RE: Beware of Flying J
It is not just Flying J. Oregon is the same way. However, Oregon truck stops usually post the truck price with PUC in the sign.
I suggest you do what I did and find a website that gives the truck and auto price and plan accordingly. If you had driven into the truck lane, you would have initially seen the lower price but as soon as you either started the pump without the puc code or told them you were not professional, that price changed to the higher one.
I don't see why you were surprised.
RE: Wichita Kansas and tornados
Golly Gee!And so many are afraid to come to CA because we have earthquakes. Lets see......last one causing damage was??????? Oh! several years ago. Last tornado causing damage was????? Yesterday!
Since I am a California boy, tornado's scare me. I guess insurance in tornado country is similar to earthquake insurance here. So expensive you can't afford it.
Have I endured a tornado? No. However a couple of years ago, I hunkered down in a Sam's Club parking lot in Omaha and watched the local news warn of several in my area. Was I scared. You bet! This was the same day that a tornado took out an entire town in Iowa as we were driving west on I-80.
No thanks, I like my earthquakes.
RE: "A" drivers licence
Actually, some of the above answers are correct, some are incorrect and some I don't know about.
I do know that in CA the requirements are a class C for under 10,000, endorsement for 10,001-15,000 and class A over 15,000. Now, that is for CA residents.
Generally speaking, you make sure you are legal in your home state. However, I am unsure how it works for other countries. I think it works the same, but I suggest you check with your local licensing agency to find out for sure.
Unless you are pulling a humongous 5er, I doubt you will have any trouble in any of the lower 48 states.
Come on down!
RE: Overweight.
As others have said, dry weight does not mean spit. Use the GVWR of the TT. Also good advice about the tongue weight. If you use 80% of the GVWR as your standard, you should be able to determine from the Combined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the Burb as to being able to tow. IMHO, I think it is too much. You also said your TV backshifts now so think about what would happen to that tranny with more weight.
RE: tow dolly
I used a Roadmaster for about 10 years. Then got a veh. to tow 4 down due to health. What you are going to need is brakes on the dolly if it and the toad exceeds the weight that your state allows without brakes. You should also get a wiring harness allowing you to light both tail and brake lights in the toad as your toad's rear end is probably more than 3' behind the dolly tail lights. I highly recommend getting brakes on whatever dolly you get because you will be adding in the neighborhood of 3,000 lbs. to your rig and every little bit of braking power is worthwhile. I didn't have a problem towing my 2000 Honda Civic, but hooking up and storing in a campground could be a pain. I also recommend putting a jack stand with a wheel on the front of the dolly tounge so you can move it manually. Gets very heavy trying to lift and move. I also installed a hitch on my Honda so I could move the dolly with it. Sometimes a very small grade will defeat your ability to manually move that dolly.
The reason I recommend a connection to your toad's brake and tail lights is that if you get an umbilical with it's own lights (generally magnetic) you will find that cable will take paint off no matter how tight you think it is. It will move on the paint. Mine did no matter how I tried to keep it still. My comment about brakes is to get a controller for the MH, utilizing the brakes on the dolly. You don't have to get an aux. braking system for the toad.
Hope it helps.
RE: Wterton/Glacier parks
I stayed in St. Marys on the hill (forgot the CG name)and drove the toad through Glacier. lots to see/do. Now, St. Marys isn't that far from Waterton. We loved it! Prince of Wales Inn has high tea, which was wonderful, and the little town of Waterton is quaint. There are a number of things to do/see in Waterton also. We drove directly from St. Marys to Waterton, and took a little jog to the east on the way back to go through a couple of Canadian towns. Beautiful. Only problem was it was Sunday and the sidewalks were rolled up in the towns! If you stay in St. Mary's you can get info on Glacier and when you enter Waterton you will also get info on that park.
By the way, Prince of Wales also has a couple of excelent restaurants.
RE: CRV speed limit while towing
I think you are asking the wrong people. "Been doin it for years" is not the correct answer. I would ask Honda why. IMHO, it could be that the tranny doesn't oil well enough at speeds above 65, so to keep themselves away from lawsuits, they warn you. Now, a LITTLE above 65 on occasion very likely won't hurt that vehicle, but don't make a habit of it because if it breaks and Honda determines it was because you exceeded their limits habitually, the warranty will void.
Check with Honda to see why.
PS: I was working with Toyota to buy a pickup that the salesman, Service Mgr., and GM said could be towed. REMCO said no. After my local Toyota dealer talked to the national org., and then to Remco, they (Toyota) admitted it could not be towed 4 down. Kinda shows you that not even the local mechanics know,.
RE: CRV speed limit while towing
I think you are asking the wrong people. "Been doin it for years" is not the correct answer. I would ask Honda why. IMHO, it could be that the tranny doesn't oil well enough at speeds above 65, so to keep themselves away from lawsuits, they warn you. Now, a LITTLE above 65 on occasion very likely won't hurt that vehicle, but don't make a habit of it because if it breaks and Honda determines it was because you exceeded their limits habitually, the warranty will void.
Check with Honda to see why.
RE: Jeep towing and brake equipment
Your best bet is to explore the braking requirements imposed by the state your vehicles (both TV and Toad)are registered in. If you meet their requirements, you won't have a problem. Generally speaking, most states require aux systems over about 2,000 lbs. Some higher, some lower, but they require them.
I would be willing to bet that 6,000 lb. boat required aux brakes in almost, if not all, states. If you had problems, willing to bet it was because your controller was not adjusted correctly.
RE: Tow laws per state
ChooChooMan, not correct. When there is a minimum speed, it can and well may be enforced. Remember that minimums are there to prevent collisions as well as maximum speeds. Now, climbing grades, many vehicles can't maintain the minimum and the enforcement is only when you are not in the right lane running below the minimum. You can pass, as long as you get back over.
Also, unless the sign is specific to large trucks, it is applicable to all vehicles. Sometimes going too slow is very dangerous.
RE: Location of hydraulic fluid for levelers
Mine is under the hood on the right side. However, no telling where yours is. I suggest you start lowering the levellers, listen for the motor whine, locate it and you should find the res. next to or a part of the pump.
RE: Nearest campground (42') to Beverly Hills, CA
The nearest RV Park that I know about is Golden Shores in Long Beach. It is a nice one, but expensive (around$60). There is one in Northridge (cant think of the name) that is not as nice, but as expensive. Otherwise, look at Orange Co., around Aneheim.
RE: Fort Bragg, ca - Highway 1 north to 101?
Can't tell from your sig. which rig you are pulling. However, Hiway 20 is a good road between Bragg and Willits. However, many people take 1 North till it hits 101 without trouble. I guess it depends on how well your co-pilot likes curves. IMHO, that beautiful drive back to 101 North is worth the curves.
Remember that 101 from Willits is where the grades and curves start too.
RE: Montana LLCs under attack in Iowa
I know I am in danger of incurring the wrath of those who don't think they should pay their share of highway maintenance, but here goes:
In most states, where does the bulk of the registration monies go? Highway maintenance.
In those states that allow llC's (or the like), where does the monies go? GENERAL FUND. Check it out yourself. The last time I drove I-90 in Montana, and into North Dakota, I thought I was going to be shaken to death! Much worse than in CA!
Now, I am not excusing those states that don't use registration monies as they are supposed to (Yes, CA is one of them)
Since the LLC's are a blatant effort by the owner of the affected vehicle to avoid their share of the burden, I have no sorrow when they get caught. Youmake it hard for me to travel down the highway because of shirking your responsibility.
If you think Iowa is the only state going after Montana, you aren't paying attention. Many, many states loosing reveue are passing laws to prevent states like Montana and ND from reaping in unearned monies.
Now, the next time you drive down a highway (Interstate) in CA or AZ and you want to start cussing them for not maintaining their highways, think about the number of rigs passing you or being passed that are registered in those "easy" states.
As one poster said, Oregon is ruthless in going after those registering vehicles in their state where the RO does not live there. And believe me, the fine when you get caught there is tremendous.
Register your rig legally and morally correctly and you will never have to worry about getting caught and having to pay double or triple what it would have cost you in your home state.
By the way, I hate paying the high registration in CA.
RE: OILY TOAD!
Encore: You may have more than just an oily toad. That tube is notorious for putting oil on your radiator and coolers. You then kick up dirt, dust, etc., which the fan shroud pulls in and mixes with the oil on the radiators, causing them to overheat.
What I did, was to get enough heater hose to go from the engine tube, out to the inside of the rear bumper, then to the right side of the MH along the inside bottom of the bumper, where I turned it down towards the ground, just outside of the bumper. After cleaning both the inside and outside fins of the radiator, I no longer had a problem with oily dirt causing overheating. I also got rid of the oil on the front of my toad. I get a little oil occasionally on the right front, but very little.
By adding the heater hose and necessary clamps, it cost me less than $20.00 and no more issues!
RE: triple tow
What other posters said is correct. Not all states allow, and there is NOT reciprocity as it is considered a safety issue. CA does not allow it. Oregon does FOR COMMERCIAL LICENSEES AND REGISTRATION ONLY. It is important that when you check the laws in the states you want to go through, that you check to see if other than commercial rigs can tow. Just because it doesn't appear that LE makes this a big priority, I guarantee that if you happen to get stopped, it will result in a big fine.
Check the laws first.
RE: I could really use some advice
Two things.
1, I totally agree with Tystevens. Get a one tonner to tow with if you can find a way to transport your family. Getting a four door is an option. and store it or have it available for someone in the family to drive.
2. Watch out for those dry weights. I wouldn't even consider them. You have to figure everything in addition to the dry weight, including water, sewage, propane, slides, anything extra added to the trailer, just to mention a few. I would go by the GVWR because you WILL find yourself at/close to/over it by the time you figure everything you are going to want to put in that trailer. So, I would figure out what my TV could tow, then look for a TT a couple thousand lbs. GVWR above that figure. Also, you gotta figure the amount of weight going into the tow vehicle. People, fuel, things, cargo, etc. All of the weight in the TV and TT has to be deducted from the GVWR and CGVWR of the TV to be safe.
Sounds tough, but in the long run, you will be much better off.
RE: no picture from back up camera
In my case, the cable became unplugged from the back of the monitor. I had it fixed and on my last trip it did it again. I can tell the monitor is functioning, but not getting a signal. I would check all connections before doing anything else.
RE: Replacing RV DP tires
Yes. I did. I bought my rig new in 01. Tires were coded 99/00. I ran them till 09. On a trip back from midwest, I suffered a blowout on the inside left rear tire. I only had 32,000 mi. on the rig. I was on I-40 approaching Needles from the east when it happened. There were so many "alligators' on the road that when I heard the bang and saw a piece of tire skidding down the road that I thought I hit one and took it around the tire before dropping it. I stopped and looked, didn't see anything out of the ordinary except my sewer hose was wrapped around the rear axle and the hose holder, located in the wheel well was destroyed. Thinking everything was OK, I drove home to Nor. CA. A couple weeks later, while replacing the sewer hose holder pipe, I had the left side jacked up so I could get in the well. I leaned in, braced myself on the inside tire and realized it was flat. I crawled under, saw the whole inside sidewall was shredded.
I immediately became a believer in not letting those tires go as long as I did, even though they had minimal wear. I replaced all four rear tires. My front tires were 3 years younger because of a recall and I changed them out in 10.
Expensive? Yes. But, I was really lucky because I had minimal damage. I have seen rigs with half the side torn off from a blown tire. Just because the tread is beautiful, don't be lulled. It is the sidewalls that go, causing blowouts.
If it were me, I would bite the bullet and replace all tires that are over 7 years. It may well be less expensive to do so.
RE: San Francisco to Redwood National Park
To be very frank: There are a couple of curves and narrowness that may be of concern to someone who doesn't like curves. However, I have driven this route many times with a MH and 5er and never had a problem. If the curve says 25, plan on it and you will be fine. No other way I know of to get to the park without curves. If my memory serves right the major (if you want to call them that)curves are just a few miles from Orick. There are some more further north, but not any worse. I wouldn't worry about them, and just go. 101 is a good highway to travel on. I don't think your rig is long enough to even worry about.
