My 2002 Cummins build...

[Oobray]

Well guys, I've posted some dinky threads here and there on this forum but never really started a build thread. I've really gotten a lot of inspiration and ideas from this forum. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to put many of those to fruition. First off, I've been a backpacker all my life, and my wife tagged along before the little one was born. So about two years ago I started thinking of the idea of getting the girls out camping and such but in a little more "luxury" than a backpack. I stumbled across this forum and the ideas came flooding in!! At the time I had an 07 cummins which was awesome, I miss it, but it also had a payment which hindered the "tinkering" budget. So I sold it and bought an 02 Cummins with 240K on the clock. She's in "decent" shape but so far here she is...








So far this is what I've done to her
1. FASS fuel system
2. Fix front main seal oil leak
3. Install valair single organic clutch. Not really happy with this one. I mean to order the organic but there was a micomunication between myself and valair and they aren't allowing any trades etc. because the clutch has already been installed. So I'm dealing for now.
4. Sinister diesel steering box brace.


So, just when I was about to start renting tent campers to try out (we're thinking of getting a Jayco Baja) I developed the dreaded death wobble. So I'm definitely not taking the family on a long trip with that as a potential issue. So rather than chasing down the cause only for it to pop up again, I'm just going to replace almost the entire steering system. Here's the list of parts I've got on order

1. BD track bar conversion bracket
2. Carli track bar
3. Carli control arms
4. Synergy ball joints
5. 2008 steering upgrade

I'm hoping that fixes it. So here's some videos of the current worn components


Ball joints...



Track bar...



I know the control arms weren't 100% necessary, but I'm looking to get some 37" tires eventually and I'm going to try and do it with just the 3" level. I'll update when I get all the parts in and start installing.
6. Carli steering stabilizer.

 

[redthies]

Couple of thoughts on tent trailers, (and I've owned the Starcraft 14RT which is pretty much the same as the Baja). First, they take time to set up and take down. Not a big deal if you only go to one spot and stay there, but if you are on a longer distance trip it can be a pain. Double that pain if it is raining (you get soaked folding it up, then can't get dry clothes out). You can't get to the fridge to load food in while travelling. I don't care, but it irritated the wife a bit. Can't ever be locked. I bolted a safe to the floor of mine to keep cameras, passports etc in while travelling for a year. They are not very off road capable. Dirt roads are ok, but not much more than that.

I have owned and travelled in a great many different rvs all over N.A. and Mexico, and I would suggest a pop up truck camper way before a tent trailer. Just food for thought...

Back to trucks, yours looks great. Why are you going to Carli from Thuren? I've talked with Don numerous times and he knows his stuff... I have had difficulty finding much 2nd gen stuff from him, but maybe I haven't looked far enough yet?

 

[Oobray]

Thanks for the response red. I've considered the truck camper, but here's what's steering me away.

1) I'm not exactly 100% confident in the reliability of the truck yet. Atleast if I've got a pop up and the truck breaks down somewhere I could likely get a rental that could pull the pop up.

2) we could pull the pop up with my wife's GMC Acadia on short trips.

3) we're hoping to bring another family with us on occasion so being able to cram 6-8 people in the pop up is nice. I haven't seen a slide in that can sleep that many.

I've looked at a few of the hybrid "off road" campers and they look nice and the wife likes the idea of a full bathroom. But it's towards the limit if the Acadia so I'm a little Leary.

Why do you think the baja isn't off road? I read several reviews about them going offroad. Now the truck isn't a serious off road vehicle either. I was thinking mostly "rough" forest and logging roads. Not really jeep trails. thoughts?

Oh, and I talked to Don for about an hour and after that long conversation he recommended these parts rather than his. Most of his 2nd gen stuff is under "re-design" or he's not going to produce them anymore. So the reason I didn't go with Don is cause he recommended I didn't. Which just made me want to buy his stuff more cause he's an awesome guy, but I figured he knows more than me and I'd listen to what he said.

 

[Darwin]

What length of control arms are looking to get? There is a guy on the DodgeOffroad forum that put 40 inch toyos on a 3 inch lift with 0.75 longer control arms.

 

[Oobray]

Thanks Darwin, good to know. I'm getting the 1/2" longer ones and I'm planning on getting a set of 37" military tires. They measure out around 36" tall.

 

[redthies]

Yeah, Don is as honest as they come. He will make sure you get the right product for your intended use, even if it isn't his stuff!

On the trailer, I found the construction to be lacking in most of the "offroad" pop ups. I chose the Starcraft solely on their construction. The hardest terrain I pulled it on was forestry roads, and some rough Mexican dirt roads. It stood up well, but it is much heavier built than the Coleman/Fleetwood or the Jayco. I lived out of it fulltime for almost a whole year with my wife and three dogs. I'm sure they all do ok in their intended use, which is a few long weekends per year. I would guess the rv industry expects the average tent trailer to do 300 nights and 30,000 miles in the entire lifetime of the unit, not in the first year as ours did.

A couple of pics... The "good ones" from the year of travel are on my old MacBook.

 

[Oobray]

Red, that sounds amazing! I wish I could someday have a trip like that. If I get to use my pop up 10/yr I'll be happy. And if ONE of those times is "off road" I'll be happier. So I imagine the trailer will hold up. I've looked for any of the Starcraft RT models and can't seem to find them.