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RE: Florida, Arizona, or Texas, or elsewhere
Ron's thinly disguised attempt to keep the southwest to himself isn't going to work is it?
We add our voices to the chorus extolling Yuma's virtues. Spent 6 winters there and would be there now except for wifes parents health and our need to be closer to home for this winter. We are therefore in Florida and are already noticing the humidity issue, whew!
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BruceStarkey
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11/27/09 05:10pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Troubles with Bighorn
I take issue with those who expect to lay some blame at the dealer's door for units that come from the factory with mis-aligned slideouts, loose plumbing connections, bad wiring, leaky roofs etc., etc.. why should it be the dealer's reponsibility to take on major repair or adjusments as part of a PDI process that in itself is due to failed or non-existent factory quality control?
On that issue of "piece work", I've posted my thoughts on this before also. When factories employ from a pool of labour that may include entire families who also must maintain a farm or small business as part of the Amish culture, which one of these workers is going to report a quality issue and perhaps deprive their entire family from the ability to leave early to tend the farm or worse; qualify for the bonus to top up their meagre wage to a living wage?
The system is rife with inefficiencies and I agree with M Webber, it's a wonder any of the things make it down the road at all.
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BruceStarkey
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11/27/09 04:50pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Is a GMC 3500 enough for a 18,500# Teton
Boy, this has been interesting reading! I'd like to address an area that no-one has mentioned yet: the build of the trailer. It's fine to assume that your truck has some built-in redundancy or margin for towing and braking capacity but why on earth would anyone assume these hunks of **** we tow behind us are built to the same or even remotely parallel standards? It is my belief that anyone who has had a set of magnet brakes apart for service should know how unreliable those things could be if just ONE wire becomes grounded or ONE magnet shorts out. Even hydraulic brakes can have issues relying as they do on that tenuous "link" with the truck through a pump in the belly that ramps up pressure dependant on signals it receives from a wire link up via a 7 pin plug with a controller that may or may not be set correctly for that panic stop.
It seems strange to me that for every one on these boards that would take, for example, a chevy nova of mid 60's vintage, weighing perhaps under the 3000lb mark when stripped, and soup that thing up but not even attempt to drive it without updating it's brakes to the latest monster disc's available, would also then come on these boards to state with conviction "go ahead and tow something that weighs well over three times your trucks footprint" with complete faith that that trailer's brakes will absolutely, irrefutably, 100% reliably, look after stopping the trailer every single time.
"My opinion only" - for those risks that are exponentially INCREASED when towing anything, you should factor in some additional margin for safety, especially the stopping part of the deal. To tow at or over your trucks engineered capacities and rely completely on those trailer brakes performance is foolhardy at best and just plain stupid at worst.
It's easy to say an "accident can happen to even the properly equipped tower" but why not take every 'reasonable' opportunity to indemnify yourself and others from harm/ Staying within your trucks stated capabilities is just the first step.
Flame suit on here!
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BruceStarkey
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11/26/09 01:27pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: running reefer on inverter
Can't help with 'hours of operation' but calculating your battery draw will start with the facts that your fridge, when on 120v will be using a heating element that will likely be a 325 watt element and will cycle peridically due to ambient temps while in the belly of the beast. This will be complicated a little by the fact that your fridge also needs a full 12 volts coming from the house batts to power the circuit board reliably. ERGO; the more batteries you have (preferrably of the deep-draw 6 volt variety) the better your results.
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BruceStarkey
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11/22/09 10:23am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: POLL: 5er hitch or GN?
McCall AirGlyder air cushioned vertical and fore and aft 4 bag 5th wheel air hitch with 32,000 lb Holland/Binkly head.
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BruceStarkey
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11/21/09 05:45pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: MSN reports hasard to pedestrians especially in Florida
Every place has it's fools behind the wheel. I tend to grow eyes in the back of my head when being a pedestrian anywhere. Try being a pedestrian in any eruopean city that has had many years more experience at how to integrate cars and people and boy, you'll appreciate Florida a whole lot more.
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BruceStarkey
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11/21/09 03:03pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Fifth Wheel Ranks
Cozby5: Your plan has merit but you're just not going to be able to cover every item without experience. You're going to have to do your leg work and visit lots to view trailers and go over them and under them with your glasses on. After awhile you'll be better able to pick out the good details and, more importantly, the bad details.
Good hunting.
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BruceStarkey
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11/17/09 09:00pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Backup Camera
My opinion only on that lane change thing: I'm 61' long and have towed at 72' and you NEVER want to depend on your camera's to verify what's either beside you or out there in the passing lane way back but haul'n a** about to pass you etc., As Delaine and Lindy has pointed out it does come in handy when looking in the mirror and you have passed a semi and you think it's safe to pull in to glance at the monitor and "verify' You can see the front of the unit you passed and a bunch of highway between you and him. However, even with the clarity and detail of a good camera and a large monitor you should always use those mirrors. Your system could quit at any time. Cameras get dirty, distance is hard to judge on something like a trooper way back but moving fast to catch someone and pulling over into the passing lanes in front of one of those guys is a definite no-no!
To maintain my "A" license, the first thing the examiner does is demand the unit be turned off for the driven test including un-hook & re-hook and backing into a zig-zag cul-de-sac.
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BruceStarkey
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11/17/09 07:16am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Backup Camera
I'm using a similar system named "Voyager" that has been bought by Jensen electronics and it is very helpful. I have a 7" colour monitor on the dash and can set it to cycle automaticly from the camera on the back of the truck to the camera on the back of the trailer. I believe that syestem on E-bay is has all of the same features but perhaps a third of the cost that I paid back in 03.
I'd go for that in a heartbeat. Infrared LED's provide enough light to see about 40' behind the rig in complete darkness. You'll love it for it's ability to assist your parking the rig. Mine has microphones in both cameras so that I can hear someone telling me to stop or go from behind the rig without them having to shout.
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BruceStarkey
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11/16/09 06:30pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Best (warmest?) snowbird spot in southern Arizona?
Art; Yuma gets another vote from me. You will have literally from the barest essentials to the ritzyest to pick from within the area. You can also rent a space on a lot out in the Foothills area for even greater cost savings if you do a comprehensive search and find one with a small 'casita' with washroom facilities within included.
For your first venture into the area I'd explore a few of the older, smaller parks down by the river. Others will come on and give you more detail I'm sure but You can't do much better than Yuma for your escape to the warmer Arizona southwest.
I got a kick out of your signature line with that pic of what looks like a 20 gal. 'blue buddy' tank hooked to your rig. Waytago!
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BruceStarkey
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11/15/09 06:07pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Decided on the Ford!!!
I think you'll enjoy yourself, but give it a few moments and there may be a few come along and say "you should have gone with a 620 HP 1950 Ft/Lb, tendem axle, 18spd, Peterbilt long nose with a 13,200 front axle and 46,000lb rears"!
Congrats and have fun with your new unit.
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BruceStarkey
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11/15/09 05:48pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Badly worn tire
Joe: You're correct, money well spent, peace of mind is priceless. One other thing though; you mentioned never hearing or noticing a tire locked up, that is not unusual at all with only single wheel lock-ups. Very common to simply look in the mirror and see that tell-tail cloud and black mark behind you and you never heard or felt anything at all.
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BruceStarkey
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11/15/09 05:23pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: All this talk about CA drivers licenses......
I've been into Cali. a couple of times with my rig at 61' and have had no problems but I maintain the posted limit religiously and obey the signs that dictate to trucks such as; "stay in right" lane etc.. I believe California has a rather unique double tow law that prohibits it UNLESS the 1st trailer is a 5th wheel attachment & second trailer is carrying a BOAT. Whole combo has to remain within length limits though. Can't remember where I read that though so I may b having a Senior Second.
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BruceStarkey
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11/15/09 05:00pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: full size refrigerator in 5th wheel
I tried to point out within my post that with the proper equipment of a group of 6 volt batteries with an invertor sized for the wattage required you can easily run your residential style fridge while going down the road. With the advent of green technology being used even in refrdgerators today, they require less power now than they did just a few years ago. Cabinet insulation methods have improved so they are even thin walled allowing for more internal space with less outside footprint.
The recent debacle with Dometic manufacturing a bunch of fridges over a span of years with thinner wall tubing that was fracture failure prone with resultant fires in many units and dealing with it at first on the hush-hush by replacing the entire cooling unit in those that were first identified but later realizing they had a gigantic problem and leaving owners to fend for themselves with simply providing a "tin shield" baffle to keep the expanded flame fed from the leaking gas from impacting on nearby flammable items is just one indication of the problems that can be associated with gas aborption devices.
The electric heater element that provides the btu's while on 120v can and often does fail without warning leaving you to run on propane. The 12v circuit board can and often does fail without warning, leaving you without any option at all. the in-cabinet thermistor can and often does fail, although usually it gives some warning with warmer cabinet temps being noticed, your option then is to unplug that thermistor which defaults your fridge to 'constant on'.
I'm pleased to hear of the folks who've had no problems with their fridge and I too enjoyed that history with a previous rig but have had nothing but aggro with this one (dometic) with me having to replace three heater elements (cheaper quality) so far and one thermistor that failed. Oh yeah, mine is one of the ones that Dometic admitted is built with the thinner walled tubing but won't do anything other than provide that piece of c*** tin shield. So the life span of this fridge is finite to say the least.
When it goes, it'll be replaced at probably the same cost, or even less, with 2 more 6 volt batteries, an invertor, and a much better quality safer residential fridge.
I've given this a lot of thought over the years and can think of no compelling reason other than the extended boondock to remain with those comparatively failure prone gas absorption things.
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BruceStarkey
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11/14/09 08:22pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: full size refrigerator in 5th wheel
There's two different discussions on this thread: one of size and the other of compressor run refridgerators vs boiler run refridgerators (gas absorption) and there are a couple more reasons to laud the home/residential style, compressor driven system over the Norcold/Dometic boiler things. For one they don't create as much heat and never require a "flame" burner putting btu's into your rig. For another; while your Norcold/Dometic allows you to also run on 120v just like the big boys, it absolutely requires a clean 12v power source at all times to run the circuit board that transmsits signal from a thermistor in the cooler cabinet to a signal to tell the (commonly 325 watt)heater rod nestled up to the boiler through a relay to do its thing. No twelve volt; either through your house batteries or your convertor and you have no fridge, regardless of available 120v or propane. With the installation of them in slideouts becoming ever more frequent, the natural convection air circulation over the rear coils to maintain cooling efficiency now. often has to be augmented with auxilliary 12v fans in that rear "chimney".
They are at best a compromise design that have gotten much cheaper in their construction while at the same time giving you bigger sizes and "stainless doors" for attractivity. Size & weight issues notwithstanding, were I to order a new rig today there would be a residential refridgerater in it and the battery bank and invertor to keep the thing running for a few days at least. You can also leave it running while traveling, with the use of an invertor, with no fears of setting your camper on fire or the fuel depot if fueling a gasoline engine equipped truck and the worse case scenario happens.
Research via any insurance institute will show the single biggest reason for RV fires are those gas absorption refridgerators. If it can be done safer and more reliably, does it still make good sense to have a propane burner running anywhere in an enclosed space within your camper in hot climates simply because that's the way it's traditionally been done while "camping"?
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BruceStarkey
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11/14/09 02:11pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Tires almost touching on 2007 Cardinal 34 Q
Just one side or both sides? Original spring packs, shackles, equalizer beam (dog bone) or did all those parts get replaced as well? A broken spring pack right at it's center where the locate stud is, will allow all the weight to transfer to the other axle and radically tilt your "dog-bone" with one end of the beam actually able to rotate up and hit the underside of the frame while forcing the other end straight down which has the effect of pulling the two axles closer together as while the broken spring is not able to support weight it is still firmly attached to the axle via the clamping of the u-bolts and spring pack clamping plate.
Like others before me, more detail is necessary.
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BruceStarkey
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11/14/09 11:54am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Montana Lug Nuts AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two other posters have hit on the possibility that when dealer replaced your studs they may have "butchered" the holes in the hub enough to allow the new studs to simply rotate when you're attempting to torque them. The other possibility being that the new studs weren't pressed all the way home in the hub. They may not have used an arbor press to install the new studs and simply hammered the old ones out and the new ones in, a recipe for screw up!
All of the other ideas have merit as well.
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BruceStarkey
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11/13/09 07:08pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: New Ram's weight limits
donn0128: I am heartened to hear about that new Chrysler auto tranny performance! That removed the last of the caveats to using a Ram for towing duties and as I have stated many times on these boards: "a long stroke, straight six, low RPM high Hp/torque producing engine over a high RPM short stroke multi turbo'd V8 is a no brainer"!
I used to sit in the cab of my Duramax and cringe while listening to that thing spinning it's wee heart out at 3,000RPM's just trying to keep up to the traffic on moderate hills with a then considerably lighter 36' Cedar Creek fiver. Detoit's fascination with V8's in their LDT's that started with simple exediancy of GM adapting gas V8 engines to diesel (ended badly for them) and remaining with that configuration has simply been a hold-over from the car markets.
Trucks being tasked to perform towing duties should have dictated a clean page approach years ago.
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BruceStarkey
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11/13/09 09:26am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: New Ram's weight limits
Delaine and Lindy: Your set-up has been carefully thought out by Freightliner to give you OPTIMAL towing speeds/RPM's. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm going to guess you have 310 HP/960Ft/Lbs configured engine which uses those two overdrives of the Allison to achieve low rpm's with those 4:30 rears while giving you a cruise speed of 62mph. Perfect. If you were to go with a slightly "crisper" rear ratio to affect an even lower RPM at 62mph you would, in all likelyhood, have your truck "seeking" the downshift on even the slightest grade change. I have a ten spd manual in mine with those same hp/tq figures and very tight 3:08 gears that give me close to the same RPM/MPH as your setup when in my single O/D tenth gear ratio of .74 and I have to go to ninth (1 to 1 ratio) frequently on slight grades to maintain speed in the sixties, not a big deal as its still capable of over 75 in ninth.
My point is: what I gained in mileage with cruising at low rpm's with those tall gears I lost by having to frequently use ninth on grade changes to keep the engine in it's prime torque band.
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BruceStarkey
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11/13/09 09:11am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Momma told me there would be days like this.
Aaaargh! Those two chairs with no one in them did it to me big time! Still sitting here with the rig in the driveway ready to roll on a moments notice of the father-in-laws improved medical state. It looked like we might have to forego a trip south this winter but his condition has steadlily improved and we're getting our feet into the starter's blocks. can't complain though as this week has been beautiful weather here in Ontario.
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BruceStarkey
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11/12/09 08:19pm |
Snowbirds
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