RE: Be Careful Driving Through PA
What about those of us who live in states where we don't register trucks by the weight we expect to carry or pull? Nor that have special licensing requirements for non-commercial operation?
There's two different classes of laws (and I'm talking recreational vehicles here, not commercial requirements):
The first is what I call the paperwork drill. As an example, South Dakota does not require a special endorsement on my license (paperwork) for my 26,000 lb combination and they do not have any mention of weight on my truck registration (paperwork). No other state can require that I get an endorsement because South Dakota simply doesn't give them out. Similarly, I can't be busted for exceeding my registered weight because there is no registered weight requirement in South Dakota. If it's a paperwork issue, your home state's rules apply anywhere.
Then there's the equipment violations. The easiest example to understand is double towing. If your state allows double towing, that doesn't mean you can double tow in every state, even with a proper endorsement from your home state. If it's an equipment related issue, the laws of the state you are currently driving in apply.
RE: black tank sprayer
The spray nozzle is a cigar shaped unit with small holes drilled in a circle around the end of the unit, so it's not easy to "aim" the sprayer in any one direction.
RE: Black water OVERFLOW...OH NO!
Or you split your black water tank. Here's pictures of mine from last week:
http://nwown.powweb.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7848&g2_serialNumber=1
http://nwown.powweb.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7850&g2_serialNumber=1
RE: Need input from you Power Strokers that tow a 5er
I don't think you can make any comparison to the E450 MH vs an F350 or F450 towing a big fiver.
First thing I noticed is that the E450 6.0L specs are 235 hp/440 torque while the 6.0L in the pickups is 325 hp/570 torque.
With the derated engine, you should get a lot better mpg figures.
RE: Ford F550 as a tow vehicle
Thanks, Capt. My wife has some back problems and a day of towing is pretty rough on her. I'm debating either a new F-450 with the longer springs or a full air ride (Kelderman or Airlift RoadTamer) under my present F-350.
RE: Ford F550 as a tow vehicle
Capt. Skup, how's that F-450 ride loaded and empty and can you compare it to an earlier model truck like a pre-2007 F-350 dually?
RE: Sports Chassis VS. other MDT
Just remember, if you go with a Ford F450 or F550, you get the same Powerstroke and tranny as with an F350.
If you go with a Dodge 4500 or 5500, you still get the same Cummins and tranny as a Ram 3500.
If you go with a GM 4500 or 5500, you get the same Duramax and tranny as a 3500.
Your problem isn't enough truck, it's the V10 gasser vs the diesel. You just need torque that's developed in the right place on the rpm scale. Trailer in my sig weighs 18K. Stopping is no problem with disk brakes all the way around. Grade braking tranny also helps tremendously.
And before I believed a dealer spouting mileage figures, I'd be talking to some other owners first. Check out the MDT forums on the SKP site. Those MDT and HDT drivers aren't doing much better than I am for mileage.
Now, if you want the MDT because you WANT the MDT, that's a different story.
RE: mpg difference between F450 4.88 vs 4.30 rear end?
Axel gears do NOT make the pulling easier per say. It is HP and Torque.
That may be true. But all of the specs I've seen for the Ford F-450 say that if you order the 4.88 gears, you'll also get a de-rated engine. ISTR 4.30's get 350 hp, 650 torque, 4.88's get 325 hp, 650 torque.
So in the end, it probably all balances out when it comes to getting that 20,000 lb trailer up the hill.
RE: I need a little Guidance
Two things:
First, you want some quality, look at a Nuwa product
Factory website at http://nuwa.com
Owners forum (set up by owners and not the factory, but the CEO and several of his staff members participate at http://nuwaowners.org
Or visit the factory - Nuwa is made in Chanute, KS.
Second, Us the RV Consumer's Group as a starting point, but remember, the RV Consumer's Group does not test RV's like consumer reports tests other products. RV Consumer's Group's ratings are based on mathematical equations. They've not gone out and pulled a trailer to see how well or how poorly it handles.
RE: Ford 6.0 Exhaust Brake??
Been thinking about the OP saying he smoked the brakes even with the tranny braking on his 6.0L and I said previously that mine will hold 45 mph on a 7%, 9 mile grade without touching the brakes. If I let mine get up to 55 mph on that hill, I'd probably not have any brakes about 3/4 of the way down - in a contest between speed and gravity, gravity wins.
JimnLin pointed out that the 6.0L develops 120-130 hp. You have to look at going down hill just like going up hill. If you only had 120 hp going up a hill, you can probably only get about 40 mph. So when you go down a hill with only 120 hp holding you back, you shouldn't expect much more than 40 mph to be a safe speed. Anything faster and you'll have to stab your service brakes rather hard every few seconds to stay at a reasonable speed and that will result in letting the smoke out of the brake linings.
Back in the '70's, the rule for truckers was "go down a hill in the same gear that you would go up a hill." With the new high hp engines, it's more like "go down a hill at the same speed you can go up the hill."
RE: NUWAY HITCHHIKER
Thanks for the information. My friend was looking at a used one.
Your friend is making a good choice. Nuwa was able to provide support for my previous HitchHiker, a 1989 model when it was 17 years old without batting an eye.
If your friend has any questions, send them to the owners forum. CEO and several of his senior staff members, including service manager, designers, engineers, and lead sales reps participate along with a couple of his major suppliers. And the 2000 or so owners will always have an opinion on anything he wants to discuss.
RE: NUWAY HITCHHIKER
From the CEO of Nuwa, posted on the owner's forum at Nuwaowners.org:
"NuWa recently notified dealers of plans to "merge" the Custom plant with the NuWa factory. All HHII products will be produced in the NuWa factory beginning with 2009 models. This decision is caused by several issues, but bottom line is that we would rather have one factory operating efficiently than have two factories operating inefficiently. Sales volume is such that we do not have enough production to keep both plants sufficiently busy. Call it "restructure, call it downsizing" call it whatever you wish, but it's become a common occurrence in our industry. I held off longer than maybe I could have to make the decision, because of the impact on Chanute's economy and some good employees of Custom. The larger NuWa factory has the capacity to produce the volume needed to supply the market with all products, thus we have decided to "merge" the best of Custom with the best of NuWa. Many of the Custom employees will be asked to transfer to the NuWa factory, as the increased production will create a need for additional staff. The HHII service department and parts department will be merged with NuWa as well, and at some point in the near future all parts and service will be handled through NuWa. When this occurs, a change of phone numbers will be posted on the web site and this forum for customer awareness.
We feel the least confusing way to clarify the change will be for 2009 HHII products to be introduced from the NuWa factory. This should begin happening with specific models in June. The process will take several weeks and thus not all HHII models will immediately be available. There will most likely be a time lag for availability as each model is introduced into the NuWa production process. Custom engineering and production staff will oversee the process at NuWa, while NuWa staff continues to focus on 2009 DA and CE model introduction. It is possible that a HHII order placed in the near future may be delayed as far as getting into the hands of the customer. This is a "moving target" at the moment as we attempt to estimate the time needed for the transition. Their are a lot of logistics issues concerning material and equipment that must be decided as the process develops.
I do not expect that this decision will have any noticeable change for customers other than the "re-location" of production and service, and some amount of delay during initial stages. I have asked that we increase service space as well as personnel to handle the larger service work load. The increase in production at NuWa will actually allow this plant to run smoother as it is sized for 20+ units of production per week. The addition of the Custom production staff will also be welcomed, so departments can be properly staffed. I believe when the transition is complete, the benefits to all will be noticed and appreciated. The NuWa owners on this forum are important ambassadors for NuWa and I felt it was both important to make you initially aware of this recent decision and to hope that you will be able to discount any "rumors" that might occur. Any change to a company's status in this industry is often "jumped on" as "false evidence of their pending failure. Not so in this case, and we may have to "educate some folks, who enjoy spreading rumor. NuWa is simply making an important business decision to adjust to the present market conditions. We are actually more fortunate than some competitors who may not have the ability to merge two product lines into one plant. And if fact business is not that bad. But we can handle the increased production at NuWa and look forward to the opportunity to do so. MIKE"
RE: Ford 6.0 Exhaust Brake??
If you put the tansmission in Tow/Haul mode, start down a hill and hit the brakes to get you down to whatever speed you want, the tranny will hold you at that speed (unless you are going too fast for gravity).
The theory behind an exhaust brake on the 6.0L (and the Cummins 6.7, Ford 6.4 and . . .) is that you close off the exhaust to create maximum backpressure to the engine.
Ford does this with their variable vane turbochargers by closing the vanes and closing off the exhaust.
I'd give it a try before I went and paid $1500 for an extra that you may not need.
FWIW, My rig weighs right at 26,000 lbs and using the transmission braking in tow/haul, I can maintain 45 mph on a 9 mile, 7% grade without touching the service brakes after the first application to get the speed under control at the top of the hill. Rig is in my sig.
RE: Hit by tire from semi
Having driven semis for 10 years, I can tell you that unless the driver is looking in the mirror at the time the tire comes off or the tread separates, he probably won't be aware that there is a problem until he stops and does a quick walk around inspection. The second tire in a set of duals will support the weight of the load for quite a few miles before the second tire also lets go.
The best advice I can give is to be aware of the danger and give the big rigs plenty of space. Pay attention to the big rigs around you and, while it may sound crazy, even in the excitement of dodging a tire or tread, take a 10th of a second to try to get a company name off the truck.
RE: Automatic awning w/wind-sensor
Well, dang...ours is an A&E Weatherpro, and there's nowhere in it's control box that I can find an adjuster :(
Try this link at the Nuwa Owner's Forum for Owner's manual and wind switch settings:
Nuwa Owner's Forum - A&E WeatherPro Awning Manuals
RE: No junk mail?
I don't mind offers/discounts and such but with GS it is repetitive same ole offers over and over again.
I just wish they would find a way to manage their mailing lists. I ALREADY HAVE their emergency road service. Why do I have to throw away a couple flyers a month wanting me to buy it AGAIN?
Just not mailing it to current subscribers would probably cut their costs in half.
I just changed insurance companies because I felt they were wasting MY money sending ME advertisements for insurance.
RE: What would you have done?
I also agree with the other posts that say it depends on my read on the person, the way they asked, and what they needed done. Along the same tangent... in campgrounds I've loaned things (tools, hoses, etc) to people and declined to loan things to people based on how they asked.
Here's a variation on the scenario... DW does not remember how to hitch up the FW and will not drive it in tight spaces - but she has driven it on roads. I've asked her what she would do if I ever got sick and she needed to move our FW. Would you hitch my truck to my FW and drive it out of a site to help out if someone had gotten sick?
Depends on your wife (NOOOO, not that way! ;) )
I'll always help out when somebody asks, as long as they are "asking" and not "telling" and there's a good reason why they can't do it themselves. Sick, broken truck, newbie - no problem. So drunk they can't remember which end of the truck goes under the trailer - forget it.
I recently helped a gal get her trailer hooked up here in Norfolk. Her husband is a fellow Navy Chief Petty Officer that I've never met. He's deployed on an aircraft carrier and she was moving the family back to Montana. You have to respect a Mom who will undertake that kind of adventure with three pre-teen kids and a fifth wheel.
She was worried about getting it right because her husband dropped the trailer on the bed of the truck after the dealer hooked it up when they took delivery. Then, when she moved out of the house and into the trailer, she forgot to put the landing gear down when she arrived at the RV park here. Fortunately, there was no major damage in either incident other than some bowed bed rails.
RE: What would you have done?
I guess I'm not clear on the insurance thing... if I have an accident his insurance covers his FW and my insurance covers my truck? I guess I'd tell him verbally that any damage to his rig is his liability, not mine?
This probably needs a "fer instance":
Fer instance, if you jack-knifed the trailer and tore up the front cap on his trailer and dented the back of your cab trying to avoid backing the backend of his trailer into the trailer in the next space.
Your comprehensive on your truck would cover the repairs to the cab of your truck.
His comprehensive on his trailer would cover the repairs to the front cap of his trailer and the damage to the backend of his trailer.
YOUR liability insurance would be responsible for the repairs to the other trailer that you backed into because your liability insurance on your tow vehicle (truck) extends to the vehicle being towed (trailer).
DISCLAIMER: Read your policy. The above scenario is typical, but your policy may have specific exclusions that would not cover any or all of the examples in this situation.
