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eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,187
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
If it's not one thing its another. The other day I found a snapped off bolt head on one of the attachment plates for the drivers side front jack. Today is fix it day. Upon closer inspection there were three snapped bold heads. Two were held on by dicor, the thrid was missing. At least the jack is held on by two plates (one on each side of the corner. Pulled the jack off the camper and started in with the easy out kit. The first two bolts were difficult but I got them out. The 3rd is being a royal pain. Taking a break to recharge the drill

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eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,187
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
Ok 5 hours and 2 snapped drill bits later the repair is finished. The OEM bolts were grade 5 2 1/2 x 5/16 and I replaced them with grade 8. I think I know why the bolts failed. Under the mounting plate were uneven thick gobs of lap sealant which kept the mounting plate from laying flat against the camper wall. Bit of wobble , leverage, 12 year old grade 5 bolts with corrosion = failure. I made sure to seal the plate with a thin even film of non sag Dicor and to cover the bolts on the exterior and all seams around the plate with Dicor too.

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Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,261
8,767
Crawlorado
Ok 5 hours and 2 snapped drill bits later the repair is finished. The OEM bolts were grade 5 2 1/2 x 5/16 and I replaced them with grade 8. I think I know why the bolts failed. Under the mounting plate were uneven thick gobs of lap sealant which kept the mounting plate from laying flat against the camper wall. Bit of wobble , leverage, 12 year old grade 5 bolts with corrosion = failure. I made sure to seal the plate with a thin even film of non sag Dicor and to cover the bolts on the exterior and all seams around the plate with Dicor too.

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I always wondered what those bolts thread into. Do they just sink into the wooden frame? Are there metal plates underneath the exterior sheathing that they fasten to?
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
Looked at a Coleman Mini Popup my friend has. It has just been sitting in her yard. Its in good shape. The Stove is buggered. It is made of a thin metal. Just rusted away. Fridge works. I can pull it with the Rav4 and it has a Rhode Gear bike rack also. I went through it and everything seems fine. Best part it is free. Just need to get a hitch and a place to put it. Another pipe dream I know....
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,187
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
Looked at a Coleman Mini Popup my friend has. It has just been sitting in her yard. Its in good shape. The Stove is buggered. It is made of a thin metal. Just rusted away. Fridge works. I can pull it with the Rav4 and it has a Rhode Gear bike rack also. I went through it and everything seems fine. Best part it is free. Just need to get a hitch and a place to put it. Another pipe dream I know....
Just sitting in the yard

Wanna bet the tires are totally rotted from the inside? tires are only good for 6 0r 7 years max from date of MFG (4 digit code on side wall: first two digits are week of MFG last two are year of MFG).
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
Just sitting in the yard

Wanna bet the tires are totally rotted from the inside? tires are only good for 6 0r 7 years max from date of MFG (4 digit code on side wall: first two digits are week of MFG last two are year of MFG).
Its on my list. If I pull the trigger I need to get it out of there by Wednesday.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
Hey @Toshi, here's some info for you on the max payload towing numbers you like to check on. Based on a TFL video, Ford pointed out to them them that max towing #'s for the particular F150 they were testing which reduced power on Vail pass, should be reduced by 2% for every 1000 above sea level. So mountain driving in CO, will drop 20% off the top. I presume this is likely across the board for all trucks based on altitude etc.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
Hey @Toshi, here's some info for you on the max payload towing numbers you like to check on. Based on a TFL video, Ford pointed out to them them that max towing #'s for the particular F150 they were testing which reduced power on Vail pass, should be reduced by 2% for every 1000 above sea level. So mountain driving in CO, will drop 20% off the top. I presume this is likely across the board for all trucks based on altitude etc.
Payload should stay the same, though, no? Just the towing because of engines getting weaker and all.

So the F-150 Lightning shall remain unaffected! except for having to charge every 120 miles, that is
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
Payload should stay the same, though, no? Just the towing because of engines getting weaker and all.

So the F-150 Lightning shall remain unaffected! except for having to charge every 120 miles, that is
Not sure about payload, the intent of the calculation is because the engine/transmission is working so hard. So I would think it might apply there too. When you're bored hunt for it on the Ford website or in an F150 owners manual :D

Not sure how any of that will correlate to a fully eletric drivetrain though.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
if anything gravity's pull will be slightly less at altitude so payload will increase!

acceleration due to gravity will be about 9.80 m/s^2 at 8000' elevation

qed

back me up, @Westy
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
if anything gravity's pull will be slightly less at altitude so payload will increase!

acceleration due to gravity will be about 9.80 m/s^2 at 8000' elevation

qed

back me up, @Westy
Sounds about right, but it will depend on your latitude, which affects your distance to the earth's center of mass even more than elevation from sea level, not to mention the centripetal force of rotation at the equator.

However one must realize that electric drive-trains are still thermally limited systems and it is possible that certain duty cycles could be less at altitude due to lower cooling capacity.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
Good point re cooling capacity. At least via SAE J2807 they didn't baby them during tests:


100F ambient at base, AC on full, Davis Dam grade.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
Good point re cooling capacity. At least via SAE J2807 they didn't baby them during tests:


100F ambient at base, AC on full, Davis Dam grade.
I think to best understand what trucks have the best towing capacity one just needs to see which models are broken down or otherwise causing traffic jams on Washington SR 18. Don't know what it is about that road but I think it is a requirement to be towing something well over the limits of the vehicle.
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
Just sitting in the yard

Wanna bet the tires are totally rotted from the inside? tires are only good for 6 0r 7 years max from date of MFG (4 digit code on side wall: first two digits are week of MFG last two are year of MFG).
Had to get 2 tires. While putting the tires on, the hub came off the axle. Easy fix turned not so easy. Further inspection yielded much more rot. Parts of the what I call the subframe are not there. I am sad. Junk guy gave me $100 to offset the cost of the tires. He said by the time the Coleman campers stop off gassing. They then start to rot from the inside out. Dude was very weird. Got stopped by the Sheriff on the way home. 45 in a 30. He let me go because I knew how fast I was going.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
Sadly my vehicle isn't rated for towing vehicles that carry other forms of transportation. Where have I gone wrong as an American?
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
Junk man called me today. Says he has a camper for me to check out. He wants to buy the Toyota also. Second time in a week somebody has offered to buy the Toyota. Seems faulty.