Yes I know opinions are like A$$Holes and everyone has one...

Still I want some honest or real off the cuff slaps or WTF's from the family. Now that this is out of the way let me be blunt I DONT REALLY HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU TO HURT. Ok? We all on the same page? 

My trains of thought have come to an intersection or station and only one can move forward. This is my thinking. 

The rig is being designed, with CAD being done as I type. I haven't dropped a deposit as we are still in the design side of the game. This is my go-to builder. They design stuff for the Canadain oil fields to be abused. So as long as I can fit and get what I need to work as I need it this part is done except for the crying after I write the cheque. 

What to put it on! 

The idea of switching to Ford bothers a Dodge guy, (Viper, Ram SRT10 quad cab, and Challenger SRT) but in the comparison game Ford wins this race. 2005 to 2007 Ford F350 6.0 crew cab long box. I get the engine concerns but I know a guy in Georgia that dealer proofs these things to be better than new, which isn't hard to do as the engine was designed to be a toss away motor at 100 thousand miles. The idea of tossing another 20 large at a new truck with all new equipment just sits wrong with me. But the new trucks just aren't really designed for too much real offroad work. The suspension is too focused on pulling big numbers on a freeway. Something it will never do. A serious 2.5 level and lift is a bunch of money to do it right with 2.5 remote Icons and progressive springs. Steering stabilizers and 35 or 37-inch tires are a must for the terrain it will see.  This is basically the Calgary oil sands upgrade package just to run the roads in the weather they can see and make sure you can get to work. Add winch bumpers, rear tire carriers and boxes and this stuff add up real quick in the cash end of the stick. So my thinking is start with a cheaper truck that needs now or will need soon all the stuff you are going to replace and build it as you need it for you and what you need to carry. Build in an overbuild redundancy like bigger plastic tanks and fuel filter/pressure pump that ensures the engine only sees clean fuel. Simpler system than the newer rigs and easier to bulletproof. I don't really care much about the look of the older style compared to the newer style etc. I considered the 7.3 but the suspension and other 'comforts' in the newer style trucks make life a great deal more suited to the build. That and I can sleep with the 6.0 puking a little noxious fume over the 7.3 straight out.

For those who have the money (about $50,000 fully optioned) and want a small, new, ready to drive camper, well, this might be your van:

https://www.reconcampers.com/

Here is a video about it:



(high bandwidth)



(cross-posted to CRVL)

About to retire. Been thinking of moving to Mexico. Read about all the free camping there. Thought about a bus. Then thought about vans. Then I looked at van life on line. Blah,blah,blah.

 Bought a big 3500 Dodge. Which I am slowly converting. Was shooting for early June departure.  Not gonna happen. Van ain't done. Gas prices getting ridiculous. Election in Mexico.

 So I'll keep working on the van and hanging out here until things settle down. Leave in the fall. If the next Mexican president builds a wall I'll wander the west.

 If you are still reading I thank you. See ya on the forums.

made the first post into a little memorial https://vandwellerforum.com/showthread.p...9#pid23999

dont know about a burial site or if they are going to release him back to nature,if we find out it will be added to the post

Big list of salvage yards in the US and Canada.

https://www.rverscorner.com/rvsalvage.html

I found these websites while trying to plan out my shuttle bus build. The second one can even make custom sizes of things like shower pan/toilet/ holding tanks (black & fresh) . Hope it helps someone out here. 
Pelland Enterpises

Ameri-Kart

#NomadLivesMatter

Hi all. Had a number of vans, campers etc in the past. Enjoy reading about your adventures.

Ever since we put a fiberglass topper on our 2016 Nissan Frontier 4x4, the back end squats.  I know the stock crap tires and shocks are to give it a more car like ride, but it makes the truck useless for towing... I pulled a 5x8 trailer to Florida with it and it sagged so bad it scraped going into some gas stations.

If we want to tow a camper something's got to change, thus my question, what to do about the suspension.  I don't want to mess with air bags but was wondering if leaf spring helpers or better shocks would do the trick?

let me know where i went wrong,dark theme with light text,except when composing,that appears to be in the forum coding and i aint going there

kinda liking the green at top more than the blue but you tell me