RE: TV tire pressure (mainly the front tires)
The problem with blanket statements is the the meaning gets lost and then it gets applied wrong or out of context.
Tires have load ratings and a "must" is the tire must have adequate air pressure to carry the load. This one if pretty cut and dried.
Now the shades of gray and this gets more complex as newer vehicles have changed to larger wheels and lower profile tires. When towing the tire stiffness can make or break a stable rig. P tires and even LT tires can have very flexible side walls. They ride nicer non towing and they help cushion the ride while holding the weight.
However, cushy tires and trying to control a TT can have very opposite results. They are saying to air up your tires is meant to stiffen the tire. You have to have the pressure to handle the load but you also need the stiffness to help control the TT.
There are a number of factors that affect how much extra pressure is needed all the way up to max cold pressure. And in some cases, even max pressure is not enough. Truck wheelbase, truck type of suspension, how loaded that suspension is and even more so, brand/type of tire to name a few.
If the front tires are not stiff enough, as a sway force hits the trailer, the truck tires have to resit it. If they flex very little in the side wall, the truck stays stable left to right. If the tire is soggy, the front of the truck will fell like it is shifting left to right, sometimes it feels like the back of the truck is shifting but it can be the front.
They do not create a stiffness rating for tire side walls so you sort of buying blind. Some have P tires that do very well while others can't control much no matter what they do. Even some LT tires are like this. The max pressure guide is a way to help create that stiffness. How much is an experiment. Start in 5 psi jumps above door sicker pressures all the way to max. In the LT tire you can approach a hard bounce where the truck little feels like it just jumped left or right after a bump. That is too stiff back off 5 psi and try again. A gasser 3/4 ton truck might have the hard bounce issue on the front where the same truck with a diesel up front won't. Same tire but different loading.
I have found the newer, large rim/smaller profile tire if a lot stiffer from the get go. Since there is less rubber profile the tries flexes less. They do ride harder but flex less. It's a trade off.
So while from a load stand point you may not need extra pressure, you may from a stiffness stand point.
Good luck and hope this helps
John
RE: Bent Hitch pin
Is there a chance you can post a picture of your shank and the bent pin?
Do you have a 5/8" pin or a 1/2" pin?
If the hitch shank fits and is made properly in the receiver and you have a 5/8" pin, you do not have enough truck to bend that pin when pulling or by loaded tongue weight.
Something is not right in the setup or the parts. If we can see what you are up agaisnt we can possible give better answers to what is wrong.
Hope this helps
John
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
Thanks John.
Don't recall having seen a CAT scale set up with such a wide flush open area next to the scales. But will keep my eyes open.
EDIT: hmmmm, a bottle jack with gauge may be the way to go ...
Bottle jacks with gauge port
or
Youtube video
Yes, those will work you just have to get a gage in the correct pressure range and figure out the piston diameter. Boy, they have a U tube for everything now a days....
Here are the basic steps, need a hard surface that is flat. Level the camper. Drive up on 4, 2 x 8's or wider
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejackboardsin_zps20d62d78.jpg
Now set the force jack under the axle seat, use a feeler gage or sheet of paper to "just" be there. You do not want to lift and you do not want to be very much low. I used a 0.001" feeler. Lock the jack
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejack_zps81e9bd1b.jpg
Now jack up the camper at that wheel by the frame and pull the 1 2 x 8.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejackboardout_zps5ee5dbff.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejacksetup_zps5528db59.jpg
I also used a bottle jack, easier to control
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/Tires%20Check%20-%20New%20Tires/bottlejack.jpg
Very slowly lower the jack to lower the camper onto the force jack. Read the gage
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejack2_zps43e93d18.jpg width=640
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/forcejackgage_zps146df97f.jpg
Then jack camper back up, slide 2 x 8 under tire, release force jack and move out from under the axle seat, slowly lower camper back down. Move to the next wheel.
When your done, you need to measure from the jack point at the axle seat to the center of the tire. Then calculate the reduction of force out at the wheel. (summat moments about a point) If you need
help with this let me know.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/Tires%20Check%20-%20New%20Tires/Scaledweightandforcejack1.jpg
A link to a bigger image so you can read it.
Larger size
Things that will affect the force.
Air in the jack, make sure there is none in the hydraulics.
A non solid surface. If the jack base compresses into the ground it changes the load as the entire trailer will shift some and the equalizer can shift a little load.
The gage itself, ideally you are mid range of the pressure gage for best accuracy.
A rubber equalizer. These "settle". So when you jack up the camper, the rubber uncompresses. When you lower it down, the rubber starts compressing and takes time to settle into it's loaded position. As the rubber is compressing, the spring load if shifting some to the other wheel location. I finally had to measure with a caliper 3 decimal places where the settle in width across the equalizer was to get a repeatable reading. Drove me nuts until I figure this out. And you have to wait a fair amount of time too.
I did not dream this method up, but I did enhance it. Member EX Rocket Scientist dreamed it up with his Sherline tongue weight scale.
Good luck
John
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
Start by weighing each wheel location.
Upgrade load range as needed to be 20% or more reserve capacity above the heaviest tire.
Was thinking the same thing a while back and looked for portable single wheel scales online. Very nice but very pricy. Have been religiously going to CAT Scales over the years but they have all been single axle, not single wheel. And our local landfill scale is similar.
So how/where do you weigh a single wheel?
I know of 4 ways. 2 I have used.
1. Find a buddy who has a race car and ask him if he/she can bring their scales over some day. Often race cars use the portable scales. The buddy who has them that I know is several states away...
2. If you have a force jack, this is a jack with a fancy pressure gage that reads out directly in pounds. There is a method where you put the camper up on 2 x 8's, then one wheel at a time jack up the camper by the frame, remove the 2 x 8 and let the axle seat down on the force jack which is just under the axle seat, the gage reads out in pounds. Then do some math to get the weight at the wheel to compensate for the axle seat to wheel distance. I have done this, there is some error in it if you have a rubber equalizer. This method can be off ~ 50 to 75#, but I can do it in my yard. If you want more on this let me know.
3. The method that most can do if they have a CAT scale near them setup like this.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/CatScales.jpg
You need at least a 3 segment semi scale. This pic is from me explaining WD setting but you can see the segments.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/ScaleTruckPosition.jpg
Now for your first reading. Make sure you have the WD bars on if this is a TT and loaded with water or what ever your max is. You start by splitting the front and rear axle. Pull up enough to get 1 axle on each scale. The scales split is between the 2 axles. Take a weight reading. Now pull off and go around again.
Sorry don't have the camper on it but you can get the drift from this pic. There is to be nothing else on either of the 2 scales.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/scalesplit_zps81f7bf61.jpg
Now you know the total load the front and rear axle are under. Just not individual wheel weights yet.
Now pull on and leave 1 set of tires off the scale. The scale setup has to allow this. I use to weigh at Flying J and they had guard rails next to the scale. Could not do this. Then a year or so ago they upgraded to CAT scales and the new flush pad next to the scale came.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/scalesplitoffscale_zps685a42df.jpg
Now you have the right side wheel individual weights. To get the left side you have 2 options, go around again and pull off the other side. OR subtract the front right individual weight from the front total axle to get the front left. And do the same for the rear axle.
Ideally you go inside and talk to the scale manager first so they know what you are doing and OK it. There is 20 to 50# of error in this as the scales are calibrated and meant to weigh 80,000# semi's and 50# to them is noise.
The 4th method. If you can find this organization, they do just this. RESEF http://rvsafety.com/ I myself have never been to one, would like to some day. I know some folks who had this done to their rig at a rally.
Hope this helps
John
RE: new battery bit the dust but could have been worse.
I have discovered one other thing that might explain. From the positive terminal, one wire goes into camper, another wire is route outside the bottom of camper almost all the way to rear bumper and its cut and taped. Have no clue what it went to but it routes over one of the crossmembers and is pinched. Looks like it may have worn insulation off and that could possibly have created a ground condition for the + terminal snd caused dead short. It is a huge wire. Any clue what this would have routed to? Really strange b/c its the same guage wire that is routed into camper. I'm 99% sure this wire is grounding out! Wierd...
OK how big a round is that wire? Is it the same big size that hooks to the battery? Outside of the insulation is about 3/16 to 1/4"
Once you find the big dead short... it will leave tracks, real bad burnt installation, black flash spatter all over and if you sniff, the smell of burnt electrical will ring in your head for sure.
Does that wire look like a factory install or real bad after thought by a prior owner?
Not knowing what kind of camper this is even... An extra heavy wire way to the back was someone wild bad attempt to power up an inverter, maybe.
If you have a slide system, they often run a no 10 awg from the battery area to the slide switch and then to the motor. But taping it off if not normally a factory thing.
Keep hunting, you keep turning up more wrong things....
RE: new battery bit the dust but could have been worse.
Also just found the po spliced in a new 7 way plug and the 12v wire black wire was broken at the crimp. I bet that was what cause the problem! I should have checcked out the splices sooner!may have save a battery! What is recommended for splicing in trailer plug??
Ah, I do not think so. While a loose connection can cause high resistance, the wire itself has to be big enough to carry very heavy current to melt a battery post. Even if by odd chance he used no 12 awg wire, that thing would melt like a fuse on a dead short on a good battery. All the insulation would be toast.
You are looking for something that can attempt to try and pull 50 to 100 amps or more. And it can happen quick. You are basically trying to weld with the battery.
Need to see this battery post to tell just how bad this is.
RE: new battery bit the dust but could have been worse.
I just noticed the break away controller was melted too. Is it possible that this unit created a dead short to marine bat to cause melt?
H'mm Trying to connect the dots on what went wrong,
The breakaway switch could of shorted due to water inside. The pin seal may be bad and with enough rain or towing in the rain it is not a stretch to have the switch short.
OK lets say it did. This creates a direct path to ground. The wire size on everyone of those switches I have seen (not all of them but several) is only a no 14 awg wire. The wire should of become a fuse and melted most all the insulation off until the the wire burnt clear off. I can see this happening.
However I cannot yet connect the dots on how you melted off both the + and - battery posts?? Any chance of a pic? In order to pull that much current you need a heck of a big wire. A number 14 I do not think will do it.
If the battery itself shorted inside, maybe aggravated by a bad breakaway switch, it should of melted through inside the battery. Or at least I think it should.
If the posts outside the battery are melted that seems to point to a short between the posts outside. Maybe a battery case full of water, metal hold down strap touching or something across the posts. You said both posts where burnt.
In most camper setups, at least the smaller trailers, there is generally a 30 amp fuse or circuit breaker between the convertwr and the battery to protect agasint this melt down from a short in the wire or the camper. If that fuse exists, it should of popped immediately "if" the short was between the fuse and the convertor.
Odds are also high you blew out the charge line fuse to the truck through the 7 wire cable. Heads up when you go to power back up again.
This still does not add up. Odds are high you have at least 2 things going on
Back to the battery box full of water, have you ever drill drain holes in the bottom of the battery box? Did you check? If there are no holes in the bottom of that box, the case can fill up with water if it has rained bad enough and then once it reaches the posts, there is enough dirt in the water it will conduct.
You are going to need to do some digging with an ohm meter to ground before you put a new battery in. I for sure would. This still does not add up.
Hope this helps and please report back what you find.
John
RE: Jayco or KZ
I have a KZ. If you go thru my library on Photobucket it might help you decide.
My KZ
There are upgrades and repairs shown to make this 2011 261rks useable.
Lynnmor,
Is that hanger flex that leads to main frame rails cracks I'm seeing in your pics?
Seeing the cross members to stiffen up the hangers I'm putting 2 and 2 together to come up with the traditional frame cracks.
What ever happened to your wet insulation under the camper was a hand full and then some.
I see the indicator on the axle stud end, it bent?
I can see your handy. Nice truck too
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
The sad part is, running gear upgrades do not show up in too many camper brochures. You can not sell it, if it is not offered. Some are finally coming with rubber equalizers, shocks and I even saw self adjusting brakes but they are far and in-between. I have yet to see an adjustable axle seat even though they have been around a long time. And they still keep using these light duty hangers and frame attachments.
Just maybe RV trailers are built to the specs required by their weight and usage factors. The engineering analysis for RV trailers does not require a background for self propelled vehicles. Engineers for the RV trailer industry come from the same schools as those designing cars and trucks.
Take a look at pages 27 - 30 in the reference. Looks to me like that's a pretty good explanation of a simple system to support an RV trailer.
Click Here
FE
Hi FE,
Thanks, that is one nice camper. Boy, thats a beauty. Mobile Suites I would put in the high end RV trailer. And in that type of quality, upgrades come as standard.
From the catalog you posted. Things that caught my eye.
First the tires, using their words
Heavy-duty 17.5" Goodyear® tires provide
increased load capacity while staying cool on
long hauls. We use truck tires, not RV tires, to
ensure better performance and peace of mind
Note the truck tires note.
They have oil bath bearings.
They have greaseable suspension bushings with grease fittings.
Kodiak disk brakes
15 in. wide stacked structural tubing frame. That is a big difference.
Extra frame cross members to not twist the frame rails.
8,000# axles. I cannot find the GVWR specs but assuming a triple axle is still at or under 25K. I would think over 25K may push the need of a CDL.
They use Mor ryde IS suspension. A totally different league than most TT's
When you used the words "simple system to support an RV trailer" what is on that Mobile Suits 5er is not what is on the majority of TT's.
I have great faith that the RV engineer can build a quality TT RV frame and running gear system and it will not cost that much more then what the average TT build when purchased at the OEM level. This all comes down to $$ and who is making it. That is fine, offer it to the customer, tell them the advantages of why and they might just buy it. Or will it open up all the questions of why don't they just include them?
RE: HELP, I'm in a jam
What you are describing points to you lost power to the camper. Either you tripped the main breaker inside the camper or out at the power post. Or the campground lost power.
The microwave and the AC unit are on different circuit breakers. AC on a 20 amp and microwave on a 15. I do not know your exact camper, but most are that way.
Also to note, your camper most likely is only setup on a 30 amp service. Running the AC unit uses a lot of power, at least 11 to 12 amps worth once it is past power up. If you attempt to run the microwave on hi for any length of time with the AC running with the compressor running, odds are high you will trip the breaker. This goes for running the HW heater on electric at 1,400 watts also.
These campers are not wired like a house that has good 200 amp service. Think of a camper as only able to power up one heat creating device at once. 1 hair dryer, 1 HW electric element, 1 toaster, 1 AC unit, 1 microwave and then you stay out of this issue.
The power convertor is using power all the time ~ 4 to 8 amps and more so if it is charging the battery. The fridge if you are running on 120 AC, is like having a 350 watt light bulb on using power. With those 2 units running, add a 3rd or 4th high power device and the breaker goes out. Especially if the CG has low voltage.
Hope this helps
Say hello to Mickey for us.
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
While switching to the LT tire can be a good move, it just isn’t possible for some, and it is costly for all…
Even though I agree with John, and tireman on the reporting and think it is important to do so… it is so wrong in so many ways that it takes changing tire types to be or even just to feel safe and comfortable…
Reporting won’t bring the needed change… the only thing that will cause meaningful change is US… if we don’t demand better, if we don’t make it a deal breaker, if we don’t start to insist, you will never get nor could you ever expect better…
Yet I talked to my dealer and another local dealer yesterday, and both say they are never even asked about what type of tires they have and they both say unequivocally they have never ever had anyone demand LT tires as a condition of sale, or even a upgrade to a LT tire…
So IMHO there is plenty of blame to go around for the cause of the problem but we are the blame for the lack of a cure… we have done precious little to pressure the tire or the trailer industries, and when buying replacements our first question is how much…
Hi JJ,
Yup I agree with ya. Proper running gear is not a sales point. Power awnings, interior conveniences, creature comforts etc are selling points.
While I hope it is not impossible...I doubt many new camper sales or PDI's even talk about running gear, not alone tires. During the PDI where you ever told the brakes on the camper are manual adjust, to make sure you have proper TW and balance as you load the camper, the fact that the camper did not come with very much grease in the bearings and make sure you come in soon for an service appointment, make sure you weigh the axles when you load the camper so you do not overload these axles we put on, the list goes on.
If I ever do buy a new camper, I do not know yet what I'm going to run up-against but unless the gas economy goes totally off the charts, the camper size will be in the same league I am now. There will be a discussion about running gear and LT tires. The list of brands I'm even considering is small due to the TT quality and I'll wait for it to be built if need be. And yes, I know I have to pay something more. I might be a minority, but it will happen. There is nothing left much original in my running gear. OK the springs are still the same....
The sad part is, running gear upgrades do not show up in too many camper brochures. You can not sell it, if it is not offered. Some are finally coming with rubber equalizers, shocks and I even saw self adjusting brakes but they are far and in-between. I have yet to see an adjustable axle seat even though they have been around a long time. And they still keep using these light duty hangers and frame attachments.
As far as NHTSA, they get very few complaints. For us towing campers, tires are a big deal when a failure happens to us. I know compared to the auto industry we are a spec of the problems they have to deal with. If no one is complaining, what are they going to focus on? Many of the reports that are filed, lack correct information. I was ignorant too. Until my tire failure I did not even know how or where to file a complaint or that I should. I really wish government doesn't have to force regulation to make a quality trailer tire.
I agree "WE" the folks who use campers are the ones that have to help the cause. The 1st part is helping to spread the understanding. Like this post.
Bigcitypopo now has a little better understanding, hey that's progress. One camper at a time.
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
If you have not read any of these reference materials you may want to add a couple of them to your researching materials.
Click Here!
FE
Thanks FE, did not know of that one. More reading to continue the education.
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
Great post, John, you covered a lot of the bases.Thanks West.
John!!! Outstanding! Thank you very Much!!!
Hi Big City, glad it helped or at least helped point you to think about some things to help you decide. Let us know how you make out
RE: the dreaded tire topic...
Great info.. My tires are 225/75/15... I am game for an LT tire... Recommendations?
so how do you make sense of it. this is the first time I'm buying trailer tires... Marathons are what are on my rig now..
Hi Big City,
Welcome to the world of tires and campers.... How do you make sense out of it??? There is no simple slam dunk answer, however research and digging, and more digging can help "you" make a better decision for "your" situation. Campers present a unique application and use difference than just the standard open deck trailer heading down the road.
I'll pass along some of my saga and you can compare to see if it is even close to your situation.
I am of the "belief" there is an tandem or tipple axle tire load sizing/application issue in the industry and that coupled with low quality of construction "can" lead to tire failure. The load sizing also exists in the single axle tire world of campers but has a different application/use issue than the tandem/triple axle setup.
First the loads, pending what brand camper and how "you" load it you may be sitting on an overloaded tire position or one with very little reserve capacity and not even realize it. Do you know for fact, backed by weight slips, that your fully loaded camper has 20% or close to 20%, extra load carrying capacity beyond the heaviest tire? Meaning not all 4 tires are loaded equal in a camper. They are not unless you are very lucky. Having a camper built dead even left to right and then loaded even left to right is not common. This results often in 4 different wheel weights on a tandem axle setup.
Then the application of the tire. Pending what brand camper you have, some brands are cutting cost more than others. Does your combined axle gross weight rating equal or surpass the GVWR of the camper? Some brands put running gear on to handle the entire GVWR while others put one step down sized and count on the truck to hold up part of the GVWR. The down sized one can get into trouble quicker in an overloaded condition and the owner never realize it. The fully sized running gear to meet the full GVWR can be in trouble too, but it has a better fighting chance.
Then there is more to the application. There is now a stronger growing understanding in the industry about needing 20% extra reserve capacity above the heaviest loaded wheel position. This is both from a capacity stand point and turning. The ST tire is suppose to be made to have the ability to "take it" on the heavy scrubbing action of tandems or triples turning. The jury is still out on this one but more and more is coming to light that it is a problem and up sizing may be one of the methods to help reduce this failure.
I want to also declare, I'm not a tire expert and I do not work in the tire industry, I'm just a machinery guy trying to figure this mess out. Do not take what I'm saying as gospel, but if wanted I can share the research that has lead me to this.
Here is some reading, not my thread but it will stir up the questions for you to sort through.
Revived Trailer Tire Thread (formerly on the 5th Wheel Forum
I have/had 4 sets of ST trailer tires. The 1st set was Maxxis ST205/75R15's C's LR. These where on my 1st TT, they matched up with a 7K GVWR. I felt they where good tires, however at year 4.5 weather checking (cracks) in the tire tread started to show up.
The 2nd set, now different camper, Maxxis ST225/75R15's, (D's LR) that lined up with a 10,000# GVWR. Since I had Maxxis the 1st time these gave the same good service, but again at year 4.5 the weather checking came again. In my case I had a severe messed up axle situation and ground off excess tread. But I never had a tire failure. BTW, these 2003 tires where Maxxis made in China at the time. Maxxis had a stint for a short time in China, they now come out of Thialand to my understanding. It is not the country that is the issue as much as the company and their quality control.
At this time my research took me to Denman ST225/75R15's D LR Express Radial, a north American made tire just in Mexico. Denman had a real good name in the heavy tire industry based out of Ohio. So I gave them a try. This ended in 3 tire failures last year for detachment of the tread from the main carcass. I thought I had it figured out when I went to the Denmans's, but I didn't. I wanted to know why and how I was having tire failures as I'm anal about speed, I tow no more than 60mph, always start at max cold side wall pressure for the towing day, cover the tires when not in use and my running gear was sized to the full GVWR of the camper and I have weighed the camper several times, just not by individual wheel location. Denman has since gone out, sold ownership from the original owner and later gone out of business. Bummer.
So I took this to maybe an RV'er extreme and tried to get a failure analysis done. Remember I'm a machinery guy who does trouble shooting for a living and I could not let go of this as I wanted to make sure I did not screw up. ST Tire Failure Analysis (Long - Lots of Pics)
And if you have a tire failure, I encourage you it file a compliant with the NHTSA, see here on how to How To File a Tire Failure Complaint
That saga lead me to making the change to LT's. This ST225/75R15 size can be a hand full as not every camper can have a drop in replacement. My choices where to upgrade tire and rims from ST15" D load range to ST15" E load range and I would of went Maxxis Or jump to 16" LT's where more US based options existed. Here is that trail, I went LT's ST225/75R15 to LT225/75R16 Conversion
We do a quantity of towing all year, I'm heavy in the TT world and a tire failure on the road can create a real bad day all the way to a life endangering situation. I felt I needed to upgrade a load range regardless of ST or LT. That drove me in my situation to this LT decision. Miss application or miss use is something the user can help, but only once they realize what to look for. Road hazards are out there for any brand/type of tire. Be on the constant look out.
The jump to 16" LT's takes work. In this evolution I also have upgraded the suspension to a rubber equalizer and shocks. The LT tire is a more "solid" towing tire and is the attribute of the LT that can give the potential ability to allow more road shock into the camper frame. I feel my suspension upgrades(which I had nothing before, rigid everything except springs...) addressed this concern.
In this LT upgrade process, I bought 4 new Maxxis ST225/75R15's D LR that I mounted on my older TT rims and moved them to my flat deck trailer which has a 9,900 # GVWR. I load the flat deck to 7,000#
My camper loaded, grosses out just under 10,000# on a 10,000# GVWR
Summing this up,
Start by weighing each wheel location.
Upgrade load range as needed to be 20% or more reserve capacity above the heaviest tire. Upgrade rims as needed.If you are staying in ST's, my recommendation is Maxxis and be prepared to change them in 5 years.Wait/demand the tires are 1 year or newer at the time you buy it. They can sell you a 3 year old tire as new totally legal. Maxxis warranty starts from the date of manufacture, not installation. Denman used to be the same. Pay the extra for metal valve stems or at least high pressure rubber snap in's. Do not get the standard rubber snap in stem.Balance the tire. I believe in this as the bearings and tire will run better. I used Dyna Beads inside the tire as I could not find anyone to balance by the lug hole on the rim.Cover the tires when the TT is stored, use white covers.Inflate to max cold side wall pressure at the start of "every" dayDo not tow above 65mph.Consider a Tire Pressure Monitor system, must use metal stems
If you make the jump to LT's do the home work and make sure the setup can handle the fender clearance and still size them correctly to have 15 to 20% excess capacity above the heaviest wheel location.If you winter camp in weather close to freezing, make sure your LT tire is rated for cold weather towing. All are not.
Had some time this AM so I typed trying to help a fellow camper sort out this tire mess in his head before buying. Good luck and hope this helps.
John
RE: 2" riser ball?
What type of hitch are your now using?
Hi rise tow balls have there place, but we need to know more about what it is you have. You may be able to adjust for it in another method.
Also heads up on hi rise tow balls, many have reduced pull ratings because of the length. That said you can buy high strength ones too. Point is look for the stamp of rating in the head of the ball. It has to be rated for full GVWR of your camper
Hope this helps
John
RE: Axle nut retainers
Moss,
Do you mean this kind of retaining clip?
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/TT%20Brake%20-%20Axle%20Work/Installkeeper.jpg
I never had one loosen up. That was my older smaller camper. My current one I has the slotted nut and cotter pin. Old school, yes but I like it!
If I had a choice, I would take the cotter pin all the time.
RE: Can you have too much ball tilt?
My current shank is Reese 54970 and it's rather sloppy in the hitch (which has also been replaced with one from Putnam).
Currently, the head is titled just far enough back so all the teeth are still engaged. I know I can go further and Reese has no problem with it. My real question is about the drawbacks, if any, of doing so in general. For example, it seems I have more trouble releasing the ball the further back I tilt it.
I've read a lot advice from you and others and taken a lot of time to make it right and I may just be getting too picky at the moment.
When time permits I'll get the new head put in service and make it even better!
Hopefully that makes sense.
Dave
Hi Dave,
The ball is round, obviously, and as such will release from the coupler at a very large angle to the ground. That said, if the TT is pushing or pulling even a slight amount, the TT will be harder to uncouple. The ball gets hung in the front of the coupler most times.
I have found it is not so much the head tilt as it is the TT and TV are not a ground level that lets the camper relax to release from the ball.
To help prove this to yourself, do like I did. Take that spare tow ball and hold it at a large tilt angle and try by hand go in and out of the coupler at an angle to try and get it stuck releasing from the coupler. See the extreme angle it has to be at to even touch the thinner area under the head of the ball. The only way the ball would hang with me playing with the test ball, is if I had it too far forward or to the rear. It was hooked in the coupler front shape or rear latch. Basically the TT has to wiggle fore or aft or your tranny gear float in park to allow the ball to pop off if there is any kind of weight loading it forward/backward.
I myself do not see it making what you have any worse on 1 or 2 teeth more tilt.
Good for you for being picky. We commend you!
Good luck on your trip too
John
PS, Yes the Putnam I had did have a lot of fit up play. A good receiver, just more play right out of the box.
RE: Chevy\GM Factory Receiver Hitch on 3\4-1Ton Trucks
How easy are they to replace and do you need to reset your WD equipment after an install?
It is extremely likely you will need to reset the WD. Means just about a yes.
If your hitch setup was like mine, I had to buy a new drop shank.
Here is the setup on the original 2003 receiver
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/GmHitchWithReeseDualCam.jpg
Here are the 2 receivers side by side
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/GMVersesPutmanClassVHitch.jpg
The newer receiver pin box was higher requiring a lower drop shank to level out the camper. Ended up looking like this
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/ReeseDCReadjustedonScales.jpg
This all depends on the shank you have now and the difference in the new receiver is built in relation to the old one. And then there is the excess twist/flex issues that eats up WD settings.
This is not hard to do, just be prepared for it in the event you get into a height difference.
Hope this helps
John
RE: Can you have too much ball tilt?
As far as the hitch head, If you have the new 1 piece cast trunnion head it is 14 degree of rear tilt. If you have the slightly older 3 piece welded it is 15 degrees rear tilt. Like this
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/HPhead.jpg
While you can use it, if you actually get that far back, you have other issues going on like too light a WD bar, an extremely loose hitch shank fit to the receiver pin box, or receiver on the truck that is not up to the task with excess wind up as a few of the more common issues that use all 14 or 15 degrees of rear tilt.
Like this can eat 2 degrees or rear tilt
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/Putnamlostmotion.jpg
As a point of reference this is 7.5 degree rear tilt
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/SuburbanUnhitchedshanknoWD.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/Headtilt75deg.jpg
Here is the play taken out
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/Headtilt2deg.jpg
Adding this up:
2 degrees is lost due to receiver play
approx 2 degrees is normal receiver wind up for this receiver
3.5 degrees is needed for WD preload.
End result looks like this on my K2500 Suburban with Putnam XDR receiver, 1,200# WD bars, 1,200# loaded TW
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/6inframeDCdriverside.jpg
Same TT and hitch, same WD bars, now F350 with 1,250 rated receiver. There is less play in the pin box and the receiver wind up is less.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/F350HitchedwithWD.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/F350HitchedwithWDshankangle.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/F350HitchedwithWDTTangle.jpg
I have since finished loading the camper, have a 1,600# fully loaded TW and 1,700# WD bars. Also the Titan Tow Beast receiver and 2 1/2 shank
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/Hitch%20Setup/F350andTowbeast.jpg
All that said, what is the hitch head angle in relation to the no play state of no TT hooked up? a 5 to 7 even 8 degree rear tilt is very normal. 10 degree and something is getting close to not right and 12 plus degree generally points to excessive receiver flex if the hitch is setup correct
Hope this helps
John
