Search results

I don't recommended or condone even fractionally exceeding GVWR in any vehicle. With that said, you can bet each manufacturer's GVWR has been calculated with information consumers have no access to—torsional chassis rigidity, a hundred others—and is well within a margin of error. Therefore I...

Chet, with all due respect, your repeated insistence in all these types of threads to "buy the right truck" is wonderful on a theoretical basis, but questions such as these are asked by people who already own a truck and probably don't have the wherewithal to just run out and write a check for...

Let me qualify my comment. With a truck such as your 3/4-ton, and a FWC, the difference in weight between camper-on and camper-off is not nearly as drastic as the same situation with, say, a Tacoma. I haven't seen a spring combination in a light truck that will work adequately with and without a...

We've had an Antigravity lithium starting battery in our Land Cruiser Troop Carrier for about two years and it's performed flawlessly so far. The battery's internal circuitry manages the input from the alternator. One caveat: it's not suitable as a power source for a winch. LiFePO4 technology...

As has been mentioned, if you plan to remove the camper between trips, air bags are the only way to retain control and a decent ride both loaded and unloaded. If you plan to leave the camper on permanently, a properly specced spring pack is the way to go. I'm not fond of simple add-a-leaf kits...

Let me know if you do! I plan to try to get them to furnish me one I can test with the help of a retired fire chief I know. I imagine foam is more effective in the amounts used by fire department and race teams, but that seems beyond the logistical practicalities for a vehicle owner?

Craig, I tend to be wary of Youtube videos. All the objective reports on the Element from journalists I've read and seen have been positive. And how many instances have you read about in which a standard fire extinguisher failed to do the job on an engine compartment fire? I know of two...

Obviously I disagree, despite the valid comment regarding the possibility of preventing a fire. I can't say how common or uncommon such a situation is. Cost? A heck of a lot less than a replacement vehicle (and the standard Element is $90, not $150; the largest size is $120). Durability? I'd...

My strong advice is to ditch the standard fire extinguishers and invest in an Element. Much more effective and never goes out of date. It's what we carry in all our vehicles now.

I have a Wehrmacht jerry can stamped 1956 that I still use. Yes, I repaint it from time to time, but that's easy maintenance. I'll bet there will be zero RotoPax containers still in use in 2085. I did have a failure on one Wavian can that had been consistently clamped down too tightly and...

You definitely got the right advice. I'm not a fan of Sumo Springs, but at least cutting them down should help.

If you're planning to leave the camper on all the time, custom springs are the best approach, and Alcan makes very good springs. Not sure why they would recommend changing shackles, and not sure what you mean by "hangers." Air bags can easily compensate for the weight of a camper, but you lose...

So true. As with many of Twain's quotes, humorous but poignant.

Good one!

I've had numerous run-ins with the deniers-of-everything who say, "Well if you're an environmentalist you should go live in a cave." Such a brilliant retort. I don't live in a cave, and there's no need to. If we changed certain things about our activities on earth we could solve the problems we...

My favorite example of that is Ed Abbey, the god of so many environmentalists, who fathered five children with five different women.

I believe Jacques Cousteau said, "Every environmental problem we face can be traced to overpopulation." This is the eight-billion-pound gorilla in the room no one wants to talk about. Our basic economic systems all rely on an ever-increasing number of consumers and producers. That is the...

HiCap, that was a great learning experience. You wound up right where you should be, with properly rated springs taking the load and the Sumo "Springs" acting as they should—as no more than heavy duty bump stops. Good idea to get rid of the spacers as well.

Thank you for the comments! The Grenadier top is not removable. Pricing the last I heard starts at $59,600 in the U.S., not $97,000. Pricing in the UK starts at £49,000, so that makes sense.

If any of you have been intrigued by the upcoming Ineos Grenadier, I had the opportunity to drive one in November, and since I'm no longer embargoed I've published a report here. It's an impressive vehicle.

It sounds to me like a shock issue. Over anything but a really nasty bump or hole, your shocks should prevent the suspension from contacting the bump stops. Adding Sumo Springs will just mask the problem.

A couple years ago we were doing some research in the Chiricahua Mountains and decided to stay the night in one of the campgrounds in Cave Creek Canyon. Shortly after we pulled in a motor home did likewise. It parked, the engine was turned off, the generator came on, as did a large flatscreen...

Nicely modified Chet!

No. Tundras, as with most Toyota trucks, tend to be oversprung in the front. You'll likely not need any modification, but if you do, a proper uprated spring would be a far, far better choice.

Adrian, if you remove the camper between trips, air bags are the only way to maintain a decent ride and support both loaded and unloaded. If the camper stays on all the time, a custom spring pack matched to the weight is the very best way to maintain proper ride height and compliance, with air...