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Doctor DEF · 02-20-2014, 10:02 AM

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for letting us join the forum. We are Truck Campers, with 2 cross country trips, 3 "migrations" from WA to AZ, and a number of other trips under our belts. We love Truck Camping since we need a pickup for other reasons, and we can tow our utility trailer when migrating from WA to AZ and back. We started with an older V10 gas F350 with a dually conversion and a MUCH older Lance (1985!) that we put over 15.000 miles on, and have recently upgraded to a brand new F350 14 K GVWR Dually diesel and lightly used 2007 Arctic Fox with the side slide. We really enjoy bringing our pets along (can you believe a reformed wandering tomcat living with a crazy long hair dachshund and a "Chi-worgi" with one blind eye in the same camper each night for over 20000 miles??) and being able to fit in just about any RV spot.

Our travels in the new diesel truck with the camper led us to start a small business called Five Star DEF. Please consider us a resource for all questions relating to Diesel Exhaust Fluid. We are retired engineers, and offer a number of innovative alternatives for carrying DEF on your RV.

Thanks!

**JohnRR** · 02-20-2014, 10:20 AM

Sounds like an interesting crew.

SarahW · 02-20-2014, 09:38 PM

Howdy and welcome to the forum!

Scarab0088 · 02-20-2014, 09:43 PM

And many thanks for the support to our little piece of the internet

I have gas powered RV, but DEF is a reality so you are probably jumping on a cresting wave...best luck

Statgeek · 02-20-2014, 10:06 PM

I visited your web page. Neat idea!
So... What assurances are required for rv owners to be able to use your product and not risk warranty problems from Freightliner/ Cummins? I'm not doubting the info on your website--I'm just wondering if chassis manufacturers recognize it?

Barbara S. · 02-20-2014, 10:34 PM

My first three RVs were truck campers. My husband love surf fishing so we camped on the beach. We had a Ford F-250 super cab truck. He took the back seats out and installed a large water tank. Plywood covered the tank and a lounge chair cushion rested on top of that so the dog had a comfy place to ride.

The first truck camper was a half-cabover (my husband extended the bed). It had an ice box (requiring ice), hand water pump, and no bathroom. Two years later when I got pregnant we decided we needed to upgrade and our next 8 ft. truck camper had a real refrigerator, running water, and a full bathroom (ah, luxury). Our daughter was not quite 2 months old when she took her first camping trip. Our third truck camper was 11.5 ft and had jalousie windows all around (specially made for the front/cabover window) so we could open them and have a breeze. Fun times!

aschuh53 · 02-20-2014, 11:05 PM

welcome to irv2

Doctor DEF · 02-21-2014, 09:29 AM

Thanks to all for the great hospitality. IRV2 is a great place to share information and meet new friends. We appreciate the warm welcome. As most truck campers will understand, we are always trying to save space and time while camping. This was what led us to try being entrepreneurs and start a small DEF business. We appreciate the feedback on our ideas!

Statgeek asks a great question: "What assurances are required for RV owners to be able to use your product and not risk warranty problems" and "(do) chassis manufacturers recognize it".

First of all, we're VERY HAPPY that our website gets looked at. We're novices at this and put a lot of work into it. The technical answers to this question are contained in detail on the website (we'd love recommendations on how to improve it so don't hesitate to comment on the Blog) so I won't repeat them here, but I'll add the following:

1. We expected concerns about credibility and risk. So, we purchased, product liability insurance for our product. If you like, I can provide details of the coverage via private message. The value of this policy would cover at least 500 full SCR system replacements at today's prices. Check and see if your current DEF supplier offers this.

2. Our product EXCEEDS the requirements for API certification by meeting all requirements of ISO22241 and testing as often as we do. Since we don't sell a liquid DEF product (yet), and the API does not offer certification of dry product, we do not have the API mark on our product. If you are curious about what API certification actually is, I recommend reading up on it. You may be surprised at what you discover.

3. I don't have a copy of EVERY clean diesel owners manual (we're working on it) but I do have one for all the light trucks, and they specify using DEF that meets ISO22241. They also recommend NOT carrying DEF inside your vehicle. If you use our product per the instructions, you get the freshest and most effective DEF you can buy. It exceeds ISO22241 quality requirements. AND you can carry it safely on your RV prior to mixing with distilled water.

4. Look for our DEF sample testing program coming soon to our website. We'll send you a sample kit and return envelope with prepaid postage. We'll test the DEF for urea concentration, and provide the results to you.

We use our DEF exclusively in our F350 and have almost 17,000 miles on it with no issues. We think the convenience and ability to carry the product in our camper without issues is well worth it.

Thanks again,

Erich and Kathryn