21 replies to this topic

[zanshin]

Got the world's most expensive oil change yesterday... went in to the dealer to get my F-150's oil change/fluids checked/lube and tire rotation, and left with a completely different truck.

 

Sitting on the used lot was a 2010 Ford F-250 SuperCrew with the Cabela's package and a 6.5" bed. An honest 25,000 miles on the Powerstroke diesel engine, 10K payload, and just about every flipping accessory we possibly longed for. Only real downside was the original Goodyear Wrangler tires were worn to needing replaced (kid driver, I wonder?). We haggled on price for a while until we got where we wanted to be, and sealed the deal.

 

Now I have to get the Hawk moved to the new one, and the big challenge: we have to leave in two days for a short but important trip to Florida.

 

We found a trustworthy trailer shop that's willing to fit us in to their schedule, but they're curious about the wiring set up. The camper has the electrical pigtail and 4WC drilled and wired the new F-150 when we took possession in January 2012. The trailer shop is questioning why we don't just use the electrical connections at the back of the truck which he says are right there to provide power as long as the key is in the ignition.

 

My question now is if there really is anything special about the pigtail connection used on the stock 4WC connection and set-up. We have an Engel fridge/freezer in the back, and leave the 12v master switch on all the time so it is powered by the accessory AGM battery when the vehicle is off. 

 

Since we're heading into deep heat and humidity country (we'll be camped on the Gulf Shore Island Fort Pickens campground across the water from Pensacola, as well as somewhere in Tennessee or Alabama on the way down and back), we plan on using someplace where we can hook up to shore power and run the little AC unit we have on the back camper wall. I suppose if the only thing we can get right is the truck bed drilled and the camper bolted down, we can put the fridge in the back seat and only use shore power for lights and AC when we're stopped.

 

I appreciate any suggestions. The dash of the deluxe truck is pre-wired and has switches for running things like plow blades, etc. so accessory electrics can be plugged into the fusebox. Don't know if there's any benefit to using something like that. I'm a bright guy, but don't know diddly about the complexities of modern truck electronics. The set-up used by 4WC when they installed seems pretty simple, but they took about 45 minutes running the wiring from front to back, and in the end, resulted in disconnected my back-up sensor at the bumper, so I wonder if they tied in back there anyway. 

 

Any suggestions appreciated. I have a couple days before the trailer shop gets the vehicles and camper, so if any of you DIY geniuses want to offer suggestions, I'd be deeply grateful.

Next up: to chip or not to chip the engine. Running around about a hundred miles empty is showing me anywhere from 14 to 16mpg. Unfortunately, the deluxe 2010 model doesn't have some of the nice instrument readouts the little 2011 F-150 came with, like the display that showed me degrees of tilt front-to-back and side to side.

[ntsqd]

The wiring in the OE trailer light socket for charging the trailer's battery isn't big enough to do a proper job of the charging w/o excessive voltage drop. I over-killed this only a little (IMHO) and used 6ga. for both power and ground directly to the truck batteries.I put the Voltage Sensing Relay in the camper, and have high amp breakers at both ends of the hot wire. The best that the light socket can do is 10ga., which most shops erroneously seem to think is good enough. It's not.

 

Since you'll be plugged-in this may not be a problem for this trip. I would assume that the camper has a converter/charger installed? If you're plugged-in every night you may not need to be hooked to the vehicle's charging system at all. Suggest no electrical connection for this trip, and then research what others & myself have done here after you're home. FWIW our normal routine is to run our 3-way fridge on propane while on the road.

 

I would be leery of chipping a PSD. Seems like everyone that I know who's done it has had problems. A Scan-Gage II will plug into the the OBD II port and at least give engine (& possibly trans) info.

[zanshin]

Thanks very much, I use the 4-pin trailer plug for my little Ruger gear trailer anyway, so I need it, although not taking it for this trip.

 

As for chipping... personally, I've never been guru enough to think I know more than the folks who do vehicle design and research. To me, that's like sticking an equalizer on a stereo system and thinking you know how to mix audio frequencies better than the guys who do it for living in recording studios. That's fine for when all your doing is hearing sounds, but when there's a chance of screwing up a $6,000 engine, i"m of the LITHA mindset. (Leave it the hell alone.) It's my very first diesel (well, I drove Army vehicles, and Freightliners, Petes and Kenworths with Cummins, IH and Kitty-Cats, but they weren't mine to pay for, and that's all decades of science ago).

 

The Engel fridge is 12v only (unless you use the 110v cord and plug) so no propane involved. It does an amazing job of drawing under 3 amps, and never had the 4WC-installed accessory battery go under three dots of juice level after running it all night in campground.

Edited by zanshin, 19 August 2014 - 02:13 PM.

[DesertDave]

I think that FWC uses an Attwood three -prong plug to connect the truck to the camper, so says the website user manual link as well as the guy who did my install.  One prong is negative ground, one prong is for the charging hot circuit, which FWC connected direct to one of my engine compartment batteries, and the third prong is for the running lights hot, which FWC tapped into my rear light circuit to obtain the power for.  Since the camper lights are all LED's I am not concerned about tapping a Ford factory light circuit to power them.

 

The line connected to my engine compartment battery is probably a relative weak link, could be bigger gauge, but it does seem to at least provide enough power to offset what my draw is from the electric fridge and internal sensors, but doesn't provide a great deal more, as in it doesn't really re-charge the battery at much of a rate above my on-going draw.

[zanshin]

Thanks for that info!

[billharr]

Just read this thread, spend most of the day rewiring my Tundra to 8 gage wire from the 10 gage I had. 

Used this plug

 

I used the old plug for my running lights and the relay for rear floods  (back up lights). Not sure how much I will gain but I had the wire left over from a project.

[zanshin]

Good news, the Atwood receptacle and original wire and thermal breaker from the F150 extended cab installed in the F250 crew cab just fine... I was worried it would be too short given that the new truck is a foot or more longer. The holes were measured in the bed and drilled, but came out wrong and the turnbuckles wouldn't reach in back. today was 98 degrees and 80% humidity, did NOT want to remount the jacks and remove the camper again, but the good folks at the trailer shop were able to redrill it with the camper in place and move the eyebolts. The rear turnbuckles are now easier to access, and don't need the D-rings FWC installed with when they did it. The F250 side rails are noticeably lower than the F150s s there's more underpinnings of the Hawk showing, but we'll figure out how to fill that space efficiently. I like how the camper overhang rides much closer to the truck cab.

Edited by zanshin, 21 August 2014 - 02:07 AM.

[Bad Habit]

Learn what you can about the problems with the 6.4 Powerstroke.  It can be a great motor but there are some issues with it that can cost some dollars.   Be very conscious of the cooling system, and the fluid.  Like everything these days, it's much more complex, you can't just top off with some ant-freeze and call it good.  Very specific fluid and it needs to be tested/changed every so often.  EGR is another point of concern.  Have fun with the truck, it's a great motor, just learn early about the ways to keep it running.

 

JR

Edited by Bad Habit, 22 August 2014 - 01:31 PM.

[rotti]

"Learn what you can about the problems with the 6.4 Powerstroke."

 

I wasn't going to comment, but yes do your homework on that engine.

This is a forum for ford diesel owners:

http://www.thediesel...ew-6-4s-293422/

Edited by rotti, 22 August 2014 - 08:22 PM.

[Gormley Green]

I am in the same boat now too, just waiting to pickup my 2015 F350.  I spoke with the FWC dealer near here in Vancouver (Morrisey Industries) and he wants $800+tax to install the camper.  Seems a tad high for the job!  Any thoughts?