C5500 TopKick 4x4 Crew Cab Build

[Ford Prefect]

Someone I know bought a Terrastar on Ebay. He thought it was the best all around platform for his overland vehicle. He picked it up in, if I am not much mistaken, Missouri, and well before he was halfway home to Colorado he called his wife to tell her that he hated the thing, horrible ride, and it just did not fit like he thought it would. Among other things he said it road really horribly.

What other trucks are you considering? Personally I was impressed with the F650 used in the Eco-Roamer. The major draw back there was that it started out life as a 2wd and had to have the t-case and front axle added. Never the less he took the potash up and out via the Shaffer switchbacks, and it did really well in that, so that says something I guess. I am not saying that this is the truck for you either, only suggesting that you might go out and drive a few of them before you buy, and perhaps get one of them to let you take a truck for a weekend before you buy etc.

Sorry your truck is not what you hoped. It seemed a curious choice, but I was optimistic. Who knows, perhaps they can work it out for you at the shop!

[Overland Hadley]

...but I'm about ready to swap out the platform.

That's too bad. Is the camper built so it can be moved to a new platform without extensive reworking?

A new TerraStar happened by today, good looking vehicle.

[shortbus4x4]

Not sunset and no margaritas, but snapped a quick photo of the rig deployed lakeside at Flaming Gorge this weekend.



Discovered a few minor issues, like a small crack in one of the vent fitting welds on one of the water tanks. It is a very comfortable setup to be sure. From years of RV camping, one of my biggest gripes is trying to keep the rig clean and uncluttered. Turns out all the planning for easy access to tons of stowage paid off. The rig is very easy to keep clean, which is nothing short of a miracle in a family of boys!



The big dissapointment, however is the Topkick. I know I'll get some "I told you so" crap on this one, but I'm about ready to swap out the platform. On a positive note, it did very well on the 10 miles of dirt roads, including using 4L on a couple of very steep sections. But I'm not liking it on the highway at all. Even with the new fan clutch it's running hot, and something is gumming up my fuel filter. It could be crud from the used tanks, or something else. Even if I get that resolved, however, it doesn't have the punch I'm looking for to handle the ups and downs of the western US. I'll have some pros look at it this week to see if anything can be done to make it work, otherwise, I may be in the market for a different truck. Curious about the Terrastars.

Nice pics. Looks like fun.

Plugged fuel filter can be a huge part of the power problem. Check your cooling stack for debris and oil, I have seen more than one duramax that I pulled the radiator out and found the fins plugged with leaves and such, looked fine on the outside. Make sure all your shrouds and stuff are in place around the cooling units. A slipping trans will cause lack of power and overheating too. I have driven a few duramax pickups with big trailers behind them and they had plenty of power up hills.

[NeverEnough]

That's too bad. Is the camper built so it can be moved to a new platform without extensive reworking?

A new TerraStar happened by today, good looking vehicle.

The camper and subframe were designed to work with most US medium duty trucks, as long as the top of cab isn't more than 60" above the rails. I would likely have to modify the CA, bolt on the spring mounts, and mount the cab leveling jacks (which would probably require some custom plates like I did for the Topkick).

Plugged fuel filter can be a huge part of the power problem. Check your cooling stack for debris and oil, I have seen more than one duramax that I pulled the radiator out and found the fins plugged with leaves and such, looked fine on the outside. Make sure all your shrouds and stuff are in place around the cooling units. A slipping trans will cause lack of power and overheating too. I have driven a few duramax pickups with big trailers behind them and they had plenty of power up hills.

I pulled the filter last night and found fine metal shavings around the bottom of the filter where the sensor screws in. My guess is that one or both of the LP fuel pumps in the tanks are shot, there's a ton of crap in the tanks from the upfitter failing to adequately clean them out after all of the grinding before the tanks got coated, or both. I'm ticked that the dealer replaced the filter less than 400 miles back and surely would have seen the same thing if they'd taken a moment to look.

I replaced the filter and took the rig out for a drive and got a few more pieces of info. First, it immediately ran like a new machine. However, I noticed a subtle sound when I put my foot on the gas, and got very distinct at 3000RPM. It sounds like a metal on metal whine or high-pitch rub. I didn't hear it before due to the stereo! And as soon as I pushed over 3000RPM, the same immediate loss of power and belch of smoke. My guess is LP fuel pump going- or gone- bad. I'm taking it in tomorrow to have the entire fuel supply system checked out. As for running hot, the dealer said they did a complete inspection of all cooling system components and they checked out except the fan clutch. Anyway, I'll try to work through the issues before swapping the truck out for something else. Thanks for the info!

[Truck Camper Porn]

I drove the truck and camper over Parley's Summit on I-80 to Park City on Saturday (101 degrees when I left the valley), then repeated the trip the next day with the trailer in tow. There are more brutal climbs in the West, but Parley's is a pretty good indicator of what to expect on a long uphill.



The camper and the trailer did great. They ride well and nothing's coming loose or falling off. I deployed all the moving parts when I got home to make sure everything is working as it should.



It was the first time I'd tested all of the jacks together, and they're all working fine. Some of the drawer and cabinet catches need to be adjusted, and the inverter configuration isn't quite dialed in, but it's getting close. I've also decided to extend the tongue of the trailer 16" to give me a better turning radius once I swap out the ball coupler for the pintel/lunette.

I really haven't driven the truck since last summer, except for back and forth between the shop and the storage unit a few times. It was running hot over climbs last summer, but I never boiled it over. I just backed off and took my time. I had the same experience on Saturday and Sunday. I couldn't do the two steepest sections of the climb at more than 35mph in order to keep it at the 3/4 (230?) mark or cooler on the gauge. I can't see any coolant leaking, and the cap appears good. I'm taking it in on Thursday to have them check the entire cooling system to see if something's up with the T-stat, clutch fan or maybe just a gunked up radiator. It maintains normal temp on the flats, even at 65-70. If any of you have experience with Topkicks, let me know if you've had similar issues.

This thing is unbelievable!

[Ford Prefect]

Would you be so kind as to add some interior photos of the cab over, both up and down? I do not know if I have seen that, and having spent time in the Eco-Roamer I am interested in how you did it differently.

Thanks

[IdaSHO]

Sorry to hear about the motor problems.

Unfortunately, I have to say that out of our entire medium duty and heavy duty fleet of trucks at work, the Top-Kicks are by far the more problematic, and more costly to keep on the road. Ive got the logs and records to prove it. Even our VT365 powered rigs (though problematic) have proven to provide a lower $/mile operation than the Duramax or CAT powered Top-Kicks.

You have probably posted it in this great thread, but what motor is in your truck? I might be able to shed some light on the problems you are having...

[Dgurley2000]

I've read through the thread a few times and have enjoyed learning about construction with composites and camper design. It's also been good to hear some of the challenges you've faced and how you solved them.

I may have missed it - is your entire family able to fit in the cab while traveling? Or, are some of the seats in the camper equipped with seat belts? If there are seats with belts, did you tie them into the aluminum sub-frame?

[NeverEnough]

Sorry to hear about the motor problems.

Unfortunately, I have to say that out of our entire medium duty and heavy duty fleet of trucks at work, the Top-Kicks are by far the more problematic, and more costly to keep on the road. Ive got the logs and records to prove it. Even our VT365 powered rigs (though problematic) have proven to provide a lower $/mile operation than the Duramax or CAT powered Top-Kicks.

You have probably posted it in this great thread, but what motor is in your truck? I might be able to shed some light on the problems you are having...

Yeah, I've talked to guys that love them and those that hate them. The fan clutch was over 500 bucks and the fuel sending unit is almost as much- pricey parts. I've got the 6.6 Duramax LLY. Matt at Gillette Diesel in Bluffdale, UT has done chips on a dozen C5500's with good results. We're going to try that next week, assuming the hot running goes away with better fuel pressure.

I may have missed it - is your entire family able to fit in the cab while traveling? Or, are some of the seats in the camper equipped with seat belts? If there are seats with belts, did you tie them into the aluminum sub-frame?

The cab can seat 6, which is our immediate family head count, with a ton of leg room. I've held off on upgrading the cab interior, as well as cutting the "crawl through" until I've convinced myself to stick with the Topkick. I didn't put any seatbelts in the camper body. The only mechanical connections of the camper body to the subframe are the 6 safety latches. Maybe I'm reckless, but I've never required passengers to buckle-up in a motorhome for all sorts of reasons. It's inconsistent of me, since I'm Mr. AGATT when it comes to motorcycles.

I'll snap some photos of the latches and the cabover when I get back in town, as well uber-nice bathroom.

[Ford Prefect]

Hey there,

I just saw this over in Midvale, thought you might be interested.

http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/11428419

It has the six seat interior, and four doors. Long frame already as it was set up as a tow truck. Anyhow, it might do what you were looking for.

Regards,