camper for F250

[user 22017]

And yes, you probably should be sure you can get the jack out and understand how it works.

Some manual jacks, and i think all hydraulic jacks, have a stem inside the ram that screws out so you can take the slack out so to speak when starting to jack something up. Place hydraulic jack in position, unscrew center part upwards until close to the axle or part you want to jack, then use the hydraulic part to raise it.

I have a folding stool. It's in the basement with all the stuff I removed from my TC when I sold it.

Thanks for all your help. Think I need AAA. I had it when I was young, but it got too expensive. I'll see how much it costs.

 

[user 22017]

I don't know why I thought AAA was expensive. Maybe because when I was young it was free through my father's union.

It's not that bad at $128 a year. There are two cheaper plans ($62 and $98), but the $128 allows tows up to 200 miles. The others are 5 miles and 100 miles.

Is the Premier Membership at $128 the most sensible? Here they compare all three: https://chicago.aaa.com/membership/compare-benefits.aspx

Also, for those using AAA, are you happy with them?

 

[rruff]

AAA will not tow or service you if you are on a dirt road. That makes it kinda useless for me.

http://ww1.aaa.com/aaa/075/static/limits.html?association=AAA&clb_id=075"Vehicles intentionally driven into areas that are dangerous or inadvisable for regular passenger car travel (beaches, fields, construction sites, unpaved roads, etc.) will not be rendered service."

 

[user 22017]

AAA will not tow or service you if you are on a dirt road. That makes it kinda useless for me.

http://ww1.aaa.com/aaa/075/static/limits.html?association=AAA&clb_id=075"Vehicles intentionally driven into areas that are dangerous or inadvisable for regular passenger car travel (beaches, fields, construction sites, unpaved roads, etc.) will not be rendered service."

Good to know! Thank you, rruff.

 

[kklowell]

Those dry rotted small hoses are likely vacuum hoses. I'd still replace every hose in that truck... you don't need a broken fuel or coolant hose for sure, and a broken vacuum hose will make it run poorly.

 

[user 22017]

Those dry rotted small hoses are likely vacuum hoses. I'd still replace every hose in that truck... you don't need a broken fuel or coolant hose for sure, and a broken vacuum hose will make it run poorly.

I know. I asked this last auto repair shop to look for any hoses with dry rot and replace them. Think he had bigger things to fry in my truck and missed the hoses. When I bought new tires two years ago the mechanic told me I needed to replace some hoses.

Btw, the issue I had with my truck not starting is still a mystery. My son had the truck for almost a week and it started every morning, EXCEPT the morning following a day when he didn't drive it. Typical for my truck. This week when it was back in the shop for the hoses, the owner hooked it up to something overnight and he said it never lost a charge. Zero loss. He recommends a huge battery, but... I just bought a battery from him for $158. A bigger battery will have to wait. Meanwhile, I'll try to make sure I drive it every day.

 

[Malamute]

Couple thoughts. You can buy a small trickle or maintenance charger and keep the battery topped off, IF thats the issue. A load test may show something. Even new batteries and parts sometimes fail or have glitches.

The maintenance charger i have for the motorcycle leaves the wires connected (hard wired) to the battery and a small plug hanging out to hook the charger to, so no monkeying with the hood or clips on the battery terminals.

Ive never had AAA, but was talked into the towing insurance with State Farm. i thought the $12 a year or whatever it was when i first got it was a waste of money, until i had a $130 tow. After that I stopped with the fixing it on the side of the road nonsense i had formerly done. At the very least i had it towed to a town and could get parts easier. the only stipulation was it has to be towed to the closest place available to get it repaired. You may it up front, then turn the tow bill into the agent, and they hand you a check. i had one $360 tow bill (in 1999 dollars), the girl in the office balked, asked the agent who I knew well what to do, she said "Did he have it towed to the closest place to get it repaired?" "Yes." Give him a check."

 

[DougH71]

Carla, I've had Allstate Motor Club for probably 20 years. AAA before that, but they would balk if I tried to submit a claim instead of calling in (I knew a tow guy at the time and would just use him). Again, that was twenty years ago. Might want to just clarify their policies with someone before you sign up. One service call far from a town and your yearly dues would be worth it.

Simple things like vacuum hoses, your son should be able to replace. If he's close enough to borrow the truck, no reason to pay someone.

Again, I recommend finding an owner's manual.

That white knob is part of the jack. The rusty wingnut to the upper right is what holds it in. I'd remove the jack just to be sure the hold down hardware isn't rusted in place. Then practice using it. Even if you get a motor club, you may not have cell service where you get a flat. Also, a passerby may be willing to help you, but need to use your equipment.

The truck doesn't start after sitting a day? As in the battery is dead? That means there is an electrical drain; no matter what the mechanic says. I would check all the cable ends and wiring connections from the alternator to the battery and from the battery to the solenoid, then down to the starter. Bad grounds and corroded connections cause problems.

 

[DougH71]

He recommends a huge battery

That is not the solution. Even if it fixes the starting issue, that is just masking another problem. The stock size battery should stay charged for more than a day and be able to start your truck under normal conditions. If it does not, that indicates another problem.

 

[user 22017]

i thought the $12 a year or whatever it was when i first got it was a waste of money, until i had a $130 tow. After that I stopped with the fixing it on the side of the road nonsense i had formerly done. ... You may it up front, then turn the tow bill into the agent, and they hand you a check.

I've been paying extra in my premium for roadside assistance for years and never used it, because I'm too unorganized. Had several tows, but never turned in the claims. Dumb, I know. I'm with Country Financial and they, too, make you pay up front. Their premiums keep going up... way up. So I'm shopping around for a different company.

 

[user 22017]

Carla, I've had Allstate Motor Club for probably 20 years....

Simple things like vacuum hoses, your son should be able to replace...

Again, I recommend finding an owner's manual.

That white knob is part of the jack...

The truck doesn't start after sitting a day? As in the battery is dead?...

Thanks for all your help, Doug.

Do you know if Allstate M.C. has a similar policy to AAA, in not sending tows to dirt/gravel roads in remote areas? I know I won't be off-roading, but I do want to do dispersed camping in somewhat remote areas.

Agree about my son. I'll ask him.

And I'll check ebay for an owner's manual.

I'm not screwing with that jack. Just being honest with myself And if I ask my son to, I'm sure he'll just tell me to buy a new one. Eh, maybe he will surprise me. I'll ask. I changed tires when I was young, but I can't see me doing it now. Esp. a truck tire. If I had to (life or death), I'd do it. Crying the whole time. Ugh... I'll remove the darn jack and give it a try. When it warms up.

Yes, battery goes completely dead. No clicking sound from it, no lights, radio... nothing. Big battery sounded suspicious to me, too

 

[kklowell]

If the battery is new and goes dead, there's certainly a draw somewhere.
If you could get someone to help you who had a multimeter, checking for that "parasitic" draw isn't that difficult as you can see in this article I'll link to. I think whoever tested it and told you there was no draw probably didn't even check because they want to sell you that bigger battery.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r...ned-overnight-how-to-fix-parasitic-power-loss

 

[Catalyst1]

Thanks for all your help, Doug.

Do you know if Allstate M.C. has a similar policy to AAA, in not sending tows to dirt/gravel roads in remote areas? I know I won't be off-roading, but I do want to do dispersed camping in somewhat remote areas.

Agree about my son. I'll ask him.

And I'll check ebay for an owner's manual.

I'm not screwing with that jack. Just being honest with myself And if I ask my son to, I'm sure he'll just tell me to buy a new one. Eh, maybe he will surprise me. I'll ask. I changed tires when I was young, but I can't see me doing it now. Esp. a truck tire. If I had to (life or death), I'd do it. Crying the whole time. Ugh... I'll remove the darn jack and give it a try. When it warms up.

Yes, battery goes completely dead. No clicking sound from it, no lights, radio... nothing. Big battery sounded suspicious to me, too

Carla, I'm with you on not wanting to change tires, but these people are right. You should at least pull the equipment out and try it once to make sure it is all there, all working, and you can do it in an emergency. Think how you would feel if you found yourself in a remote area with a flat and you had no cell signal, and there was little traffic, vs. if you had practiced it once before it was an emergency? Murphy's law says it would happen an hour before sundown too.

I dropped AAA and started paying for Chevron's roadside assistance after I had a battery die because the alternator died. AAA sent out a bright, shiny new truck, but it wasn't a tow truck. This was a middleman who comes out to "evaluate" the situation and decide if they need a tow truck--which added another hour to the 2 hours I waited for help. I already knew what was wrong, and I didn't appreciate the "evaluation." I told the dispatcher what was wrong when I called. The guy couldn't give me a jump so I could drive the 5 miles to my mechanic because AAA doesn't equip its drivers with JUMPER CABLES! I finally called my son and asked him to bring jumper cables so I could leave. Not only that, AAA won't tow you more than 3 miles to anywhere in the Portland metro area any more. I did send a letter describing every detail of that experience to the VP at AAA and explained why I was leaving AAA after 30 years with them. I told her I also resented the fact that they sent some dude out in a giant, gas-guzzling truck, when they could have sent him out in a Prius. He would have done the exact same thing for me---which was nothing---at less cost to the environment and to AAA (and ultimately to the members).
So there you go.

 

[Malamute]

Still thinking a load test on the battery may be useful, at least to help start isolating the issue. I believe Auto Zone does load testing on batteries.

Even if the battery (or other parts) are new, dont assume they cant fail or arent even bad right out of the box. Double checking the basics is a good start and can save a lot of headache and time.

 

[user 22017]

Carla, I'm with you on not wanting to change tires, but these people are right. You should at least pull the equipment out and try it once to make sure it is all there, all working, and you can do it in an emergency. Think how you would feel if you found yourself in a remote area with a flat and you had no cell signal, and there was little traffic...

I dropped AAA and started paying for Chevron's roadside assistance after I had a battery die because the alternator died. AAA sent out a bright, shiny new truck, but it wasn't a tow truck...

Thanks Catalyst, I'll attempt it as soon as it warms up. We got more snow, then rain, more snow tomorrow. February in Illinois has always been bad for weather. And, I'll shop around for a roadside assistance service.

 

[user 22017]

Still thinking a load test on the battery may be useful, at least to help start isolating the issue. I believe Auto Zone does load testing on batteries.

Even if the battery (or other parts) are new, dont assume they cant fail or arent even bad right out of the box. Double checking the basics is a good start and can save a lot of headache and time.

I didn't drive it for two days, then today it started in the rain. I wonder why it is so random. The mechanic checked the battery. He owns the shop and it has been in business for 50 years. His great grandfather started the business. I trust him. The parasitic draw issue started 2-3 years ago (bad memory).

From what I have read about dead batteries & parasitic draws, ppl say to try to remember what changed in your vehicle immediately prior to the problem starting.

I had owned the truck for less than three months when I took it to a (different) shop. Can't remember everything they did. I'll find the receipt and check. I know they put in a new battery, fixed something electrical that was causing my turn signals to not work. Put in a new motor for the power window and reinforced the inside door panel. And repaired something on a rear wheel. They said when they removed the wheel pieces of metal fell out.

Six months later the truck wouldn't start. My son took the battery to O'Reilly and they said it was bad. To save me money, my son put in a battery from an old truck of his. His was rear post, so he had to get some type of adapter. The issue seemed to get worse soon after the battery switch. Then again, the truck wouldn't start BEFORE the switch.

Six months later it got really bad... repeatedly for days in a row it was dead in the morning. So I had it looked at (twice) when I bought new tires. They couldn't find the problem. That place referred me to a place that specializes in electrical issues, but I had no money. Soon after that was when the transmission plug blew out. It sat for 4-5 months until this last place. It drives better than ever.

It is curious that he recommended a large battery. Until it is dead again, I'm going to pretend that it is fixed

 

[Malamute]

I didn't drive it for two days, then today it started in the rain. I wonder why it is so random. The mechanic checked the battery. He owns the shop and it has been in business for 50 years. His great grandfather started the business. I trust him. The parasitic draw issue started 2-3 years ago (bad memory).

From what I have read about dead batteries & parasitic draws, ppl say to try to remember what changed in your vehicle immediately prior to the problem starting.

I had owned the truck for less than three months when I took it to a (different) shop. Can't remember everything they did. I'll find the receipt and check. I know they put in a new battery, fixed something electrical that was causing my turn signals to not work. Put in a new motor for the power window and reinforced the inside door panel. And repaired something on a rear wheel. They said when they removed the wheel pieces of metal fell out.

Six months later the truck wouldn't start. My son took the battery to O'Reilly and they said it was bad. To save me money, my son put in a battery from an old truck of his. His was rear post, so he had to get some type of adapter. The issue seemed to get worse soon after the battery switch. Then again, the truck wouldn't start BEFORE the switch.

Six months later it got really bad... repeatedly for days in a row it was dead in the morning. So I had it looked at (twice) when I bought new tires. They couldn't find the problem. That place referred me to a place that specializes in electrical issues, but I had no money. Soon after that was when the transmission plug blew out. It sat for 4-5 months until this last place. It drives better than ever.

It is curious that he recommended a large battery. Until it is dead again, I'm going to pretend that it is fixed

OK, that fills in some blanks. id suspect whatever they did working on the turn signals, but it may be hard to backtrack. At least it may be a starting point to start looking.

 

[DougH71]

OK, that fills in some blanks. id suspect whatever they did working on the turn signals, but it may be hard to backtrack. At least it may be a starting point to start looking.

Could be a pinched wire if they replaced the turn signal switch in the column. Also the “reinforcement “ in the door could have pinched something. There is an item staying “on”, or a power wire touching ground, that. Is killing the battery. Also, the adapters for the different battery are potentially more opportunities for corrosion, though I don’t think they’d contribute to a draw.

As for Allstate, I’m not sure of their policy on dirt roads.

 

[rruff]

As for Allstate, I’m not sure of their policy on dirt roads.

A brief search indicates that Good Sam Roadside Assistance will provide service on any improved road... meaning that it is graded and maintained... even on NF or BLM land. Most are kinda wishy washy on this point.

In general it looks like many people are not all that happy with roadside assistance plans. Even Better World, the highest ranked one on this page, only gets a 3.5/5 rating. https://wallethub.com/edu/ci/best-roadside-assistance/10234

When I was fulltime for 13 years, and adventurous about finding remote sites, I only once needed help getting out. Fuel pump died on NF land, dirt road. I flagged down a kind soul who towed me back to town with his pickup, and left me in a grocery store parking lot. From there I hiked to auto part stores to get the parts I needed, and some homeless indians helped me fix it (which involved draining and dropping the tank which was a PITA). All part of the adventure...

 

[Malamute]

Could be a pinched wire if they replaced the turn signal switch in the column. Also the “reinforcement “ in the door could have pinched something. There is an item staying “on”, or a power wire touching ground, that. Is killing the battery. Also, the adapters for the different battery are potentially more opportunities for corrosion, though I don’t think they’d contribute to a draw.

As for Allstate, I’m not sure of their policy on dirt roads.

What came to mind for me was the possibility that they did some creative wiring to get the turn signals to work, and may have pulled power from somewhere they shouldnt have, (pinched wire could do something similar) and it backtracked through the system from the turns,.... hence the draw when turned off. Tracking the wiring for the turns would be a good starting point, seeing if they did anything funny that was obvious.

Do the turns work when the truck is turned off? Does anything else work when the truck is turned off that doesnt seem like it should? On older vehicles brake lights sometimes stay hot when the ignition is off, not sure what recent practice is on that.