Redthies' '97 F350 Thread

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
To add I bit more vehicular content, I will say the trip wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. Well, actually, it WAS all sunshine!

I had run out of time before leaving home and did not get a chance to get my glow plugs sorted out. I figured we might hit state parks the odd night, and I have a Yamaha 2000 watt genset, so I should be able to run my coolant heater most nights. This worked fine until the fifth night. Sleeping at 8-9000' in sw Colorado, it was getting down to the mid 30s overnight. Not ideal temps for diesel powered obs Fords.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1350308707.245178.jpg

The old Coleman stove to the rescue! The wife thought I was nuts. Only slightly less so when the truck started 30 minutes later. I paid the stove back by driving over it with 10,500 lbs of truck and camper a few days later.

We also lost our AC refrigerant through a small hole in the main hose. 108* and a black crewcab with wife and three dogs is not ideal. The unfortunate thing is that it went on a Saturday afternoon, and the forecast was for hotter the next couple of days. We were just outside Kingman Az that night. Do we wait for a part on Monday, if the dealer could get it, or just head for cooler air? A single afternoon was enough to inspire a 3:00 am wake up, and a blitz across the Mojave to the coast. I was REAL choked up about getting to the surf a few days early.

The last glitch of the trip was a front wheel bearing that overheated and started to squeal. I chose to ignore that, and deal with it at home. Now home, it has decided to rain every day.

Not too bad for 4500 miles of hard use on a 15 year old truck with 280,000 miles on it.
 

fasteddy47

Adventurer
Good thinking re the camp stove..... Used to use a tiger torch with a 3 foot length of stove pipe and a 90 degree elbow to warm up diesels in Prince George years ago..
Glad your trip went well.... Colorado is gorgeous!!!
Cheers
Eddy
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
Here's one of my 9'0" on the roof of the Rubi last year. I'll see what is on the camera still. Didn't download them all...



ImageUploadedByTapatalk1350621096.014952.jpg
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
Thanks man! I just did glow plugs and the rocker cover gaskets/wiring harness. I also blasted down to the nearest Cabelas and picked up some seat covers for both front and back seats. I am going to order up a complete carpet kit too. The p.o. was a plumber and spilled glue on the floor, and the rest of the interior is pretty clean, so the $140 for carpet will finish it off.
 

pulltilbroke

Adventurer
Where you getting carpet from? I've been looking at carpet for my dually and found that stockinteriors.com is pretty good.
 

pulltilbroke

Adventurer
Also whats your slide in weigh loaded up and hows the truck handle it? Been thinking about trying that big SOB of mine in the back of my 90 but I'm a little leary being its a lifted srw and I got no sway bars.
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
Stock interiors is where I'm ordering from. They sent samples right away and answer their phone. Can't ask for more!

My camper is close to 3500 loaded, and the truck handles it fine with the airbags. I bought the highest load range tires etc to help, and put all new swaybar bushings etc too. I took it on some steep and windy roads in Colo this fall and no issues. Just drive sensibly. That said, if I had a dually too, I might use it instead.
 

pulltilbroke

Adventurer
Yeah I got some samples from em too and was very surprised at how quick I got em, new stuff sure beats trying to clean up old used carpet.

Probably oughta just keep the bigun on the dually. It seems to handle it pretty good when I got the swaybar on. I hauled it once with out the bar up front and it was quite a bit tippier. But I might try it in the 90 for giggles, I know my 90 drives 10 times better and has much better brakes than the dually and its got a lot better drivetrain parts.
 

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