What is everyone up to?

[Scott Brady]

Scott - Who will be taking the other Sportsmobiles?

Awesome dog by the way!

For the other Sportsmobiles, it is Alan and Liz, along with four other couples that are travel friends (I have a list of their names on my other computer). Not an official Sportsmobile trip, just a group that likes to bounce around the backcountry together

 

[ujoint]

In the end, I'll have a slow and heavy, but brutally tough expedition rig....

Spence

I though you were going for maximum mpg? You're gonna need some rocket boosters to get that thing movin!!!

 

[Topher Walters]

For the other Sportsmobiles, it is Alan and Liz, along with four other couples that are travel friends (I have a list of their names on my other computer). Not an official Sportsmobile trip, just a group that likes to bounce around the backcountry together

Scott-
It sounds like you will have a blast. I look forward to the pictures and report. And my new pup is really progressing better than I thought. I am a very proud papa. I am nicely suprized at the overall handleing of the Sportsmobile and how much I enjoy the interior "comforts."

 

[spencyg]

I though you were going for maximum mpg?

In all honesty, its still a significant concern. I'm adding a low-boost turbo and some taller tires. The turbo will help significantly with the VE of the diesel. N/A's are notorious for poor mileage. I'm hoping the tires provide me with a little "rubber overdrive". The width of the tires will increase by about 1.5", and diameter will increase by 2". If I can manage between 13-14 MPG at cruise, I'll be happy. Right now I get between 11-12 unloaded. The 6.9 IDI (so I've been told) really doesn't care as much about load as it does about RPM in regards to fuel consumption. If this holds true, reductions in RPM at a given speed should help me out. At the end of the day, I'm trying to push a 10000lb vehicle with the frontal area of 2 sheets of plywood, so miracles may not exist. We'll see....

Spence

 

[Gravity]

Railbat,
was checking out some of your pics - they're great by the way! - and noticed you're running Goodyear MT/R's. Hope you don't mind but I have a ? or two for you....

Looking to put some sort of MT's on the van shortly to replace the BFG's and the local shop I do business w/ has the MTR's in stock at a decent $$...

How are they holding up under the weight of a SMB? What kind of miles have you put on them and how has the wear been? What size you running? Road manners? Noise doesn't bother me too much as my custom exhaust isn't the stealthiest out there...

thanks for the info Brian

Cheers

-derek

 

[FROADER]

I'm towing the Explorer out to Truck Haven this weekend. The weekend after that I'm headed to Mammoth. That's about it for me so far, but mine is still a passenger van.

 

[ujoint]

That sounds like two awesome weekends! I've got the Mammoth itch myself.

 

[Chris]

Awesome dog by the way!

For the other Sportsmobiles, it is Alan and Liz, along with four other couples that are travel friends (I have a list of their names on my other computer). Not an official Sportsmobile trip, just a group that likes to bounce around the backcountry together

Lots of FUN people on that list, I bet!! HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMM!!...how can I get on it? hhhmm.

Have a good time Scott.....:yikes:

 

[Railvan]

Railbat,
was checking out some of your pics - they're great by the way! - and noticed you're running Goodyear MT/R's. Hope you don't mind but I have a ? or two for you....

How are they holding up under the weight of a SMB? What kind of miles have you put on them and how has the wear been? What size you running? Road manners?

Hi,

I like them. I had these tires and rims under my '90 Suburban for a while before putting them under the SMB so I can't really say how many miles they will do under the van. I have 23,000 on the van now. I bought two tires for the front a while back, as I put the new ones up front and move the old fronts to the rear. But, again, they had miles under the Sub before the van. My rears are getting down there now, so it's almost time for two more.

I like they way they handled on the Sub better than the BFG MT's that were my previous tires. The MTR's are quieter and much better in the rain, which was a primary reason for changing tires, as I live in western Washington. Lots of days with wet pavement. I wanted better wet traction, but didn't want BFG AT's as I didn't think the tread was aggressive enough for mud. I think of the MTR tread design as being halfway between the full-on BFG MT's and the BFG AT's.

I have had one flat tire on the MTR's. It was in Colorado after a few days of driving on trails and being aired down for the trails. It was a sidewall puncture. The shop I took it to in Silverton said he works on 4x4 tires most everyday of the year that people can drive, and he had great things to say about the MTR's and he didn't care for BFG tires, as he said he has seen a lot more failures with them. I'm not bashing BFG, just passing along what he said. Anyway, I plan to buy the MTR's again when I need tires. It seems they are wearing faster under the van than the under Sub, which is common sense, as the Sub weighed 6,000 pounds and the SMB weighs 10,000!

I have 305/70/16s on 16x8 rims. I see SMB's running 315's but I don't think they would fit under mine without maybe 2" more of lift. I have the SMB 4x4 conversion. I like my tires to not rub at full travel, so having 315's that rub would not make me happy.

Regards,

Brian

 

[jeff@work]

Well i just finished installing some bilstein shocks...what a pain in the :shakin: !! They are so difficult to get to, worse than any other vehicle I've worked on... thank goodness they ride so much nicer than the worn out factory shocks I had on there.

I need to get in some mammoth time myself, hopefully next month!

 

[ujoint]

Well i just finished installing some bilstein shocks...what a pain in the :shakin: !!


I feel your pain!! Thankfully the last Quigley I put shocks on had a body lift!!

 

[asteffes]

Working on my pilot's license. Just did a three hour night flight last night to get that requirement out of the way. SF from 2000 feet is beautiful. Tahoe from 9500' is also lovely. Almost there...

 

[Gravity]

Brian,
thanks for the info on your MTR's, I actually ended up going w/ a set of the Toyo MT's yesterday. The higher load range in the end did it for me, something like 3700+lbs on the 285/75/16's

So far on my snowy road they are way better than the BFG's I took off and the van has a whole new mean look to it now. And props to the guys at the local Les Scwab, they had me in and out in 45 minutes and they actually bought the BFG AT's (probably less than 30% tread left!) I was replacing.

sorry no pics of the new shoes right now! Time to get out and hit the slopes...

-d

 

[Railvan]

I see LOTS of Toyo MT's around here too. The load range on my MTR's covers the weight of my van, but having a higher rating seems like a good idea. Sportsmobiles are HEAVY! Post some photos when you can. Always good to see 4x4 vans out being used!

Brian

Brian,
thanks for the info on your MTR's, I actually ended up going w/ a set of the Toyo MT's yesterday. The higher load range in the end did it for me, something like 3700+lbs on the 285/75/16's

So far on my snowy road they are way better than the BFG's I took off and the van has a whole new mean look to it now. And props to the guys at the local Les Scwab, they had me in and out in 45 minutes and they actually bought the BFG AT's (probably less than 30% tread left!) I was replacing.

sorry no pics of the new shoes right now! Time to get out and hit the slopes...

-d

 

[Railvan]

I am going to drive Copper Canyon in an 08 Sportsmobile next month, with five other Sportsmobiles...

So excited! :jumping:

Hi Scott,

I'll be curious about your opinions of the Sportsmobile suspension and steering, and of course the rest of the rig. I have no complaints with my '06 Sportsmobile, I'm just looking for other feedback. I do wonder sometimes if my steering pump is working fully. On dry pavement, when the van is stopped, I can't turn the front wheels more than a small amount before it feels as though it locks up. It feels like if I turned the wheel harder, something would break. I do have 305-70-16 tires, which have a wide footprint, and with 10,000 pounds on the tires, maybe this is just the way it is and nothing is wrong. All my other vehicles have been able to turn the wheels while stopped. I don't force it, and I always roll the van when turning, but I will be curious of your professional opinion.

Have a great trip!

Brian Rutherford
http://www.pbase.com/railbat