General update on various topics (Long)

So if anybody’s wondering why I haven’t been posting much, I’ve been working on a relatively new project. Our  tried and true 450 single cab and chassis, is an excellent vehicle but not that easy to travel in a single cab with three dogs. We recently adopted a third dog, and he’s an Australian Heeler, so a pretty good-sized baby. Yeah, we call him babies, but we only adopt old dogs that are over 10 years old, they usually come with a bit of “baggage,” but the joy of earning an old dog’s trust is a blessing I cannot describe.

So for the solar business, I had to rent a dual cab for a specific trip and let my wife ride in it. We had just put the underbed tool boxes on the 450 and had looked around for a 550 dual cab and a couple of other options, but all we could find were 6.0 diesels. You can make them Bulletproof but it takes a pretty healthy chunk of change to get them there if there’s not too much damage on some of them. We ask around about any 7.3’s and everywhere we went, they just laughed and said no you’re not going to find a 7.3. Then, through just pure luck, I ran into a beautiful 2021 350 Lariat four-wheel drive dual cab 7.3 diesel with the dual captain’s chairs as rear seats and beautifully taken care of. Brand new transmission about 80,000 mi ago, new brakes, new tires, battery, shocks, and picked it up for a bargain under 20 grand.

So the process of upgrading the mirrors, the headlights all the LEDs, all the turn signals, putting overload springs on, BW hitch,  front end tie rods drag links,it sending all the oils off to be analyzed and in general preparing for Quartzite. The only real issue was that the interior seats were worn out, and I had Katzkins put in.  Pull the rear seats and put in a 2008 bench seat that flips up and flips down so the dogs could look out while riding down the road.  Obviously put a new brake controller in (Redarc), a new stereo (big screen for the GPS), speakers, and door actuator locks, pretty much a 2024 upgrade for our 2001 7.3.  I don’t have the turn signals and the heated mirrors hooked up yet, for I just finished it on the 450 and it’s a little more work than I wanted to do and I just want to get out of town and start rving instead of working on RVs.

The 2009 36Max1, has been ready to go since June, and I need to drain the water tanks, clorinate, and change the triple MR3 Blu filters again (sat too long with water in them not flowing), probably drain the hot water heater and put in a new anode.

Turn on the Starlink, Roamlink (triple carrier).

We put new Lambright reclining chairs and bolted them down to the dining room slide, while also bolting the dining table down with easy to remove 2” star knobs when we want to expand. Also bolted down a long table in the rear (pretty much full length), and moved the 2 spare chairs back there for a work area. Used one of those standing height table actuators so easy to adjust. Also with the star knobs so easy to remove.

Time to Hook up…

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[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 30Replies - 145Total - 175]

I tried to edit the post but was not able to.. Sorry…

[JohnD222ParticipantTopics - 8Replies - 518Total - 526]

Great find Jack.  Enjoy that long overdue break – safe and fun travels.

JohnD222
Based in Florida except summer
2013 36FWS Lifestyle (our great 2010 Cameo 36FWS has happy owners)

[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 30Replies - 145Total - 175]

hmm edit again the 350 is not a 2021 but a great classic 2001.

[ramseyjackParticipantParticipantTopics - 30Replies - 145Total - 175]

Not sure on when my last post was, but a LOT has happened.
Finally got to TRAVEL rather than just work on the 36Max1 and support vehicles.
Spent about 3 weeks boondocking around Quartsite, mostly around Plomosa Rd. and really enjoyed the beautiful serene desert. Started out with empty desert, the masses for the RV show caravaned in and then out and let the desert basically empty again. Nice watching the transition. Had a service Ironwood RV pumping, 602-935-9470 came out each week to refill our freshwater and pump out the gray and black tanks. Having the SeeLevel gauges was a DELIGHT. Always knowing the levels of the 32 gal black and the 72gal gray took all the guesswork and anxiety out of boondocking.
We had no problems with the 920ah of 12v Vatrer batteries. Getting the Victron Cerbo and Lynx shunt to accurately measure the battery percentage turned out impossible, probably because I have the extra 50 amp Victron Phoenix charger on the output of the Multiplus II rather than directly on the Onan 5500 output is a contributing factor. I will change that once we get back home and get rid of the Bluetooth adaptor on the Vatrer 460, replacing it with an adaptor that the Cerbo can see via USB. The BMS is a standard 250A JBD so that has all been done previously. Will add the autostart module to the ONAN at the same time. (https://faithfuljourneyrv.com/)
I could have built it for around $170 and a bunch of time, but this kid has done a great job, shipped and a finished product for $320. Money well spent.

The two 390w solar panels did not keep up with our consumption, but did get 3 days out of the first part of the trip before the inverter shut down, Then after that we just ran the genset 1.5 to 2hrs a day for full 100% charge. We use about 6.2 KW per day and solar gives us 2KW/day (laying flat on the roof in January), and only charge around 3KW per hour from the ONAN. Running gasoline on 2ea 6gal external tanks with quick disconnects, and get 3-4 days out of a tank, so round up to 2 gals of fuel a day. This is with 24-7 starlink, 50in TV, microwave, using the convection for baking, and the 2 burner induction stovetop, electric blanket for sleeping, and not really trying to conserve much, we are on vacation after all.

The JBD bluetooth BMS is inside the VATRER metal battery case and the “Arctic package” (what they call it now a days) layer of Reflectix insulating this rig is a real detriment to an RF getting from outside in or vice versa. It’s like living in a Faraday cage.Have to go outside to directly read the batteries on this trip.

Finally had a couple of travel related issues crop up. YEAH!!
I checked the new Drainmaster valves before leaving, and they were both green, but arriving in Quartzsite the black had no light. Bummer, on first release of the Drainmaster cam loc, used a 5 gal bucket to catch black while sucking out of the bucket with the pump from Irwoonwood. Exercised the black valve a few times while backflowing from the gray tank and bingo had a green light, WAY easier than pulling my makeshift abs cover. I immediately ordered a 3rd Drainmaster safety valve for install when we return home. I think the issue was I left the tanks with not enough water in them from June 24-Jan 25 in the hot San Joaquin valley. We were supposed to travel last summer and just didn’t get around to it. Still need the ABS cover for a 2009 36Max1 but everywhere I call no one knows what I am talking about and if they do, it is a throwaway item.

Only other issues are:
The glue holding the slatted doors to the washer dryer area dried out and had to purchase, glue, a clamp and a couple of L brackets for bracing.

The pocket door plastic locking hinge broke and I purchased a Johnson Hardware 1500 PPK3 hinge replacement pack from Home Depot and had to drill new holes for the larger hinge, but an easy fix with steel hinges.

Have decided to pull the trigger on the Lippert Ground Control 3.0 6 point leveling system. Is going to be a little tricky for the mounts are made for I beam frames, and the 2009 36Max1 has a box frame, but not my first rodeo, will figure it out. Once I get the mounts will figure out whether I am just drilling holes or welding.

Need to do a second upgrade relay for the dining room slide. It is getting slow. I don’t know where that motor is yet, but will find it. MIght as well do it while running the wiring for the 6 point jacks, but they are probably on the outside rather then running through the belly.

Also the “diving board” stairs had a weld break on one of the middle steps. I went to Parker Az, Ace Hardware, got a scrap 9in 1 x 1.5 and propped up the right side of the steps and ordered a new folding setup from Tork Lift.

All the above sounds like a lot of work but I will probably knock it out in a couple of weeks. The hardest part is going to be the interior wood trim piece I need to get to tack down the 101 inch run for the transition from the entrance wall to door to the bathroom. Every time I move this rig, it comes loose and I will need a 1in trim to clean up the many pins and staples that have pulled out. I got the rig with it loose.
Previous attempts at finding oak and staining to the cherrywood color have somewhat worked (I did the inner bathroom doors with 4in oak pieces to clean up the bottom and have something to screw down the bath towel drying racks. Looks OK but not perfect.

Does anyone know where to get this kind of trim besides a trip to Elkhart? Everyone I talk to in the cabinet-making business locally looks at me and states, “you are going to have to make that”.

Ford 350 Upgrades.

TST (6 new sensors), HaloVision new mount on the dash, Cortex Superchips (now Holley) (4 modes for the 7.3 diesel, Performance, Light Tow, Heavy Tow, and a Fuel saver mode), install a new Redarc proportional brake controller, 4 door lock actuators, drivers door power window motor (in the middle of the trip), pull the overhead display and ship it off for repair, install a Jensen Car1013 10in stereo and 4 speakers, rear license plate camera, replace the headlights (yellowing) and all lightbulbs 360 around with LED’s, Blin ker relay, 2008 folding larger mirrors, 4 Captains chair upholstery with Katzkin leather, and replaced the rear captain chairs with a 2008 foldup bench seat (best for the 3 dogs to ride in)

That was a list, but the hardest for this 72yr old was the new BW under bed ball hitch with the Companion 5th wheel hitch was in the way of any overload air ride overload springs. Had to ship the first order back to Etrailer (which they were wonderful about) and place a call directly to Air Ride and they gave me the proper kit part # (Air Lift 88390 LoadLifter 5000) which meant another 2 days under the rig in the last week of December getting it, the compressor and all wiring tidied up just in time to leave.

I got this all documented and finished a week or so ago, then ran into a problem with the program that “compresses” my pictures from 4 meg to under 1 meg. One of the 4 places I upload this to, won’t take pics over 1 meg in size.

Happy February

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