Project "Autonomous" F-350
- Thread starter pappawheely
- Start date
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Yes, The Colorado needs a new fuel pump. Of course it's a crewcab so you can't pull the bed. The tank was just filled before it quit. :ar15:
The front bumper is a honey badger from ADD. The truck is loaded with cool stuff. I am writing a feature on it now, will link the article when it's done.
underdrive
jackwagon
Disconnect a fuel line where you can get convenient access to it and run it into a gas jug via a piece of rubber hose. Then jump the fuel pump relay to power the pump up and make it drain the tank for you. This trick works pretty flawlessly with older vehicles, may be worth a shot with your newer Colorado as well?
bftank
Explorer
i checked out some of there previews and would like to see some full episodes. are they available online, or only as a cable/satelite subscriber?
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
I was unable to find anything free on the internet. They are available on direct TV's website or when aired on MavTV. I think it's on Friday nights.
Pappawheely, I wanted to say what a great build so far and I will definitely subscribe to the build. I also had a question about your leaf spring, I was curious as to why you chose Atlas over Deaver? I ask because I'm trying to decide about what to do about my leaf springs and possibly changing my suspension all together and I just wanted to get some input from you since you have Atlas springs on your truck. Again any input or information would be helpful, by the way I really like your truck.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Epix, The reason I chose Atlas is because they wanted to work with me. I spoke with Jeff at Deaver and he was not interested in doing a custom set for my truck. I didn't want a lift kit, I wanted springs made for my application. That's what I got from Atlas. The stock springs are so stiff. I would literally hit my head on the roof and it hurt my back. The truck is not a luxury prerunner, but people are amazed when they see me far off the beaten path and going at a decent speed. Because I am out covering races in the desert, I am on a lot of rough trails and sand washes that are not graded roads. I could not do that without my springs working like they do. When I get the box on the back and have it fully loaded, we are going to reassess the spring rate again to make any changes if needed.
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patoz
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the input Rayra. I installed the first of 4 vents. The aluminum roof is very thin (.125?) So I wanted to back it up under the vent. I cut some wood squares, drilled a 4" hole in them and painted them to seal everything. I slopped on a liberal dose of Dicor sealer on the vent and then screwed through the roof into the wood block inside the box.
I didn't want to compromise the roof too much so I drilled several small holes instead of a big one to let the air pass.
The fan will then screw into the wood block inside. The whole assembly can still move with the top but has additional integrity in case the roof vent wants to pull out from the wind or I hit something. It will be much better if the vent breaks rather than the screws pulling out of the roof.
The fans are going to be wired to a solar panel and to the house batteries so I can run them at night.
Hi, I just found this thread and read it all of the way through. This is a pretty complex build with a lot of design options available. It looks like you're doing it right, so I'm sure it will turn out fine.
My build consist of a 1993 E350 Type III Ambulance, which I cut in half and am building an off-road camping trailer out of the rear half. I added a heavy duty tongue and replaced the Ford rear axle with a Rockwell 10,000 lb. trailer axle with electric brakes, and new tires on the Ford rims. Everything else will be similar to the many other Ambulance builds you see on this forum.
Many of the items you need for your build are the same as some of the things I will need also. I realize this is somewhat too late for you, however I thought I would show it to you anyway.
Marinco 4 inch White Day/Night Plus Vent
http://www.marinco.com/en/n20704w
There is a PDF Manual under the 'Tech Data' tab also.
Price $171.09 @ Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Marinco-N20704W-Night-Plus-White/dp/B003E23IEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447194130&sr=8-1&keywords=marinco+4+inch+White+Day%2FNight+Plus+Vent+Part+%23+N20704W
Don't forget the marine market when shopping for parts. They usually cost a little more, but are generally much better quality also.
Good luck, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Thanks Patoz, I always look forward to your posts about point five ambo!
patoz
Expedition Leader
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
The more rocks I turn over...the more rocks I find underneath. :26_34_3:
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
I took the truck to the scales today. 7920 lbs. empty but with both tanks full. The bed and shell are probably 500 lbs. That gives me only 2580 lbs. if I want to stay at or under 10K. Going to have to make some tough decisions and concentrate on light weight materials. The T-dub is 280lbs. all by itself. I may not be able to finish out the interior like I wanted. The granite counters will have to go. Switch tires to something with a higher weight rating? Run the dually axle? :steak:
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