C5500 TopKick 4x4 Crew Cab Build
- Thread starter NeverEnough
- Start date
NeverEnough
Adventurer
They do have a look. Not real peppy, but strong. You can order a Work star with the M9 engine, which would be very cool indeed, but I'd be even taller! The Freight liners are solid but even more spendy. As for letting the rig get too fat, it must be because I'm a software guy : feature creep seems to be unavoidable. Bigger tanks and more batteries did me in. My GVR is 22500, but I'd prefer some headroom.
NeverEnough
Adventurer
That looks like and interesting option. It would certainly open up my chassis shopping, along with helping the height issue. Most of the 2WD-4WD conversions I've looked at run about 20K. How's EZ Trac compare?
We charge 35-40K for a 4wd conversion, 20K sounds like a heck of a deal (we inspect and repair/rebuild a LOT of medium to heavy 4wd conversions). Ez Trac sounds like it will be going out the door 8-10k less from what I have been quoted so far. It looks like a very viable option to me, I do like the way my truck drives.
NeverEnough
Adventurer
Sorry I couldn't talk more, had to get my trailer lights working before heading up to Park City that evening! You'd think by now that I'd have remembered to check the length of my pigtail before hooking up my new hitch extension. I wanted to be able to use my trailer without removing the motorcycle lift platform, so I needed the additional clearance. In the past two weeks we put 1400 miles on the rig: San Juans in Colorado, La Sal's in Utah, Island Park and West Yellowstone area, and some great exploring up the Gros Ventre corridor northeast of Jackson, WY.
The overlook at Bolam Pass in the San Juan's:
A great camp site in the La Sal mountains:
Rbertalotto
Explorer
What in God's name am I doing living in New England when you can just drive off road somewhere out west and camp in an area like THAT!
AND THEY LET YOU RIDE MOTORCYCLES ON THE DIRT!!!!! AMAZING! Nope, the bunny huggers around here will not stand for noise and tire tracks in the woods.
AND THEY LET YOU RIDE MOTORCYCLES ON THE DIRT!!!!! AMAZING! Nope, the bunny huggers around here will not stand for noise and tire tracks in the woods.
NeverEnough
Adventurer
The prevailing public policy in the western states tends to be "once a road, always a road." Not sure I support that view in all cases, but most of the tracks we travel have a bit of history behind them. There's also an increasing number of motorcycle-only single-tracks, which has been a great thing. While not as light as a mountain bike, they tend to be less invasive than ATVs, especially some of the newer machines.
And out west, we're spoiled with the concept of "dispersed camping", which is the BLM/FS term for "you can set up camp pretty much anywhere that has been used as a campsite before". It gets abused, of course, so I'm sure the practice will be increasingly restricted.
And I can see from your sigline that you have a K12. Miss mine dearly, but I was on track to lose my license!:bike_rider: The GS keeps me a bit more obedient!
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Rbertalotto
Explorer
Are you kidding! I get tickets on my Honda CT90!....My father used to say ..."You can make a spoon go 200 mph!!"
Ford Prefect
Expedition Leader
I often ask people why they would live out there in the Cities. My jobs for the last ten plus years have kept me back and forth between Utah and Colorado, and I can promise that if you like the out doors, the west is the place to be! Of course if you do not like snow keep away, because I am tired of hearing people, especially in Ski Resort communities, who complain about our beautiful snow!
You do know that Salt Lake City Utah is only three hours from Moab right?
NeverEnough
Adventurer
You should bring that spoon out to Speed Week at the Salt Flats and see if your father was right!
NeverEnough
Adventurer
Bigger is better?
Well, after much analysis and exploration, I decided to beef up and go with a bigger chassis. Here's a little preview pic of the new muscle for my mongo camper:
It's a very lightly used International 7400 Crew Cab 4x4 with the DT570 motor. It goes to the upfitter this week for the stretch and air suspension install. Hope to have it on the road before the end of September.
I'll be about 5" taller when all's said and done, but still should be able to squeeze under 13', even if I have to dump a bit of air to do it. BTW, buyer of my Topkick couldn't close in case anyone's interested. Reposted adds on Truck Paper and Commercial Truck Trader today.
Well, after much analysis and exploration, I decided to beef up and go with a bigger chassis. Here's a little preview pic of the new muscle for my mongo camper:
It's a very lightly used International 7400 Crew Cab 4x4 with the DT570 motor. It goes to the upfitter this week for the stretch and air suspension install. Hope to have it on the road before the end of September.
I'll be about 5" taller when all's said and done, but still should be able to squeeze under 13', even if I have to dump a bit of air to do it. BTW, buyer of my Topkick couldn't close in case anyone's interested. Reposted adds on Truck Paper and Commercial Truck Trader today.
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