Overland Sprinter Build

[luthj]

Here are some shots of the sexy new driveshafts.






I have been having some irregular and rough torque convert clutch engagement since the trans overhaul. I ordered the sonnax TCC damper valve repair kit. The valve body needs to be removed and split in half to install the retainer ring. Otherwise its pretty easy. The existing piston had an obvious catch, and was difficult to remove. Symptoms have improved, but I may still swap in my original TC if the mood strikes me (not likely).

TCC Damper Valve Kit - 68942-23K

Late-style Mercedes 722.6 valve bodies added a TCC damper valve at a previously vacant bore in the casting. This damper valve acts like an accumulator

www.sonnax.com

Late last year a friend took us on a short tour through some areas in central California. It dumped 10 inches of snow the night before we showed up, which made it quite interesting. The winter mods paid off, and we stayed warm and the water system stayed liquid. The spot below was decent track, but one gatekeeper required both lockers and low range. Plus having Jen spot me coming up and down. 4WD got a workout on that trip.




There was a hot spring nearby we got to enjoy at least! That sunrise was quite nice.

 

[RVflyfish]

Great to put a name to a face. With your skills I imagined you to be older. Extra kudos now.

 

[luthj]

With your skills I imagined you to be older.

Not having children, and hating desk jobs has cultivated a certain skillset.

Plus when my friends and brothers were out chasing girls, I was in the garage trying to keep my car running.

 

[RVflyfish]

Well it looks like you got the last laugh. Running van and the girl…in a hot spring no less.

 

[outwestbound]

MWD,

Greeting! ? I'm still alive in the Tampa, FL area with my 2006 Itaska Navion 23J T1N 3500. I'm taking my rig up to Joel at Million Mile Sprinter in July for some mechanical work and a complete brake rebuild, then heading to South America (maybe via Mexico); FINALLY! My rig has been rotting in the yard for so long, that I'm now replacing/fixing stuff that I put on it myself. What a crazy world Covid has created, but I'm not complaining. Happy times are ahead!

Anyhow, I'm happy you and your wife have kept active in your rig. Good for you.

Hey, what kind of mileage are you getting on those BFG KO2s? I like them cuz they have the 3-ply sidewall, but was also looking at the 2-ply Goodyear Duratrac. I'm wondering if either the KO2s or Duratracs would survive this South American trip of 30,000 miles on treacherous roads carrying my 11,000 pound rig.

I want a more aggressive tread than my current Michelin LTX M/S2 tires. As you may know, my rig has a mechanical weakness in the form of an overloaded torque converter, which seems to blow up every 65,000 miles due to overloading (these rigs often carry 11,000 pounds and have significant wind resistance). Do you think the KO2s 44 pound weight, over the OEM Michelin's of 38, would add to my torque converter stress issue (?) The Duratrac is just 40 pounds and a great tire, but I'm no fan of the thinner, 2-ply sidewall. I'll hit a million potholes down there, plus no telling what else.

As a compromise, I'm thinking about the Goodyear Wrangler A/T Adventure with Kevlar appropriately sized at 225/75R16 at 40 pounds. This is a tradeoff of more aggressive tread for weight/strength. Stupid money, but seemingly a very strong tire, albeit less aggressive. Also, I'm a little concerned that a KO2 sized tire may rub if I excessively air down in sand, since I have dual rear tires. The Aventure's side wall and tread is pretty tame, but I think the increased strength may allow it to last the entire trip.

Thoughts? Keep livin the dream!

 

[luthj]

I'm still alive...

Glad to hear it!

Hey, what kind of mileage are you getting on those BFG KO2s?

Not sure its comparable, but I average 17-18 with my van currently. Before the 4x4 conversion it was 18-19mpg. Tires brand didn't seem to affect it much (size and width does though). I wouldn't sweat the fuel economy impact regardless.

KO2s or Duratracs would survive this South American trip of 30,000 miles on treacherous roads carrying my 11,000 pound rig.

I got 40k+ out of my bfg KO2s. However I ran them a bit too long, and despite being just under the treadwear limit, I had two rears break a belt within 50 miles of each other. They were VERY out of round, and ready to explode. I put some random non name brand on in NZ, and ran those. They lasted a bit less than 30k. I know how Cooper AT3s. They have worn well, and traction seems quite good. To be fair to the KO2s, we did over 10k miles of dirt roads in Aus, and I didn't baby them. Weighing in over 8klbs, and lots of washboards, and rocky bits.

I want a more aggressive tread than my current Michelin LTX M/S2 tires.

Sadly an aggressive look has little to do with actual traction. In the few tests I found, the AT3 and KO2 both had very good traction on dirt and snow (not as good as a dedicated snow tire). Anything besides a mud tire just doesn't work well on mud. However mud tires are inferior in all other traction conditions to a regular AT tire.

Do you think the KO2s 44 pound weight, over the OEM Michelin's of 38, would add to my torque converter stress issue (?)

I wouldn't sweat the tire weight with regards to your transmission. Given the low speeds in south and central America, I would bet your TC lasts a long time. Tire weight does impact ride quality (unsprung weight). Heavier sidewalls also make the ride harsher. Heavier sidewalls are nice, but plenty of road debris will shred even reinforced sidewalls.

Tires are a consumable, so I just plan to replace a couple every 20-30k. Either due to wear, or road damage.

You might be interested to know, We bought an older 40ft 5th wheel 5 months ago. We have since undertaken turning it into a full time home for ourselves. Going to hopefully go remote with work for a few years, and just park it on some nice property. Eventually it will be fully off grid with solar, etc. It has been a lot of work, but for the 10+ years we will use it, its worth it.

 

[outwestbound]

Thanks MWD,

This is great information. Thanks so much. Yea, I should have been clear. Was asking how many miles you got on the tires, not fuel mileage, but you answered it. My bad. The Cooper AT3 LT was high on my list, but I took it off the short list because it was similar to what I already had, plus only 2-ply sidewall. But they are only a pound heavier than my OEM, so I'll look at those some more. I like the sidewalls, which look like they'd do well aired down a little in sand.

The Goodyear A/T Adventure with Kevlar that I have on my F350 are $305 x 7 = $2,135 including the spare. The KO2 is $238 installed with 7% tax. The Goodyear Adventure offers a lot of strength for less weight due to kevlar. I ran them to Alaska and survived, but I was never that thrilled.

Great to hear about the fifth wheel. I traveled full time for years and still have my 2011 Carri Lite 36XTRM5. I'm living in it now. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you all with. Did you buy a tow vehicle?

 

[luthj]

Great to hear about the fifth wheel. I traveled full time for years and still have my 2011 Carri Lite 36XTRM5. I'm living in it now. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you all with. Did you buy a tow vehicle?

We have mostly figured out the basics, just trying to round out the outfit (hopefully move into it in a few weeks). We basically gutted it, and rebuilt with all new insulation, mini split for AC/heat, all electric appliances, and converted the garage to a workshop. We haven't bought a tow vehicle (we borrowed one for the initial move). Depending on how often we move it (twice a year tops?) we may just hire it out, or rent a truck. This is more like a tiny home than an RV for us. We have the sprinter for when we want to get on the move! Drop me an email if you want to talk 5th wheel stuff, always good to get additional perspective.