UK 5th wheel companies....

The UK 5th wheel industry.... I have always been one to promote the 5th wheel and American trailer industry and also believe that it would be in the interests of the industry to 'work' together.

However, so many instance have arisen recently that have led to this post.

A couple of particular instances spring to mind. Without going into too much detail, the first was a company slating a competitors product so much that it did untold harm to the business. The irony here is that the said 'slater' then ended up selling this very same product and subsequently attempting, in vain, to convince potential purchasers to the contrary.

The second is 'reputable' 5th wheel companies using other people's photos to promote their businesses falsely, namely Monster Moovers photos. I was 'honoured' to find my photos being used by these companies! The irony here is that a UK company claiming to transport 5th wheels had used a photo belonging another 5th wheel company to make it's business look better and that same 'victim' 5th wheel company subsequently used our photo to promote it's services!!

I am not one to bring disrepute to any industry but 'rival' companies using our photos to promote their own business / services.... unacceptable!

The moral of the story is, don't be fooled by websites, claims and images. If these companies were doing it for real they would have their own photos. Anybody can download images from Google making their business and services look great. Unfortunately, we seem to be a popular target for this.

If you see this image it belongs to Monster Moovers

Monster Moovers genuine image

Anyway, I have to go, we have another 5th wheel to move.

Ford F350 6.0 PSD Servicing and repairs

The 6.0 Powerstroke diesel that powers our F350 dually is a complex, sophisticated piece of modern engineering. Taken care of, it will provide reliable service but neglect the maintenance and it's a different story. Even missing an oil change or using non OEM filters can result in catastrophic failure.

Such is the complexity of these engines that experienced mechanics don't understand them, even in the States where there are lots of them! When a fault does occur, reading the fault code doesn't necessarily provide the answer. For this reason, we have learned to understand how the 6.0 works and carry out all our own maintenance, diagnosis and repair and this extends to all our vehicles.

As an example, recently our F350 had a turbo boost issue and the fault code indicated a low turbo boost problem. It started and ran perfectly apart from the lack of power. We had several very good and experienced mechanics look at it but the answer was always the same, 'I don't know mate'. If you had taken your 6.0 to a dealer, no doubt they would have simply replaced the turbocharger.

However, the turbo was not the problem. There are many other culprits that could cause this symptom. One of a myriad of sensors, control units, etc. After careful checking and testing of all the likely components, it turned out that our problem was a faulty fuel injection control module (FICM), which was duly replaced with an upgraded, stronger FICM with a 'tune' to provide better running and fuel economy, as they can be a weak point on this engine.

This didn't immediately solve the problem and it transpires that the original faulty FICM had caused the catalytic converter to 'melt', subsequently restricting exhaust gas flow and preventing the turbo from delivering it's 'charge'.

The question is, how much would it have cost at a dealer to get this repaired? After replacing the turbo, what parts would they have thrown at it next? Not to mention labour costs!

While on the repairs and maintenance topic, we also repair American trailers, 5th wheels, Jeep heaters. If you have a problem on the Costa Blanca, Spain we shall always try to help.

5th wheel delivery to Almafra

August has been a quiet month which is good given the forty degree plus temperatures. Spain closes down pretty much for the whole of the month. Back to business in September though. We towed a Cougar 5th wheel caravan to Almafra, near Benidorm and have towed a couple of caravans from their respective summer storage facilities onto campsites where the owners are going to spend the winter.

We have had a problem with the diesel F350 and have been using the V10. That is worthy of a post of it's own which will follow.

Delivering a Cougar 5th wheel caravan to Almafra