RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
NC Hauler - You say there is nothing wrong with exceeding the manufacturer's tow capacity rating of the truck.
Interesting perspective.
Common sense and safety says, stay within the manufacturer's ratings.
You are apparently right. Common sense and safety obviously have taken a back seat around here. It is kind of you to demonstrate.
I tow a heavy fiver with a 1994 F250 7.3 TDI. It is risky, and I know and acknowledge it. Within my judgement I accept the risk of doing it, when I need to move it.
The original poster asked for a safe configuration. This indicates he wishes to be conservative on safety - taking higher levels of risk such as I do - or perhaps you - would not be in order.
Either you've misread what I've written, or some of my sarcasm has been misunderstood. I have posted time and time again that I think it IS WRONG to tow over ones trucks towing capacity, ie, GVWR, GAWR and/or GCWR. I don't recommend it. I think it is unsafe. If someone chooses to do just the opposite, than it is what it is. More people than just myself have recommended that they not tow well over their trucks capabilities.
Original poster asked for a safe configuration. It would be either to purchase a lighter 5er or get a MDT, at the very least. That was my reommendations, I think it would be safer. I don't take any more risk than necessary. I'm under my trucks GAWR as well as GCWR and I usually tow at 55-60 mph, no more...best mpg at that speed and I feel I have more control over my truck and 5er at that speed.
When some are towing 17,500# up to 22,000# 5th wheels with trucks like mine, I feel they aren't being safe or considering all factors when towing well over their trucks recommended towing capacities. You can be as safe as you want to be, but that doesn't mean some drunk won't come out of nowhere and force you to make a maneuver with a truck that is WELL overloaded passed it's safe limits..that's what I hope doesn't happen to those who have "chosen" to tow over their trucks recommended towing limits and then tell others that it is ok. I don't, and won't do that and hope no one has thought that I have. I'm one of the "so called" hated weight police around here that most choose to ignore when trying to talk a little reason.. Not recommending a HDH for a pop-up...that's ridculous...just recommending that one does research when matching a truck up with a 5er or a TT, use a little common sense and try to use safety as a main factor for self and family's welfare when putting a combo on the road to tow at highway speeds. Again, I do NOT advocate towing over ones' truck recommended towing capacities.
RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
Besides the replies here, check with the people that tow long/heavy fifth wheels on the Escapees MDT -and- HDT forums.
Many have "progressed" from LDT to MDT to HDT, and/or arriving somewhere in between.
Unfortunately RV Net doesn't have specific forums for these TVs.
~
JC
My point exactly JC, and I've even recommended going to some of these other forums, but, we've got people towing 22,000# and 17,500# 5er's with 3500 Dually's..why bother with MDT or even HDT...I mean, there is nothing wrong with towing that much weight with a truck like mine.:R I don't know, common sense and safety have taken a backseat around here.
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
She cooks the turkey, pumpkin pie and everything else that will last us through Sunday or so. I've tried to just go to Boston Market, or take her out, but she swears up and down she really likes to make the "big meal"...She has a roaster that she fixes the turket in, the stove, oven and convection oven are for everything else. The kitchen smells are awesome. Been doing this since 2000. We got tired of fixing up a big dinner for everyone and they would come by, eat dinner and that was it...so we started doing "our own thing"..you know, for "us".
Weather hasn't been "that" bad, have seen very little sun since Saturday. It hasn't rained since Sunday, just really cloudy and even the temps. haven't been bad, down in the mid 40's. Furnace hasn't even been on yet, just heating with the electric fireplace in the livingroom...
Watching NCIS LA...kind of like this show, along with NCIS...y'all take care, have a great evening...I'll drop back in later.
RE: Does anyone know the weight of mirror closet doors?
We removed the two closet doors in sig. 5er. They weighed about 30# each. Replaced them with a long curtain rod and cloth shower curtain. We didn't remove them to decrease pinweight. We removed them because we saw where someone had done this mod on here and it looked pretty doggone good AND another plus was, you don't have to clean all that mirror space anymore. the DW color coordinated and the mod looks really great, we're very pleased with the outcome.
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
Overcast here all day, though it did get up to 58 degrees. It stayed dry. We did some running around, seeing some of this area we'd never been to before. DW and I are enjoying the rest. Hope all of you are well and having a great day. We've just done a lot of walking with the dogs, in fact, getting ready to take off again...y'all take care out there, catch ya later...
RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
Towing a 22,000# 5er with a 1 ton Dually, son, I'm truly impressed. I bet you don't even know it's back there either:R I can't believe how much some will overload a truck and think it's safe.
Your right, you can absolutely do it, just glad it's not me absolutely doing it with my truck. I know what it's like towing sig. 5er up and down long steep mountains, no way would I want to add another 7,000# to the weight of the 5er,(15,000-22,000), and if the trailer alone weighs 22,000#, with your trucks GVWR being 23,500#, really, your only a little over 3 tons or more over your trucks GCWR..your right, no big deal, trucks suspension ought to hold up find.
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
We've always lived in the mountains, (WV,VA and now NC), we love 'em.
We like all 4 seasons, though, after 50+ years on this planet, I don't believe it snows as much as it used to. It never ceases to amaze my wife and I at how far some people travel just to see fall foliage. But, I guess we've gotten to where we take some things for granted, depending on where you live. Maybe once the DW and I have retired, we'll find ourselves a "homebase" and winter in the south away from colder weather and in the summer time travel the rest of this beautiful country of ours.
Good morning to all of you, got a big pot of coffee on,(over by the microwave) and the DW made some fried apple pies...have at em'.
Hope all of you are well today and hope all of you have a great day.
Time to "walk the dogs"....catch y'all later..
RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
No its not. Get a Ford F350.
So an F350 will handle the 18,500# + 5er?? I'm impressed. Wonder why they even make a MDT or why some of these in here are towing these heavy 5er's with Volvo's, Peterbilts, etc, when they could have just purchased an F350...you didn't even say F350 with towboss, which I still think would be taxed to some extent when it comes to RAWR for this heavy of a 5er..possibly around 4500-5000# pinweight.
RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
I find it truely amazing that there are some that would actually try to tow an 18,500# (or heavier) 5er with the same truck I have. What I find even more amazing is when statements like, "don't hardly know it's back there" are made. GVWR on my 5er is 16,650#. I travel with no water PERIOD...most it's EVER weighed has been 15,000#, normally around 14,500-14,750...and as much as I hate to admit it...when towing in some of the long steep mountains you'll find in WV,TN,NC,SC and VA..I DO know "it's back there". The 5er the original poster is talking about will not only put them WELL over the trucks GVWR, it will easily exceed the trucks RAWR, and will REALLY exceed the trucks GCWR. I wouldn't even try towing it with the Ford F350 with tow boss...What is so hard to understand about all this? I would think at some point, safety for family and self would be thought of, or at least for others...
"Building up a 1 ton":R...Why not just buy a truck that will handle that weight, or actually buy a 5er that the truck can tow safely? I'd be looking at a 550 MDT, or as some of these others have said, a HDT, such as the Volvo or Peterbilt. Seems like some just don't want to listen to experience telling you what is best to do. For those of you towing well over your trucks capabilities, be safe, hope you don't harm yourself or someone else when out there towing on the highway's.
RE: Turkey
Hey, I started a "Where you going over Thanksgiving" thread
in the RV parks Forums, quite a few hits, but here goes anyway, we're staying at Crooked Creek Campground in West Union SC on Lake Keowee. Got here Saturday, will be here until Sunday..hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday.....we will:B
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
Dyana, welcome to our humble thread. We hope you decide to stay for awhile. If you ever get up to the Asheville NC area, drop the DW & I a PM, be nice to put a face to a name. Jon, (Mowermech), likes being the "senior" member here, though I'm 59, married 39 yrs with three grown children and 4 grandkids. We're all "homey" here.:B..I may have just made that word up....don't know, who cares...
got two boxers and it's about time for us to take them for a walk..y'all take care out there, I'll drop back in later.
Oh, let's see, last time at a drive in movie...I think it was 1978 or 79' in Beckley WV,( my home town). I'm pretty sure the movie was
Superman, the name of the drive in was the Beckley Mountainaire Theater...son, that brings back some memories. I'd like to go to one again, I've seen a few on occasion, but they're few and far between.
Jim
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
WOW, 7 post, hadn't seen that many in a while around here..glad I ran the vacuum cleaner and cleaned up the guest bedroom:B
Jon, yep, you and I are all that is left from the original group,. H&G out of San Antonio has dropped in a few times, but it's been awhile. WVaGal, just kinda quit, believe some things came up and don't forget Dave, Georgia Popcorn...he's been gone for a while also. Now if I'm not mistaken, MS2, Kelly has been with us for quite a while also.
Yeah everyone...W-A-Y back there we were all trying to figure out where we could ALL meet up one day to meet each other. I've met and camped with rosie and Georgia Popcorn. I believe that Shun and Jon have met up with each other and when they were still on here, Georgia Popcorn and Hook & Go met up in San Antonio...all kinda cool.
Jon came to conclusion if we're going to do it, it would have to be fairly soon with most of us ,"not getting any younger":B I kinda wanted to get up that way to wet a line and see what's biting. May be sooner than later....
Shun, there were more than several times that a holiday, including Christmas has fallen on a day that I was working shift work. Just part of it I guess. Worse was being in the military, in another country and you got a wife and son back stateside,and your wondering if you'll ever see them again....oh, I did. Now it's three children and 4 grandchildren later.
It's overcast here and 55 degrees, no call for rain, though it looks like it might. Y'all take care out there and I'll catch ya later.
Oh, Jon,,,yep, you've been "addicted" to your chocolate for quite a while now...Krispy Creme can't hold a candle to Dunkin Dougnut...both make excellent coffee.....I ever get out that way, I'm going to bring you some Dunkin Dougnuts......
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
OK - this looks like a great thread to participate in but. . .
I would really have to know what "ooops" means before I could commit :-)
OK, seeing as how I'm one of the "original" ones that started THIS thread and kept the old one going..I'll give it my best shot.
A little over 4 yrs. ago, someone posted in, I think, the 5th wheel section and evidently had second thoughts about what they posted. When people got to it, all it said was..."OOP'S". From there it got really silly, answers without a question...made up stuff, quite a bit of fun...It got deleted instead of moved to around the campfire in Nov. of 05...that's when I started it back and what you see today is some friends that have kept it going for over 4 years now. Mowermech,(Jon) has been around about as long as I have, the rest have been in here for a while now and we're alway's looking for new friends to invite in. So pull up a chair and join our little group. Talk about what ever you want, we're game.
OK. Here in West Union at Crooked Creek Campground, it's overcast with a temp. of 54 degrees..believe that'll be about the high..It rained almost all day yesterday and it appears we'll be partly cloudy to partly sunny for the next 5 or 6 day's with highs in the low 60's. May dip into the mid 30's by Friday...we'll see what we shall see. Hope all of you are having a great day....take care out there, talk to you later.
RE: Day Dreamer 36RED actual weight?
Can anyone tell me the real weight of this camper? The brochure lists it at 16,200 GVW We have been thinking about this unit but the weight has me a little concerned. If you have one what are pulling it with?
Thanks.
You have the same truck I do. GVW on my 5er is 16,650#, it has a lot of room for storage. We don't carry water and all tanks are empty.
We've weighed our 5er more than several times, at this point, for colder weather and being out for a week, we weigh around 14,250. Heaviest I've been was 14,500#. Pinweight is 2800-3000#, I'm under GVWR, well under RAWR. Also under GCWR. I tow sig. 5er with sig. truck in the mountains of WV,TN,NC,SC and VA and it does a most excellent job. Grade braking works like a champ and plenty of power to pull the mountains. Yes, I know it's back, unlike some claim, pulling some of the steeper grade long mountains, but again, plenty of power and no issues at all. I'd say if you watch how much you load into the 5er you should be ok...
From what I've seen on pinweights, 25% is more than generous, more than likely, it's closer to 20% to get a good "ballpark" idea on pinweight.
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
Another beautiful day before the rain rolls in. Got here this morning around 10:00, all set up, temp. got up to 66 degrees and sunny all day. Everything fine in the 5er. Walked the dogs around the campground a dozen times or so. Looks like some cooler temps. and some rain rolling in...don't care...crummy weather while camping still beats a good day at work:B Going to grab a sandwich and do some reading...y'all take care and have a great day and weekend....catch ya later............Shun, did you get your light switch working?
RE: Droping your 5th wheeler
Sorry about saying they kept the 5er from hitting the tailgate, I was going by what I saw at an rv show in Charlotte NC..They had a CC/longbed dually with a bedsaver attached to a Reese hitch as a demonstation of that particular bedsaver. The 5er king pin was setting in the bed saver as far back as it could go..It was about 4 inches above the trucks bed rails and about 2" above the tailgate, thus the reason that I said what I said. It was a longbed truck, but I know what I saw...now all this was setting on level ground, but again...I know what I saw.
RE: Good Sam Emergency Road Service
From the way I understand it, to get Allstate for the price quoted above, you HAVE to carry Allstate insurance on your vehicle. If you don't have Allstate,check again on their service that is "almost", but not quite the same as Coach.net or GS ERS and much more costly. Allstate can't touch Progressives rates that I have on my three vehicles and my 5er, so no way do I spend an extra $400 a year to save $30 on their Roadside service. Also, if you aren't a Policy holder with them, you may want to ask about their towing policies. Not the same as Coach.net's or GS with it comes to towing the rv or truck "unlimited" miles to nearest dealer for repair. I know this because I called yesterday to enquire about their rates and services.
RE: Droping your 5th wheeler
If you do a proper pull test, why do you need the bed saver??
I was going to say that...I've always done the pull test and so far, it's been the cheapest route to go, just always gotta remember to it......:B
RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
Well, to be truthful with you, I grew up in southern WV. Except for 4 yrs in the USAF I was there from birth(1950) to moving to Blacksburg Va in 1989 to be closer to a job that I started there in 87'. I got laid off in 93 and left VA, moved to the Asheville area and have been here since. I love the mountains, been in them in all three states. So I'm a "transplant also":B...I went south and you went north.... Small world.
call me Jim......
RE: Droping your 5th wheeler
I have one on my wish list! It just ran $1000.00 to fix the tailgate.
I don't think that device will help you if you forget to drop your tailgate and drive off and hit the gate with the pin box and the gate up.
:h Huh?? The bedsaver catches the 5er if the kingpin slips out of the hitch, the bedsaver keeps the 5er from dropping on the bed and keeps it from leaving the bed of the truck, the 5er won't hit the bedrails or the tailgate,even if the tailgate is up. That's why it's called a bedsaver..for the money, it's a pretty cheap insurance policy. Been thinking about getting one myself..."just in case............"
