Looks awesome. I threw an old camper in the back of an '97 F150 with a spring upgrade. We can sleep the four of us and tow a trailer with a couple wheelers/bikes on it too. We always wake up warm and dry. Tons of fun. Small investment. BUBB, damn right! If you can't pay cash, its too expensive. No reason to make the banker rich off your own labor. Good job. Have fun!
BUBB - Big Ugly Budget Build
- Thread starter BlueCoyote
- Start date
BlueCoyote
Observer
Update time:
BUBB has had a busy summer.
Made several trips over the Cascades - one for SxS riding @ Little Cultus Lake, Irish & Taylor, Waldo areas.
And an issue arose - lost 2 cylinders - making the big block into a V6. Got to camp, ran into town for new plugs & wires. Felt good on the way back, then did it again. Once home I pulled the cap (just had it off few month prior) - and it was fubared.
New CarQuest cap & rotor and it runs great. Also added a big AT cooler as the stock one in the tank is not to the task.
Next trip was to Millican for more fun
Ran good but got HOT, but never boiled over. Fan clutch was going out. Get it back home, new fan clutch, thermostat, top off the 134a. Now its running cool.
Yes - a few PITA issues, but really minor fixes and low cost.
Next trip was a heavy haul - a 18' toy hauler to a country music concert.
And it is nose heavy. So load it up, crank up the WD bars and hit the log scales. It was a few hundred over on the rear axle weight. But bearings ran cold, so hmm. Then found crateaxle.com which is Dana Corps web site - and found the Dana 70HD is rated for much more than the GM label. No more worries. Measured the rear hitch extension empty & loaded - 0 deflection. Pulled great, not running hot, nice cool AC.
Our low $ V3500 / 11.5 Bigfoot / flat bed is working out great - getting us into places the big toyhauler, Class A or C would not.
NorthWestOffroad.net
Racing- Adventure - Fun
Maverick XRS
BUBB has had a busy summer.
Made several trips over the Cascades - one for SxS riding @ Little Cultus Lake, Irish & Taylor, Waldo areas.
And an issue arose - lost 2 cylinders - making the big block into a V6. Got to camp, ran into town for new plugs & wires. Felt good on the way back, then did it again. Once home I pulled the cap (just had it off few month prior) - and it was fubared.
New CarQuest cap & rotor and it runs great. Also added a big AT cooler as the stock one in the tank is not to the task.
Next trip was to Millican for more fun
Ran good but got HOT, but never boiled over. Fan clutch was going out. Get it back home, new fan clutch, thermostat, top off the 134a. Now its running cool.
Yes - a few PITA issues, but really minor fixes and low cost.
Next trip was a heavy haul - a 18' toy hauler to a country music concert.
And it is nose heavy. So load it up, crank up the WD bars and hit the log scales. It was a few hundred over on the rear axle weight. But bearings ran cold, so hmm. Then found crateaxle.com which is Dana Corps web site - and found the Dana 70HD is rated for much more than the GM label. No more worries. Measured the rear hitch extension empty & loaded - 0 deflection. Pulled great, not running hot, nice cool AC.
Our low $ V3500 / 11.5 Bigfoot / flat bed is working out great - getting us into places the big toyhauler, Class A or C would not.
NorthWestOffroad.net
Racing- Adventure - Fun
Maverick XRS
Last edited:
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Update time:
Our low $ V3500 / 11.5 Bigfoot / flat bed is working out great - getting us into places the big toyhauler, Class A or C would not.
NorthWestOffroad.net
Racing- Adventure - Fun
Maverick XRS
My build is similar. Glad to hear you are getting so much function and good use from your truck.
BlueCoyote
Observer
Change in plans - so the BUBB is officially up for sale.
Have had many great trips with this set up, and it has worked out well.
Lots of new parts, Titles in hand, ready to go.
Have had many great trips with this set up, and it has worked out well.
Lots of new parts, Titles in hand, ready to go.