Eco-Roamer - F650 based Expedition Vehicle

[dzzz]

......
I think the real "kudos" should go to the fact that you & your family are actually out there doing the overlanding thing for real, no arm chair quarterbacking from a cubicle or day dreaming of a someday.
..........

The engineering skills and experience of some of the concerned people in this thread far exceeds yours or Jays. I don't believe there is a single person in this thread who actually owns medium duty trucks who is comfortable with Jay's build.
"arm chair quarterbacking"? that's ironic

 

[1leglance]

Hey I am glad to see folks adding comments that could increase safety and longevity of a large build.
But in the end everyone has to admit that the real credit goes to Jay for getting his family out to the backside of beyond.
Few folks here actually go anywhere at all....of course Casa Azul and a few others excused from that comment

 

[DT75FLH]

The engineering skills and experience of some of the concerned people in this thread far exceeds yours or Jays. I don't believe there is a single person in this thread who actually owns medium duty trucks who is comfortable with Jay's build.
"arm chair quarterbacking"? that's ironic

I would hate to say it....but I am going to.....have you ever looked at the class C motorhomes that are DESIGNED by engineers?

That have a retired person driving it?

I have looked at quite a few....a LOT of them are alomst overloaded before you put your clothes in them. they only have maybe 1500# of CCC...and nonexsistant towing capacity...yet I see people with a family of 4 towing there car behind it.....overloaded gvw and over the gcvw ...

I think I'd rather be next to jays truck then quite a few factory class c's I see driving down the road.

Ive towed trailers from CA to Maine and back and lots of places in between and have a little bit of real world towing and driving med and large trucks.

My .02

 

[dzzz]

I would hate to say it....but I am going to.....have you ever looked at the class C motorhomes that are DESIGNED by engineers?

That have a retired person driving it?

.......

That sure is true. One of the privileges of driving non-commercial vehilces in the U.S. But insurance isn't bad on RV. My insurance per dollar on my RV plate is much less than my cars. So the actual accident rate can't be that bad.
I have wondered if being over GVWR, even with engineering changes, opens up more liability in a serious accident. I've kept the 6 month safety sticker current on my unimog even though it's not required in Montana for my RV plate.
Washington, Oregon, Cali and probably other states state that air brake trucks need to have a safety sticker. Does that apply to out of state RV plates?

 

[dzzz]

Hey I am glad to see folks adding comments that could increase safety and longevity of a large build.
But in the end everyone has to admit that the real credit goes to Jay for getting his family out to the backside of beyond.
Few folks here actually go anywhere at all....of course Casa Azul and a few others excused from that comment

You don't seem to be able to keep up with the adult conversation.

 

[Photomike]

Are you saying that class A and C's have a weight limit? Say it isn't so, especially since most that have one have no idea what a weight limit is.:Wow1::Wow1:

 

[dzzz]

Are you saying that class A and C's have a weight limit? Say it isn't so, especially since most that have one have no idea what a weight limit is.:Wow1::Wow1:

I think the informal limit is 1.5x the door sticker

 

[Allroader]

Hi,
Well I have not met Jay and his family yet. Which will happen some day.
I always check into this thread and Know this video on Youtube brought a lot of Post here. So I though I should share some of my thoughts too.
But you guys are out their and living life. Your Kids will learn more then any other Kids and you will also gain so much Life experiance, just take the time to enjoy it.

1 - Anyone who has driven that road out of the hills of Jerome down into Sedona will know that it is a "fun" road in any vehicle, let alone a 30,000lb off road vehicle as wide as the lane. Yes, I crossed the yellow line. Yes, I did it too close to some oncoming traffic and I do/did feel bad about it on that day and on several other tight mountain roads since.

Crossing the line can happen. You realized it and pulled over as soon as you could. Though in your statement you admit that this was not the only time this happend. So maybe try to get a better handle on it.

2 - You will all be relieved to know that in 40,000+ miles we have never had any accident involving another vehicle, ever.

Congrats

3 - That video was shot a year ago, when the truck was still running on the stock Ford shocks, which were underated for the vehicle and were crap. As documented earlier in this thread (with pics!) they had been replaced with King Shocks that took a LOT of the sway and roll out of the turns. They are now replaced again (since the spring problem) with even beefier units, so a lot of the roll you see in that video no longer exists.

Nice to see that you have improved you Truck more and more.

4 - A stock F-650 is rated at 27,000lbs. However, this is not a stock F-650. The front leaf spring packs have been completely replaced and uprated. The chassis frame was completely sleeved with L-Channels. The rear suspension leaf springs and shocks have been completely replaced and uprated. And the "should be duallies" tires are actually 345 super singles. All of which put the rating of the truck WELL above the 34,000lbs fully loaded that it currently weighs. Throughout this process, I have taken the safety and strength of the truck as the NUMBER ONE priority for the vehicle. Afterall, it is my family riding around in it, and I have a strong urge not to kill them on some random mountain road.

I am asuming that you have improved at the start of your buildt. Then of course you where on the legal right side. Just driving any Vehicle at max or close to max of the limit, will bring problems (Handling, wear & Tear, ....).
Just take a look through the truck, where you could save weight.
I know how quick this and that gets added. Kids find more and more that has to be carried around. Just try to save weight and have reserves in the suspension.
Our Truck was going to weigh in at about 7200-7400kg (~16.000 Pounds) legal Limit is 9000kg and the nexted one will be a little heavier, due to frame and engine weighing 1000kg more. But I will be really trying to get the truck around 8.000kg (~17.500 Pounds) legal Limit at 12000kg. We also have 2 Kids and a Dog.

5 - The wheelbase is 250", that is a stock offering for a F-650, the truck is not "too long" - total length is under 33ft, that's smaller than my dad's 1983 gas engined, hydraulic brakes, class A - which believe me, scares the crap out of me a lot more than my under-capacity F-650.

I do believe that 250" is very long, for me it would be to long. For real Off-road this will be a big minus. Here in Europe wheelbases are around 140" (+/- 15"), longer ones are out their just pushing limits in the big sand Box.


Someday we will meet and get to know each other.

Mike

 

[dzzz]

......


I am asuming that you have improved at the start of your buildt.

Jay has had to suffer long after the fact. It's like the wife bringing up some mistake from the distant past.
The interweb gives and takes.

 

[DT75FLH]

I think the informal limit is 1.5x the door sticker

I am asuming that you have improved at the start of your buildt. Then of course you where on the legal right side. Just driving any Vehicle at max or close to max of the limit, will bring problems (Handling, wear & Tear, ....).
Just take a look through the truck, where you could save weight.
I know how quick this and that gets added. Kids find more and more that has to be carried around. Just try to save weight and have reserves in the suspension.


I just switched out campers. and our family (with gear creep) is up to 600# of STUFF before clothes,food,or water. or backbacking equip. :snorkel:

 

[marshal]

sooooo when do we get more pictures?

 

[bobDog]

sooooo when do we get more pictures?

I agree I'd like to see a few pics of the fix and say 100 or 200 of what you folks ah been doing lately. :sombrero:

 

[jesusgatos]

Would like to hear/see more about the rear suspension upgrades. What type of 'safety link' did they add?

 

[Ford Prefect]

Would like to hear/see more about the rear suspension upgrades. What type of 'safety link' did they add?

I am thinking that it must have been a control arm, or an anti-wrap bar of some nature. While I am sure that Spring wrap is not a likely concern for him, I think with a beefier set up in that area it likely would have minimized the damage in his situation.

I must add, however, that I have no idea what sort of system, in that regard, it had already. Perhaps it was all already there, and the force broke that equipment as well.

Never the less, I am with Lance, I could care less for comments from people who only look to spread hate, or to armchair quarterback this thread. Jay's build is impressive, I have seen it myself several times, and I have seen what it can do off road. If I had the cash I would very seriously consider building one of my own.

Cheers

 

[SChandler]

Jay, thanks for being willing to discuss the issues you've had with the build. I'm pretty sure most of us reading this are a little bit more informed about issues with a rig this size than we were before. It sounds like the suspension upgrades should go a long way towards helping the sway issues.

Unless I missed it, you never reported back about the composting toilet. I am curious how it works for your family. How often do you have to empty it, how much composting material do you use, smell issues, etc.? Most of the builds I've read end up using a cassette toilet, so I'd like to hear your opinion on it. Oh yeah, how's the washing machine working out? Is it surviving being bounced around a lot? I don't think most RV appliances are designed for anything more than two lane highway driving.