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RE: Sept. trip: SW Montana, Flathead Lake & Glacier NP
Brian,
You can't post pictures like this, you know Montana really isn't like this at all. It is just a boring dull place with no views like ths it is all a lie.:W You keep this up and everybody will want to come here.
Sorry to hear about wife's broken ankle hope all is better now.
Great post and glad you enjoyed our little area of Montana.
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Butch50
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11/05/09 09:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Newbe with new used set-up and already overwieght!
if you have a TC you're going to be overweight...If it feels good , do it!! :B...............TD
Not always true. There are some on here that are not overweight. I have about 4200# left before I reach my 17950# GVWR on the F550.
To the OP,
Scott, welcome to the forum.
I guess I'm one of the few that is going to say that is a lot of weight. 11500# with the tanks empty (water is 8.3# per gallon) and then you are going to add a boat to it and cause more weight on the truck. Good luck with what ever you decide to do.
This is IMO
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Butch50
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10/22/09 08:55pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Need alternate to RV stores $$$$$
Best Materials is where I bought mine. 4'X50' for $53.15 on sale now. When I bought mine from them over 3 years ago it was about $40.00 for the 4X50. They were the cheapest place I found and good service, very prompt shipping.
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Butch50
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10/21/09 10:44am |
Truck Campers
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RE: What is this on my truck?
The air suspension doesn't raise the truck that much to take a spare out the back, besides there is a square box tube that runs all the way across the back and it is fixed to the frame of the truck. I'm speaking from experience with Kelderman air suspension. I had one on my 1999 F450 and I just had one installed on my F550 less than 3 months ago. Mine has the automatic ride adjustment and a tank so I have a a quick disconnect mounted on the rear so I can use it to air up my tires. I also have a dump valve that allows me to dump the air on the suspension. Mine has the air compressor built into a box that is mounted on the frame rails right under the driver side rear seat.
To the orginal poster, like stated earlier don't remove it unless you want to invest a lot of money into rear suspension parts. Check out your overloads as they should have been cut off. Also the rear suspension horns have been removed because they would have been in the way of the rear bags. It is a fairly expensive unit to have added to the truck, keep it and enjoy. Follow the air lines from the top of the air bags back and you should find the air compressor. I don't think Kelderman sold any of their suspension kits without an air compressor. It is not a large one.
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Butch50
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10/15/09 10:52pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: a serious question
You talk about having a comfortable place to just sit and relax, if you are talking about in the camper then why not modify the camper to meet those needs. When my wife and I ordered our AF that was one of the things we ordered in it was the sofa in place of the dinette. We wanted a more comfortable place to sit. It has a long dinette that sets in the front of the sofa. I'm going to make a couple of small tables to fit in place of the long one. Look for ways the camper can be changed to make it more comfortable for you. Like someone stated before about the RV having wheels. If it is to cold/warm/crowded get in the cab of the truck and roll for a little ways so you can find the more comfortable place to sit for a time. It also sounds like maybe having a portable hobby that you can take with you to cover some of those bored times would help.
If you can't find a way to be comfortable and happy in the RV then maybe it is time to sell it.
Good Luck
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Butch50
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10/09/09 03:19pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Truck Camper
Welcome to the forum.
It might help a little if you let people know what area of the country you are in then the folks from that area could probably provide more usable info. Anyway Cherokee RV Salavage in Denver, CO has a large supply of used parts (or at least they did when I lived there) Phone # (303) 295-3433
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Butch50
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10/01/09 04:31pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Gathering info to get a Cummins, which Generation Dodge?
Not to throw a fly in the soup, but, are you sure the GVWR of your 34' Carraige is only 10,400#? It seems a little lite for a Carriage.
Yes, the sticker is still intact and describes the wheels, tires and axles. There are two 5200# axles. The tires have been upgraded to 10 ply also just two years old. Also the unit is listed as 35' but measures 35'10". I made friends with an old Carriage dealer and he said it should be around 6800# empty and around the limits loaded.
Thanks to all that have took the time to help me make an informed decision, the amount of usefull info is incredable. I will have to make some notes on the high points. Please continue I'm sure I'm not the only one absorbing this info.
The 10,400# is just the axle rating and does not include the pin weight. You could have as much as another 2500 to 3000# of pin hitch weight. You need to find the GVWR of the unit not the axle rating. On my 5er the axles are rated at 14,000# but the GVWR is 17,500# that means full loaded I would have 3,500 on the pin and on the rear axle of the truck. Actually when I'm loaded up I have closer to 4,000# on the pin and about 13,000# on the axles. Oh just to let you know I don't tow my 5er with the Dodge, it gets towed by the F550. Just to much pin weight as on mine as far as I'm concerned.
Good luck on your search
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Butch50
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09/30/09 09:05pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: twin turbo F150 - 24 mpg
I don't know how you guys do it. My 2006 3500 4X4 QC with 3.73 and 6 speed manual only gets about 18 to 19 at 65MPH and this is on the on board computer and we all know how those lie. I just drove mine almost 1400 trip and for all intents it was empty and the best was 19 on the lie-o-meter. This is with fresh oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air cleaner and also fresh air in the tires.:) The truck runs great but can never match you other guys. I have been known on my wife's cars to exceed the EPA rated highway MPG all the time and that is hand calculated.
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Butch50
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09/29/09 08:49pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Why do big TCs lean back?
Not mine.
I agree with Mooney, not mine either, in fact my truck has over 4,000# capacity left before I reach my GVWR with the camper on.
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Butch50
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09/25/09 07:36pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: ON the road internet
We got the Verizon MIFI about 3 weeks ago. Works great and you can hook up to 5 wieless devices to it at one time. Both my wife and I can be on line at the same time and we have our printer hooked up wirless to it also. We are testing it right now and will probably be getting a number of these for some constructions sites were we are unable to get conventional internet. It cost about $120 for the device and $60 a month for 5GB per month. There is a 2 year contract on it. The main reason for it over an air card it we can get up to 5 people on it at the same time and for almost the same cost as one air card. I had it out in the field where my Veriaon cell phone has only had 2 bars and it showed 4 bars signal strength I sent a 1MB file to myself and it came right back to my inbox. Very fast respone time and I don't have to tie up my cell phone while using it. I can be on the computer while I'm on my phone and working.
I'm sending this message via the MIFI right now.
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Butch50
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09/06/09 09:54pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: When is too Tall too High?
Well 13'6" is the one thrown around all of the time for interstates but it won't be to tall until you hit a low overhang with it and at that time you will know it is too tall:S. I was making a pun but seriously that is when you are going to know you are to tall. Personally I would want to keep it as low as possible. I have a pickup bed on my F550 but have been thinking about a flatbed but as stated earlier (if I do it) I'm going to have wheel wells put in it to drop the bed down as I want to keep my camper as low as I can. Then when the bed is being built I have an idea that I'll have some upper removeable tool boxes built for it and they will be notched to fit over the wheel wells.
If you want to carry extra water why don't you have the lower portion of the bed (below the flatbed) built with tool boxes and then you could fit in water tanks into them. Set up a pump and fill your fresh water tank from them. You could even have one set up with an additional holding tank for gray water. This would allow you to keep the height down on the rig and provide a lower center of gravity overall. Here is an outfit that has water tanks for RVs They have one that is 24" by 20" by 16" height and is a 30 gallon tank. I figure that the lower boxes in front of the rear duals would handle one of these on each side. that would give you an extra 60 gallons right there and I bet there would still be some room for other things in the box also. That would be right at 500# (for 2 tanks) of weight that would be just a little above the center of your rear tires. Also another thing you have to worry about with a big long tank under the camper is the sloshing effect when the tank is not full/empty. It would almost have to be baffeled (in my thoughts) to counter act this.
This is just some ideas rattling around in my head.
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Butch50
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08/12/09 11:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Opinions please on this truck
Capt Skup,
If you re-read the post carefully rather than jumping to contusions, the reference was a 2003 F250 with 7.3L Diesel engine vs the 2003 F250 with the 6.0L Diesel engine ONLY. The early 6.0L engines, especially the 2003 versions had the most problems. 2003 was the only model year that both engines were available. Those early 2003 6.0L engine based truck values are heavily and negatively impacted by those extraordinary amount of problems.
Not acccording to Auto Trader online. The asking prices are in the same range. Per Auto trader online with the same mileage they are in the same price and not $8,000 difference that you stated in a prior post and this is from dealers not private sellers. I did the search on 2003 F250 and any distance. Take a look for your self and check it out as I sure don't see any $8,000 difference in price. What are you basing your comment on?
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Butch50
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08/08/09 03:16pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: GCWR question...
I don't know about the 4500/5500 Dodges but I have read that the reason that the GM 4500/5500 was rated at 26,000# GCWR (the same as Dodge) was that the Allison 1000 transmission parking pawl was only rated to handle that amount of weight. So there maybe the same type of thing with the Dodge.
To answer the OP question about what type of licenses it is exactly as mowermech stated it depends on the state where you reside.
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Butch50
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08/08/09 01:15pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: GCWR question...
Nope he is correct that the GCWR for the Dodges are 26,000#. These trucks are made for hauling heavy loads. If you load the 5er to the GVWR you are looking at a total GCW of pushing 31,000# (depending on the bed installed on the Dodge). My F550 is right at 9100# with just a F350 bed installled on it. If I had a toter bed with all of the storage compartments on it I would probably be right at 10,000# empty. If you go to an aluminum toter bed that would keep it down some.
IMO the truck would probably do it but it is beyond the manufacturers rating by about 6,000#.
I use to pull a 20,000# GVWR Elite Suites and that is the reason I have the F550 that is rated for 33,000# GCWR.
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Butch50
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08/08/09 10:55am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Need advice fast!
Click link
Man some of those people listing on there are using some good drugs. I looked at one that states "1998 Lance Legend 500 EC Truck Camper 12k or best offer" and then he/she states that the orginal price was $25K and that "NADA Suggested Retail $20,445". What kind of drugs is this guy on, for a 12 year old camper he still wants 50% of the orginal price. I just took a look at NADA and without adding any options in it looks to me it books for about $6200 retail. Even if I put in a generator, AC, and electric jacks it says the book it less than $7,300. I don't know for sure if NADA is telling me that the electtic jacks and generator are included in the base price but it appears that it does.
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Butch50
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08/07/09 08:48am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Camper on crowned road meets power pole close to road
I never noticed it till I looked at the picture again. Does it appear to anybody else that there is an arm and hand in the lower right part of the picture. Right were the blankets and such stuff is. I blew it up and it sure looks like it to me. Maybe I'm just seeing things.
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Butch50
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08/05/09 08:08am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rotating Dually Tires
My Furd has the aluminum wheels which can’t be rotated between the front and rear axles. Anyone else have these? I thinking about having the 4 tires on the aluminum wheels dismounted and remounted so I can rotate them front to back. At 27,000 miles, I’m starting to get a little strange wear on the front tires. Do you dually folks rotate your tires?
Brad
Brad,
Here is from the Ford Owners Guide for 2006.
Ford's Guide
Then select the your vehicle year and type, once you get there select the section for Owners Guide (5th from the top on left side). Then go to page 145 of the PDF file. Just a warning that it will not let you return to this page with the back buttons or at least it didn't for me.
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Butch50
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08/03/09 04:30pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Rotating Dually Tires
I rotate mine but not a traditional rotate. I don't rotate front to rears. I just change the front left to the right front and right front to the left front. On the rear both tires from the left side go on the right side and both right rears go to the left rear. That is all I have done on my Ford duallys for a number of years.
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Butch50
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08/03/09 01:07pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: DIfferent tire size on 5Th wheel
Hate to disagree with you but ST(special trailer) tires are rated to a max of 62MPH and are basically JUNK. Go out and buy a set of LT235R16 tires and never look back. Most of the heavy fivers manufactured today are factory equipped with LT tires not the ST junkers. Simply do a search on the forums here for many many discussions on this subject.
I agree with you, go to the LT tires. You are running 6,000# axles and the LT235/85r/16 have all the capacity you need. If you think you want more capacity you can go to the "G rated LT235/85/R16 and have a capacity of 3750# per tire. Now you would most likely have to change rims also for the 110# PSI of the "G" rated tire.
Like donn said most of the heavier 5ers today come with LT tires on them. My last Excel had the LT235/85R/16 range "G" on them and my present one does also.
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Butch50
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07/29/09 09:01am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: How does a TPMS prevent a blowout?
My Doran TPMS won't prevent a blow out but if I do have one it will tell me about it so I don't continue pulling the 5er down the road with a flat and destroy the 5er with flying tire parts. As soon as my system senses a total failure it goes into to alarm unlike others folks you hear about that have towed it for many miles because they had no idea that a tire had blown.
I wouldn't be without one again after seeing how well they work.
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Butch50
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07/28/09 10:05pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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