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Forum
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RE: Is this a can of worms?
No doubt the tow ratings have increased on the 1/2 ton trucks of all makes. The question is, are they building a better truck now or just adjusting their tow ratings to be more competitive and removing the built in safety margin previously incorporated. Personally, I think a little of both. Transmissions are much better today with 6 speed options which allow a better towing performance out of the same size and HP of engine.
I will state this however after recently going from an F150 5.4 4 speed to a 2500 HD 6.0 6 speed pulling the same trailer with the same WDH. The F150 had plenty of power to easily pull my toy hauler but the 3/4 ton has way more stability in windy situations. With the heavier springs and drive train the comfort difference is night and day. If one must use the 1/2 ton as a daily driver, then maybe it is a good option with the correct setup otherwise, heavy duty is better...hands down!
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MeandMyLabs
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05/18/13 08:58am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Yamaha EF2000iS Generators
My 2400is will run my ac but it failed to restart it on one hot day in June a few years ago. Made rush trip to get Champion and have not used my Yamaha since for ac. Twin 2000's are a sure thing, 2400is is marginal.
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MeandMyLabs
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05/16/13 10:28am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Hot Tubs for real
Well of course there is always the redneck hot tub consisting of a plastic tarp in the back of a pickup truck and add water. I guess if you used a black tarp you would get solar heat and not need electricity and you could use a battery operated trolling motor for a little agitation! :B
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MeandMyLabs
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05/12/13 04:59pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Equalizer hitch size, how big is too big?
I purchased a 12000 lb Equal-i-zer brand for the trailer in my sig last December. I installed it according to instructions myself on my previous truck (F150) and then again on my present truck (Silveraldo 2500 HD). I have been very pleased with its performance on both vehicles, especially noticing a large difference after switching hitches on the F150. I would suggest erroring on the heavy side because the hitch can always be adjusted lighter but you cannot increase the stiffness of the bars without changing them to a higher weight. For my trailer, I was on the border between the 10000 and 12000 lb setup and so I opted for the heavier.
If you decide to install yourself, you will need to torque some of the bolts very tight including the hitch ball which requires a 1-7/8" thin wall socket. I took my hitch to a local agriculture dealer and they torqued it for me for no charge...pretty nice. Otherwise you might need to purchase tools which you might not have.
I hope this has been of some help. Good luck.
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MeandMyLabs
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05/12/13 04:49pm |
Towing
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RE: Going to look at new 1500 crew cabs today
Well my sig used to say F150 also. I had it set up and it handled my trailer nicely but after 3 trips with the new to me 2500, there really isn't a comparison. The 3/4 ton is just simply more heavy duty and more stable. This is not a Ford vs Chevy post...just simply 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton. I waited until a good used one came along and this time it happened to be a Chevy.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/28/13 06:01pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Need advice for WD/Sway options
I would strongly recommend you purchase not only for your current TT but the next also. If you buy a bent arm type (the cheapest), when you advance to a heavier or longer TT, you will not be happy with it. That is the voice of experience because I previously had a Curt bent arm style with friction sway which worked nicely on my previous TT but when I traded, I was not happy with its performance. I went with the Equal-i-zer 4 pt system and have been very pleased. The Anderson has not been proven in MY VIEW and when I purchased, it was a choice between the Equal-i-zer and Reese. Both of these are proven manufacturers.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/24/13 09:19am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: outside tv mount
To the OP,
I know how you must feel. A few years ago I inquired about where to find some outdoor speakers and all the folks on the thread would do is lecture me about how people play their outdoor music way too loud. I never did get my question answered.
I mounted my tv on the refrigerator vent cover. Yes I do know it is plastic. I used a piece of aluminum angle iron(painted white to match) to reinforce it. This prevented me from needing to drill into the fiberglass wall. I ran the cable into the basement and simply have a coax coiled in the basement storage which I pull out and connect for the TV. Wish I had a pic but I don't.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/22/13 06:06pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: dish receiver mounting in voltage??
We do not have a Voltage but had a similar situation. I used Velcro straps to fasten the receiver to the wall vertically and got RF remotes to prevent the cabinet doors needing to be opened for the remotes to work. This has worked out quite well and if you need to remove the receiver, simply pull the Velcro straps loose.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/18/13 04:54am |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Sanitizing Fresh Water tank...although we never drink it
We never drink from the tank because during the season I will sometimes have water in the tank more than two weeks old and I do not trust it. We drink bottled water and use bottled water for cooking and brushing teeth. We rarely sanitize our system.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/15/13 05:08pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Almost swaying - suggestions?
As you stated, adding water to the fresh water tank in front of the axles will help. Other than going to the scales which is highly recomended, try lowering your hitch by one hole. If the tongue of the trailer is slightly low compared to the tow vehicle, it will tow better than being too high. The payload in the back garage can make a huge difference. I know it does on my TH.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/15/13 07:21am |
Towing
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RE: Lubricating equalizer hitch?
I believe they mean at the pivot of the socket where you insert the tension bars. I lube with white lithium grease in a spray can about once per month. I have been very happy so far with he Equal-i-zer's performance so far but I have only had mine installed for a couple of months.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/12/13 04:55am |
Towing
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RE: Does your garage start smelling like fumes?
I just got back from a 3 day 150 mile trip. I left my ATV in the garage overnight and I definitely had a distinct gas smell. After opening the big door and unloading, the smell was gone. Maybe because my ATV has a carburetor and is not fuel injected. I have no leaks and do not take gas cans with.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/07/13 05:26pm |
Toy Haulers
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RE: Traveling to Missouri and Illinois in May .
We live in the central Illinois area - near Clinton- and have camped quite a lot in the surrounding area. Near Springfield, Il. is the town of Chatham and a campground right off I-55 called Double J Campground which has very good reviews. In the Clinton area, Weldon Springs is a nice local state park but is suffering from lack of maintenance due to budget constraints and Clinton Lake state park, a much newer and more big rig friendly state park.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/03/13 04:47am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Locked power box at campground
I have seen many times where a camper will come in to our local state park well after dark, plug in, and then pull out before the rangers can make the rounds in the morning. In effect, this is stealing from all of the paying customers which in turn will raise our rates. I see this as being no different than filling your tank of gas and pulling out without paying or stuffing your pockets at WalMart and walking out without paying. It is robbery!
Parks are looking at the bottom line and if bills like electricity exceed camping revenue, camping rates will rise. Locks on the electrical boxes would help to prevent this type of theft. I am in favor of this practice.
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MeandMyLabs
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04/03/13 04:35am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: water hose
Just don't use the same hose used to flush your waste tanks!
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MeandMyLabs
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03/29/13 09:44am |
Beginning RVing
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RE: de winterizing
I usually wait for mid-April here in central Illinois. I am anxious too. Ready to put away the porta-potty and garden sprayer and use the systems the trailer came with.
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MeandMyLabs
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03/23/13 07:55am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Alternate to campfire
Campfires can really play havoc to those of us with respiratory diseases. Wood smoke can really get bad in some campgrounds when they are especially busy. I try to choose my campsite location carefully to be on the west and south edges if possible and thus upwind from the majority of the smoke in the area. I very rarely build a campfire myself but have had to go inside to get away from the smoke smell before. I have never said anything to our neighbors about the smoke. I just change where I sit or go inside. I feel they have just as much right to have their fire and it is not right for me to ask them to put it out.
We purchased an electric fireplace for our camper and use it as our campfire. It can be turned on with just the flame or flame and heat. Even on a hot summer evening, the flame is nice when sitting in the AC.
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MeandMyLabs
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03/22/13 05:36pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: F150 Ecoboost front bumper bike rack
I do not think you will have any airflow problems. I have used my front hitch with a cargo carrier to carry several things over the past years such as the scooter, generator, and various Rubbermaid containers without any type of overheating.
Many of the bicycle carriers will mount the bikes too high for your line of vision. You may want to use a cargo carrier with the bicycle attachment which will get your bikes down out of your line of vision.
I do not use my carrier after dark when hauling my scooter as the headlight beams are somewhat obstructed.
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MeandMyLabs
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03/21/13 04:28pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Beware the snakes are out and about
In short they are all out looking for a meal and a mate, not necessarily in that order and being hungry and horny does nothing to improve their already nasty dispositions.
Kind of sound like a couple of guys on my dormatory floor in college! :B
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MeandMyLabs
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03/20/13 05:30pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Why have some members here gotten so mean and rude?
I feel there are three types of folks posting on this forum:
1. Those who read, learn and offer help when they have something to share.
2. Those who really do not intend to be rude but really didn't totally read their own post to see how it might be misinterpreted.
3. Those who are just plain jerks.
Personally, I do not like to point out a mistake from someone else but I might offer an alternative viewpoint. The folks who fit in the number 3 category, I just ignore. Let's face it, anyone can be a member. There is not a screening process.
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MeandMyLabs
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03/18/13 03:25pm |
General RVing Issues
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