New owner - Hydraulic questions

[wild]

Hello...Have a new to me 1975 8' cab over in very nice condition. It came with many new or replacement parts and had some restoration work already started. My question....I have seen pictures on this site showing older Alaskans with flow controlls on the lift cylinders. I have 4 uninstalled flow controlls and need advise from anyone who has used them. My thinking is that to raise the top the rear needs to be restricted, then to lower it, the front needs to be restricted. With my lack of experience, it would seem to me that it would make more sense to weight the rear of the top so that front and rear weights on the cylinders are the same. Any thoughts?

I have attached some pictures....I know I'll get some grief for having the camper on my 1/2 ton Chevy but the suspension is beefed and my other Chevy is a one ton dually. Both are 4WD but I would not take the big truck off road.....replacement fenders are too costly.

 

[Buckwheat]

Good looking Camper.

As for the valves mine doesn't have them but it goes up pretty evenly but going down I have to stop it a few times and jack it back up to even it out.

 

[wild]

Thanks for the reply Buckwheat. The rear of mine always raises first and lowers last, leaving me to manhandle it to correct travel. I have checked for restrictions and cleaned and greased the tracks. It is now more managable, but still needs improvement.
A mistake in my earlier post....my Alaskan is a 1974, not a 1975.

Anyone have information on where I can get OEM style center clearence lights like the photo (3 light unit)? Thanks!!!!

 

[Rusty]

Balance is an issue with "coming down"...for years I've used the handle next to the door to make sure the bottom line on the window, driver side, is even with the molding around the bottom half of the camper. If the rear is coming down too fast....put a bit of upward pressure on the handle...if the front is coming down too fast tug a bit on the handle and it evens things out. Every once in a while...even with the little tugs and pushes....I end up pumping her up just a bit and all is well.

We all get some sort of joint disorder with age, Alaskans are no different, I'm seriously looking at those control valves as well....

The original triple clearance lights are available at most trailer shops...not exact matches, but close. They don't make the steel bar types anymore and corrosion takes it's toll. I was fortunate enough to get mine off long before they fell apart and got a couple good coats of rustoleum on them with replacement lights.

Nice find on the Cabover, looks to be in pretty good shape too....congratulations

somebody kept good care of it and it was stored under cover....not a spot of discoloration...score!!

 

[wild]

Thanks for the advice Rusty. The flow control valves didn't make a whole lot of sense to me if the adjustments needed to be changed between raising and lowering. I'm new at this so appreciate any advice.
The Alaskan is in very good shape for 40 years old, so I'm sure it was garaged. I am trying to keep it as original as possible, so thats why the search for the marker lights. I can buy the single lights, so maybe the answer is modify the base to take 3 single lights. I'll post pictures if I go that way. The rear one is OK but the metal in the front set is toast.

A few more Pictures......

 

[Rusty]

We've seen a few come through the site here, which have been in pretty fantastic condition. Yours is definitely one of them. It's always nice when folks take care of something and extend the life of the camper for others to enjoy.

I'm sure my granny watches every trip I take...

Don't forget to enjoy it......

 

[LuckyDan]

Wild, while I own an FWC I have had friends, or as referenced by my wife, "Cohorts in Crime" with Alaskans and as a child my Grandfather had one. From what I remember of those that used individual flow control they attached them at the pump via a common manifold. What I don't remember is if the manifold was an Alaskan thing or a custom thing.

 

[wild]

LuckyDan........Sorry, my posts are not showing up. I had replied twice earlier and saw zip....so I guess my "puter" hates me.
Newer Alaskans (mine is 40 years old) have 12v pumps and front/rear flow control valves mounted on the pump...so your memory is correct. The older ones like mine have a hand pump and restrictor valves for the rear cylinders (sort of like a check valve with a hole in it....restricts one way, full flow the other). I am contiplating adding flow control valves to help my "unlevel up and down travel. Before I do that I'm going to try correcting the balance front to rear (weight the rear) so the weight on the cylinders is more even and see if that helps.
Anyway, thanks for your reply.

wild

 

[nixfwc]

Great find. There was a 75 8 foot CO for sale in Red Bluff a few weeks ago. Is this it? I am in process of redoing my 77 8 ft CO. I am going to have to trim 2 inches off the right rear box ( closet/ toilet room) in order to get it to fit my 2003 Chevy 2500. Did you have to do this to fit your in your Chevy? You also have plywood walls rather the faux wood I have in mine. I prefer the plywood and may think about changing my interior skin. Right now doing my electrical system. In house battery. Love to see your Alaskan some time and compare versions.

 

[wild]

Mine is actually a 74 and I purchased it the end of last year in Redding. I did see a 75 recently for sale with the the faux wood panneling. There was a fair amount of staining or water damage showing. It was local but I don't recall if it was in Red Bluff or where.
My guess is the change from real wood paneling occured between 74 and 75, but as I say, that is a guess. My Alaskan has the side lounge floor plan and is the same width all the way back. I had nothing to trim to make it fit. I also had to redo the electrical, but just the supply side and add a house battery. All the factory wireing was OK except for cleaning up the grounds for some lights.
I recently saw a reference as to where 4x8 sheets of the Ash paneling can be purchased. Check some of the recent posts about rebuilding and you should come across it. Any questions, let me know and I will try to answer them. If I can't, there are plenty of knowledgeable people on this site to help you out.

wild

 

[wild]

nixfwc......See Rusty's post of Jan 6 under the restore 58 topic for Ash paneling reference.

wild

 

[nixfwc]

Thanks for the response. How did you do your house battery wiring? I have been thinking of using the outside 12 volt plug with a cable through the lower outside wall to the battery. It looks to me in new Alaskans they have the wire hanging on the inside going into the upper cabinets. I am calling Brian today so I will inquire.
The ash paneling would be great but I am not ready to take that on just yet.Still need to replace my heater and install a water heater and pump.

 

[wild]

My house battery is to the rear of the drivers side wheel well. From it I ran #10 wires through a rubber tube and back to a common negative ground and positive fuse block (I plan to put a kill switch where the wired go inside the camper but have not yet). I have a positive lead from the truck battery (through a solonoid) that also ties to my pos. fuse block. With that runs a ground from the truck frame to the common neg. camper connection. The solonoid keeps the truck battery isolated from the camper unless the engine is running. All 12v circuits are tied to the fuse block and ground except one wire that powers the marker lights when the truck lights are on. I use the original connections at the top of the camper and power them from the pos. fuse block, common neg. connection and the one pos. marker light wire that starts at my rear taillight. Although I do have 110v bulbs for the overhead lights, I keep it simple and only use 12v. I'll add a few pics to make this a bit clearer.

 

[nixfwc]

Very nicely done. I have been trying to go through the factory Alaskan plug next to the 110 connector but may switch over to having the wiring go inside the camper floating next to the wall like the new Alaskans. I have my battery currently in the camper on the side next to the water tank. I also have a Four Wheel camper so the campers come off the truck. I am also installing a Fantastic fan powered vent and have yet to find a 12 v line to the vent area. The early wiring diagrams look as if there should be a feed there. Anyone else found that wire? Also have not been able to get all my running lights operating.

 

[Rusty]

I installed a couple spare computer fans in my vent a few years ago and picked up the 12v in the breaker panel over the door in the ceiling...the bottom panel slides to the side to expose the "wiring" inside. They draw very little juice and work well for exhaust over the stove.

I had to grommet through the side of the aluminum vent trim and fed wires to the box through the ceiling....only a few inches. installed a lighted switch on the side of the panel box...they are so quiet you don't realize they're on.

 

[wild]

Very nicely done. I have been trying to go through the factory Alaskan plug next to the 110 connector but may switch over to having the wiring go inside the camper floating next to the wall like the new Alaskans. I have my battery currently in the camper on the side next to the water tank. I also have a Four Wheel camper so the campers come off the truck. I am also installing a Fantastic fan powered vent and have yet to find a 12 v line to the vent area. The early wiring diagrams look as if there should be a feed there. Anyone else found that wire? Also have not been able to get all my running lights operating.

I may not keep using the outside connectors as they don't seem very weather resistant, but I am only using 12v. Thought about installing the battery inside but would need to seal the area and vent to the outside if I did. I'm using a deep cycle marine battery. The present location is easy to get at, but I will put a cover over it at some point. The running lights were a bit of a pain but cleaning up all the positive connections and making sure the grounds were good (the alum. skin is grounded - or should be) did the trick. I have one set of marker lights (group of 3 in front) that are too corroded to use, all others work fine. Not sure that there is a 12v line near the vents, but one crosses inside the top somewhere to power the passanger side interior lights. Might take a fishing expedition to find it. Good luck!

wild

 

[wild]

I installed a couple spare computer fans in my vent a few years ago and picked up the 12v in the breaker panel over the door in the ceiling...the bottom panel slides to the side to expose the "wiring" inside. They draw very little juice and work well for exhaust over the stove.

I had to grommet through the side of the aluminum vent trim and fed wires to the box through the ceiling....only a few inches. installed a lighted switch on the side of the panel box...they are so quiet you don't realize they're on.

Rusty, that sounds like a great idea. Can you post a picture of the vent w/fans? Thanks!!!!!!! My breaker panel is on the drivers side at the front of the main cabin top storage area. A little more difficult to get to the vent from there.

wild

 

[nixfwc]

Wild, my circuit breaker is on drivers side front also. I am hoping there is a powered feed at the back of camper that I can use to power the fan. Otherwise it looks as if I will have to drop a ceiling panel to add the circuit. Not looking forward to that. Anyone have an idea as to the ceiling power leads? Also what sort of heaters do your Alaskans have. Mine has an ancient Hydro flame ARC 10. Very rusty and not staying lit in the pilot dept. Not allot of space for anything else. Anyone replaced their heater?

 

[Rusty]

Be cautious of original propane equipment...the original gas refrigerators were vented into the interior of the camper and none of the appliances were very efficient. One of the first things anyone should add is a CO monitor and a smoke detector

Wild...I've got a few pics of the fan install...I'll put them up a little later...they're in another computer...in another galaxy.

 

[nixfwc]

I have the larger fridge in my Alaskan and yes it is vented to the inside which I thought was strange but have not tackled yet. There is only a small exterior vent on the side by the fridge. No opening vented door . Fridge seems to work well but I may try to modify it to vent to the outside. The three way fridge in my four wheel is vented to the outside and I installed 12 volt computer fans at the top vent. I have a CO alarm so I may set it up and see if it goes off in the alaskan with the fridge running. My Alaskan has the original oblong welded propane tank on the passenger side. I am hoping it is still ok; I have not tried to get it filled yet. It barely fits between the camper and the truck fender well .Lots of $$ going into restoring this alaskan.