Chevy Kodiak

[jayshapiro]

More medium duty's

2'-3' IS a big difference. Our old truck camper was 8.5' and the new one 11'9". A world of difference in space.
...
I believe the regular cab, shortest wheelbase Kodiak turns a sharper corner than a regular cab full size truck (though I don't think the shortest wheelbase Kodiak has enough frame length for a decent sized camper. If I build a custom box, my biggest decision will be putting a bed over the cab like Jay did in his 650, or not. If not, then I would probably need more frame length & wheelbase than I have....and yeah, then I'd perhaps start regretting the crew cab.
__________________
2005 - Chevy Kodiak (C4500) 4x4 (GVWR 17,500)
2006 - Lance 1191
Loaded and rolling, about 18,250. Doh!

BTGraphix,

Great to hear about your Kodiak. Don't think we've ever seen it posted here. I'm always interested to hear about other people doing Medium Duty's. Do share!

(mostly because everyone always gives us a hard time for how big we are, and so it would be good to have more full-full-size trucks around to share the teasing.)

Cheers,
Jay.

 

[btggraphix]

In those Econolines, the entire engine sat in between the front seats. One nice side effect of that is you could work on the engine while sitting inside. I remember fixing a valve cover leak while it was pouring rain one time while sitting in the front seats.

The Kodiak is more like the GMC vans....where it is about centered under the firewall. So the whole front of the engine sticks out making belts and such easy to change, and leaving the radiator etc. well in front of you. It does make it look like other work like injectors a bit hard to get to....

 

[btggraphix]

BTGraphix,

Great to hear about your Kodiak. Don't think we've ever seen it posted here. I'm always interested to hear about other people doing Medium Duty's. Do share!

(mostly because everyone always gives us a hard time for how big we are, and so it would be good to have more full-full-size trucks around to share the teasing.)

Cheers,
Jay.

Will do Jay, and thanks! I'm kind of a Johnny-come-lately around here and have a lot more to learn than to share.....but I can at least help deflect the brunt of the too-big-too-tall-too-American rigs. At least you don't likely get the 'it's too wimpy' comments On rv.net mine is overkill; here, it's underkill. I guess there's Einstein again...it's all relative.

 

[mhiscox]

A difference of 2-3' inside a camper makes a big difference as far as liveability. The difference in length between a conventional hood crewcab and a forward control single cab is more like 7-8'.

It may make the most sense for Tomas to first decide whether the crewcab is necessary and, if it is not, then compare the one-row cabovers to the one row-regular cab conventionals. In a Kodiak, the crew cab adds 41 inches to the length of the truck.

As mentioned, there's a big difference between the pickup-based trucks likes the Ford F550 and the "purpose-built" medium duty trucks like the International DT, Freightliner M2 and the Kodiak/Topkick. The pickup-based trucks have enormous length hoods, whereas the makers of the medium-duty trucks know that city manueverabilty is a big sales issue and they go out of their way to make the hoods short and low.

As an example, the bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement for the 20K GVWR Fuso FK cabover is 78 inches; for the 20K regular cab C/K 5500 the BBC is 105 inches. That's a difference of 27 inches. Even if the Kodiak is compared to the Fuso FG, one of the tightest cabover cabs around, the difference is still less than four feet. The non-pickup-based trucks also have much better turning circles and much better sightlines than trucks like the F550 or Ram 5500.

One last thing, though . . . with all this talk of CDL-weight trucks and 16 foot plus cabins and 30 foot overall lengths, am I the only one who thinks the sights are getting raised pretty high?

Camper Mog is 16,000 pounds loaded with a 13.5 foot cabin and, based on her PO's Sahara trips, she apparently has everything needed for a family of four to be gone on expedition for months at a time. I also think she's getting toward the upper limit of what someone would want to comfortably drive through tight traffic or on the kind of trails routinely found on our BLM and NFS land. Lots of the Europeans we run into are living for months out of 8-10 foot cabins and they manage. There's inarguably a place for the 30 foot, 30K pound off-pavement motorhome, but "liveability," and even comfort, can be managed with smaller, less expensive trucks, don't you think?

 

[ntsqd]

Was it Bruce, aka Dontpanic42?

From THIS THREAD:

Thanks Lynn, that is the fellow and the truck that I was remembering.

With absolutely no experience what-so-ever in such a truck as these I would think that livability with a small cabin would greatly depend on the ability to use the ground surrounding the vehicle.

 

[Lynn]

I propose these definitions:

Cab-over: Engine between or under the seat(s) – Fuso, Isuzu, etc.

Cab-forward: Engine partially in the cab – Van, Kodiak, Mog, etc.

Conventional cab: Engine in front of the firewall – the other trucks.

Wierdos: cab entirely in front of engine – Libelula, MAN KATs, and that strange Ebro Jeep pickup I drove in Spain, with a ‘doghouse’ engine cover in the pickup bed.

 

[btggraphix]

I propose these definitions:

Cab-over: Engine between or under the seat(s) – Fuso, Isuzu, etc.

Cab-forward: Engine partially in the cab – Van, Kodiak, Mog, etc.

Conventional cab: Engine in front of the firewall – the other trucks.

Wierdos: cab entirely in front of engine – Libelula, MAN KATs, and that strange Ebro Jeep pickup I drove in Spain, with a ‘doghouse’ engine cover in the pickup bed.

Sounds fine, but minor addition...vans fall in more than one category:
Cab-over: Engine between or under the seat(s) – Fuso, Isuzu, + some vans e.g. older Ford "Super" vans.

 

[Lynn]

Sounds fine, but minor addition...vans fall in more than one category:
Cab-over: Engine between or under the seat(s) – Fuso, Isuzu, + some vans e.g. older Ford "Super" vans.

There's always the exception, eh? My brother-in-law had one of those old Ford vans.

After thinking about it, I think my last category above should be 'those that place the driver directly between two massive inertial masses: the truck he's driving and the truck that's coming head-on. Whatta ya think, Joaquin?

 

[btggraphix]

There's always the exception, eh? My brother-in-law had one of those old Ford vans.

After thinking about it, I think my last category above should be 'those that place the driver directly between two massive inertial masses: the truck he's driving and the truck that's coming head-on. Whatta ya think, Joaquin?

:clapsmile That's a great one! Need a shorter name though....maybe "Pancake Cab?" "Accordian Cab?" "Large Hadron Cab?"

 

[jayshapiro]

Too Much Stuff

I agree with Joaquim:

a) This IS a GREAT thread. Congrats Tomas, somehow you managed to pick exactly the right topic to inflame just about everybody on this board. The only one you're missing so far is Scott Brady. Maybe it's time for someone to post a reply saying that at least Kodiak's are better value for money than Earthroamers - that usually get's him going!

b) We too are guilty for having over built our vehicle and buying too much STUFF. But it sure is fun though!

As far as not needing more than 13.5ft and 45 mph to travel the world with a family of four - I guess it's all a matter of lifestyle choices. We personally love carrying our kids in their little backpacks, and camping out in just our Clarke Hammocks. However, when planning to be on the road for at least two years and needing to have: bedrooms, kitchen, kids' classroom, podcasting studio, and visa office - we decided to splurge on the extra 4 ft of length and 30 mph.

Does that make us guilty of excess? Yes, probably - but we're at least trying to counter balance it by using sustainable materials, offsetting 100% of our carbon emissions (both for construction and traveling) and making sure that every inch of space in the vehicle gets maximum use (i.e. there's not an empty spot that isn't there for some reason.

Cheers,
Jay.


:REOutIceFishing:
(sorry, this icon has nothing to do with my posting, but my three year old son Kurt REEEEEALLY wanted me to stick him on my note. -sigh-)

 

[Jeep]

I agree with Joaquim:

a) This IS a GREAT thread. Congrats Tomas, somehow you managed to pick exactly the right topic to inflame just about everybody on this board. The only one you're missing so far is Scott Brady. Maybe it's time for someone to post a reply saying that at least Kodiak's are better value for money than Earthroamers - that usually get's him going!

Well......If you are sayin the Kodiak is better the the F-450, you would be quite correct!

Btgraphix, great rig, should last along time the way you are using it.

:arabia:

 

[explore this]

Duramax / Allison is a *great* drivetrain!! 110k on mine (although in a light, not medium), but still pulls/hauls like a freight train. With a 5500 you can get an Allison 2000 *drool*. Injectors had some issues in gen 1. They are now on gen 4. LSD Diesel is an issue internationally, but technically you should be able to cut off the cat and particulate filter and run fine on anything. Just register before you do that ;-)

There is merit to the electronics and international serviceability of any of the light duty diesel engines. They are complicated and hard to diag for newbies and could strand you on a simple issue with an inexperienced mechanic like the example given. Carry a tech II or like to diag. You shouldn't need more than a fuel filter or two...

 

[haven]

"you should be able to cut off the cat and particulate filter and run fine on anything..."

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the control units
in modern diesel engines check the operating condition of the
pollution control systems. So if major components of the emissions
control system are missing, the control unit is likely to just shut
everything down.

Does anyone know a service center manager who could ask Dodge,
Ford or GM how we're supposed to drive a 2007 or 2008 diesel to
Mexico?

Chip Haven

 

[explore this]

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the control units
in modern diesel engines check the operating condition of the
pollution control systems. So if major components of the emissions
control system are missing, the control unit is likely to just shut
everything down.

Chip Haven

It's a programming issue for DPF. You program it to ignore the dpf delete codes. http://www.efilive.com/

"Finger Sticks" / EGR "Blocker Plates"
http://www.kennedydiesel.com/docs/Finger Stick Install.pdf
http://www.kennedydiesel.com/docs/blocker plate install.pdf

These are for differing gens of Duramax. Many, many mods exist for all light duty engine manufactures to overcome the LSD issue. Running LSD will clog the DPF filter...

 

[GlobalMonkey]

What a great response, I really didn't expected it. So far we are not giving up on the crew cab idea, mostly because as we travel, we usually have our friends or family joining us for a few days or weeks at the time and we rather have them sitting with us than by themselves in the "box"...
The idea is about 12 feet long box, but not any exact ideas of the inside.

BTW, Joaquin, I just showed my girlfriend your CASA AZUL and she is in love with the idea of having a top part of some old car on the roof, creating a "cool bedroom"

Please keep on going with this thread, it is a huge learning experience.

We will have a lot more questions as time goes, but right now diner is on the table. I am sure by the time I will return, there will be more posts in this thread.