Figured I'd get some input from our vast source of bench racers...
Diesel motor break in. What am I looking at? How long before I can tow?
Motor? GM Duramax 6600
QuoteFigured I'd get some input from our vast source of bench racers...
Diesel motor break in. What am I looking at? How long before I can tow?
Motor? GM Duramax 6600
sup jeff, ive got a 04 dodge ram high output cummins i6. how many miles on the chevy? i'd say dont tow for the first 1k, after that PULL AWAY. seriously it will break the engine in faster. Some people tow from day one.
chris
Break in?
Pfff.
Got yourself a new LLY huh? Very nice. I miss mine :(
I put about 300 miles on mine (if even) before I towed with it. I wouldn't worry about it... just change the oil and go. These things are workhorses, designed to work. You think when a big industrial company buys a bunch of diesels, that they baby them the first 1000 miles before using them? Heck no.
One thing that IS a good idea... flush all the drivetrain fluids after you get about 1k on it. Trans, transfer case, front and rear diffs. It'll be expensive (about $500) if you have the dealer do it - but there is a LOT of crap floating around in there. Plus the f/r diffs have been known to ship a quart low. Make sure the shop fills the trans back to the proper level.
http://www.thedieselplace.com is a good source of info.
Don't have it yet. That's the problem. It's in production and delivery is tentative for mid April. My sneaking suspicion is that I'll get it the week of Road A. That would put me with maybe 500 miles on it and a need to tow the trailer (figure 5500#) to Road A (60 mi away).
There will be a couple hundred miles on it when I pick it up, and add another 120 from my ride home.
If I could get it like the week of 4/11, that would be perfect as I could take it that weekend up to my folks in N. WI which would be a good 500 mi round trip.
Thanks Jim. Actually that makes a LOT of sense (the whole industrial point).
My brother works for a company that is does a lot of work in engines and engine design.
According to them, AND the research they did into info already available, break in isn't needed at all anymore really. Changing the oil right away is a good idea, but the best thing to do is to use the motor hard from day 1.
At this time, they work with four strokes, but I don't see how diesel break in would be different.
Including diesel pickup trucks, the industrial place I work at doesn't baby anything to break it in, and we're known for having our equipment last a long time. (We've got cranes that are in use 8-12 hours a day that have been around since 1965, for example)
QuoteDon't have it yet. That's the problem. It's in production and delivery is tentative for mid April. My sneaking suspicion is that I'll get it the week of Road A. That would put me with maybe 500 miles on it and a need to tow the trailer (figure 5500#) to Road A (60 mi away).
There will be a couple hundred miles on it when I pick it up, and add another 120 from my ride home.
If I could get it like the week of 4/11, that would be perfect as I could take it that weekend up to my folks in N. WI which would be a good 500 mi round trip.
Very nice. So what'd ya get? Dually? 4-door? :)
Oh yeah.. don't even bother watching your fuel milage until you get a solid 10k on it. Then get yourself an exhaust and an Edge Juice. Leave the Edge on level 1 when empty, and you'll pick up an extra 2mpg.
Do you mind me askin how much you got her for ?
dually - yes.
actually there's only 3 doors. but it does have an escape hatch or two...
And it cost me $175 more than the last house I bought...
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gulfstreamcoach.com%2Fendura%2Fimages%2Fexterior.jpg&hash=e8335d50bb253480de1070dbb9ab4ee1ead6d9f3)
wow PIMP shit. good luck with it! ;D
Thanks man... + 1 year searching and planning... It's one of the only RV's on the market that you'll find which can actually tow... (well, except the renegade's but they're insane expensive).
Ya know...if you plan to break in the engine you should really put on the dyno and give her a real good workout. ;D
Cool wheels. Are those the stock grafix or are you going to put some off the chain race stickies all over it? ;)
It all starts with a small sticker...
"this space for rent"
Damn... that is WAY nice! Good luck.
Dump out all the coolent and run 'er wide open for ten minutes or so. The trick is that you need to get 'er hot enough that she'll diesel real good....
Hey, you can park that right next to my 1979 25 foot champion class A. I paid a hundred dollars a foot for mine, and she came with dishes and patio lights!
yeah, but K3, you're better at fixing motors than I am... :-X
Congratulations Jeff....
Here's some tips that I came up with off the top of my head one day.
1. When packing the RV and the refrigerator, always have the RV plugged in. This will charge your coach battery and the refrigerator will not be using propane to get cold.
2. Always pack using square containers; round ones leave too much unused space.
3. Use liquid soap instead of bar soap. It is less messy and it rinses out of your shower much better.
4. If you have multiple pairs of shoes, throw them in a milk crate, they are all together, air can still get around them, and you don't have shoes spread all over the place.
5. Get a laundry bag to throw your dirty clothes in and leave it in the shower when not in use. This way they're all in one spot, grab the bag when you're home and your good to go.
6. To get in the top bunk (the one above the cab), get a folding step stool. We got ours from Home Depot, two steps, and were up without straining ourselves, and it fits between the two captain's chairs in front. When we're traveling, we just fold it up and throw it on the bunk.
7. When filling the water tanks and getting the water out of the lines, only do one faucet at a time. Trust me, it just works better.
8. The liquid that you use for the black tank, use as much as it takes to get it to smell good (especially in hot weather), and "No poopy in the RV." J
9. Once or twice per RV season, get a five-pound bag of crushed ice, put a little water in the black tank, put the ice in, and then go for a drive. The ice will scrub all the yucky stuff off the bottom of the black tank.
10. One of the things that will fill your gray tank up fast is doing dishes. Get a small tub (one that fits in the sink) and do your dishes in there. When you're done, take the tub and dump it outside. Don't dump it down the toilet, the dish soap will neutralize the chemicals in the tank and then it will really smell bad (I thought I had a good idea here, but it kinda backfired).
11. If you have a rubber roof, wash it twice per year with laundry soap with softener. It's cheap and works really well. I use a kitchen wastebasket for the soapy water and a soft car washing brush, it works great. Also, clean your awning at least once a year using the same method.
12. Get the velcro straps that go around the awning poles while traveling. They hold great and the awning won't make noise while traveling.
13. Get carpet samples to lay down inside the motor home when it's messy outside. It will keep your carpet and linoleum nicer for a longer period of time.
14. If you work full time, pack your RV the weekend before you leave (except for the food). When you get home, plug the RV in, and unpack it tomorrow. Much less stress this way.
15. Get a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet to lie down in front of your door under your awning. It catches a bunch of the dirt before entering the RV and it is really nice to have.
Dawn ;)
Quoteyeah, but K3, you're better at fixing motors than I am... :-X
Gots me a gen-U-ine Jesus-H Fo-foty Christler, son. Magnum wedge! I'm thinkin' 'bout roller juice tappets over a purple stripe street hemi grind with some pink rods an' 12 ta 1 popups. A 780 Holley double squirter four bubble with a spacer plate an' a stack, an' some hookers with cherry bombs. Stuff a 3500 stall an' a shif' kit in dat der seventwenneyseven tranny, an' thro a hoop on da prop shaft. Yew shiddn-A-right I know motors beddernyew, boy! An just 'cause yer shiz be new, don' be thinkin it'll outrun my bad dog Mopar. Comes to it, bet I'm willin' ta push and shove a bit more than yew are, too! ;D
Dawn,
Thanks so much for the advice. It's REALLY handy. Some of it I already do with our trailer/van config, but others I didn't even think of.
Like, come home, plug it in and unpack tomorrow. Brilliant!
The whole bathroom/shower/poopy thing will be interesting to figure out.
I'm sure I'll have a million questions for you through the season...
I talked to my RV guy yesterday and they're trying to get the date pushed up, but as of today it'd be the 22nd or 25th...
that looks awesome., nice job ., but only has the 6600 diesel ?? how much can it tow ??
i looked at some with the cat in them tow 30k lbs.,
will be nice to sleep in comfort now huh ... congrats..
QuoteGots me a gen-U-ine Jesus-H Fo-foty Christler, son. Magnum wedge! I'm thinkin' 'bout roller juice tappets over a purple stripe street hemi grind with some pink rods an' 12 ta 1 popups. A 780 Holley double squirter four bubble with a spacer plate an' a stack, an' some hookers with cherry bombs. Stuff a 3500 stall an' a shif' kit in dat der seventwenneyseven tranny, an' thro a hoop on da prop shaft. Yew shiddn-A-right I know motors beddernyew, boy! An just 'cause yer shiz be new, don' be thinkin it'll outrun my bad dog Mopar. Comes to it, bet I'm willin' ta push and shove a bit more than yew are, too! ;D
LOL.... ;D
As many of you know, both Steve Richardson and I have the 31' Funmovers. Steve's is a 2004 and ours is a 2005. Paul and Steve are hatching a plan to take them to the MAM drag strip on the run what you brung night for a little drag racing fun. ;D Can you imagine? I wonder what type of 1/8th mile times they can post?
Although, I think Steve may have the advantage. His motor's broke in, since he only lives about 12 miles from the track, he have have the tanks empty.... But Paul's pretty good off the line.
<--- The mental image is making me giggle --->
;D
Quotethat looks awesome., nice job ., but only has the 6600 diesel ?? how much can it tow ??
i looked at some with the cat in them tow 30k lbs.,
will be nice to sleep in comfort now huh ... congrats..
A solid 10k.
One reason I got the shorter one was due to a single slide versus 2-3 slides which decreased the weight of the vehicle significantly.
Commercially available, this is the strongest class C on the market...
but you are talking 325hp and 560lbs
vers a cat at 400hp and 760lbs
both at the same dealer., but $$$$ is a big factor., and 10k lbs is more than enough for anything we would tow... [i hope..lol]
and yes the less slide will help alot., and depending where the slide is on yours still roomy...
I'm comfortable with the capacities of it (towing, storage, interior, etc), and will dual-purpose it for vacationing for myself and family members as well as being the race hauler.
I'm confident it'll tow my trailer (about 5500#) with ease...
I just saw the picture.
Holy shit Jeff!! You definitely know how to go big!!
Quote Paul and Steve are hatching a plan to take them to the MAM drag strip on the run what you brung night for a little drag racing fun. ;D Can you imagine? I wonder what type of 1/8th mile times they can post?
I anticipate flying dishes and thoroughly shaken beers! ;D
Paul needs to have the outside stereo blasting
Thunder Road as he stages....
QuoteI just saw the picture.
Holy shit Jeff!! You definitely know how to go big!!
Well, it comes down to looking at everything I've done so far and what I've "settled" for.
2000, I was racing pulling a 5x8 trailer with a GMC jimmy, sleeping in a tent.
01-02 upgraded to a conversion van which we slept in (me, wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs)
03 upgraded to 23' trailer which had living quarters in the front, garage in the back.
04 upgraded to the diesel van which towed better (less power, but far better handling).
So, what part of my setup is 'settling' right now? Well, I have about a 2 hour setup/tear down every weekend. I have to setup before I can sleep. Plus, I have to run the generator for heat/ac, and people get PISSED when I run it overnight.
Now, I can literally pull in and be setup. I can run everything out of the trailer if I want.
I've been kicking around an RV for sometime now, and finally pulled the plug on it. I'm young enough to enjoy it and have the money to afford it, so why not.. I just wanted to make SURE I had something that would easily tow the trailer, and would LAST... I don't think there's much more I could go for here, so I can't see 'upgrading' any further...
very nice Jeff! One thing to remember is never operate the fridge on uneven ground, We loaded ours up the night before a race and left it on the road which is on a slight incline well the fridge slowly quit cooling as well, expensive lesson learned. Its at the fixer now, had to pull the cooling unit off the fridge and send it in. Oh and to save a trip to the dump station, crack the valve to the waste tank so it's a thin stream, take off and by the time you get home... empty, They will never know who did it or where you live ;D
Stumpy
LOL...
Thanks for the tips. Didn't know either one..... 2 comments...
1. Automatic leveling jacks
2. Dave Mathew's Band
;D ;D ;D
QuoteOh and to save a trip to the dump station, crack the valve to the waste tank so it's a thin stream, take off and by the time you get home... empty, They will never know who did it or where you live ;D
What do you mean? If you do that, you just left a trail of crumbs all the way to your house! What you need to do is crack it a bit and go visit K3 or someone like him! ;D
QuoteWhat do you mean? If you do that, you just left a trail of crumbs all the way to your house! What you need to do is crack it a bit and go visit K3 or someone like him! ;D
note to self. , do not follow closly.. :-X