Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

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Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

November 09, 2023, 05:13:11 pm

Has anybody lifted their LD two to three inches? We are wondering if it changes driving characteristics or could compromise safety? We would like to get a little more clearance if it's possible? I believe there are lift kits for e450s but I don't know anyone who has lifted any 450 RV.

Karen~Liam
98 ~ MB
NinA

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #1 – November 09, 2023, 06:19:37 pm

I like your style! I'd love to see a lifted LD. Give it a great stance. Probably a little pricey if you do it right. Here's a video of a nice 6.5" lift on a 450.
Lift
jor

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #2 – November 09, 2023, 08:40:52 pm

Would love too, especially given how little ground clearance I have on my dump valves for a TK, was very lucky not to rip them off this summer in Alaska.

Looks like the guy in the video spent 8k to lift six inches, but cannot stop raving about it

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #3 – November 10, 2023, 11:59:31 am

WoW! 6" looks Great! But my thinking that 3" might give you enough and with blocking in back at bight be affordable? I can't believe that I have not seen this discussion before here on LDO, I have looked.

Karen~Liam
98 ~ MB
NinA

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #4 – November 10, 2023, 02:19:37 pm

One of the Facebook LDers did this (also did a loft solar setup).
Giancarlo Pitocco. I am sure he would be willing to share experiences.
The only concern I know about is center of gravity raising, but he would be a good one to ask as he did Solar across the whole roof (above the air conditioner and vents) and that also added some weight higher.

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #5 – November 10, 2023, 03:27:27 pm

Following. Love boondocking in the mountains of AZ, NM, etc…. The more off road and into the wilds, the better! Three to six inches opens up a whole new world…

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #6 – November 10, 2023, 04:50:44 pm

I have seen a couple of E450s lifted, both with 4X4 conversions. Lifting your LD will give more clearance, in return the center of gravity will be raised by the same amount and will have some effect on handling, the higher the lift, the greater the effect.
In the 4X4 world, a 6" lift is huge and causes handling issues, I would assume lifting an LD this much would have some negative effects.
The lift for the rig shown in the video must have been several thousand dollars in parts plus installation. I bet you are looking at $10,000 once done, maybe more depending on what Fox shock package he had installed, Fox doesn't sell off-the-shelf shocks for an E450 with a 6 lift, so the shocks would be a custom order, think expensive.

He said the tire size had been increased. When sizing rear dual tires, the space between the two tires must be maintained for proper tire cooling If the rear tires are too closed together, they can overheat and blow out. Since he did not show or address this, I have no idea if the poster even knew about this. AFAIK, there isn't a bigger tire that will have the proper rear dual inner clearance.

At a Morro Bay event a new, 2015 T/K showed, the first upgraded one we had seen (with much larger holding tanks). When Joann Taylor (a T/K owner) and I looked it over, the first thing we spotted was the low-hanging dump valves and wondered how easy it would be to hit them. This is a model that could use a lift.
We have driven down many miles of poor roads in our 24' Fl without dragging, an advantage of the shorter wheelbase.

If still interested, keep the lift down to 2-3". Lifting too much accomplishes little, the clearance under the axles will remain the same, and there is no way to increase this without running taller tires.
Whatever lift is installed, the driveshaft u-joint angles need to be readjusted to prevent vibrations and possible damage due to the u-joint angles being too great. With a 6" lift, the rear driveshaft may not be long enough, and the sliding joint in the driveshaft may not have a wide enough range of movement and would require a custom replacement.
The brake lines will need longer hoses to prevent stretching them.

While lifting can be done, it needs to be done right and not excessively high.

Larry

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #7 – November 11, 2023, 11:37:05 am

I want it! Of course I have to get a LD first, it's getting closer.
I saw photos of Giancarlo Piticoco's LD on a FB LD site and asked him about it. He said he had it done at WeldTec Designs (.com) in San Diego. They have You Tube videos of Class C's which I find mesmerizing.
Yes, it is pricey! As would be Giancarlo's amazing solar setup.

Zanobia

Roadtrek FOR SALE
previous vans
2011 Subaru Toad

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #8 – November 11, 2023, 12:04:52 pm

Weld Tec Designs is in El Cajon (San Diego County) at weldtek designs san diego - Google Search and certainly has a good collection of photos. Lots of vans trucks and motorhomes! Chateau, Falcon, Born Free, Coachmen, but I didn't see any Lazy Dazes yet. I expect a full sequence of photos from any of our members that have this done.
The Anza Borrego and surrounding desert areas probably had a lot to do Weld Tec's location. RonB

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #9 – November 11, 2023, 12:33:41 pm

Quote from: ZANOBIA - November 11, 2023, 11:37:05 am

I want it! Of course I have to get a LD first, it's getting closer.
I saw photos of Giancarlo Piticoco's LD on a FB LD site and asked him about it. He said he had it done at WeldTec Designs (.com) in San Diego.
Yes, it is pricey! As would be Giancarlo's amazing solar setup.

I found the E350 lift kit, there is no kit listed for E450s. The RV shown on the YouTube video has had the original rear springs modified with more leaves added (and not cut with diamond ends as is standard in the leaf spring biz)
.WTD – Ford E-Series 3’’ Suspension Lift Kit “Ocotillo Cruiser” Modified...

They also use lift blocks which can cause issue with axle hop and twisting due to the extra leverage the blocks can exert on the rear axle springs. The proper way of lifting a leaf spring suspension is to start fresh and have the entire lift provided by a new spring pack and not by using lift blocks, this requires a custom-built spring pack and not a modified one.

I urge caution when lifting an E450 if you think this will make it an off-road machine.
While lifting will reduce scraping under the rig, the tires are still relatively small with no way to increase the size for more floatation and axle clearance on soft surfaces. Our rigs do not have limited-slip or locking differentials as are common in many off-road capable vehicles

Remember how much these rigs weigh, if you get stuck, self-recovery is going to be extremely difficult or impossible.
When considering adding more equipment such as a big bumper, a winch, and even four-wheel drive, the front axle is already near its maximum capacity when stock, LD loads the front axle heavily. You cannot increase the GVW of an existing rig no matter how big the spring are.

The good news is the rear duals do provide a lot of traction in sand and even on snow up to a point.
The bad news is having to listen to the loud noises coming from the coach's contents and suspension noises when on rough surfaces, it can sound as if the whole rig is coming apart. BTDT
My approach when looking to camp in the boonies is to first explore the road with the Jeep and find where to camp and the best route to get there. Scouting first is the safest, most practical way of doing it.

Larry

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #10 – November 11, 2023, 02:29:02 pm

There is a company in North Carolina that does a pretty good job of turning an E 450 into 4wd.
They have spent a lot of time figuring out things and claim that the 4wd system they make helps the E 450
in some ways over stock. One being a better turning radius. Also, upgraded brakes.
one of their setups goes for about $20,000 and up from there if you get all the goodies.
They have done a bunch of RV's, some for rich Arabs in Dubai and for people who like to camp on the beach back east in places.
They have a good reputation and make some nice things to go along with the 4wd kits.
4×4 RVs | Ujoint Offroad

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #11 – November 11, 2023, 09:03:36 pm

Quote from: ZANOBIA - November 11, 2023, 11:37:05 am

Yes, it is pricey! As would be Giancarlo's amazing solar setup.
Zenobia

Actually his solar system is less than you would think.
This is what I asked Giancarlo about (loft Solar so covers entire roof above the vents and air conditioning), and he pointed me to Will Prowse web page as the best info source.
DIY Solar Power Forum
In my general research (planning this for our new RV) Doing 24v (not 12v) system then stepping down to your 12v panel means much cheaper components (in house solar market).
Quite a few people have done a loft solar now - as always cheaper if you do the install but several places to confirm your design is good.

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #12 – November 12, 2023, 07:13:16 am

As always, my answer is different. I have taken our MB down some shorter 4x4 roads. Wheel placement, not lift, is the secret. You can either wheel a vehicle or not. You know where all the wheels are at all times. I started learning at 14 on CJ2. I have driven Mercedes sedans on mountain trails without bumping, forded streams, etc. If the road has deep gulleys or is extremely off-camber, will there be a level spot to park?

Our Jeep has a 4" inch lift, with 37 tires to allow it to clear boulders where wheel placement will not make much difference. I would not think about putting an F-450 in such conditions.

We scouted roads with the Jeep before taking the LD. Maybe you don't have a Jeep?

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #13 – November 12, 2023, 12:57:28 pm

Quote from: Don Malpas - November 12, 2023, 07:13:16 am

As always, my answer is different. I have taken our MB down some shorter 4x4 roads. Wheel placement, not lift, is the secret. You can either wheel a vehicle or not. I started learning at 14 on CJ2.
will there be a level spot to park?
Our Jeep has a 4" inch lift, with 37 tires to allow it to clear boulders where wheel placement will not make much difference. I would not think about putting an F-450 in such conditions.
We scouted roads with the Jeep before taking the LD. Maybe you don't have a Jeep?

Maybe experience is the main key to driving our LDs on poor roads, it takes an experienced eye to pick the right route.
Like Don, I learned to drive at 13 in my uncle's CJ-3B Jeep 60 years ago in the SoCal desert.
The biggest lesson learned is that a Jeep will not go everywhere and that watching the road hundreds of feet in the distance is necessary for picking a passable route through tough terrain.

Being able to scout new dirt roads with the Jeep has enabled us to camp in places where RVs normally do not go, The shorter 24' FL model's maneuverability does better in rough conditions.

Larry

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #14 – November 14, 2023, 07:15:18 am

Quote from: Larry W - November 12, 2023, 12:57:28 pm

The biggest lesson learned is that a Jeep will not go anywhere

Larry

Some wag said (referring to mud I think) that 4WD will get you about 100 feet beyond where you got stuck in 2WD.
Having put that old CJ on the frame in a few mud holes that only a John Deere could pull it out, I fully agree that your eyes have to be picking a line before you get there. You can't rely, on 4WD, lift, or traction boards.

Re: Has anybody Lifted their LD 2"- 3"?

Reply #15 – November 14, 2023, 06:38:11 pm

"...that 4WD will get you about 100 feet beyond..."

I owned and drove a 1977 International Harvester "Scout II" for twenty four years. My two kids learned to drive in that vehicle. I recall making them walk past certain places where a miscalculation would have meant a quick trip to the bottom of the canyon! One learns by doing!

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