Boondocking/Stealth Camping in a Bronco II

[Fast Eddie]

You seem to know your path forward. Any doubts, reach out and I'm sure I'm not the only one out here with that experience. Just FYI: an open trailer would be less weight and you don;t want the tail wagging the dog

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You seem to know your path forward. Any doubts, reach out and I'm sure I'm not the only one out here with that experience. Just FYI: an open trailer would be less weight and you don;t want the tail wagging the dog

Yup, aluminum open deck trailer. I don’t have to be fancy. If it could have a full deck, that would be nice, but I’d be ok with just the tracks for the tires like the car haulers if that’s what it took to make the trailer light enough. I’ve towed enough to know I’d love brakes on my lil 3,000# rated trailer with all the idiots on the road. Dual braking axles on the car hauler trailer too. I’m not playing. Just would solve a whole lot of things for me at once with a setup like that and I’m not getting any younger, no matter how much I try.

 

[sgtsandman]

My last drive pulling my little 4X8 trailer, trailer brakes would have been nice. More than once I had to stomp on the brakes for a fast stop because of some jack wad.

 

[Josh B]

We did a lot of boondocking in the back of a station wagon when I was a youngster. Many times we'd drive half the night and wake up next to a lake listening to the waves wash the shore.
My dad was a sports enthusiast, although he spent most his time trying to care for and feed us, he did love to get out and hunt and fish when times allowed us to.
He'd take us places like down on the Brazos River, and after talking to some stranger of a rancher or something have us a place to camp for the weekend
We went out on Tawakoni once and after picking a perfect shore made of shells he dissappeared through the mesquite trees and came back later with an ok to camp there from the rancher that owned it.
I tell ya folks, I grew loving to fish and hunt due to it

 

[Fast Eddie]

Similar story here. When I was 15 in the mid 70's, parents sold the house, put the furniture in storage, crammed 6 people, 2 dogs and a cat into a 25' ft Prowler travel trailer and hit the road for 4 months. My Dad had plans to go to Alaska. We only made it as far Washington. My mother insisting we get back in school. That was the end of that. Believe it or not, I have pictures from that trip. You wouldn't believe how poor the quality of pics was back then.

Fast forward to the late 20 teens. Retired, bought that rig/set up you've seen me post and hit the road for 3 years. Got pics for that too and the quality is MUCH better. I've slowed down a bit but still have the setup just in case my feet start grow moss again

 

[BroncLander]

Here's a Bronco update. A few days ago I did a one way trip and it cost me $55. Today I did the return trip, after doing about 30k in town then leaving and did it for just over $50. The price of gas is up, so I think I saved about $10.
What I did was change the tire pressure from 30psi, to 35psi. Not only was the mileage noticeably different, so too was my cruising speed. I did about 10k faster with ease.
Now I'm curious to try 38 or 40psi.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Here's a Bronco update. A few days ago I did a one way trip and it cost me $55. Today I did the return trip, after doing about 30k in town then leaving and did it for just over $50. The price of gas is up, so I think I saved about $10.
What I did was change the tire pressure from 30psi, to 35psi. Not only was the mileage noticeably different, so too was my cruising speed. I did about 10k faster with ease.
Now I'm curious to try 38 or 40psi.

So, to a degree upping your tire pressure can reduce some rolling resistance, but it can reduce your contact patch and burn the middle out of a tire. My F-150 I usually run 40-45 psi because it gets put to work frequently and I don’t have a convenient way to air up right now so it gets run hard all the time and I burn the middle of the tires out. My Choptop on 35’s I run at 10-15 psi because that’s what it takes to get 80-90% of the tread in contact with the road. 35 psi in that and I was wearing about a half to 3/4” wide strip down the middle of the tire on the road with terrible ride quality.

How you check this is draw a line with chalk across your tread and drive a little down the road. I’ll go down and turn around at the neighbors and back and check. Reduce pressure until the tread wears right. You’ll be able to see where the chalk is wore off, that’s what’s in contact with the road. You’ll get the best tire wear and traction out of a wider contact patch.

 

[BroncLander]

So, to a degree upping your tire pressure can reduce some rolling resistance, but it can reduce your contact patch and burn the middle out of a tire. My F-150 I usually run 40-45 psi because it gets put to work frequently and I don’t have a convenient way to air up right now so it gets run hard all the time and I burn the middle of the tires out. My Choptop on 35’s I run at 10-15 psi because that’s what it takes to get 80-90% of the tread in contact with the road. 35 psi in that and I was wearing about a half to 3/4” wide strip down the middle of the tire on the road with terrible ride quality.

How you check this is draw a line with chalk across your tread and drive a little down the road. I’ll go down and turn around at the neighbors and back and check. Reduce pressure until the tread wears right. You’ll be able to see where the chalk is wore off, that’s what’s in contact with the road. You’ll get the best tire wear and traction out of a wider contact patch.

That's very clever. I think my kids have some of that sidewalk chalk. I'm going to try this out. Thanks man. Great info. My tires are 31x10.5s so they're fairly wide. And on a 15x7 rim which might even made the whole situation worse.

 

[Josh B]

Are talking about chalk board chalk? or crayola chalk like you mark on wood with?

I keep my tires set to specs on the door (32 on front, 35 on rear), and have for 17 years now, I do hope it hasn't cost me 20,000 miles

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

That's very clever. I think my kids have some of that sidewalk chalk. I'm going to try this out. Thanks man. Great info. My tires are 31x10.5s so they're fairly wide. And on a 15x7 rim which might even made the whole situation worse.

It’s an old school method. You also have to keep in mind that max carrying capacity of a tire is also max pressure in the tire, heavily loaded changes what pressure you run.

My Choptop is never really loaded so I don’t worry too much. 35x12.50-15 and I have 15x8 rims. A 15x10 and I’d have to run a higher pressure. I’m happy with my setup so that’s that.

Are talking about chalk board chalk? or crayola chalk like you mark on wood with?

I keep my tires set to specs on the door (32 on front, 35 on rear), and have for 17 years now, I do hope it hasn't cost me 20,000 miles

Either one should work, you just need something that will wear off pretty quick and a wide enough stripe that you get a good look at what’s going on. Maybe one of these days I’ll do a little video or something on it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Here's a Bronco update. A few days ago I did a one way trip and it cost me $55. Today I did the return trip, after doing about 30k in town then leaving and did it for just over $50. The price of gas is up, so I think I saved about $10.
What I did was change the tire pressure from 30psi, to 35psi. Not only was the mileage noticeably different, so too was my cruising speed. I did about 10k faster with ease.
Now I'm curious to try 38 or 40psi.

I get a couple more mpg going to Omaha than I do coming home.

Just the way the hills play out.

Might try it both ways before you get crazy bumping up tires.

I have 31's and a heavier truck and I run 30psi to keep the tires on the road evenly.

 

[Josh B]

I did a lot of trips from Oklahoma down to the coast, seemed no matter what part (from Houston/galveston to New Orleans) I was headed to it was a 12 hour drive, and an 800 (appx) ft slope.
As many times as I did it before I just went to flying instead, that slope did play in heavily.
When the added miles to Corpus played in I just went to flying instead.
Maybe one day I'll explain about the 12 hour run to the ER

 

[RobbieD]

How you check this is draw a line with chalk across your tread and drive a little down the road.

The old chalk trick works great to dial in tire pressure.

But, it is SO old school.

Now I bet that they have Smart Chalk that lets you check with an app on your phone as to how it's wearing off on the tire thread.

Sorry; I miss the old days . . .

 

[Josh B]

Just lay the phone down there and get up a good speed

 

[BroncLander]

I get a couple more mpg going to Omaha than I do coming home.

Just the way the hills play out.

Might try it both ways before you get crazy bumping up tires.

I have 31's and a heavier truck and I run 30psi to keep the tires on the road evenly.

I will definitely test it the other way again soon. I'm going to do the chalk test tomorrow