RE: Washer/Dryer combo or stacked
We are about to purchase the Splendide combo after much research...we have tons of spare time when the camp, and can do a load every day when we are out walking, biking etc, plus as bilmo said, we still retain use of the closet and save 150 pounds over stackables. Dont see speed or capacity as an issue given the nature of camp laundry.
RE: Wind Deflector on cab of truck
HOUHJC...Lets look at your response in detail...
lets see.....
a. drive to destination without wing (what OAT, avg vehicle speed, acceleration and decceleration curves, wind speed and direction, trailer weight, TV weight, traffic encountered,)
b. drive to same destination with wing (same date aquisition as above)
c. compare notes...(LOTS and LOTS of Data)
d. figure milage...(factor and compensate for data sets listed above and the possible effect on MPG of each)
e. be happy, or unhappy. (what is the true meaning of happiness ?)
Not that hard ??
RE: Quality, brand name trailer tires
My 07.5 Sierra 2500 has the standard wheel/tire package which is a Bridgestone V-Steel 245/75-16 E load range, which would fit my trailer perfectly and give me an excuse to upgrade the wheels and tire on the TV. I cant imagine that the Bridgestone's wouldnt be at least as good as the "Power King" TOW MAX off-brand rubber that Carriage chose as OEM equipment. Input appreciated
RE: Quality, brand name trailer tires
Thanks....seems that a good LT tire is fine on a trailer, as long as the load rating is sufficient. My understanding it that the main difference in an ST tire is that is has compounds to resist UV deterioration ? Like most cars dont spend most of their lives in the sun ? I would assume the thinking is that a vehicle tire will wear out before the effects of UV can cause issues, whereas a vehicle trailer tire could stick around for a LONG time. At any rate, The Rib sounds like what I want.
RE: Wind Deflector on cab of truck
For any aerodynamic aid to be beneficial, it would have to be designed and tested specfically on a single truck/trailer combination. Given all the variables of temp, terrain, wind, road surface, humidity, tire inflation (also affected by temp), angle of attack of the trailer front cap (varies with loading) I cannot imagine anyone could actually calculate an accurate comparison of before and after installation of a wing. The only true way to test a wing or deflector would be in a wind tunnel, in which the coefficient of drag could be measured, and even then, translating an improved Cd into a potential MPG inprovement would be voodoo math at best. In many cases, these devices actually increase drag due to increased vortices and resulting turbulence between the deflector and trailer front cap.
Quality, brand name trailer tires
Does any name-brand manufacturer make a quality, dependable trailer tire in the 235/80-16 size (10 ply load range E) My biggest concern when towing is a blow out and I have little confidence in tires with brand names I have never heard of in 30 years of driving and racing cars.
RE: Experienced diesel owners on mileage question
Our experience is similar to bernkat...
07.5 2500 Crew Cab standard bed 4x4....10K miles...most spent towing 32 foot TT and 35 foot 5th wheel.
Towing flat (FL, SC and GA) 11 to 12 mpg with 13,000lb 5th wheel
Towing mountains (VA and NC) 9.5 to 10.5
Solo highway 20 to 22
Solo mixed use 15 to 17
We typically tow at 65 mph...solo is usually 65 to 70, speed limit permitting. Oddly, we saw little difference in MPG between the 6000 lb TT and 13,000 5er, but that is possibly due to break in, as we towed the TT the first few thousand miles, then moved up to the 5th wheel.
RE: Bank Techicooler on GM LMM
OK everyone...calm down....I just asked for input. The LMM is a superb engine, but there is nothing on the planet that isnt better with more HP or torque. (My favorite quote from Car and Driver magazine) As for the MBRP exhaust, I installed it primarily to get rid of the ugly, magaphone device that GM hung out the rear of an otherwise attractive vehicle. I got the "installer" version (250 bucks). I have been thru at least 3 DPF cycles with it in place with no damage to the truck in the area of the exhaust. Given the absence of exhaust noise, I would really like to know why these vehicles have a muffler at all. The Cat and DPF obviously provide any needed back pressure and removing the muffler looses about 30 pounds and eliminates an ugly lump from the underside of the truck. 660 ft/lb is nothing to sneeze at, but when towing in 90+ degree heat, the more effective intercooler could actually help maintain rated output. Banks has not survived for all these years producing junk, voiding warranties, or destroying customer's engines, so I do think their's would be the only aftermarket products I would consider.
RE: 2nd A/C install in unit without wiring/frame prep
I dont intend to install w/o added framing. I can accomplish that if I know how the factory does so....My dealer got in touch with Carriage and is supposed to send me an engineering diagram of the roof framework in units with second A/C's.
MBOK...is your 5th wheel a Cameo ?? Thanks everyone !
Bank Techicooler on GM LMM
Has anyone installed a Technicooler on the 07-08 GM LMM ? Just curious as to how much difference it makes in power and possible MPG increase. Only mod to date is the MBRP BPF back exhaust (great product...reasonable price, good fit and no increase in exhaust noise....really cant understand why GM even bothered with a muffler anyhow)
2nd A/C install in unit without wiring/frame prep
The 15K BTU in our 08 Cameo cant keep up the the 90+ heat we have expreienced in the last week here in the mid-Atantic states, especially with the Arizona's rooms many windows. Sadly, the unit was ordered without the 2nd A/C prep (not by us) which seems silly given the slight cost (50 bucks) of this option. Why any dealer or buyer would forego this option confounds me. Gripes nothwithstanding, has anyone installed a BR A/C in a unit without the wiring/frame prep ?
The wiring is no sweat, but the support frame type and location are obviously paramount and any input would be appreciated. To date, neither the dealer nor Carriage have provided substantive input.
RE: Royals Info ?
Rumor has it that Carriage is discontinuing the Royal line to concentrate on the Cameo, Domani and Carri-Lite. If you do join the Carriage Yahoo group, be very careful how you present any issues or concerns, as the moderator is very sensitive to "bashing" and has an undefined relationship with Carriage, making it difficult to present issues on the site without being censured.
RE: Gray tank not vented?
If you GT Vent is stopped up, it is likely that draining the grey tank will suck some or all of the water from the P-traps of any fixture emptying into the grey tank and could cause some odor issues. Not near as big a deal as the black tank, but could also be the source of the "glug glug"...
UV Water purification options
Just wondered if anyone has, or has considered intalling a UV water sterilization unit in their 5th wheel.
Just installed one on our 08 Cameo and found an excellent resource for the Sterilite and other RV water purification products at very reasonable prices. Would be happy to share info with anyone interesting in doing such an installation.
RE: Carri-Lite by Carriage
We dont own a Carri-Lite but do own an 08 Cameo...they are all built on the same assembly lines by the same employees.
Carriage seems to do a nice job with certain aspects of their 5th wheels. Before making a decision however, I would ask the dealer to pull panels, appliances, etc revealing the substance behind the apparent beauty. I have found numerous examples of shoddy workmanship and QC in our 08 Cameo. They are nice units overall, but seem to the product of certain QC compromises being deemed acceptable. They claim to be the finest 5th wheels in the world, and as such, invite much closer scrutiny than "run of the mill" units. I would be certain you feel that moniker is deserved before handing over your hard earned cash.
RE: Have you checked the capacity of your holding tanks ?
The tank may very well be the size the manufacturer stated in the literature, but if the pipe ends down in the tank, it will limit the amount of fluid the tank will hold.
Ameri-Kart says 40 gal on engineering drawings. 5th wheel manufacturer states a capacity almost 30 percent greater. Cant see how DWV pipe intrusion fits into the equation. Please help me out here ?
RE: Have you checked the capacity of your holding tanks ?
Skip...good point, certainly worth considering and as an advertising and marketing copywriter, one of the first issues I researched, however, the manufacturer failed to include this disclaimer on their website specs page. To their credit, they are not currently using this as an "out". They have admitted the tanks are not of the stated capacity and that they were unaware of such, essentially eliminating misprint or change in design as a defense. Ignorace and incapacitty are not typically a desirable explanations for the errors of large corporations. I can live with it, but it places my 5th wheels HT capacity far below that of the competition and now that the facts are known, can adversly affect the resale of the unit, as I will not lie to any future buyer.
RE: Have you checked the capacity of your holding tanks ?
Signature clearly indcates the trailer's brand ?? The signature is a combination of initials and a date, and has nothing to do with any brand of 5th wheel.
The grey and black capacity is off by a total of 30 gallons...not 3. And 30 percent of your hypothetical 30 gallons is 9 gallons, not 3....and we do semi-dry camping(no septic) frequently and dont care to hook the 5th wheel up and tow it to a dump station because the tanks are of insufficient capacity.
Please give "two hoots" about facts and correct mathematical calculations before dissing on my initial post and/or concerns.
