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RE: 5th wheel advice needed
If 4-5 feet is going make or break it I don't think you'll know before you get there that the shorter setup would make it. Also, having towed both and of the lengths you're looking at, when going to remote places you're just as likely to get stuck by the 5th hitting your bed rails as you are due to length.
Honestly, I'd take my chances with a TT anyday over a 5th given the sharp changes in level you're likely to encounter. I had better than average clearance with my 5th (around 7" I think) and it was a close call pulling into my driveway with a mild slope. I can't imagine trying to haul it out boondocking on bumpy/uneven roads.
It's an interesting topic and I'm curious to hear what other say but I think overall a TT is much more capable than a 5th on rough/uneven roads.
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mtofell1
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05/18/13 01:46am |
Towing
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RE: Looking to buy my first duramax.
270K is A LOT of miles and there are A LOT of expensive parts to go bad IMO.
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mtofell1
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05/16/13 02:19pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel
Yeah.... I think the dealers take that "half ton towable" too litteraly. They assume if the truck can move it, it's "half tone towable"
Following this logic the space shutle is "half ton towable" :)
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mtofell1
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05/14/13 01:52pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: synthetic trans fluid
I've switched to Transynd in my Allison. That's what we run in commercial highway coaches/tour buses. Runs cooler, smoother shifts, longer drain intervals, etc.
How do you do the switch without leaving some of the older stuff behind? Or, is it okay to leave some and blend them?
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mtofell1
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05/13/13 09:45pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: First tow with 06 LBZ
Just pulled my 8K TT from home over the (small - 1000 ft) mountain range to coast. Truck is an 06 LBZ 4X4 and totally stock. Left town with a full tank of fuel and pulled back on fumes. DIC says 11.2 mpg which is usually very close to hand calculated. The range does have some decent rolling hills but I did putt around without the trailer for 40 or so miles while at my destination.
I agree with the posters that anywhere from 9-13 mpg should be expected while towing an average TT or 5th. The # within the range will depend on speed and hills. I can get 13-14 rolling down the flat interstate with no wind or a little at my back going 55. I can also get 9-10 rolling down the same interstate/same conditions at 75.
Well either you have a small tank, or drove farther than you thought. Our Ram made an empty run to PDX airport, then a tow over 26 from Hillsboro to Manaznita, down to Tillamok and back over Hy 6 to Hillsboro, and still showed about 1/2 thank fill took 23 gallons, so gauge is reading a little high (34 gal tank), 11.5 mpg, this with an 11K 5er.
26 gallon tank.... not sure what a Dodge Ram has to do with a Chevy. I guess your first statement nails it.... yes, it's a small tank.
And the total amount of fuel I used was 22.1 gallons according to the DIC. I think of it as "on fumes" since the light came on and I know I have to fill up again soon. In reality I still have 4 more gallons of fuel but don't like to cut it too close. I didn't track the total miles but I'd guess it is around 225.
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mtofell1
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05/13/13 12:24am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: First tow with 06 LBZ
Just pulled my 8K TT from home over the (small - 1000 ft) mountain range to coast. Truck is an 06 LBZ 4X4 and totally stock. Left town with a full tank of fuel and pulled back on fumes. DIC says 11.2 mpg which is usually very close to hand calculated. The range does have some decent rolling hills but I did putt around without the trailer for 40 or so miles while at my destination.
I agree with the posters that anywhere from 9-13 mpg should be expected while towing an average TT or 5th. The # within the range will depend on speed and hills. I can get 13-14 rolling down the flat interstate with no wind or a little at my back going 55. I can also get 9-10 rolling down the same interstate/same conditions at 75.
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mtofell1
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05/12/13 12:56am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Bed clearance issuses
5-6" is pretty minimal but not unheard of. I regularly see fivers running down the road and you couldn't fit a Sunday paper above the bedrails... I always wonder what they do when pulling into a raised or lowered driveway.
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mtofell1
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05/09/13 11:17pm |
Towing
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RE: WDH for 2500 Truck necessary?
I have a bit heavier TT with about 800# tongue weight on my 2500 Duramax. I don't "need" the WDH but still use it. I notice it helps with "porpising" when going over uneven spots.... it also prevents campers towing 12K trailers with 1/2 ton trucks from trying to "educate" me at the campground or gas station :)
I generally run mine on the 2nd chain link which is very little tension... just enough to give some support when things start bouncing on big humps and bumps.
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mtofell1
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05/09/13 11:13pm |
Towing
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RE: Which hitch? Sway control? Brake controller?
Prodigy brake controller is the best IMO. As for sway I use friction and it's great. I ran w/o any for awhile with a similar setup to yours and it wasn't terrible. I just had to keep my finger on the trailer brake constantly to straighten things out when getting passed by a big rig. For WD I use an Equalizer and am very happy with it.
Basically, any WDH and anti-sway is 95% better than none. I wouldn't get too caught up in which brand/style. Read some reviews and and poke around a bit (as you're doing) and make a decision.
The Armada is a capable TV (I use to have a Titan and LOVED it). The weak link on your setup is likely the tires on the Armada. Throw some higher rated tires and airbags for the rear end and you're looking super nice.
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mtofell1
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05/08/13 09:26pm |
Towing
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RE: Need advice on toy hauler swaying on freeway
Yea, I've been doing a lot of research. I do think I'll be okay. In the end, when I get close to 1k miles, I'll hook everything up, load the Harley, and everything else in the TH, and hit the scales. That will be the only way I'll truly know where I stand. I joked with my Wife last night telling her we can either leave the two dogs at home, or lose 40lbs. each to be able to go camping. :)
It is amazing how fast weight adds up... I rolled through the scales recently with my 3/4 ton and "1/2 ton towable" TT. And I don't carry anything special - just a few kids and the basic camping stuff. Heck, I was even on my way home so most of the beer and firewood were gone. I was surprised to only be 600lbs under the max 9200 weight for combined axles. 600lbs is still a lot of weight and, much to the dispute of the weight police, there IS a fudge factor for sure built in to the ratings. My point is even with a 3/4 ton and modest TT the max weight is closer than you might think.
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mtofell1
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05/08/13 09:20pm |
Towing
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RE: Need advice on toy hauler swaying on freeway
Thanks Irak for finding the correct GCWR number... it was the one that kinda threw a flag and made me insert the "assuming" statement.
To OP: FWIW, even with the larger GCWR number, I think you're making a wise decision to go for a bigger truck.
I also didn't like the 2500 rpm at 60 mph.\
lol if you think 2500 is bad, you would be crying at 4k, where i sat when pulling with my subaru for 25k miles
2.5k simply means your out of overdrive, which is totally expected
if your uncomfortable fine, but i would load it weigh it and try to get it dialed in before changing vehicles, but thats just me
I tried, believe me, I tried. I love my truck so much that I bought a 100% aluminum toy hauler spending over $20k just to get one light enough to tow with my Tacoma. I'm literally sick to my stomach that I have a 7 month old truck that I now have to sell. Anyway, I tried moving stuff around, shifting weight, changing the WD hitch links, etc. No matter what the trailer moves around and makes the Tacoma feel too squirmy for my tastes, so she's got to go.
I pulled the trigger today on a F150 FX4 4x4. It will be almost double the GAWR and longer wheel base of 145". I didn't get the max tow package, but it should still tow up to about 9500#'s. I'm only needing to tow probably 5K, so the new truck should be good. Not supposed to tow until I get to 1k miles, so I didn't try it even though I really wanted to. I'll update you all after I get her hooked up and try it.
Your plight makes me smile... I just did the same thing over the last 10 years or so. Started with an 89 Toyota 4runner.... LOVED that rig. Went to a 95 4runner got married and had a baby. Got an F150 then got divorced (5 years passed), got re-married have 3 more kids for a total of 4 and now a 3/4 diesel with a bunkhouse TT.
Be carful, this whole towing/camping thing gets expensive to do right but there's no better feeling than rolling down the road with your family in the best/safest setup available :)
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mtofell1
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05/07/13 11:45pm |
Towing
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RE: 2006 Chevy Duramax/Allison Question?
To call head gasket and injector issues common with LBZ engines is like saying plane crashes are common. Yes they happen but they are very rare. You only hear about the ones that fail.
Since I own an LBZ I've been paying attention to the headgasket thing on various message boards and I've yet to hear of one that occured on a non-chipped or heavily modded truck. I'm sure they've happened and I don't sit up nights combing the boards.... it's just that the dozen or so I've heard of ALL were on trucks that guys had tweaked to get the most out of.
My take on used trucks is buy only if it's stock and you're reasonbly sure it's always been that way. Anything else and you're asking for trouble.
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mtofell1
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05/06/13 08:35pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 2006 Chevy Duramax/Allison Question?
2006 4X4 CC LBZ, no chip or lift, tires bumped up one size from the stock pizza cutters to 265/75 16, just turned over 125K on the ticker today - overall great truck/tranny combo. MPG with mixed driving are right at 15. As others say I can get 20-21 rolling down a flat non-windy highway at 55 but can't do it for long (I'm impatient). Hwy at 70 with some hills I'll get 16-17.
Towing an 8K trailer I get 10-12 depending on speed and hills. It's funny because I use to tow a 12K 5th wheel and the MPG weren't that much different than with the 8K TT - maybe 1mpg.
As mentioned these trucks are rare, especially fining one that hasn't been chipped/modded or lifted to the hilt.
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mtofell1
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05/06/13 06:08pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: shoulder belt for front-middle bench seat?
My Ford (see sig) has a shoulder harness on all 6 seats. No roll bar as someone said. :S
Interesting.... thanks. I bet within the next few years all of the trucks will start to include it. And, yeah, the belts are mostly included in the seats these days so no more anchoring to the roof or side pilars.
I'm surprised mainly because our mini-van and wife's previous SUV both had three shoulder belts across the backseat. I just assumed there would be 3 shoulder belts in the FRONT seat since it's so much more dangerous.
And, yep.... as somebody asked, gotta have a truck for work. We have a minivan to haul the little ones around 95% of the time. Problem is it just can't move the 8000# TT :)
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mtofell1
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05/04/13 09:57am |
Tow Vehicles
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shoulder belt for front-middle bench seat?
So, I find myself with a wife and 4 kids and a truck with 5 seats (and a travel trailer to tow). I've been looking at doing a conversion of the front console to a jump seat but am surprised that they don't have shoulder belts. In looking at new trucks w/bench seats it seems it's still just lap belts.
Am I correct that no trucks w/bench seats have shoulder belts? I can't fine one if they do exist. I'm not sure if I want to ride with one of my kids only in a lap belt for the front seat. I still have to look into the airbag thing too.
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mtofell1
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05/03/13 11:50pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Crazy Truck Dealers
Was working a dealer for a New 2013 F150 Crew Cab HD Payload,Max Tow truck to order.. Gave a Great deal on there truck..$500 less then my best deal..$36600
But they offer only $30000 for my trade.. A 2012 Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab.. 2700 miles.. Kbb says $37900.. For VG Condition.. Which it is every bit off.. i Baby this truck..
What Gives
Kelly Blue Book is the "Zillow.com" of motor vehicle values, which is to say it is generally inaccurate. NADA or the Black Book are more accurate. If you have a Carmax store nearby, take your proposed trade in there and see what they would offer you to buy it outright, though chances are it will be lowball as well.
fwiw, Zillow is actually pretty accurate considering they don't really look at the house. There are exceptions of course (you've probably been on the receiving end of one) but it's a good estimate in most cases. Reason I know is I work in housing and check their prices on a lot of houses regulary. Their price vs. selling price is scarily close many times.
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mtofell1
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05/02/13 10:03pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: How much is too much?
What you describe sounds pretty normal to me and pretty much on par with my experience with a similar truck/trailer. Of course, a lot depends on just how steep the hills are.
One thing I'm not familiar with is the "boost". Does this mean you have some kind of chip/tune or gauges?
Overall, 2300RPM is normal/low RPM for a decent grade for the load you're hauling IMO.
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mtofell1
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05/01/13 12:02am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Gone to diesel? Some questions for those that have.
After going from gas to diesel I'd rather not ever go back to gas but would depending on what I need to tow and do with the truck otherwise.
A couple things that drive me nuts with the debates:
Maint. costs for the diesel are exactly the same except for fuel filters. I buy from fleetfilter.com and pay $23 for a a fuel filter. So, there you have it - I pay $50 a year to drive a diesel vs. gas. Oil changes are a wash and actually in the favor of a diesel since they are only needed half as often.
The whole cost of fuel debate is funny and I'm not sure if some of you gas guys are just trying to make yourselves feel better or just don't realize it. $4 vs. $4.50 a gallon is a 12.5% difference. MPGs on a capable gas (let's say a Ford V10) run roughly 10 towing the same load my Duramax gets 13 (and I think I'm being overly generous to the gasser here). Run that through the old calculator and see what you get.
I really have no problem with gas trucks... I've owned them and I'd gladly own one again but come on guys..... let's get real here. There a reason 99% of the commercial freight being hauled down the interstates is done with a diesel truck.
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mtofell1
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04/27/13 10:31pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Michelin LTXMS2
No white walls, no white letters
X2
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mtofell1
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04/27/13 10:18pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 2005 GMC 2500HD Input please
25-28' 6000# loaded is a bit tough to pull off unless you're talking about a trailer with no slide and you pack really light. I've owned several different TT of that size and the lightest was a 26 foot Terry with no slide that was around 7000#.
IMO - 6000# with truck no problem at all. By 8000# you're going to start to feel it behind you more than you might want. Of course, a lot depends on where you tow also. I live in a valley and have mountains on each side so it's a much different ballgame than if it were flat. The overall chasis of a 3/4 is great but the 6.0 is bordering on underpowered with some of the bigger trailers.
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mtofell1
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04/25/13 09:52pm |
Tow Vehicles
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