Well got back from the trip to Colorado with the truck.. had a blast. Only one truck related problem... but I got lucky. We were back in a National Forest about an hours drive in from the highway when I stopped to walk around (about half way to where we camped). When I got back in and started the truck there was a loud high pitched pop. My girlfriend and I gave each other a look, but all seemed fine. So we went and found our camp and that was the end. When we woke up (low 40's btw) we packed everything up, hopped in to leave and it wouldn't start! At first I thought battery, but quickly decided it had power... it was the starter. I went under the truck and found where the problem was. On the starter there are two small, long, bolts that hold the actual starter motor together (not the ones that hold it to the engine). One was snapped, and the starter was twisted. Just great But after some sadness about the thought of walking all day to the town I quickly decided to try to rig it to work. I first used a rock on it, and tried starting it and it made some funny noises. Then I decided to not be so primitive and grabbed a hammer from the back. I wedged it between the starter and crossmember and pulled the starter back into shape (as best i could). After three tries with me holding the starter together and my grilfriend cranking it fired up. Boy was I happy. After thet drove it to town, found a starter ($OUCH$) and replaced it in the napa parking lot. Pretty exciting, but boy were we lucky!

Other than that the truck performed flawlessly, up and down the forest access roads and the long drive there and back. Heck overall my milage increased from 14.5 to 14.8--even including the few low-range 4wheel drive climbs.

By the way, the camper shell was great to use... no need for a tent But it was off my old '94 f-350, so it didn't fit perfect but it did it's job that for sure.

Fun stuff, here are a few pics:

 

Nice pics 02!!! Glad you made it out.

 

Looks good 02, I'm actually in Colorado right now, hanging out with some friends.

 

Nice pics. I had the same starter failure on the '01 F-350 PSD Dump Truck. It was actually cheaper from Ford than from Napa.

 

Good ol' American enginuity to the rescue! Good thinking and way to go! Too bad you didn't hook up with "Wilnhntr", he's from CO.

Great pix, BTW. MAN I MISS COLORADO!!!!

Severely jealous,
Daryl !!!

 

I was stationed in Col back in 76 and boy it was nice. Nice pic's. Glad you made it out.

 

Great pics!

Colorado is a great state! Very beautiful. The beaches suck though...

 

Good thing the girlfriend was with you! You would've never gotten it started without her butt in the seat to turn the key!! Atleast they're good for something!

 

I love that first picture...

 

Wish I coulda been with ya'll , Grant. Nice!!!

And I wish I was in that cabin RIGHT NOW!

 

Looks like you had a blast ... I'm jealous, my trucks stuck in the shop

 

You're WAY, WAY too hard on that thing, Juan. Maybe it needs to spend a week or two there for R&R.

If I had to take a pick of any trip it would be the Rockies in my SD and a trailerload of horses - stay a year or two...

 

But thats what superduties are for ... you beat the crap outta 'em and they want more .

Trucks been in the shop for about 3 weeks, and I'm having v10 withdrawls, I miss the ability to punch it and pass anything I want to, and the way people don't try to cut me off, cuz I have an SD, not to mention my stereo that goes BOOM. The rice burning daily driver just ain't cutting it ... I need a fix, you just don't know Big Orn.

 

(Big Orn playing a little-biddy fiddle...)

 

Awesome, I can say that now that I've been here almost a year I really do like this area. Think I will try to stay here for as long as possible. Then it's back to Texas. Colorado really is nice. Thanks for sharing the pics.