The full sized mid-size, my 2014 F150 "Fiddy"

[phsycle]

This is a backpacking tent, it weights 1.2 lbs.
We are doing a 60km hike in a month and a half so did some hiking with pack and gear etc. As a dry run sort of thing.
Would also prefer a shotgun if expecting bear encounters but this rifle is far lighter and when in a group the expectation of bear encounter is far lower. The planned Mantario hike appears to have bear vaults at the designated camp sites, so as long as we are smart the risks are fairly mitigated.

We have a canvass surveyor tent for fall and winter camping.

Ah ok. I wouldn’t mind one of those. But I opted for a sil-tarp and bivy for my backpacking set up.

I also thought of protection while hiking deep in the backcountry. I was thinking of a flare gun. We don’t get as many bear encounters like you up there but I think it’ll be a light and fairly effective set up.

 

[Grassland]

Ugh.

I want an aluminum truck so I don't have to worry about cab and door rust.
But since I'm buying out my 2018 Transit T250 lease in a few weeks, and we intend to buy a 2021 Escape 19 fiberglass trailer for the spring, that means I would need to have a loan for 5 years if I got a 2020 F150.
Trucks with build I want are about $38k locally right now, and it's going to cost about $9k CAD to mod the truck the way I want it.
(255/80R17s X5, topper with rack, Falcon tow/haul shocks/struts, RCI full skid package, dual swing cases, add a leaf, tune, wrap to protect paint)
So that's over 50k not including whatever I can sell current truck for, (and in December the truck didn't go nearly high enough at auction considering how high prices are at used lots for 12th gen trucks)
We don't like loans, especially going into the fall where we have the uncertainty that round 2 of Covid can bring.

That brings me back to wanting to regear my truck, and do stupid things like ported intake manifold and shorties, and a True track. And to be honest it's going to need new rear leaf anyways for towing the new trailer. And could probably use new struts and front springs as well as new rear shocks. 3 salty frigid winters haven't done the Billys any favours.

Then there are guys on this site modding 70-80K trucks with 20K of options, or travelling the world for months at a time and I wonder what I am doing wrong with my life.

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

Then there are guys on this site modding 70-80K trucks with 20K of options, or travelling the world for months at a time and I wonder what I am doing wrong with my life.

You weren't born into money. The fact that they can do those types of things is not always an indicator of their success as a human being.

 

[Grassland]

Deposit on Escape 19 fiberglass trailer paid.

Appointment Wednesday to buy out the Transit, which needed rear brakes at 40,000km to pass the safety lol. And to think I doubted the guys online claiming they needed to do rear brakes at 25k miles.

Now to get driver side front spring bolt and a new set of leaf springs

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

What brand are you thinking for leafs? I love me some Deavers.

 

[Grassland]

What brand are you thinking for leafs? I love me some Deavers.

Probably just going to be from a local spring shop. Something comparable to OEM+ an AAL.

Right now my main spring is super flat from using my truck as a 3/4 ton the first two years in fleet. Just slapped the AAL in at that point. Added 3" blocks after that when I added the Decked drawers. Since it's been pulled from fleet and the drawers removed I went back to stock blocks, and the springs are just beat. I sit a fair amount lower on drivers side and they clunk and creak.
I weighed the truck once when it was in fleet duty and it was 6850# and my GVWR is 6900. That was just with usual stuff in it too, no extra parts or equipment.
New trailer is going to be 3400# dry in figuring based on extra options, and dual SLA 6v batteries and dual propane tanks on tongue, so will probably be fairly heavy. Current camper is around 2500#, though I'm basing that on listed weight and what's in and on it. Haven't weighed it yet.
Plus we take a ridiculous amount of stuff camping, and most of that ends up in the bed

 

[Grassland]

Completed the Mantario trail last weekend.
63km through hike.
We left the Fiddy at the North trailhead, and buddy drove his rusted Chevy to the South.
We managed the trail in 3 days of hiking.
1030H we left the South trailhead and made it to Marion lake approx 18 km away by 1645H
The next day we hit the trail at 0830, marched through 22km and were at Mantario Lake by 1730.
We slept in and took our time the next morning, not leaving until 1030 and managed the rest by 1830.

I really would like to be in better shape next time we do this. And lose about 6-7# by switching to a lighter pack and a few other pieces of lighter gear. I was running about 36# to start and one friend was carrying 50.

Mantario Trail - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[phsycle]

Yeah, try to get the pack weight down. I have some ultralight gear, but nothing crazy. My pack, including a 1-man tent and a fishing pole, came in at 20# for a 5-day hike. My food was mostly all freeze dried. About 40oz of water and filtered along the way.
Others with 40-50# packs had a much less enjoyable time.

 

[Grassland]

So buddy blew up his dura grip in his Mustang (4.10 gears, FBO and cams etc) and got a new one under warranty. He is going to something beefier so I just picked this up off him.

 

[Grassland]

Tried to order new rear shocks (just the Billy 5160 again) and new fog light replacements from Stage 3 Motorsports on Friday after work, but apparently you have to call in your orders if you are from Canada, and can't order online.
I thought it was 2020?? What's next, I need to send a fax?
Anyway, it's been busy at work so I haven't had new leafs or the limited slip installed yet. I toyed with the idea of the new Morimoto XB hybrid headlights as they were on sale for $650 US, but I'll just install new bulbs in my current headlights, since I still have factory bulbs that somehow haven't burned out yet. I guarantee if I leave them both will burn out this winter while driving at night.
It's been code red level restrictions here for a while now so unless I want a 1200$ fine, there isn't anything to do but work and sit at home. Hopefully by new years we will get back to yellow and I can do some winter camping. If we have a lot of snow we'll see how bad the axle wrap is with the Dura Grip. *Edit 4* it's bad even with new springs and stock blocks



*Edit*

Picked up my new leaf springs. Beggining to think they may be overkill....

**Edit 2**
Mechanic started the work, found the factory carrier bearing race has some minor damage so that's getting taken care of too with two new bearings and races. Might as well while it's all apart. Throw in ten new carrier ring bolts, and the nickles and dimes are starting to add up.

*Edit 3* almost there.

 

[Grassland]

Springs and duragrip are installed. Truck likes to get sideways now. Just drove it home tonight, been working 12s including today, so will test it out better when we get more snow.

Still suspension noise to sort out

 

[Grassland]

Here is a pic of the old, beat springs.

 

[Grassland]

We had quite a bit of snow and strong wind, so some of the new residential developments had quite the drifts (over a foot). I powered through a few in 2HI where I know before the LSD I'd have got stuck and needed 4HI.
On ice and polished hard pack truck is still useless in 2HI with the KO2s but I knew that going in.
I can also quickly spin the truck around instead of doing a 4 point turn on narrow residential streets.

Will have to hunt down some cheap shocks, maybe just the Billy 5100s.

When I ordered my 5160s there was no part #s for F150s so I ordered the length I wanted, and they were for a lifted Chevy 1500 (similar weight)
The eyelets are 1/2" (12.7mm) on the shocks, but the factory bolts are 12mm.
In cold weather you hear the play quite loudly in the truck.
I had a buddy machine some sleeves and I installed them in the summer and the noise went away, so figured we had it licked, but alas its back again.

 

[tyler.armijo]

We had quite a bit of snow and strong wind, so some of the new residential developments had quite the drifts (over a foot). I powered through a few in 2HI where I know before the LSD I'd have got stuck and needed 4HI.
On ice and polished hard pack truck is still useless in 2HI with the KO2s but I knew that going in.
I can also quickly spin the truck around instead of doing a 4 point turn on narrow residential streets.

Will have to hunt down some cheap shocks, maybe just the Billy 5100s.

When I ordered my 5160s there was no part #s for F150s so I ordered the length I wanted, and they were for a lifted Chevy 1500 (similar weight)
The eyelets are 1/2" (12.7mm) on the shocks, but the factory bolts are 12mm.
In cold weather you hear the play quite loudly in the truck.
I had a buddy machine some sleeves and I installed them in the summer and the noise went away, so figured we had it licked, but alas its back again.

Could you drill out the shock mount to allow for the larger bolt to be installed so you don’t have to use the spacer?


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[Grassland]

Could you drill out the shock mount to allow for the larger bolt to be installed so you don’t have to use the spacer?


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I could, but then i'm left hunting for non OEM bolts for the rest of time, and making life difficult for the next owner. I'm sure any grade 9.8 bolt would do in reality.

These shocks have 3 winters on them and are rusty, plus one reservoir had a clamp failure and was dangling and leaking from the braided line when it was -30 one day, so it's not the end of the world for me to replace them.