JAG1

you are correct it is a shortbed and the camper is for a long bed so the center of gravity is radically in the wrong position and placed undue stress on the frame.

His center of gravity should have been more in front of the rear axle, if that was the cause . It's a heavy looking camper in the rear and with a motorcycle or a fat tire ebike extended out the rear and crew cab extended frame adding more dynamic leverage. I don't trust the newer hydroformed frames as I would rather have the plated steel frame like my first get D250 had. Don't know about the second gen frames. Hoping it's okay. I'm weighing at the scales +/- 9800 lbs when fully loaded with my camper. Camper is 2675 dry weight on a camper special 2002 for about 87,000 miles now. I wonder if I should stop doing it but, everyone says that I am not over the axle weight rating so it's okay! What a bad experience for that truck owner!

Happy New Year to all. Welcome to a fresh new start.

I am sorry your right. I need to stay out of these threads if I don't take time to look first. The remainder of the charge wire is used for a ground to the left battery coming from the new bolt and new ring terminal at the back of the gear case.

I wouldn't do anything until more say what they have to say. I am not sure about any of what your doing because your factory set up is different than both my second gens of which I did the W-T wire harness mods myself. Let me ask.. have you tested the level of AC ripple/ noise before starting this task? Your factory set up looks better than both my trucks (01 and 02) that had important connections made with some sort of glue instead of actual solder. What level of AC noise are you currently getting?

Thanks Nick, I think electric puts too much reliance on one source that in turn will over tax that infrastructure plus the problems associated with slow charging in winter. You will have to constantly guard your vehicle to make sure someone else did not unplug and borrow your charging while you sleep. That's a problem recently reported on the news.

Is this something worth looking into maybe investing in? Seems to me I remember someone converting some engines over to hydrogen. I am asking because I do not think electric cars are going to catch on real well by the look of it.

I cooked some steaks over apple wood once. It really didn't add much flavor. IBMobile has a friend Dave the comes up camping. He cooks only with charcoal brickets when hot and glowing. Every time he does the Tri Tip it comes out like a million bucks. The guy knows how in ways that seem impossible to me. I want to eat the whole roast but, I try to be a nice guy and hold back so they don't roast me for being a pig.

An I'd do a feast fly in.

JJSNOW sent me this PMso I asked Mike Nelson to get it Posted for @JJSNOW.... My dually 98.5 ram 3500 5.9 turbo diesel has been down since May. I have spent thousands and thousands on parts. I have replaced every part per mechanics request from the injector pump, every sensor on the truck and now I am told that I need to send my PCM off. I don't have the money to continue this journey. I love my truck. It is for me. A guy hit me and I had just received a check to have it fixed. After purchasing my new bed (which is still in Mississippi and not picked up yet), new carpet, finished my stereo system, immediately had to start buying these parts. I was so excited to finally get it all prettied up and then this! The mechanic is a very good friend of mine but I am very suspicious sometimes on his motives so now I am asking you to tell me what I need to do. I have caught him in some untruths. Last week he said we needed to put it on a more detailed scanner. Now mind you he has worked his *** off. But I asked him if _____'s Garage had a scanner. He said yes and he would run by there. When he got back he said "they don't rebuild PCMs they send them off." I was just blown away that was not why he went down there! When things don't make sense to me they are usually lies! I sat him down and got him to give me a list of the symptoms: 1. Alternator not charging. 2. Gauges not working. 3. Odometer blinking code 920, 921, 999. 4. OBDM port not responding to a scanner. 5. No throttle position sensor (and I can't read the next word) 6. Short in wiring harness going to the alternator. 7. No reverse lights and all other lights working. Because I am a girl and blonde I have had numerous mechanics lie and take thousands and thousands of dollars from me. Some of them screaming the name of Jesus on Sunday and taking my $100 dollar bills every other day of the week. And some of these things I should have been smarter! I am ready to give up on this truck. Its loud, its powerful, it pulls my horses down the road like there is nothing behind it yet it has broke me, and I think all this may have even broken my cowgirl spirit. It has completely exhausted me to the point of considering selling my horse farm which I have lived on my entire life but without a truck I am dead in the water. I have worked my own fingers to the bone my entire life to have the farm and the horses I have now... I have had a horse since I was 3 and right now I have the nicest horses I have ever owned yet I can't do anything but feed them. I know this sounds very dramatic but I promise I have been through things and somehow still managed to keep this place and doing it all alone. I say all that to describe how overwhelmed and beat down I am. I can't afford some fancy truck when I am struggling already after Covid took my business out two years ago. Can you please help me. If you can't help me with my truck point me in the right direction to see a psychiatrist because that is exactly how bad this daily bull crap has affected me. I will be forever indebted to you! Always, JJ @JJSNOW

I am thankful each day I drive either of my 2nd gens. I love those trucks, they are a real nice tool that you take good care of.

Then you have to earn more money for a hotel room while it charges otherwise your standing there for hours watching all the diesel guys go by that you passed earlier in town. Used car prices for internal combustion engines are going to go thru the roof. 2nd gen truck in nice shape $100,000 bucks

I was on a long distance run last February where my truck sat all nite for 9/10 hrs in 15 degree weather. All it had was a heavy dosage of TCW3 but, with my clear bowl filter bottom I was concerned about it's exposure. At start up in the morning I only experienced a slight hesitation when raising the rpms to help with the warm up that quickly went away. I now realize how important it might be next time to carry not only a generator but, a heat gun in the tool bag as well. The camper and it's two batteries kept us warm all nite into the morning. A bit of info that may interest you... the EV's are not charging in this cold weather. Heard that on the news so it might be Fake!

When changing my factory filter I simply shut off both ball shut off valves that are on each side of the big primary filter and lift pump down low on the frame this will prevent fuel from draining back into the tank and keep air from entering the system when the filter cap is removed. When changing the primary filter or the lift pump down low on the frame, both ball valves are shut to help not lose any degree of priming. After the big filter is changed I leave the front ball valve shut and open the rear valve, I then open the bleed vent bolt at the top of the big filter. It vents the air and fills fuel by gravity, as long as the fuel tank is full it will fill to the top, I wait till it weeps a little and finally I shut the bleed bolt and then open the front ball valve. For insurance I run the lift pump a few times by bumping the starter and she fires up every time. But this is only how I keep and hold prime when changing filters or lift pump, not dealing with clouded up frozen fuel in cold weather. I also have fuel pressure ports on the fuel lines to both trucks, up near the highest level of fuel lines near the VP, these can also be used as air bleed ports and have helped in the past. They each have brass screw caps with rubber 'O' rings.

I know you where and its cool.

Both these members have good intentions so let them be as covert as they like . W-T has good camouflage for his truck.... I can barely make out what it looks like with his Girlfriend standing in the front.

I am hoping warmer temps are heading your way since we went from 22* to 45* in 24 hrs. Also seeing weather coming from the south eastern Pacific which is always a warm temperate pattern. I have in the past used a shop vac with the hose placed into the outlet blowing side of the vac with a rag blowing into the fill neck to prime a couple times but you have to have a portion of the fuel line open to see when fuel starts flowing. A problem with that is your expanding the fuel tank at the same time so I always did short blasts of air so I didn't damage anything. I would open the line to the VP and have someone watch for flow and tighten it yourself because those threads are aluminum and you do not want to wrench them and strip them light snug is good and if it weeps then a bit more till it stops. You might get it this way anyhow. Sometimes I think its good to just let quite a bit of fuel thru and guarantee there's nor air but, it makes a mess sometimes. We need her running so you can go camping with us LOL!

He's gotten real good at makin' those with me around camp. Michael Nelson made it home just fine, is in good shape... I talked with him on the phone since I was concerned.

I don't think he got air in there unless the fuel somehow drained back to the tank when taking off the cap. I think running a heat gun to all fuel lines, lift pump etc. will do the trick. It should work if you warm up everything further away from the warmed engine. You could use a temperature laser gun to see who is the coldest under there. Where's Mike Nelson BTW, he headed out for Seattle didn't he? has anyone heard from him? Don't cook anything under there Boss!

I'm also glad you made it back home Nick. Driving conditions here are treacherous with a coating of frozen rain consistently covering everything. Hard to avoid falling going for firewood. No one is driving for the most part, very quiet off in the distance about 1.5 miles away is what we hear usually but, now there is not a sound. I hope Michael Nelson is hold up in a hotel safe and sound as he heads toward Seattle. At 5 this morning the temps have gone from 22* f to 32* in 12 hours, is starting to thaw thankfully. Our first time using Oak firewood sure is amazing as our home is staying a nice even temperature with the ability to turn down the burn rate and no creosote build up. Each load is only one or two small logs going for at least 6-8 hours. It is wonderful firewood. I'm very thankful for this lucky find. Merry Christmas everyone

Thank you both Tractorman and W-T for your well thought out posts above. I'm still breathing LOL!

I like I can quit earlier for Christmas this time with the ice storm we are having. Getting lots of rest lately with some fun texts with clients and family. It's like Christmas will go on for several days this time . I even called IBMobile and got some good stories about horrible clients. Fortunately he knows how and when to walk away.

Thank you all and Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Mine's just a dumb bicycle but, feel the same way. It keeps me in shape anyhow. I remember owning motorcycles... I valued my freedom so much in those days a few ladies tried to tie me down but, never worked. Also there wasn't hardly a week I did not cut class in hqh school. In those days Cali was beautiful with a lot of nice countryside I would say it was quality education on that motorcycle back in those days.

Sarcasm and hijacked threads are accepted here unless MoparMan joins the Gestapo we are okay for now. Most do try to stay on topic but, hey in a real world many things are related.