The LA36 has worked well and been reliable. Depending on the weight of your roof, and how much syncing you need when it is going up, they may be overkill, but its nice to have the options. Because my roof is a cabover and I am using motion control slides, I really needed it to go up square.
I have an extra set for sale in the for sale and wanted section at half of what a new set would run. Linak came out with a new control system that I wanted and I ordered the first set with the wrong clevis end for the mounts I'd made, so I decided to buy a new set.
Link to a Kelderman Earthroamer Air Ride I have for sale
Switched directions on our suspension after alot of thought. So I have a brand new, never installed, 2011-16 full earthroamer air ride kit for sale over the in the for sale and wanted section
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...ssor-for-11-16-F450-550?p=2359139#post2359139
Selling for $1000 less than I paid OBO.
Switched directions on our suspension after alot of thought. So I have a brand new, never installed, 2011-16 full earthroamer air ride kit for sale over the in the for sale and wanted section
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...ssor-for-11-16-F450-550?p=2359139#post2359139
Selling for $1000 less than I paid OBO.
racer3822
Observer
Old replies but I figured I'd chime in as I've just gone through a month long balancing process with my tires and they have improved alot!
You can solve that by installing 2 air filters into the holes in the beadlocks. Stazworks came up with that solution.
If you are running bead locks you absolutely can't add them this way, they'll get stuck.
When I opened up my Stazworks wheels, which are split with the plastic beadlock inside, I had absolutely no beads that got past the beadlock. Most of them were stuck to the tire where they should be actually. I ended up vacuuming them all out!
I was also having alot of irritation with the shimmy at speeds. When driving 10 hours a day it gets on your nerves!
My end solution to help the balancing was to vacuum out all of the beads and take them to a Goodyear truck service center who had a large enough balancer for my tires. I also was concerned about the inner beadlock donut, and was considering splitting the rim and removing it for balancing and then reinstalling marking where the tire and rim was, but I figure that in itself will cause more problems moving things around so I would just balance with them in place and hope they are negligible in how they affect the balancing.
After balancing I also added the centramatics and they seem to do well at nipping the final balancing of the tire. Perhaps they compensate for any movement of the donut?
In the end it still has a little bit of a shimmy at 65mph, but nothing like it used to! I do yearn for the days of 35" completely smooth ride tires at times, but the trade off is worth it now. Perhaps I need to drive to visit Nate Jones, lol. I never even heard of him or that he could take on balancing problems like this!
You can solve that by installing 2 air filters into the holes in the beadlocks. Stazworks came up with that solution.
If you are running bead locks you absolutely can't add them this way, they'll get stuck.
When I opened up my Stazworks wheels, which are split with the plastic beadlock inside, I had absolutely no beads that got past the beadlock. Most of them were stuck to the tire where they should be actually. I ended up vacuuming them all out!
I was also having alot of irritation with the shimmy at speeds. When driving 10 hours a day it gets on your nerves!
My end solution to help the balancing was to vacuum out all of the beads and take them to a Goodyear truck service center who had a large enough balancer for my tires. I also was concerned about the inner beadlock donut, and was considering splitting the rim and removing it for balancing and then reinstalling marking where the tire and rim was, but I figure that in itself will cause more problems moving things around so I would just balance with them in place and hope they are negligible in how they affect the balancing.
After balancing I also added the centramatics and they seem to do well at nipping the final balancing of the tire. Perhaps they compensate for any movement of the donut?
In the end it still has a little bit of a shimmy at 65mph, but nothing like it used to! I do yearn for the days of 35" completely smooth ride tires at times, but the trade off is worth it now. Perhaps I need to drive to visit Nate Jones, lol. I never even heard of him or that he could take on balancing problems like this!
java
Expedition Leader
Damn, good thoughts headed your way Scott! Hopefully the truck is packed and they are long gone.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Thankfully the wind conditions have changed and the fire crews are gaining control.
Finally got the rig mostly back together and did a test run this last weekend.
The new coating/color is a combo of Line-x products. The Mercedes blue grey color is Line-x Ultra, which is a lighter weight formulation of the standard version. Weight wise it is better, also UV stable, but its a little softer than I'd like. The black is the standard line-x, topcoated with Ultra for UV stability.
New subframe is steel and very strong, new storage boxes and lockers. I did everything in solidworks and had it sent out for laser cutting, then had a local shop bend it and weld it (my tig skills are pretty so so). Managed to shave almost 2k lbs off the rig also much more rigid now.
New suspension from Deaver has required a little adjustment to get right, but now that its done is really impressive. Good articulation and rides like a caddy at 80mph.
Final weight loaded to the gills is a little over 14k.
Still to come are the outdoor kitchen pullouts. A few images.
The new coating/color is a combo of Line-x products. The Mercedes blue grey color is Line-x Ultra, which is a lighter weight formulation of the standard version. Weight wise it is better, also UV stable, but its a little softer than I'd like. The black is the standard line-x, topcoated with Ultra for UV stability.
New subframe is steel and very strong, new storage boxes and lockers. I did everything in solidworks and had it sent out for laser cutting, then had a local shop bend it and weld it (my tig skills are pretty so so). Managed to shave almost 2k lbs off the rig also much more rigid now.
New suspension from Deaver has required a little adjustment to get right, but now that its done is really impressive. Good articulation and rides like a caddy at 80mph.
Final weight loaded to the gills is a little over 14k.
Still to come are the outdoor kitchen pullouts. A few images.
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Here is one with the forward accordion wall all the way down:
and all the way up:
The front wall is powered by a small linear actuator from firgelli and has 18" of travel. When the main roof goes up and down, it passively leaves the front sealed through a series of pulleys and .125" amsteel blue winch line. Using the actuator allows it to lower. To come is a screen attachment for the front so we can leave it open when its buggy out.
and all the way up:
The front wall is powered by a small linear actuator from firgelli and has 18" of travel. When the main roof goes up and down, it passively leaves the front sealed through a series of pulleys and .125" amsteel blue winch line. Using the actuator allows it to lower. To come is a screen attachment for the front so we can leave it open when its buggy out.