RE: Foam Swim Noodles Under Your Slide Toppers
UPDATE!!!
This past Friday, I went out to the storage lot where I keep my fiver - to do a test fit of my new “anti-pooling devices”. I’m pleased to report that the 3.5” X 5' noodles were the perfect size for my application.
It appears I’ve solved my pooling problem. As a side benefit, since the noodles take up the slack in the slide toppers, I should experience reduced less flapping in the breeze.
RE: slide out awning
We’ve had rainwater pool in our slide toppers (awnings). As others have said, it is normal. It doesn’t likely cause any harm, but I wanted to prevent the pooling so that, when breaking camp, I’d stand a better chance of retracting dry slide toppers (awnings).
There are two inexpensive ways to eliminate the pooling - beach balls (already mentioned) or swim noodles – depending on how much height you have between the roof of your slide-out and the underside of the awning. In my case, the slide toppers were added by the dealer, and mounted lower on the side of the trailer than if they had been installed as part of the original (assembly line) build. Because of this lower mounting, beach balls were too big for my use.
So, last week, I went to Wal-Mart and bought four 5ft swim noodles; one for the bedroom slide; three for the main slide (I’ll cut these three to the right total length, then string them together with drapery cord). Wal-Mart’s noodles are available in two diameters; 3.5” ($3.88 each), and 2.5” ($1.50 each). I bought the 3.5” diameter size.
Yesterday, I went out to the storage lot where I keep my fiver - to do a test fit of my new “anti-pooling devices”. I’m pleased to report that the 3.5” noodles were the perfect size for my application.
It appears I’ve solved my pooling problem. As a side benefit, since the noodles take up the slack in the slide toppers, I should have much less flapping in the breeze.
Foam Swim Noodles Under Your Slide Toppers
Just a timely tip.....
Are you looking for a way to prevent rain water from puddling on your slide toppers (awnings)? Are beach balls too big to fit between the top of your slide-out and the underside of the topper?
This was my situation last fall, when I hit on the idea of using swim noodles. However, being the wrong time of year, I went from store to store - probably 15 to 20 stores in all - unable to find any. Swim noodles are a seasonal item, and all stores had cleared them out by the end of summer.
Well, guess what folks! Swim season is fast approaching. I went to Wal-Mart today and, sure enough, I found them, in two different sizes - both are five feet long; one size is 3.5 inches in diameter and priced at $3.88; the other is 2.5 inches in diameter and priced at $1.50. I bought four of the bigger-diameter noodles; one for the bedroom slide; the other three, I'll cut to the right total length, then rope them together for the living/dining slide (the noodles have a hole that runs down the center of them).
My fiver is in storage a half hour away, and it is parked too close to the unit next to it, so that I won't be able to fully extend the main slide to do a test fit until mid July when I plan to use it next. But, I can fully extend the bedroom slide while in storage, so I will be able to test fit that one when I'm out to my unit next week.
I'll report back after I've had a chance to try these out.
RE: SUNNYBROOK - MONTANA OR CEDAR CREEK
As to the truck… I specifically looked for (and bought) an F350 SRW SuperCab Short Bed with the 6.8 liter V-10 gas engine and 2 wheel drive. So far, I’ve not regretted it - although I’ve yet to pull my fiver through any mountains. On serious long mountain grades, I’ll likely wish I had the diesel. But I’m sure my gasser will make the grade – just somewhat slower to the top, and at higher RPM’s. That’s okay with me (I think). For the other 99% of my use, the V-10 is plenty capable. By the way, I went with the SuperCab/Short Bed/SRW in order to be able to get it easily into my garage – with a little room to walk around it. Having said all this, if you’re going to be pulling a lot more than I do, and if you’ll be doing it in the mountains quite a bit, then get the diesel.
As to the fiver… You’re looking at three of the brands that we seriously considered. We also thought long and hard on the Jayco Designers and Eagles. There are many good features with all of them. We chose the Sunnybrook Titan because it has the beefiest chassis (16” box steel at the central frame), MOR/ryde suspension, and Dexter’s Nev-R-Lube axle hubs. There wasn't much of a "pizzaz factor" in our unit, but build quality seemed good, and the floor plan, options, condition, and price were right for us (we bought used). Also, RV Consumer Group rated the Sunnybrook Titan favorably – at four stars on their five-star scale. If I recall correctly, only a very few of the much more expensive brands were awarded five stars.
Consider how you will use it. Two things, that were not too important for how we use our unit, may be very important to you – since you will be “semi full-timing”. They are:
1) Insulation – In our 2005 Sunnybrook, the severe weather insulation package was not yet offered. If you anticipate usage in very cold or very hot weather, be sure to consider how well the unit is insulated. Also, you may want to consider Therm-o-Pane (or other double-pane) windows.
2) Is it warranted for full time use? – Most manufacturers of mid-priced units do not warrant them for full time. My Sunnybrook warranty (which only applied to the original owner – not me) warrants “for 24 months of normal use. Normal use means for recreational or temporary living purposes.”
We are pleased with our choice so far. But, we’ve only owned it since July 2007, and we’ve used it just twice – a total of less than four weeks. Should you wish more info about our set-up, refer to my response to the “sticky” topic on the fifth wheel forum – the one titled “Whats your real weights?” – third from the top. My very lengthy response is on page 12 of that thread – I think the 112th response. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.
Good luck in your selection process.
Replacement Spare Tire Winch
My fiver's spare tire is stored under the trailer using a device similar to (or maybe the same as) the system used to store a pick-up's spare under the PU bed. Don't know the official name of the device, but I'd call it a spare tire winch (a cable, crank, and wheel holder/bracket assembly).
Two plastic parts on mine broke, so now the cable is bound on the spool, and the device no longer works. Mine was made by Deuer Manufacturing Co of Dayton Ohio. (I'll call them tomorrow, to inquire as to where I can get a new one.)
Has anybody else had this problem? If so, where did you get a replacement, and do you recall the approximate price? Is there a better quality replacement part (one that would last longer than the three years my original equipment winch lasted?
Thanks for any and all responses.
Shipping Weight Understated
Once or twice in the past, when somebody started a discussion thread asking about the weight of their tow vehicle, I’ve responded by suggesting they check the “shipping weight”, as listed on their Certificate of Origin or Invoice. I no longer think shipping weight is the best indicator of the truck’s actual weight. In the case of my truck, shipping weight understates actual weight by about 300 pounds.
When I bought the F-350 in my signature, I thought its dry weight was about 5703 pounds. Certificate of Origin and Invoice both listed shipping weight of 5799 pounds. I was told that 13 gallons of gas (listed on invoice) was included in shipping weight. So, if gasoline weighs about 7.4 pounds per gallon then, with an empty tank, the truck should weigh about 5703 pounds.
A month after buying the truck, but before adding any after-market stuff, I drove it to a compost site here in Fort Wayne (where the scale is reported to be fairly accurate). I was told “3.21 tons” (6420 pounds). Subtracting my weight, the weight of cargo, and the weight of the estimated amount of gas in the tank, I figured that the actual dry weight of the truck, as factory optioned, was about 5970 to 6010 pounds.
I just finished posting a response to a sticky thread over on the fifth wheel forum – the thread with the topic “What’s Your Real Weights? Truck and Trailer….” In the process of compiling all the data in my lengthy answer to that question, I noticed that the “Tire and Load Information” label on my truck states, “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 4088 pounds.” This would seem to imply that the actual weight of the truck, with a full tank of gas (29 gallons), is 6312 pounds (10,400 GVWR minus 4088 max load). Again, assuming gas weighs 7.4 lbs per gallon, then, based on this approach, my empty truck weighs 6097 pounds – nearly 400 pounds more than the “shipping weight” minus 13 gallons of fuel.
So, where’s the truth in all of this? Does my empty truck weigh about 5700 lbs, as derived from the shipping weight? Or does it weigh close to 6000 lbs, as derived from an actual weighing? Or does it weigh nearly 6100 lbs, as derived from the “tire and load info” label? I’m inclined to go with the results of my actual weigh-in; 5990 lbs (give or take 20 lbs).
The point of all of this is to suggest that a prospective truck buyer wanting to know its weight should probably ignore its shipping weight. Instead, simply subtract the “never exceed” (max load) weight on the “Tire and Load Info” label from the truck’s GVWR. That’ll give you a weight that includes a full tank of fuel, plus maybe a 100 lb “fudge factor”.
PS… This heavier-than-expected discovery doesn’t cause a big problem for me. I deliberately bought a one ton rather than a ¾ ton – to be sure I would have more than enough payload capacity for any of the fivers I was contemplating. As it turns out, the total weight on my truck’s axles (with fiver attached) is 9900 lbs, which is 500 under the truck’s 10,400 GVWR. I can run with that. I’m just disappointed that the truck weighs 300 lbs more than I was led to believe (using the shipping weight). If I ever want to add an in-the-bed auxiliary fuel tank to feed my V-10 gasser, I only have 500 lbs within GVWR instead of the approximate 800 lbs that I thought I would have. Not a big deal. If I do it, I’d just have to settle for a smaller tank.
RE: Whats Your Real Weights? Truck and Trailer. The Real Deal
Okay, fellow RV’ers, I’ve gone through this whole discussion thread, made note of the additional stuff that some respondents said they’d like to see included, and I’ve compiled the following very lengthy report about our set-up. For those interested enough to read the whole report, you’ll notice I’ve also thrown in some extra data and commentary.
Truck (bought new in Jan ‘07): 2006 Ford F-350, Super Cab, short bed, 4X2, SRW, 6.8 liter gas V-10
Fiver (bought used in July ‘07): 2005 Sunnybrook Titan 30RKFS, with optional bedroom slide
CAT scale weights (loaded, while on three-week trip):
Steer axle = 3780 (620 under front 4400 GAWR)
Drive axle = 6120 (710 under rear 6830 GAWR)
Combined = 9900 (500 under truck’s 10,400 GVWR)
Trailer axles = 9840
Gross weight = 19,740 (1260 under truck’s 21,000 GCWR)
Truck without fiver attached = 7140 (includes two people totaling about 340 lbs, cargo of about 340 lbs, and about 25 gallons of gas in the tank)
Trailer weight = 12,600 (2400 under 15,000 GVWR)
Pin weight = 2760 (21.9% of trailer’s total weight)
Dry weights, after-market items, miles per gallon, and other details:
Truck has Lariat trim, plus several factory-installed options. Before adding any after-market items, it weighed 3.21 tons (6420 pounds), at a local (non-CAT) scale. Subtracting the minimal cargo, my weight, and an estimate for the gas in the tank, I figure the dry weight, as built and with an empty gas tank, would be about 5970 to 6010 pounds. As an aside, the Ford invoice and Certificate of Origin claim this truck’s shipping weight is 5799 pounds – and that figure is supposed to include 13 gallons of gas!!! For more detail on this issue, see my topic “Shipping Weight Understated”, which I’ll post in the “Tow Vehicle” forum as soon as I finish this response to the “weight” thread.
Three after-market items are a Line-X spray-on bed-liner (maybe 30-40 lbs?), a Fold-A-Cover bed cover (40-50 lbs?), and a Reese 16K Kwik Slide hitch (175 lbs?). Adding these items, plus 29 gallons of gas (about 215 lbs?), I estimate that the truck, with a full tank - no people or cargo, weighs about 6430 to 6490 pounds.
Truck has 4.10 rear axle ratio. Manually calculated miles per gallon figures are:
For highway driving without trailer: 13.8 to 14.9 MPG
For city driving without trailer: 10.5 to 11.8 MPG
For mix of city & highway, no trailer: 13.2 MPG
Loaded truck/trailer combo on Indiana and Michigan trips (minimal hills): low of 7.92; high of 8.95 MPG (These two MPG calculations were for the worst and best of five single tank fill-ups following distances where all miles were with loaded truck and trailer in tow.)
I’ve not yet taken this combo on a long trip with significant hills/mountains.
Truck is not a “daily driver”. Still has less than 7300 miles on it (just 1400 miles pulling). Don’t know whether mileage will improve as more miles are accumulated, or if the above MPGs are as good as it gets. To date, I’ve used 87 octane gas exclusively.
As for the fiver, the brochure lists a no-options dry gross weight of 9947 lbs. The optional bedroom slide-out adds about 400 lbs (per a Sunnybrook factory customer service rep). The unloaded vehicle weight (UVW), listed on the label in a kitchen cabinet (for this unit as factory optioned), is 10,781 lbs. The original owner added living/dining slide and bedroom slide awnings, a 2X2 hitch receiver and cross bracing, a main awning support platform, one Max Air vent cover, and a few interior and storage area items. I’m guessing the combined weight of these add-ons is probably 220 to 250 lbs. So, the dry weight may be as much as 11,030 lbs. Add about 40 lbs for a battery and 60 lbs for LP gas, and we’re up to 11,130 before loading it up. Of the 12,600 pound loaded weight mentioned above, about 300 lbs was for fresh water, about 30 lbs for LP gas, and about 115 lbs for two bikes, two heavy-duty cable locks, and the bike rack and its cover. All other contents loaded into the fiver total about 1080 lbs. That doesn’t include most of my tools, all the leveling blocks and boards, the king pin tripod, and my 30 gallon “Tote-Along”. These items travel in the bed of the truck.
The brochure shows a no-options dry king pin weight of 2090 lbs. The factory CS rep says that about 300 lbs of the weight of the bedroom slide is on the king pin – so that takes pin weight up to 2390 before any other options or contents are added. As stated above, my loaded king pin weight was 2760 lbs – and that’s with about 200 lbs mounted at the back of the fiver (bikes, rack, and receiver hitch). My fresh water tank is located just ahead of the front axle, so some of the water weight is on the pin.
The brochure shows a length of 31 ft 8 in. Our unit, with the optional extended pin box, and ladder at the rear, is about 33 ft 4 in. – with the bikes mounted at the back, about 35 ft. Total length of truck, trailer with mounted bikes, and with the sliding hitch in the “travel” position, is just a few inches under 50 feet.
The trailer tows level and there are about 6.5 inches between the fiver’s underside and the top of the “wind seals” (as they are called by Fold-A-Cover) – the strips mounted atop the truck’s bed rails, that support and contain the folding cover.
Trailer axles are rated at 6000 each. The 9840 loaded axle weight works out to an average weight per tire of 2460. I’ve not gotten individual weights on each trailer tire, but hopefully, no single tire is carrying more than 3000 pounds. The made-in-USA Goodyear Marathon tires are size ST235/80R16, Load Range D, rated for somewhere between 3000 and 3100 pounds at 65 PSI. No tire problems to date in my very limited use of this trailer.
With MOR/ryde IRE suspension, shock absorbers, the soft riding ST tires, and the way we load it up, this trailer seems to pull quite smoothly. In our limited experience, there has been minimal up/down or front/back jerky sensation – certainly, nothing annoying.
There. Enough said about our combo (probably, much more than enough said for many of you). I wanted to give as full a disclosure as possible – for the benefit of those contemplating a fiver. Hopefully, it’s been helpful.
RE: Question for Weight Police or anyone else
You may want to consider buying a "ratings" CD put out by RV Consumer Group. It goes back several years - providing length, weight, GVWR, and value/reliability/highway control ratings on all models from all manufacturers. The info it provided was quite helpful for me. It alerted me to a manufacturer I had never heard of. After extensive shopping, comparison with other brands, and other research, in July 2007, I bought a unit they rated at 4 stars (out of a max of 5 stars) - the unit in my signature. So far, we're very pleased with our choice.
For more info on RV Consumer Group, go to www.rv.org.
RE: Super Glide vs Manual Slide... HELP!
The PullRite SuperGlide is an excellent, well-engineered, well-built, fully automatic slider. It provides much “peace of mind” in that, while turning/backing, you don’t have to worry about any possibility of an “unplanned meeting” of your truck’s cab and the nose of the fiver.
However, in addition to the lower price of a manual slider, there are two other factors in its favor that nobody has yet mentioned – (1) the weight difference, and (2) the ease of “access-ability” to the truck bed or the fiver’s front storage compartment (while hooked up).
(1) Weight: There is about a 100 pound weight difference; PullRite SuperGlide weighs 285 to 300 pounds; a manual slider weighs 175 to 200 pounds. If your truck is a 350 or 3500 (1 ton), the extra weight of the SuperGlide may not be an issue. However, if the truck is a 250 or 2500, and if your fiver has a front bedroom slide-out, the extra 100 pound weight of the Superglide may be an issue - if you desire to stay within the ¾ ton’s GVWR.
(2) Ease of access-ability: Let’s say you’ve got your trailer hooked up, and you need to put (or take) some bulky item into (or out of) the bed of your truck, or the front storage compartment of the fiver. With a PullRite Superglide hitch, you have no means of expanding the distance between truck and trailer, to make the “put or take” easier (or even possible). With a manual slider, you simply swing the slider lever to the other end, then get in the truck, squeeze the trailer brake controller, and move the truck forward. This gives you several extra inches of space between truck and trailer.
I concede that these are two very minor advantages of a manual slider, and they may be of no consequence in your situation. Nonetheless, since you wish to hear all the pros and cons, I thought I would mention them.
RE: 2008 Ford 250SD
As to your question about load-carrying capacity - there is quite a bit of difference between the GVWR of the F250 versus that of the SRW F350: 1200 pounds in the case of my configuration. My truck (see signature below) has a 10,400 pound GVWR, The same configuration in an F250 has a 9,200 pound GVWR. My empty F350 may be nearly 100 pounds heavier than a comparable F250, so I would still have at least 1100 pounds greater payload capacity.
I think you may be thinking of the GCWR (gross combined weight rating). Since that rating is based on engine, rear axle, and SRW or dually rear wheels, that rating will be the same in an F250 or a SRW F350 (assuming they both have the same engine and axle ratio).
RE: 2008 Ford 250SD
No question the diesel has plenty of pulling power. As to load-carrying capacity, the F250 has adequate GVWR capacity for the fiver you're looking at. However, since you don't yet own the truck (you plan to order it), why not spend just a bit more and get the F350? That way, you'll have plenty of excess payload capacity - should you ever decide to add an auxiliary fuel tank, or if you later decide to upgrade to a heavier fifth wheel.
My current set-up is as shown in signature. Glad I bought the F-350, as it has a GVWR of 10,400. With the trailer attached, my wife and I in the truck, and all loaded ready to travel, the CAT scale weight of the truck's two axles is 9780 pounds (620 under the truck's GVWR). Total weight of loaded truck and trailer is 19,700 - so I'm also sufficiently under the truck's 21,000 pound GCWR.
CG reservations needed for New England trip?
We’re contemplating a trip from Fort Wayne IN about Sept 26th, for three to four weeks. Our destination would be Acadia NP in Maine. We would visit a few places along the way out and back - in Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
We tend to favor state park CG’s – with electric hook-up only. I have some questions:
1) Because we like to be as spontaneous as possible (not committed to being at a certain place at a certain time), we’d like to avoid making reservations. Is that too risky at this time of year?
2) If we were to make no reservations, how early in the day would we need to pull in to state park CG’s (in order to get a site)?
3) Any recommendations as to which CG’s to stop at (or to avoid)?
4) Starting this three to four week trip in late September, would we be a bit beyond the peak color (and crowds) period, or right in the middle of it?
5) Would we be smarter to start out a week later?
Thanks in advance for any and all responses.
PS: The truck and trailer in my signature have been replaced with an F350 and a Sunnybrook 30RKFS fifth wheel, but I've not yet figured out how to change my signature.
Do I need a heavier duty bottle jack?
We bought a new truck in January (an F350), and just recently completed our new RV'ing combo by buying a fifth wheel (Sunnybrook Titan 30RKFS). (I know, I need to change the truck and trailer shown in my signature, but I haven't yet taken the time to figure out how to do that.)
As we prepare for our first trip with this set-up, we're buying several accessory items. One such item is a bottle jack - for use in changing flat tires (hopefully, this is one accessory I'll never need to use). Today, as I stood in front of them at Menards, I contemplated on what weight rating was needed; and then I bought the 4 ton model. Tonight, after reading a few "bottle jack" discussion threads on this forum, I'm wondering if I should have bought a heavier duty bottle jack. It seems that several posters are using 6, 8, 10, and even 12 ton bottle jacks - some even for fivers lighter than mine.
My empty trailer weighs 11,000 pounds. Fully loaded for travel for trips of two to six weeks (we're not full-timers or even snow-birds), our trailer will probably weigh 12,500 to 13,000 pounds - 13,500 tops. I selected the 4 ton jack because I figured even if I were to load the trailer to its full 15,000 pound GVWR, 3000 of those pounds would be on the hitch, leaving about 3000 pounds on each of the four tires. Therefore, raising one side of the trailer in a worst case scenario (at full GVWR), I'd only need to lift 6000 pounds. So, I felt the bottle jack rated at 4 tons (8000 pounds) was plenty of capacity.
Did I buy the right size? When it comes to bottle jacks, the heavier duty they are, the more they weigh. Also, they are taller and wider - so they take up more storage space. So why do so many RV'ers buy what appears to me to be so much excess capacity? What am I overlooking?
Thanks for any enlightenment anybody can provide for me.
