RE: Pull rite hitches
Kinda broad, but I'll give it a shot... Yes I would buy it again. I did. Now on my second unit. I've used PR for 15+ years now. Before that I had an Reese Dual Cam, before that a friction bar and before that, bare. The friction bar went into the trash after a scary incident where the control bar caused me to go straight when I needed to turn. Once on very deep USFR gravel and once on a slick gas station parking lot. The Reese towed much better, but required tiny corrections all day long. This was tiring.
I was at a beach in Oregon and noticed a PR under a van. I started laughing. I was most of the way home when the geometry and design features started to make sense. I stopped laughing and bought one.
I have owned three Airstreams, one of which was towed with the PR. I currently have a 34' HRC behind a F-350, CC, LB and PR. I have had TT tires go out at 70 MPH and it was only passing drivers that warned there was a problem. I have tested the rig by letting some air out of one side, changing tongue weight and other attempts to induce sway. (we have a long stretch of abandoned highway near our house) Even snapping the steering wheel will not induce continuous sway. The TT will certainly react and you can watch the back bumper in the mirrors. However, after one large excursion, the TT settles right back into trailing again.
I prefer the PR over the Arrow and Propride as I can put the truck fully 90 degrees to the TT. This allows a backing reversal in nearly the TT's own length. When I have toys in the truck, setting the truck 90 degrees allows stuff to roll out without hitting the TT. Other hitches will allow fairly sharp turns, but the hitch is still in the center of the "de-loading zone." the stuff on the front of the TT swings around but is still in the way. With a PR, everything pivots out of the way, allowing a completely clear area behind the truck.
As with anything, it is not all sweetness and light. The whole hitch assembly is heavy. I have installed two by my self using ratchet straps. My current model is a "no drill" so all the holes line up with factory holes. Not all trucks can get this model.
There is a lot of misinformation, some partly true, floating around. It is said that a PR can only fit the model it is purchased for originally. With the "no drill", that is true. With the standard model, just moving the mounting brackets around will allow mounting on nearly any American truck. It is true that you cannot take a truck model and put it on an SUV. PR makes a few models for large SUVs like your Excursion, but their speciality is pickups. You'll have to call to see what's available. There is at least one person on the forum that uses an Excursion and a PR. As I recall he had to make some custome stuff and it was low. Call PR. They are very helpful. I moved mine from a 1986 F-250 2x to the 2001 F-350 4x4. No problem. There is a pivot point under the truck that needs lube once a year. No biggee. You do have to answer questions every time you get tires changed.
It is also true that the tailpipe will need to be moved up or down a few inches. $30 and a half-hour in a muffler place will do it. The price of the hitch is, as is well known, up there. Budget around $3K.
There is no slack, jerk, bump or anything else when towing. I now arrive much less tired than in days of yore. Sorry for the long response, but it's a broad field.
RE: Best Battrey.... Optima ???
Your opening line should have been, Optima, the worst battery. It is very easy to show: Go to the Optima web page and pick a battery. They all exhibit the same relative problem. Now look at how many amp/hrs @ a 20 hr. rate the Optima has. Typically, an Optima has about 1/3-1/2 less power than a decent quality conventional or AGM such as Lifeline. Now look at the price: The Optimas (unles you find a "deal") are usually twice the cost of a decent quality conventional battery. So, you pay twice as much for about 1/3 less capacity. Usually you need 3 Optimas to match the capacity of two conventional batts.
Optimas have some great physical characteristics: you can mount them on their side, turn them upside down, stick a screwdriver through them etc. I rarely turn my TT over or develop a great need to poke a screwdriver in my batteries. Like nearly all AGM type batteries (Optimas are a type of AGM) the Optimas don't outgas, so the terminals stay clean. I'm not saying they won't run trolling motors and such, but the math is quite simple. They cost too much for less power capacity. That spiffy spiral cell techniology leaves a lot of empty space inside the battery. It is hard to pack cylinders into a space and not have gaps.
If you need an ornamental battery, don't have a great need for boondocking capacity and you have the money, Optimas are fine. DO NOT be fooled by the huge amp listings for starting models. That is power over a very short period. Evaluate batteries with the amp/hr. rates.
RE: dc volts needed
I guess it depends on the definition of "practical way." I run everything in my TT (except the electric HW) on batteries. Obviously, the higher the amp draw, the shorter the time between recharges. As for needing a 30 amp generator, I disagree. I can run everything (except the electric HW), including the 15KBTU AC, all day with one Honda EU2000. The twins are quieter, but one will do the job. If the batts are not down at the end of the AC day, everything desired (micro, TV, VCR, electric blankies, heating pads, furnace etc) will run all night wi/o a generator. If the batts happen to be on a "down" cycle at the end of the AC day, then 45 mins will take them back to 90%+. If "practical" means money... then I surrender. There are many cheaper ways of doing things.
RE: 5th Wheel to TT
It really is what features an individual values. I've been RVing for 30+ yrs and fivers have never been part of the equation. For us, they are all disadvantages and no advantages, but someone else could come along and have a completely different viewpoint. For us, right now, no fiver will ever work for us. We haul 2 ATVs on the truck bed. However, even before getting into ATVs we chose TTs. I figure a MH with a utility trailer would work, but it has a whole 'nuther set of disadvantages for us. If you want/need a TT, stop listening to the naysayers and enjoy yourself.
RE: Honda EU2000IA COMPANION?
You will still need the paralleling stuff to hook two together. The Companion costs more than the original and all it gives you is a twist lock that you'll need an adaptor for anyway. Kinda like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Ya might get to use a slightly more "clean" looking hookup, but it sure doesn't seem worth the money.
RE: Ford 250 Diesel Crew Cab as a Tow Vehicle
I guess I'm confused or not reading correctly. I thought the OP said he had a 6.4 F-250 of 2001 vintage. Did Ford start putting 6.4 diesels into trucks in 2001? I have a 2001 F-350 and the only diesel available was the 7.3 PSD. I thought 6.4s started several years later. Can someone clear the fog?
RE: Trailer tires
arcamper: re your tires cracking: You mention that your unit is inside. By any chance to you have anything with a motor in the same area? Like a compressor, HVAC fan, welder, etc? Many electrical devices with motors can emit ozone. Ozone will eat tires in a very short time. Just a thought.
RE: How to Soundproof A Generator
You might want to find a used generator... one with no warranty. Speaking only for the Hondas, putting one in a non-free air envronment (a box) will void the factory warranty. I've never been too cozy with the idea of putting a gas tank in a closed box with a hot exhaust and sparks from the alternator. Seems like daring the thing not to explode. Perhaps before you get ready to buy, you will be able to get a fuel cell unit. They are very, very quiet.
RE: How long/often does your generator run @ full load?
I don't know where you got the sound numbers for twin Honda 2000s. The single levels are 53-59. Only if the sound coming from each unit is perfectly matched (impossible) will there be a 3 dB increase with a pair. The physics calculations assume a spherical radiating source and the exact same distance from the sources. Twins can run close to the same RPMs but even so, you'd have to get them in physical synch as well as electrical sync so the noise pulse would be in phase. I don't know about anybody elses, but my twins constantly "hunt" a few RPMs either way. Just a long way of saying that you're more likely to see less than the theoretical 3dB.
I second the start up noise increase. It only takes a few seconds. Interestingly, startup load must vary a lot as 2oldman seems to have problems starting from ECO and I never have. I have a clunky older 15K unit. Just shows to go ya that the only certain methods involve renting or borrowing gens and trying them yourselves. Also, two generators with the same noise levels can be vastly different in the nature of of the noise they make. One might be very annoying to you and the other, not so much. Good on ya mate for thinking about the effects of your generator on others.
RE: 2 eu2000i will it run 15k A/C
I have a 15KBTU Dometic in my TT and the twin Hondas will run the unit at over 6K ft on a 100degree day. I can watch TV and run the DVD player at the same time as the AC. At 2,500 ft, I have run the AC and the microwave at the same time. There are a couple of ways of hooking the gens together. Make sure you connect them in the correct way or you will only get 2,400 watts. The correct way is using jumpers from paralleling connections on BOTH gens. and pull power from the connecting cables. If you use the jumpers and then try to plug into one of the duplex outlets on either generator, you will only be able to pull 20 amps 'cuz that's the size of the breaker behind the duplex outlets. Pretty expensive way to get a few hundred more watts. It is easy to make your own connection set up for less than $50. The commercial one is more than $200. Don't worry about whether you have the Companion sub-model of the EU 2000. The Companion gives you a 30 amp twist lock. You'll need an adapter anyway. I fail to see the point. The Companion costs a lot more than a simple connection set up. Check around this forum and you'll find lots of discussions.
RE: What effect will a longer shank have?
If I understood your desires correctly, you'll end up with the ball further from the rear axle than it is now. All of the modern non-friction sway eliminating hitches move the ball closer to the rear axle. The Hensley does it with geometry, the Pull Rite simply moves the pivot point right up behind the differential. The point is that the more distance between the ball and the rear axle, the worse the rig will tow from a sway vantage point. It may be that the relatively small amount you would like to move the ballmount may make no noticeable difference. Then again.... Personally, I would never do anything that even theoretically COULD introduce or worsen sway. I'm not trying to sell an expensive hitch, but a PullRite hitch will increase the distance such that you can turn 90 degrees to the TT and still have plenty of clearance. Even with the tailgate down. I don't know how the Hensleys react to shank length mods.
RE: Where do I look for the high powered DC-AC inverters?
A response from someone who uses a high-power inverter. First of all, contrary to some of the posts, the inverters are NOT harder to use than a generator and considerably more convenient. One hour's charging will bring the batts from 50% to 90+%. Not the magic "I charge my batteries from 0 to 100% in an hour!" That is a real world number based on two Link10 ammeters, not guesses. With charged batteries, I can go for 24 hrs. if not using the AC. Everything works just as if the TT was plugged in at a campground somewhere. Want toast? Drop the bread in the toaster. Want a warm breakfast? Fire up the Micro. TV. DVD? Anytime. No changing of plugs. One of the Link10s in the TT reads the inverter batts which are physically in the truck. So, at a glance I can tell whether I need to be moving out to the generators or sauntering whenever I choose. Buying a generator instead of the inverter as suggested, would chain you to starting the generator each time you want to do something that takes power. With a large inverter, you do what you want and worry about charging some other time.
I use a Victron inverter/charger which happens to do some pretty trick stuff that none of the others will do. However, I neither recommend or not recommend the Victron. They are fairly pricey and the whiz-bang capabilities are nothing to pay for if you do not need them or don't understand the ins and outs of the generator/inverter world. I can run my 15K AC from batteries for about an hour, which has caused more than one campground discussion. I only do that for show and usually choose feed the inverter from a Honda EU2000 while the AC is on. For what all this stuff costs, we could stay in 5-star resorts. But we choose not to do that. The resorts take a dim view of ATVs running up and down the hallways.
RE: Using Electric Blanket while Boondocking
We run an electric blanket and a heating pad all nite on our PSW inverter. As would be expected, everything runs the same on the inverter as on shore power.
RE: what size honda generater with run one 15,000 ac unit
I've been running a Dometic 15K unit on EU2000 twins for years. I have started the AC when stopped for lunch at over 6K ft and 100+ degrees because it was one big sheet of black pavement. We stopped at two different places on consecutive days, similar circumstances and I was more than pleased with the twins. The EU 3000 is a very nice unit, but it is a full kilowatt short of what the twins will do on start up.
RE: Do I need a dually for this trailer?
So far, you've gotten the "sweetness and light." I personally would not want to replace 6 tires instead of 4. I live in snow country and it is well known around here that duallys are not as good as SRW when the snow gets deep. Have you priced tire chains for a dually? Have you ever changed the inside rear tire by the side of the road? Also, the unloaded mileage with a dually is less than a SRW. How much less depends on the truck and the driver. If you have a load that needs the dually, then of course, get a dually. For me, if I can avoid it, I will. There really isn't that much difference in price. List on a 2010 XLT with diesel is $52,000. What a dually adds is a pittance. I am shopping a Ford right now, waiting for the Spring release of the 2011 model with the new diesel, or maybe the Scorpion gasser. Both are radically different engines.
