Hackster's crew cab first gen cummins

rbgerrish

Nee-nuu Nee-nuu!
Awesome build, awesome Volvos, general awesomeness everywhere

This is Hack in a nutshell. Such clean, well though-out builds, and done faster than anyone I've ever met. I think he can slow time- or he's got a clone. He can solid axle swap a Tacoma in the time it takes me to remove a seat...

Hope you have a great trip!
 

hackster

Adventurer
Just Spotted you heading NB on I5 in Washington. Truck looks ************ on the road.

Thanks man!!

Shacked up for the night in Fort Nelson. So far things have been pretty ok. Border crossing went well to my suprise!!

We spent the first night in Ski Hist in a provincial campground in the Frasier Canyon, so far it has been the most amazing place I have ever seen. The river is just amazing and massive with giant canyon walls thousands of feet tall. The road through there is simply awe inspiring. Hills, curves and some crazy curved downhill tunnels line the route.

Figured the furst night we would take it easy with the camp spot and it was well worth it, we found a couple trails from the ground and did a little hiking with the dog, fired up a camp fire cooked up some dinner and chatted with a few folks from Victoria BC about the camper. They loved it. Everywhere we go, people stop and stare at it.

Got up the next morning loaded everythign up and hit the road. That is where we found our first problem of the trip.....no heat in the dodge. Well, no fan to be exact so no vent defrost or anything, good thing I spent all that time putting the ac back in.

We got up the road several hundred more miles and stopped to get some groceries and ice for the drink cooler. Tore into it a little bit....well, when Kristi came back out, I had most of the dash out, the hood open and all my tools scattered around the truck. I have switched 12 volts at the fuse panel into and out of the fuse. I have no 12 volts at the switch on the heater control and no 12 volts at the fan motor either. The little resistor pack in the cowl had gotten really hot, even scorched the insulation around it, cleaned up that mess, cleaned all the terminals and put it back together and still nothing. Time to hit the road so it has been that way for two travel days now.

Made it to Bear Lake last night. We had an amazing spot, up on a little bluff, right next to the lake and some trails. We both got hot showers yesterday afternoon and that was refreshing to say the least. When we got back to the trailer and tried to fire up the lights, everything was dead. no lights no pump no nothing. We must have killed it the night before or left something on in transit.

Checked the battery and it was dead, like 3 volts. So I start troubleshooting and find that there is blown fuse from the trucks 12v source to the trailer. Get that fixed, fire up the truck and voila the battery was charging again.

We went without TV or anything powered last night to save the battery.

Today we hit the road a little earlier and had no problems with the truck. Drives great really, little rough on the nastier sections of the old alcan highway but its got great gearing and great power. I have only had to be in 4th for a couple of the biggest hills we have seen in the last 700 or so miles. The biggest one today was 10% grade, pretty much straight down, then back up the other side. Hills up here make my other previous hills look like flat roads, Cabbage Hill in Oregon and Soldier Summitt in Utah are a couple that might be longer, but as far as treacherous or steep have nothing on highway 1 or 97.

Made it to Fort Nelson today and was pretty dead, just shy of 500 miles of this type of driving wipes me out, so we stopped for the night, got some wifi and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Good Stuff.

Did see one really nasty wreck. Fully loaded double semi and a one ton crew cab chevy pickup head on....apparently the pickup driver was drunk and after seeing the wreckage I doubt that eiter of them survived.

just about 1,300 miles under our belts so far. Hoping to get to Summitt Lake and Liard Hotsprings tomorrow and keep on trucking.

Anyone know if there is a relay for the blower fan tucked away somewhere I am missing?

Sean
 

Xfactor

Observer
Great trip report hackster, Your rig rocks! All the little bugs take some time to work out, as you are well.

I hunt in the fort Nelson area every oct, that highway can be brutal, but beautiful at the same time. Watch out for the moose if you are driving late!


When you are rolling through Vancouver on your way I'd love to check out the rig...beers are on me:)
I have a few rigs you might be interested in seeing as well.
07 mega cab long box custom flat deck all kinds of mods, twin turbo 5.9 cummins dynoed at 860hp at the wheels

78 cj6 with 360 and chev running gear full cage etc

1972 suburban cut down to 3 door crew cab, this one is my current project, was going to go the pro street route, but after seeing yours, and (Jensen kennels off pirate) I may go the hauler/dd route, not sure yet. I love the prerunner/chase truck look as well.

Anyway. Enjoy the holiday, travel safe!
 

SChandler

Adventurer
....
Got up the next morning loaded everythign up and hit the road. That is where we found our first problem of the trip.....no heat in the dodge. Well, no fan to be exact so no vent defrost or anything, good thing I spent all that time putting the ac back in.

We got up the road several hundred more miles and stopped to get some groceries and ice for the drink cooler. Tore into it a little bit....well, when Kristi came back out, I had most of the dash out, the hood open and all my tools scattered around the truck. I have switched 12 volts at the fuse panel into and out of the fuse. I have no 12 volts at the switch on the heater control and no 12 volts at the fan motor either. The little resistor pack in the cowl had gotten really hot, even scorched the insulation around it, cleaned up that mess, cleaned all the terminals and put it back together and still nothing. Time to hit the road so it has been that way for two travel days now.

....

Anyone know if there is a relay for the blower fan tucked away somewhere I am missing?

Sean

The original wiring set up (assuming you used the heater wiring from the donor Cummins truck) shouldn't have a relay in it to the blower motor. This link might help you in your diagnosis (he talks about how the blower's wired in the first couple of posts): http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/showthread.php?t=158400

I hope the rest of your trip is trouble free. Any plans to do a write-up on the trip when you get back? My wife and I are planning an Alaska trip for 2015.

Sam
 

hackster

Adventurer
Bent the trailer a LS between Whitehorse and Tok. Had probably 15 degrees negative camber. Tore out the trailer lighting and blew the fuse. Had a welding shop straighten the axle the next morning. I patched up the lights and we headed to Valdez. What an incredible town. Been here for three days now and heading over to Seward on the ferry tomorrow.

Got the fan working for now. It's the internal switch on the heater controls that are bad. Bypassed that and all is well.

Other than that the dodge and trailer are working great. Last check was today on mileage and it was 16.2. Been getting that or better the entire trip.

The roads up here although beautiful are terrible to drive on. So bad that I actually aired down to try and smooth it out a little bit.

I did have some charging issues on the trailer but talked with the guy that built it put in a 20 amp fuse and its been fine now for days.

Been running off the battery for the third day now with no problem. Not hooked up to the truck either.

Tv works awesome too.

Ill update with some photos when I have a bit better service.

Cheers

Sean
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
I was sent a picture of a similar truck to Hacksters today. The owner contacted me on another matter and we got talking truck. Since it is so gorgeous, and in the same style as Hacksters, I figure nobody will mind if I post a pic. It's a '93 W350 chassis with a '74 body. I want one just like it!

image_zpsf9e6a730.jpg


PS. Hope your having fun up north Hack!
 

hackster

Adventurer
That dually is awesome!!! I have seriously been considering a dually for the next tow rig.

Caught a nasty cold as we were leaving Valdez a week ago and just starting to get over it.

Headed to Watson Lake this morning and the. Down the cassiar Highway towards whistler.

So far damage is:

Bent trailer axle
Three blown fuses
One bad heater control switch
One broken mirror and one broken windshield from rocks
Had to throw a screw on my rear backup light/wiring plate from all the ****ty roads yesterday.

Been getting in around 500+ a day. Hope to chec out Vancouver for a day or so when we get there.

Sean
 

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Congrats on the Magazine feature. Awesome truck build. Hope you had a chance to hang out with my buddy Harry Wagner.
 

redthies

Renaissance Redneck
The truck looks great in person! Yes, that was me in the black 2nd gen dually on the 5 just north of Vancouver Wa!
 

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