Overland Explorer Expedition Cabin on 2020 Ford F350

RAM5500 CAMPERTHING

OG Portal Member #183
Aside from all the positive attributes, there was a noticeable jiggling or stuttering motion from the rear suspension as we travelled down the smooth paved road. Its only a guess but I’m wondering if this is caused by intermittent engagement of the overload springs, which were barely 1/4” off the frame at rest. If so, would Timbrens or Sumos be a remedy? I realize there are many other variables to eliminate for a proper diagnosis, such as tire pressures.

Timbrens or Sumos would just be a band-aid, not a long term solution.

Very likely new springs need to be ordered/installed. Based on where you are, there are some good spring places that will custom build them to your exact weight and desired height. They arent as expensive as one would think usually.

Once you get proper leafs built for your weight, you can ditch all the overload spring stuff, and away you go
 

RAM5500 CAMPERTHING

OG Portal Member #183
Also, if you have the ability, remove the spring hanger bolts and grease them.

When i took my 5500 springs off, the springs and bolts were bone dry and not a spec of grease or lube on them whatsover. You could already see scoring inside the bushing sleeve with less than 1k on the truck
 

rruff

Explorer
This smallest Summit cabin has a 10.5’ floor and 15.5’ overall length, designed for a one ton chassis. All models (Summit, Summit X, Summit XL) share the same construction: fibreglass-skinned honeycomb foam core composite panels surrounded with an aluminum exoskeleton and having an integrated pivoting base frame.

I ask because yesterday I drove our new rig briefly for the first time while visiting the builder. Aside from all the positive attributes, there was a noticeable jiggling or stuttering motion from the rear suspension as we travelled down the smooth paved road.

Curious about "integrated pivoting base frame". Do you have any photos of it? This could be the source of the motion you mention.
 

NOPEC

Well-known member
It may not be applicable to these symptoms, but another option you might consider is a product made by Torklift called Stableloads. They make sets for both the main rear spring pack and the overload springs. Both of these effectively and simply pre-load the springs. I have both on my 3500 GMC. I made my own lower set and bought the uppers with the rubber blocks. I initially was going to make an upper set using hockey pucks or marine bumpers, any dense rubber block would work but never got around to it.

On the unloaded truck, the rear end does definitely sit up a bit (due to the pre-load of the main spring pack) and makes the ride more rough, but is perfect with the camper on. I seldom take the camper off of the truck so it isn't a big deal for me. This has been a perfect solution for me, especially with the overloads because initially with my camper loaded, the overloads didn't quite engage when level so they would bang with with any type of rough road. Unlikely your camper will be coming off so these might just work for you.

cheers Bob
 

Trail Talk

Well-known member
Curious about "integrated pivoting base frame". Do you have any photos of it? This could be the source of the motion you mention.

No, I don't have a photo. I saw the 3-point system that OEV used on the '65 Chevy this cabin came off of, so I know what they did. The pivot frame is integrated into the base of the Summit cabin, with a centre-mounted pivoting point at the front and two fixed chassis attachment points at the back.

I can't see this being responsible for the vibration, but it is another possibility to investigate if other avenues don't work.
 

rruff

Explorer
I can't see this being responsible for the vibration, but it is another possibility to investigate if other avenues don't work.

I don't know the exact nature of your vibration... but a flexible frame like this is designed more to twist rather than articulate the suspension whenever one wheel hits a bump or pothole. With the 3 point the camper will rock sideways a bit in front relative to the frame, and it will be undamped motion. You say the road was smooth, but there may have been enough irregularity to make this noticeable.

In another thread Idasho mentioned that he put shocks between the subframe (or camper in your case) and the truck chassis to mitigate this motion. You'd put them on the end where the pivot is located; the front in your case.

Just a thought...
 

Trail Talk

Well-known member
They beat me to it! OEV posted this photo on FB of our rig just prior to taking delivery yesterday.

Summit delivery.jpg

BLITZEN now at its new home, rear view shows the super nice custom ski/tool box with integrated work table. Very first job was to make a label for the dash with overall height 10.5 ft/ 3.2m.

IMG_2767 copy.jpeg
 

Trail Talk

Well-known member
IMG_2821 copy.jpeg

First nights out this winter and we chose a nearby location; Elk Island National Park. Unlike what the name suggests, the park is famous for its plains and wood bison herds, which were established in 1907 from a few animals sent up from Banff National Park. Beavers are probably the next most familiar residents and their engineering is responsible for altering the topography significantly over the decades.

IMG_2847 copy.jpeg

We were pleasantly surprised to see good numbers of day users, especially young families. Equally surprising; there were no other RV campers, we had the entire site to ourselves for both nights. There was, however, a large group tenting nearby, with outfitter-style tents and wood-burning stoves, very cool. The highlight was a cyclist that arrived after dark and slept on the floor of the heated washroom building!

IMG_2840 copy.jpeg

IMG_2845 copy.jpeg

IMG_2830 copy.jpeg

The OEV Summit cabin and F350 gasser continued to prove a good match, and I was glad for studded tires on icy back roads. Indeed, 4WD wasn't necessary at any time.

IMG_2823 copy.jpeg

IMG_2818 copy.jpeg

The hydronics continues to be a work-in-progress and will require a trip back to OEV for fine-tuning. Otherwise mostly minor niggles, as expected in a shake down cruise, which didn't overshadow our extreme enjoyment of this cosy, comfy cabin. The quality of components and fit & finish constantly impress. Looking forward to our next outing soon.

IMG_2854 copy.jpeg
 

Trail Talk

Well-known member
Our first mod! We asked OEV to fab an exterior ski box of our design, and are very pleased with the results. The lid opens to serve as a work bench and the ski holders are removable so that other items, like tools, can be mounted. Nicely done!

Screen Shot 2020-11-20 at 8.09.57 AM.png

Next on our short list is a Lagun mount for the dinette table. Looking forward to banishing that wobbly centre post forever! Also incoming is a retractable shade for the MaxxAir fan. Similar to what we've done with the larger Bomar roof hatch, the sliding cover will allow us to stuff insulation up there during the winter months.

In addition to these upgrades, I suppose this next could be considered a downgrade, or at least a compromise. The forward bunk came with a 7" mattress which was very plush but restricted headroom. So we've sourced a 4" high-density foam mattress from a local manufacturer and will try that out.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,538
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top