RE: I'm smitten with a TT and have a frivolous question
I like to think of my quad cab 3/4 ton pick up with a shell on the back as a diesel suburban with a wall between the passenger compartment and the cargo area. Actually, a larger cargo area. Would a quad cab work?
RE: Axel and tire failure under 3000 miles
JJBIRISH, I usually agree with your posts but am curious as to why you don't think tongue weight should be subtracted from axle weight when looking at total weight? Two 3500 lb axles are over the GVWR of the TT. Granted, not by much but, say this TT is around 6500 loaded to go camping. That would result in around 800 lbs of tongue weight. This weight is not being carried by the axles? So, you've got maybe 6000 lbs on 7000 lbs of axle capacity. I totally agree that most manufacturers low ball equipment, especially tires and suspension but, I think these axles were defective and not overloaded. Heartland seemed to agree the problem wasn't overloading. Also agree the problem might have started showing up sooner than detected. I look at my tires every time I stop.
RE: Hello from Denver!
Am I being too skeptical? A new member's first post is a picture of a truck wrapped in advertising for a trailer broker. Oh, wait, there is a TT in there too.
Why do you RV?
I'm sure this has been kicked around before but, what made you decide to RV as opposed to hotels/motels etc. I don't think, for most people, it is a matter of pure economics. That debate has gone on before and, by the time you factor in the cost of the RV, it seems you could cut it either way.
I believe RVing is more a lifestyle choice like owning a pleasure boat. Not necessarily cheaper but a different form of recreation.
We have been at an RV resort on Padre Island for the past month and it is very much like any resort in terms of amenities. I also like to go places where there are no hotel/motels and still have the comforts of home. That and, I don't particularly like hotels.
We travel with two dogs and that makes a difference.
So, what factors went into your decision?
RE: Arctic Fox 22G vs 22H
I had an '06 22GQ, (now the G), wanted the walk around bed for ease of getting in and out for two people. The newer AF 22G is offered with a, "set and sleep", option. Some kind of couch that makes into a bed. Haven't seen one but it looks like it might be a compromise and more comfortable than the jacknife couch?
Northwood builds great TT's.
RE: charge TT batteries from tow vehicle?
I think the OP's question may have had to do with using the TV instead of a generator. Answer would be, yes it is possible but, not very practical. When charging through the seven pin connector the limitation is not the output of the alternator it is the size of the wire going to the connector. It is my understanding that in most cases, you might get around 10 amps going to the TT while towing.
If you wanted to use a 300hp generator, (TV), to charge your batteries in camp, the best way to do this would be to face the TV to the TT and run heavy jumper cables from the truck batteries to the TT batteries while running the truck. You would transfer a lot more amps that way than just plugging in the seven pin connector.
There was a post recently by someone who drives their TV every day or two so the battery stays charged and, in lieu of a generator, hooks the TV to the TT with jumper cables every couple of days without running the TV and just lets the batteries equalize. Says he has been doing it for years without any problems. The nice part of that option is you are not running the TV for an hour or two. The down side would be if you miscalculate your TV battery is dead and you can't start it.
RE: Does a slide make that much of a difference?
LOWSUV, with the 24'TT, no slide, a Nash 22GQ, I traveled up to the Yukon Territory and then up the Dempster Highway, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Basically, up and back on the Dempster amounts to almost 1000 miles of unpaved road. For that, the smaller TT and, the structural integrity of no slide were what I needed. The Nash is a tough TT and I had few problems.
I spent two months in that TT and, though my son was with me for about two weeks, the rest of the time was just me and my dog.
Two people, two dogs and two months wintering on the gulf are a much different situation. I now have a 30' Arctic Fox 29V, as mentioned above, with two slides, which is ideal for the present situation but, I would hesitate to take it up the Demspter.
Different jobs require different tools. What's right for the OP depends on what they do with it.
RE: Does a slide make that much of a difference?
I think, this sums it up. Last year we came to Padre Island in a 24'TT no slide. The only seating option was the dinette. Two adults and two dogs. We had some rainy days. After three weeks out, Barbara was ready to cry.
This year, 30'TT, I know, the extra length doesn't make an apples to apples comparison but, this year, we have a large slide in the living area that includes the dinette and the jack knife sofa. It goes out almost 4 ft and we have room for a swivel rocker. We also have a large, wardrobe slide in the bedroom and a full 60X80 queen bed.
If we are just staying overnight, I don't unhook but just put the jacks down, (cordless drill), and put the slides out. The next morning the slides come in, the jacks come up and we are on our way. We have had no problems with the slides and can access evereything inside with them in. We could, in a parking lot situation, spend the night without extending either slide.
We left Denver mid-February planning to head back starting April 1st. Barbara said today that if it is still snowing in Denver on April first we should stay another week. Your mileage may vary.
RE: Confusion about hitches
Reese Dual Cam and Equal-i-zer hitches are both popular on this forum. The 22H is not a huge TT for your TV but, keeping everything level and, more importantly, sway control are always good. I have the Equal-i-zer which I really like. I do take the bars off when going off road. No reason to stress them on extreme angles and you're traveling at low speed so sway is not an issue. You can back up without taking the bars off with the EQ and, I think with the Reese.
RE: 24ft okay for 2010 ML350?
He's probably going to be running 600-650 lbs tongue weight. That appears to be over the MB max. I towed a 24' TT that was 4400 dry and 55-5800 loaded with a Grand Cherokee with an Equal-i-zer hitch. Hitch weight was around 700lbs. Didn't have sway problems. I would say if MB doesn't allow WD hitches it's game over.
Just watched the video. Looks like a Hensley Arrow? That should answer the WD question. I expect the 7500 lb Airstream has a hitch weight in excess of 576 lbs. The video might be a better ad for Hensley than MB. 14mpg towing 7500 lbs?
RE: Where to put the level?
I go with the level stove gang. Have the big level on the front and didn't want to drill holes in the fiberglass either so, mounted it to the front window rock guard. This worked on my previous TT but on the current one, it is too high to see from the driver's seat. Same thing with the front cap being angled so, installed with wedges. Now, I'm thinking of putting it lower, on the cap with heavy duty double sided tape.
RE: Has anyone ordered an Arctic Fox from the factory?
As you may know, you can't buy directly from the factory, you have to go through a dealer. Most dealers will contact the factory with requests for non-standard items. My impression is, the factory is pretty good about accomodating reasonable requests.
One of the advanages of a small manufacturer.
RE: Snow Towing Tricks
A proportional brake controler, like a Prodigy, will apply the TT brakes, "proportionally", to the amount of braking force the TV is seeing. If the TV is braking hard, they apply more voltage and, consequently, more braking to the TT. If braking very slowly, they send less voltage creating less brake force on the TT. No brakes on the TT means if the TV is braking, the TT is going to push it, most likely, unweighting the rear end and pushing it sideways.
If the TT brakes lock up, the TT will tend to go sideways. Neither of these scenarios is good. If you are going to tow in the snow you need a proportional brake controler. Go slow, use 4WD if you have it and chains on the TV and TT if it gets real bad.
RE: 2000 Northwood Artic Fox 29v
I have a 2008, 29V and tow with a 2006 CTD, 2500. With around 1300 lbs of tongue weight I would strongly recommend a WD hitch. I also use the Equal-i-zer 1400/14,000 and am very happy with that set up.
RE: Towing TT without weight bars or sway control
I've been driving, (everything from motorcycles to semis), and towing for more than 50 years and do not consider myself and amateur. Nor do I consider WD and sway control, "rigamorole that amateurs require to keep themselves on the road",.
I know a lot of people tow a lot of things without WD or sway control and, for the most part, get away with it. I also understand properly designed TT's with proper weight distribution. I believe that WD and sway control enhance the safety and capability of my equipment. Why wouldn't I use it? I also wear my seat belt.
RE: Towing TT without weight bars or sway control
There's more to control than sway and, TT weight relative to TV weight makes a lot of difference. Loading a pickup with a TC, or a load of dirt for that matter, places most of the weigh on the rear axle but also a good amount on the front axle.
A TT puts all the weight far behind the rear axle and the TV becomes a teeter totter with the rear axle becoming the fulcrum. 500lbs of tongue weight on a 3/4 ton might be quite managable but, 1000lbs of tongue weight is quite a different matter.
A well balanced TT should tow fine going down the interstate in a straight line. Hit a big bump or dip and things change dramatically. The TV begins to see/saw, alternately unweighting the front and rear axles which can cause traction problems for either.
Throw in a little rain and, maybe some down hill and a curve. The TT and the TV are see/sawing and the, "well balanced TT" as mentioned earlier, goes from having plenty of tongue weight to not enough.
WD tends to lock the two units together so the hitch doesn't become an up and down pivot point. It tends to keep all your tires on the ground all the time with adequate traction and, your headlights aren't shinning up in the trees.
TT's have large, flat surface areas which catch a lot of wind. Again, the leverage behind the rear axle of the TV ampifies this force. I have towed in 50mph cross winds in Utah and Wyoming and was very glad I had a properly adjusted, WD/anti-sway hitch.
You can haul a** at 70 mph down the freeway all day as long as you don't come into a corner too fast or hit significant bumps or dips or severe cross winds or bad weather with limited traction.
When the you know what hits the fan, you may wish you had all the help you can get. Just my opinion.
RE: Arctic Fox or Nash 25S or 22GQ weights?
My '06 Nash, 22GQ, aluminum, weighed about 44-4500 dry and 55-5800 loaded. I think the tongue weight was around 700lbs with both propane tanks full and two golf cart batteries. The batteries weighed about 135lbs. It had the built in Onan generator.
