My 550 build The "Ford Escape"

java

Expedition Leader
Took the truck over the scale on the way home on the weekend. With the motorcycle on the carrier on the back I'm 13,200 total, 5500 front and 7200 on the rear. Still got lots to play with yet.
Not bad! I'm almost exactly 1k heavier. Was that with water and people etc?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

Fatboyz

Observer
Yes, only 1/2 tank of water, my DR200 and my wife and I (and our bull Mastiff!). I still have 3 cupboards, the dinette, and cork flooring for interior stuff. That will add another 500ish?
 

Fatboyz

Observer
While I was in the mountains hunting moose the truck was in getting all the fluids in the drive line changed, new pinion seal, new crank seal in the front (finally dealing with the oil leak, and the up pipes on the turbo were leaking.
 

motorman

Active member
that is a great looking roof rack
i would assume it acts like a safari roof with the air gap and also allows air under your panels
any idea how much it weights empty / and with panels
can you 'tell' the extra mass is up there?

separate questions

can you post a couple pics of your motorcycle mount / rack?
DR200 for me too!!!

what brand of disconnects did you use?

how many watts are the 3 panels?

how many AH are your 2 batteries?
 

Fatboyz

Observer
that is a great looking roof rack
i would assume it acts like a safari roof with the air gap and also allows air under your panels
any idea how much it weights empty / and with panels
can you 'tell' the extra mass is up there?

separate questions

can you post a couple pics of your motorcycle mount / rack?
DR200 for me too!!!

what brand of disconnects did you use?

how many watts are the 3 panels?

how many AH are your 2 batteries?

The rack with panels is about 300 pounds. Don't even know it's there.
That's a homemade motorcycle hitch rack but I copied the one from Princess auto here in Canada. When on sale they're under 100 Canadian.
I also got disconnects from Princess Auto, on sale 9.99
My batteries are 415 each, and 6 volt, so 415 with two at 12 volt.
 
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Fatboyz

Observer
Over the last week I have finished the cupboards, we painted the walls, and installed the cork flooring.
 

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Fatboyz

Observer
that is a great looking roof rack
i would assume it acts like a safari roof with the air gap and also allows air under your panels
any idea how much it weights empty / and with panels
can you 'tell' the extra mass is up there?

separate questions

can you post a couple pics of your motorcycle mount / rack?
DR200 for me too!!!

what brand of disconnects did you use?

how many watts are the 3 panels?

how many AH are your 2 batteries?
Forgot this part. The panels are 100 watts each.
 

Fatboyz

Observer
Got the kitchen done. We brought these little tiles back from Mexico on our last two trips over the last few years for the truck. Drawer knobs too. My wife wanted a little Mexico theme hence the color of the paint.
 

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mybigwarwagon

Rarely serious
Are you using the folding ladder to get in and out of the bed, or are you jumping up and down?

Great work on the whole setup.
 

Fatboyz

Observer
Tires and wheels for this truck has been a source of great thought, many discussions and loss of sleep. The tires on it for the last two years during the build were very worn out stock size 225 70 19.5's. I really wanted to do super singles and that's what we've been planning for. I still need to upgrade the front springs and put on the bushwacker fender flares for that. The cost of the tires and wheels to get them here in Canada is almost 10 grand depending on wheel manufacturer. The truck is in a state now that we're able to use it so we really want to get out and start using it. I really just need a few trim items inside then the tool boxes and stuff outside. For the next two years we will only be using the truck locally and in Northern Canada and Maybe Alaska so super singles aren't a must. Unplanned vehicle repairs on our daily drivers has cut into the truck budget, which was already thin after the major re-skin and massive roof rack. We want to start using it this winter so I knew we needed something. I stopped at one of the small tire shops here in town that I don't usually go to and asked what they had. Being in an oilfield town there are a lot of F550's and Dodge 5500's here for the size of our town (6600 people). They stock a brand of tire I had never heard of called Ironhead IDR310 H. Lot's of the oilfield fleet guys use them and they have the 3Peak Mtn snowflake rating and a very open blocky tread in 245 70 19.5 and they are only $217.00 each, that's $163.00 US!! They said that The fleet guys here driving in mud and snow love them and at 1/3 the cost of the big brand they can't turn them down. The tire store keeps 2 full sets (6) for 550's at all times. I had a set thrown on yesterday and took the truck for a rip through my friends farm field. No issues in the 14" of crusted packed snow we have right now. Overall Ht on these is just over 3" more than what I had on. These will buy us a few years of use working through the bugs on the truck before we retire and head out on our major trip. Sorry for the long post but it's -25 here this morning and winter is here for good now!
 

Fatboyz

Observer
A little nugget from the wife for my birthday. In the truck now for the weekend trip!
 

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Fatboyz

Observer
Had a good weekend out cutting firewood. It was going to be down to -20 so I brought a generator to plug the truck in so it would fire up in the morning. Need to get that Webasto heater in!
 

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