Hackney FG test update

[dhackney]

We're 9,500 miles and 101 days into testing the rig.

Probably the most unusual thing to happen so far was meeting an Earthroamer on Interstate 80 in Des Moines, Iowa, of all places. We were westbound and they were eastbound.

We also woke up one morning in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and found an Earthroamer parked about 100' from us.

Didn't manage to get a photo either time.

Considering how few of them are out there, we were surprised to see two within a few weeks.

Biggest dissapointment so far was missing the Horizons Unlimited Colorado rally by a couple of days.

Route and test results data are at:
http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-fusotestmap.htm

Highlights included being in a parade back in Iowa.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/08/scf_weekend/images/image029.jpg

http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/08/scf_weekend/images/image037.jpg


Way too many great sunsets to count. This one was from along the Snake River in ID.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-05-SD800-IS-IMG_3463-edit-800.jpg

Occaisional road repairs.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-12-30D-IMG_1102-800.jpg

Great mountain roads. (River of No Return Wilderness)
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-12-30D-IMG_1108-800.jpg

A few field repairs.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-22-SD550-IMG_7450-800.jpg

Some limit tests.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-29-30D-IMG_1349-crop-small.jpg

Some of my favorite signs.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-30-30D-IMG_1414-800.jpg

And even a few water crossings.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/07/2007-07-30-30D-IMG_1529-crop-small.jpg

We even found time for some walks along the beach.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/09/2007-09-08-SD800%20IS-IMG_4248-800.jpg

I'll try to get some more photos posted the next time we get around some bandwidth.

Doug

[kcowyo]

Nice update Doug!

The Snake River and the River of No Return Wilderness area are about as raw as it gets. Beautiful country... isolated, scenic and remote....

You should be commended for having the discipline to do all that repetitive testing, instead of just saying, "We're done! Let's roll!"

I also enjoyed your 10 things we did wrong and the things we did right, lists. There are some valuable lessons there that we can all learn from. Good stuff -

[dhackney]

Thanks for the kind words, greatly appreciated.



I also enjoyed your ... lists.

Based on this: recommended reading - Mark of the Grizzly by Scott McMillion

I think you'd probably enjoy these lists too:

Desert Island Books List (http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-booksdesertislandlist.htm)

Recently read books (http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-booksrecentlyreaddoug.htm)

Current book inventory (http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-booksinventorydoug.htm)

[kcowyo]

More great lists Doug. Several of those titles caught my interest.

Thanks - :beer:

[articulate]

I totally dig going through your site and employing osmosis-via-mouse to take in the information. So I've got a question from your list of "things done right." Number 7, "Stud mounting everything to facilitate field service (this has already paid big dividends)"

What's stud mounting?

Another question..... when does the trip launch? 9,500 miles of testing? Holy crap. You're evidently on the road, so perhaps you're considering your domestic miles as part of the "final exam?"

[HMR]

You guys ROCK! Keep the updates coming.

[dhackney]

Number 7, "Stud mounting everything to facilitate field service (this has already paid big dividends)"

What's stud mounting?

I tried to mount everything on studs so that if I needed to remove a component for service all I had to do was to remove the nuts & washers and then the component. This way I don't have to worry about getting to the backside of bolts, etc. that could be buried underneath things.

Here's an example from album 19 on the rig web site (http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/)of the box lights. The heads of the mounting bolts are between the storage box and the camper. I don't want to have to remove the camper, ever, hopefully, and certainly not to fix a box light.

Mounting bolt heads (I later changed these to button head cap screws that use an allen head instead of a phillips head)
http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/photos/buildup_album_19/images/image038.jpg


Mounting bolts with locking nuts (I used lock tite on these)
http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/photos/buildup_album_19/images/image039.jpg


Box light mounted on studs. I used this basic method on everything from heavy things like the inverter to semi-heavy things like the cab center console to light, little things like the box lights.
http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/photos/buildup_album_19/images/image040.jpg



Another question..... when does the trip launch?
We'll ship out as soon as we get back down to SoCal and take care of some things. Probably head directly to South America at this point.



9,500 miles of testing? Holy crap. You're evidently on the road, so perhaps you're considering your domestic miles as part of the "final exam?"

Yes, probably more like "user acceptance testing."

The first six weeks or so were very oriented to testing all the systems, testing all the theories, finishing up some little things, field repairs, etc. Then we had about a month of seeing relatives. We're now in full time relaxation mode.

View from the camper door last night. That flat gray thing with the birds flying over it is what they call the Pacific up here.
http://www.hackneys.com/photos/07/09/2007-09-16-30D-IMG_0205-800.jpg

[bigreen505]

Awesome!

[articulate]

I tried to mount everything on studs so that if I needed to remove a component for service all I had to do was to remove the nuts & washers and then the component. This way I don't have to worry about getting to the backside of bolts, etc. that could be buried underneath things.

Here's an example . . .
Brilliant! This kind of foresight must come from experience: like they say, "good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgment."




We'll ship out as soon as we get back down to SoCal and take care of some things. Probably head directly to South America at this point . . . We're now in full time relaxation mode.
I get the impression your route is going to be shot from the hip, more or less. "Probably headed to South America." :)
Que les vaya bien.

[dhackney]

I get the impression your route is going to be shot from the hip, more or less. "Probably headed to South America." :)
Que les vaya bien.

We are officially on the "no plan - plan."

Although, bo totally honest, neither of us does well if there is no structure at all. We travel best if we build a loose framework of "we really want to experience/explore/see this, this and this," and have a general direction and flexible timeline around those goals.

The key word is flexible.

[dhackney]

Here's a piece I wrote about the Dorymen of the Oregon coast:

http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/09/18/the-dorymen/

[VikingVince]

Doug,

Your rig looks awesome! I got a kick out of the contrast between seeing it in an Iowa pararde and the great outdoors. Finally, you get to enjoy the fruits of all your labors! I wish you and your wife exciting and rewarding, happy and safe adventures...and I look forward with much anticipation to your web updates.
Bon Voyage:jumping:

PS - I like your travel mantra of Exploring the World and Meeting Its People on the side of your rig along with the pics. I was half expecting to see the mantra in several other languages as well!

Where are those lists of things you did right and things you did wrong.?...can't find them...thanks.

[dhackney]

I wish you and your wife exciting and rewarding, happy and safe adventures...and I look forward with much anticipation to your web updates.

Where are those lists of things you did right and things you did wrong.?...can't find them...thanks.

Thanks for the good wishes, greatly appreciated!

The best way to stay updated is to subscribe to my blog. I will always post there when I add content to the blog or the web sites.

To subscribe to the blog, go to the blog site and click on the Subscribe - All Entries menu option. It is the top menu option on the menu along right side.

The right/wrong lists are on the BEV expedition vehicle build site. Look for the lists on the menu on the left side.

Main travel web site: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/
My blog: http://www.hackneys.com/blog/
BEV build site: http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/

[VikingVince]

Thanks Doug...I attempted to subscribe to the Blog as per your instructions...didn't work...got the following message:

"The XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below."

Just thought I'd let you know...maybe something with my computer?...or something else...beats me...thanks.

[dhackney]

Thanks Doug...I attempted to subscribe to the Blog as per your instructions...didn't work...got the following message:

"The XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below."

Just thought I'd let you know...maybe something with my computer?...or something else...beats me...thanks.

Thanks for the heads up on this. I will check it out and get back to you.

[jayshapiro]

Hey Doug,
Congrats on the successful tests so far...

How's the BGAN working for you? You mentioned in one of your recent posts that you would upload photos "when you get near bandwidth" does that mean that between the GPRS & BGAN you're not happy with the connectivity?

Looking forward to hearing stories from when the trip 'really begins'!

Jay.

[dhackney]

How's the BGAN working for you? You mentioned in one of your recent posts that you would upload photos "when you get near bandwidth" does that mean that between the GPRS & BGAN you're not happy with the connectivity?

The BGAN works great but it is extremely expensive for the bandwidth. I fired it up and tested it. Works great, but I don't plan to use it unless we're out in the bush for a few weeks and I just MUST get a post up on ExPo. Otherwise I'll wait for an internet cafe.

The Skymate system has really proven quite handy. Works great for text coms. I didn't think I'd use it at all but use it quite a bit when we're off the grid.


Looking forward to hearing stories from when the trip 'really begins'!

Boy, you and me both! :)

[dhackney]

Thanks Doug...I attempted to subscribe to the Blog as per your instructions...didn't work...got the following message:

"The XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below."

Just thought I'd let you know...maybe something with my computer?...or something else...beats me...thanks.

I did a search on this. It may be on your end if you are using an early version of a Mozilla / Firefox browser. The base versions are not set up as feed readers. They expect a style for any content and feeds don't have any style content. I don't use those browsers but I understand there are feed reader plug-ins available.

If this is not the case for you, i.e. if you are using a different browser and got that error message, or have no problems with other feeds, please let me know.

The blog is a bone stock install of Word Press, so nothing exotic there.

The feed is RSS 2.

[haven]

Doug,

I had no problem creating a username and password
for your blog. At the time I was using a Macintosh
and Firefox 2.0.0.x.

Chip Haven

[VikingVince]

I did a search on this. It may be on your end if you are using an early version of a Mozilla / Firefox browser. The base versions are not set up as feed readers. They expect a style for any content and feeds don't have any style content. I don't use those browsers but I understand there are feed reader plug-ins available.

If this is not the case for you, i.e. if you are using a different browser and got that error message, or have no problems with other feeds, please let me know.

The blog is a bone stock install of Word Press, so nothing exotic there.

The feed is RSS 2.

thanks, Doug...I am using an early version of Firefox...so that's the problem. I need to upgrade it. thanks again for figuring out my problem:oops: It would have been beyond my 'puter know-how.

[dhackney]

Doug,

I had no problem creating a username and password
for your blog. At the time I was using a Macintosh
and Firefox 2.0.0.x.

Chip Haven

Chip,

Could you please try subscribing to the posts or comments on the blog and confirming that functionality works with the Mac/FF combination?

I used to develop code for both platforms but gave up the Mac OS when the biz community moved to PCs so I don't have any around to test on.

thanks,
Doug

[dhackney]

I updated the test data.

I added some additional component/system failures that I forgot on the first post.

I also added some additional discoveries / characteristics.

Still plugging away on the photos. Hope to have those up soon.

Test results page: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-fusotestmap.htm

[dhackney]

I updated the test data and our route.

I finally got the photos posted at: http://www.hackneys.com/gallery/v/travel/2007/06-fusotest/

Test data and route page is at: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-fusotestmap.htm

[haven]

Doug,

Thanks for sharing. The data are very useful.
How are the stock tires holding up to the load?

Chip Haven

[dhackney]

How are the stock tires holding up to the load?

Chip,

So far, so good. I don't see excessive wear up to this point.

I expect we will experience diminished tread life and earlier replacement than Fusos with less load.

I lost a lot of sleep over this, but in the end, I'm glad I stuck with the stock tires and kept at least that portion of things simple.

Doug

[spencyg]

Doug,
Do you expect to run into any issues with the height of the vehicle when encountering ferry travel? How are you going to ship overseas? My expedition van is going to be over 9' tall when complete, and I'm concerned about the limitations imposed by the dimension...

Spence

[Robthebrit]

Spencer,

This has been gone over somewhere before but I can't find it. I think Doug will be fine, shipping will be a little trickier but won't cause any significant problems. Your camper at around 9 feet will also be fine, my mog is 10'2" and has been shipped all over the place. Width is the bigger issue for a lot of campers.

Local shipping using ferries will cause no problems as they are either open barges or huge and made to take semis, 9,10,11 feet not a problem. Long haul container shipping is a little trickier, may have to use a high cube or a flat rack (most likely a flat rack) but they are only 8 feet wide. Flat rack will expose your truck to salt water as its always on top and there is a very small chance of it falling off the boat. Roll on/roll off is the other option, works pretty much the same as a ferry and dimensions are not really a problem but theft can be a problem.

Rob

[dhackney]

Doug,
Do you expect to run into any issues with the height of the vehicle when encountering ferry travel? How are you going to ship overseas? My expedition van is going to be over 9' tall when complete, and I'm concerned about the limitations imposed by the dimension...

Spencer Garrett
Maine

Spencer,

Based on our research, reading overlander's journals, and talking with people who've done it, I'd agree with Rob. We have no direct experience with expedition vehicles overseas yet, so I'm sure we will learn plenty as we go.

Our rig is 12.04' / 3.67 meters high and 8.58' / 2.62 meters wide.

Based on our international travels by motorcycle I think our primary limitation will be width. We are pretty wide for the developing countries we prefer to travel in.

Another limitation we've got is departure angle. In Steven Stewart's excellent design requirements overview of expedition vehicles he rates departure angle as more limiting than ground clearance. I put drag caster wheels back there for when we touch down, but they haven't made contact yet, even during testing off-road.

From what people have told us, it looks like low hanging wires will be our primary challenge related to height. I put a "nerf bar" on the leading edge of the camper roof to provide some protection for the solar panels, A/C, etc.

For shipping, we are using RoRo whenever possible and flat rack when required. As Rob mentioned the primary risks there are security on the docks and exposure to seawater / sea spray during transit.

To mitigate security/theft concerns while on the docks and in transit we had a sunbrella cover made for the front winch and to cover everything behind the cab. We also installed burglar bars over the skylights and a lock bar over the camper door. I will remove all the antennas, driving lights and all cab electronics prior to shipping. (Fill any open electrical connectors with dialectric grease to protect them from corrosion during shipping.)

If you are building on the Sprinter platform there are commercially available locking bulkheads to seperate your cab area from the rear of the vehicle. That could provide some security for you if you are forced to ship RoRo or flat rack. (Sprinter resoruces are on this page, scroll down: http://www.hackneys.com/mitsu/index-resources.htm )

We've shipped by container and air freight with our bike and have never any trouble with those methods. If there was any way we could have met our requirements with a vehicle that fit into a container I would have much preferred that shipping method.

If you are close on height for fitting into a container, beyond what you can do by letting some air out of the tires, have some wheel blanks machined and put them on instead of wheels/tires. All you need is enough ground clerance to clear the differential and front suspension. I was planning to use high strength aluminum and cut cross hatches in the circumference for a little traction.

Doug

[spencyg]

Thanks for the information guys. The base for our rig is an '86 E350 Quadravan camper. My van introduction thread (along with pics) is in the Camper Van discussion area. We just picked it up a couple weeks ago and are still in the beginning stages of the outfit process. Our initial trip will keep us within the bounds of North and Central America, but given the expense of creating a vehicle such as this, I want to make sure we minimize the limitations for future adventures. Doug, I have really enjoyed watching your build and following your adventures. Maybe we'll meet out on the road some day...

Spence

[haven]

Typical shipping container **internal** dimensions are
length 19 and 39 feet
width 91 inches
height 93 inches (standard container)
height 105 inches ("High Cube")

The all-important door opening dimensions are
width: 88 inches
height: 89 inches
height: 100 inches ("High Cube")

Dimensions reported on different web sites vary plus or
minus 2 inches.

Ford's web page for the 2008 E-350 lists these dimensions:

wheelbase 138"
overall length 212"
width of body 79"
overall height 84"
curb weight 5332 lbs

So if your Pathfinder has much of a suspension lift,
you may have trouble fitting it through the door of a
standard shipping container. However, it looks like
the van will fit through the door of a High Cube container
without airing down the tires.

Chip Haven

[dhackney]

Typical shipping container **internal** dimensions are
length 19 and 39 feet
width 91 inches
height 93 inches (standard container)
height 105 inches ("High Cube")

The all-important door opening dimensions are
width: 88 inches
height: 89 inches
height: 100 inches ("High Cube")

Dimensions reported on different web sites vary plus or
minus 2 inches.

Chip Haven

For the benefit of alternate dimension and metric readers:

length 19 (228 inches, 5.7912 meters) and 39 feet (468 inches, 11.8872 meters)
width 91 inches (7.583 feet, 2.3114 meters)
height 93 inches (standard container) (7.75 feet, 2.3622 meters)
height 105 inches ("High Cube") (8.75 feet, 2.667 meters)

The all-important door opening dimensions are
width: 88 inches (7.33 feet, 2.2352 meters)
height: 89 inches (standard container)(7.416 feet, 2.2606 meters)
height: 100 inches ("High Cube")(8.333 feet, 2.54 meters)

Dimensions reported on different web sites vary plus or
minus 2 inches. (5.08 centimeters, 50,8 mm)

[dhackney]

Test final data

Spencer's post reminded me this thread was open and to finalize the test data.

Finalized map and test results data at: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/fusotestmap.htm