Don't forget to bring along a pencil and a notepad. To write down all the things you want to do to it next!

 

Woo Hoo! Be sure and take the camera.

 

 

 

 

All right! We made it to Idaho and back with no national problems at all! My extended family loved it! (I admit I want sure how they would receive it. They're very practical people.)

I made the following observations on this shakedown roadtrip:

1. It's LOUD! Mostly wind noise, but some turbo whistle, some exhaust drone, and some tire noise
I need to finish aligning the doors, and I still have to install the upper weatherstripping, the one that runs along unt top of the door openings.

2. This truck is a sail! There are some notoriously windy stretches of I15 in northern Utah and southern Idaho that we drove through today, and the wind was a blowing. With the truck being tall and having a lot of surface area the wind gusts were a little unnerving.

3. I need to install a dual steering stabilizer kit.
These big tires make the steering feel a little wandery.

4. I will need to trim the fenders. The very corners rub. I had to trim for driver's side inner fender with my pocket knife because it snagged the tire while I was mall-crawling!


All and all today was a success. The kiddos love riding in the "Super Duper" truck. Although I did have one hiccup. I have the old, blown transmission in the bed, because by the time I got home last night with the truck, I was too tired to attempt to wrestle it out, and we left first thing in the morning to get to the funeral. Well, I didn't think it through very well, because I forgot to secure the torque converter, and sure enough it fell off the input shaft and dumped nasty burnt transmission fluid all over the bed.

this is why I can't have nice things!

 

 

We got tons of "looky loos"! And both times I stopped for fuel, some random dude wanted to strike up a conversation. It was fun!

Once we got home, I wanted to put a piece of cardboard under the bed to keep the gross burnt transmission fluid off my driveway. Well, yesterday I had to buy a new water heater, so I had a huge box. I ran downstairs to retrieve the box and i noticed a pile of heating and AC parts. Well! An idea was born! I built a robot for my boys!

 

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We hacked the front fenders. They no longer rub! I'll probably cut even more off when I install the fender flares.

 

Awesome! Glad to see you got it wrapped up!

You may also consider getting it aligned. That could help with the wander... especially if you're running close to zero toe. The truck will have a tendency to tram line.

 

Glad to see you can finally enjoy the truck & all the major struggles are behind you

 

We had it aligned on Thursday before the Idaho trip. The old timer at the truck shop that did the alignment said this is the straightest cut frame he's ever aligned! That made me pretty proud!

 

That last picture from underneath.... What a view!

 

I cannot get enough of this build, Ill keep my eyes out for it!