RE: 4X4
While limited is slip is handy, I'd forego the 4x4 and limited slip, and have an aftermarket locker installed (such as the ARB Air Locker).
I find it is just as effective as 4x4 anywhere I've ever been.
RE: Insurance claim......Long post
Your insurance company won't be bashful when they double your premiums like they did mine one time. Hope you don't have Progressive!!!!
Technically they shouldn't be able to, as this is a comprehensive claim, not a collision claim.
This is why if you are ever faced with the choice between hitting a deer or diving into the ditch, you always hit the deer. Hitting a deer is considered an act of nature (similar to a hailstorm) and is a comprehensive claim. Hitting the ditch to avoid the deer would be a collision claim (something within your control) and thus would likely result in an increase in premiums.
As far as I know in Kansas it's not legal for an insurance company to increase your rates for any comprehensive claim, especially one that is the result of a storm.
RE: Diesel fuel prices coming down !!
You'll have to excuse me - I'm breathing heavy and getting excited.
Diesel for less than an arm AND a leg???
Oh it's still an arm and a leg, you just don't have to give up your first born anymore.
RE: Fuel Prices: What I can do
Did someone call for smart as*es?
I thought I so...
what to do is fire your financial adviser and get a new one who will make you an extra $1000 to $2000 per year.
That should cover the increase in gas prices.
And UNIX (pretty much any brand) is hands down better than any product Micro$oft will ever sell.
I've seen servers installed and running in the field up for 3 and 4 years without being so much as rebooted. That's what you call reliable.
Ahhh what's life without a few memory leaks and reboots?!?
I the ONLY reason my Unix based phone switch (I'm a call center engineer) has ever been rebooted is because the area lost power, the generator ran out of diesel, and the battery backups ran out of juice.
Other than that, they are in tip top shape :).
RE: Travel Trailers vs. Fifth-Wheels
Remember, tractor trailers often drive into the same areas you'll navigate with your RV, and they don't maneuver anywhere near as well as you can no matter what you choose - if they can do it, you can do it. :)
I would disagree with this statement. Have you ever seen the cut that a tractor trailer can make? A tractor (or MDT) can turn the front wheels another 15 - 20 degrees sharper than any light duty pick on the road. Have you ever watched how far a truck can go into an intersection before turning the wheel and still make the turn? If you've ever driven an MDT or HDT, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm no professional driver, but I'll take the cut of an MDT any day over the cut of a light duty pick up. Too bad I can't afford an MDT or HDT :).
RE: Gas limits on Creit cards
So do people feel about leaving their card inside with an attendant? I can fill up at only 2 spots on the Kansas Turnpike (I run the length of it frequently) anymore because I refuse to partake in this idiotic practice. I can't honestly believe I'd be expected to leave my credit card with a hole in the wall convenience store clerk. Not to discount clerks, I wouldn't leave my card with anyone. It's MY name on the bill, and I refuse to let my card 2 cards (one debit, and one credit) out of my site.
Any station that wants my card to turn on the pump can keep their fuel. I've offered to leave the keys to my vehicle and my DL both, but no one will take anything but the actual card. They don't preauthorize it, mind you, just hang onto it until you come back in.
I can just see someone writing down my number, expiration date, and security code to make all kinds of internet purchases when the shift ends! And I also refuse to swipe twice. It pains me when I can't give money away, so on down the road I go. The cutoff burns me, but NOTHING burns me like being asked to leave my card at a desk with a complete stranger.
RE: South Dakota Badlands
Great ideas and I very much appreciate all the comments. I'll keep checking this as we get more and more ideas to have them do while they are there. I think this will work out very well.
Question...since I think the time frames for travel are fairly open, when are good times to visit this area? I think we are going to avoid the first week of August Sturgis traffic for sure, but what about weather? Is July too hot? Should they shoot for May or June? They can both handle hot and won't be afraid to get out in the heat, but I definitely want to pick a better time of year for them to go if I can!
RE: South Dakota Badlands
Thanks for all of the quick replies. The entire point of doing this is to get them out in their RV, not out in cabins and what not. I didn't intend to portray they would be staying in any type of hotel or cabin. It does look like the Black Hills area would provide a better base of operations than the Badlands area. They aren't really into hiking a ton, though walking among tourist sites or such isn't an issue. They just don't go hike trails for miles and miles.
Thanks for the link to Custer's Gulch. Obviously we'll talk to them before making any reservations, but that sounds like a very reasonable rate! I've sent this link to my sister to keep an eye on as well. Thanks again everyone.
South Dakota Badlands
Hello all,
I need a little help. My parents, like many, have fallen on some harder times recently, so me and siblings (brother and 2 sisters) are trying to put together a trip for them later this year as a Father's Day, Mother's Day, Anniversary type present. Right now they are planning to go this year without using their RV, which they only purchased in 2006. So enough sob story, on with the planning help!
My parents live in the area code 67026, which will be the origin. Growing up we spent a ton of time in the Ozarks, so we don't want to send them back there again unless it's where we can afford to send them. They do enjoy it there, but we'd like to send them someplace new.
Trying to fit this into a budget of about $1,000 or a little over ($1,500 would be about as far as we could stretch), we think that maybe a trip to South Dakota would be fun. I don't think my Mom has ever been there, and my Dad might have been, but he would have been a child. My parents enjoy national parks, and I've found that within a fairly small area you have Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave National Monument, and Badlands National Park.
For those of you that have been to this area, how many days is a good number to stay? Where are the best spots to stay (there would be an overnight in Nebraska)? They could drive from Badlands National Park to Mt Rushmore and the Jewel Cave Monument, or would it be better to spend a night more near to Rushmore/Jewel Cave and then travel on to spend a few days at Badlands National Park?
Any ideas are very much appreciated. Also, if you have any other ideas that would be within about a 700 - 750 mile range of 67026 (which is near to Wichita, KS) please share. I figure once we put this together, then they will take it in June or July most likely. I would figure no more than 1 week off of work, so weekend, 5 days, weekend for the trip. Thanks for your time and expertise!
I don't know how much info to provide, but if it matters they'll be using a diesel pickup truck, and pulling their 29' TT I believe they get about 15 mpg. We'll be cooking them food to take with them and heat up each day so they won't be buying a lot of meals out. Really what we are going to need to pay for is the fuel and the campsites while on their trip.
Thanks again!
RE: Walmart $15 "labor only" oil change: FYI.
If you change your own oil, any place that is in the business of changing oil must take your used oil for disposal for NO fee. So, change your oil, run it down to the Jiffy Lube or Walmart for disposal, and enjoy the benefits of having changed your own oil knowing the job is done right.
Its Federal law that they take it for free, so don't let the suckers try to tell you to pay a disposal fee.
RE: Pullrite hitch
I've been out of town working and just got back, but thanks everyone for the pictures. I'm going to show these pics to my dad to better explain what I mean. Thanks again!
RE: Pullrite hitch
I don't know if they still make models for the E150 van, but as LAdams indicated, these hitches are available used. The model we have is an older model designed to fit the E150 confirmed by Pullrite. We actually got the information on the seller directly from Pullrite through their for sell database.
LAdams, thanks for the tip, but I think he has as much tension as he needs to remain level, however the front of the trailer is what is nose down by a factor of inches. In order to get the trailer level, the actual ball of the hitch needs to be moved up about 3 - 4 inches. This is where the adjustable WD shank came to my mind to increase the height that the ball itself could be adjusted to.
RE: Pullrite hitch
Thanks for the pics LAdams.
rolnrolnroln, thanks for the info. It was bought used and the hitch itself is probably 10 years old or so. I think it will pull fine. I think my dad is looking at re arching the springs to get the back end of the van a little higher, as it does sit naturally low to the ground.
Also, my Dad can't tow at all without it. His trailer is about as big as a person can have with a half ton (he plans to upgrade in the next couple years to a Super Duty). He has to have it for weight distribution. He has it currently set up so that the back end of the van squats half an inch when loaded with the trailer. However, even with the back end of the van only dropping a half inch, and the pullrite hitch as far up as possible, the trailer still sits about 4" nose low. I think there are shanks that will allow him to move the entire pullrite unit higher up, but I haven't seen it all hooked up so I don't know how high he can move the hitch unit before interfering with the rear doors. From his description to me over the phone I think the 4 inches could be made up just by using a high rise shank that moved the pullrite hitch up higher. IE This Item. Are there any problems with raising the hitch using an item like this?
Thanks for the input everyone.
Pullrite hitch
Does anyone have a Pullrite hitch installed? I'd like to see some pictures of it installed to see how it is positioned under the bumper. My dad just installed one on an E150 van and it sure seems to be hanging low to the ground. It is a 1997 van, so we are thinking that the springs have probably sagged causing what seems to be and excessively low. It almost looks like the hitch is somewhat pointed at the ground. I don't have a picture of it right now, but I'll be down there for Christmas to take some comparative pictures.
Thanks for anyone that can post pictures of their install.
