A truck and trailer thread.

[McMXi]

Ahh, well then that's some good detective work!! Failed horn relay or blown fuse are all possibilities!

More detective work this morning. The #37 15A horn fuse was indeed blown so I replaced it. I turned the ignition on, pushed the horn control on the steering wheel and the horn(s) sounded but weren't very loud. I pushed the horn control a couple more times and the sound decreased and then nothing. The fuse had blown again.

This indicates that the problem isn't with the clock spring but rather a short in the horn circuit which is most likely indicative of failed horns (shorted). There's a process in the factory repair manuals to troubleshoot horn related issues so I guess I'll be following that. The horns are cheap but access to them on the passenger side is a pain just like access to the ICM/IDM on the driver's side. They're protected by fender liners that don't really want to come out.

With any luck I can get the horns and cruise control working properly once I've figured out where the short is. Then I'm done for this winter with the F-250 since everything will be working fine so I can just focus on typical maintenance and regular trips to the car wash to get the salt off.

 

[biketopia]

Thats good news! We have seen the horns themselves fail and or draw a large load. It does stink they are buried, if you can unplug them and just hook a test light to it and hit the button a handful of times, that may lead you to a wire vs horn problem.

I just thought of this, it's also possible the relay is just getting shot and has dirty & burnt contacts and over overloading the circuit. Locate the relay and pull a similar one from the fuse box, and honk the horn a handful of times & see if the fuse blows again. Maybe you won't have to dig in as deep as you thought!

 

[McMXi]

I solved the horn issue! I figured that a short in one or both of the horns was the likely culprit so I removed the passenger wheel well liner and removed both horns. I used a 15A fuse in series on one of the terminals of each horn and powered each one from a 12V power tool battery. One horn worked fine and the other immediately burned the fuse. Turns out the cleaner looking horn has an internal short. I did measure resistance across the terminals but they were both around 2 ohms so not sure how else to confirm that one horn is bad other than by my Mickey Mouse "waste a fuse" test.

I rerouted the wiring harness from inside the fender to the engine compartment and plugged the good horn into the connector and the single horn now works without blowing the fuse. I need to be driving above a specific speed for the cruise control to engage so will test that feature tomorrow when I head to town. I have no doubt that it'll work fine, since as I mentioned earlier, it's on the same 15A fuse as the horn.

I plan on going aftermarket with replacement horn(s) and not installing them inside the fender well where they're concealed by the liner. It's a pain to access them there so will make a custom bracket and relocate the horns to the engine compartment away from heat and moving parts of course. If anyone has any recommendations on better (nicer/louder/cooler) horns then let me know.

Not bad for a 24 year old truck! The rear driver's side door rattles a bit on bumpy roads so that's another minor gremlin to address, but overall I'm pleased with how this truck is running and driving, and it allows me to keep the '24 F-450 out of all of the crap that winter provides.

 

[McMXi]

Cruise control is fixed too! Speed needs to be at or above 30 mph for cruise control to work, but all is good. Driving the F-250 today, I'm reminded of the significant difference in complexity and functionality of old school cruise control compared to what I have now on the F-450. Even still, it sure is good to have everything working as it should and the ability to set cruise control during any winter road trips. It's been quite a while since the truck was free of codes and all features working as they should.

I ordered a couple of FIAMM Freeway Blaster horns (high and low note) to replace the one working horn. It's the same brand that I currently have but supposedly a bit louder. I'm going to find a location near the grill and modify the existing bracket or make a new one to hold them. That's a project for this weekend.

So, a little under $900 later, with half of that cost optional or not necessary, this should be it for a while unless something goes horribly wrong. Thanks for following along in this thread, and maybe if you're in a similar situation with an older vehicle, this might motivate you to sort out all of those little things (and some bigger things) that detract from the ownership experience.

 

[Trustable]

I don’t know if you’re planning on keeping that truck for a while but if so, I would recommend looking into FORScan. It can do a lot of stuff. It’s basically a free scan and config tool you can put on a windows laptop. Things like changing what lights are the DRLS, warnings, normal scan tool stuff, etc… the only thing you have to buy is an obd to usb adapter. It works on all moderish fords.

 

[biketopia]

FORScan is a pretty robust scan tool option. Since our fleet is 95% Ford, we have the Factory Ford IDS & FDRS, but if not, we would have set up something similar.

 

[McMXi]

I don’t know if you’re planning on keeping that truck for a while but if so, I would recommend looking into FORScan. It can do a lot of stuff. It’s basically a free scan and config tool you can put on a windows laptop. Things like changing what lights are the DRLS, warnings, normal scan tool stuff, etc… the only thing you have to buy is an obd to usb adapter. It works on all moderish fords.

I'll look into it. I plan on keeping the '02 F-250 and '24 F-450 for many years to come.

 

[McMXi]

I took off on a 600 mile road trip this past Sunday and the truck was awesome! I found a good "clean" and dry spot in front of the passenger side battery for the new horns. I drilled and tapped three holes in the radiator support for 10-32 screws and completed a temporary horn and bracket installation prior to the trip, and they sure are loud!

I wanted to keep the factory horn wiring and connector in place, so modified the old horn wiring connector to use the existing factory wiring. I didn't like the push on spade connectors on the new horns so drilled holes in the four terminals yesterday to allow me to use ring terminals and 6-32 screws/nuts. I crimped, soldered and heat shrank the terminals on the new wiring harness and attached them to the horn terminals using the screws and lock nuts and they're not going anywhere. I completed the bracket, painted it with primer and have everything installed. I'll paint the bracket black in the spring.

The last thing to fix this winter is the overhead console display. It's been getting dimmer over the past couple of years and finally went dark so I might need to replace some components on the circuit board.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Yes, 3" receiver that came with a 3" to 2-1/2" sleeve that I have no use for. I have a B&W tow & stow with 3" shank and 2" and 2-5/16" balls. I bought it for the M-1078 when I made a custom receiver for it but got lucky when I bought the F-450 and discovered that it comes with a 3" receiver. I use a B&W OEM gooseneck ball and safety chain kit in the bed.

I don't buy anything other than B&W hitches and have tow & stow variants on the F-250 and Jeep TJ as well. By the way, I never use the "stow" feature of the B&W tow & stow hitches but I do have rubber covers on the balls to keep them as clean as possible.

Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount

The Tow & Stow adjustable ball mount trailer hitch gives you the versatility to swap ball sizes, adjust the height in seconds, and stow it under your vehicle when you're not towing.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

OEM GOOSENECK BALL AND SAFETY CHAIN KIT

The grip latch handle keeps your hands grease-free, while the ultra-heavy-duty construction and safety chains give you peace of mind with your OEM setup.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

Good day.

is there any reason you only use B&W? Is it design? Capability? Or price? Or even a combo of those or other criteria?

I recently built bought a very expensive 3” hitch and I have the sleeves but I am thinking about getting a second hitch that doesn’t need a sleeves (receiver with 3” shank). And so I am looking at CURT and B&W but having hard time decided my. To me the Curt doesn’t look as clean but not sure that is a reason.

just curious on other members choice of hitch and their criteria.

thanks.

 

[McMXi]

Good day.

is there any reason you only use B&W? Is it design? Capability? Or price? Or even a combo of those or other criteria?

I recently built bought a very expensive 3” hitch and I have the sleeves but I am thinking about getting a second hitch that doesn’t need a sleeves (receiver with 3” shank). And so I am looking at CURT and B&W but having hard time decided my. To me the Curt doesn’t look as clean but not sure that is a reason.

just curious on other members choice of hitch and their criteria.

thanks.

I like quality components and B&W is USA made quality through and through. I have three of their tow and stow hitches (2", 2-1/2" and 3" variants) and their gooseneck kit. The ability to easily adjust the hitch height, the ability to stow the balls out of the way so you don't smash your shins while walking around the back of the truck, the quality of the steel, the finish, overall appearance, longevity and trouble-free ownership. I take towing very seriously and everything about their products is top tier.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I like quality components and B&W is USA made quality through and through. I have three of their tow and stow hitches (2", 2-1/2" and 3" variants) and their gooseneck kit. The ability to easily adjust the hitch height, the ability to stow the balls out of the way so you don't smash your shins while walking around the back of the truck, the quality of the steel, the finish, overall appearance, longevity and trouble-free ownership. I take towing very seriously and everything about their products is top tier.

Thanks…to be honest if my balls smash my shins I’ve got bigger problems than hooking up a trailer. I’d bet the that would be some material for a new Duluth underwear ad for sure .

to me the B&W sure is a lot cleaner / refined vs Curt (that’s what I have now) looks unrefined (looks like forgot to polish before ship)…I understand that doesn’t change durability.

Thanks for the thoughts. I am leaning that way.

I am still holding out hope some of the chain gang might chime in with some ideas. But Right now I am leaning towards a B&W.

I think I am going to take my current CURT and sleeves and hook up and see where that leaves me in terms of height or drop…I am not sure what length I will need with the new sleigh.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Yes, 3" receiver that came with a 3" to 2-1/2" sleeve that I have no use for. I have a B&W tow & stow with 3" shank and 2" and 2-5/16" balls. I bought it for the M-1078 when I made a custom receiver for it but got lucky when I bought the F-450 and discovered that it comes with a 3" receiver. I use a B&W OEM gooseneck ball and safety chain kit in the bed.

I don't buy anything other than B&W hitches and have tow & stow variants on the F-250 and Jeep TJ as well. By the way, I never use the "stow" feature of the B&W tow & stow hitches but I do have rubber covers on the balls to keep them as clean as possible.

Tow & Stow Adjustable Ball Mount

The Tow & Stow adjustable ball mount trailer hitch gives you the versatility to swap ball sizes, adjust the height in seconds, and stow it under your vehicle when you're not towing.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

OEM GOOSENECK BALL AND SAFETY CHAIN KIT

The grip latch handle keeps your hands grease-free, while the ultra-heavy-duty construction and safety chains give you peace of mind with your OEM setup.

www.bwtrailerhitches.com

Thanks for including the link for the gooseneck too. I don’t have an immediate need, but when I get the next trailer it will most likely be a gooseneck (the prep kit already installed with the factory puck system…I just need find my ball.

my dealer has an oem option I can buy OTC, but it’s not clear to me who / what manufactured it. So I will probably go with AM brand such as B&W.

it’s on the wish list…time will tell if I have been naughty or nice this year. If I am being honest I would be surprised Santa’s reindeer will enjoying hauling the extra weight of a receiver hitch and gooseneck ball around so the big man can try bring that down the chimney.

 

[McMXi]

I have a road trip out to Portland, OR and back in a couple of weeks and wanted to get the JohnDow 58 gallon fuel tank sorted out i.e. secured in the bed. I'd rather buy diesel for $3.25/gallon here than over $5/gallon in WA and OR. I can complete the entire 1,350 miles with the 32 gallons in the fuel tank and 58 gallons in the transfer tank. That said, I will probably stop in Idaho on the way out to top off the truck, and probably stop in Idaho on the way back.

I also like the idea of keeping the JohnDow tank full in the winter months to act as 400lb of ballast just in front of the rear axle. The DECKED draw system adds a couple of hundred pounds, and in combination with the transfer tank it'll help with rear traction.

I had made a couple of short angle iron brackets with the idea to secure the tank in the bed with steel that would bolt from the front of the bed to the cross rail that I added last year. I decided to modify that plan and extend the short brackets and weld on some loops so that I can use a strap or rope to hold the tank in place. I don't want to be messing with straps, ropes or steel in order to get the lid open. Both anchor points are very solid, and the turnbuckle makes tensioning the straps easy. However, if I can find an appropriate ratcheting strap I'd get rid of the turnbuckle idea. I wish someone made a ratchet rope i.e. a rope rather than a flat strap.

 

[McMXi]

One more upgrade today that I should have done years ago. I added Bushwacker fender flares to the F-250. Someone had opened a door against the left rear fender at some point leaving an obvious dent, so the new fender covers that and also should reduce some of the over spray from the tires. I've had Bushwacker fenders on my Jeep TJ for years and like the product and these one don't disappoint.

I also sprayed some primer on the frame in the wheel wells where it seems to be more exposed to road salt. In addition, I painted any spots on the fenders that looked like they needed it. I like the look and the function of the fender flares.

 

[biketopia]

Thanks for including the link for the gooseneck too. I don’t have an immediate need, but when I get the next trailer it will most likely be a gooseneck (the prep kit already installed with the factory puck system…I just need find my ball.

my dealer has an oem option I can buy OTC, but it’s not clear to me who / what manufactured it. So I will probably go with AM brand such as B&W.

it’s on the wish list…time will tell if I have been naughty or nice this year. If I am being honest I would be surprised Santa’s reindeer will enjoying hauling the extra weight of a receiver hitch and gooseneck ball around so the big man can try bring that down the chimney.

Another vote for B&W. I just picked up an adjustable drop hitch from them for my new-to-me 2016 Duramax.

 

[Botamon]

One more upgrade today that I should have done years ago. I added Bushwacker fender flares to the F-250.

Been installing Bushwacker flares on all my vehicles for years now. I drive mainly dirt roads and gravel coming off the tires quickly removes the paint at the edge of the wheel wells, leading to rust. Gravel doesn't seem to affect the Bushwackers, even after thousands of miles. And yes, they help with keeping mud off the doors and windows!

 

[McMXi]

Been installing Bushwacker flares on all my vehicles for years now. I drive mainly dirt roads and gravel coming off the tires quickly removes the paint at the edge of the wheel wells, leading to rust. Gravel doesn't seem to affect the Bushwackers, even after thousands of miles. And yes, they help with keeping mud off the doors and windows!

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Amazing photos!!

I can't stand anything fake such as the fender extenders with the faux nuts. Same goes for the wheels/tires with fake bead locks.

The Bushwacker fender extenders on my Jeep are awesome!

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

@McMXi what brand is your tool box for the bed of your Ruby Red?

 

[McMXi]

@McMXi what brand is your tool box for the bed of your Ruby Red?

It's made by DECKED. I have their draw system in the F-250 which rules out a gooseneck hitch on that truck.

Truck Tool Box

The truck tool box that changed the game. 100% made in the USA, built with heavy-duty materials, and backed by a lifetime warranty.

decked.com