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RE: 4x2 or 4x4 for towing ??????
One note here, is that the more parts, more weight and lower MPG theory is very overblown.
Yes there are more parts, however they get almost no wear except when 4x4 is in use and require very little maintenance.
Yes the parts add more weight, but 500# of extra axle, driveshaft and transfer case weight on an 8,000#+ truck is pretty negligable.
Lower MPG with a 4x4 equipped vehicle is virtually unmeasurable these days. Yes, it was lower MPG in the very early days with full time 4x4 trucks and without locking hubs, but not today. Locking hubs mean there is no extra drag on the drivetrain when the hubs are unlocked and the front axle and driveshaft are not turning. On an 8,000#+ truck that gets 15 MPG, the MPG lost to the extra weight of the 4x4 components is several places to the right of the decimal point.
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wp6529
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12/08/09 10:12am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 4x2 or 4x4 for towing ??????
Another advantage to 4x4 beyond the not getting stuck angle, is that 4x4 can help you move over softer surfaces like grass without tearing them up as much. With these heavy high HP trucks, it's often difficult to get moving on grass without a brief spin and resulting ruts without 4x4.
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wp6529
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12/07/09 07:35pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 4x2 or 4x4 for towing ??????
4x2 or 4x4 makes basically no difference for towing, just a slight reduction in capacity with 4x4 due to the extra axle and transfer case weight.
A vehicle in the correct weight class for what you plan to tow is the critical part, and DRW will certainly add stability if you are near weight limits.
Where the 4x2 or 4x4 decision comes in is with where you are going to tow and under what conditions. If you plan to tow in snow and ice areas 4x4 is certainly a benefit. If you plan to tow on dirt roads / campgrounds that can get muddy fast with a little rain, 4x4 is a benefit.
4x4 will also tend to give you better resale value when/if you sell or trade the truck.
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wp6529
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12/07/09 06:01pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: DIY 4' Hitch Extension Mod Fabrication
One suggestion I have is to provide contiguous safety chains or cables to connect from the trucks safety chain attachment points back to your safety loops, perhaps hook on there with screw links to hold position, and hook the trailers safety chains to those safety chains, no the loops on the extension.
Also second the doubling of the end of the extension receiver to prevent flaring.
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wp6529
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12/03/09 08:11pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Methamphetamine - Elkhart and RV industry
I just ran across this story on MSN. Sad not only for the people hooked on meth but for the RV industry. Clicky Kind of explains why there is/was such a lack of quality control on the units assembled in Elkhart. What really struck me was that supervisors/managers knew assembly line workers were high on meth but allowed it because it made them work faster.
I found it interesting how my original post has morphed into a discourse on religion including the Amish and especially the last poster's anti Islam comment.
My original intent was to prompt discourse on how meth might explain some of the outlandish defects in our units. Really got to like the comment about the supermeth blowing up people's hearts. Too bad that the Feds hadn't come up with super weed in the '70s.
Oh well, shouldn't post here unless you have asbestos undies. Guess that is one of the reasons I'm still here after all this time.
Well, the real reason for the defects is simply the cost pressures. We want RVs that everyone can afford, so that means we end up with the RV equivalent of economy cars. Everyone can afford them, and they get the job done, but they aren't "luxury cars".
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wp6529
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12/03/09 08:04pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Methamphetamine - Elkhart and RV industry
I have a hard time having much compassion for these addicts. With rare exception, these are low intelligence, weak minded people who made a decision to start using drugs to begin with and are now paying the price for that decision. Even the ones who do manage to get off the drugs usually end up hooked on something else destructive like religion. I'm quite happy to have them removed from the gene pool and rot away in prison or just OD in some abandoned house.
"Destructive like religion"?
Why this has to be one of the most idiotic things I have ever read on these Forums.:R
Take a look at the cause behind the bulk of all historical and current conflicts, death and destruction.
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wp6529
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12/03/09 08:00pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Methamphetamine - Elkhart and RV industry
WP6529
I sure don't want to get on your bad side. Is this what the sign's on the roads in Texas mean "The Texas Way". I don't disagree but just surprised someone would say it.
The first part of that sign is "Drive friendly".
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wp6529
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12/03/09 07:58pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Staying in a motel
I also see a lot of folks who have to travel with their own pillow which also strikes me as an OCD behavior.
Think so? What about folks with allergies, and have to have special pillows. Or folks, like my wife who has back problems, and the pillow she has. Some sort of fancy dancy thing. Helps keep her back from hurting. Do you think it is OCD to not want to hurt?
I have / had allergies. I have needed no special pillows. Allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots) work wonderfully and are covered 100% by my insurance. They took my cat allergy from severe to non existant in less than a year. My cat appreciates me not sneezing on her.
As far as back problems and specialty pillows, sure some folks may have such things, but the vast majority of travelers I see clutching pillows are clutching what are clearly ordinary pillows.
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wp6529
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12/03/09 07:54pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: RPI experience
One time CC numbers are pretty much required to do business these days with the plague of automatic renewal nonsense. Most of these auto renew places have some elaborate opt-out hassle you can jump through, or you simply use a one time CC number and they can go pound sand when they try to scam... er... renew you.
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wp6529
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12/02/09 05:13pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Staying in a motel
I've stayed in $150/night hotels that while not being IDLH were dirty and generally sucky. I've also stayed at a $25/night motel that while not fancy was clean and well appointed.
People's hygiene and cleanliness standards vary a lot as well, and some of those flea bag motels referenced would be considered spotless in some parts of the world.
I don't think "foreign owned" has much to do with anything. I've traveled to some places where the sanitation standards in the general populace were far below "western" standards, but the obviously foreign owned tourist hotels were spotless.
Some people are also hypersensitive and will find fault with the cleanest hotel rooms, or think one dead fly on the windowsill qualifies a room as not fit for habitation.
Some people are obsessed with the thoughts of what someone might have done in the room previously (do they do that with their used house or used RV?).
I also see a lot of folks who have to travel with their own pillow which also strikes me as an OCD behavior.
Traveling in an RV certainly has advantages of not having to pack everything into a couple suitcases and being able to easily bring more of your stuff along.
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wp6529
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12/02/09 05:09pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Ford's 6.4L diesel
I have ready many negative issues with the DPF and that is one major one to me thats why My truck is about to have an accident and the dpf is going to fall off!
I'm pretty sure such an "accident" would make you eligable for the death penalty in MA...
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wp6529
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11/18/09 02:22pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: 12vdc to 30vdc
I'd suspect that the power supply in the fixture is not a simple 30V power supply, but rather a constant current supply (LEDs are current driven devices) and the 30V max is the max voltage that the supply will output in order to maintain the 350mA output current it's spec'd for. Applying a non current limited 30V to the LEDs will in all probability make them a lot brighter - for the few hours of overcurrent operation before they fail.
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wp6529
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11/18/09 02:09pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: desiel fuel injectors
If I read the MSDS right- it can be 70 to 100% solvents.
So where is the lube?
In the 0-30% non-hazardous and unlisted ingredients? Again, the MSDS is not the formula for a product, it is only a listing of ingredients considered potentially hazardous.
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wp6529
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11/15/09 08:30pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: desiel fuel injectors
I just looked at the MSDS and can find no lube in their lubricity formula.
Maybe someone can enlighten me?
MSDS do not list the entire formula for a given product, they only list ingredients considered potentially hazardous.
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wp6529
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11/15/09 08:36am |
Tech Issues
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RE: desiel fuel injectors
A key thing to note here:
If you have a '07 and up diesel which requires the ULSD fuel which is known to have lower lubricity than previous diesel fuels, the manufacturers are recommending you use additives to improve lubricity.
If you have a pre '07 diesel (including tractors and stuff), it is essential that you use an additive since these engines were designed to run on the previous diesel fuel that had more lubricity, and you are now only able to get the ULSD fuel.
I read a good article on this issue in a publication that I believe was from Chevron. They had detailed data from pre-emissions heavy construction equipment that showed significant issues when the equipment was switched to running on ULSD diesel fuel without using an additive to compensate for the lack of lubricity. Newer construction equipment engines build for the ULSD fuel fared better of course, but it was noted that the additives helped there as well.
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wp6529
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11/14/09 07:09am |
Tech Issues
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RE: desiel fuel injectors
Several (blind) lubricity studies out there.
The one done on the Chev Diesel forum was the Opti-lube = best . . . .
however - IIRC they rated a small amt of bio-diesel as "just as good".
rdd - The products you mention - appear to be cetane boosters - and I suspect *NOT* intended for Ford diesels *requiring* ULSD.
(Mfg after Jan. 07 - with a DPF).
"Anti-Gel and Performance Improver (ULSD Compliant)" -
doesn't indicate lubricity "improver".
And for the folks who stumble on this thread - *NO* additives for the newer diesel engines which require ULSD . . . and BAD things *will* happen if you run Low Sulfur Diesel (in Mexico, or?) in your engine.
Bottom line - it's your engine - read the owners manual.
~
JC
Numerous Ford documents including the owners manual diesel supplement for the 2009 6.4l recommend the PM-22-A / PM-23-A adatives.
The PM-22-A may be titles "Cetane Booster & Performance Improver", but the bottle bullet points include "Adds lubricity to the fuel to reduce engine wear" and "ULSD Compliant"
The only problem with the PM-22-A is the small 20oz bottles. I read what I believe was a Ford bulletin that mentioned the PM-22-A or an equivalent such as Stanadyne Performance Formula, and I see that this equivalent is available in 1, 5 and 55gal sizes in addition to the tiny 20oz.
When I have time I plan to find a Standyne distributor in my area and see if the $/oz of the 5gal size is better than the PM-22-A.
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wp6529
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11/12/09 07:02pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Building my own looks....
Remember to make sure you will be able to fit the section out the door before you glue it up...
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wp6529
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11/12/09 06:40pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Microsoft - XP vs 7
But rarely if ever do we hear of folks going from Apple to Microsoft... now you can be Silent or swear at me and walk away..;)
I personally know three folks who switched from Mac to Windows after becoming more computer literate. The key difference is that they do not run around prostelatizing their new found religion like Mac converts, they just get on with doing the work they need to do on their computer.
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wp6529
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11/12/09 08:02am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Microsoft - XP vs 7
Upgrade or new PC, go with Windows 7. This time round, even the Microsoft haters are having a hard time finding bad things to say about it. All the rest of the reveiws are very good.
This IT person with over 20 years in the business LOVES it.
It just plain works.
What do you like about it in particular?
I looked on the M$ site at their top ten reasons to upgrade to 7 list and didn't find much of anything on that list that I didn't already have on my W2k, XP and Vista systems.
I saw it claimed stuff about sharing files and printers on a home network as a great feature in W7 - what the heck are they talking about? My two W2k, two XP and one Vista systems all share files and map drives just fine and all access my printer pool (color inkjet and mono laser) just fine.
None of those 5 systems have any crashes, hangs or security issues either.
I'm trying to figure out what I'd gain with W7 beyond a lighter wallet.
BTW, I am a card carrying Mac hater. I'm also no great Windows fan, I just use what works best for my needs, hence still having W2k and XP systems that continue to do what I need them to do flawlessly.
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wp6529
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11/09/09 06:27pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: 2nd MALWARE in two months, I can't believe it!!!
Pretty much no firewall or virus scanner is going to help you when you as administrator, expressly install malware and even disable your firewall to do it.
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wp6529
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11/09/09 02:46pm |
Technology Corner
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