RE: Double Tow Back Up
I tandem and can back up, it is a pain but is very doable. Biggest hints I can give are
1 practice
2 Go slow
3 Rear View Camera
I will back it up with the flatbed, a boat or the tent trailer behind the 5th wheel, but NEVER back up whe flat towing the Jeep.
I have a nice add on Rear View Camera system from these guys and ordered the trailer link cable and an extra camera, all total I paid just over $300. I did not bid on it, just called them and ordered direct, also got free shipping..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/7-COLOR-REAR-VIEW-BACKUP-CAMERA-SYSTEM-CAMERAS-SYSTEMS_W0QQitemZ270334371998QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_RV_Trailer_Camper_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3ef12f289e&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7
RE: Sportsman generator
It is also possible on some Gensets to change out the exhaust to quiet them down. It also allows you to mount it in a cabinet in the rig and route the exhaust out
RE: I'm over loaded. Big deal?
Folks rarely think at length of being involved in a collision. God forbid that you find yourself in one! BUT, if such bad luck were to befall you and the other vehicle occupants suffered injuries, being over weight would make you ripe for the picking by some "hot shot" personal injury tort attorney. I'm now retired but while I was in active practice the excess vehicle weight, brake maintenance and turn signal use were some of the first things I sought to establish liability. Even for those who aren't concerned about taking out other folks they should at least be concerned about their own family's safety. They should be concerned about not only the injuries/deaths they might cause but also trashing their and their own family's, not to mention their victim's, economic well being. GVWR is established for a reason and to plan to consistently exceed it by a significant margin is only asking for an increased risk of very serious and very negative repercussions "down the road". The best of luck to you!! I am not eliciting a "flame" but only hope that you consider all aspects of any decision re significantly exceeding GVWR.
Imagine that, I brought up the liability issue of overweight towing in another part of this forum and got hammered. O have seen DOT write $3500+ in tickets to an overweight driver and told him all the griuesome details about what can happen.
RE: Post your tow vehicle pics here
Here is my other baby that we use the tow rig for. She is an '06 Jeep Unlimited that we use in the Off-Road Ministry. With a hith on the back of the 5th wheel, we can flat tow the Jeep behind too/
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC07835Small.jpg
Coming thru the Rock garden at Martinez Cabin
http://www.kreationkrawlers.com/Web/Albums/2008-Sep-6_Martinez-Run/pages/good/DSC02860.jpg width=600
Looking back from up high
http://www.kreationkrawlers.com/Web/Albums/2008-Sep-6_Martinez-Run/pages/good/DSC02993.jpg width=600
RE: 4x4 for Towing
My early TV was a 2wd and I got stuck at the bottom of a gravel hill. Last one was 4x4 and never got stuck so when we bought the 09 we only looked at 4x4's but we boondock in the desert also and need the 4wd to get into some of the places. Also use the TV for the SAR team. we do a lot of abandonded vehicle recoveries for the Forest service and the Sherriffs office, the 4wd and the diesel make easy work of it!!
Our last recover was for MCSO and was to remove a older full size bronco that had been rolled multiple times, drug it 6 miles to a recovery point....on smally tows I use my Jeep... This one I still had the older TV
http://www.kreationkrawlers.com/Web/Albums/2009-April-26_Butcher-Jones-Recovery/pages/medium/DSC03013.jpg
RE: Post your tow vehicle pics here
New Tow Rig
'09 F350 Crew Longbed Diesel Lariet 4x4
16K Curt 5th hitch
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/Truck/1-DSC07504Medium.jpg width=640
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06612Small.jpg
Inside
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06613Small.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06614Small.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06615Small.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06616Small.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/09%20Ford/DSC06617Small.jpg
RE: Hill Speed
Just because you can hook it up and pull it, does not mean you are not overloaded. You have a manufacturers maximum tow limit for you truck for both conventional trailer and 5th/goose connect trailer. ... the manufacturer determined the capacity for safety
Did they? Or did they determine it to limit their legal liability?
Good point, it is supposed to be for safety, but I am sure there is built in coverage for their butt too!!!!
overweight towing is not a good idea.
I think it more accurate to say that overweight towing carries with it risk factors that must be considered when deciding to do so.
Also a good point
Tons of people on the road using F250's and C2500's pulling big trailers are overloaded based on the manufacturer.
The way you phrase this indicates the possibility that the manufacturer may be incorrectly downrating the towing capacity due to considerations beyond specifically the capabilities of the truck.
Well, not what I meant exactly. What I meant to imply is that a lot of people on the road towing larger trailers have a GCW that far exceeds the trucks GCWR. One individual that I work with has a 3/4 ton Chevy with a diesel. He is towing a 40' toyhauler with a Rhino inside and a Pontoon boat behind. He said he was way over the GCWR of the truck but he chipped it, added overloads and several other things so it does fine with the weight. Do these things increase the GCWR of the truck? I asked ford if additions like these would and was told no, it may make the truck drive better but there are other features of the truck that must be considered, such as brakes for an obvious one. Is it safe for him to tow this rig..... I have no clue and it is not up to me. Is it legal, not according to the law. They would only know tho, if he was stopped and checked or if he had a wreck.
As far as speed up hills, I can roll all the hills from Flag to Phoenix and not drop under 55 but my 5ver is a lot lighter and I have the twin turbo 6.4.
Flagstaff, Arizona — Elevation: 6,910 FT (2,106 M)
Phoenix, Arizona — Elevation: 1,117 FT (340 M)
I can't say as I'm particularly surprised. Admittedly there is an upslope on the way out of verde valley over the pass towards phoenix, but on the overall, you're not talking about an 'uphill run'. :) I can drive from Kingman to Flagstaff which is a great deal more uphill
Kingman, Arizona — Elevation: 3,333 FT
And a good 80% of the time be moving 55 or higher even with my possibly overloaded 1994 F250.
David
My reason for this comment was only to give a reference. It was suggested that the older style diesel did not pull hills as well as newer ones. I recently made the trek between Phx and Flag (both ways) and was able to hold the speed pretty well. Just strictly reference as to what I am getting on the 6.4
RE: Hill Speed
Well lets see, if I am talking about the road between Flag and PHX, I prolly did it both ways. NM, its not worth an opinion here as you get jabbed in the butt for it or the mods change or delete it, guess I have not been here long enough to have an opinion.
RE: Hill Speed
Forgive my naivete, how can you quantify 'overloaded' in that sense?
Too much weight for my tires or suspension?
I have a 2007 toyota tacoma that I have overloaded on a number of occasions - both in just bed-weight and in tow-weight. The trailers get wobbly, the truck suspension bottoms out on moderate bumps, and the clutch shudders/smokes.
The F250 doesn't bottom out, doesn't feel wobbly, and the clutch takes the torque of starting that fiver on a hill with only a hint of chatter. None at all normally.
As for horsepower to weight ratio, that just means I go slower. As long as my clutch and drive train are handling it adequately, I'm not convinced that I am overloaded from a power-weight ratio perspective. I don't see a sign vertically (tire compression/suspension stiffness) that indicates overload there either.
It goes up the hill. Its good, right? :)
Just because you can hook it up and pull it, does not mean you are not overloaded. You have a manufacturers maximum tow limit for you truck for both conventional trailer and 5th/goose connect trailer. The more stuff on your truck, the less your capacity ex:4x4 will reduce you max tow weight because there is more weight built into the truck. You may have the same engine and tranny, but other components are not the same and the manufacturer determined the capacity for safety
If you were to have a serious wreck and it was deemed your fault, the other parties could file a civil lawsuit against you for damages as you exceeded the capabilities of your tow vehicle.....just an example but overweight towing is not a good idea.
Tons of people on the road using F250's and C2500's pulling bit trailers are overloaded based on the manufacturer. My F350 is only rated at 15,300 with the diesel because it is a long bed crew cab Lariet 4x4 and all that stuff adds weight
As far as speed up hills, I can roll all the hills from Flag to Phoenix and not drop under 55 but my 5ver is a lot lighter and I have the twin turbo 6.4.
RE: RV Wholesalers
Sorry, they drove it off and a few miles to where they were parked for the season and notice problems when they got there. They did send some one to cobble job it but it has been a fight everysince with lies and.....just a mess
RE: RV Wholesalers
We bought our last trailer in Mesa, AZ (we live in OR) at RV-Traders. They actually signed a piece of paper that said if we had problems get a local estimate at the repair shop of our choosing, fax it to them, they would get approval from Keystone and then they will send us a check for the repairs. Now that's service and they were true to their word!! But it was not a bargain sale. We, too, got what we paid for.
Sorry for your hasstles with RV Wholesalers.
Thats good to know, my Parents traded their Class A in on a newer one at Earnhardts and have had nothing but trouble. The safety checks were not even done, they had trouble when they drove it off the lot....three weeks after it was promised!!!!
NEVER DEAL WITH EARNHARTs of arizona
RE: Food for thought
Well, the bickering was a waste of time to read, but I must say the rest of it was interesting. I also have to say that I have towed trailers (all different types, not so much camp rigs tho), including horse trailers since I was 11.....getting close to 40 years now....and call it stupid or whatever you want (yes I admit to being stupid alot)but I never knew that ST tires were speed rated for 65. I am on my second 5ver and this one we bought new, nothing was ever said about them. My flatbed has ST's on it and I commonly tow it with my Jeep (my baby) down the highway at 75.
So to the point, this thread, tho some feel a waste, did inform 2 people (wife and I read it) that we need to look at how we roll.
As for tire pressures, I do know enough to wath thos close.
Another point made of replacing the tires as soon as you buy the coach, sorry, my funds would not have made that route, they just were not there.
Thanks to all for the points and counter points, have some things to look into now
RE: nitrogen in tires
Tire guys are a lot like employees at the local fast food joint.
The guy that gave you "his" input - obviously worked at Taco Bell previously,
'cause he's still full of beans. You've heard all the reasons already.
dtum44201 - now we've heard all about Nitrogen again, complete with NASCAR, aircraft, & boats - are you paying attention?
(try a search and you will have *REAMS* of pros and cons & misc gee-whiz info). Majority = waste of $. If it's free = OK.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But, surprisingly nobody asked what brand and type of (here we go)
Tires are/were on your trailer!
Start with quality tires (*NO* Chinese tires, *NO* ST tires), maintain proper pressure (monitoring system like PP is best) - and you won't have any problems . . . or need/want more than 78% nitrogen.
~
JC
Well, sorry we passed on more info than you needed for a question you didin't ask, if you don't want to be bored with the age old questions, don't enter the thread
RE: Your Rig
Is1Mike Nice setup and age doesnt matter, its getting out there that matters!!!! We bought the new truck cause the old one had issues and we got a better deal going new that getting one a few years old, and we use it for recoveries on our SAR group.
Wasn't long ago we were banging around in this 97 chey and 86 Alfa!!!!
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/Truck/DSC05488Small.jpg
Beat around in this a while too
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/AZLugz/DSC07606med.jpg
RE: Tire Pressure in Phoenix
Probably the best thing to do is find a good tire shop and have them suck out the Alaska air and put in Arizona air. The density will affect the handling of your vehicle. Also have them look at the short circuit between the seat and the steering wheel.
we call that PEBCAS
Problem exists betweem controls and seat
