RE: Anyone heard of these tires?
I HAVE seen them...driven many shuttle buses using them, in fact. They've been around 10+ years & seem to be OK. My only gripe with them was that they were somewhat noisy on concrete highways. Nankang has been around a while.
RE: what would you get?
This will sound weird, but: the first thing I would do is try my best to buy the rights to all pre-3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons material from Hasbro.
Wouldn't get a new rig...I like my Genesis!
My big purchase would have wings...a restored P-47 Thunderbolt.
RE: China Bombs Got Me
I find it offensive that anyone who reports a tire failure gets grilled about tire pressure and/or weight.
Why...did you overload your tires & have one fail?
RE: He wants/She wants
I had never used a convection oven and that's what was in our used Class A. I downloaded a manual to help at first and I love it. I have made anything and everything in it including pies, and they turn out beautiful. Nice golden crust just like a regular. I would not take a regular oven no if you put it in for free.
Am I right in thinking you NEVER boondock, then? Convection ovens require an electrical hookup or a running genset!
RE: He wants/She wants
Liz demanded there be a heater in the bedroom that could be used while driving, a fullsized shower, and enough tankage and WH capacity that she can wash her hair in the shower. (Her hair is knee-length.)
She also demanded a carpet next to the bed, while I wanted zero carpet in the bus because it's nearlky impossible to keep clean. That was easy enough: there is a throw rug from Job Lot next to the bed...when dirty, one of us tosses it in the laundry.
RE: Campfires: Love them or hate them?
Jake2550 - old chief says "white man builds BIG fire and freezes, Indian builds small fire, stands close and stays warm!"
And old chief's wife adds: "And let's not mention the time he set his trousers on fire!" :D
RE: Am I Just Naive
Thanks for the thought to consider a fifth wheel. I have always dismissed it in the past and we still might feel a class A is the way to go, but now I am actually going to put it on the table.
Thanks also run 100 and Bubtoofat for the motivation and truthtruth and Bubtoofat, I love what you wrote at the end.
Don't overlook a large travel trailer...when looking at towing capacity per dollar spent, absolutely NOTHING beats a fullsized van!
RE: Am I Just Naive
RV depreciation? I have never had anything depreciate as much or as quickly as my home has. I never want to own a ball and chain like this again. The value of my home has dropped nearly 80% from it's housing bubble high. My taxes have NOT dropped accordingly. Even though our house is paid off do we really own it? Just try not paying your property taxes for a while and see who REALLY owns your house.
My town is quickly becoming a ghetto with most who cannot sell going section 8. Crime is WAY up. School test scores are way down. Home values are not going up. All the while banks are keeping 70% of foreclosed homes off the market to try and bring the prices up (we have 2 on our short street that have been empty and off the market for 2 years). I cannot imagine what the REAL value of my home is. Home ownership is just not all it's cracked up to be. And I do way less maintenance on my RV than my worthless house sucks out of my life.
I say get out there and follow your dream while you can and the kids are still young. You can always go back to a stick home anytime you want. Go man, GO!
Mike
I'm seriously considering selling my house. It has gotten to the point that just the property taxes would get me a decent apartment. It's just not worth it anymore. I have a standing offer to store my Genesis at my uncle's house...and it's looking like a good idea.
RE: Can I rant? Driving stuff...
Two years ago, we went to Nova Scotia from Ontario in my friends bounder dp. He installed a set of big rig air horns behind the front grill. When we were in stop and go traffic going through Montreal some hotdog in a little convertable sports car figured he would slide into the gap in front of the coach and the car in front, then hit the brakes suddenly. It was quite funny to see the guy almost jump right out of the car when he got a taste of those air horns. hehe, I am still laughing. No doubt he had to change his depends when he got home.
I'm seriously considering a set of locomotive horns for my Genesis. Sometimes, you need to get someone's attention REALLY LOUDLY!
RE: Why idle?
I left my truck running ONCE to run into a store.
Came back out to a crowd gathered around the truck and a very very
very angry cop with an agenda.
Holding my keys in the air I had to listen to a 10 minute lecture of
trucks left running with keys in it equals teenagers stealing it, running from police, police chases and fatalities....all because of my poor judgement and actions.
I have to admit his lecture hit home and I have NEVER left my truck running since then.
I would have told him to bite me on leaving the keys!
And you would have left in handcuffs, probably with a very impressive collection of blunt-force injuries!
RE: Why idle?
As for you ideling your diesel to cool it in a campground. Fact is. By the time you slowly drive to your campsite. Your diesel is cooled enough to turn it off. When you leave. By the time you hookup to your trailer, and slowly drive to the Cg exit. Your diesel is warm enough for the highway.
When I drove trhe big trucks. By the time we came off the ramp, and eased up to the pumps in the truck stop, or parked for the restaurant. The diesel was cool enough to turn off.
Wow...you can see my pyrometer from there! You have GOOD eyes!
RE: Why idle?
IN many parts of the country (US and Canada) they would ticket the driver who leaves their vehicle at idle unnecessarily.
I sure would like to see the section in the law for that cite. I'm not saying it isn't there. I'm just saying I'd sure like to read it. I sure wouldn't want to be the officer writing the cites at a truck stop. :B
The fine in Massachusetts can be as high as ten thousand dollars.
RE: Has this happened to you?
Several trips ago, a truck diver emptied his pee bucket against the side of our rig while we were in a Welcome Center. We noticed it while we were exiting the builkding. My wife did'nt want me to confrom the driver for fear that he might try have road rage further down the road.
Am I reading this right? You watched some guy pour pee down the side of your rig and you did nothing? :E
Perhaps he didn't feel like having a knife pulled on him!
RE: DW won't drive
My DW is concerned that she, at 4' 11", won't be able to reach the pedals. She has yet to try. :-/
My 4'8" former coworker had no trouble in a cutaway Econoline...or a 45' coach. She'll be fine.
RE: Fried A/C, 2 TV's and micro wave-my fault or electricians.
...The job of the inspector is to visually inspect the installation to confirm that it meets code requirements, and that it was done to a minimum standard.
Meeting code requirements includes making sure that L1, L2, Neutral, and ground are all connected to the correct terminals - they also make sure that the correct size wire is used based on the requirements of the load and the circuit breaker. Sounds great when you state what SHOULD be done in a perfect world. However, wording your statement as a declaration of fact isn't going to wash. After a few hundreds hours spent, along side of various electrical inspectors, as the perform their duties, I can assure you that a significant percentage of them would of given this job a pass, and jumped in the truck less than five minutes after they arrived. Doesn't matter what their job is on paper, the reality is that they often have a full schedule, a lot of ground to cover, and often no time to be going over another professional's work with a microscope.
And how long would that inspector have a job if it turns out that he signed off on a job that ended up killing someone? Cities, as a general rule, do not like liability issues and I don't think miswiring an electrical circuit would be something that would be passed by ANY ethical inspector...
When my garage wiring was upgraded, the inspector didn't even look at most of it. After two "failed" "inspections", he finally signed off on it...despite never seeing most of it, not actually turning the power on, and the fact that nothing that "failed" was actually changed. I should have just given him the cash the first time...what a pain.
RE: Fried A/C, 2 TV's and micro wave-my fault or electricians.
All water under the bridge but the breaker should have stayed off until inspected.
But again the electrician should have left it off and let the inspector turn it on with instructions to the OP not to mess with it.
Glad to hear they will make good on everything.
I get the feeling that you are placing way too much value on the inspector's blessing, and what that contributes to the situation.
After dealing with dozens of individual inspectors, I find they are all over the map when it comes to the final product. I have done business with many who were technically competent, up to date on the latest info. on everything from code changes to best practices, and a real asset to the end user. OTOH, I have actually told one that he didn't have a clue and he needed to contact his boss on an issue before I did. He was in the process of failing my work based on code requirements that were several years outdated. Currently I deal with two extrodinarily incompetent individuals who represent a major regional engineering firm that subcontracts inspections in my area. Both of these folks have no idea how to inspect electrical installations, but they sat through the proper classes, and got the badge that says otherwise. I have no personal issue with either of them, but I know that the public is being cheated when the job is inspected by a bureaucrat who does paperwork well, but has no idea what they are looking at in the field. Between those that fit this profile, and the many who ended up with the inspectors badge because of nepotism, politics, or being a total clown with a guaranteed lifetime, union position, I really am less than impressed when I here, " Yep, you passed inspection, everything looks good". A competent, experienced electrician is far more important that a sticker that says everything "passed"
Spot on. Some inspectors are good, some are OK...too many are basically plant life. Plenty around here are just crooked.
RE: Dually Tires
Well, it's that time.. 6 new tires for King Triton are in the near future...
Seeing this is my first HD truck I am a little lost on tires. I know I need load range "E" LT tires. But other than that I'm lost. The price is all over the place and there are so many brands.
I have never had good service out of Michelin car tires... I hear people with them on their duallys go 80-100k on a set... I'm not sure I am ready to spend an extra $1000.00 on them due to my past experience with this brand...
Firestone Transforce HT are on the truck now... They are worn out and not a good indicator of how they would perform new. They seem to have good traction and perform good on wet roads.
I have had great experience with Pep Boys house brand tires called Definity. They are made in the USA by Cooper... Over the years I have had several sets of Definity tires on various vehicles. So out of curiosity I called my local Pep-Boys and they quoted me around $1000.00 (after rebate) for a set of six Definity LT235/85r16 60,000 mile load range "E" tires. With road hazzard warrenty, taxes etc.
Being someone who has small kids the budget tends to be pretty tight so I am really temped to buy a set of these Definity tires. I know I am basically buying a set of Cooper Tires and am satisfied with this brand based on my experience. Also this truck is becoming my daily driver and I will be putting about 70 miles per day on it.
What are your thoughts on dually tires. Do the Cooper/Definity tires hold up well on HD trucks? Should I just go back with Transforce tires? Michelins are not an option, based on my wallet and on my experience.
Any other brands I should consider?
Thanks!
Look no further! I run these on my F-350 (ran the EXACT same tire on my previous F-350) and have nothing but glowing praise for them. I run them right at the limit of the tire ratings in back without a problem.
The same tire is available in a 215/85R16, in sale. About $650 for six, shipped to your door.
Thanks, I spent a lot of time on their website. How has the tread life been?
Thanks
Excellent. They go ~50K on my F-350's, and that is some HARD use: plowing (which involves lots of tight maneuvering), heavy loads. Also, I have the Kedge Grip tires...the non-KG will go 10-15% longer. I'd figure yours would go longer, being a dually.
