Florida Meet Recap

[-x-]

.....arms and legs are shot ;eekr; , next meet off will be at hand!...x

[PBR]

VX those are red bugs or chiggers, cant seem them easily but they get into ankles, waist, and unfortunately crotch. Very bad during warm months along with ticks, particularly in the forest. Best to wear socks and shoes and spray all clothing before hand with Permathone (I did before meet and no bites), which will keep them all away. Once you have the bites it will take a week or so for them to heal, red bugs inject a venom that keeps them itching, so try not to scratch, keep it clean. All hunters no these lessons well.

[Joe_Black]

Thanks for the update! I've been playing phone tag with Frank and his last message said it was big $$$ for his. I'll post details once I get in touch. The man definitely needs to invest in an answering machine!

As for the bug bites, I've got the same welts on my ankles as well. Not mosquitoes but those yellow-flies and their evil black cousins that were flitting all over the place. I'll killed about 15 while setting up my tent on Friday and there were at least 5 or 10 in the VX at any one time while scouting that afternoon. Sneaky little creatures and hungry for the taste of human blood!

[Joe_Black]

Sorry PBR, didn't see your chigger post until after I posted. I saw a few red bugs crawling about as well, including one on my armrest! I'll add the permethone to my next outing checklist.

[Joe_Black]

Okay, just got off the phone with Frank and he also ended up replacing his alternator. Fortunately he had an extended warranty and was only popped $100 for the deductible. The dealer quoted the alternator replacement at $716. YIKE!!! They gave him a little grief about the mud as they said it wasn't the water that shorted the VReg but the build-up of clay. Knowing how VRegs are typically sealed, I'm not buying that. Water is conductive. Period. If the VReg has a crack in its case moisture's gonna kill it. It probably wasn't bad enough to fail in typical rain conditions but certainly couldn't handle the submerging and pressure of the mud holes we plowed through.

I've got my fingers crossed for ya David! Let us know how it turns out!

[AlaskaVX]

This is one reason I live in Alaska, only mosquito's, bears, moose, and wolves to worry about (nothing with poison except mosquito's). The mosquito's are big up here, most people consider them to be our state bird

[Heraclid]

The dealer told me over the phone that "they're real proud of that thing", and right then I knew he meant it was super expensive. I was quoted about the same for the alternator as what Frank was told. I don't believe mine would be under the original warranty (it's a '99), and we'll see if they'll take the extended warranty I have from the used car folks I got it from.

Aren't most alternators pretty much the same? Some parts website I found referenced in the archives here last night appeared to be selling alternators from a Trooper model as a VehiCross replacement part. Gotta be a way to cut the cost here. I believe someone in the archived posts posted about fixing his for $125. (just labor under warranty?)

I agree about the clay versus water.

[Heraclid]

I can find no reference specifically to the alternator in my warranty booklet, but it looks like it falls under a 36 month/50,000 mile warranty. I am JUST over 50,000 miles, but I'm obviously beyond the 36 months which makes the mileage a moot point. Damn, wish I had the 2000/2001 VehiCross warranty. Isn't that 7 years?

Oh, that $125 was from centralforeign.com out of Denver. If you do an inquiry for the 99 Vehicross alternator, it tells you a match is the alternator for the 2000 Trooper II, 4DR, 3.5 V6

[niv_d]

I think you might have something there! I’d say that an alternator from either a Trooper or an Amigo has to fit and I bet that if you look hard enough you’ll probably find a refurbished one that would save you some $$$. That’s definitely worth checking!

[niv_d]

Oh and about the mosquitoes…I don’t know what you local boys are talking about…I didn’t have any bits at all…LOL ..Maybe the flies here just don’t like the international cuisine…

[VX1]

Mine won't be ready until Monday now. They say the thermostat is shot, and they have to tear the engine apart to get to the thing. Looking at the VX repair manual, I don't see why.

[Joe_Black]

David, if you bought extended warranty through the used dealer you should be okay. I believe that's the same thing Frank has since his was purchased used as well. If that doesn't pan out, I imagine the alternator is the same as on the 3.5 Troopers. Check your local AutoZone, DAP etc. for comparison. It's REALLY easy to change an alternator. Check a local starter shop to see what they'd charge for a rebuild, especially since it's just the VReg.

Scott, tear the engine apart for the thermo?!?! If I'm not mistaken it's right there front top and center. Just follow your upper coolant hose from the radiator to the engine and that's where it lives, right under the hose fitting to the engine. At least that's where it is on the 3.2 and the 3.5 is essentially the same mill. I'll double check mine tomorrow (after the shoot!) and post where I find it.

[Tone]

Thermo replacement requires removing the variable length intake runners - might as well bolt on the SC if you’re going that far....

[Heraclid]

Dealer is closed today for the holiday, but I will check with them tomorrow re: the warranty I have. Talked to them yesterday and the guy said fax it over and he'd let me know, but no fax here and didn't get a chance to run by there or to a Kinko's or something.

Re: bug bites, I wonder if that's why my back was really itching bad the other day. I scratched and then it turned into what looked like a nasty rash all over my back. It is fading now. Could it be chiggers or something? Don't know why it wouldn't be on more exposed areas and why it didn't happen faster, though, so I tend to think not. Could also be that I had a CT scan done on my throat, with contrast. With contrast means you get an IV and they put some chemical concoction in your bloodstream to make the pics clearer. They say drink lots of water afterward, and I did, but maybe I had some sort of an allergic reaction to that.

Or maybe heat rash or something from driving around in a VX with no A/C and the windows up (due to rain)? Makes sense then because my back would be up against the seat and couldn't "breathe". Don't think it's that either - should have had it happen more quickly after the fact, I'd think.

[VX1]

Chiggers. I had exactly the same symptoms; we were out there Saturday, and the 'rash' was most pronounced Tuesday & Wednesday. It's been a week, just as Pat said, they've cleared up. -Scott