My new tow rig...

hlb3 · Aug 20, 2015

The EGTs would start to get up there pulling long grades at freeway speed. My trailer is around 11.5k loaded.

hlb3 · Mar 31, 2016

Newest mod to the truck, â€˜08+ mirrors. Got both sides swapped out, still have to wire in the clearance lights, signals, and heat though.

hlb3 · Apr 2, 2016

I got the clearance lights and turn signals all wired up. I ran the wires for the heaters, but I haven't hooked them up yet because I need to figure out how to rig up a defrost switch so they aren't on all the time.

zukkev · Apr 3, 2016

You can install a little switch in the power wdo master switch, to operate a relay under the dash, then out to the heaters...
We use them at work for our minbuses heated mirrors...They are like this...

crash2 · Apr 3, 2016

I would use the control circuit for the defrost to trigger a relay for the heaters. No extra buttons and simple..

zukkev · Apr 3, 2016

crash said:
I would use the control circuit for the defrost to trigger a relay for the heaters. No extra buttons and simple..

Except that anytime you run the defrost mode, aka A/C in "mixed" (floor/defrost) mode, you will have the heaters for your mirrors on! Kinda contradictory ain't it? :haha:

crash2 · Apr 3, 2016

zukkev said:
Except that anytime you run the defrost mode, aka A/C in "mixed" (floor/defrost) mode, you will have the heaters for your mirrors on! Kinda contradictory ain't it? :haha:

I was thinking it had rear window defrost--not front windshield

ain'tstuckjustresting · Apr 3, 2016

That's what I was thinking. On the Chevys, the rear window defrost is on a timer. It works the mirror heat also. Not sure how the Fords work since ours are all base model std cabs.

hlb3 · Apr 3, 2016

It is a sliding rear window, no defroster.

From what I read, the 99-07 factory heated mirrors are just on all the time.

hlb3 · Apr 4, 2016

So I've came up with 2 options. The first option is a stand alone controller that is set to 10 minutes that comes with a switch.

ThermaSync Defrost Controller

The next option is a universal controller. It can be setup multiple differnet ways and for different amounts of time. So if I can think of a good way to trigger it off some exciting circuit, I can use this to have it run for however long I want.

Universal multi-function mini delay timer

hlb3 · Aug 6, 2016

Just took the trailer to Newport, OR for the last week. I finally experienced compressor surge for the first time pulling some of the steeper hills on Hwy 20. I recently started towing using the 65hp tow tune instead of the 40hp one and that seems to be the difference. When I started getting the surging on the 65hp tune, I backed it back to the 40hp and it immediately stopped. So I'll probably be doing some turbo upgrades next spring.

I finally ran the truck/trailer across the scales on the way home. With all the tanks empty on the trailer and 50 gallons of diesel (out of the 72 gallon capacity) everything weighs 23,500lbs. I'm still not sure what truck weighs empty though.

stealthrunner1 · Aug 7, 2016

Get a wicked Wheel 2 for the turbo!!!! killed all the surge I had on my F350!!!:awesomework::beer:

hlb3 · Aug 7, 2016

I'm leaning towards going with the ATS ported housing, but it will depend on how much cash I've got when it comes time to upgrade since it is about $200 more than the WW2.

From what I have read the ATS housing flows better and cures the surge issues 100% of the time, but it costs a lot. The WW2 is cheaper, but it looks like it doesn't cure the surge (at least not completely) for some people. Knowing my luck whenever I try to cheap out on something, I would be one of the people it wouldn't work for and I'd end up having the buy the housing anyways. :redneck:

hlb3 · Nov 28, 2016

The first part for my turbo overhaul showed up today.

hlb3 · Nov 29, 2016

Here is part #2.

hlb3 · Dec 2, 2016

Final part...

hlb3 · Dec 9, 2016

Finished my turbo overhaul today, took about 5 hours start to finish. I also did the CCV mod while I had everything apart.

All torn down:

Riff Raff billet wheel vs Stock wheel:

Stock vs ATS housing:

All done:

hlb3 · Dec 9, 2016

Turbo definitely spools a lot faster now and I'm building about 6psi more boost over stock. I'll have to wait until the spring when we go camping to see if it did actually cure the surge problem.

hlb3 · Dec 13, 2016

I started throwing the overboost code now. I thought my tunes were supposed to have that removed, but apparently they were not. I emailed PHP about it on Friday afternoon and they emailed me back this morning saying they updated the tunes, so I just need to reflash them (glad I have the Hydra so I can do it myself).

hlb3 · Jan 6, 2017

Finally got the replacement air springs for the truck. The old ones are 17 years old and have some pretty good sized weather cracks in them, so I figured I probably should replace them, it would be a bad thing to have one fail while towing the 5th wheel down the freeway. It took 2 months for Firestone to make them, they are discontinued and special order only apparently. What seemed like a simple project turned into a time consuming PITA (like most of my projects). Apparently nobody at the Fontaine factory had heard of anti-seize when they assembled the suspension. The bolts into the aluminum base of the air springs were totally seized, they are socket flat head bolts and stripped out almost immediately, so I had to drill them out.

Went and bought new hardware and a can of paint and got everything swapped out (assembled with a generous amount of anti-seize this time).

Air spring ready to go in:

Suspension minus air spring:

All back together: