Monday, July 18, 2011

Returning to the real world

So we are preparing to return. We will be adding a transmission cooler to the Dodge Wednesday morning. It may be like closing the barn after the horses are out, but it may still be enough to help the trans on those long climbs. Before 2013 we will have the trans upgraded with better clutches, torque converter and a valve body set up for towing. The 3.73 gearing seems to be adequate for towing the 12K pound 5er. On level roads, the dodge slips into overdrive and wants to cruise at 65-70 MPH.
We also need to see if we can squeeze another 1-3 MPG out of the cummins. It will get 17-18 mpg empty on the backroads of NC. We appreciate the fact it does get 11-12 mpg now. The old Silverado was getting 7-8 mpg towing a travel trailer and barely 15 mpg on the roads of NC.
We will also be replacing the dash. Dodge did not use quality material in their dash boards for the Ram truck. While we are replacing the shattered dash, we will also replace the wiring harness under the dash. The original owner had some electrical difficulties and left the wiring a spliced mess of wires and melted connections.
The cab is also uncomfortably HOT. We will be adding a sound deadener and a heat shield to the floor under the vinyl floor covering. This should give us some quiet and cool the inside considerably.
As soon as we get our pictures web ready we will have our MADIEN VOYAGE page up on our WEBSITE.

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