Is winter coming, or is it here?

[chuckar101]

No snow or rain here since sunday , but we have frost every morning.

[Baradium]

I'm in Georgia at the moment, wet here but not really cold... 

I'm a bit stuffed up, but I have been ever since I got hit in the face with that tire last week...   I'll bet all the temp changes get me by the time I get back to Fairbanks though.


I also missed the free flu shots in Fairbanks... heard maybe the airport will do some this year though.  Probobly need to get one.

[tundra_flier]

Well, it's getting a bit cool up here Baradium, but no white stuff yet (shhhh, don't say the "S" word yet!).  And I've still got just enough daylight to get in a quick flight after work yet.  Winter officially starts when the sun sets before I get off work.

[Baradium]

Well, it's getting a bit cool up here Baradium, but no white stuff yet (shhhh, don't say the "S" word yet!).  And I've still got just enough daylight to get in a quick flight after work yet.  Winter officially starts when the sun sets before I get off work.

That's going to be really weird for me. 

[tundra_flier]

Naw...what's really weird is the first time it rains again in the spring.   

Or going outside in the summer after a few years in Alaska.  Hot and dark out is just wrong!  In Fairbanks, if it's hot out it's never dark, and if it's dark, it's sure not hot! 

Phil

[BrianGMFS]

What a lovely day at work today..... Rained Cats and Dogs for most of the day (broke the record for rainfall on this date today) then to top it all off... at about 4 PM it started to snow.... Big Fat Wet clumps of the stuf.f Had almost 3 inches on the ramp by the time I left at 7:45. The 40 mile drive home wasn't much fun either. Oh Well... Atlantic Avation the FBO on the airport must be happy....... They deice all the airliners at about $5.00 a gallon

Brian

[cj5_pilot]

They're calling for rain and snow after midnight here in the Valley....It might do that--felt like snow today--but it ain't gonna stick

[tundra_flier]

Snowing in Fairbanks now, and it's sticking.  I'm betting this one will be around till April. 

Phil

[cj5_pilot]

Didn't snow....dawned a beautiful crisp October morning....but we bought the wife new snow tires (studded) anyway.  I'll get changed over to my winters on the Pale Pachyderm on Monday.

[Baradium]

I hear the the snow is still in Fairbanks...  time to put the winter front on the truck I reckon...

Phil, you know where I can get some sandbags to put in the bed of my truck?  The 1200 lb engine puts a lot more weight on the front axle of the truck than the rear. 

I'm in Georgia still at the moment, but will be starting my trek back early tuesday morning, with the idea of having a few days off back in Fairbanks before I have to work again next monday.  Then I work for two weeks and come back down so I can go to my friend's winging ceremony with the Navy, really looking forward to that one.  Been getting time off for it each month for three months now actually. 

[tundra_flier]

I can safely say that winter has arrived in Fairbanks now.  Forcast is for lows in the single digits this week, and snow on the ground.  Winter will really be here next week after daylight savings ends.  That puts sunset before 5pm.

Dug out my old cross country skis last night and stripped the old wax off, unfortunately I couldn't find my glide wax.  Guess I'll have to stop at Beaver Sports tonight.  Just wish I had a set for Tundra toy.

Baradium, you can get sand bags at any hardware store in town.  Ace, Home Depot, lowes etc.  Heck I think most of the gas stations have a few for sale this time of year.

Phil

[Baradium]

I don't want to know what a pair of skis for a 150 cost, do I? 

I didn't expect it to be that straightforward!


I found a new problem... at idle (don't know about higher rpms yet), my truck's battery voltage is 12.3 with the headlights on with the heater blower on high.  I really don't like that low voltage number.  Looks like if I keep the heater off high the voltage is alright.  With either one all the way off voltage is the normal 14 volts at idle.

At least it has that trickle charger with all the other heaters so I don't have to worry too much about the battery being drained down all the way as long as I keep it plugged in, but I'd prefer to have normal voltage all the time too.   Later project will be to get a voltmeter to install to verify battery voltage (don't really trust the factory instrument, the 12.3 volt number is with a multimeter).

I'm back in town now (as I reckon is evidenced by the post about the truck).  I think Georgia would still be shut down because of the "snow storm."     That and the running boards on my truck are covered with a layer of ice... I didn't quite fall down getting in it yesterday when I got in town... came close though.  Stupid ice is clear and without really looking it's not really obvious.  Anyone got a hammer?



-Ryan

[cj5_pilot]

There is a 172 on ski's at Merril.  Ski's on a tri-gear look funky!

Back when I was still a greasmonkey we used to set up trucks for the oil companies for the north slope.  Mostly Ford's with the 6.9 Diesel, but a few Chevy's with the 6.2 (those were tougher to set up as the factory fuel injection pumps were junk and we had to swap out with an aftermarket one that wouldn't slobber in cold weather--imagine that replaceing a factory part on a new truck just so it would run at -60 or colder).  Anyhow, though the oil companies mostly ran the trucks 24/7 during the winter we did set them up for heaters.  Generally we installed an oil pan heater, a lower radiator hose heater, a trickle charger for the battery and an Excel heater in the cab.  That is my preferred set up (minus the Excel) to this day.  I like the idea of keeping the oil warm as it helps you get oil pressure faster (and on some of the older Ford engines the oil pump shaft would actually strip out by trying to turn oil that was of a tar like consistency).  The lower radiator hose heater is awesome as it moves the antifreeze by convection and they don't burn out as easily as the tank type heaters.  The trickle charger keeps the battery warm by keeping it charged (though some outfits insisted on both a trickle charger and a battery blanket).  The Excel kept the windshields clear of frost as well as keeping the vinyl of the seats warm enough it wouldn't crach when you jumped in.

[Baradium]

There is a 172 on ski's at Merril.  Ski's on a tri-gear look funky!

Back when I was still a greasmonkey we used to set up trucks for the oil companies for the north slope.  Mostly Ford's with the 6.9 Diesel, but a few Chevy's with the 6.2 (those were tougher to set up as the factory fuel injection pumps were junk and we had to swap out with an aftermarket one that wouldn't slobber in cold weather--imagine that replaceing a factory part on a new truck just so it would run at -60 or colder).  Anyhow, though the oil companies mostly ran the trucks 24/7 during the winter we did set them up for heaters.  Generally we installed an oil pan heater, a lower radiator hose heater, a trickle charger for the battery and an Excel heater in the cab.  That is my preferred set up (minus the Excel) to this day.  I like the idea of keeping the oil warm as it helps you get oil pressure faster (and on some of the older Ford engines the oil pump shaft would actually strip out by trying to turn oil that was of a tar like consistency).  The lower radiator hose heater is awesome as it moves the antifreeze by convection and they don't burn out as easily as the tank type heaters.  The trickle charger keeps the battery warm by keeping it charged (though some outfits insisted on both a trickle charger and a battery blanket).  The Excel kept the windshields clear of frost as well as keeping the vinyl of the seats warm enough it wouldn't crach when you jumped in.

Is the Excel the diesel burning heater?  Wouldn't mind one of those, but I hear those are $$$.  The diesel burning ones I was told also serve as an engine heater, so maybe that's not the one you're talking about...  I like the idea of something that will keep me and the truck warm if I get stuck out somewhere or want to leave it overnight where it can't plug in.

My truck has the following:

1) Factory heating equipment  (core plug heater plus a 12v fuel heater that works when the key is on)
2) Oil pan heater
3) Transmission pan heater
4) Trickle charger
5)  Battery blankets*
6) An electrical outlet in the cab, I assume for a cab heater.

*Installed by me, two blankets since there are two batteries in the truck.

Most diesel oil is 15-40, so I think that heating it is more important than on a gas engine where you can find super thin synthetics.   

[cj5_pilot]

The Excel (a brand name) was actually a 1000W electric heater for the cab.  There are a couple of different makes out there.  We liked the excel as it was flat and we mounted it under the driver's seat.  It also helped keep the snow and ice you would track on to the floorboards from freezing and creating a perma ice rink below the driver's feet (dangerous!).  Also, none of the rigs when out with carpet--vinyl on the floor with rubber floormats.