| |
Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
|
 |
RE: Replacement Shock Suggestions
anybody know who has the best deals on bilsteins ?
2002 duramax is a little bouncy under load .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 10:34pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: 2003 duramax questions
women are made different than men .
at the rv show they start looking at the 21 footer and then the 23 footer and then the 26 footer , while they are PARKED .
dealers know this and will trade them up to the bigger kitchen and bigger bathtub inorder to make the sale.
the same women want to buy the softest riding pickup .
they do not make the connection that the bigger trailer requires a bigger engine, larger brakes , heavier frame in the tow vehicle .
i am married to the same gal for 45 years.
her friends love it when i say that it is as much fun to squeeze her now as it was in 1968.
i have to be a diplomat in order to get her to compromise on any major purchase .
good luck . go duramax .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 09:54pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Plugging in at home between trips
i stay unplugged
i disconnect the battery cables .
i make sure that the batteries have a full charge.
if not fully charged the batteries will freeze in winter .
if left plugged in the batteries will sulfate and that shortens their life .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 09:41pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Boondocking suggestions in Mt Hood National Forest(OREGON)?
thanks for re-bumping this topic.
as 2 oldman and others have said Oregon is boondock camping nirvana .
those folks who spend their time in an rv park and cannot get along without full hookups are totally missing out .
we have camped along quartzville creek.
our favorite boondock camping is near little summit prairie near the ochoco ranger station.
take hwy 126 eastbound from prineville , onto 123 , onto road 42 .
actually all over the ochoco national forest .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 01:36pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
|
|
RE: squirrels under the hood
i had a car named 6 Squirrels
Vanity plate read: 6 SQRLS
it answered the question : Hey buddy , what do you have under the hood ?
1999 carrera , top speed was 178 or so.
my favorite porsche of 3 i've had .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 01:03pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Might be forced to buy Diesel
6 mile trips have not been a problem.
i live in a town of 80,000 people .
i can get to anywhere in town in 6 miles.
the next towns are 20, 45 , miles away and the next town that is bigger is 140 miles.
espeially during snow season my studded snow tire duramax get all of the grunt work.
i am one of the guys who lets his diesel idle while i go into the post office to pick up my mail .
i have a nifty 1400 sq. ft. garage and i have plugged my duramax in during the coldest winter days, but it is not necessary.
i do use the front grill cover all winter long .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 12:55pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Goodyear Marathons Made in China?
after considerable search i have come to the conclusion that :
for a 14 inch diameter tire :
the kumho 857 205 R 14 offers the best specifications.
it Q speed rated for 99 mph performance.
an ST tire is graded for 65 mph performance .
the kumho 857 radial has a load rating of 2271 pounds .
go here :
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Radial+857&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=0R4857&tab=Specs
the highest load rating from other brands seems to be 1870 pounds .
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Marathon+Radial&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=175R4MARV2&tab=Specs
so with a 2271 rating you will increase your load capacity to 121% of the goodyear marathon .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 12:03pm |
Towing
|
|
RE: 2003 duramax questions
i have a 2002 duramax /allison purchased new in 2002
no problems other than the front wheel bearing hub assembly.
i have had 8 trucks 8 lug axles since my first new car a c20 suburban big block 402 .
i was buying a new pickup every 5 years until i bought my duramax.
this thing is so good i have not found a reason to replace it .
i find it quieter than my previous big block gassers on the highway , especially when towing my boat .
the 5 speed allison is the best tranny for towing i have used . great 1st gear and excellent compression braking .
i used to drive very fast over these Oregon 2 lane highways , even when towing .
i stopped when diesel became $ 4 a gallon .
for that reason i find 520 foot pounds torque more than adequate .
i need to slow down so i have not switched to the newer 765 foot pound version.
a good upgrade for me was to go to the LT 265/75R16 LRE Michelin highway tires on 8 inch wide wheels. the stock 245/75r16e on 6.5 inch wheels do not handle near as well .
the low allison first gear makes the switch from 245 to 265 a reaonable compromise .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/19/13 11:51am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Luxury Diesel SUV as tow vehicle
one more thing to consider.
our 21T Komfort is an actual 23.5 feet overall
one of my many camping buddies just bought a nifty new "21 footer ".
on our annual 9 day joint campout he brought his new trailer .
his 21 looked longer than mine so we got out the tape rule .
his 21 was really 25.3 or so .
my 21T lists a 480 # tongue weight , a 4800# axle weight .
in actual practice with 50 gallons of water it is 980 # tongue weight and 5300# on the axles .
we carry the heaviest camping gear under our snugtop canopy . firewood , 3 gallon propane tank , 2 EZ-UP Quik-Shades ,an 60 quart cooler full of soda, etc.
with a lightweight SUV we would not have that option .
none of the suv's that fit into a short garage would be safe towing our "short" 21 footer .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/18/13 08:17am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Luxury Diesel SUV as tow vehicle
after seeing your current setup , if i was in your current position my decision would be to keep my current trailer.
toyota products are excellent . we have had 2 avalons and 3 lexus v8 sedans since 1997 . trouble free , quiet , and nice to take a trip in for Interstate driving .
because of our german sportscar we got spoiled by the best handling cars on the planet . we live near the Cascades and drive 140 miles on curvy 2 lane highways before we can be on an interstate . hence the switch to the mercedes sedan .
an audi , vw , or benz diesel suv would be a nice upgrade .
but each of those will be way less than capable towing a 22 foot trailer.
however with your nifty 18 footer they would be good .
for very little money i would try upgrading my dining fly , camp stove and other camping necessities .
that would be way less money than a 22 foot trailer upgrade , especially if i would have to go even bigger in the suv (escalade, denali) to tow a 22 footer .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/17/13 07:19am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: 3,500 max tow capacity.
my observation attending too many rv shows .
women want to buy the BIG rv when it is PARKED at the trailer show .
The same women want the softest riding SUV as their tow vehicle .
an SUV that is short so that is easier to park downtown is even better to a gal.
assuming she is gonna get the lightweight SUV she wants you need to stay as lightweight on the trailer as you can .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/16/13 07:06pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: PSI question
heat is a tire killer
running at 50 psi your tires will actually run cooler than at 35 psi.
the rated load capacity of your tires is at 50 psi
if you run 35 psi then the load capacity is lower .
i upgraded my boat trailer tires from 13 inch to 14 inch .
my boat trailer is a little more bouncy but i do not care because nobody is riding in my boat going down the highway .
i tow my boat long distances in the summer , sometimes in 100 degree heat .
i upgraded because i wanted no problems getting to the lakes, rivers , and the delta .
i run the max inflation pressure listed on the sidewall .
regarding jacknifing i have owned many trailers , all types .
the principal cause of jacknifing is the trailers that have too short a difference between the trailer axles and the trailer ball .
i have owned 8 different boats since 1972 .
the remedy for jacknifing is moving the axle rearward .
my current boat trailer , i moved the axles back a foot .
my trailer will not sway even if i am going too fast down a 7 % grade in a curve with a pepsi in one hand and a sandwich in the other ...........
|
Lowsuv
|
05/16/13 06:56pm |
Towing
|
|
RE: Luxury Diesel SUV as tow vehicle
the SUV's you mention are all good
because you need to stay with a short wheelbase SUV you will be happier towing a shorter trailer.
trailer tongue weight is the remedy for sway issues .
none of those SUV's have extra capacity to spare if you experience sway with your new longer trailer.
how about keeping your current trailer and change the way you camp ?
assuming you want to sleep 4 inside then you could move your cooking and dishwaswhing chores outside.
buy yourself a 12 x 12 EZ-UP Quik-Shade and use a coleman stove or a combo stove / grill setup .
carry some dishwash tubs .
Low SUV is a mercedes 4 matic sedan . the second one we have owned .
i buy them because they are really good cars , not because of snooty status .
mercedes are VERY quiet , ride really well , handle very well , brake really well and the 4matic goes in the snow in the mighty Cascade Mountain range we live next to .
the rumour about high maintenance costs have not happened to me .
if i did not own a duramax i would own an ML 350 or a BlueTec ML.
hence the term "LOW SUV "
|
Lowsuv
|
05/16/13 06:36pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Looking to buy my first duramax.
the best used truck is the one you buy directly from the original owner .
that means no dealers.
why ?
you want to go to the guy's house and see how he takes care of everything he owns .
every duramax has towed something .
the guy who piles on the mileage towing his bass boat has a much better rig than the guy who is towing a 36 foot trailer .
the guy who is a contractor and piles on mileage because he drives all over the state doing government jobs has a better high miler rig than the guy towing the 30 foot trailer.
the guy who has every receipt since 2001 is probably better than the guy who does not .
there is no way of knowing what abuse that particular rig has had .
but buying from the original owner means he took care of it because he knew he was going to keep it for a while .
i am that guy. my duramax is a 2002 bought new .
every car i sell i have sold myself to the next owner . several times to friends or aquaintances . those folks know that i am a "car guy ".
none have been disapointed and all are still friends.
buying direct from a private party requires you to prospect the ads frequently and go look immediately . the best rigs sell immediately .
good luck with your search .
there is some old codger out there who was born before 1950 that has the perfect rig for you . now you have to be a detective and find him if you want the best truck .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/16/13 07:26am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: How do tent people pack?
answer : what rhymes with honey ?
a good 4 season tent such as a eureka timberline base camp 6 or an alps mountaineering meramac 6 ZF FG tent . folds small but will take foul weather .
available cheap on overstock.com
high quality thermarest mattress pads or the alps mountaineering knockoff .
high quality slumberjack or other sleeping bags .
stuff bags for the sleeping bags .
LED headlamps and other nifty gear can often be had cheap from costco .
alps mountaineering has the niftiest " Tri Awning " that is expensive but also folds to 6" x 28" or so . covers 95 square feet and 6 feet high at center.
REI offers very expensive but very light and small gear that work good for car camping even though they are designed for backpacking.
fleece vests and pullovers and blankets are lightweight , fold small , and outperform other fabrics .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/14/13 11:11pm |
Tent Camping
|
|
RE: Chevy or Ford
I pulled a 9200lb trailer from California to Virginia with a 2011 Ecoboost. That engine will pull all day, but has no compression braking. Coming down the Rockies and the Smokies made for some white knuckle drives and very hot brakepads. Based on those experiences, I bit the bullet and traded for a Duramax. Pulling isn't everything...
Considering the length and weight of your trailer I would definitely go with a 2500 pickup . I have had a string of 8 lug pickups 6 GM and 2 Fords .
that being said I would rather own a cummins than an ecoboost.
same money. Cummins 2500 like the ford f250 and gmc/hd2500 has humungous disc brakes , stronger drivetrain , and 160% of the payload of the overhyped f150 .
a longer trailer needs heavier tongue weight to mitigate sway .
the f150 runs out of usable payload to properly do this once you have passengers , firewood, propane/bbq , Quik-Shade , and the other stuff we take camping .
Duramax/Allison has been the class of the field but the initial cost is more .
Cummins is the cheapest way to get into a real tow rig .
at the minimum an f250 or hd2500 gasser will be better than an f150.
|
Lowsuv
|
05/14/13 10:41pm |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: inverter size
we dry camp mostly
there are lots of possibilities in Oregon.
the only 120 volt we use is a 400 watt inverter we purchased at costco .
we use it to recharge electric razors , cell phones , Nook reader and so forth .
we leave the tv home when dry camping.
we do not have solar and we do not use a generator.
we camp with other friends and we prefer quiet camping so no generators allowed.
we park our trailer and turn our duramax around so that we can use our HEAVY DUTY 12 foot jumper cables to connect the 2 batteries in the duramax (exide EDGE AGM ) to the 2 RV batteries on the trailer .
we stay hooked up with all 4 batteries all the time .
the duramax gets driven every second day and when we return we immediately hook up the jumpers to the rv batteries .
we never run the pickup just to recharge the rv batteries .
we have an annual 9 day campout in the boonies with friends and have never needed a generator . we have been using this method since 1995.
we do not use the furnace when dry camping. it eats batteries .
instead we use our propane lantern at night to take the chill off before going to bed.
we also have a mr. buddy propane heater but rarely use it .
we spend more time outside than in .
we cook on our coleman stove and propane grill .
we use the costco LED headlamps which run on AAA batteries .
camping without hookups allows us to stay in the most beautiful spots in Oregon .
we only camp in commercial rv parks when we are between destinations for the most part.
we have however spent 3 months total at outdoor resorts in cathedral city during winter months.
dry camping or forest service or blm caqmping is the absolute best camping we do .
you may notice that the rv companies always picture their vehicles in a grassy meadow , not in an rv park .
make checklists , go camping , keep notes , you are in for a good time .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/14/13 10:25pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Is this a can of worms?
my first new car was a 1972 C20 suburban with the 402 big block, 3 speed turbo hydro. i could be wrong but the gvw of that 1972 eight lug C20 was about 7200 ? pounds or so. it was the envy of all campers in the campground .
nobody bought 8 lug trucks then .
travel trailers in 1972 were 16 feet single axle . a big trailer was a 22 foot double axle. the trailer height was about 9 feet on average.
in 1972 cadillac sedans with an ez-lift were shown in the ads , towing .
now a small trailer is a 21 footer and a big one is a 36 footer . they are 10.5 feet high .
trailer weights went up big time in the last 40 years.
made possible by big bad diesel pickups.
duramax is the class of the field , but even a cummins/powerstroke trumps the darling of the soccer parents crowd , the f 150 ecoboost .
an f150 is not an 8 lug pickup no matter how fancy the nav system and moonroof .
|
Lowsuv
|
05/14/13 12:51am |
Tow Vehicles
|
|
RE: Another Tire Question
nothing in the charts quoted indicates that the wheels are only rated for 65 psi.
the charts are indicating the maximum load rating of that particular size and load range tire and the psi that the tires must be inflated to to carry that weight .
to limit the upgrade in tire size and psi limits the safety that can be built in by using a Load Range D ( 65 psi ) or Load Range E ( 80 psi ) tire .
The Tire is the Weak Link in the weight rating carried .
The steel wheel is not weaker than the tire . The steel wheel can take considerably more psi than the tire can . That is the reality and it also is logical.
A TPMS system although a good idea is not as good as spending that same expense to upgrade the current tire to one with a higher load rating as shown on the sidewall .
Hundred of thousands of GM trucks have been shipped with 245/75R16 tires as factory equipment . My swag guess is that 25 % of those tires have been upgraded to a 265/75R16 tire at replacement time . The factory GM wheels are 6.5 inches wide . Although the 265/75 tire calls for a 7 inch to 9 inch wheel width there really are no problems due to a narrow rim width other than it is not optimum.
I have been using the 265 instead of the 245 on factory 6.5 " wheels since 1998 .
For the record i use 2 sets of wheels. My snow tires are on factory 6.5" GM aluminum wheels . My summer Michelin 265/75r16E are mounted on 8 inch wide Weld aluminum wheels. The truck handles better with the 8" wheel and the summer tires of course.
it is less safe to continue using the factory supplied tire rated for 1820 # than upgrading to a higher rated tire (say 2271# ) even though a higher psi is needed .
brand is far less important than the rated load capacity .
tire rack can be your friend .
check out the specs from their trailer tire tab and do some comparisons for yourself .
because the continental Vanco 2 tire is rated on the LT criteria rather than the ST criteria it is a 99 mph tire . i would consider that particular tire to be the class of the field for RV use . it is factory equipment on the mercedes sprinter vans and motorhomes .
here is the web link with the specs:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=Vanco+2&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=27R5V2&tab=Specs
|
Lowsuv
|
05/13/13 10:02pm |
Travel Trailers
|
|
RE: Another Tire Question
jimnlin is misinformed about steel wheels not being able to take 80 psi.
side bearing loads and the strength of the wheel being able to support a load are exponentially greater than tire pressure within a wheel .
further , when these rv or light truck wheels fail they do not do so catastophically .
rather they develop a crack at a "shoulder" and they fail because they can no longer maintain a constant pressure.
|
Lowsuv
|
05/12/13 08:44pm |
Travel Trailers
|
