Hi Kenny! You’re a true outdoorsman; lots of respect coming your way. Thanks for setting an example how to live life no matter the situation. Looking forward to your next adventure
Hey Ken sorry about the fuel issue , but at least you got home safe. Remember a bad day of fishing is still better than any day at work. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping your positive attitude . As always stay safe and healthy.
Keep up the great videos. I’m in Ontario Canada and we have similar weather. I too chose a 3500 HD but got the 6.6L gas for the extra cargo weight capacity over the diesel to be under the GVRW with my 3100lbs Adventure truck camper. Stay safe
Hi Kenny, Thanks for taking us fishing with you! I learned many years ago that the funnest thing about fishing is just being able to go :) Before going to the Academy I drove semi's and opped heavy equipment. Winter was always a challenge to keep things going. We used Cummins 300 and baby CAT engines....those baby CATS hated the cold.....froze up way more than once roadside. The solution was always treat fuel with Power Service in the tank, carry two extra new fuel filters. When I froze (gelled) up I would remove the fuel filters and replace with new ones that I filled partially with Power Service.....reprime, give a very small shot of either and cranked the engine up......cured every time. Love the video and thanks for taking us on the ride!
Kenny, Truck Camper Compadre Here Wow, This Video Really Hits Home For Me Back In My High School Days. Working My After School Job For The City. I Was The Maintenance Garage/Shop/Yard Fueler. Had To Make Sure Every Piece Of Equipment Was Full Of The Proper Fuel For The Day Crew. All The Diesel Powered Equipment Had To Be Plugged In During Winter Months ( Block Heaters ) It Was Critical To Have The Correct Blends/ Additives Mixed Just Right. My Supervisor Was Like A Mad Chemist 🧪 He Had A Guide For Me To Follow To The T !! No Messing Around, That's For Sure !! Hated Having To Chisel The Ice Off The Fuel Tank Caps. Frozen Solid Underneath All The Muck !! But I Liked My Job And It Was Cool Driving All The Plows, Front End Loaders, Etc. Great Attitude While Dealing With The Gelling Issues On Your Truck. Once Again / Awesome Video Keep Up The Great Work 👍
I enjoyed this vintage video from a couple of years ago….you really talked fast in your earlier episodes compared to recent ones. Now you sound more relaxed which I like!
It was interesting to hear you would run the camper full time if you could. Shows you and your videos are true to heart and it is a passion of yours. Really enjoying the work you do on your content along with the info and experience you bring.
We don’t have an oven in out TC. Those cinnamon rolls sure looked good. Hope the truck recovers without becoming expensive. Great videos. Thanks for making them and bring us along.
There’s a “life hack” out there that says, If you fill a sock with non clumping kitty litter, and leave it in your car, you want get condensation on you windows. Could you experiment with this idea with your camper? It might require more than one sock, but if you can mediate condensation without requiring electricity for a dehumidifier, big win!
Great adventures, loved the fishing, being in Texas I've never experienced it on a frozen lake. Hopefully some day. Hopefully nothing too serious on your truck. Stay safe, from the Lone Star State. 🇺🇸
Sorry about the breakdown Kenny. Born and raised in upstate NY near Canada. Moved away south for job career. I can't handle those temps anymore. Enjoyed the video. All the best.
Looked like u were having a blast ice fishing. Some of those ice houses were awesome. Sorry the truck messed up on you. You seem to know pretty much about what's going on, that's a good thing. Stay safe on your travels.
They were over hight, and the truck was over its GVWR. The driver had to stand on his running board and watch as we crossed under low hanging telephone cables. He said we couldn't take the highway...he didn't want to come across a Trooper. So we took the back roads home. The driver was going to do anything he could to put the camper in my driveway.
Sweet video! Hopefully the truck gets up and running soon. Was out on the lake a couple weeks ago around that same spot and just caught a couple larger perch. See you next week!
Those diesels have power for days but I like my gas truck, little extra payload too. At least you got it home. Hopefully the recent warm up solved it. Way to keep a positive attitude, that's half the battle.
That's a really good idea! The high temp is supposed to be -8 this weekend. I'm gonna head out tomorrow when I get off work. I'm gonna throw the heat gun under the seat. That could be a life saver! Thanks👍
As a born and bred Texan I'm trying to figure out why I actually want to experience this...... just looks fun and something everyone should experience at least once in life to be in weather like that. Kudos for you to making the best of it and making a southerner want to do it. I was also going to tell you that you can't leave us hanging like that about your truck, but after reading the other comments I see that is exactly what you are going to do. Anxiously waiting....
My favorite channel use to be Taylor Dzaman. I loved his content. Chrome, Foresty and Mav are my go to channels now. But I will still turn on old Taylor videos once in a while. I got ride of Satellite TV probably 6 years ago. TH-cam and Netflix has filled the gap just fine.
@@KennyOfAllTrades I loved taylor, he got me intrested in artic fox campers he had great content. . yea man foresty forest, shareing the wild, van city van life, and sunshinebabys earlier videos and truck house life are a fav of mine but right now your channel is my top favorite,
Some say God doesn’t count time fishing as time on Earth, so fish away brother! I once looked at ice house trailers just to have the cold weather capability but ditched the idea because of the weight. You’ve got the ideal setup, in my opinion. Grand Cinnamon Rolls, breakfast of champions! Bummer about the fuel but for 90% of the year your truck is great. At least you had a warm place to hang out while you waited for a tow. I has a gas Chevy break a fuel put while towing a travel trailer. My wife made us and the repair shop lunch, while they replaced the pump. I bought a spare pump….. stay safe,
I learned to have a generator large enough to power a torpedo heater and point near truck to warm and truck will start once fuel is flowing ad additive of course
I do...and I should have plugged ot in..I am going to try a diffrent fuel filter this winter, a 6 micron. I was using a 2 micron, which is pretty tight. A lot smaller then the factory filter. I also found out the station I bought fuel from had all their deisel pumps freeze up as well. Maybe the refinery was having issues with the winter blend additive. I know when I buy fuel the blend of bio diesel changes from 5% to 20% depending on the load. Of course with temps -30 to -40 degrees that bio fuel gelled right up. I talked to a shop in town who said I wasn't alone, he had sold out of fuel filters and winter additives. I had to buy the filters online.
I got the Airxcel Coleman-Mach 06-0705 thermostat for my cargo trailer conversion, operates at cold temperatures, and it happens to be the same one in my travel trailer which is how I found out it operates at cold temperatures. Unfortunately the conversion was not ready for winter camping this year.
Thanks, Kenny, for a great video. I have a question, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before, but why do you drill so many holes in the ice? Have a great week ❤
Kenny, I just hit the Like button and subscribe button. I got turned on to your channel while searching for truck camper tips. The wife and I live in Kansas City but are headed up to your neck of the woods next weekend (Ramsey, Mn) to trade our 34' bumper pull to a brand new Palomino HS2910 Max truck camper so we can take trips like you do. Wish me luck downsizing. BTW, I grew up in Anoka/Coon Rapids area in the 70's......can't wait to see the changes in the area!
Thank's for subscribing! I'm sure you will see some big changes back in Minnesota. I hope you love the Truck Camper as much as I do. If you plan on taking the long way home, the drive south out of Minnesota following the Mississippi is beautiful. I did a video a few months back where I drove to Harper's Ferry, Iowa. It was a beautiful drive and so much history. Unfortunately all the video footage was lost. Maybe you could make a little road trip out of the drive home. Safe travels!
@@KennyOfAllTrades this is just a quick trip to run up there and purchase the unit, then turn around and back home for another month of work.... we are planning a trip first week of April going through The Tetons and Yellowstone for a 10 day trip in the new rig. The truck camper will get us into many more areas than the big trailer. Really can’t wait!
I went out west around the same time last year. It was beautiful. I think it is videos number five six and seven. There were still some forestry roads closed down that time of year. But plenty of boondocking to be found. I was surprised that Yellowstone was packed midweek in the early morning. I'm sure you will find some great spots with the new camper.
Was listening to you mention about the digital thermostat and before you said you regretted it I was remembering replacing mine in my Northern Lite. The digital worked great except it had a zero variance range on it. The old manual one would heat up to 73, cut off, then let the camper cool down to 69 before firing the furnace. On the digital it heated up to 72, cut off, and when it dropped to 71.5 would fire the furnace. I may as well just ran the furnace 24/7 when it was insanely cold! Was not made for a truck camper!
You are probably right. Even though the Arctic Fox and Northern Lite are well insulated campers, the temperature swing inside them is much greater than a home. This digital thermostat is a residential unit for sure.
Hey Kenny , after our last discussion I installed a lift pump in my 2015 hd also . It came with a 2 micron filter and I swapped it out for 6 micron due to stories like yours . Let me know what you find . Keep camping , maybe you'll motivate me to put my camper on yet this winter .
I just finished up documenting the repair process for next week's video. I'm also going to be taking on the dinette project. You will be able to see the whole process next week.
Well.........it just happened again....the truck gelled up! It will be next Tuesdays video, March 1st. The temps got down to 29 or 30 bellow zero. The winds were crazy at 30 to 40 mph. Thankfully the camper stayed warm. I think you have the right idea, switching to a 6 micron filter. The 2 micron just dosen't flow at all when the diesel fuel starts to wax up. I ordered some Baldwin filters to replace the Fass. Have you had any issues with gelling up? Do you also see the extremely cold temps? I think I'm going to put in the electric heaters in the pump as well. The Baldwin filters are 6 microns. Thanks!
@@KennyOfAllTrades Bummer , I've been adding diesel 911 to every tank and swapped out the 2 micron filter for a 6 micron for winter . The gelling that occurs is actually waxing and plugs up the smaller filter passages , my two cents worth .
Oh man! Thanks for sharing and your positive thoughts. Very inspiring. Hopefully you were able to figure out the issue without too much pain. As always….you’re a good man. Can you share what roadside insurance you carry? I’m always worried I’ll be out somewhere, breakdown and have mine tell me they don’t cover truck with camper….even though they state they do"
Very good question. I have progressive auto insurance. I do pay for the additional tow coverage. I have had to use it twice. This summer I ran out of fuel.. After 4 hours of waiting roadside I canceled progressives claim and paid for a tow company to bring fuel to me. I contacted progressive while making this video. They told me they would set up a tow, however, it could be 48 hours before anyone would reach my location. Needless to say I canceled it and hired a tow company on my own. I am going to look into AAA. Thanks for watching!!
Oh NO Kenny, NOT your truck!!!!! Well, like you said, you can at least go into the camper. 🚙 Isn't there always something!! But, at least you got the truck and camper home and not sitting somewhere dangerous! Talk about dangerous, WOW, was I ever nervous about you out on that lake, oh yeah!! Just think Kenny what if the truck was on the lake ice when it broke down, just what would you have done?? WOW!!! 😣 How scary!! I LOVE that dog that met you at your house, such a sweet babe! 😍😚😙❤👄💋🐕🐾 I sincerely hope that it's not something expensive that broke on your truck and that the problem will be fixed very quickly! But, I do worry about how your going to get to work, you know, since your truck took a little vacation and all. So sorry my friend! Take care, Your friend, Didi 👋 ❄❄🚙❄❄ What size t-shirt do you wear? When is your birthday?
I was wondering when this was going to happen with a diesel in the winter... im you on just wanting to pack it up and cruise around the us and camp. Too bad it takes money and I am not a trust fund baby 😂😂😂
Yep, I think i had a bad batch of fuel from the gas station. I had two incidents of duel gelling that winter. The other time, I was hours from home. I had to fix that issue in my campsite. Thankfully, I had electricity to put a heater on the fuel filter.
Do you have any sort of road side assistance or tow service you are a member of? Last year i lost the fuel pump on my truck while heading out for a trip with my truck camper, because of the height and weight, AAA wouldn't help me and i had to find a big wrecker to tow my truck home, with the cost out of pocket about $2000 for an hour ride back home. Do you have any tips or experience you could share, for future reference? I was looking into camper road side service providers and there were a lot of mixed reviews. Luckily my truck broke about 100 miles from home rather then the 2000 miles away i would have been.
I have not looked into a 3rd party service. I had roadside coverage on my truck and camper through Progressive. I needed it a few times, and it was joke. Twice for running out of fuel and once for a breakdown. They said it would take 24 hours to get a wrecker to me. I broke down on a two lane road in a no passing zone with no shoulder. I was blocking half of the lane. I told them of my situation, but that didn't matter. They said it was the height and weight of the unit that was causing issues. I'm sure the tow companies were declining the job. The other two times I ran out of fuel. Once in at an intersection. I was three miles from a service center. Progressive told me it would take approximately four hours to get fuel to me. I waited for an hour, thinking someone would show up sooner than that. It was a blistering hot day, and I directed traffic through that intersection for 45 minutes. I knew if a trooper or deputy showed up, they would have the truck towed instantly. Someone was nice enough to stop and help. They drove into town and bought a gas can and brought fuel out to me. That was in Iowa. The second time I ran out of fuel, it was the same story. I was being told it was going to be multiple hours for a wrecker to arrive . I called a shop about 10 miles from me. They did not want to do it at first. The shop said they only had red cans and could not put diesel in it. 175 dollars later, I had two gallons of fuel. Progressive would not reimburse me for any of it. They said the jobs were never declined. They said the work orders were put in and they were willing to cover them.
how cold is the coldest temperatures that your artic cper will withstand living in winter months.. am considering purchasing one I snowmobile and stay in far northern Wisconsin. thanks in advance for your help input
I only have the opportunity to go on weekend adventures. My full-time job always gets in the way. So I can not comment on long stays. Over the last 2 years, I only missed 3 or 4 weekend trips. I've stayed out as cold as 45 degrees below 0 and 112 degrees above. Neither of those is fun. I'll take the colder temps over the hot. I've never had an issue being cold in the camper. The furnace is able to keep it 65 degrees in -45 temps. The problem is I will use a 20-pound cylinder of propane every 15 to 20 hours. I don't keep water in the tanks when it gets below 10 degrees outside. I dry camp over the winter months.
I'm guessing your new thermostat requires a battery. Chances are it requires the battery to work which means when the battery is dead, so is your furnace. Believe it or not, many home t-stats are this way too. If so, I'd return it and go with a simple bi metal spring stat. Probably what you took out. They don't care anything about batteries or the angle of the rig.
I always used a diesel fuel additive that claimed to avoid gelling in the winter. Is that the stock location for the fuel filters? They seem vulnerable to damage from road debris.
The first set of filters I replaced is an aftermarket pump with a fuel/water separator from Fass. As far as the location, it is in a venerable area, so far no issues. The last filter I replaced (the yellow Cat filter) is the location of the original fuel/water separator filter. I was lazy with the additives. I should have known better. I thought I would be ok because the Gas Station said the fuel was good for -45. I don't think it was a Coincidence that my truck gelled up the day after the station took their fuel pumps out of service.
It did work great during most of the year. Unfortunately it would not function in below freezing temperatures. I had to replace it with a mechanical style thermostat.
What year, make and model do you have? Is it a truck you recommend? I’ve recently been thinking of moving away from my van scene and doing the truck camper mode. Just don’t know what to look for. I want a 1 ton with best mileage I can get. Thanks regardless if you answer or not. I’m loving your videos
My truck is a 2015 Silverado 3500. It's the short bed with the Duramax diesel. The camper is a 2004 Arctic Fox M860. I don't have any preference on truck brands. I think any truck that's properly maintained can go over 300k miles without many big issues. If I was going to look for a different truck, I would pay attention to payload. Some 1 ton trucks do not recommend carrying a truck camper. My Silverado came from the factory with the snow plow prep package. It has truck camper loading info on a sticker in the glove box. I could find other 3500 Silverados that have a sticker saying "Not Recommend for a Slide in Camper".
It was 175 bucks if i remember correctly. We were overweight and over height. We stuck to the back roads because the tow opetator did not want to come across a Trooper on the highway.
Yes. I was running a 1/4 of #1. A full bottle of power service anti gell and 3/4 tank for winter fuel that the gas station said was rated for -40. I think the fuel station had water in the tanks, or maybe they were delivered a load with 20% biodiesel. Minnesota mandated 20% except in winter months. I should not have frozen up with what I was running.
Not fresh water. I use the gray, but I'm really cautious about how much water i put down the drain. I also chase the water down with rv antifreeze. I don't want my J-traps to brake. I keep the basement warm while using the camper and dump the tanks after every trip.
Looks like a scene from grumpy old men any minute I expect to see Walter Matthau dragging Jack lemons ice house across the lake
It's one of my favorite movies!
Hi Kenny! You’re a true outdoorsman; lots of respect coming your way. Thanks for setting an example how to live life no matter the situation. Looking forward to your next adventure
Very nice of you to say! Thanks for watching!
Hey Ken sorry about the fuel issue , but at least you got home safe. Remember a bad day of fishing is still better than any day at work. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping your positive attitude . As always stay safe and healthy.
You will have to tune in next week to see if I get it resolved. Thanks for watching!
Ice fishing is on my bucket list!!
Another cool adventure - thanks! Bummer about the truck, hope all is well next week.
The problems when camping, make for interesting stories later...good luck with the repairs..!
I like your positive attitude. 👍✌️
Keep up the great videos. I’m in Ontario Canada and we have similar weather. I too chose a 3500 HD but got the 6.6L gas for the extra cargo weight capacity over the diesel to be under the GVRW with my 3100lbs Adventure truck camper. Stay safe
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Hi Kenny, Thanks for taking us fishing with you! I learned many years ago that the funnest thing about fishing is just being able to go :)
Before going to the Academy I drove semi's and opped heavy equipment. Winter was always a challenge to keep things going. We used Cummins 300 and baby CAT engines....those baby CATS hated the cold.....froze up way more than once roadside. The solution was always treat fuel with Power Service in the tank, carry two extra new fuel filters. When I froze (gelled) up I would remove the fuel filters and replace with new ones that I filled partially with Power Service.....reprime, give a very small shot of either and cranked the engine up......cured every time.
Love the video and thanks for taking us on the ride!
Those are some great tips. I will definitely be carrying that in the truck from now on.
Oh no! Hope you can get it sorted soon.
Kenny, Truck Camper Compadre Here
Wow, This Video Really Hits Home For Me Back In My High School Days.
Working My After School Job For The City.
I Was The Maintenance Garage/Shop/Yard Fueler.
Had To Make Sure Every Piece Of Equipment Was Full Of The Proper Fuel For The Day Crew.
All The Diesel Powered Equipment Had To Be Plugged In During Winter Months ( Block Heaters )
It Was Critical To Have The Correct Blends/ Additives Mixed Just Right.
My Supervisor Was Like A Mad Chemist 🧪
He Had A Guide For Me To Follow To The T !!
No Messing Around, That's For Sure !!
Hated Having To Chisel The Ice Off The Fuel Tank Caps.
Frozen Solid Underneath All The Muck !!
But I Liked My Job And It Was Cool Driving All The Plows, Front End Loaders, Etc.
Great Attitude While Dealing With The Gelling Issues On Your Truck.
Once Again / Awesome Video
Keep Up The Great Work 👍
Thanks! I had fun, no one got hurt, so it was a good day on the lake. I won't be lazy about using additives next time.
Got love diesel in extreme temps is a total risk getting fuel from some places,cool video,Godspeed
I enjoyed this vintage video from a couple of years ago….you really talked fast in your earlier episodes compared to recent ones. Now you sound more relaxed which I like!
That’s looking on the bright side/ great attitude goes a long way
Thanks again for sharing
Thanks!
Hell yeah! Love your attitude towards the challenges… keep on truckin’ and dispersed camping
Come on over to the U.P. Little Bay de Noc is some good ice fishing. We're waiting on a Scout camper, can't wait. Great video.
It was interesting to hear you would run the camper full time if you could. Shows you and your videos are true to heart and it is a passion of yours. Really enjoying the work you do on your content along with the info and experience you bring.
Thank you for realizing what brings me happiness. I really appreciate the comment!
We don’t have an oven in out TC. Those cinnamon rolls sure looked good. Hope the truck recovers without becoming expensive. Great videos. Thanks for making them and bring us along.
You will have to tune in next week to find out! I really appreciate you all for coming along with these travels. Thanks!
There’s a “life hack” out there that says, If you fill a sock with non clumping kitty litter, and leave it in your car, you want get condensation on you windows. Could you experiment with this idea with your camper? It might require more than one sock, but if you can mediate condensation without requiring electricity for a dehumidifier, big win!
Wow had no idea how bad your Winters are , grew up in California !!
Beautiful photography but I still don't like the cold weather
Great adventures, loved the fishing, being in Texas I've never experienced it on a frozen lake. Hopefully some day. Hopefully nothing too serious on your truck. Stay safe, from the Lone Star State. 🇺🇸
Sorry about the breakdown Kenny. Born and raised in upstate NY near Canada. Moved away south for job career. I can't handle those temps anymore. Enjoyed the video. All the best.
Thanks for watching.
Looked like u were having a blast ice fishing. Some of those ice houses were awesome. Sorry the truck messed up on you. You seem to know pretty much about what's going on, that's a good thing. Stay safe on your travels.
Enjoyed again, Kenny
I am surprised the tow company didn't require to have the camper removed before towing
They were over hight, and the truck was over its GVWR. The driver had to stand on his running board and watch as we crossed under low hanging telephone cables. He said we couldn't take the highway...he didn't want to come across a Trooper. So we took the back roads home. The driver was going to do anything he could to put the camper in my driveway.
Sweet video! Hopefully the truck gets up and running soon. Was out on the lake a couple weeks ago around that same spot and just caught a couple larger perch. See you next week!
Thanks McKayla!
Those diesels have power for days but I like my gas truck, little extra payload too. At least you got it home. Hopefully the recent warm up solved it. Way to keep a positive attitude, that's half the battle.
There are a lot of positives for gas, payload definitely one of them. Thanks for watching!
We kept a heat gun in our tracked vehicle when I was stationed in AK. Saved our butts a few times.
That's a really good idea! The high temp is supposed to be -8 this weekend. I'm gonna head out tomorrow when I get off work. I'm gonna throw the heat gun under the seat. That could be a life saver! Thanks👍
As a born and bred Texan I'm trying to figure out why I actually want to experience this...... just looks fun and something everyone should experience at least once in life to be in weather like that. Kudos for you to making the best of it and making a southerner want to do it. I was also going to tell you that you can't leave us hanging like that about your truck, but after reading the other comments I see that is exactly what you are going to do. Anxiously waiting....
THANKS!
That’s crazy cold. Life threatening cold.
14:57 cant go wrong watching chrome and van city van life, great video
My favorite channel use to be Taylor Dzaman. I loved his content. Chrome, Foresty and Mav are my go to channels now. But I will still turn on old Taylor videos once in a while. I got ride of Satellite TV probably 6 years ago. TH-cam and Netflix has filled the gap just fine.
@@KennyOfAllTrades I loved taylor, he got me intrested in artic fox campers he had great content. . yea man foresty forest, shareing the wild, van city van life, and sunshinebabys earlier videos and truck house life are a fav of mine but right now your channel is my top favorite,
@@ShadowWolf3030 I really appreciate that, its means a lot to me!
@@KennyOfAllTrades Very Welcome,
Ohhhh noooo sorry that happened
Some say God doesn’t count time fishing as time on Earth, so fish away brother! I once looked at ice house trailers just to have the cold weather capability but ditched the idea because of the weight. You’ve got the ideal setup, in my opinion. Grand Cinnamon Rolls, breakfast of champions! Bummer about the fuel but for 90% of the year your truck is great. At least you had a warm place to hang out while you waited for a tow. I has a gas Chevy break a fuel put while towing a travel trailer. My wife made us and the repair shop lunch, while they replaced the pump. I bought a spare pump….. stay safe,
Thanks Bill!
😢it looked so sad to see her being pulled up on there Dang
I learned to have a generator large enough to power a torpedo heater and point near truck to warm and truck will start once fuel is flowing ad additive of course
Very good idea!
I'm surprised you don't have a block heater in your truck living in Minnesota and then just hook it up to the generator....
I do...and I should have plugged ot in..I am going to try a diffrent fuel filter this winter, a 6 micron. I was using a 2 micron, which is pretty tight. A lot smaller then the factory filter. I also found out the station I bought fuel from had all their deisel pumps freeze up as well. Maybe the refinery was having issues with the winter blend additive. I know when I buy fuel the blend of bio diesel changes from 5% to 20% depending on the load. Of course with temps -30 to -40 degrees that bio fuel gelled right up. I talked to a shop in town who said I wasn't alone, he had sold out of fuel filters and winter additives. I had to buy the filters online.
I got the Airxcel Coleman-Mach 06-0705 thermostat for my cargo trailer conversion, operates at cold temperatures, and it happens to be the same one in my travel trailer which is how I found out it operates at cold temperatures. Unfortunately the conversion was not ready for winter camping this year.
Awesome! Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna look at that one. It would be nice to have the fine control of a digital thermostat that reads in cold temps.
@@KennyOfAllTrades I haven't tried it at -20 yet, the LCD may not read when cold, but it does work down in the single digits.
Hi Kenny, hope you got your truck fixed and wasn't anything major
U will have to tune in this Tuesday to find out....Thanks for watching Tobi!
@@KennyOfAllTrades haha.. the suspense😁
Thanks, Kenny, for a great video. I have a question, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before, but why do you drill so many holes in the ice? Have a great week ❤
Brrr. I don't miss those temperatures.
Come about March I'll be wondering why I'm here. Thankfully, we only have a month or so of the really cold temps.
@@KennyOfAllTrades I grew up in SD. I remember.
Kenny, I just hit the Like button and subscribe button. I got turned on to your channel while searching for truck camper tips. The wife and I live in Kansas City but are headed up to your neck of the woods next weekend (Ramsey, Mn) to trade our 34' bumper pull to a brand new Palomino HS2910 Max truck camper so we can take trips like you do. Wish me luck downsizing. BTW, I grew up in Anoka/Coon Rapids area in the 70's......can't wait to see the changes in the area!
Thank's for subscribing! I'm sure you will see some big changes back in Minnesota. I hope you love the Truck Camper as much as I do. If you plan on taking the long way home, the drive south out of Minnesota following the Mississippi is beautiful. I did a video a few months back where I drove to Harper's Ferry, Iowa. It was a beautiful drive and so much history. Unfortunately all the video footage was lost.
Maybe you could make a little road trip out of the drive home. Safe travels!
@@KennyOfAllTrades this is just a quick trip to run up there and purchase the unit, then turn around and back home for another month of work.... we are planning a trip first week of April going through The Tetons and Yellowstone for a 10 day trip in the new rig. The truck camper will get us into many more areas than the big trailer. Really can’t wait!
I went out west around the same time last year. It was beautiful. I think it is videos number five six and seven. There were still some forestry roads closed down that time of year. But plenty of boondocking to be found. I was surprised that Yellowstone was packed midweek in the early morning. I'm sure you will find some great spots with the new camper.
You have to be a mechanical engineer to do your weekend trips. Most of us would not understand any of these problems. Education takes place here. Lol!
Was listening to you mention about the digital thermostat and before you said you regretted it I was remembering replacing mine in my Northern Lite. The digital worked great except it had a zero variance range on it. The old manual one would heat up to 73, cut off, then let the camper cool down to 69 before firing the furnace. On the digital it heated up to 72, cut off, and when it dropped to 71.5 would fire the furnace. I may as well just ran the furnace 24/7 when it was insanely cold! Was not made for a truck camper!
You are probably right. Even though the Arctic Fox and Northern Lite are well insulated campers, the temperature swing inside them is much greater than a home. This digital thermostat is a residential unit for sure.
Hey Kenny , after our last discussion I installed a lift pump in my 2015 hd also . It came with a 2 micron filter and I swapped it out for 6 micron due to stories like yours . Let me know what you find . Keep camping , maybe you'll motivate me to put my camper on yet this winter .
I just finished up documenting the repair process for next week's video. I'm also going to be taking on the dinette project. You will be able to see the whole process next week.
Well.........it just happened again....the truck gelled up! It will be next Tuesdays video, March 1st. The temps got down to 29 or 30 bellow zero. The winds were crazy at 30 to 40 mph. Thankfully the camper stayed warm.
I think you have the right idea, switching to a 6 micron filter. The 2 micron just dosen't flow at all when the diesel fuel starts to wax up. I ordered some Baldwin filters to replace the Fass.
Have you had any issues with gelling up? Do you also see the extremely cold temps? I think I'm going to put in the electric heaters in the pump as well. The Baldwin filters are 6 microns.
Thanks!
@@KennyOfAllTrades
Bummer , I've been adding diesel 911 to every tank and swapped out the 2 micron filter for a 6 micron for winter . The gelling that occurs is actually waxing and plugs up the smaller filter passages , my two cents worth .
X just to let you know I'm still catching up
Lol. Good job, I think your the first to Bing watch my videos. That's pretty cool!
Oh man! Thanks for sharing and your positive thoughts. Very inspiring. Hopefully you were able to figure out the issue without too much pain. As always….you’re a good man. Can you share what roadside insurance you carry? I’m always worried I’ll be out somewhere, breakdown and have mine tell me they don’t cover truck with camper….even though they state they do"
Very good question. I have progressive auto insurance. I do pay for the additional tow coverage. I have had to use it twice.
This summer I ran out of fuel.. After 4 hours of waiting roadside I canceled progressives claim and paid for a tow company to bring fuel to me.
I contacted progressive while making this video. They told me they would set up a tow, however, it could be 48 hours before anyone would reach my location. Needless to say I canceled it and hired a tow company on my own.
I am going to look into AAA.
Thanks for watching!!
Oh NO Kenny, NOT your truck!!!!! Well, like you said, you can at least go into the camper. 🚙 Isn't there always something!! But, at least you got the truck and camper home and not sitting somewhere dangerous!
Talk about dangerous, WOW, was I ever nervous about you out on that lake, oh yeah!! Just think Kenny what if the truck was on the lake ice when it broke down, just what would you have done?? WOW!!! 😣 How scary!!
I LOVE that dog that met you at your house, such a sweet babe! 😍😚😙❤👄💋🐕🐾
I sincerely hope that it's not something expensive that broke on your truck and that the problem will be fixed very quickly! But, I do worry about how your going to get to work, you know, since your truck took a little vacation and all.
So sorry my friend!
Take care,
Your friend,
Didi 👋
❄❄🚙❄❄
What size t-shirt do you wear?
When is your birthday?
Hey Kenny do people stay in those fish houses for 3 to 4 days at a time? Bet that would be fun😅
Yes. Those fish houses have beds, toilets, and kitchens. Renting them out is a huge business for resorts over the winter months.
I was wondering when this was going to happen with a diesel in the winter... im you on just wanting to pack it up and cruise around the us and camp. Too bad it takes money and I am not a trust fund baby 😂😂😂
Yep, I think i had a bad batch of fuel from the gas station. I had two incidents of duel gelling that winter. The other time, I was hours from home. I had to fix that issue in my campsite. Thankfully, I had electricity to put a heater on the fuel filter.
Do you have any sort of road side assistance or tow service you are a member of? Last year i lost the fuel pump on my truck while heading out for a trip with my truck camper, because of the height and weight, AAA wouldn't help me and i had to find a big wrecker to tow my truck home, with the cost out of pocket about $2000 for an hour ride back home. Do you have any tips or experience you could share, for future reference? I was looking into camper road side service providers and there were a lot of mixed reviews. Luckily my truck broke about 100 miles from home rather then the 2000 miles away i would have been.
I have not looked into a 3rd party service. I had roadside coverage on my truck and camper through Progressive. I needed it a few times, and it was joke.
Twice for running out of fuel and once for a breakdown. They said it would take 24 hours to get a wrecker to me. I broke down on a two lane road in a no passing zone with no shoulder. I was blocking half of the lane. I told them of my situation, but that didn't matter. They said it was the height and weight of the unit that was causing issues. I'm sure the tow companies were declining the job.
The other two times I ran out of fuel. Once in at an intersection. I was three miles from a service center. Progressive told me it would take approximately four hours to get fuel to me. I waited for an hour, thinking someone would show up sooner than that. It was a blistering hot day, and I directed traffic through that intersection for 45 minutes. I knew if a trooper or deputy showed up, they
would have the truck towed instantly. Someone was nice enough to stop and help. They drove into town and bought a gas can and brought fuel out to me. That was in Iowa.
The second time I ran out of fuel, it was the same story. I was being told it was going to be multiple hours for a wrecker to arrive . I called a shop about 10 miles from me. They did not want to do it at first. The shop said they only had red cans and could not put diesel in it. 175 dollars later, I had two gallons of fuel.
Progressive would not reimburse me for any of it. They said the jobs were never declined. They said the work orders were put in and they were willing to cover them.
how cold is the coldest temperatures that your artic cper will withstand living in winter months.. am considering purchasing one I snowmobile and stay in far northern Wisconsin. thanks in advance for your help input
I only have the opportunity to go on weekend adventures. My full-time job always gets in the way. So I can not comment on long stays. Over the last 2 years, I only missed 3 or 4 weekend trips. I've stayed out as cold as 45 degrees below 0 and 112 degrees above. Neither of those is fun. I'll take the colder temps over the hot. I've never had an issue being cold in the camper. The furnace is able to keep it 65 degrees in -45 temps. The problem is I will use a 20-pound cylinder of propane every 15 to 20 hours. I don't keep water in the tanks when it gets below 10 degrees outside. I dry camp over the winter months.
thanks for your response and help
I'm guessing your new thermostat requires a battery. Chances are it requires the battery to work which means when the battery is dead, so is your furnace. Believe it or not, many home t-stats are this way too.
If so, I'd return it and go with a simple bi metal spring stat. Probably what you took out. They don't care anything about batteries or the angle of the rig.
You have hit the nail on the head, 100% correct. I'm going to go back to the original style, just a little more modern looking.
I always used a diesel fuel additive that claimed to avoid gelling in the winter. Is that the stock location for the fuel filters? They seem vulnerable to damage from road debris.
The first set of filters I replaced is an aftermarket pump with a fuel/water separator from Fass. As far as the location, it is in a venerable area, so far no issues. The last filter I replaced (the yellow Cat filter) is the location of the original fuel/water separator filter.
I was lazy with the additives. I should have known better. I thought I would be ok because the Gas Station said the fuel was good for -45. I don't think it was a Coincidence that my truck gelled up the day after the station took their fuel pumps out of service.
How is that Honeywell holding up?
It did work great during most of the year. Unfortunately it would not function in below freezing temperatures. I had to replace it with a mechanical style thermostat.
What year, make and model do you have? Is it a truck you recommend? I’ve recently been thinking of moving away from my van scene and doing the truck camper mode. Just don’t know what to look for. I want a 1 ton with best mileage I can get. Thanks regardless if you answer or not.
I’m loving your videos
My truck is a 2015 Silverado 3500. It's the short bed with the Duramax diesel. The camper is a 2004 Arctic Fox M860. I don't have any preference on truck brands. I think any truck that's properly maintained can go over 300k miles without many big issues. If I was going to look for a different truck, I would pay attention to payload. Some 1 ton trucks do not recommend carrying a truck camper. My Silverado came from the factory with the snow plow prep package. It has truck camper loading info on a sticker in the glove box. I could find other 3500 Silverados that have a sticker saying "Not Recommend for a Slide in Camper".
Wow! Lots of ins and outs 😀. Thanks for the info. Keep on Keeping on
What is the height of your truck camper
13'2 at the top of the AC
Awesome video man! I just started my channel! You'll have to check it out. Love watching other peoples content to get ideas! Keep up the good work!
For sure, I'll check it out, and thanks for watching!
Wonder what it cost to tow it home?
It was 175 bucks if i remember correctly. We were overweight and over height. We stuck to the back roads because the tow opetator did not want to come across a Trooper on the highway.
"Go tell your friends, free food".
Do you ever keep and eat any of the fish?
I've done a few catch and cook videos over the years. 95% of the time, I catch and release. But I don't catch fish 80% of the time.
did you have any additive in the fuel?
Yes. I was running a 1/4 of #1. A full bottle of power service anti gell and 3/4 tank for winter fuel that the gas station said was rated for -40. I think the fuel station had water in the tanks, or maybe they were delivered a load with 20% biodiesel. Minnesota mandated 20% except in winter months. I should not have frozen up with what I was running.
🐟🐬🐋
Hey Kenny - are you using your internal water and holding tanks in these temps?
Not fresh water. I use the gray, but I'm really cautious about how much water i put down the drain. I also chase the water down with rv antifreeze. I don't want my J-traps to brake. I keep the basement warm while using the camper and dump the tanks after every trip.
I bought a collapsible toilet from Walmart. I insert bags into the toilet that can be sealed. The bags freeze and I toss them in the dumpster at home.
I will never understand why people live there.
I agree!