DT Exclusive Interview
DT—Tell us about your truck.
Mangum—So this is a 2015 Chevy 3500 Dually.
It is not lifted because it's hard to get a lifted truck to fit a trailer. A trailer is only so tall and I didn't want to have that big lifted look. I wanted to have that semi-truck towing type look to it. So I added a set of 22-inch American Force rims and a 34-inch tire.
So the most modifications I've made are under the hood. I have simple things done to it, like air bags, large fuel tank, a Titan 60-gallon tank ... so it's pretty modified. It's got compound turbos on it. I'm not sure the exact horsepower, but I think it's in the neighborhood of 600 horsepower to the tires. The reason for the compound turbo over simply a larger factory turbo is that the compound turbo runs a lot less exhaust temperature, so you can get the horsepower without the heat.
It's all about tow. I don't drive this truck unless I'm pulling a trailer, so I seldom unhook the trailer. But if you do unhook the trailer, this truck is super fast. I don't think there's a sports car on the road that can beat you onto an on ramp. This thing flies down the highway. Between how well the trailer handles and how well this truck handles, you'll fly by guys in half-ton trucks towing trailers … and they practically just fly off the road when you go past them.
Then besides its power, the most unique thing this truck has going for it is the fuel mileage. I can get up to 12.5 mpg towing this trailer.
DT—Wow. What do you attribute for the good gas mileage?
Mangum—First, I think Chevrolets get good gas mileage. I think that helps anyway.
Second, the compound turbos—it's amazing how efficient these things are. You would think it's just a bunch of pipes and kind of messy. But it's super efficient.
When you're cruising slow it doesn't make a lot of boost … but it has this efficient power. I don't know if it's because it's not running as hot. I put a bigger radiator in it. I put a Built transmission in it and a Built fuel pump. So a lot of the drivetrain has been built to hold up or work well with the power that it has. And it's staggeringly powerful. Powertech Diesel here in Idaho Falls built this truck for me.
DT—How long do you expect to keep this truck?
Mangum—Well, probably until a new body style comes out. But currently they still make this truck.
I’ve updated it just a little bit. I put a 2017 hood on it, which is this forced air induction hood. And then I customized this air box to work with this compound turbo, because the original air filter was just an air filter under the hood, and that wasn't going to work for towing because of the engine heat.
DT—So you got more forced air coming in?
Mangum—Yeah. It comes in the hood, and it does its thing.
This truck also draws air from the factory fender location. So it gets plenty of air. I had to modify the hard pipe. I had a silicon hose on it but I blew a couple boots off from the high boost. So now I have these solid connections that seem to be completely hassle-free.
Another thing I'll point out about this whole setup is that this truck is really quiet. When you pump these diesels up, you get a pretty nasty diesel drone that can be super annoying in the cab. Well inside the cab this truck is as quiet, if not more quiet than a stock truck. So you get all this horsepower and then you just get this really modern, nice, quiet sound that you want when you're driving long distances.
DT—So you got this truck to pull your work trailer. But it’s not just an ordinary trailer. Tell us what’s hooked up behind your truck.
Mangum—Okay. So it's a 48-foot ATC trailer. I don't know what style you call this trailer, but I call it a race trailer.
It has 20 feet of living quarters and then 28 feet of cargo. The living quarters completely detached from the garage area. So as I travel, and I go on long trips, no matter how I'm loaded in the rear, it doesn't affect my ability to stay in it and be comfortable.
DT—Is this a custom trailer and what input did you have in designing it?
Mangum—Yes, I did order it special.
One reason I went with ATC is they make an all-aluminum trailer this size, which is pretty uncommon. But I ordered it with the living quarter features. They had a bunch of options there. I ordered it without a slide and with the interior that I wanted. And then in the rear I needed it to be wired a certain way.
I needed a certain amount of lights in it. I wanted a certain kind of workbench in it, and a certain kind of flooring. All of those were options available.
Also I ordered it with the certain color and the certain chrome strips on it. The color is unique. You don't see one like it anywhere. I did things like putting an extra thick front on it so when you hit a bird or something it doesn't dent it.
DT—Do you use this trailer for personal enjoyment, or is it mostly for product testing?
Mangum—It's both, but mostly for product development work.
At Boondockers we make both UTV and snow products. I primarily use this one for UTV stuff. So we're going to places like the sand dunes, to Glamis (California) and to the Oregon Coast. So I'm constantly on the road with it. I probably sleep in it a total of two months a year.
I don't use it for snowmobile trips, mostly because it's really nice and I want to keep it that way. It's a little bit big for going to the mountain, or even to a staging area. I prefer a 28-foot trailer for that.
DT—Walk us through the trailer.
Mangum—So in the living quarters one of the key benefits is there is no slide.
Most of these trailers have slides in them, where a portion of the trailer would slide out to provide more space. I didn't want the mechanical mess that comes along with that, like a potential breakdown or something. I prefer something that is just consistent. It's the same every time you use it, and when you get rid of those moving features, it makes it simpler.
The loft (bedroom area) is eight feet wide. Usually it’s just me. Sometimes I have my boy and sometimes I have my wife. But it's just big enough. The bathroom was also a key feature on this brand of trailer. It is big enough so you can even change your clothes in there. The shower is big enough to where it actually works. When I'm by myself in this trailer, it's like living at home.
It's got a nice closet too. But what I didn’t want, so it doesn’t have, is a door that goes into the garage area. I wanted the two to be separated … and when you see the back you'll understand why that is.
Another option I ordered for it was its spray-foam insulation in the roof, the walls, and in the flooring. So it's pretty well insulated. I had full intentions of using it during the wintertime. We go on trips down to Glamis, and you have to travel when it's cold. And if you have to stay the night in it, it's a lot easier to heat that front section versus trying to heat the whole trailer if it was a living quarters and garage all in one.
DT—So the next door down opens to the work/cargo area. What were your thoughts with the flooring?
Mangum—It's another option I chose.
You can do several different floors. I wanted this rubbery floor because your tires really grip to it. I can put two side-by-sides in it. I can put a four-seater and a two-seater. I can put my Jeep and my Can-Am in here.
It’s got a seven-foot ceiling for enough head space. I have a plumbed-in air compressor. I have a welder. It seems I use the air compressor every time I go anywhere. And I dang near use the welder almost every time, too. Usually somebody is broke down. I've welded everything from exhaust pipes to broken oil fittings, to axles back in somebody's RV trailer.
DT—So you basically have a complete workshop everywhere you go?
Mangum—That's the idea. I also get my guys coming in here and using tools and stuff. So I find it a benefit to label and mark everything so that stuff gets put back correctly, or is easy to find.
DT—How did you come up with the code names for the truck and trailer?
Mangum—So it's Rolling Thunder and the Blue Battlestation.
The truck storms down the road pulling the trailer. The trailer has everything you need to support you daily battle making products better. Also, it’s very seldom I go anywhere without helping someone fix something that has broken. It helps me keep things running.