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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Sorry to hear you guys can't make it but hopefully you all can make the next one.
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adamis
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04/03/23 07:21am |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Hi all, just a quick update, everything is still on track. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
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adamis
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03/12/23 05:40pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Finally Common Sense in California (No Shows at Campgrounds)
What we are discovering is that many Campgrounds from various states use a reservation website either their own or other, to offload the needs for the CG admin. No answering phones etc.
In turn the states and local county campgrounds have to reserve XX number of sites for that website reservation website.... So even if there are no one reserving from those websites reserved sites they will remain empty!
You can not just arrive at them and get an empty site.. SUCKS!
Jim
I haven't decided if registrations hurts or helps. There are times when it is nice to know you have a spot (or at least supposed to have) you can count on. But thirty years ago it didn't seem like campgrounds filled up anyway.
The downfall is spontaneity is no longer a thing you can just do anymore and access to open areas is getting closed more and more. On our summer road trip a couple of years ago, there was a fantastic county park near Carnation Washington that I had stayed in previously by myself. I hyped it up to the travel worn family and when we arrived, I was estatic that there were several sites available. I pulled in to one and went to the registration kiosk to reserve the site, only to find out that the kiosk had been removed. Yup, you had to reserve online and get this, you had to reserve at least 7 days in advance. Even though the spot we had was open, we were literally forced out of it and ended up at the KOA in Tacoma.
It seems that as the Forest Service has aged, it no longer is aggressively building new campgrounds but rather expanding existing campgrounds and packing more people into tighter spaces. The quality of the camping experience in these mega campgrounds has gone down as more people seem to think that they are doing a community service by sharing their music with everyone else and the fire pits are less than 20 feet away.
My ideal system would be a mix I think. Maybe 2/3rds of the sites would be reserved via online but the other third would remain open for drive up visits. I would also want to see a LOT more campgrounds opened up with clear effort to offer some space between sites. I like being neighborly with my fellow campers but I don't want to be 10 feet away from them.
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adamis
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02/19/23 01:39pm |
Truck Campers
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Finally Common Sense in California (No Shows at Campgrounds)
We've all experience rhe phenomena of trying to get reservations at an extremely busy campground. Trying multiple different dates and lengths in the reservation system only to be told the campground is full by the system. You keep checking back constantly and manage to find a site that opens up at the last minute and you rush to grab it and feel quite fortunate. When you roll into the campground you check in and feel quite good that your persistence paid off to get that one lucky spot. Then, you drive around the campground headed to your spot and notice several empty sites on the way. No worries you think, those people just haven't arrived yet, they will fill up. You keep an eye on those sites as you enjoy your trip and the day you pack up you note that many of those sites stayed open even though there where reservation tags on them. Yup... No shows...
Now, most of us truck camper folks like going off grid anyway to avoid the crowds. Even with our preference to avoid the crowds, there are still times when we need to use regular campgrounds from time to time. I've had several times where plans changed and I am trying find a campground with space, only to be told there is no space available. Knowing full well that a good percentage of people are going to be no shows but I am being turned away anyway.
Someone in the California legislature has noticed this as well and proposed a bill to penalize these no show folks. This is great news for the system! There is a commitment problem within society where people just don't keep their commitments any longer. This won't solve that problem but it will ar least penalize some of them who take advantage of a lenient system at the expense of others.
https://www.rvtravel.com/finally-penalizing-shows-california-1092b/
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adamis
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02/19/23 09:09am |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
I thought we had already replied to your rally invitation but I don’t see our entry so Mary and I would definitely like to join you again! If you have anymore wire fence repair projects let us know and we can bring appropriate tools and even show up a day early if needed!
Hi Greg, it will be great to have you guys again! I don't think we have any fencing projects in line this time though but thank you once again for all your help last time!
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adamis
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01/31/23 08:44am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
To paraphrase, "If you find somebody willing to weld on your frame... you don't want them."
Why not? Thousands of commercial truck frames are welded on a daily basis. They cut 'em behind the cab and splice in a piece to add length. They install frame liners to add strength.
Older pickup trucks are routinely shortened to convert them into the more desirable "short box" versions.
Stock frames are boxed in all the time for offroad applications.
Thanks for the comment. This was along the lines of what I was thinking when I asked the question. I know it isn't common and you don't want just any shop doing it but clearly there are places that do it for the reasons you mentioned.
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adamis
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01/30/23 03:27pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
I don't know how this is turning into an argument about weight but since that seems to be the focal point of this thread...
The first weight I provided of between 4500lbs to 5000lbs which was a guesstimate accounting for camper dry weight, water, food and gear. I was basing that estimate on what I believed the camper dry weight to be 4000lbs and everything else depending on how I loaded it another 500lbs to 1000lbs. It turns out, the actual camper weight to be 1240.06 kilograms or 2733.8lbs when it went out the factory door.
https://i.imgur.com/fd8P4fbl.jpg
Now, that doesn't include the Onan 2500 genset added later which weighs 113lbs or the AC unit also later added which is ~130lbs give or take a few so dry weight of my camper is 2976lbs. I guess you can add in the LiFePo4 battery and round it up to an even 3000lbs.
As far as the truck is concerned, BigToe, you clearly put a lot of effort into your analysis. No, my truck is not a California truck, it actually came from Texas. It passes smog here in California and that is all I care about. As far as your breakdown of weight analysis, you are quite knowledgeable or have a lot of time, maybe both but in spite of your best efforts, you were off by quite a bit. I can't believe I am actually doing this as I had to dig it out but for the sake of putting this argument to bed...
https://i.imgur.com/6kESxgjl.jpg
According to the scales, my truck weight is 7600lbs. By the GVWR rating of 11200lbs on the tag of the door, that leaves me with 3600lbs of capacity, not the 2961 you estimated. The axle rating on the truck is 8250lbs for the rear. By the CAT weight scales, I only have 3380lbs on the rear. That leaves me with 4870 lbs of rear axle weight capacity.
So now that we have the truck weight and the camper weight, we now know that dry, I am 600lbs below the GVWR of the truck. Sure, add in propane, water, food, pots, pans and all the other stuff and I'm sure I'm running over that 3600lbs but it isn't by a whole lot, certainly not overweight by the 1000lb to 2000lb BigToe, GritDog and valhalla360 seem to think. With the axle capacity of 4870lbs, I am confident I am well below that by several hundred pounds or more.
Excellent breakdown of the subject but I'm betting the OP just keeps insisting that it's OK because he wants confirmation, not an actual answer because it's most likely not the answer he will ike.
It might be an excellent breakdown but it was wrong. As far "insisting that it's OK because he wants confirmation" I asked for no such thing, I only asked if it had been done. I again point out that the question I started this thread was:
... So, my next thought was to look at having my frame reinforced. I know there are all sorts of complications when going this route though. Ford does fully boxed frames for a reason because it gives so much more rigidity. I no there is at least one person that has done this on their 7.3 from a posting on the Ford forums. This is obviously a huge expense and extreme measure.
Has anyone else gone through this or found a way to handle excessive porpoising on older C channel frame trucks?
There have been several people who didn't focus on the weight and answered my question about adding rigidity to the frame based on their own experiences and knowledge and for that I am thankful. Clearly this isn't something commonly done and there is limited experience. THAT is the answer to the question I asked and for all of you who did focus on the heart of my question. Thank you.
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adamis
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01/30/23 12:53am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
good analysis of the Facebook guy. Also the thread is great as usual. Something I have integrated in my local travels that sort of go along with what we are talking about. I tow a small 4x8 trailer now almost everywhere I go. My 1181 is so ass heavy it's not a pleasant drive anymore. I put my two small generators, Two spare tires, tool box, spare parts and anything that had weight in the camper to the trailer. On top of everything else I've done it has improved the ride. One more thing, You guys go back and forth about many things and you get very frustrated with each other from time to time. For a guy like me that wants to hear all sides it's very helpful. I don't post much but I read everything every day.
Thanks for the positive feedback. Though things sometime get heated here, for the most part the discussions are always positive and insightful. There are a lot of seasoned and very smart people on these forums and getting to hear their opinions and experience is what makes this forum so valuable.
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adamis
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01/26/23 05:00pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
I'm betting facebook guy thought nothing of his 2" of flex too...
I think Facebook guy's frame was flexing a lot more than 2". From what I have read, he was overloaded at least 1500lbs, maybe closer to 2000lbs and he had a huge moment arm created by the bikes hanging off the back like they where. EBikes weigh close to 100lbs, he had two of them so he's got 200lbs that was nearly 8 feet from the center of his rear axle (rough guesstimate). That is 1600lbs of moment arm pulling on the frame. That coupled with rough roads and lots of miles seems to be what did him in. Other's have studied and argued his situation way more than I but from the little I have seen, it doesn't surprise me what happened to him.
The center of gravity of our campers is generally very close to right over the top of the rear axles or just a bit in front. This means the center of the frame isn't supporting our four to six thousand pound campers. Most of that weight is transmitted directly into the rear wheels. However, the frame is having to "balance" or keep in place a heavy engine up front over the front wheels and the heavy camper on the rear wheels. The frame flex we observe is more due to the frame keeping these two heavy pieces together going down the road. Having the camper weight slightly forward of the rear axles puts the center of mass between the front and rear wheels such that the frame is dealing with the frame flex occurring consistently between the front and rear wheels of the truck. This is an ideal situation and what the engineers design for.
If you add a huge moment arm off the back with a heavy trailer along with a hitch extension you are now adding a rearward twisting motion to the frame. So now you have competing forces that the frame is dealing with, almost like a teeter-saw. I would venture that the amount of frame flex Facebook guy's truck endured was significantly more than is common for a properly balanced truck.
Finally, rigidity isn't everything. I know I started this post asking if frame stiffening was something others had done. However when you make something rigid, you lose the ability to flex without causing permanent deformation. As others have said, this deformation causes fatigue over time and leads to frame failure. The engineers that designed the truck obviously know this but what we might be seeing is that the increased rigidity of the frames is causing overloaded trucks to deform and fatigue the frame material versus just flexing like the older and more flexible truck frames of the past. As campers continue to get heavier and truck frames continue to get stiffer, we may see a lot more Facebook Guy's in the future.
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adamis
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01/26/23 09:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
But a very important point that maybe scooby just brought up is the amount of movement in the overhead portion that we ALL see from time to time with big TCs is not necessarily indicative of excessive frame flex, nor is porpoising. Unless it’s literally a rocking horse most or all of the time. Which is more likely suspension and shocks. Given the camper weight and configuration changing is not an option.
Perhaps my use of the word porpoising was just the wrong terminology and that set you off. What you are describing is what I am observing. The camper overhead rocking slightly up and down on rough roads. When that happens, I can look in the side view mirror and what I observe is these lines flexing ever so slightly.
https://i.imgur.com/F1RGtDCl.jpg
Now, I don't have a way to measure it, I guesstimated 1 to 2" but probably more likely in the less than 1" range now that I think about it again. So, everyone else, while you are driving down the road and come across a bumpy section and see the overhead portion moving up and down, take a look in your side view mirror down this sight line and I am betting you will observe some movement as well.
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adamis
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01/24/23 05:40pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
I had the same rig for a little while and here's what I found out.
The bed opening width is minimal. The curved part at the bottom necessitated that I use two pieces of plywood to raise it above the curvature.
Make sure your bed is flat. On my new GMC truck the bed is crowned front to back, which necessitated different pieces of plywood of varying thickness.
Re the center of gravity. I had race car scales so I put my camper on them. If you look at some of my old posts you can find out what I found out. There guesstimate is best case, what I found out was different. Though the cog was behind the wheels a bit, I didn't find it to effect the driving.
Also on my F250 I had the biggest spring pack installed and largest sway bar. I still didn't like the way it drove. The cog is just so high.
I removed and reinstalled my jacks on the camper. When they installed them the holes in the brackets were too small for the fasteners used there is no way they would pull up tight against the camper. So I enlarged the holes in the brackets and reinstalled.
Also if you have a gooseneck ball in the bed, you can install the plywood on the bed with a hole that matches this and install a stub into and flush with the plywood to hold it in place, or two pieces if that is what you do.
Good luck.
Thanks Marcela, I like your idea on using the goosneck ball mount to help hold things in place. That is a great idea and something I will definitely look into for a future project.
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adamis
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01/24/23 10:13am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
That contrasts with the 1999 with Max Payload for the Crew Cab Dually Long Bed 2x4 appears to be 5355lbs and the 4x4 is 4910lbs.
https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1999-Ford-Super-Duty.pdf
So, with basically the same frame, how did they manage to get another 1500+ pounds of payload capacity out of it?
You should go by the Ford bodybuilders manual that I referenced, not by that brochure. The bodybuilders manual gives the specific configurations, in California - less, diesel engine - less. Because the empty truck weighs more. The bodybuilders manual does not give the diesel 4x2 DRW crewcab, but does give the 6.8L, and the diesels are less by about 500 lbs in all models. You could just weigh the empty truck, the GVWR is 11,200 for all models of DRW pickups in those years.
The frame configuration and layout is nearly identical between 1999 and 2015, but the material may be thicker. That is also listed somewhere in the bodybuilders manuals, haven't bothered to look. You probably can't go from 11,200 to 14,000 without doing something.
Thanks HMS Beagle. I did some research on the frame differences and what I found was Ford did increase the thickness. From this discussion here:
https://www.powerstroke.org/threads/frame-differences.136669/
The frame differences are:
99-04 Crew Cab F-250-350 Pickup 156.2" WB, (6.87 x 2.36 x .240), 6.0
05-10 Crew Cab F-250-350 Pickup 156.2" WB, (6.87 x 2.36 x .264), 6.7
That would explain the payload capacity increase.
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adamis
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01/24/23 10:12am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Still not a chance in heck that that truck has anywhere near a 5klb payload rating. Irrelevant of the reduced TC weight ratings that the mfg provides.
What’s the door sticker say? I’d be very surprised if it didn’t say 11,200lbs gvwr.
I understand you want to make this work but ignoring the obvious like actual gvwr and questions/suggestions about your suspension (You’ve only said you replaced the shocks. Which is only a small part of the equation) shows that you’re trying too hard to make this work by ignoring the factors you choose to not consider.
So until you post a pic of the gvwr proving that your truck is somehow special compared to the other 100,000s that went down the line those few years, you’re just kidding yourself.
And I’ll eat my words as well.
The other difficulty is sure some of these major mods are possible, however you’ll be hard pressed to find a shop that will take on the liability of any major structural conversions. And those that do will charge about as much as buying your whole truck again. Maybe more.
The only recent comparison for frame mods is Mega cab long bed conversions. And years ago those were about $5k byob (bring your own bed). What you’re proposing is of similar risk and complexity minus the frame stretch.
While my responses and others seem harsh, or condescending it’s your truck and you asked the question. My intention is never to mislead which is consistent here as well.
Good luck.
Gritdog your post is exactly what you said it was, harsh and condescending. I'm not offended by it but I question why you feel it is necessary to the point of stating it yourself.
Moving along, you aren't answering my original question. The only question mark in my first post is for this sentence:
"Has anyone else gone through this or found a way to handle excessive porpoising on older C channel frame trucks?"
I assume your point is, your camper is too heavy for the truck. If you want to go by stickers on the door, that is fine, you probably are correct depending on how much gear is loaded. But I didn't ask about the sticker on the door nor was I asking if the camper weighed too much. I asked if anyone has ever gone through the effort to stiffen the frame.
From the answers so far, it appears the answer is no. I appreciate everyone's response as it tells me it is uncharted territory and if I do proceed, I should proceed with definite caution.
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adamis
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01/23/23 03:44pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Plus what happened to the idea you were at 5000lb and suddenly you have 2000lb left over?
In my original post, I was going off what I recalled on my head. In the last post, I was going off the facts based on what I was able to look up. I have weighed the camper before and my recollection is it was close to 4000lbs but I don't recall if that was loaded or empty. I'm sure it was at least partially loaded, at least with bedding and kitchen supplies. I probably should weigh it again and write it down somewhere.
I did not realize the frame was pretty much the same all the way up to 2016. The payload capacity for the 2016 according to Ford was 6460 pounds for a Dually, Long Bed Crew Cab 4x4 and 6870 pounds for a 4x2 configuration.
https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/ford/2016-superduty.pdf
That contrasts with the 1999 with Max Payload for the Crew Cab Dually Long Bed 2x4 appears to be 5355lbs and the 4x4 is 4910lbs.
https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/1999-Ford-Super-Duty.pdf
So, with basically the same frame, how did they manage to get another 1500+ pounds of payload capacity out of it? I'm sure there were some upgrades like additional cross members and such but does that account for all of the increased payload capacity.
Every truck frame flexes to some degree. If you don't think your frame is flexing, you probably just aren't looking for it hard enough. The porpoising I am describing is noticeable only on rough roads or rough transitions in the pavement. It isn't happening all of the time nor is it a problem to drive it as is. I did see the story about the grossly overloaded truck that broke the frame in half in Mexico and yes, it did get me to wondering if one could strengthen the frame but no, I'm not concerned the same will happen to me. I'm confident I am within the capability of my truck.
It does appear that I am in uncharted territory with thinking about stiffening the frame.
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adamis
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01/23/23 10:47am |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
See you there! We really enjoyed our time last year-
Looking forward to seeing you both as well!
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adamis
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01/23/23 08:16am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Have you checked the CCC for your truck? If not you are likely to need more than just stiffening the frame and that 4WD conversion is just going to add more weight.
It took me a while to find it but Max Payload for the Crew Cab Dually Long Bed 2x4 appears to be 5355lbs and the 4x4 is 4910lbs. My camper according to the tag on it weighed 2906 and that included 50 gallons of water and 20lbs of propane. Going to a 4x4 conversion that would leave me 2000lbs for people and gear which would be way more than we would ever carry.
Being frank, the 4x4 conversion is something on the nice to do / want to do but not the need to do chart. Finding a good shop and a reasonable price may be the death of the idea. This goes for the frame boxing as well.
Getting back to the porpoising... I think the most realistic plan forward is to do what I can to move the camper for the extra 2". It may not help a ton but it is better than nothing.
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adamis
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01/22/23 08:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
5. Getting back to the expense of strengthening the frame. Even if I spend $3000 to $5000 to have it done, I'm still way ahead of buying a new truck. The other thing is, my truck is only two wheel drive. Fine for California but my plan will be to start going to areas where there may be snow and ice and I don't want to be doing that in a 2 wheel drive truck. So the longterm plan is to take the truck to a 4x4 shop and have them do a 4x4 conversion on it and while they do that, they can add rigidity to the frame. Yeah, I know, it's extreme measures but even if I put $10k to $20k into this route, I'm still WAY ahead of a $70k to $90k new truck (and used trucks aren't all that much cheaper these days).
Methinks you would be money ahead to take your time and find a newer used 4x4 truck that's in great shape instead of converting the one you have to 4wd. I've been following conversion projects like this for some time and most end up spending a MINIMUM of $15,000, and that's doing the work themselves. Can't even imagine what a shop would charge to do the conversion. There's a lot more involved than just adding a front axle and a transfer case...little things like speedometer and odometer that will no longer work properly because a transfer case has been added.
For most trucks, that might be the case, but this truck has a few advantages that makes me think this route is worthwhile. To start with, the reason I picked a 7.3 is the smog equipment is non existent. I don't even have a catalytic converter on my truck and I'm still legal in California. I also have close to $10k in "goodies" in this engine, it pulls like a freight train and gets pretty decent mileage for what I need it to do. It is also very low mileage at 156k and by 7.3 standards, it's barely broken in. Just a list of the upgrades... Banks Exhaust Brake, Banks 3" exhaust, Larger KC Turbo, Larger Injectors, Upgraded High Pressure Fuel Pump, High Bypass Oil Filtration, Inline Fuel Line Filters (instead of in tank), Chipped, Air Bags, Onboard Air with 3 gallon tank and probably a half dozen other things I can't remember. All of this was done over time, not at once so the cost was spread out.
The second thing is that the 4x4 version of the 7.3 has leaf springs up front. Poor turning radius and harsh ride. So even selling it and getting a 4x4 version of the 7.3 means I'm dealing with those issues. True I could step up in truck generations but someone else pointed out that boxed frames didn't come along in Fords until 2017 so I'm now looking at a $30k+ truck that probably has quite a bit of mileage on it which also means the smog equipment is a ticking time bomb for an expensive repair that does nothing but allow me to pass smog. I'd rather spend $10k on my motor for upgrades versus $10k for the privilege of California letting me register the thing.
Assuming the right shop can be found (I have a lead on one I will be looking into) along with a donor truck, I can do the 4x4 conversion and have coil over suspension with a 7.3 motor with all the current upgrades and minimal smog requirements. The question is, can I find such a shop that can do it and do it right.
One factor that doesn't seem obvious in this is, why would I put $20k to $30k over time into a 24 year old truck? Because I'm doing it a little here and a little there as I have the money. It's easier to find $5k sitting around and coming up with an upgrade project for the truck. It is harder to find $1500 a month in the budget for 5 years to pay for a truck. The first option I can do as I have the funds to do it, the second I'm stuck on a treadmill.
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adamis
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01/22/23 04:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Thanks all for the thoughts. So a few thoughts from people's comments.
1. The camper isn't all the way forward because it had rubber stops that are about 2.5" long that are mounted on the bottom front of the camper that go up against the front of the bed of the truck. I removed those but kept the spacing the same as I have a 2"x12" board that sits across the front of the bed and is notched to hug the camper and keeps it moving side to side. If I redid this with metal, I should be able to reclaim about a 1.5" to possibly 2" for the camper to move forward.
2. Those that think their truck doesn't porpoising probably just don't notice it. Some trucks will obviously handle this better than others. The easiest way to tell though is if you look up at the overhead portion of the camper right above your head while driving and see it moving up and down, that movement is because your frame is flexing as you drive. I get between 1" to maybe 2" of movement on rough roads. What I am also looking at is in the side view mirror, looking along the bed rail at the back where the tail lights are. You will see similar movement as the frame flexes. Now, short bed trucks or regular cab trucks obviously will have less flex. My truck being a crew cab, long bed with just a C channel frame obviously shows quite a bit of movement.
3. Buying a new truck is not in the cards. To get the same style of truck I'm looking at $70,000+, maybe closer to $90,000 by the time taxes are added in.We use the truck just a couple of times a year, otherwise it sits in indoor storage with the camper. Hard to justify a car payment nearing $1500 a month for a vehicle that gets less than 5000 miles a year. Now, if money where no problem, heck yeah I'd be down at the dealership buying a new truck but that ain't my life. That being said, I don't think I would end up with a new truck if we were out shopping. With two late teenagers and two toddlers, our future if I can persuade the Mrs. will likely have something like this in it.
4. I did just replace my shocks (Bilstiens previously that where rather worn out) with KYB Monomax shocks and I think that helped quite a bit. Would have liked to have some adjust-ability like the Rancheros have but they were not available at the location and time frame that I had to work with.
5. Getting back to the expense of strengthening the frame. Even if I spend $3000 to $5000 to have it done, I'm still way ahead of buying a new truck. The other thing is, my truck is only two wheel drive. Fine for California but my plan will be to start going to areas where there may be snow and ice and I don't want to be doing that in a 2 wheel drive truck. So the longterm plan is to take the truck to a 4x4 shop and have them do a 4x4 conversion on it and while they do that, they can add rigidity to the frame. Yeah, I know, it's extreme measures but even if I put $10k to $20k into this route, I'm still WAY ahead of a $70k to $90k new truck (and used trucks aren't all that much cheaper these days).
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adamis
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01/22/23 11:14am |
Truck Campers
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Frame Stiffing to reduce Porpoising?
Got a question for you seasoned drivers with older rigs. I have a 1999 F350 Dually Quad Cab Long Bed. I've been driving it for thousands of miles and for the most part, it's been fine. However, while driving on rougher roads, I do get a porpoising effect happening. I can look in my rear view mirror and see the frame flexing at least an inch or two.
My camper is the Bigfoot 2500 and with everything loaded up is probably in the 4500lb to 5000lb range. According to the sticker on the camper the center of gravity is almost exactly over the rear wheels. Now the center of gravity does change with water in the tank as the fresh tank is in the front of the camper which puts it at the front of the bed.
The porpoising isn't a "problem" in the since that I am concerned about it causing damage. I'm well within the carrying capacity of the truck. That being said, it is an annoyance for comfort and drivability. I have already replaced the shocks on the truck and that has helped somewhat. I am also looking and seeing that I probably could move the camper another inch or two forward when I load it. I don't think this will make much of a difference though.
So, my next thought was to look at having my frame reinforced. I know there are all sorts of complications when going this route though. Ford does fully boxed frames for a reason because it gives so much more rigidity. I no there is at least one person that has done this on their 7.3 from a posting on the Ford forums. This is obviously a huge expense and extreme measure.
Has anyone else gone through this or found a way to handle excessive porpoising on older C channel frame trucks?
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Because several people have focused in on the camper weight and that has taken this question off from what I asked, I am adding this here for anyone new reading this thread that thinks to jump in and comment about weight. Later in this discussion thread I post a response where I provide the factory weight as measured was 2733lbs and with AC and Genset just under 3000lbs. That is way lower than the 4500lb to 5000lb I stated in my original question above. I have also weighed my truck and it is 7600lbs and so the payload capacity is 3600lbs and the axle capacity of 4870lbs. I am not grossly overweight as some thought based off my original and inaccurate guesstimate in my question above.
Secondly, I also overstated the amount of "porpoising". It is not excessive in that I am concerned about the truck breaking in half. What I have observed others mainly in the overhead movement of the camper above the driver seems to be common with others.
Finally, my question in this thread is asking if someone has ever added additional bracing to the frame of the truck. I'm asking the question if this has been done before. The consensus in this thread is that it is very rare and it is very complicated to do and probably not worth the effort.
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adamis
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01/21/23 11:35am |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Hi all, sorry about the slow replies of late. Life has me busy and I just haven't gotten a chance to check these posts. Truck Camper Rally is still a go. It is open to anyone and everyone that wants to attend. There are no requirements other than having a smile and a positive attitude. If you bring pets, just make sure they aren't excessively noisy and are under control at all times.
If you have any questions and I'm not responding here, you can always send a text to my cell phone at 408-836-3542. Looking forward to seeing you all!
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adamis
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01/21/23 11:22am |
Truck Campers
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