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RE: Need help understanding (towing)
1. Determine the GVWR of the 1/2 ton truck.
2. Weigh the truck as it would be for travel (full gas, you and the wife, etc.). Subtract that weight from the GVWR of the truck to determine your available payload. Put another way, the payload is what your truck can CARRY. A fifth wheel's pin weight is CARRIED by your truck and therefore comes out of the available payload.
3. If the pin weight of the trailer exceeds your available payload from point 2 above, your truck likely** can't handle it. Don't go by the pin weight that the manufacturer says in their sales brochure, that will be low. What weight you want to take is up to you... to be on the safe side, take 15% of the GVWR of the trailer.
**Wait wait some people will say, your truck MAY be able to handle it even if you are over your payload (and therefore over your truck's GVWR). Look at the axle weight they'll say. While that is true, when it comes to a 1/2 truck I wouldn't push it. If you were talking a 1 ton truck then I'd be giving you slightly different advice (slightly different but not a whole lot different).
4. Make sure the GVWR of the trailer + GVWR of the truck does not exceed the GCWR of the truck.
Bottom line, if you are talking a small fifth wheel you MAY be able to tow it with a 1/2 ton truck. Do yourself a favor though and make sure you fully understand the following, if you do you will be able to decide yourself if the truck can handle it.
a. GVWR (truck)
b. Payload (truck) - not what is in the brochure, the REAL payload.
c. GVWR (trailer)
d. Pin weight (trailer) - not what is in the brochure, a more realistic value.
e. GCWR (truck)
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96Brigadier
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06/17/13 05:32pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: The Bike Rack Rocks and Rolls
I had a 2" receiver mounted to the front of my truck and connect a four bike rack that way. The handle bars go in front of the passenger side, I make sure my seat is down all the way (given it is the largest bike) when we travel. None of the bikes are in my field of view and since they are at the front they barely move.
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96Brigadier
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06/11/13 06:51pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Is my mileage unusual?
Any head wind, even a slight breeze, will have a relatively large impact on your mileage.
I drive 62 mph - 65 mph, as already noted mileage starts to drop noticably at speeds higher than 65 mph. If I keep my foot out of it I routinely average 12 mpg, have seen a bit higher when I go east into the flat lands but that's pretty rare as there is usually a wind (and the wind always seems to be a head wind no matter which way I go).
Best mileage I've ever had on a single trip was in the prairie, no wind, averaged 13 mpg.
Worst mileage I've ever had on a single trip was in the prairie fighting a big head wind between Lethbridge and Calgary. I averaged 7.5 mpg on that one.
Overall I typically average right around 11.5 mpg.
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96Brigadier
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05/28/13 08:09am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Guess Washington state needs to upgrade it's legal limits
We regularly cross that bridge many times. Did a few weeks back. I5 is tremendously busy and I would like to personally apologize on behalf of all Canadians. Our only excuse is the driver was from Alberta . gg. I can't imagine what the diverted traffic is doing to the detour areas! Nightmare. Thank god nobody died in that mess.
Where people come from has any bearing on what happened how? It was an accident, could just as easily have been someone from Washington or Idaho or, heaven forbid, British Columbia.
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96Brigadier
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05/28/13 07:51am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Some random questions driving through Canada to Alaska
Diesel in the Southern Alberta area is currently running about $1.15/liter or about $4.35/US Gallon.
Prices will vary from province to province as each province has its own fuel taxes.
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96Brigadier
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05/24/13 06:27am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alberta RV site with organised evening entertainment ?
Any particular place in Alberta?
There is an RV park at Calaway Park just west of Calgary. Older teenagers may find it a bit small.
http://www.calawaypark.com/
Hello Guys,
Some years back we stayed at a great RV resort in Ontario called Sherkston Shores (http://www.sherkston.brand.calls.net/ontario-rv-resorts/index.cfm)
It had waterslides, organised stuff for the kids, and Evening entertainment for the adults plus a bar.
Is there anything like this in Alberta ?
Thanks in advance ..... just looking for a RV campsite that will keep the teenagers happy.
Cheers
Mick
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96Brigadier
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05/01/13 01:24pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Canadian Park Pass
If you belong to AAA you can get a small discount (8%) on the yearly family pass. You'd likely have to drop in to a motor association here in Canada and show your AAA card to get it.
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96Brigadier
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04/10/13 08:49pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Visiting Calgary for the first time from Utah...
For the first time ever, I just got my passport!
I haven't been out of the country yet as an adult, so I'm just wondering what to expect.
I'm thinking of driving up to Calgary (I-15 takes me straight there) this weekend. I would be in my 1990 Ford class B RV.
What should I expect at the border besides providing my passport and drivers license?
Also, I just assume I can buy gas and food with my VISA debit or credit card.
Be aware the weather is crappy here right now. It's actually colder now than it was in February, we had snow yesterday. The roads are fine, just thinking about your water system and personal comfort level.
Forecast for this weekend isn't much above freezing for the highs.
I want to visit but I saw the weather and I'm having second thoughts for now. The forecast for Calgary makes Salt Lake City look like Las Vegas, Nevada by comparison! :B:B:B
Unless you're wanting to go skiing in the mountains or something along those lines I personally wouldn't come until the weather is nicer. "Spring" in Calgary is all over the place weather wise.
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96Brigadier
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04/10/13 06:38am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Visiting Calgary for the first time from Utah...
For the first time ever, I just got my passport!
I haven't been out of the country yet as an adult, so I'm just wondering what to expect.
I'm thinking of driving up to Calgary (I-15 takes me straight there) this weekend. I would be in my 1990 Ford class B RV.
What should I expect at the border besides providing my passport and drivers license?
Also, I just assume I can buy gas and food with my VISA debit or credit card.
Be aware the weather is crappy here right now. It's actually colder now than it was in February, we had snow yesterday. The roads are fine, just thinking about your water system and personal comfort level.
Forecast for this weekend isn't much above freezing for the highs.
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96Brigadier
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04/09/13 03:16pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Jasper park all booked up in one minute?
We tried to book sites for July 1st at Whistlers in Jasper.
Phoned at 8:00 am when the bookings opened. We could not get a reservation cause they were all booked at 8:01
I know July 1st is a big day but how do they book 600 sites in under a minute?
Maybe imissing something - has anyone booked before the official time and got a reservation so I know for next year?
Cheers
Chris
It's difficult for long weekends to get multiple sites together... but I definitely would not do it via phone. I did it by having a couple of people online at the same time with the sites chosen in advance so we could coordinate being either together or very close together.
I was online for Jasper last Wednesday and Kootenay last Friday when it opened. The full hookup sites for July long weekend at Kootenay were gone in about one minute. Less than 600 sites mind you but lets be realistic, how hard is it for 600 people in North America out of the millions who camp to get online and book sites as soon as the reservation system opens?
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96Brigadier
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04/09/13 08:20am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Calgary Stampede
Another option is Calgary West Campground. As a base it's fine, nothing spectacular but they do have an outdoor pool. We keep our trailer there in storage when not in use, every time we go there in the summer to pick the trailer up or drop it off there is a ton of kids.
http://www.calgarycampground.com/
They run a shuttle to stampede however if it were me I would drive up Stoney Trail to the Crowfoot LRT station and take the train down. It's less than 10 minutes from the RV park to the LRT station. That's assuming you have a tow vehicle or a toad.
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96Brigadier
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04/02/13 07:07am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Campgrounds near Lake Louise
When we stay at Lake Louise Campground we just make sure we have ear plugs in the trailer, no issue with train noise then. There are limited sites with fire pits (at Lake Louise campground), you have to be there VERY early if you want one of those.
You will not get your trailer up the Yoho Valley Road to see Takakkaw Falls, don't even try it. It's not far from Lake Louise though so if you are staying there just drive down towards Field and up the road.
I took this picture of the Yoho Valley Road switchbacks last summer.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/3H4C1942.jpg
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96Brigadier
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03/26/13 10:13am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: BANFF OR ?
If this is your first time west then you definitely need to go up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. It is one of the most famous and scenic drives in Canada. While in Jasper drive up the Edith Cavell road to see Angel Glacier (can't take a trailer up so either don't have it in tow or leave it at the parking lot at the bottom of the road).
On the Icefield Parkway stop at Bow Summit to see Peyto Lake:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/090701Jasper_159-1.jpg
Here's a picture of Angel Glacier at sunrise on July 4th of last year.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/3H4C1638_1644_resize.jpg
And another from July 2nd of last year with crappier weather:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/3H4C1433_resize.jpg
I'd also be sure to visit Moraine Lake (about 10 km from Lake Louise) - much nicer than Lake Louise in my opinion.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/3H4C2052.jpg
The colour of the water, especially from sunrise to mid-morning, is spectacular.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/96Brigadier/3H4C2206.jpg
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96Brigadier
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03/26/13 09:55am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Vancouver-Jasper-Banff-Lake Louise-Calgary
Not sure why you are doing a hotel for the Stampede. Stay in Cochrane (just west of Calgary) and you can drive to the end of the Light Rail (C-train) which takes you right to the Stampede. 2 campgrounds in Cochrane (both good) and I'm pretty sure you can get a spot now. Call them...don't rely on their websites which always show them full.
The only reason we'd get a hotel room is so that we can have some alcoholic beverages and then just walk back to our hotel rather than having to figure out a safe ride back to the campsite after a long day at the stampede.
Lots of great information coming in, I really appreciate it. Sounds like there really are a lot of options so I will need to make some decisions soon.
I hope by "camping in your pickup" that doesn't mean you have a camper on the back. You will be hard pressed to find parking downtown during Stampede if that's the case.
If you're tenting it or sleeping in the box of the truck then you'll be fine.
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96Brigadier
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03/19/13 10:51am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Vancouver-Jasper-Banff-Lake Louise-Calgary
From Vancouver I would go straight to Clearwater via Highway 5 and do a tour of Wells Grey Provincial Park. From Clearwater go to Jasper and stay in one of the campgrounds there (personally I like Wabasso - electric only - as it is quieter than Whistler's). Jasper to Lake Louise and stay in the Lake Louise Trailer Court OR Jasper to Banff and stay at Two Jack Lake (no hookups) or Tunnel Mountain.
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96Brigadier
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03/15/13 09:34am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Crossing US border with Alberta beef
Have crossed from Alberta to the USA the last few summers. If you want a smooth ride through customs then do not take any fruit, vegetables, or meat across. When they ask if you have any food, state "no fruit, no vegetables, no meat".
Have crossed the last two summers with friends who did not follow the above advice. Both were searched, both had their food confiscated.
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96Brigadier
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01/27/13 04:32pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Parts 6 & 7 of our Rockies trip: Mt. Baker/Cascades/Sierra
He was not illegal -- he was merely undocumented. And he appeared eager to self-deport. (For those interested in the saga of the mouse, see Part VI of the blog!)
Hahaha!
I quite enjoyed the entire blog of your trip, looks like you had a great time.
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96Brigadier
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11/04/12 06:29pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: 6 Weeks in the Mountains: Parts I, II, & III of our report
96 Brig, it's not that we didn't enjoy Jasper -- it's that we had to adjust our timetable based on the conditions -- since it is so hard for us to get to the Rockies (a 5000 mile round trip!), we wanted to maximize our chances of hiking in alpine/glacier country.
Wabasso was closed, unfortunately, and so was Edith Cavell -- there had been an avalanche that destroyed some of the facilities, and it probably won't be open till next summer.
Too bad about Edith Cavell, I'm sure you would have enjoyed hiking up there.
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96Brigadier
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10/23/12 12:36pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: 6 Weeks in the Mountains: Parts I, II, & III of our report
I live in Calgary and regularly visit the places you went to on your trip so i've been following your blog to see what you thought. I just finished reading part IV about Jasper, too too bad you didn't enjoy it as much as the lower Icefields Parkway. My wife and I have been camping in Jasper (we camp at Wabasso campground, not as big and busy as Whistlers) the last four years in a row, the Jasper area is one of our favorite places to visit.
Question, when in Jasper did you get a chance to go up the Edith Cavell Road to Angel Glacier or was the road closed for the winter? I love it up there, the valley and Angel Glacier are spectacular.
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96Brigadier
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10/22/12 03:05pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Calgary in Sept-any must see spots?
To 96Brigadier: Great picture of Moraine Lake! I am curious how you got the colors to come out that great...my attempts last week are feeble compared to yours...I had all of my Nikons and tripods out there but didn't get the colors or exposure quite correct to capture the look like you did...great shot!
Sorry for taking this slightly off topic, I tried to send this as a PM but couldn't due to the questioners forum settings.
To answer the question of how I got the colors like that (which is pretty much exactly how it looks):
Time of day is the first thing - it was sunrise, that shot was about 6:30 am. If you were there for sunrise then you'll know how bright the mountains can be and how comparatively dark the foreground is. The second step is therefore to even out the exposure. To do that I used a Lee 3 stop hard edge graduated neutral density filter. I'm not sure if you know what a neutral density filter is or not, if you don't let me know and I can explain it further (via PM this time :)). In short though it's a filter where half of it is dark and the other half is completely clear. You place the dark area of the filter over the bright part of the scene (in this case the mountain peaks and sky that were lit by the sun) and have the clear part of the filter covering the rest. This lets the camera expose the scene properly. If you don't do that then either the foreground will be too dark (if you expose on the mountains) or the mountains/sky totally blown out if you expose on the dark foreground. Lee filters are rectangular and sit in a holder that attaches to the front of your lens, you can rotate them and slide them up and down as much as required so they cover only the part of the scene that needs to be evened out.
I did boost the saturation a tiny bit in post processing but that's it, I didn't mess with any of the colors. I also shoot in manual mode so I can choose the settings I want. You don't have to shoot in manual though to reproduce that photo, just time of day and a way to even the exposure since there is such a contrast between the bright and dark areas (hence the filter).
Oh, I also usually shoot in "Cloudy" white balance regardless of the sky, in Canon cameras (I have a 5D Mark III) that tends to give a slightly warmer photo. Since I also do everything in RAW it means I can change it after if need be. Nikon cameras have a different colour cast so you'd need to see what looks best to you.
Send me a PM if you have any other questions, I'm happy to discuss further (I'm by no means an expert though, just a photography hobbyist).
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96Brigadier
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09/11/12 05:07pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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