Just don’t add changing the oil on your RAM to that list! Just did mine again today and I always despise RAM engineers and their oil filter location! 
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Yeah it’s definitely less than to be desired, I did mine a month back. You went with Fox 2.5’s with piggy back for suspension upfront? Did it lift the truck by 2”? The levelling kit I got looks good, but have noticed more rattle on wash board than I had before. And the rear I would like to rely less on the airbags and more on a properly spec’d set of springs for the 700lbs of constant payload.
I’m leaning towards Fox 2.0’s and Icon Dynamics rear springs…or full Icon Stage 3 kit. The rig doesn’t see my aggressive off-roading, but a great deal of logging road rallying.
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Yeah I did the fox 2.5s with the DSC clickers in the front and the cheap 2.0s in the rear. I have been debating on getting the dsc ones for the rear also but kinda pricey. Also have bds upper control arms. I have been very impressed both on and off road. They give a lot of control going faster on dirt roads as there is less body roll and the truck doesn’t kick out on stutter bumps.
I have the off road package which on 5th gens gets you 1” of lift over standard so they gave me 1 more inch. With my RSI on and White Knuckle sliders it sits perfectly level. Thuren also makes a pretty awesome kit with Kings if you can take the 11 month wait.
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Sounds like a need to do a little more research, the price on the 2.5’s is definitely a little more spendy do you find you adjust them at all. Or more of a set and forget?
I do like with the Icon stage kits you get everything you need with Stage 5 I believe which is a-arms, front and rear shocks and rear springs. But it’s like $5000!!!
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I spent a lot of time adjusting them initially, but have left them alone mostly now that it is working how I wanted. It’s still a large heavy truck for sure, but it has been a great upgrade and makes the truck a lot more fun to drive.
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Got the upper lights installed mostly. I’ve temped them into the t-slot to see if I like that before I commit. They’re not super bright like the other ones. But they have the gimmicky Bluetooth connectivity to my phone to change colours, synch to music, etc…
I’m also not 100% on the cable routing because I couldn’t get the tubing straight. So there will be some more faffing about.
Also did a test fit of the Clipper Cascade on the DIY beef bars. It should work well. Still need to nervously test it on the highway and hope everything holds together 
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Maybe nearing the end of the build? Lol. I doubt it. My neighbor works for a locaL RV shop, so scored this solar cable entry gland.
Committed and drilled a hole in the roof. It’s too bad there is nothing with any meat to drill into. We’ll see how it holds up with some screws, butyl and silicone.
Just need to trim down the extrusion bolts, and drill the mounting holes on the panel and we’re off to the races.
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Here’s an update on GFC’s handling of my situation. Which so far is speaking volumes to their integrity and desire to learn from a bad situation.
Today I was contacted by the COO via email indicating that repairing the camper is not financially viable without essentially returning/rebuilding the unit. So, they have come up with a solution that will have a new camper being built and shipped. I (or the insurance company) will be responsible for the Freight and Crate charges.
I think this is a fair solution, and they admitted their partial responsibility for releasing the camper without crating. This solution isn’t set in stone yet; but at least it’s a step in the right direction.
So…in 6 - 8 months I may have an XL camper up for sale but the warranty and ownership will be void.
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I feel like that would probably be the only way to guarantee there isn’t any hidden damage that may be a danger. glad they are finally communicating with you
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That’s exactly their thought, and mine as well. All the little quirks I’m always thinking ‘is this because it was tossed around in shipment’. So it’ll be nice to have a fresh unit and move on. Also nice to be able to put this one to use until that new unit is ready.
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These exhaust mufflers aren’t actually sealed. You will notice a small hole here [pictured] where exhaust condensation can drip out. That pipe should be outside the box.
I haven’t noticed an issue with this setup, The muffler is angled downward toward that hole. If it rusts out, then I’ll replace it with the second one that was sent. Putting that muffler outside the box defeats the concept of having a compact unit. The next one I build will have improvements such as the exhaust being in a separate airspace.
I have been running the heater for almost a year and have had no problems except melted the fuel line once and overheated it once by trying to pipe the intake a different way.
I do appreciate in the input, when I built this unit I diligently followed John McKay’s YouTube channel. That guy seems to be quite knowledgeable regarding these specific heaters.
Minor update to the rig…but an essential update for the 3 and 5 year old on long trips. The cab entertainment center….Cars on repeat
update as expected the 3m tape didn’t make it. So, going to have to get creative.
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If anyone is curious, I’ve listed this camper in the market place here:
The details are there, and I’m open to reasonable offers. I’m hoping to get this unit to someone that would really like to get in the GFC game, but doesn’t want to drop the quid. I think $7000CAD (apprx $5600 USD) is reasonable, but I’m open to offers. The unit is completely usable and I would keep using it myself if I wasn’t offered a replacement. Meet me on the journey down in mid November and we’ll swap it over to your rig 
Put some Amazon mountain decals on. You get what you pay for. We’ll see how long these last. I’ll get proper decals now that I know it looks good.
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So I came up with a WAY better solution for the kids ‘entertainment’ centre in the cab. Turns out where the 12v plug is in the lower centre console is the exact size for the base of the ram ball. So…removed that and riveted the mount there.
That iPad mount is here:
Arkon Heavy Duty Drill Base Tablet Mount for Apple iPad Air 2/iPad Air/iPad 4/3/2/Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1/Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 (TABRMAMPS) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00PZZYR4K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_5YGCQJND0FT3FFWJSFD0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Then as a courtesy to the potential new owners of this camper( or if the deal falls through with GFC, since trust isn’t 100% reinstated) I installed a dome light that ties into the existing wiring from my canopy.
This is the dome light:
LED Dome Light, Niwaker Universal LED Interior Light with Switch Flood Beam Utility Roll Bar Mount Lamp Car LED Reading Map Dome Light Courtesy Rock Lights for UTV RZR SUV Polaris Cars Trucks Boat https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08ZXYKV9Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_1S5H7YQNEYFV0P68AMTW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m a GFC fanboy. To me it looks like outstanding customer service, above and beyond. They didn’t offer to send replacement parts, they didn’t say bring it back for repair, they are making a new one for you, and you can keep the old one. Absolutely outstanding! There couldn’t be a better outcome. I like my GFC and my personal customer service has been good, not instant or next day, but always a reply. “Fanboy” me likes the product, service, company, USA. It’s a well designed tent on a shell, that’s all it is, and that’s what I got. Couldn’t be happier.
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Yeah, totally! I couldn’t be more grateful for the proposed outcome. I’m still struggling with the reality of their response. At no point did I think they were at fault for what happened. Their customer service as you agree, can be slow at times. But…every time I’ve talked to them they’ve been nothing but helpful. I am somewhat in my own head at times, and my wife sorts me out when I take things the wrong way.
That being said, I’m confident that this is really happening. But it’s one of those things where until the new unit is on my truck…I can’t be certain this isn’t all just an evil dream…LOL
I’ve now come to accept some of the quirks and unrealistic expectations I had. Calder really helped put things in perspective for me when we chatted. The integrity and effort they are putting into making things work out is OUTSTANDING!
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So, I think it’s fair for me to update my stance on this situation. I think there is value in my story, so I’m not going to go back and edit a bunch of shit. This is where I am at with this process today. I received a response from Day & Ross who was the company that handled the shipment. This shipment was booked through ShipCanada.ca to which they contract out to whoever is the cheapest I’m sure. But this is the response from Day & Ross:
*"Upon review, we note that the product in question was shipped un-protected. The unit was shipped on a pallet without protection. Freight of such nature is very suseptible to damage in the LTL environment. The freight should have been crated for better protection. *
Due to the lack of packagng / protectoion, we respectfully decline liability of this claim. The Day & Ross Transportation Group values your business and regrets any inconvenience this claim may have caused."
That’s understandable, I had reviewed the expectations and the unit should’ve never been accepted in the first place. NOW Fortunately! GFC has graciously offered a solution that I’ve mentioned in previous posts.
So…At this point I am SO impressed with the fact that I have not had to fight with anyone over this or worse case scenario seek legal recourse. I will state that I do still feel that some improvement can be made from GFC’s standpoint with regards to acknowledging requests; but understand that they receive a large volume of such requests.
With that, again, I am grateful to be given this opportunity to start fresh, get a fresh perspective on the company. With that become a happy ambassador for GFC and their products considering how this was managed.
I will be doing a re-build on the new unit that will include using a flexible Renogy Solar panel instead, but otherwise, everything else will be the same. Oh, actually ordered better decals for the side. I’ll put together a cheesy youtube vid of my journey down to Belgrade to pick up the unit in a month. Maybe even sneak in a low snow tour 
WG
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